24. Maverick

24

Maverick

"What did you find out, Shane?" I asked.

"Delores passed away ten years ago, but her daughter still lives in the same community. Over the three years that Delores's daughter assisted her, twenty babies were reported to have died," Shane said.

"So it was a mother-daughter duo stealing babies to sell them for fucking money," I said, disgusted.

"Yeah, that's pretty much it. Corruption can be anywhere. I always thought Amish people were all like Rebecca—kind and honest. It threw me off to find out an Amish woman could be just as corrupt as anyone else looking for a payday," Shane admitted.

The doorbell rang, and Shane got up to answer it. "Hello, can I help you?" he asked.

"I brought back Rebecca's pie pans. Her berry pie was delicious," a woman said.

"I completely agree. She makes an excellent berry pie. Come in, and I'll get her for you. Let me take those pie pans off your hands," Shane offered.

As I stepped around the corner, I immediately recognized the voice. "Hello, Ruth. How are you?" I asked. Shane glanced at me and then at the woman.

"Shane, I'll go get Rebecca. She's out back," I said, trying to buy time to warn her.

"Here I am," Rebecca said, walking into the room with Matthew in her arms. She stopped in her tracks when she saw Ruth. "Ruth, come in and sit down. This is my brother-in-law, Shane Allen. Shane, I want you to meet my new friend, Ruth... I'm sorry, Ruth, I don't know your last name."

"My last name is Miller—Ruth Miller," she replied.

"It's nice to meet you, Ruth," Shane said, turning to Rebecca. "Ruth brought back your pie pans."

"Thank you, Ruth. You didn't have to bring them all this way; I could've picked them up at church on Sunday," Rebecca said, her voice a little shaky.

"I was taking a buggy ride anyway. I love this little town. I've never been here before, but they have all these lovely little stores filled with homemade goods," Ruth said.

"We'll have to go shopping together sometime. We're building a house next to Shane's—we love being near family. And Matthew adores his Uncle Shane," Rebecca said, trying to stay calm. I gently draped my arm around her shoulders for support.

"Ruth, why don't you stay for lunch? Shane made a delicious meat pie," I suggested, hoping to learn more about her family.

"I'm not sure. My horse is just outside in your front yard," Ruth said, hesitating.

"He'll be fine. I'll get him some water and oats. I'm used to caring for horses and buggies," Shane offered.

"We used to help Rebecca on her farm back in Ohio," Shane added. "She had everything there—corn, wheat, a huge garden. She's planting a huge garden here, between both our properties."

"Wow, you had a farm in Ohio? What happened to it?" Ruth asked.

"There was a massive flood, and it washed everything away. I haven't been back to see what's left," Rebecca said quietly.

"I gave the farm to my cousins," Rebecca continued. "There were too many sad memories for me. Matthew and I almost died in the flood, but Maverick rescued us just in time."

"I'm so sorry to hear that. Does your family still live in the community there?"

"No, my family is all gone now. My cousins are the only ones left," Rebecca replied. "You're going to love Shane's meat pie."

"I can't wait to try it," Ruth said with a smile.

"Do you need to call anyone to let them know you'll be staying for lunch?" I asked, glancing at her.

"No, I don't have to call anyone. I live alone. After my mom died, I moved in with the pastor, and his wife, and their three kids. I'm really grateful they took me in. Otherwise, I'm not sure what I would have done."

"I'm so glad they were there for you," Rebecca said. "When did your mom pass away?"

"When I was twelve. She died of cancer."

"I'm sorry. So, you didn't have any other family?"

"No, it was just me and my mom. My dad died when I was two."

"Well, now you have us. We'll be your family," Rebecca said warmly.

"That's very kind of you. Honestly, it feels like we've met before."

"Before what?"

"Before I was adopted."

"You were adopted?"

"Yes. The midwife told my mom that my birth mother had died during childbirth, so my parents adopted me. There was no other family to raise me."

"Did she ever mention where your birth mother was from?" Rebecca asked.

"I don't know. I didn't even know I was adopted until my mom was on her deathbed, and she told me then."

"So you say ‘Mom,' and Rebecca says ‘Mamm,'" I said, trying to steer the conversation away before Rebecca said something she might regret later.

"Yes, I've always said ‘Mom.' Some in the community say ‘Mamm,' but my mom preferred that I call her ‘Mom.'"

"If this is too painful to talk about, we can change the subject," Rebecca offered.

"It's been ten years since she passed. She wasn't born Amish but chose to join the community when I was born. She said my birth mother was Amish, and she wanted to raise me that way."

I glanced at Rebecca. She opened her mouth to say something, but I gently nudged her foot under the table, signaling her to stay quiet. This young woman knew so little about her birth family, other than the fact that they were Amish.

"This pie is delicious," Ruth said, glancing at Shane, who had barely spoken since we sat down.

Matthew, sitting in his high chair, was waiting for his next bite of homemade baby food Rebecca had prepared. She refused to feed him store-bought food.

"Thank you," Shane said. "I used to make it for my brothers."

"I bet you were the best brother anyone could have. I always wished I had a sibling," Ruth said, smiling at Shane.

I glanced over at Shane and couldn't believe the look in his eyes. Shane was falling for Ruth. It was written all over his face.

Shane reached across the table and took her hand. "You're welcome here anytime. I love having company."

"Don't you work during the day?" Ruth asked, her cheeks turning pink.

"No, I work from home and set my own hours. What do you do for a living?"

"I'm a writer. I write Sweet Amish Romance stories."

"Wow, I'd love to read them," Shane said.

Rebecca kicked me under the table. I looked at her, and she raised her eyebrows. She had seen it too—Shane had a crush on Ruth.

"Thank you for this delicious meal. I'd better head home," Ruth said, rising from the table. "If you're ever in my area, please stop by."

"You can count on it," Shane said, cutting me off before I could respond. After we walked her out to her buggy, Rebecca turned to Shane.

"What's going on with you? Did you fall in love with my sister at first sight? Ruth is only twenty-two, and you're—" Shane raised his hand, stopping her.

"I'm not discussing my feelings for Ruth. We're only going to talk about the fact that she was taken at birth—nothing else. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to find out more about her adopted mother," he said, walking away.

"Was I imagining that look in his eyes?" Rebecca asked as she wiped Matthew's face and picked him up.

"I don't know. I thought I saw it too. Shane's never been in love. Maybe it was just compassion, hearing Ruth's story about her adoption," I said, following Shane out of the room.

"Matthew, what are we going to do with your Uncle Shane?" Rebecca asked playfully. "He'd be perfect for Ruth. I'm crossing my fingers that they get married and live next door to us. How would you like to live next to Aunt Ruth?" She whispered so Shane couldn't hear.

I followed Shane and turned to him when we entered his office. "So, what just happened in there?"

"I don't know. Actually, I do. No, I don't," Shane muttered as he walked toward the window. I wouldn't have been surprised if he ran after her buggy.

"Oh my God, it hit me so hard, I couldn't breathe. My heart was pounding. All I wanted to do was scoop her up, take her to my room, and have my way with her. But she's an innocent. I've fallen for an innocent woman. She's way too young for me, and Rebecca would kill me if she knew what I was thinking."

"I think Rebecca would love it if you fell for Ruth. But for now, let's focus on figuring out how Rebecca's sister ended up here and who was behind her being stolen at birth."

"You know what scares me?" Shane asked.

"No. What?"

"If she hadn't been stolen, she'd be dead with the rest of her family."

"Oh... I hadn't thought of that. You're right—she would be."