Dangerous Amish Inheritance (Love Inspired Suspense)

by Debby Giusti

  “So many are selling their property.”

  “Amish farmers?” he asked.

  “Yah, north of town a large development is being built. The bishop is not happy with the growth. He fears we will lose our peaceful way of life.”

  “In the past, there was nothing north of town,” Ruthie said.

  “So true, my dear, but things change. I wonder if they will start a new development on the mountain.”

  “Why do you say that?” Ruthie asked.

  “You mentioned someone is buying Noah’s property. It sounds as if homes will be built there, as well.” She shook her head and tsked. “Too much growth too fast is never good.”

  Noah thought of his father’s land and Ruthie’s being divided into small lots dotted with homes that would mar the landscape. Did the man want Ruthie to flee from the mountain so he could have access to her land? How dark the man’s heart must be if he would ruin a woman’s life for his own personal gain.

  A troubling thought caused Noah to flinch. Just like Ruthie’s attacker, Noah had been thinking only of himself when he had left Ruthie ten years ago. Although she had continued on without him, Noah would never be able to forgive himself for causing her pain.

  * * *

  “Take your time in town and enjoy this beautiful day.” Aunt Mattie stood on the porch with Andrew and Simon as Ruthie and Noah prepared to leave. “The boys and I will have ice cream waiting for you.”

  Ruthie regretted her own self-imposed estrangement from her aunt. After Ben had been shunned, she had become more reclusive and had only visited her aunt a few times in the last five years. Mattie had understood and had not barged in on Ruthie’s privacy.

  Today her greeting had been warm and sincere. Now that Ben was gone, Ruthie needed to visit more often. Being with her aunt would lift her own spirits and bring joy to the boys, as well.

  Noah followed Ruthie to the buggy shop in town. Ivan Keim, a beefy Amish man with a ruddy complexion, owned the shop and agreed to check the wheel.

  “I have three large jobs ahead of yours so I will not get to it for a day or two,” he said. “You can board your horse at the stable in back. Unhitch your buggy and leave it here. My son will help you with your mare.”

  Once Buttercup was taken care of, Noah held the passenger door for Ruthie and helped her into his pickup truck.

  “I have not ridden in such a vehicle before, Noah. This is an adventure, as the boys would say.”

  He laughed. “They wanted to sing songs on the way to Mattie’s house. Did you hear us?”

  “I heard nothing except the clip-clop of Buttercup’s hooves on the pavement.”

  “Next time, we’ll sing louder.”

  “A singing when we get home tonight might be fun.”

  He nodded. “I’m sure the boys will enjoy showing off their talent.”

  “But I do not want them to be prideful, Noah.”

  “I don’t think you’ll ever have that problem with Andrew or Simon. They are hard workers and considerate boys who will grow into fine men.”

  “Someday they will marry and give me grandchildren. This is my hope.”

  “Simon is not yet ten, Ruthie.” His eyes twinkled playfully. “Aren’t you moving a little fast?”

  She laughed. “Yah, I want them to remain young, but I also think of children in the future who will carry on the family name.”

  “The Eicher name?” The buoyancy in Noah’s tone faltered.

  “At least their last name is not Plank,” she countered.

  “Meaning you married Ben so Simon would have a surname other than your own.”

  She could not bear to look at Noah. What he said was true, but she had been too caustic with her words. Had she wanted to cause him pain, the same way he had hurt her long ago? That was not what Gott would want her to do. She must ask forgiveness for her disregard of Noah’s feelings. She must also wipe the hurt from her memory so it would not fester again.

  “I would like to take back my words.” She hung her head and was unsettled with remorse.

  “I’m sure it was hard for you to be pregnant without a husband.”

  “I was not as concerned for myself as I was for my child, but that time has passed. I should not look back.”

  “I’m sorry, Ruthie.”

  “It is over. We will speak no more about what happened.”

  “It’s not over if you’re still hurt by what happened.”

  She turned to gaze into his eyes. “Some pain leaves quickly, like a stubbed toe or a hangnail. Other pain lasts a lifetime.” She glanced out the window again. “I accept your apology. I hope you will accept mine. We do not need to mention this again.”

  He hesitated for a long moment, then said, “On a different note, I like your aunt.”

  Ruthie nodded as she adjusted her seat belt. “Mattie is a gut woman.”

  “She obviously enjoyed seeing you and the boys again.”

  Her sweet aunt did not harbor any ill will toward Ruthie, and she had never chastised her for marrying Ben. The problem was in Ruthie’s mind, not Mattie’s.

  “Let’s talk to Deputy Warren first and then we can stop at the real-estate office,” Noah suggested. “Hopefully Vince Ashcroft will be there today.”

  “I hope he will know if Prescott Construction is still interested in my land. As I told you, I have a stack of bills that must be paid.”

  “You could take out a loan and pay it back little by little.”

  “Which would only place me deeper in debt.”

  “You wanted to pass the farm on to the boys,” he said, as if she did not remember her reason for holding on to the land.

  “I still do, Noah, but I have to use my head as well as my heart. My heart tells me to remain on the farm. It has been my home for twenty-seven years, but my head reminds me that if I cannot pay my bills I could lose everything, including my farm.”

