The Middlefield Family Collection

by Kathleen Fuller

  Fraa Byler pushed up her wire-rimmed glasses. “Does he know she’s here?”

  Anna nodded. “And he’s not happy about it.”

  Laura sat back in the chair. Her heart went out to Anna and Lukas. Cora Easley looked like a woman who was used to getting what she wanted.

  “Where’s Lukas?” Fraa Byler’s expression resembled calm, yet her voice rose with the question.

  “Talking to Sawyer’s . . . talking to Cora.”

  Fraa Byler sat up straight. “Lukas will get to the bottom of this.”

  “I hope so.” Anna looked at her mother-in-law. “What are we going to do?”

  “Sawyer’s an adult. He can make his own decisions.” She took Anna’s hand.

  “What if he decides to leave?”

  The question unnerved Laura. She shouldn’t care what Sawyer did. Or anyone else in Middlefield. But she did care.

  There was no point in denying it.

  “Anna, we must give this to God.” Fraa Byler stroked her hand. “Whatever happens, we must accept His will.”

  Laura averted her gaze. God’s will again.

  Everything always came down to God’s will.

  “We have nothing to talk about.” Cora peered at the stocky, broad-shouldered man who claimed to be Sawyer’s father. “I’m here for my grandson.”

  “You’ve made that clear,” he said.

  How dare he scrutinize her like this? She should be investigating them, especially since their rustic lifestyle was not exactly the ideal environment for a young man of Sawyer’s quality.

  But I should have been here for him.

  She pushed the thought away. There was no room in her plan for guilt. It wasn’t her fault her daughter had kept Sawyer away from her. She blamed her wretched son-in-law for that.

  If he hadn’t been in Kerry’s life, everything would be different now. She would know her grandson. She would have had influence over him. Now she couldn’t even get him to talk to her.

  Lukas’s voice broke into her thoughts. “How do I know you’re telling the truth about being Sawyer’s grandmother?”

  “You’re accusing me of lying?” First she had to come to this godforsaken town. Now this simpleton was impugning her integrity. If only her daughter had listened. If only she hadn’t destroyed Cora’s life with her selfishness. If only— “I don’t know you.” He crossed his arms again. “And Sawyer is my sohn. It’s my job to protect him.”

  “He’s an adult.”

  “I’ll never stop being his father.”

  “You’re not his father.”

  “The law says I am.” He shook his head. “Look, we’re getting nowhere. Sawyer was upset when he left. Shocked, if nothing else. I’m sure he’ll come back after he’s had some time to think. He’s a smart young man.”

  “I hope so.” Cora sniffed. Fine, powdery sawdust flew up her nose. She sneezed.

  “Gesundheit.”

  She pulled a tissue out of her bag and wiped her nose.

  Allergies. Dust, mites, pollen, dander. So many she sometimes lost track. “I can’t stay in this room much longer.”

  “We can wait outside.” Lukas gestured to the door. “Or in mei parents’ haus.”

  “Outside will be fine.” She stood by the door. Lukas didn’t hesitate to open it for her. At least this man has some manners.

  They stepped outside. The rain had stopped again, but the crisp autumn air still held a bite, along with that revolting animal smell that had surrounded her since she arrived. How did people live like this?

  She pulled a blue-backed packet of papers, folded in thirds, out of the Hermes bag. “You wanted proof? Here it is.”

  Lukas took the papers. Looked them over carefully, turning each page with slow movements, his thick fingers running across the words. Time stood still as he read the legal documents.

  Finally he handed them back to her. She was thinking she might have to explain the legal terminology when he said, “These seem to be in order. So why are you just showing up now?”

  “That’s none of your business.”

  “I believe it is.” Lukas stood askance. “Sawyer grew up believing he didn’t have any family other than his parents.

  When they died, he had no one.”

  She wasn’t about to admit to this man the reason why she hadn’t known about Sawyer. She would not look like a fool.

  “Now he has someone. The details aren’t important.”

  “I imagine they are to Sawyer.”

