He twisted the knob completely over to the hot side and turned the faucet on. Frigid water spewed forth, full stream. Kiah yelped, backed out of the spray as far as he could get, which wasn’t far enough, and waited for the water to warm.
It didn’t warm. In fact, it stayed melted-ice-cube cold.
“Really, Gott? A cold shower?” Though to be fair, Hallie had warned him. Not to mention, he probably needed one. Because all he could think about was Hallie. Kissing Hallie, specifically.
Something he shouldn’t have done. But he was oh so glad he had.
Besides, he’d been so distracted and humiliated he hadn’t listened much past her invitation to go hunt whippersnappers tonight. Why did something about that word seem so familiar? If it wasn’t for his pounding headache, maybe he could figure out why. Seemed his grossdaadi mentioned them a time or two. Maybe Daed would remember how they got rid of them.
Kiah shivered through his shower but got his hair clean—while growling about the woodpecker. He rubbed himself dry, got dressed, and headed downstairs, planning to sit in the sunshine and warm up.
Hallie stood at the kitchen counter, a bundle of dirt-covered radishes in her left hand. With her right hand she riffled through a drawer, finally emerging with a pink paring knife. Water ran from the faucet into a pink, hospital-style, plastic sponge-bath pan that had been reutilized as a dishpan.
She was either ignoring him or hadn’t heard him in his stocking feet. He couldn’t think of anything to say anyway, so he snuck past. He opened the screen door as quietly as he could and padded outside.
He didn’t see any sign of anyone around except for Hallie in the kitchen. And wait. Was that two people—a man and a woman—walking across a distant field? He squinted. They both carried a bag or backpack or something. And…were they coming this way?
Something flashed in his peripheral and he turned that way in time to see Woody on a collision course with his face. He ducked and stumbled backward, right into the screen door. The handle bit into his spine, reminding him of the developing bruises on his tailbone.
The woodpecker flew off, up to a branch on a tree, where he scolded, or maybe cussed out, Kiah. Not that he understood woodpecker.
“Good grief, bird! I was trying to help you. An attic is no home for a woodpecker!” Kiah spread his arms wide, trying to make his point. Not that the bird understood human.
“Kiah?” Hallie’s confused voice came from behind him.
He groped for the handle and opened the door wide enough to back through while Hallie stepped to the side. “Exit at your own risk. Woody is on the attack.”
“He ignored me when I was in the garden.” Did she have to sound so skeptical?
Kiah shut the door. Firmly. Then he turned to face Hallie. His gaze roved over her beautiful face. Her dark blond hair. Her expressive blue eyes. Her kissable lips. He resisted the urge to peruse her further. “He probably didn’t recognize you with your hair up, your kapp on, and without those cute blue swim goggles.” He winked.
Hallie blushed. Then she glanced out the screen. “Oh. Aaron and Joy are home.”
“Aaron and Joy?” Kiah turned to see. The couple crossing the field were closer now. “Who are they?”
“My younger brother and sister. They joined a group of youngies for a trip to Chicago to go to a Cubs baseball game.”
“Nice.” Kiah was more than a little envious. “And you and Anna didn’t go?”
“We had to work,” Hallie said simply.
“Ah,” Kiah said. But he was glad they did, because the timing of his visit to meet the scribe would’ve been terrible if the scribe wasn’t here. And Daed might’ve refused to let him make the trip for this reason again.
But Kiah’s future marital bliss depended on this visit being a success.
* * *
Hallie wanted to rush out the door, greet her siblings with “I missed you” and hugs and then sit down to hear the details of their trip. She’d hoped to go but couldn’t find anyone to cover her shift at the restaurant on such short notice. The responsible thing was to go to work and enjoy the trip vicariously.
She took a step forward, but Kiah was centered in front of the screen, his hand gripping the handle, effectively blocking her exit. Unless she shoved him out of the way. And, well, that involved touching.
Touching Kiah had already proved to be highly dangerous.
Of course, she could nicely ask him to step aside.
“One brother, two sisters,” Kiah muttered. “Why had Anna never mentioned them in her letters?”