  “I can help you, Ruthie.”

  She held up her hand to stop him from saying anything more about her financial situation. Although she appreciated his offer, she would never be able to live with herself if she accepted his pity or his money.

  “I am not sure what I will do with the land, but one thing is certain. I will not let that terrible man on the mountain take anything that belongs to me.”

  She pursed her lips before continuing. “Talking to the real-estate agent will provide information that might help me make a decision.”

  Noah sighed. “I hate to think of you leaving the mountain when the boys seem to love it there.”

  “You loved the mountain, Noah, yet you left.”

  “I thought we weren’t going to talk about the past?”

  She nodded. “My mistake.”

  Shame on her for returning to the very subject she had said was off-limits. What was wrong with her these days? When she was around Noah, her mind played tricks on her. At some moments, she saw herself as a young woman starting out in life with the man she loved.

  Letting out a sigh, she shook her head. The thought was so unsettling, thinking of where they both were now. One Englisch. One Amish.

  “Is something wrong?” he asked.

  Glancing out the passenger window, she tried to act as if she was not concerned about anything, when in reality her heart was heavy. The man on the mountain was a constant worry and threat to her own well-being and her children’s, but the bigger threat was Noah. The longer she was around him, the more comfortable she became. How could she separate herself from the memories of the past? Being with him brought everything to the forefront and made her realize what she had lost when Noah had walked away. She should have run after him, but she did not know where he had gone. If only he had come back.

  But he did come back, a voice bubbled up within her.

  The voice was right. Noah had come back, but he was ten
years too late. Even more unsettling, he had left his Amish faith and had come back Englisch!

  Perhaps she had been foolish ten years ago to believe they would have remained committed to the Amish way if they had left the mountain together. She liked to think her influence would have kept Noah Amish. Now she could do nothing to change his mind about the life he had chosen to live.

  Amish and Englisch did not mix, as much as she wished it was not so.

  SIXTEEN

  As they drove through town, Ruthie studied the people, looking for tall, muscular men with tattoos on their left arms. She did not see many tattoos, but she did see a number of big, bulky guys who could easily be the man who had come after her on the mountain. If only she could remember something else about his clothing or appearance.

  Noah pulled out his cell. “I’ll call the sheriff’s department to ensure Deputy Warren is in his office.” He tapped in the number, asked to speak to the deputy and then paused.

  “I’ll check back later.” He disconnected and glanced at her. “Deputy Warren is at city hall with the mayor. He should return in an hour or so. We can stop by then and tell him what happened last night.”

  Ruthie wanted to know if the deputy had made any arrests. She was being optimistic, but she wanted the attacker apprehended and locked behind bars.

  Noah braked the truck to a stop at the red light. He pointed toward the appliance store on the corner, and Ruthie followed his gaze. A large-screen television sat in one of the windows.

  A commercial caught their attention. A big man dressed in a plaid suit stepped on-screen and gestured toward a billboard behind him. The sign read Your Home’s a Castle with Castle Homes!

  Noah groaned.

  “What’s wrong?” Ruthie asked.

  “That’s Floyd Castle. He used the same line in Tennessee.”

  “You know him?”

  “Only by reputation. Seth bought one of his homes.” Noah explained about the dam’s collapse and Seth’s death along with his family.

  “Oh, Noah.” She grabbed his arm. “I am sorry.”

  “It was my fault.”

  She shook her head. “How can you say such nonsense? You had nothing to do with the dam collapsing.”

  “I’m the one who told Seth about the development and the discount given to those who worked on the bridge.”

  “You did not know what would happen.”

  “I encouraged Seth to leave home even though our datt never laid a hand on him. Seth didn’t get into trouble, but he came with me because we were a team, two kids always trying to outsmart their father.”

  “You were the older son, Noah. Your father was angry about life. He took that anger out on you.”

  “He was ashamed of himself, Ruthie. That shame ate at him and led him to drink. When he drank he saw himself as someone else, someone better or more successful. The sad thing is that down deep, I truly believe my father was a good man. If only he could have realized he had worth and that people would accept him for who he was.”

  “He changed when your mother died. My father did as well, when my own mother passed.”

  Noah nodded. She saw the regret in his eyes.

  “The woman is the heart of the family,” Noah said. “When the heart is gone, the body dies. My father didn’t want to live without my mother, and he made it difficult for his children.”

  She could relate. “We had similar backgrounds. Perhaps that is why we became so close.”

  “It was more than our families.” He turned to stare at her.

  Ruthie’s breath hitched. She glanced away, unwilling to lose herself to the memory of what they had had so long ago.

  The light changed to green. Noah turned left and headed along the side street. There were railroad tracks ahead, and the lights were flashing.

  “Looks like we’ll be stopped by the train.”

  She smiled, glad to have something else to fill her thoughts. “The boys never tire of watching them pass.”

  The crossing guardrail on the opposite side of the street lowered, but the one on their side failed to engage.

  “Something’s wrong,” Noah said as he pulled the pickup to a stop.