  She shifted on the heels of her pumps. Hopefully she hadn’t stepped in anything offensive and ruined them—they were one of her most expensive pairs. “I will explain myself to him. Only him.”

  “I’m listening.”

  Cora turned at the sound of Sawyer’s voice. As he walked toward her, her stomach turned. The nearly black hair. Square chin. Broad shoulders. He looked just like his vagabond of a father. The man Kerry had given up everything for.

  Then she saw it, and one of the thick layers of ice around her heart started to melt. His eyes. His eyes were his mother’s.

  Cora blinked back the tears. No weakness. She couldn’t afford it, not with so much at stake. “If you come home with me, Sawyer,” she said, “I’ll tell you what you need to know.”

  Sawyer shook his head. “You’ll tell me now. Right here. Or I guarantee you’ll never see me again.”

  CHAPTER 14

  As Anna and Fraa Byler talked in low tones, Laura stood and looked out the living room window. She was at a loss to know what to say to this family, these loving people who had not only offered her a job, but extended kindness far beyond the call of Christian duty. Kindness she’d never fully appreciated, especially Sawyer’s.

  Until now. She pulled back the curtains and saw Lukas, Sawyer, and his grandmother standing in front of the workshop.

  Laura homed in on Sawyer’s face. His black eyebrows were set in a straight line, his square chin lifted. Anger. Resentment. She recognized those emotions—she had seen them often enough in her own reflection. But she had never seen Sawyer express them. Until now.

  “Is something happening?” Anna came up behind Laura and peered over her shoulder. “What are they doing?”

  “Talking.”

  “Sawyer is upset.” Anna gripped the edge of the curtain and pulled it farther back. “Hasn’t he been through enough? I should geh to him. He needs me.”

  “Nee.” Fraa Byler extracted the curtain from Anna’s grip.

  “Let Lukas handle this.”

  “But—”

  “Anna.” Fraa Byler touched her face. “I know how much you love Sawyer. But he’s not a helpless kinn anymore. He’s a mann, and you must respect that. You must also trust your husband’s judgment. He’ll be there for Sawyer.”

  Anna nodded. “It’s just so hard . . .”

  “I know.” She lightly gripped Anna’s arm. “Let’s geh in the kitchen. We’ll have some kaffee while we wait.”

  Laura looked out the window again. She’d join Anna and Fraa Byler in a minute. But not until she knew Sawyer was okay.

  Sawyer didn’t move. He looked down at this woman who claimed to be his grandmother. He saw the legal papers she handed to his father. Heard Lukas say that what she claimed was true.

  But it couldn’t be. If Cora Easley was his grandmother, his parents had lied to him. They would never have done that.

  Would they?

  “This isn’t the place to discuss the matter.” Cora looked past Sawyer to Lukas. “We should talk about this privately.”

  “Anything you have to say, you can say in front of my father.”

  “He’s not your—”

  “Father?” Sawyer glanced at Lukas. He loved his biological dad, but he also loved Lukas. And he wouldn’t have her shortchange this man. He faced her again. “He is my father, just as much as Ray Thompson was.”

  She pressed her lips together. “I’d rather not talk about that man. And as for your mother, she had her reasons for not telling you
about me.”

  “What reasons?”

  For the first time he saw doubt flicker across her features. Up to this point she’d been demanding. Confident. And prideful. Every inch of her reflected wealth and position. So different from his parents and in complete contrast to the life he lived now. Yet his simple question made her pause. A knot of anxiety formed in his gut. Suddenly he doubted everything his mother and father had ever told him.

  “I will tell you those reasons when we get home.”

  He took a step back. “I am home.”

  Cora looked around. “This is not where you belong.”

  “Not true.” He narrowed his gaze. “If you knew anything about me, you’d know better.” He shook his head. “I’m tired of whatever game you’re playing. Tell me the truth. Now. Or I’m walking into that house.”

  She opened her mouth to speak. Her bottom lip trembled. Only for a second, but he caught it. He steeled himself. He didn’t want to feel sorry for this woman. He didn’t want to feel anything for her.

