[Kentucky Brothers 01] - The Journey

by Wanda E. Brunstetter

  “I’m sure it’ll be okay if he comes while you’re gone,” Allen said. “He knows what the horse looks like, and I told him you’d put it in the barn.”

  “Guess that’ll be fine then,” Titus said. “Since Lightning will be with me, I won’t have to worry about the man taking the wrong horse.”

  Paradise, Pennsylvania

  “Guder mariye, Mom. I decided to stop by on my way to work to see if you and Dad have heard anything from Titus since he returned to Kentucky,” Zach said as he entered the kitchen, where Fannie sat at the table, drinking a cup of tea.

  “He called and left us a message when he got off the bus.”

  “Have you heard anything since then?”

  Fannie shook her head. “But he’s only been back a day, so I don’t expect we’ll hear from him again anytime soon. Why do you ask?”

  Zach pulled out a chair and took a seat at the table. “Allen called me last night. The trailer where Titus has been staying got broken into while he was gone, so Titus spent last night at Allen’s.”

  Fannie’s eyes widened. “That’s baremlich! Why didn’t Titus let us know about this?”

  “Maybe he knew Allen had called me and figured I’d give you the message.” Zach shrugged. “Or maybe Titus decided not to say anything because he didn’t want to worry you.”

  Fannie gripped the handle of her teacup so tightly she feared it might break, so she quickly set it back down. “He’s right; I’m very worried. If this had happened when Titus was at home, he could have been hurt.”

  “You’re right, but God was looking out for Titus because he was here with us and not in the trailer.”

  “Have the police been called? Did they catch the person who broke in?” Fannie picked up her teacup again and took a sip, hoping it would help calm her down.

  “Allen said he called the sheriff, and the sheriff thinks the person who broke in may have been looking for the money Titus found in his phone shanty.”

  Fannie nearly choked on the tea in her mouth. “What money? What’s this all about, Zach?”

  Zach ran his fingers down the side of his face. “I’m not really sure, Mom. Allen just said Titus had found some money, and that they suspect it may have been stolen. If that’s the case, then whoever stole the money and hid it in Titus’s phone shanty might have come looking for it while he was gone.”

  A jolt of fear coursed through Fannie’s body. She pushed her chair aside and hurried across the room.

  “Where are you going?” Zach called when she reached the door.

  “Out to the field to speak with your daed. He needs to have a talk with Titus and convince him to come home where he belongs.”

  Pembroke, Kentucky

  When Titus finished work for the day, Nelson asked if he needed a ride home.

  “Guess I do,” Titus replied. “Since I rode here with Allen this morning, and my horse is in the barn at my place, I figured I’d have to walk home this afternoon.”

  “There’s no need for that,” Nelson said. “I heard Suzanne tell Mom that she’s planning to take some of her hanging baskets over to the greenhouse. Guess all the ones they had there have sold, so they need more. Since the greenhouse is on the way to your place, I’m sure Suzanne wouldn’t mind giving you a ride home.”

  “Okay, I’ll go up to the house and ask her now. See you tomorrow morning.” Titus headed out the door.

  He found Suzanne out by the barn, putting a hanging basket full of petunias into the back of her buggy. “Do you want some help?” he called.

  She smiled. “I appreciate the offer, but this is the last one I need to load.”

  “Nelson mentioned that you’ll be going over to the greenhouse, and since it’s on the way to my place, I was wondering if you’d mind giving me a ride home.”

  Suzanne shook her head. “I don’t mind. In fact I’m ready to go right now.”

  “That’s great.” Titus climbed into the passenger’s side of the buggy.

  When Suzanne took her seat on the driver’s side, he smiled and said, “I appreciate this. I don’t mind walking, but I’m tired and still have to clean up the mess in my trailer.”

  “I’d stay and help, but I need to get these flowers delivered to the greenhouse before they close for the day.”

  “That’s okay,” Titus said. “I’ll be going over to the Beilers’ for supper this evening, and Esther said she’d come over after we eat and help me clean up the place.”

  “Oh okay.” Suzanne glanced at Titus, then quickly looked away. “Uh … did you see your ex-girlfriend when you were in Pennsylvania?”

  He shook his head. “As far as I know, Phoebe’s still in California.”

  “Oh. I thought maybe she came home for your mamm’s party.”

  “Nope. Just her folks were there.”

  “Oh, I see.”

  They rode in silence the rest of the way, and when they arrived at Titus’s place, Suzanne halted her horse at the hitching rail. “Mind if I take a look at the horse you found?”

  “Nope. Don’t mind at all. If his owner hasn’t come for him yet, he’ll be in the barn where I put him last night.”

  Titus led the way to the stall where the horse lay sleeping.

  “That’s the same horse that was running wild on the road,” Suzanne said. “I was worried about it getting hit or causing an accident, so I’m glad he found his way to your place where he’s been kept safe.”

