Chapter 27
27
After the phone call and a brusque conversation with Carter, Hardy stepped outside. The home’s front and back lawns had been professionally landscaped. Lush foliage and a variety of native trees were counterparts to the blooming perennials and a trickling man-made fountain.
Unlike the outside of the cabins, there were no logs in need of splitting or stacks of firewood waiting to be carried inside.
There were a dozen things he needed to focus on. First and foremost was the attempted breach of the fence. Not only did he need to think of more than one way to monitor the perimeter, but he also needed to acknowledge that the person after Stephanie had not given up and likely wouldn’t anytime soon.
He also needed to remind Carter that there was a chance that he could also be at risk. Carter wasn’t just rich. He was close to being a billionaire. And it didn’t matter if a lot of his assets were in land and stocks. The man was worth a lot and therefore could be a target for kidnapping. That was, after all, the reason they had such tight security protocols in place.
Bev was also at risk, since the person who’d tracked Stephanie probably figured out that Bev was the reason the Amish girl had been able to get English clothes and on a bus so quickly. And maybe they now knew—she was a witness herself. That was all important. Vitally important.
Finally, there were things like groceries and the farm animals and the hands who worked with the horses and cattle and the fifty other things that were usually at the top of his to-do list but now had been woefully neglected.
All that was why it made no sense at all for him to be focused on Stephanie right now. And not even on her safety.
Nope, all he currently cared about was her feelings. And, perhaps, his jealousy. Every time Carter spoke to Stephanie in a soft way or encouraged her to open up a bit, he felt a twinge of jealousy.
It was obvious that Carter felt nothing for Stephanie beyond the fact that she was a young woman under his care. But that was beside the point. Hardy knew he had no business feeling jealous. Beverly had been right to point out that there were numerous reasons why he should be keeping his distance.
Not be calling her darlin’ even on accident.
Why, God? Why are You encouraging these feelings for someone who I shouldn’t be feeling that way about? I’ve had too violent a life to be around someone as peace -loving as her.
As he rejoined them in the house, Stephanie rose to meet him. “Hardy, are you all right?”
That was all it took. Just a few words from her made his body ease and his worries fade.
She reached out. Curved her fingers around his arm. “Hardy?”
He shook his head as if he was clearing it. “Sorry.” Hoping he now appeared a lot calmer, he flashed her a small smile. “Of course. I’m worried about you, though.”
“I know you’re worried about me. I wish you didn’t have to be.”
“If the reason I’m worried didn’t exist, I wouldn’t have met you in the first place. I guess I should focus on that.”
She blinked. Seemed to take a moment to follow his train of thought. And then laughed. “So you’re saying our friendship is the silver lining in me witnessing a murder?”
“It’s not the only hidden blessing, but yes. I’m glad I’ve had the chance to know you. I promise I’ll do my best to ensure that you stay safe so you can go back home as soon as possible.”
“That’s good.”
She’d averted her eyes, though. What did that mean? Just as he was about to delve into that can of worms, he pulled himself together and noticed Carter and Bev having a heated conversation in the corner of the living room. “What’s going on with them? Do you know?”
“Maybe.” Lowering her voice, Stephanie added, “I have a feeling that Bev might be the most frustrated member of our little group.”
“Why is that?”
“She revealed to me last night that she wants to carry a weapon, but she doesn’t know how to shoot.”
“What?”
“Lower your voice, Hardy.”
“Sorry,” he said in a lower tone. “But ... what?”
Sneaking another look Bev’s way, Stephanie added, “Your sister said she doesn’t want to be a victim. She wants to be able to defend me if the two of us are cornered, and she knows she’s not strong enough to hold her own in a fight.”
“Of course she isn’t. That’s why she has me and Carter. And a whole security team.”
She paused then added, “And then there’s everything about her job. I think she’s really worried about work. Maybe she wants to go home.”
Hardy realized he was guilty of taking her work for granted. Sure, he knew she was a social worker and took her job and the relationships she had with her kids seriously. But did he often stop and think about what that actually meant for his sister? When she missed work, she didn’t just miss a day of pay, but she felt like she was letting her kids down.
Nope. Those things had rarely crossed his mind over the last few days.
But was he willing to let her drive back to Cincinnati alone?
No. No, he was not.