  He waited. She waited. A minute. Two. Five. Still she stayed silent.

  “That does it,” he said at last. “I’m going inside.”

  “Sawyer.”

  He turned at Lukas’s voice. His father’s mouth was barely visible through his thick, dark beard. But his eyes were intense. Never had he seen Lukas look so serious. Or so worried, despite how he tried to hide it. Sawyer could sense the strain radiating from his father.

  “We need to talk about this,” Lukas said. He stepped forward. Lowered his voice. “As a familye.”

  “No.” Cora stepped between them. “What you need,” she said, pointing at Sawyer with her long, artificial fingernail, “is to stop being ridiculous. You’re wasting everyone’s time.”

  “Did you really think you could show up in my life, after twenty years, and just expect me to jump at your command?” Sawyer said. “Do you actually think I’d walk away from the people who took care of me after my parents died?” He narrowed his eyes at her. “The police, the social workers, the lawyers . . . they all looked for a relative, anyone, to claim me.” Sawyer’s throat tightened. He forced out the words. “Not a single person showed up. Except for the Bylers. They were the only ones who cared enough to save me from the group home.”

  “If I’d known . . .”

  “If you’d known?” He sneered at her. “You’re rich. How hard could it have been to find me?”

  She looked away. “You have no idea.”

  “You should have tried harder.” He leaned forward.

  “I don’t care where you go, just leave. I’m done here.” He stormed past her and bounded up the front porch steps of his grandparents’ home. His real grandparents. The ones who mattered to him. Not the woman who finally showed up when it was convenient for her.

  He went into the house, letting the door slam behind him.

  Laura was in the living room next to the window. She dropped the curtain, and the fabric swayed against the window. Her cheeks flushed, but the rest of her face was pale.

  She’d been watching.

  “Are you all right?” she asked.

  Sawyer looked at her. Saw the concern in her eyes. And for some bizarre reason, he wanted to hold her. He wanted to wrap Laura Stutzman in his arms and keep her there. To draw from the well of strength he knew she possessed. Because right now, his well was running dry.

  Instead, he walked away.

  “Was that Sawyer?”

  Laura turned to see Anna walk into the room. Her emotions reeled as her skin tingled. One look from Sawyer and she felt like she’d been inside his skin, experiencing a fleeting moment of shared emotions. Desperation. Confusion. Feelings she knew intimately. “He went upstairs.”

  “I need to see him.”

  Laura put her hand on Anna’s arm. “Nee.”

  Anna whirled around, her face beet red with anger. “Why is everyone trying to keep me from mei kinn? I’m his mamm. He needs me right now.”

  “He needs to be alone.”

  “How do you know? What makes you an expert on mei sohn?”

  Laura knew she shouldn’t have said anything. But Sawyer didn’t need his mother. Or anyone else. She recognized that the minute he walked in the door. “I . . . I just know.”

  She wanted to tell Anna that she understood the anger. The frustration. But she kept her mouth shut. She wouldn’t risk making things worse by saying the wrong thing.

  Finally, Anna went outside. Fraa Byler came into the room as the front door shut.

  “Sawyer?”

  “Upstairs.” Laura nodded at the staircase. “Anna went outside. I think Lukas and . . . what is that fraa’s name?”

  “Cora.” Fraa Byler sighed. “Cora Easley.”

  “I think they’re both still out there.”

  Fraa Byler rubbed her left temple. “This is so hard to believe. Mei Lukas and his Anna, they could never have kinner of their own. Sawyer was their only one. It’s why Anna is so upset. She knows he’s an adult. But in her heart he’s still that young, scared bu who tried to hide his fear and grief. She’s always tried to protect him, but still let him be who he is.”

  She looked at Laura and wrung her hands together. “Now everything has changed. If Sawyer leaves, I don’t know what she’ll do. Or what we’ll do. He’s a part of us. A part of our familye as much as if he’d been born into it. Even though we’ve never been certain he would join the church, we assumed he would always be close to us.” She bit her bottom lip. “Now I’m not so sure.”