  Titus started walking toward the barn door, knowing Suzanne was in a hurry to go. As they both stepped out of the barn, a truck pulling a horse trailer entered the yard. A middleaged man wearing a cowboy hat got out. “I understand you found my horse,” he said, approaching Titus.

  Titus nodded. “He’s in the barn. I’ll get him for you.”

  “I appreciate you taking care of him for me,” the man said. “How much do I owe for your trouble?”

  “You don’t owe me anything.” Titus motioned to Suzanne. “I can’t speak for her, though. It was her buggy your horse ran into the other night.”

  The man turned to Suzanne. “If your buggy was damaged I’d be happy to pay for the repairs.”

  She shook her head. “There was no damage. It scared me; that’s all.”

  “All right then. Guess I’ll get my horse loaded into the trailer and head out. Thanks again for all you’ve done.”

  Titus smiled. “You’re welcome.”

  “I understand that Callie had some busslin,” Suzanne said after the man left with his horse.

  “That’s right; she had four kittens to be exact,” Titus said.

  “How come you never mentioned it to me?” she asked.

  “Thought I had.”

  “No. I heard about it from Esther.”

  “Guess I must have forgot.”

  “Can I see them?”

  “Sure. They’re in a box near the back of the barn. Let’s go take a look.”

  Titus led the way, and when they came to the box, Suzanne leaned over and stroked the top of Callie’s head. “You have some cute little busslin,” she murmured.

  “Did you know she was pregnant when you gave her to me?” Titus asked.

  Her forehead wrinkled as she looked up at him. “ ‘Course not. This is just as big a surprise to me as it must have been to you. Besides, you’ve had the cat for a while now, so she may have found a mate since she’s been living here.”

  Titus frowned. “Don’t know what I’m gonna do with the kittens once they’re weaned, ‘cause I sure don’t need five cats hanging around.”

  “They’d help keep the mice down.”

  “Maybe so, but I still don’t care much for cats, and I don’t need five of ‘em here, making trouble all the time.”

  “I’m sure you’ll be able to find them good homes.” Suzanne picked up one of the kittens and held it close to her face. “It’s so soft and cuddly. Makes me wish one of our cats would have a batch of kittens soon.”

  “You can have one of these if you like.”

>   “Maybe, but I may wait and see if Frisky has any kittens this year first.” She moved toward the barn door. “I’d better go, or the greenhouse will be closed by the time I get there. When you see Esther this evening, tell her I said hello,” Suzanne called as she hurried out to her buggy.

  “I will.”

  When Suzanne climbed into her buggy and headed down the driveway, Titus turned toward the trailer. Guess I’d better head inside and get a few things picked up so I can take a shower and get over to the Beilers’ by six.

  He hurried inside, and had just finished cleaning up some of the things in his bedroom, when he heard footsteps on the back porch. Thinking Suzanne must have come back, he went to answer the door. Two middle-aged men—one heavyset with thinning blond hair, and the other shorter and stocky with thick, wavy brown hair—forced their way into the trailer.

  “We want to know where our money is,” the shorter man said, pointing a gun at Titus. “It was in the phone shanty out back, but when we came here lookin’ for it, we discovered that it was gone. Have you seen it?”

  Titus gulped in a quick breath as he took a step back. “It … it was there, but I took it out.”

  The other man stepped forward and grabbed Titus by his shirt collar. “You’d better tell us where it is, or you won’t live to see tomorrow.”

  CHAPTER 31

  Paradise, Pennsylvania

  Fannie raced into the field, frantically waving her hands. “Abraham, stop what you’re doing! We need to talk!”

  Abraham climbed down from the hay mower and cupped his hands around his mouth. “What’s that you’re sayin’?”

  She motioned for him to come over.

  “What’s wrong?” Abraham asked as he stepped up to the fence. “You look umgerennt.”

  “I’m very upset. Zach just came by and said he’d talked to Allen, and Titus found some money, and … and his place was broken into, and I’m worried that—”

  Abraham held up his hand. “Slow down, Fannie. You’re talking so fast I can barely understand what you’re saying.”

  Fannie took a deep breath and started over. “Sometime before Titus came here for my birthday party, he found some money in his phone shanty. Then while he was here, someone broke into the trailer and made a big mess.” She reached over the fence and clutched Abraham’s arm. “The sheriff’s been contacted, but I don’t think it’s safe for our son to be there anymore. You need to call Titus and talk him into moving back home!”

  “Calm down, Fannie,” Abraham said. “I’m not going to do that.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because Titus wouldn’t appreciate us treating him like a boppli. Besides, if the sheriff’s been notified, then he’s probably investigating things.”

  “That might be so, but Titus could still be in danger.”

  Abraham rubbed the bridge of his nose and squinted. “You may be right, but you know what, Fannie?”

  “What?”

