by Dana R. Lynn
“What are you doing?” Annie screamed at him.
“Guns! Annie, they have guns.”
Horror replaced the surprise on her face. Without another word, she snatched open the latch on her own seat belt. Then she pulled her screaming daughter onto the floor with her. Tyler ducked down.
The back window shattered.
Bethany started sobbing. “I scared, Daddy! I scared!”
He reached over and ran his hand down the top of her head. “I know, baby. I need you to be brave. Hang on tight to Mommy.”
That wasn’t going to be a problem—he could see that she had a death grip on her mother. And Annie obviously was holding on to her as hard as she could. He knelt beside them on the floor, covering them as much as possible with his own body.
Please, God, protect them. Keep them safe.
The spontaneous prayer was a cry from deep within his soul. He would do whatever he could to spare them as much pain as humanly possible. If that meant taking a bullet for them, then that’s exactly what he would do.
The tires squealed as Karl yanked sharply on the wheel, pulling the car out onto the road. A bullet smashed through the rear passenger window, sprinkling glass over the back seat and the three people crouched on the floor. Stacy screamed.
“Stacy!” Karl yelled, the car jerking.
Stacy sat up. “I’m okay. It missed me.”
“Stay down,” Karl yelled. Tyler could hear the fear in his voice. It had to be hard for him, seeing the woman he had feelings for in danger. Tyler knew exactly how he felt. He pulled Annabelle and Bethany closer. Karl’s jaw was clenched as he kept driving. A minute later, they heard sirens. Sitting up, Tyler looked back and saw two police cars driving along the shoulder. Tyler and Annie relaxed their positions. The top of their heads touched, right above the daughter they were trying to protect. For a moment, neither moved. Tyler needed this connection with her right now. Knowing how close they had come to being injured, he needed to know that Annie and Bethany were unharmed.
Five minutes later, Karl had pulled off the road. The marshals quickly took stock of their situation. Stacy had a spot of blood on her left shoulder where a piece of glass had nicked her, but she was fine. Karl looked at the wound, his face pale and tense, while she talked to him in a calming voice. Several times, her right hand moved to touch his cheek. Karl hugged her briefly. When he released her, he turned to them, his calm marshal face firmly back in place.
Tyler could still see the shadows in the man’s eyes. Shadows brought by seeing a loved one in danger. He peeked at Annabelle and Bethany out of the corner of his eye. They were fine, sitting huddled together. He knew how Karl felt, all too well.
* * *
Karl might look unmoved by the events of the past hour, but Annabelle had seen his reaction when he’d thought Stacy had been hurt. No matter how calm he was now, it was obvious that the tall blond marshal was in love with the brunette Stacy. Watching their interactions as he took care of her shoulder, Annabelle was certain that the woman returned his feelings.
How would she feel if anything happened to Tyler?
It was not a comfortable question. Not too long ago, Annabelle was sure that she wanted no part of Tyler back in her life. She had the reasons memorized. He was unreliable. He put his work above his family. He didn’t care enough.
The Tyler she was seeing now, however, was not that way. He had put himself in harm’s way for them several times. His care and concern for them was real. She knew it was. The way he had protected her and Bethany several times already proved that. He had changed in the time they had been separated.
What would she do if anything happened to him?
She recalled the way she had felt when she saw the blood on his arm earlier. Granted, it was not a serious wound. But if it had been? If she lost him, how would she react?
She had to be honest with herself. If something did happen to Tyler, no matter how angry she was, she would be devastated. Not just because he was Bethany’s father, either. She had to take care. It would be far too easy to find herself falling for him all over again.
And that thought terrified her.
TEN
Tyler had thought that they would never make it to the Amish community. At least, not alive. Karl had been mostly silent for the past few hours, only talking to answer questions or to give necessary information. Stacy had tried to talk with him, but his answers were mostly single-word replies. Tyler didn’t envy the man. He clearly had feelings for Stacy. He obviously hated that Stacy was in danger, but he also respected her as a marshal. Tyler recalled his own reaction when Annabelle had been hurt. His response had been to emotionally and physically withdraw from his family. A decision that he was now regretting. Knowing what Karl might be going through, Tyler had allowed the man his privacy. Several times, he’d exchanged concerned glances with Annie. She’d obviously noticed Karl’s withdrawal. And though she hadn’t said anything about it, he had no doubt that Annie was aware of the full reason behind it. She was a very observant woman, his Annie was.
Except that she was most definitely not his Annie. Not anymore. A fact that was getting harder to remember the more time they spent in one another’s company. She fascinated him in so many ways. He had to keep reminding himself of why he had needed to let her go in the first place.
He could change jobs if they ever got out of the witness protection program.
The thought stunned him momentarily. And it was tempting. Very tempting. He did not let himself dwell on the thought, however, knowing that he had an obligation to fulfill. His current job was his best way of going about that. No matter how much he was growing to hate it.
