LITMIR.BIZ

       THREE

      Hannah woke to the clip-clop of horses’ hooves. She slipped from the bed and pulled back the curtain, then smiled, seeing a farm wagon stop at the side of the Amish Store. She checked her watch. Six thirty.

      In the distance she saw Lucas hurrying along a path. He approached the Amish farmer. Together they unloaded boxes and hauled them into the store, then shook hands on the porch before the man climbed onto his wagon and headed back to the main road.

      The sun was barely up, yet everywhere she looked groundskeepers and farm hands, many wearing typical Amish garb, were already hard at work. Dropping the curtain back in place, she hurriedly dressed and followed the scent of coffee to the dining area.

      Entering the room almost took her breath away at the sight of the ceiling-to-floor windows that looked over the rolling hills, gardens and mountains beyond. Starched, white tablecloths and napkins dressed the round tables set with blue china that matched the curtains and made the room seem bright and cheerful.

      A woman, probably midfifties, wearing a simple, calf-length dress and white apron approached Hannah. Her hair was pulled into a bun topped with a starched cap. Her round face and twinkling brown eyes were warm with welcome.

      “You must be Hannah. Lucas told me about you.” The woman took Hannah’s hand. “I am Fannie Stoltz. I run the inn, and I am happy you can stay with us. Your room was to your liking?”

      “Oh, yes, it was perfect. I slept better than I have in years.”

      The Amish woman’s smile increased, and then she tilted her head. “Perhaps the reason your sleep is not usually sound can be worked out while you are here. The simple life sometimes lets us see more clearly that which is important. The world frets about too many things that should not have power over our well-being. Here—” She spread her hands and glanced through the windows at the rolling hills. “Here our focus can turn to that which is most important.”

      Finding her sisters was Hannah’s number one priority, but she didn’t want to disturb the innkeeper with troubling thoughts of two missing women. Instead she chose a timelier topic. “You probably need my credit card.”

      The woman waved her hand. “We will deal with that when you are ready to check out. Now you must eat.” She pointed to a table by the window. “You may sit wherever you like, but this is a nice spot. Lucas is mending a broken fence. Perhaps he will join you in a bit.”

      A young woman wearing the same garb as the innkeeper filled Hannah’s cup with a robust coffee made even richer with the thick cream Hannah added to the hot brew.

      “The cream is from our own dairy,” the young girl said with pride. “You would like the regular breakfast or do you have dietary needs?”

      Probably eighteen at the most, the server had alabaster skin and rosy cheeks that spoke of wholesome living. Even without makeup, the girl was beautiful.

      Breakfast was hearty and delicious. Lucas never showed up and Hannah tried to squelch the disappointment she felt. Surely he would be on the grounds. She would find him there.

      “Breakfast was wonderful,” she told the server before leaving the dining room.

      Hannah returned to her room and grabbed her jacket. Hopefully her car would soon be fixed so she could drive to Willkommen. She needed information to locate Miriam, and she didn’t have time to while away the morning, enjoying the pretty scenery.

      Opening the hallway door that led to the alcove, she nearly ran into a Hispanic man wearing jeans and a navy polo.

      “Morning, miss. You are going somewhere?” he asked.

      “Just for a walk.”

      He tapped the board where the keys hung. “You leave your key here when you are gone. The cleaning staff must make your bed and bring fresh towels.”

      “I wasn’t thinking.” She dropped her key onto the wall peg attached to her room number.

      “You are the new guest?” he asked.

      Hannah nodded. “That’s right. I arrived last night.”

      “Someone gave me a note.” He held out a folded sheet of white paper. “It is for you, yes?”

      Seeing her name written on the outside, she nodded. “Who’s it from?”

      The man shrugged. “I know only to give it to the new lady.”

      Unfolding the paper, she smiled seeing Lucas’s signature at the bottom of the page. Meet me at the gazebo after breakfast. I want to show you around the property.

      Tucking the paper into her pocket, she thanked the man and hurried out the door. The musky scent of moist earth hung in the air and filled her with anticipation for the new day. She pulled her jacket around her shoulders and scurried to where Lucas had parked her car last night outside the mechanic’s shed.

      An African American man, midfifties with a lean face and slender build, greeted her. “I’m Calvin Crawford. You must be Hannah. Lucas said your radiator had sprung a leak.”

      “Sprung a leak” wasn’t Lucas’s assessment last night. Evidently he wanted to downplay what had happened. Not that she wasn’t grateful. She didn’t want to call attention to herself or to the incident on the mountain road.

      “I’ll have your car ready to drive within the hour, miss, if that works for you.”

      “Lucas assured me you could fix anything, Calvin.”

      The man laughed. “Anything involving motors or engines. Only wish I could do more to heal the human heart.”

      Seemed the mechanic was a bit of a philosopher.

      She glanced at the various paths that ran through the property. “Which way leads to the gazebo?”

      “Take the walkway on the left. It leads over the hill. You’ll see the gazebo. It’s not far.”

      With a quick thank-you, she hurried along the path he had indicated. Topping a slight rise, she smiled, seeing in the distance the lovely gazebo, painted white, with a curved roof and rimmed with colorful winter pansies. The setting would be an ideal spot to sit with a good book or to chat with a friend.

      Although she didn’t see Lucas, she continued along the path that led to a shaded area of trees and bushes. The thick undergrowth and tall poplars blocked her view of the surrounding pastures, the gazebo and the inn. The temperature dropped and even the overcast sunlight failed to reach into the dense, albeit well-landscaped, thicket. A gurgling stream ambled along the bottom of the steep incline. She walked to where a wooden walking bridge crossed to the other side. As peaceful as the hidden spot appeared, Hannah’s thoughts fluttered back to the woods last night.

      Her heart thumped and her pulse kicked up a notch. She wiped the palms of her hands along the arms of her jacket, all too aware of her body’s reaction to the memories that played through her mind.

      A twig snapped. She turned toward the sound. The world stood still as her mind tried to make sense of what she saw. A man. The same man from last night, wearing a hoodie covered with a blue flannel shirt.

      She blinked, hoping to send the vision scurrying.

      In that instant he started running straight toward her.

      A scream filled the silence. Her scream as she raced over the bridge and up the hill. Rapid footsteps and his labored pull of air followed her.

      Full from breakfast, she struggled to stay in the lead. The path wove through the wooded area and then into the open. She pushed on, seeing the pasture in the distance. Lucas stood, with his

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