  “The way things are goin’ in our world today, none of us is ever really safe. We could be hit by a car when we’re ridin’ in our buggy; we could be struck by lightning while we’re out in the fields; we could be—”

  “Okay, okay, I get your point, but that doesn’t mean I’m not worried about Titus.”

  “Don’t waste your time on worry, Fannie. Pray. Pray that God will keep Titus safe, and that the sheriff will find the person who broke into the trailer.”

  Pembroke, Kentucky

  “Now where’s that money?” The shorter of the two men glared at Titus, his beady blue eyes unwavering as he pointed his stubby finger at Titus’s chest.

  “It … it’s not here in the trailer.” Titus’s face heated, and a trickle of sweat rolled down his forehead. He couldn’t believe this was happening to him.

  “Where is it, then?” The heavyset man slammed Titus against the door. Searing pain shot from his head all the way down his back.

  “It … it’s in the bank.”

  The man growled and punched Titus in the stomach, causing him to double over. “You’d better not be lyin’ to me.”

  “I’m not.”

  The other man stepped forward and shoved Titus against the small table beside the sofa.

  Titus wobbled but managed to keep his balance. Dear Lord, he prayed, help me know what to do.

  “That money belongs to us,” the bigger man said. “You’ve got no right to it!”

  Titus knew he needed some help, and he needed it quickly. He groped in his pocket, feeling for his cell phone. It wasn’t there. What’d I do with it? Could I have left it at work today?

  The sound of buggy wheels crunching on the gravel drifted in through the window, so Titus edged closer to the window to look out. Oh no. It’s Suzanne. What’s she doing back here?

  “What are ya lookin’ at, kid?” the shorter man asked.

  Titus jerked his head. “Uh … nothing.”

  The other man grabbed Titus by his suspenders, nearly lifting him off the floor. “Let’s go. You’re takin’ us to the bank, and you’re gonna get our money right now!”

  Titus didn’t think he had the nerve to walk into the bank with these men and withdraw the money, but he figured he didn’t have any other choice. He just wished Suzanne wasn’t out in the yard. He didn’t want her involved in this; she could be in danger.

  He jerked the door open and called, “Get out of here, Suzanne! Schnell!”

  “Now what’d ya do that for, you stupid kid?”

  Titus felt a sharp blow to the back of his head; then his world went dark.

  It didn’t take Suzanne long to realize that Titus was in trouble. The heavyset man who’d hit Titus was obviously an intruder. Could he be the same person who’d broken into the trailer while Titus was in Pennsylvania? Could this have something to do with the money Titus had found?

  With heart pounding and hands sweating so badly she could barely hold on to the reins, Suzanne got her horse and buggy moving quickly and raced out of the yard. She wanted to stay and see if Titus was okay, but first she needed to get to a phone and call for help. Since the Beilers’ place was the closest, that’s where she would go.

  When she arrived a short time later, she raced to the house and pounded on the door.

  Esther answered Suzanne’s knock, and she quickly told her friend what had happened.

  “Ach, my!” Esther exclaimed. “Now I know why Titus is late for supper. We were beginning to wonder if he’d forgotten.” She clasped Suzanne’s arm. “We’d better run out to the phone shanty and call the sheriff right now.”

  When they returned to the house a short time later, Suzanne explained to Esther’s folks all that had happened. “I’m worried about Titus,” she said. “I’m going back to his place to see if he’s okay.”

  “I’m going with you,” Esther put in.

  Esther’s father, Henry, shook his head firmly. “I cannot allow that, girls. The man who hit Titus is obviously dangerous. We need to let the sheriff handle this.”

  Suzanne knew Henry was right, but she felt almost sick thinking about what had happened to Titus and wondering if he’d been seriously hurt. She paced back and forth on the Beilers’ front porch until she heard sirens heading in the direction of Titus’s place and knew it must be the sheriff.

  With no thought for her safety, Suzanne darted down the porch steps, untied her horse from the hitching rail, and climbed into her buggy. Taking up the reins, she directed Dixie onto the road.

  When she arrived at Titus’s place, she saw that the sheriff and several of his men had the trailer surrounded and were calling for those inside to come out.

  When there was no response, two of the sheriff’s deputies cautiously entered the house.

  Suzanne held her breath and waited to see what would happen.

  Several minutes went by; then one of the deputies stepped out of the trailer. “There’s no one inside except Titus, and he’s lying on the floor with his head bleeding. You’d better call for an ambulance right away,�
� he called to the sheriff.

  Suzanne’s heart pounded as she leaped from the buggy. Dear Lord, please don’t let Titus be dead.

  CHAPTER 32

  Suzanne picked up a magazine and thumbed through a couple of pages. She’d been sitting in the hospital waiting room for the last hour, waiting to hear how Titus was doing. Knowing he’d need someone to go to the hospital with him, after the sheriff had called for the ambulance, she’d put her horse in Titus’s barn and ridden with Titus.