Well, that was easy. Anna had never written him. She had intercepted the letters from Kiah Esh, addressed to the Hidden Springs Scribe, and always delivered them to Mammi. Teasing her for writing another man and cheating on Daadi. Mammi never denied the accusations. Because, of course, she was the logical choice for scribe. Hallie was too self-centered because she didn’t want to become a midwife and because everyone walked on eggshells around her after Toby’s death. According to Anna. Besides, Hallie’s role as scribe was to be kept secret. Even from her sisters.
But Hallie couldn’t tell Kiah that.
She shrugged.
“What else hasn’t she told me?” Kiah sounded hurt.
More than he knew. But Hallie couldn’t answer that, either. Revealing her secret, even accidentally, meant the scribe position would go to someone else and she desperately needed this outlet. She enjoyed writing the fun little unique tidbits once she got past the news.
“She didn’t know me, though. I can understand her needing to withhold information to preserve her identity. You can’t be too careful in this day and age.” Kiah brightened, as if that was the sole reason. And it sort of was. Just not for Anna. “She doesn’t know I’m as safe as the day is long.”
Hardly safe. Hallie barely kept from snorting.
Kiah sighed heavily. “Any more members of this family that I don’t know about?”
“Gideon Brunstetter is my great-uncle.”
“Jah. I gathered that.” He turned to look at her. “He’s also blind. Yet you sent me to visit him anyway.”
“Not completely blind. Just legally blind. And they have voice-to-text capabilities on computers so he’d be able to speak and—”
Kiah held up his hand and pressed his fingers against Hallie’s lips. “I think you protest too much.” His dimples flashed.
She caught her breath, then froze, afraid to even breathe.
He glanced down. His gaze landed on her lips; then his eyes widened. He jerked his hand back as if he’d been burned. “Sorry. I…I didn’t think,” he stammered, his neck turning red. “I need to be very careful not to touch you. Especially since I’m courting Anna. I mean, the scribe. I mean, I might be courting someone.”
And with that hurtful reminder, he turned away, once again blocking the screen door so she couldn’t go out and greet her siblings without shoving past him. She couldn’t trust her voice enough to ask since tears clogged the back of her throat. Whatever she said would probably emerge in an embarrassing wail.
She’d chosen to become an old maid. And eventually live all alone. Why did it seem as if she hadn’t made the best choice?
His beliefs about the scribe were her fault, too. She allowed him to believe she wasn’t her. That Anna was. She’d stated quite firmly she wasn’t interested in a relationship. And now she needed to step back and allow him to pursue her sister.
Move away from him. Jah, that would be the first thing to do. She backed up, then veered toward the refrigerator, a cold pitcher of lemonade prepared and waiting inside. A plate she’d already piled full of a mixed variety of cookies. Chocolate chip walnut. Shortbread. Oatmeal raisin. Peanut butter. She also had banana bread she could slice.
Hallie glanced at the clock. Still two hours until supper. Hopefully no appetites would be ruined.
Footfalls sounded on the porch, and Hallie tried to find a pleasant expression and not a sour woe-is-me one. She turned toward the door in time to
see Kiah stick out his hand, a real grin on his handsome face. A frown flashed across Aaron’s face as he took in the male stranger in the kitchen. His gaze bounced from Kiah to Hallie and back.
“Hi.” Aaron’s greeting sounded more like a question. Cautious. Unsure. He stopped just inside the door, stance indicating he wasn’t sure whether it was fight or flight.
Jah, Hallie wasn’t sure what was with his hands, either. She’d never met anyone so interested in shaking hands. Maybe it was an Indiana thing. Though Zeke didn’t do it. Or it might be due to Kiah’s job as a horse trainer. He probably worked with a lot of Englischers. That most likely explained it.
“I’m Kiah Esh. From Shipshewana.”
Aaron shot a help me out here look toward Hallie, then awkwardly shook hands. “Nice to meet you.”
“His daed is the guest preacher tomorrow,” Hallie said.
“Oh.” Neither Aaron nor Joy seemed too impressed. In fact, Aaron shrugged, so what? clearly visible in his expression.
