Lamb to the Slaughter (Serenity's Plain Secrets Book 1)

by Karen Ann Hopkins

  “Oh, yeah,” Serenity’s eyes met mine.

  My heart sped up when she said, “He’s my nephew.”

  10

  NAOMI

  September 6th

  The bright colorful lights decorating the amusement rides and the blaring music were overwhelming to Naomi’s senses. She took a deep breath, smelling the grilling hamburgers, cotton candy and fried food. Without thinking she smiled up at Will. He returned the smile and reached for her hand, which she gave to him without hesitation. She giggled and bumped her side into his as the warmth of happiness spread through her. With a belly full of funnel cake and fries and a purple stuffed bear clenched tightly under her arm, she could honestly say that she was having the best time of her life.

  Glancing down at the jeans and t-shirt she wore, Naomi could hardly believe she was in borrowed clothes from Taylor. Luckily, the girls were about the same size. Naomi had to admit, she felt more self-conscious in the clingy shirt and tight pants than she thought she would. She savored the moment though, knowing that she’d probably never get the chance to dress like an Englisher again.

  Flinging her long hair over her shoulder was the strangest part of all. To be out in public with her blond hair bouncing against her back was a real treat.

  As if Will was reading her mind, he said, “It must feel awesome to let your hair down.”

  “You have no idea. But people keep looking at me—maybe it’s too long,” Naomi said, noticing a middle aged guy eyeing her as they passed in opposite directions.

  “Are you kidding me? Any girl would kill for hair like yours. The guys—well, let’s just say that men dig long hair.” He winked at Naomi, causing another round of butterflies to flutter in her stomach. She glanced away, blushing. Will laughed and squeezed her hand. She tried to keep her mouth still, but she couldn’t fight the sensation. She grinned back at him.

  “Can we go on that one?” Naomi asked, staring up at the giant wheel in the sky.

  “Of, course! You can’t go to a Fair without riding the Ferris wheel. I bet we’ll be able to see half the county from up there.”

  Just before it was their turn in line, Will noticed a young girl about to be turned away from a ride because she didn’t have enough tickets. Naomi watched as he reached into his pocket and handed the girl how many she needed. The girl thanked him shyly before she sprinted up the ramp to join her friends.

  Naomi’s cheeks reddened with emotion. She turned away quickly so that Will wouldn’t see. His act of kindness had touched her in a way she wasn’t expecting. The English boy surprised her at every turn.

  Once they were loaded up, they moved a little ways and then stopped while other people got on or off. Naomi was impatient to get moving. She leaned over the edge, marveling at how high they were already.

  “Are you afraid of heights?” Will asked.

  “I don’t know. I’ve never been up this high before. But so far I just feel really excited.”

  Will took up her hand again and said, “If you get nervous, just squeeze my hand. You’ll be fine.”

  “Is that all I have to do?” Naomi smiled wickedly at him.

  Will laughed, “Well, you’re more than welcome to do anything you like.”

  Naomi felt the heat burn her face just as the wheel began moving with more speed. The quick jolt caused her to press in against Will.

  Will’s hot breath tickled her ear when he asked, “Are you enjoying yourself?”

  “Oh, yes. It’s wonderful.”

  With the light from the nearly full moon illuminating the country side in all directions, Naomi turned her head and searched. Squinting, she could just make out the top of Raymond Schwartz’s silo. The sight of its copper tiled roof shining in the distance sent a ripple of tension through her. A mile or so from that silo was her family’s farm. She imagined her brothers and sisters fast asleep in their quilt covered beds and hoped that Dat and mother were doing the same. After all, it had been a busy day for everyone, what with Mother baking extra loaves of bread for the mother-to-be Beatrice Miller and Dat and her brothers spending the evening digging a hole to bury the old plow horse who had unexpectedly gone down that morning.

  Naomi said a silent prayer that no one woke and went looking for her and then she did her best to erase the worried thoughts. There wasn’t anything she could do about it now anyway. She’d already committed sin and she only hoped that God would forgive her.

