SPEAKERS BLARED OUT the names of passengers with messages waiting for them. Her cell phone in her hand, Hannah sipped her latte in the LaGuardia Airport. The show had gone well, but she was exhausted and wanted nothing more than to sleep in her own bed tonight. Angie had gone to the restroom, and Hannah toyed with the idea of calling Luca. He’d be shocked to hear from her. Maybe he’d heard of her book. She hoped not, though, knowing that by writing it she broke every principle of Hochmut.
The concept of self-promotion was alien to the Amish. Her cousin would be grieved to know she even had a publicist and sought to promote herself and her book. He would tell her to let God be her publicist or, better yet, to choose a career that didn’t put her in the limelight. Luca and Hannah’s father had built their greenhouse business by providing good service to the community. They’d never taken out an ad in their lives.
Her hands shook as she called the number. She’d never forgotten it, though ten years had passed since she’d spoken with anyone at that number. Settling the phone against her ear, she took another sip of her hot coffee to wet her dry throat. What would she say?
The phone continued to ring until the answering machine in the greenhouse picked up and Luca’s familiar voice instructed her to leave a message. She hung up without doing it. This was a conversation they needed to have in person.
She watched the people walking past. Mothers with children clinging to their hands, fathers carrying babies. Her heart ached with emptiness. How ironic that all she’d been taught since childhood focused on the importance of family and community, and now here she was at thirty-two without anyone. No close friends other than Angie, who was an employee. Oh, she had acquaintances from the quilting society and at the museum, but no one she could pour out her heart to. No one who understood why she kept herself aloof.
Sometimes she didn’t understand herself. It should be easy to put down the wall and make herself vulnerable again. But it wasn’t. Living with Reece had shown her how a mask could hide the real person. Trust was hard to find, maybe because she’d never been able to let go of the bitterness and anger she felt toward Reece. And toward Cyrus Long, who had ruined her life. If her parents had lived, she never would have been brazen enough to run off with Reece.
Her life would be so different today.
SOME DAYS, LIFE had a way of mocking him. The first day of the investigation had turned up nothing, and all Matt wanted was to take pizza home to his daughter and watch VeggieTales after the sitter left. But when he pulled into the driveway, he saw Gina sitting on the porch swing with Caitlin. Every marriage had conflicts, and she needed to work out hers with Blake, not run to him with every little problem.
He stifled a sigh and got out of his SUV. “Hey, girls,” he said, smiling down at his daughter. She was the one bright spot in a world gone gray three years ago, when Analise died.
“I brought pizza,” Gina said. Her smile was tentative, as though she feared he would be upset.
“I was craving it.” He ruffled the top of his daughter’s hair. “You got a hug for old Dad?” When Gina was around, Caitlin had eyes for no one else. Poor kid missed her mother’s touch.
Nothing was said about why Gina had come until two hours later, after Caitlin had been bathed and put to bed. “Spill it,” he said when he came back to the living room where Gina sat with Ajax’s head on her lap.
“Spill what?” She rubbed Ajax’s ears. He wore a blissful expression.
“The long face. You haven’t said a word about Blake. Where is he tonight?”
“I have no idea.” Her lips quivered, and she didn’t look at him.
Matt flopped into the recliner. “Did you try calling him? He’s probably working late.”
“What time did you leave him?”
“About two hours before I came home. I was going over the murder.” He glanced at his watch. Over three hours ago.
Her lips quivered. “I—I think he’s having an affair, Matt.”
Matt balled up his fists. “I don’t believe it. Blake loves you.” He got up and went to the sofa. He started to put his arm around her, then dropped it back into place. They didn’t have a huggy-kissy sort of relationship. But she turned into his embrace and wailed against his chest. He patted her back, but he was bad at this kind of thing.
“Trust him a little, Gina. He’ll be home soon.”
She lifted a tear-stained face. “Well, he can come around and find an empty house. I’m leaving him. Can I stay with you for a while, Matt?”
He dropped his arm. “You know you can, but it would be better for you to go home and work out your problems. Give him the benefit of the doubt. Are you sure this is what you want?”
“He’s having an affair! I found a hotel bill. And a receipt for a five-thousand-dollar ring. He didn’t give me any ring.”
“Where’d he get that kind of money?”
“I have no idea. But you’re missing the point! It wasn’t for me. He has to have a girlfriend.” She swiped the tears from her face with an angry hand.
Until now, Matt had thought his sister was overreacting. He didn’t want to think about where Blake had gotten that kind of money. A rash of burglaries had occurred over the past two months. But no, this was Blake. His partner and friend. He’d never do anything like that. “Maybe it’s a surprise and he borrowed the money.”
“I don’t care about the money! Would you quit worrying about that? We’re okay financially. Blake never lets a bill go. The receipt was for two months ago. If the ring were a surprise for me, he would have given it to me already.”
“Want me to talk to him?” What could Matt say? This mess wasn’t his business. But he couldn’t believe Blake would cheat on Gina—he loved her. “Divorce isn’t the answer. Especially leaving him without giving him a chance to explain.”
“The Bible says it’s okay when it’s infidelity, if that’s what you’re worried about.”
“Just because it’s okay doesn’t mean you should do it. Analise and I had some rough times too, but we weathered them. I just keep thinking about what would have happened if I’d given up. We would have missed out on some important times together. We wouldn’t have Caitlin either.”
She gave a huge sigh. “I should have known better than to ask you, Mr. Perfect,” she muttered. She shoved Ajax’s head off her lap and stood. “It’s hard not to give up. He’s never home.”
“Look, go home and at least talk to him. I’m sure there’s an explanation. Give it a shot anyway.”
Her gaze came up and tears sparkled in her eyes. “Didn’t you hear me, Matt? When am I supposed to talk to him? He’s never home.” She grabbed her purse with quick movements. “I’ve got to go.” She stopped by the door. “Pray for me. I don’t think I can get through this.” She vanished through the door.
The human spirit could take more than one ever thought it could, but Matt wished his baby sister didn’t have to go through this.
FIRST THING IN the morning, Hannah and Angie hit the road. Five hours later, they were nearly to Parke County. They’d crossed the Illinois line into Indiana half an hour ago. Hannah’s four cats prowled restlessly in their carriers in the back. Their yowls had grown more outraged in the past hour.
The last time Hannah had come through here, she’d been peering out the back of Reece’s truck as the world she knew fell away. Then, the landscape was still in the grip of winter with an early spring beginning to poke through. Now spring blossoms dotted the green hillsides, and she caught glimpses of covered bridges down several narrow lanes.
Home.
The word evoked both dread and longing. She knew what would face her, and the thought was something she’d pushed down into the darkest recesses of her mind for ten years.
“You okay?” Angie asked from the driver’s seat.
Hannah slanted a smile her way. “A little scared. I don’t think I could have done this if you hadn’t come with me.” She looked back down at the quilt piece in her lap. Working on it kept her mind from peeking into corners she’d closed off for years.
“It’s what friends do. Besides, we’ve got to get that book delivered.” Angie’s grin was cheeky. “They won’t eat you, will they?”