Hallie set the plate of cookies on the table. “Kiah, this is my brother Aaron and my sister Joy.” She turned back to fetch the lemonade from the still-open refrigerator. “Kiah is here for the weekend.” Danki, Gott. Then life could go back to normal. Was the Esh family leaving tomorrow after services or Monday morning? Either way, the end was in sight.
“Actually, I’m hoping to stay a bit longer.” Kiah moved away from the door. “I need to do some serious courting.”
Hallie’s heart lurched. Hopefully he wouldn’t be allowed to stay longer. She wouldn’t be able to bear watching him court—and fall in love with—Anna. It was hard enough knowing he’d be writing directly to Anna and not to Hallie, aka the Hidden Springs scribe. Would he notice the handwriting differences?
“And I need to get over to George’s and assist with the ant problem, if I can convince him and his wife to leave for a few hours. His wife asked me to do it.”
“I saw them at the bus stop.” Aaron dropped his bag by the door. “They were waiting to pick someone up on the next bus. Except, they were quite a bit early.” He smirked. “The next bus is scheduled for six. Two hours yet.”
Kiah’s eyes widened and he spun around. “Really? That’s great. Can I borrow a horse?”
“I’ll help you,” Aaron said. “You’ll need me to assist with catching the cats.”
Kiah turned his head enough to meet Hallie’s eyes. “Can we go now? So we’re sure they’re not home?”
Hallie held up her hands. “I’m not getting involved in this.”
“That’s okay. It’ll be our good deed,” Aaron said. “His wife hates those ants.” He seemed a little too eager.
Kiah remembered her complaints about the ants when he was there for tornado cleanup. She even commented about having to pretend the black specks in the food were pepper and not a protein source. Kiah had promised her he’d find some way to help. But he’d returned home without doing it.
Now was his chance to keep his promise.
“I’ll go get the bug bombs and harness up Hallie’s horse.” Kiah started for the door but he hesitated with his hand on the knob. “I need a disguise so that killer woodpecker doesn’t recognize me.”
“Killer woodpecker? Really?” Aaron snorted.
Joy giggled as she grabbed Aaron’s bag and headed for the other room and the stairs without greeting Kiah.
Hallie picked up the platter of cookies to remove them from the table. If the men weren’t going to be there…
Kiah ignored their reactions. Instead he grabbed Mammi’s black bonnet from the hook and tied it on his head; then he pulled on her black sweater.
“Isn’t there a rule about cross-dressing?” Aaron eyed Kiah’s getup.
“I’ll take it off when we get away from Woody.” Kiah grabbed Daddi’s cane and pretend-hobbled toward the door. He turned back halfway out. “See you later, sweetheart,” he said in a high falsetto, then ambled onto the porch.
Sweetheart? Hallie watched him go, still holding the platter of cookies in her hands.
“Is he safe?” Aaron looked at her.
“That’s highly doubtful.” She set the platter back on the counter. “But the jury’s still out.”
* * *
Kiah was certain the woodpecker eyed him suspiciously, but it didn’t attack. He hitched up the horse Hallie had driven that morning, tossed in the unopened box of bug bombs, and grabbed two pairs of work gloves to protect their hands while wrestling cats. Not all of them were friendly, if Kiah remembered right. They might be even unfriendlier when they discovered they’d be tossed out into the yard for a few hours.
Aaron came out and climbed into the buggy—in the driver’s seat—so Kiah walked around and got in next to him. He tried to ignore Aaron’s frequent distrustful looks. It wasn’t like Kiah was an ax murderer. The boy—he might be sixteen or seventeen—didn’t have to go with him. He chose to. Though catching uncooperative cats would go easier with two. Should be quicker, too.
Kiah read over the instructions on the bug bombs twice as they rode in silence to George’s house. It appeared the place was empty, and not seeing any sign of a stowaway woodpecker in or around the buggy, Kiah tossed the cane on the floorboard and stripped off the woman’s sweater and black bonnet. Uncomfortable things. Plus the bonnet worked well as blinders, making it even more uncomfortable. He left the clothes in a messy heap on the seat and followed Aaron out.
Kiah looked around the neighborhood as they approached the house. Across the street, someone’s curtains moved. He ignored it.
“The door’s locked,” Aaron said.