  They went around too many times to count, the warm wind whipping Naomi’s hair out behind her until she became dizzy. About the time she wished that the machine would slow, it did.

  Naomi breathed out and exclaimed, “Can we ride it again?”

  Will was a good sport. He rode all the rides with her twice, to the point that he said if he rode one more he might not be able to drive home. By that time Naomi was hungry again, so Will bought two ice cream cones. They licked them while they wandered through the livestock barns.

  The rides were amazing, but seeing all the prize animals was a treat for Naomi too. Will enjoyed petting the wide foreheads of the cows and looking through the wire mesh at the fancy chickens as much as she did. Naomi even had to argue with him not to buy her a fluffy white bunny that she petted. She explained to him that if there was a new critter in the barn in the morning, Father would become suspicious.

  “You’re eighteen, right?” Will asked as they left the pig barn and headed back toward the midway.

  Naomi nodded.

  “How do you put up with being treated as if you’re a small child all the time? Taylor is fifteen and she has way more freedom than you do. All this sneaking around is insane,” he said with an annoyed tone.

  Naomi was used to her lack of freedom. Although it did upset her, it was just part of life to her. Seeing Will so bothered by her circumstances made her giggle.

  “Are you stressed, Will?”

  “Yeah, I am a little. I feel as if I’ve kidnapped you, instead of taking you on a proper date. I’m worried that you’re going to get into deep trouble for this, and it’s been on my mind all evening.”

  Their walking had slowed with the conversation. His words ran through Naomi’s mind several times causing her heart to beat rapidly. She grabbed his arm, stopping him.

  “Did you say, proper date?” Naomi stammered.

  Will eyed her with a slight smile, as if he knew a secret that she didn’t. “Uh, that’s what you usually call an evening like this…a date.”

  Naomi was both elated and horrified. She pictured Eli’s face and guilt crashed over her. He was the guy she was going to marry come springtime, not Will. But the entire night with Will had been so magical. She couldn’t deny that she had strong feelings for the young English man. And not just lust either. She really liked everything about Will. He had a joyful, fun loving spirit that was contagious. And he’d proved that he was kind too.

  “Will, this has been the most wonderful night of my life. But I already have a boyfriend, you know that,” she said, staring at the ground, unable to face him.

  He lifted her chin and said, “That doesn’t matter. It’s not as if you’re married yet. You can still change your mind. I’m going to do everything in my power to make you do just that.”

  Naomi’s mouth dropped open in wonder. Just as Will’s lips brushed hers, Taylor’s voice shrieked through the air. Naomi pulled back abruptly. Will just smiled, as if to say, I told you so.

  “There you two are! I’ve been looking everywhere for you guys.” Taylor skidded to a stop and then looked back and forth between Naomi and Will.

  “You’ve got great timing, sis,” Will joked, tugging a handful of Taylor’s hair playfully.

  “Hmmm, well, I don’t know about that. I wanted to tell you that I’m going home with Meghan tonight. Her mom says that it’s okay,” Taylor paused, and as if a light bulb had just blinked on in her head, she stared at Naomi with wide eyed curiosity.

  “Did you talk to mom about it?” Will asked in a stern voice that Naomi hadn’t he
ard him use before.

  “Course I did. She says its fine with her. You two be good and don’t do anything I wouldn’t do,” Taylor winked at Naomi and then jogged away.

  “She’s an irritating little creature, but the only sibling I’ve got, unlike you. Did you say that you have eight brothers and sisters all together?”

  “Yes. And, since most of them are boys, except for the littlest ones, I have to do all their laundry.” Naomi pushed the thought quickly away, wanting laundry as far from her mind as possible.

  “You have to use one of those old fashioned hand ringers, don’t you?” Will asked. His face wrinkled in disgust. They were slowly approaching his truck in the parking area and Naomi dragged her feet, not wanting to go home yet.

  “Yes, it’s awful.”

  “Why do you do it then?” Will asked as he held the truck door open for her.

  Naomi climbed in and turned to him. “Because I don’t have a choice,” she said.

