Her Secret Read online

“I know we talked about Hannah and my feelings, but you didn’t say much. Were you hoping to tell me what you thought?”

  “I didn’t do that?” His voice was thick with surprise. “Huh. I was fairly sure I did.”

  Isaac reviewed their conversation. Try as he might, he couldn’t recall any useful words of wisdom. “Nope. You didn’t.”

  As they turned toward the house and saw Sam glaring at Freeman, who was holding a kitten instead of a broom, his father grinned. “Looks like we’re going to be helping out Samuel today instead of your mother. Freeman certainly does like to play, don’t he?”

  “Daed, what do you think I should do about Hannah?”

  “Whatever you think is right, son. That is what I think you should do.” Just as Isaac was about to ask him to be a bit more specific—okay, a whole lot more specific—his father raised a hand.

  “Freeman?” When his little brother’s head shot up, Daed called out, “Boy, are you making your bruder do all the work while you play with cats?”

  “He is!” Sam shouted.

  Freeman bit his bottom lip, but didn’t let go of his kitten. “I was gonna help him, Daed. I truly was. In a minute.”

  Isaac stopped as he watched his father gently pull the kitten out of Freeman’s arms and cradle it like a football. Then he pointed to the broom. “It’s time, son. Don’t like to see you watch others work. Understand?”

  For a full two seconds, Freeman gazed at the kitten with longing before grabbing the broom. “Jah, Father. I understand.”

  Finally, it all became clear to Isaac. Life was full of ups and downs. Kittens and chores and friendships and family. It was uneven and unexpected. It was full of quiet moments and chewing gum and fish that got away.

  Each was important in its own way. If he allowed Hannah’s troubles to overshadow everything he admired about her, then he was doing both of them a disservice. Real, meaningful relationships were about so much more than smooth sailing.

  Hannah was more than just a stalker’s victim.

  She was far more important to him than that.

  CHAPTER 20

  Saturday, August 20

  I don’t know about you, but I need a break,” Maggie said, taking off one of her plastic gloves in order to rub the middle of her back. “Hannah, how many sandwiches do you think we’ve made so far this morning?”

  Looking down at the long metal table that they’d set up in the high school gym, Hannah whistled low. The table was almost covered with neatly wrapped sandwiches, or ones that were somewhere in the process of being put together and wrapped. “I couldn’t begin to count them. Maybe a hundred?”

  “It’s got to be over that,” Christina, Maggie’s cousin, called out from her station by the plastic wrap. “I reckon it’s closer to three hundred.” Giggling softly, she continued. “At least, it feels that way.”

  They’d started making sandwiches around six that morning and had hardly stopped for breaks.

  “I bet it’s more than a mere three hundred. Maybe we made a thousand. Maybe ten thousand!” Maggie exclaimed with a big smile.

  “I see your penchant for exaggeration is alive and well,” Christina said sarcastically.

  Maggie didn’t look offended in the slightest. “I canna help but joke. It’s either that or cry, since my back and shoulders feel like I’ve never done another thing in my life besides make ham-and-cheese sandwiches.”

  Maggie’s comments were so outlandish, Hannah burst out laughing. “I’ve never heard such complaining!”

  “I’m only stating how I feel,” she said with a wink. “I didn’t say it was the honest truth.”

  After taking a sip of her bottled water, Hannah picked up her knife and got busy slathering mustard on each piece of homemade bread again. She had a good system down now. She would spread brown mustard on five pieces of bread, then carefully place generous slices of ham on each.

  Maggie would take over the next step. She would put cheese, lettuce, slices of tomato, and homemade sliced pickles on top of the ham.Finally, Christina and a lady named Violet wrapped the sandwiches in plastic wrap before finally placing them in the cooler.

  Other people were putting together sacks with chips and homemade cookies in them. Still others were either preparing their booth or organizing volunteers to deliver sandwiches to people who had already placed orders. It was a huge undertaking.