  The roar of the approaching train filled the air, and the earth beneath them vibrated.

  Seemingly concerned about the broken guardrail, Noah glanced in the rearview mirror and frowned. Ruthie looked back. A red truck pulled up right behind them. As the train neared, the truck inched closer.

  “I’m not sure what that guy’s doing,” Noah said, his voice tight with worry.

  The red truck tapped their rear bumper, pushing the pickup forward.

  Ruthie gasped.

  Just that fast, the truck tapped them again, sending them onto the tracks.

  The train’s deafening whistle blew. The engine loomed over them. Ruthie braced for impact and screamed.

  Noah floored the accelerator and steered around the working guardrail to the other side of the tracks.

  Time stopped for one long moment before Ruthie realized they had escaped without a collision.

  Heart in her throat, she looked over her shoulder and watched the train race through the intersection. The truck that had rear-ended them turned around and dashed away.

  “Oh, Noah, we were almost killed,” Ruthie gasped. Tears filled her eyes and her hands trembled. “What happened?”

  “We were shoved in front of the train by someone who wanted to do us harm.”

  “The man from the mountain.” She dropped her head in her hands. “When will it end?”

  Everything had escalated in that moment. Being pushed in front of an oncoming train ratcheted up the danger even more. Before this, the man on the mountain had wanted Ruthie to leave her land. Now he wanted her dead.

  * * *

  Noah steered his pickup to the side of the road and braked to a stop, then reached for Ruthie and pulled her into his arms. Her face was pale and she was shaking.

  “It’s okay, Ruthie. Neither of us was hurt.”

  “The train came so close. It was the man on the mountain. His attacks are getting deadly.”

  He held her until her trembling eased.

  “Take a deep breath. The danger has passed.”

  “Yet the outcome could have been so different, Noah.”

  The man needed to be stopped, but they had to determine who he was first. Once they notified the sheriff’s office, the deputies would be on the lookout for the red truck. Even with law enforcement’s help, Noah still needed to be vigilant to ensure nothing else happened to Ruthie.

  She pulled in a deep breath and eased out of his arms.

  “Do you know anyone who drives a red truck?” he asked, relieved to see color return to her cheeks.

  She shook her head. “The people I know drive buggies.”

  “I couldn’t see the license plate. I’ll call the deputy sheriff and tell him.”

  The deputy was still out of the office. Noah told the clerk about the driver of the truck obviously trying to do them harm. “Tell all your deputies to be on the lookout,” Noah said. “This guy has got to be stopped. He’s getting more aggressive and he means business.”

  “We’ll find him, sir. You can be assured of that.”

  Noah wasn’t so optimistic.

  “You do not look satisfied with law enforcement,” Ruthie said after he had disconnected.

  “They don’t seem to be as involved as I would like them to be.”

  “I am Amish, Noah, and I live on the mountain. As I mentioned to you before, out of sight, out of mind.”

  “Maybe, although I hate to think that would be the case. We’ll talk to Deputy Warren this afternoon when he returns to his office. Hopefully, he’ll be more concerned about your situation.”

  “What about talking to the real-estate agent?”

&nb
sp; “I’ll call them now.”

  He tapped in the number and the receptionist answered on the third ring. “Ashcroft Real Estate, Tiffany speaking.”

  “This is Noah Schlabach. I stopped by yesterday in hopes of talking to Vince Ashcroft. Is he available today?”

  “Mr. Ashcroft should be in his office after lunch.”

  “One o’clock?” Noah asked.

  “Closer to one thirty.”

  “Are the papers ready for the sale of my land?”

  “Could you refresh my memory, sir?”

  Noah let out a frustrated sigh. After the train incident, he had run out of patience. “I have a home and acreage on Amish Mountain. Prescott Construction made an offer on my property.”

  “That’s right. I remember. I’m sorry, but I don’t have information about the offer, sir. You’ll have to talk to Mr. Ashcroft.”

  “Do you have a point of contact for the construction company?”

  “I didn’t see a name on the initial correspondence.”

  “Schedule me for one thirty,” Noah said.

  “Could you repeat your name?”

  “I could and I will.” He glanced at Ruthie and shook his head. “Noah Schlabach. Shall I spell my last name?”

  “No, sir. I’ve got you down for a one-thirty appointment with Mr. Ashcroft.”

  “Thank you, Tiffany.”

  He disconnected. “If Tiffany is any indication about how Ashcroft Real Estate operates, we might be dealing with the wrong real-estate agent.”

  “Hopefully, Mr. Ashcroft has information on Prescott Construction. Perhaps if I decide to sell my land and move to town, the boys and I would be safer.”

  Noah wouldn’t dissuade Ruthie from doing what she thought was best for her family, but he wanted her attacker stopped. Now.

  “I could apply for a job as the real-estate agent’s receptionist,” she added. Her lips tugged into a brief smile, which relieved him even more.

  “Can you use a computer?” he gently teased.

  She nudged his arm. “You know I cannot, which only proves your point about the boys yesterday. You might be right, Noah. Simon and Andrew will need to get jobs when they are older, especially if we live in town. Computer skills are necessary, even for the Amish.”