Karl pulled up a long driveway. It was gravel, and Tyler could hear the rocks crunching beneath the wheels of the car. Dust billowed around them. It had been a few days since it had rained. A large white two-story farmhouse loomed before them. Alongside the driveway, wood was stacked. The family was already preparing for the harsh months of winter. A clothesline on a pulley system ran from the edge of the porch to the top of the garage. Sheets, dresses, shirts and trousers snapped and waved in the breeze.
Near the top of the drive, Karl parked the vehicle. Beyond it, Tyler saw an enclosed buggy in the barn.
When he’d envisioned Amish communities, he’d somehow pictured houses closer together. These houses were on large plots of land. Not only that, but it was also obvious that while most of the houses on the street were owned by Amish, not all of them were.
“Are all the Amish homes white?” he asked in a low voice.
“Around here they are,” Karl responded. “I am not one hundred percent sure, but that may be one of the things decided by their bishop. Things like color of clothing and such can be decided by him. So, you might have two districts side by side with different rules.”
“Hmm.” Interesting information to tuck away in the back of his mind.
Karl and Stacy opened their doors and Tyler followed suit. Then he jogged around the car and opened Annie’s door for her. She unfastened Bethany and helped the child out of the car. The solemn group approached the house.
As they walked up onto the porch, the door was opened by an attractive woman of around thirty. Her lovely golden-brown hair was tucked beneath a white bonnet-type hat. He couldn’t remember the name of it. The strings were untied and hung over her shoulders. The little bonnet reminded him of a teacup, with the flat back and the round shape of the sides. The woman was dressed in a calf-length blue dress with a white apron on it.
“I am happy that you have arrived. Please come in. I am Julia. My husband will be here shortly.”
The tired family moved inside the house. The late afternoon was warm, but the house was surprisingly cool.
It was a beautiful house. All wooden floors and handcrafted furniture. There were, of course, no lamps or electric appliances. The light streaming into the kit
chen was all natural. The walls were bare, except for a few oil lamps. No pictures were hung on them. Nor were there any curtains on the windows. But still the place felt like a home. The floor plan was open, and the living room was larger than he was used to seeing in a house. There was a large china cabinet with a full set of china situated near the side wall in the combined kitchen-and-dining area. And he could see quilts on several of the chairs.
“You have a lot of open space here,” he commented.
“We need the space,” Julia said. “It’s for when we have church.”
Tyler raised his eyebrows. He looked around at the others in the room. Apparently, Karl and Stacy both under stood what she was saying because they nodded. He felt foolish for asking, but if he was going to pretend to be Amish for a while, he should probably know about this, as well. He glanced at Annie and saw the same blank look on her face that was probably on his. So he wasn’t the only one. When she turned her head, their eyes met. And held. Electricity shimmered in the air between them. She broke the connection first, cheeks reddening.
He rubbed the back of his neck, feeling uncomfortable. His neck was warm. His cheeks and ears were probably red, too. He pulled his mind back to what they had been discussing. There were so many things about the Amish culture he didn’t know. It was like he was in school and didn’t know the material the day before the test. He felt ridiculous needing to ask about the most basic things. But he didn’t let that stop him. This was too important to let pride stand in the way. He could literally risk his family’s life if he didn’t have some sort of understanding of the Amish culture.
“I hate to sound ignorant,” he said. “This is all very new to me. You have church in your house?”
Julia didn’t seem to mind all the questions. In fact, she grinned at him.
“I know it seems a little bit strange.” She chuckled a little. “When I first came to an Amish community, I was a little startled by it, as well. Now, it seems natural. Just as it should be. Amish homes are built with a wide-open floor plan so that every family in the district can host the church service at least once a year. There are almost twenty families in our district. We have church every other week. On the weeks that we don’t have church, that’s a visiting day when we can go and visit relatives and friends.”
“Where do all the people sit?” Bethany asked, joining the conversation. Her face scrunched up as she thought of something that she didn’t care for. “Does everybody have to stand during the whole church service?”
Julia laughed again. Annie covered her mouth so she wouldn’t laugh at her daughter. Tyler ruffled the soft blond hair on top of her head. He got such a kick out of listening to the way her mind worked.
A pout started to form. She must have thought the adults were laughing at her.
“Don’t feel bad, bug. I want to know that, too,” he told her with a wink.
Julia was shaking her head. “No, we don’t stand for the whole service. There is a set of wooden benches that are brought around and set up in the house on Saturday evening. We have what is called our church wagon and that is the trailer that carries the benches. Church Sundays are always a fun time.”
Bethany didn’t look like she was convinced.
The child continued to pepper Julia with questions. It soon became clear that Julia had a lot of practice handling an inquisitive five-year-old. She answered the questions with patience and good humor.
The back door flew open and another little girl dashed into the room. She was three inches or so taller than Bethany. The girl crashed to a stop when she saw that they had company. Her eyes popped with excitement.
“Mommy! Who are they?”
Julia turned to Tyler’s family. “I would like you to meet my daughter, Kayla. Kayla is seven years old and in second grade. My son, William, will be home soon. He is fourteen. He and my husband are out working on chores in the barn.”
Kayla had apparently lost interest in the conversation. All of her attention was focused squarely on Bethany. She walked over to stand beside the younger girl, giving her a quick inspection.