Especially not now. He knew things were about to come to a head. He could feel it.
“Do you think you should teach her to shoot?” Stephanie asked hesitantly.
“No.”
“Are you sure?”
“Very sure. It’s not that I don’t trust her. It’s more of the fact that she might know how to shoot but she sure doesn’t have any skill with it. Someone untrained with a firearm is more at risk than if they didn’t have a weapon at all. And no one has time to practice with her right now.”
“I understand. And now I don’t have to worry that you’d ask me to handle a gun.”
“Of course I wouldn’t do that. Not only is it not safe, I don’t want to go against your beliefs.”
“My beliefs?”
“Well, yeah. I mean, even I know that Amish don’t hold with violence of any kind.”
“This is true. But it’s more than that. I ... well, I just don’t think I could ever handle a gun. I would be too frightened.”
“I’ll do my best to make sure that never happens.”
A smile played on her lips. “Danke.”
Her use of Pennsylvania Dutch made him realize that he’d taken something else for granted too. “Are you uncomfortable dressing English and living in a modern house?”
“Sometimes.” She waved a hand. “Part of me misses my life. I mean, of course I don’t like feeling like a murderer is after me and all.”
“Of course.”
“But, that aside ... I have been thinking a lot about how I miss the quiet and the peace. At times, I’ve missed feeling useful too. But ... there was so much that I should and shouldn’t do, and my uncle likes to imagine that very bad things will happen if anyone strays beyond those perimeters.”
“They used fear tactics to keep you home.”
“Maybe so.” She inhaled. “I never agreed with that. Mei eldras didn’t either. They were also Old Order, but from a more progressive community. The definition of ‘Plain’ was far more broad. I kept putting off my baptism.”
“So, are you actually Amish?”
“Nope. Right now, I’m just Stephanie.” Turning to face him, she added, “Maybe that’s why I haven’t hated being here. I’ve needed time to figure out who I am. Plus, it’s been nice not to have every move I make scrutinized.”
“But you’ve been alone a lot.”
“Jah. But before Carter and Bev joined us, I thought it was kind of fun when you stopped by and we watched television for an hour or two.”
“I can’t believe you got sucked into The Love Boat . You really liked it.”
“How could I not? Everyone is warm, relaxed, sailing on the ocean, and falling in love. All of their problems are done within an hour.”
He leaned close. “Put that way, I think I should be watching it more often.”
Her giggle was adorable. And it soothed him in the best way possible. It didn’t make any of their problems go away, but it sure made them seem like they were problems, not life-changing obstacles that were going to ruin everyone’s lives if he didn’t do the right thing. “Danke,” he said.
“Thank you for what?”
“Reminding me to take a moment and breathe. To remember to not only thank my sister for her help but to ask how she’s doing and if there is a way I can help her.” He grinned. “And for reminding me that even though we’re in the middle of a very sticky situation, that every minute of the day doesn’t need to be high stress and giving 100 percent.”
“Since we’re talking about thinking about each other, I don’t believe I’ve asked you how you’re doing. Are you all right?”
“Of course.”
“I don’t think the conversation will go so well if you’re not honest. Is there something I may help you with?” She tilted her head and smiled. “Would you like to learn Deutch, perhaps? Maybe how to milk a cow or churn butter?”
“As much as those sound like fun activities ... what I would love is more conversations like that one we just had. I need them. Can we do that?”
“We can. I would be happy to converse with you as often as you’d like.”
“If you can promise me that, then you’ll be helping me a lot.”
“I promise,” she said softly.
His heart clenched. He had to fist his hand because he wanted to reach out and run a finger along her perfect cheekbone. Then run his lips along that same path. Hold her close and feel her curves and softness and let that femininity remind him that while the world was hard, there was goodness in it too.
It came in the sunrise, the stars at night, the baby bunnies and lambs in the spring.
Or maybe in brief, precious moments of peace when the only thing to do was share something special.
Giving in for just one short second, he leaned down, brushed his lips against hers.
When he lifted his head, he murmured, “I bet there’s a dozen reasons why I should apologize to you right now, but I just can’t.”
Stephanie didn’t say a word, but her expression warmed.
The soft expression of a beautiful woman. Gazing at him. Just for a second.
Yes, for just one second, their situation was bad, but the rest of their world was very, very good. Perfect.