Hidden In Amish Country. Dana Lynn R.
let their conversation wash over him without really hearing it. Every instinct he had was screaming at him that if he left her in the hospital, Sadie would still be in danger. The image of her pale and lifeless-appearing body trapped in her vehicle filled his mind. Englischers could be a very reckless and violent people. He still remembered the father of a childhood friend being murdered years ago by an Englischer. The killer, a local teenager, was still in prison.
He shook his head. He couldn’t hold the actions of one man against all Englischers. Kurt, despite his lack of common sense at times, had proven himself to be a good and loyal friend. Ben knew that their family had suffered tragedies.
He couldn’t get involved, though.
He opened his mouth to tell his friend how sorry he was that he couldn’t help. Instead, he found himself saying, “Let me think about this and see if there’s a way I can make it work.”
Relief filled Kurt’s eyes and a wide grin broke over his face. What had he done? He glanced again at Sadie. Unlike her brother, she was frowning. He could see the slight furrow in her brow.
“Ben, I appreciate your willingness to consider helping me out. I know that you are friends.” She waved a hand between two men. “I don’t mean any offense, but I don’t know you. I don’t even know Kurt, not at the moment, but he is my stepbrother. But we haven’t met before today.”
Kurt stepped closer to the bed. “I would never let you stay with anyone who wasn’t trustworthy. Ben is as fine a man as they come. I promise.”
The exasperated glance she threw at her brother had Ben biting the inside of his lips to keep from smiling. She may have been injured, but she had fierceness inside her. He was glad to see that.
“How do I know that I can trust your word?” she asked. Kurt looked a little hurt at that, but it was a fair question. She shook her head and then winced. “It’s just that if I am in danger, and right now we can’t really prove that I am, I hate the thought that I would somehow be bringing that danger into his home. He has a little boy he has to look after.”
His heart warmed that she was thinking about his son. He needed to get back home. He had left Nathaniel with Caleb and Lovina. If he didn’t go soon, he’d be getting home after it started to get dark. He hadn’t gotten a driver since he hadn’t planned on being gone that long.
“I need to head for home. I just came to assure myself and Nathaniel that you were well.”
She was, for now.
Ben slapped his hat back on his head as he exited the building and strode briskly to where he had left his buggy. It had grown colder while he’d been inside. The chill bit at him. He ignored it. It would grow much colder. Dealing with harsh weather was just a part of his life. He had lived his entire life in this part of Ohio. He expected he’d probably die here, as well. Although, he was over an hour from where he’d grown up. He refused to allow guilt to take root. He’d moved out of the heart of Amish country in Homes County to get away from the memories of his dead wife. And to escape the expectations of his family.
Would Sadie’s brother talk her into staying with him? he wondered as he pulled away from the town. He didn’t know if Kurt’s worries were founded or not. However, he had never known Kurt to be fanciful. Kurt might sometimes act without thinking, but he did seem to be very observant, which was probably why he had been entrusted with what appeared to be a dangerous assignment at his job.
Ben mulled over the facts as he knew them throughout the rest of the evening. He found himself distracted, thinking about the young woman he’d rescued that afternoon. With no memories, how would she know who to trust? Anyone could pose as a friend. Her brother wouldn’t be able to be with her at all times. Just how serious was this story Kurt was following? If what Kurt said was true, and Ben had no reason to believe it wasn’t, he was entangled too deeply to get out of it now.
It was very unsettling to not know what they were going to do. Part of him hoped that they would decide not to bring Sadie out to his home. Then he could just wash his hands of the whole situation.
He didn’t know if he would be able to rest easy, not knowing if she was safe. Somehow, when he had pulled her out of that car, he had become invested in making sure she survived. It didn’t make any sense, nor was it wise to become so deeply enmeshed in her life. He couldn’t help himself, though. Seeing her unconscious, knowing she might not be safe, sat heavily on his mind even as he went to bed that evening.
Tomorrow, he thought, could bring more complications into his life than he wanted. Or than he was prepared for.
Where was Kurt?
Sadie glanced at the clock on the wall for what must have been the twentieth time. He had promised to be at the hospital to pick her up by ten in the morning. It was now almost noon. She didn’t know if she should be annoyed or worried, although in her present condition she was leaning more toward worried. Was such extreme tardiness something she should have expected from Kurt? She had no way of knowing, but that wasn’t the impression she had gotten from him the day before.
She could try calling him again. The cell phone that his friend Ben had brought in was still lying where he’d left it. She had found Kurt’s name and picture in her contacts. So she really did know him, even though she still couldn’t recall a thing about him. She’d given herself a headache the night before, trying to remember anything about her life. It was all still blank.
Five more minutes passed. This was getting ridiculous.
A nurse walked in the room. “Honey, is your ride coming for you? Do you need us to call someone?”
Great, now the hospital was trying to kick her out. She pasted on what she hoped was a pleasant smile that disguised just how frayed her nerves truly were. “I’m sure he’ll be here soon. I’ll give him another call.”
“That’s a good idea. Let me know if you need any help.”
The nurse gave her a comforting smile and retreated out of the room. Sadie snatched the phone from the table and tapped the phone icon next to her brother’s name again.
This time, the call was picked up. She barely let him answer before she was talking. “Kurt? Where are you? They need this room for another patient. Are you coming to pick me up?”
“Ah, yes, Sadie. I’ll be there soon.”
The phone disconnected. She stared at the device in her hand, frowning. The voice was a bit muffled, but it hadn’t sounded like Kurt’s. There had been a lot of commotion in the background, though, so maybe she was wrong.
She stilled. In her mind, she replayed the commotion. Had someone been shouting run?
She glanced again at the phone, shivering as a chill settled into her body that had nothing to do with the cold. Whoever he was running from, they had Kurt. She had no way to prove it. It could have been another friend who had answered his phone, but she knew it was not.
What she did know was that someone was coming for her.
Galvanized into action, she jumped off the bed and grabbed her coat. Kurt had been very sweet the night before, leaving during dinner to bring her a change of clothes. Nothing fancy, just a simple pair of blue jeans and a T-shirt and a pink-and-purple flannel shirt. When she saw the clothes, though, she thought they must have been favorites, judging by the amount of wear in the knees and elbows. Which showed how well he knew his sister. What if she never got the chance to get to know him?
Stop it! This kind of thinking would get her nowhere. She could go to the police. She considered that option; surely it made the most sense. Except Kurt had been so adamant that he couldn’t that she hesitated. She had no way of knowing if she’d put him in more danger by alerting the police. She didn’t want to do that.
Nor