Love Inspired August 2014 – Bundle 1 of 2 (21 page)

She stopped in the roadway and clasped her arms across her middle as she closed her
eyes. Images of her uncle raising his wooden rod to strike her flashed into her mind
and she braced for the blow. Was Micah’s uncle as cruel as hers had been? It wasn’t
likely, but what if he was?

“What is it, Clara?”

Clara opened her eyes and saw the concern on her friend’s face. She drew a shaky breath.
That part of her life was over. She and her three sisters were safe. Their uncle couldn’t
hurt them anymore. She had to remind herself of that fact every day. After years of
fear and meekness, of striving desperately to please her uncle and failing, it was
sometimes hard to believe God had finally answered her prayers. Was Micah praying
for deliverance from his uncle’s wrath, too? She had to know.

She couldn’t leave without knowing.

“Faith, would you mind if we called it quits early today?”

“Of course not. Are you okay?”

“I’m fine. My sisters are putting up corn this afternoon. I know they could use my
help. I’ll walk home from here.”

“It will take more than one day to put up corn for your family. Take tomorrow off,
too. Why don’t we get together again on Saturday?”

Clara took two steps backward. She wanted to race back to the Gingerich farm, but
she didn’t want to arouse Faith’s suspicions. “Are you sure you want me to come back?
We’ve only a few more hours of spinning to do, and then we’ll be done with this year’s
fleece.”

“Please do come. I’ve enjoyed working with you so much. I want one last day together
even if it’s only for a few hours.”

“All right. I’ll see you Saturday morning.” Clara turned and hurried back the way
they had come, but instead of going home, she stopped at the bend in the road that
led to Ethan’s farm.

She rubbed her damp palms on the sides of her dress. What reason would she give for
returning? She could hardly tell a man she’d just met that she feared he beat his
children. Even if she saw him punishing Micah, what right did she have to interfere?
None.

Yet how could she stand by and do nothing? It was partly her fault the boy was in
trouble. If only she knew what was happening to the child.

Ethan might be a kind and fair guardian. Her Amish faith dictated that she see only
the good in every man until shown otherwise. She certainly had no business suspecting
Ethan Gingerich of evil, but she had to know that Micah was all right. Her life and
her sister’s lives might have been so much better if someone had cared enough to check
on them.

None of them had admitted their abuse to anyone. They had been too ashamed to speak
of it. Only her sister Lizzie had been strong enough to break the pattern by running
away. She found a wonderful home for them with their grandfather. She freed them all
and saved Clara from being forced to marry an odious man.

She shuddered at the thought of what her life might have been like without her sister’s
bravery. God put more courage in Lizzie’s little finger than Clara had in her whole
body.

She glanced at the cornfield separating her from Ethan’s home. She might not be brave,
but a child’s welfare could be at stake. She couldn’t turn away from that.

Gathering what small courage she possessed, Clara moved off the road and into the
cornfield beside the lane. The tall green stalks would hide her from view. If her
suspicions were groundless, Ethan need never know she had come back to check on him.

The corn patch ended a few dozen yards from the back of the house. With her heart
pounding in her throat, she ran across the open strip of grass and flattened herself
against the back wall of the house. Had she been seen? She waited for sounds of discovery.

It was the height of summer, so the windows were all open to catch the slightest breeze.
She heard the sound of voices coming from the window near the north corner of the
building. Ducking low, she passed beneath one window and stopped under the next. Two
more steps would put her beside the front porch. She thought the kitchen must be on
the other side of the wall where she crouched.

“I’m asking for an explanation, Micah. Now’s your chance to set the record straight.”

Only silence followed Ethan’s words. She strained to hear Micah’s reply.

“What were you thinking?”

Clara nearly jumped out of her skin. Ethan had moved to stand beside the window where
she was hunkering. He was directly above her. She squeezed her eyes shut and tried
not to breathe.

Please, Lord, don’t let him see me.

Finally, she heard heavy footsteps moving away, followed by the scrape of a chair
across the floor. She took a badly needed breath. Ethan said, “Micah, what am I to
do with you?”

“Are you going to send me away?”

It was the first she had heard from the boy. He didn’t sound as if he was in pain,
but she heard the worry under his words.

“Nee.”

“Because no one wants me?”

“Why do you say that?”

“I overheard Great
Aenti
May say that she would take Lily if Great
Aenti
Carol would take Amos. Neither of them wanted to take me.”

Clara pressed a hand to her lips. The poor child. To know he wasn’t wanted had to
hurt deeply.

Ethan cleared his throat. “I’m not sending any of you away. Your papa wanted all of
you to stay together. Your actions today show your disrespect for his memory more
clearly than words. How would he feel if Mrs. Lapp came to him to complain you injured
one of her animals? Your papa loved animals.”

Why didn’t Ethan tell the boy he wanted him? It was what the child needed to hear.
Clara knew how it felt to be unwanted and unloved. Her heart broke for Micah.

“I reckon I’d get a spanking for what I did.”