  Laura put her arms around Fraa Byler. “It will be okay.”

  “You have faith, ya?” Fraa Byler whispered in her ear.

  Laura didn’t respond. She couldn’t. She wasn’t sure she had faith in anything anymore.

  But she’d let the old woman believe it, if it brought her comfort.

  “How can my grandson refuse me?”

  Lukas prayed for patience. He’d never met a woman like Cora Easely before. Yet he knew he had to tread carefully with her. The legal documents she’d presented him had been clear. First Cora’s identification documents—copies of her birth certificate, her passport. Then Kerry’s birth certificate, which proved Cora was her mother, along with the copy of Sawyer’s birth certificate the lawyer had uncovered.

  Cora was his biological grandmother. There was no doubt about it. And now she looked mad enough to snap in two. Somehow they had to work together and put Sawyer’s interests and feelings first. Something this woman didn’t want to do.

  “Have you people brainwashed him?” She glared at Lukas.

  “I can’t believe a grandson of mine would behave like this.”

  “Lukas?”

  He saw Anna heading toward him. His heart twisted at the pain in her eyes and the tension in her face. His beautiful, tender wife. She loved their son with every beat of her heart. And they had been through so much over the past five years.

  All their married life, Anna had wanted nothing so much as to be a mother. Shortly after they married, they found out she couldn’t have children. Then, like a gift from God, Sawyer appeared in their lives.

  After Sawyer, they tried adopting more children, only to have them taken away. They had little Samuel for two months, and then his birth mother changed her mind at the last minute. With Curtis, they were in the final stages of adoption when his father asserted parental rights and the adoption fell through. And sweet baby Amanda, who won Anna’s heart immediately, had been claimed by a distant relative.

  Too much heartbreak. Too many dashed hopes.

  But through it all they’d had Sawyer.

  And they always would. He put his hand over Anna’s. In this, as in everything, they would stand together as a united front.

  “I have lawyers at my disposal.” Cora’s piercing gaze landed on Anna, then him. “Sawyer will come to New York.”

  Anna’s grip tightened. “Why? This is his home.”

  “He has business interests to attend to.”

  “
He works in our family business here.” Anna glanced at Lukas.

  Cora huffed. “We can hardly compare the two.”

  Lukas held up his hand. “Just a minute, Mrs. Easley. We don’t have to argue about this. We all love Sawyer and want what’s best for him. But if he doesn’t want to leave, we have to respect that.”

  “And if he does leave? Will you respect that as well?”

  Lukas hesitated. His wife’s face went white. “Ya,” he said quietly, squeezing Anna’s hand. “We will. But right now we need to give him time. He deserves that.”

  For once Cora didn’t say anything. Then she gave him a curt nod. “Fine. I will wait for him at your house.” She looked at Anna. “I’m ready to leave now.” She whirled on her spiked heel and walked to the buggy.

  “Lukas.” Anna’s voice trembled like a frail leaf in a galeforce wind. “What are we going to do?”

  He faced his wife. “We must pray. Trust God. And above all, be there for Sawyer. This isn’t about us.”

  “But—”

  “Lieb. Please.” He touched her face. “Remember, we have always trusted God with everything. This isn’t different.”

  “Ya, it is.” Fear entered her eyes.

  He wished he could wipe away her anguish. Give her a tender kiss and she would know everything would be all right. But he wasn’t sure of that himself. They both knew that God’s will wasn’t always their own. If it was, they would have a houseful of children, instead of being on the verge of losing their only son. Not only did Cora Easley seem determined to take Sawyer with her, she also seemed closed to compromising.

  But there was an even worse fear. Sawyer already had one foot in the Amish life and one in the Yankee world. Once he left Middlefield behind, would he ever come back? Or would he become a part of his new family and forget about Lukas and Anna?

  Lukas banished the thought from his mind. He was borrowing trouble, inviting worry, and doing exactly the opposite of what he told Anna. I trust in You, Lord, he said to himself. To his wife he said, “Be as kind as you can to this fraa. Where is she staying tonight?”