“I’m Kayla,” she said, forgetting that her mother had already introduced her. “What’s your name?”
Bethany ducked her head, shy for once. “I’m Bethany. I’m gonna be six.”
Tyler and Annie exchanged laughing glances. “Bethany,” Annie said, “you just turned five a few months ago.”
Bethany heaved a dramatic sigh and rolled her eyes. “I know that, Mommy. But that means that I’m going to be six next.”
A few minutes later, Abraham Beiler arrived with William. Tyler liked them right off. Abraham was not the most talkative fellow one could meet, but Tyler could tell that he was an intelligent man. He tried to imagine the man in the dark Amish trousers and the full beard as a cop. It was there in the eyes, he decided. Those eyes said that he had seen far more pain and despair than he had ever wanted to in his lifetime. Tyler would never ask. He respected the man’s privacy. Not to mention the fact that he had seen his own share of grief.
Before he left, Karl pulled Annie and Tyler, or Ty, aside. “I’m giving you guys a phone to use in case of an emergency. It is for emergency use only. This placement will only work if you two do your best to fit in. That means phones are out. Do not try to contact anyone from your old life.”
He glanced over at Annie when he said that. Ty grimaced. Probably because she had someone worth contacting. Everyone he had was here in the program with him. That was a little sad to think about, but it worked out well, considering the circumstances.
“Will we see you again?” Annie asked.
“Oh, yeah. I will check in on you. And if you ever feel that you are in danger, I will come, or Jonathan or another marshal. You are not in this alone.”
Karl’s phone buzzed. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and read the text. Tyler was startled to see a huge grin break across the man’s face. And relieved. The man had been so somber for the past few hours, the expression was a welcome change.
“I have some good news,” Karl announced to the group at large. “Jonathan texted me to say that he and his wife, Celeste, have a beautiful baby girl, and Celeste is doing wonderful.”
The mood of the group lightened after that information. Putting his phone away, Karl appeared more relaxed than he had been. He talked to Tyler for a few minutes more. Tyler let his gaze drift over to Annie for a few seconds. Stacy was with her. Whatever they were talking about, it looked intense. Realizing that Karl was still speaking, he yanked his attention back to him.
Karl and Stacy left. Julia showed them to their rooms. Tyler’s room was on the first floor, but Annie and Bethany were both on the second floor. Abraham handed Tyler some clothes similar to what he and William were wearing. Annie and Bethany followed Kayla and Julia upstairs to try on some Amish clothes.
Abraham invited Ty to go out to the barn with him and William to start getting him acclimated to his new life. Karl had said that they weren’t alone. And it was true.
But at the moment, surrounded by people and a way of life he wasn’t familiar with, it sure felt like he was.
* * *
Annabelle woke up the next morning feeling disoriented. It took her a few moments to realize where she was. She reached over on the bedside table for her phone out of habit. Oh, right, she remembered as her hand touched an empty surface. No technology.
This was going to be interesting.
Not that she was glued to her phone or anything. She was just used to being able to look up the time and the weather anytime she wanted to. Or search the internet for obscure facts if she had time to kill. Or catch up on whatever was trending on Facebook.
Okay, maybe she was a little too attached to technology.
She lay still for a few minutes, thinking back on her conversation with Stacy. It had been strange. She’d asked the female marshal how she was feeling.
The other woman had given her a smile.
“I’m fine, really. Don’t worry about me.”
“Karl seemed to be concerned,” Annabelle had blurted without thinking.
Stacy had grinned, her cheeks growing pink. “I should have known we wouldn’t be able to hide it. Karl and I have been seeing each other for a while now.”
“Isn’t it hard, dating someone when you have such dangerous occupations?”
When Stacy had laughed softly, Annabelle had realized just how rude her questions might sound. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t—”
“No, I understand. Look, yes, our jobs are dangerous. One of us might get hurt someday. Or worse. I believe that when you are blessed enough to have someone you love in your life, you shouldn’t waste it. Love is too precious.”
She had given Annabelle a significant look. What was her message? Annabelle felt uncomfortable with the memory now, sure she didn’t really want to know.
She dragged herself out of bed and looked at the dresses that Julia had found for her. There were several in various pastel shades. She picked up the first one. It was a plain lavender-colored dress. Although she normally went for brighter colors, it was a lovely hue. She put it on and then tied the white apron over it. It felt strange wearing a dress after so many years. And a dress with elbow-length sleeves, too. She usually wore sleeveless tops in the summer. Or T-shirts. Warily, she glanced down at her feet. The dress came to three inches above her ankles. Her scars didn’t show. Mostly. But if she stretched up, the dress might ride up enough to show them.
Black stockings it was. Grimacing, she pulled the stockings on her feet. Immediately, she felt less self-conscious. There was no way the scars would show now. Not dressed like this.
The hair. What had Julia said about her hair? She would have to put it up. Apparently, Amish women never cut their hair. Julia had told her she could braid it and put it up or wear it in a bun. Annabelle chose to wear it in a braid. She knew how to make a neat braid. Her buns were always messy and tended to come undone.