  The ride through town was silent. Naomi filled with depression at the thought that she wouldn’t see Will again until the following week. Making her heart even heavier, she knew that there wouldn’t be any more nights like this to look forward to either. She had to stop her feelings for Will from growing any stronger. She was marrying Eli and she had better start acting like it. Naomi inwardly scolded herself.

  Will parked in the pull-off that sat conveniently in a copse of trees at the side of the road. They were still a couple of miles from the farm. Naomi hastily changed back into her dress in the back seat while Will stood outside, facing the trees. Her heart was pounding by the time she shoved Taylor’s clothes into the plastic bag and climbed into the front seat again.

  “I’m done,” Naomi spoke through the small opening at the top of the window. She immediately began coiling her hair up. The droning calls of the frogs in the ditch made her feel isolated from the rest of the world. She wasn’t afraid though or even uncomfortable to be completely alone with Will. Somehow it just felt right.

  When Will was settled in the driver’s seat, he watched Naomi work with her hair. He said with a sigh, “It’s a shame that you have to hide your beautiful hair.”

  Naomi paused with a bobby pin in her mouth. “You think my hair is beautiful?” she said.

  “Of course I do.”

  She had just got her cap in place and was about to tell Will that he could start the engine, when he said in a distant voice, “I bet you’d like Montana. I went out there on vacation when I was thirteen with my family. It was the most amazing place I’d ever been to. The land is so wild looking, yet inviting. And the mountains are incredible. After spending my entire life in the flatlands, I can really appreciate seeing mountain tops with snow on them.”

  “Are your parents unhappy that you’re going way out there?” Naomi hadn’t been thinking about Will’s trip lately. Somehow, she’d hoped he wouldn’t be going now that he was her friend. She inwardly chastised herself. What a silly thing to think.

  “No. They’ll miss me, and Taylor’s been giving me fits about it, but Mom and Dad want me to be happy. They know how important roping is to me. They’ll support me fully in going out west and trying to make a name for myself.” He looked at Naomi and grinned. “I have big plans. I’m going to become a successful team roper. With my earnings, I’m going to buy me a small ranch out there where I’ll train horses and sell them.”

  “You are so lucky that you can do whatever you want to do and that your parents will still love you.” Naomi slumped down into the seat, imagining what her parents would do if she told them that she was moving away to follow her dreams. It wouldn’t be pretty.

  Will’s face was tight with concern when he leaned over and said softly, “I’m sure they’d still love you, even if you didn’t do exactly what they wished of you.”

  Naomi couldn’t help the tears that suddenly appeared in her eyes. She tried to wipe them away, but it was too late. Will had seen. He pulled her into his arms and held her as they sat parked alongside the quiet country road.

  Her tears were making Will’s shirt wet. She sucked in the sob, saying, “You don’t understand. You can’t understand. Your life is completely different than mine. I have no choices about anything. If I don’t do as they say, I’ll be shunned. And, then I’ll be completely alone.”

  “You’ll never be alone, Naomi. I’ll be with you,” Will said, just before his mouth finally found hers.

  Their kiss was frantic and tender at the same time. It would be the only time Naomi would be in Will’s arms and she didn’t want it to ever end. Will wiped away the tears from Naomi’s wet cheeks with his own face, and the pricks of his tiny stubble sharpened Naomi’s senses even further.

  She would live in the moment. That’s all she could do.

  “I believe you,” Naomi murmured into his mouth.

  11

  SERENITY

  November 14th

  I was glad that Daniel was driving. My heart raced as fast as my toes tapped the floor board. What the hell had Will gotten himself into this time? I knew that my nineteen year old nephew wasn’t a murderer, but I worried about the implications that his possible relationship with the dead girl could do to him. I thought about the baby. Was it Will’s?

  “Are you close to your nephew?” Daniel’s voice startled me. For once, I was so distracted, I’d completely forgotten about him.

  I looked over to see his interested face going back and forth from the road to me. “Yeah, real close. Will and his sister, Taylor, used to spend almost every weekend with me when they were younger. Then they hit their teen years and became too busy to hang out with their aunt as much.”