“It’s a weak lock. Or at least it was when I stayed with them in the fall.” Kiah motioned Aaron out of the way and bumped his hip against the door. It might leave a bruise, but the lock popped open. “First thing is to collect the cats.” But he didn’t see any when he glanced around the dim interior. Of course, they might have run and hid. They tended to do that.
“Cats like tuna.” Aaron turned on the gas-powered light and headed for the kitchen.
“George’s wife wouldn’t give them human tuna. She has fish-flavored wet cat food.”
“Whatever. There’s a cat hiding under that chair.” Aaron pointed. “Grab him and toss him out.”
Kiah threw a pair of work gloves toward Aaron, set the box of bug bombs on the coffee table, then got down on his hands and knees. The cat hissed, showing his claws.
“Come on, cat. I’ve had a hard day.”
The cat seemed unimpressed. With Kiah not reaching for him, he started grooming himself.
“I’m mortal enemies with a woodpecker,” Kiah explained to the cat.
If the cat cared, it showed no emotion.
Kiah reached for it again. The cat flicked his tail and left, crawling under a wooden chest.
Catching cats wasn’t going to be so easy. Uncooperative creatures.
From the kitchen came the sounds of pop-tops on cat food cans being opened. And from out of nowhere cats appeared. Marching, running, slinking, or sneaking past Kiah as if they hadn’t seen food in days. Weeks. Months. Of course, the last two weren’t true. George’s wife fed her cats better than she did people. Humans got bean soup. Twice a day. Every. Single. Day. Except Sunday. The cats got a variety.
Kiah lost count of how many cats paraded by, but he thought George and his wife had ten cats and it seemed as if three times that amount headed to the kitchen. So he straightened, ignoring the hissing cat under the cabinet, and trailed the feline train. The floor was literally covered with cats.
Aaron had already opened the back door and was tossing cats out. Hopefully the cats would stay near. Kiah hated for George and his wife to lose their pets, even if they did have too many.
Unfortunately, not all the cats were willing to leave, and it took the better part of a half hour to get most of them out. Kiah was running out of time, since the house had to be vacated two to four hours, so they tossed the open cans of cat food after the cats and Kiah breathed a prayer t
hat any cats left inside wouldn’t get sick from the bug bombs.
Kiah sent Aaron outside through the back door while he set off the three bug bombs. One in the kitchen, one in the living room, and one in the bedroom.
Then he ran outside—and found an older Amish man directly in his path, holding something that appeared to be a soccer ball, except it had flashing blue, green, and red lights.
Chapter 9
Hallie poured herself and Joy a glass of lemonade and sat at the table. She didn’t bother with the cookies since Joy was going through a phase that eliminated all cookies from her diet. She was convinced they were bad for her. It might be true, they probably were, but since she hadn’t given up pies or cakes, it didn’t seem there was much point in giving up cookies. But whatever.
With Kiah and Aaron both gone, the house seemed much quieter. No one else was home, except for Mammi and she usually took a nap in the midafternoon.
“How was the trip?” Hallie centered her glass on a coaster, running her finger through the condensation as Joy sat across from her. She tried not to appear envious. But wow, she’d really wanted to go. She’d never been to Chicago for any reason. And Joy and Aaron went with their friends and the other youngies to a Major League Baseball game and to the Chicago zoo. Well, one of the two zoos she’d heard were located there. Not fair. So not fair.
Joy took a sip of her lemonade and made a face. “This is sour. It needs more sugar.”
Hallie blinked at her. This from the girl who wouldn’t eat cookies? She glanced at the sweating glass. “I made it from frozen—you know. Just add water?”
Joy shrugged and pushed it away. “I had a lot of diet soda this weekend. Maybe it just tastes sour compared to that.”
Hallie wouldn’t talk about Joy’s weird eating habits. She’d grow out of them eventually. Maybe. She picked up her glass and took a sip. It did taste tart. “Tell me about the trip.”
“We went to Brookfield Zoo. We had to pay to get in, but they have literally thousands of animals. We were there all day—well, from the time we arrived in Chicago until it was time to leave for the ballpark—and we barely saw one-third of the zoo. We could’ve spent days there.”
The Amish Secret Wish Page 8
