Kit Wilkinson - Lancaster County Target

“Actually, that’s not far from where my brother lives,” she said. “Would you mind terribly?”

“Eli is your brother?” He lifted an eyebrow.

“Yes, and he drives a buggy, or I’d ask him to pick me up himself.” She smiled. She had a fabulous smile. “He used to drive a Mustang, but now he’s back to a buggy.... So, do I get a ride or what?”

“Oh, yes. Of course.” Blake felt his face flood with heat. “I thought I already said that.”

* * *

Abby collected her things from her nurse’s locker and followed the new doctor to his car—one very expensive SUV.

Hochmut—that was what her father would say if he saw her in that fancy vehicle. Bishop Miller would shake his head and disapprove, just as he seemed to do of everything she decided these days. Her father didn’t know how much his condemnation hurt—she wouldn’t let it show. She couldn’t.

Anyway, it would be silly not to take the ride from the doctor. He was headed in the same direction. And hopefully, her father would not be visiting when she arrived at her brother’s.

Blake drove slowly out of the hospital parking lot. Almost immediately, they came up behind an Amish buggy. Abby sighed. Looked as if it might be a long, slow drive to Eli’s.

“This highway is not a good one for passing,” Abby said.

Blake was just about to reply when his phone rang. Again. It was almost nonstop—buzzing, ringing, vibrating. What could be so important?

“Sounds like someone needs to get in touch with you very badly,” she said.

“Excuse me,” he said to her, then answered the phone. “Hello...No, I can’t...I’m not in the city....I don’t know....You’ll just have to figure it out....Not anytime soon.... Okay...Bye.”

He put the device away.

“I’m sorry. People back home keep forgetting I’m not in town. It’s crazy. It’s ringing all the time.” He looked embarrassed or flustered or both. “In a few days it will slow down...I hope.”

“So, getting away from all of that—is that one of your reasons for coming to Lancaster?” she asked. “Or are you interested in the countryside? The Amish? Horses and buggies? Avoiding a nightmare family you left behind?”

He laughed at her teasing. He was quite handsome when he smiled. Abby turned away as a strange rush of emotions shot through her.

“All of those things.” He looked at his phone. “I guess some things are harder to get away from than others. But I don’t have any family.”

“Everyone has family.”

“I don’t.”

She glanced over at him, waiting for an explanation.

“Only child. And my parents died recently.”

Abby dropped her head. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to bring up something so—”

“No, no. It’s fine. The accident was months ago,” he said.

“I’m still very sorry.” Abby turned and looked out the window. “Can I ask what kind of accident?”

“A plane crash.” Blake relaxed his hands on the beautiful mahogany steering wheel. “You know, one of those little island-hopper planes. The computer inside malfunctioned. They hit a storm. It just happened. It wasn’t anyone’s fault.”

“You must miss them terribly.”

He smiled, but it was a sad, regretful sort of smile that touched Abby’s heart at its core.

“So what else? You said you came to Lancaster for lots of reasons. So tell me a few. To get away from your phone and what else?”

“Well, the rest of it is a long story.” He smiled at her again. “But you, you are doing remarkably well after all you’ve been through today.”

“Thanks, but I feel like a wreck. A train wreck, actually. I can’t wait to get to my brother’s and collapse.”

There was a moment of silence.

“So, another reason you came to Fairview?” she prodded him, not liking the silence. “Come on. It takes my mind off the assault.”

“Okay, another reason... Actually, I was going to tell you earlier but then we started talking about... Never mind.” He shook his head. “So another reason I came to Lancaster is to find something. I might have a family connection here I plan to look up.”

“But I thought you didn’t have any family.”

“Well, I don’t. I don’t know these people. And it may be nothing. Really, forget I mentioned it.” He changed the subject. “Did you need to stop by your own place? You must need to get some things? Some clothes? A toothbrush?”

“Oh, no. That’s okay. I can borrow things from my sister-in-law.” She hadn’t thought about going by her place, but he was right. She really did need to at some point. Still, she didn’t want to impose, nor did she want to take any longer than necessary to get to Eli’s. She was still quite unsettled after the day’s events.

“I really don’t mind,” he said.

He seemed sincere, so Abby decided to infringe on his kindness a bit further. The more she thought about it, if she didn’t go by her house, then Eli would have to, and that would upset Hannah and get the night off to a bad start. “Actually, if you really wouldn’t mind, it would give me a chance to check on Zoe, Chloe and Blue-jeans.”

“Zoe, Chloe and Blue-jeans?” He shot her a furtive look.

“My two cats and my horse.”

“You have a horse?”

“Yes, and a buggy, too. I couldn’t decide if I wanted to sell it or not.” Abby glanced at Blake. His big, chocolate eyes were soft and smiling. The rest of him was stiff and businesslike. At the hospital he’d been like that, too—two-sided. One very kind. The other standoffish. She wondered which message was the true Blake.

“I would love to ride in a horse and buggy,” he said.

“Well, when I’m feeling better, I’d be happy to take you out in mine.” Abby stopped as the words sank in. To an Amish man, an invitation like that would sound as if she was inviting him on a courting date. Fortunately, the doctor wasn’t Amish and would take the invitation in the spirit it was given—as a friendly gesture and nothing more.

“Sounds like a plan,” he said. “Thank you. And of course, you should check on your animals. You should have said so. You live on a farm? You must have some land if you have a horse, right? This is all new to me. I’ve lived my whole life in an apartment on the Upper East Side.”

The upper east side of what? Am I supposed to know what he’s talking about? “It’s not a farm,” she said. “I mean it is. But I don’t farm anything. I run a clinic. I lease the land out to a real farmer.... Sorry. I’m rambling.”

Following her directions, Blake maneuvered his way slowly around the buggy that they’d been stuck behind for the past quarter mile. A few minutes later, they pulled up in front of her home and clinic.

“I’ll be quick.” She hopped out of the car but paused when she saw how dark the house was. If it hadn’t been for the headlights of Blake’s car, they wouldn’t have been able to see a thing.

“Is something wrong?” He parked in her semicircle driveway, leaving his headlights to shine over the front porch.

“I don’t think so.” She forced a smile and searched in her bag for the house key. A feeling of dread passed through her. She couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong here, but she tried to ignore it. Likely it was nothing more than nerves—hardly surprising after the day she’d had. “I guess the sensors on my porch lights are broken? Those lights usually come on when it gets dark.”

“Let me come up to the door with you, just to be safe. You weren’t too steady on your feet earlier and shouldn’t be stumbling around in the dark.” He turned off the engine, but left his headlights on to shine over the front porch. “What a great house.”

“Thanks.” Abby fumbled with her key, taking what seemed like an interminably long time to unlock the door. Blake stood back as she went in and reached for the lights. Nothing happened as she flicked the light switch.