“I reckon you would if he was here. Go to your room and think on how disappointed
he would be with you. Send your brother and your sister down. You will sit and reflect
alone and in silence.”

“They aren’t upstairs.”

“Are you sure?”

“I checked before you came in.”

“Where are they?” Ethan demanded.

“I don’t know.”

A chair scraped again. “Lily! Amos! Where are you?” There was an edge of panic in
Ethan’s voice. She heard his boots pounding up the stairs inside.

He wasn’t going to beat Micah. She’d put herself in this foolish position for nothing.
Now was her chance to leave, but what if he looked out one of the upstairs windows
and saw her running across the lawn? Should she risk it? Could she make the cornfield
before she was spotted?

Suddenly, she heard a childish giggle that was quickly smothered. It came from under
the porch. Clara noticed a small opening in the latticework where the porch met the
house. Looking through the gap, she saw a little girl of about four sitting cross-legged
in the dirt with her hands clasped over her mouth. A boy a little older was seated
behind her.

Taking her hands away from her mouth, the little girl pouted. “Oh, you found us.”

“What are you doing under there?” Clara whispered. She could hear Ethan calling for
them from the upstairs.

“We’re playing hide-and-seek. We’re hiding from
Onkel
Ethan.”

That was exactly what Clara wanted to do. She heard his footsteps pound down the stairs.
Now was her chance to run. “Micah, check out back,” he yelled.

No! If Micah was out back, she couldn’t pass him without being seen, and he was certain
to recognize her.

In a few seconds, Ethan would be on the front porch. He was sure to check along this
side of the house. He would find her snooping like a thief outside his home. How would
she explain herself?

She couldn’t. There was only one choice.

She smiled at the two children and pleaded, “May I join your game?”

They nodded. She quickly wiggled into the opening and held her breath as the front
door banged open above her.

Copyright © 2014 by Patricia MacDonald

ISBN-13: 9781460337424

HIS MONTANA SWEETHEART

Copyright © 2014 by Harlequin S.A.

Special thanks and acknowledgment to Ruth Logan Herne for her contribution to the
Big Sky Centennial miniseries.

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The Courage To Hope

Guidance counselor Heather Browning is desperate. She needs a mentor to help Simon,
a disabled student who is struggling at Gordon Falls High School. Unfortunately, hotshot
Max Jones is her only option. Confrontational and cavalier, Max uses his flashy persona
to hide the bitterness he’s felt since his life-changing accident. Perpetually cautious,
Heather finds Max’s bad-boy bravado as intriguing as it is infuriating. But as Heather
and Max work together to build Simon’s self-confidence, they begin to trust each other.
Max has never been slow and careful with anything. Can he be gentle with Heather’s
heart?

Gordon Falls: Hearts ablaze in a small town.

“Have dinner with me.”

Her jaw clenched—he hadn’t even framed it as a question. “No.” She gave the word all
the finality she could muster.

“Because of the chair?”

“Not because of the chair, because we are currently working together on a school matter.”

He leaned back. “It’s because of the chair.”

Heather planted her hands on the table. “It’s because of the arrogant, pushy man
in
the chair.” She let out a breath and began putting the notebook back into her handbag.
“I was just trying to be nice, to celebrate all the good you’ve done with Simon, but
I should have known it’d get like this. I’ll walk back to school, thanks.”

Max put his hands up. “Okay, okay. I’ll take it down a notch. Let’s have pie and coffee
and talk about Simon, and I’ll keep my dinner plans with Alex and JJ and pretend this
never happened.”

She glared at him. “You were going to ditch Alex and JJ for dinner?”

“Well, not really. I was pretty sure you’d say no.”

Heather put one hand to her forehead. “You are absolutely impossible. You should come
with a warning label.”

Books by Allie Pleiter

Love Inspired

My So-Called Love Life
The Perfect Blend
*Bluegrass Hero
*Bluegrass Courtship
*Bluegrass Blessings
*Bluegrass Christmas
Easter Promises
*“Bluegrass Easter”
†
Falling for the Fireman
†
The Fireman’s Homecoming
†
The Firefighter’s Match
†
A Heart to Heal

Love Inspired Historical

Masked by Moonlight
Mission of Hope
Yukon Wedding
Homefront Hero
Family Lessons
The Lawman’s Oklahoma Sweetheart

Love Inspired Single Title

Bad Heiress Day
Queen Esther & the Second Graders of Doom

*Kentucky Corners
†Gordon Falls

ALLIE PLEITER

Enthusiastic but slightly untidy mother of two, RITA® Award finalist Allie Pleiter
writes both fiction and nonfiction. An avid knitter and unreformed chocoholic, she
spends her days writing books, drinking coffee and finding new ways to avoid housework.
Allie grew up in Connecticut, holds a B.S. in speech from Northwestern University
and spent fifteen years in the field of professional fund-raising. She lives with
her husband, children and a Havanese dog named Bella in the suburbs of Chicago, Illinois.

A HEART TO HEAL

Allie Pleiter