  “You didn’t know anything about him dating an Amish girl?” Daniel asked with hesitation.

  “Hell no! The last girl he brought around me was a couple of years ago. I didn’t like her much—too many facial piercings. I’ve been so busy lately with the election and settling into the new position that I’ve hardly seen any of my family. I’m sure my sister is pissed at me that I haven’t been over for the usual Sunday dinners, and now I’m kicking myself about it.”

  “Why?”

  “If I’d been around more, I probably would have picked up that something was going on with Will. He’s a gentle spirited person and his emotions show through clearly when you’re paying attention. Of course, since my brother-in-law owns his own automotive center and my sister being the receptionist, secretary, and accountant for the business, they’re both as busy as I am. I should have known something was up though, when I heard that Will postponed his trip to Montana.”

  “He was going to Montana?”

  I motioned for Daniel to turn into my sister’s driveway. The two story brick colonial blasted suburban success, but I knew that Ryan and Laura didn’t get to enjoy the fruits of their labor much with their hectic schedules.

  “It’s been his dream for a while. He has a couple of Quarter Horses that he boards at Whispering Pines’ Stables. He was taking his horses out west to compete in roping events at the rodeos.”

  Daniel’s face lit up. “Really? I have three horses myself, but I don’t have as much time to ride as I’d like. What a spectacular opportunity for him.”

  Clutching the door, I said, “Yeah, let’s hope he hasn’t screwed it all up for himself.”

  I didn’t knock. Instead, I let myself in the side doorway of the garage that wasn’t locked and then went into the house.

  “Gee, I guess you and sister are pretty tight? Or, is that you’re the sheriff and can go anywhere you like?” Daniel asked with his eyebrow raised.

  “Yep, Laura and I are super close. I lived here for a few months when I first moved back to Blood Rock. It was so comfortable that I hated to leave, but I needed my own space.”

  When I glanced back at Daniel, he was looking at me thoughtfully and my pulse rushed. I turned away quickly and set my purse down on the kitchen counter. Going to the fridge, I pulled out two colas and handed Daniel one before I sat down at
the kitchen table.

  Daniel followed suit, taking the chair beside me, saying, “Do you know when he’ll be home?”

  “Oh, he’s here now, asleep upstairs. Will’s not a morning person. He’s taking a few college classes in the evening and spends the rest of his time riding and working afternoon odd jobs.”

  “How on earth would he have met up with Naomi?” Daniel asked before he took a swig from his bottle.

  “I don’t know. Like I said, I haven’t spent much time with the family lately. I’m out of the loop,” I said, pulling my phone out of my pocket and pressing a number.

  “Who are you calling?”

  “Will.” I put the phone to my ear. When my nephew answered groggily, I said, “I’m in the kitchen. You have two minutes to get your butt down here or I’m coming up.” I smiled at Daniel’s surprised face.

  “It works every time,” I said, taking a drink myself.

  It was probably a little under a minute when we heard the thumps of footsteps coming down the stairs. When Will turned the corner, his hair was messy and he was wearing sweat pants and an AC/DC vintage t-shirt that probably had belonged to my brother-in-law.

  “What’s up, Aunt Rennie?” Will said, flopping down at the table and running a hand through his tussled hair. His eyes were red rimmed and swollen. If I didn’t have the suspicion that my nephew had been crying, I’d have chewed him out for partying the night before.

  “Did you know Naomi Beiler?” I didn’t mean for my words to be harsh, but the way he reacted, they must have hit the poor kid as if I’d thrown a ton of bricks at him.

  Will’s eyes bulged, and then his face was in his hands trying to hide the flow of tears. I got up like a bullet out of a barrel and wrapped my arms around him. He let go of his face and held onto me for dear life. I used to hug him the same way when he was a kid, but now, his body was quite a bit bigger than mine, and it was a little awkward. Especially with Daniel sitting there watching us. I met his eyes and I saw sympathy there, and something else that I couldn’t quite identify.