  There was a festive atmosphere all around them. The gym was buzzing with activity as well as a strong feeling of anticipation among everyone involved. Hannah had never been a part of anything like this before, but she was so thankful for the experience. Not only were they going to help Darryl and Mercy, she’d gained some new friends. Maggie and Christina had already started talking about getting together in the future, but the next time, just for fun.

  After stretching her arms above her head and draining the glass of lemonade she’d just poured from the iced pitcher near the gymnasium’s door, Maggie said, “I guess I can’t procrastinate any longer. We’re going to need to finish up as quick as we can. Why, the benefit will begin in just two hours.”

  That announcement spurred everyone on. With a burst of energy, the other women went back to their posts, slipped on gloves, and got back to work.

  After they’d put together another five or six sandwiches, Maggie smiled at her. “I have to tell ya that all of us are mighty impressed with you, Hannah Hilty.”

  “I don’t know why.” Actually, she would have thought everyone would be feeling everything but impressed with her. She’d been pretty shy the first couple of hours. She’d also started off making sandwiches a whole lot slower than the other girls, not wanting to mess anything up. “I haven’t worked nearly as quickly as the rest of you have.”

  “Oh, we could care less about your sandwich-making abilities,” Christina said.

  “Oh?”

  “Oh, for sure. No, we like how friendly you’ve been. And then, too, there’s our fascination about your personal life.”

  “What about it?” A bolt of panic seared through her as she imagined the worst. Maybe they’d heard about Trent, too. Maybe Isaac had told everyone.

  “Only that you’ve managed to snag the interest of one Isaac Troyer. He’s been playing it cool and aloof for years now.”

  “Until you!” Violet quipped.

  “We should also tell ya that a whole lot of us have tried to get his attention at one time or another,” Christina said as she winked. “But no matter what we did or said, he was never anything but polite.”

  Looking over at Christina, Maggie winked. “Actually, we were starting to believe that his heart was never going to be spoken for. Until you came along.”

  Hannah wasn’t sure if they were making it up, teasing her, or being serious. “I don’t know that I have snagged his heart.”

  “I think you have,” Christina said in her tinkling, high-pitched voice. “Whenever you are near, his gaze remains settled on ya. We’ve all noticed.”

  “Isaac is kind. He seems to be a good friend, too. He, um, has wanted me to get to know more people here and has helped me a lot.” That was the heart of it, too, she thought. She feared that he felt guilty about the way they’d gotten to know each other and he was trying to make up for that.

  “Our Isaac is definitely kind,” Maggie agreed. “But that ain’t how he’s acting whenever he’s around you. Now what I want to know is what you did to spark his interest.” After grinning at the other girls, she said, “What’s your secret, Hannah?”

  “I have no idea.” Honestly, what could she say to a comment like that?

  “Maggie, stop,” Christina chided. “You’re embarrassing the poor girl. Besides, we know she is far more than just a pretty face. No doubt Isaac has noticed as many good things about her as we have.”

  While she and Isaac were now more than mere friends, Hannah wanted to hold their new relationship close to her heart. She liked the idea of there being something promising between just the two of them. “Isaac has been a goo
d friend to me. He’s gone out of his way to help his new neighbor. I’m grateful for his help.”

  Maggie sighed. “It’s a shame you don’t want to play along, but I’ll leave you alone about it. For the record, I just wanted to let you know that we’re real happy for you both. You are sweet and a gut addition to our community. You couldn’t find a better man than Isaac Troyer, either. He’s got a warm heart and he’s fun, too.” As she handed another sandwich down the row, she added, “It’s obvious that Isaac couldn’t be happier these days. Since he’s often been alone and seemed a little distant, we know his new attitude is because of you.”

  Those heartfelt words meant the world to her. A part of her ached to share her past and to tell Maggie just what her kind comments meant to her and for what reason.

  Instead, she said simply, “Danke. Isaac makes me happy, too. I feel blessed that the Lord brought us together.”

  “It is a blessing,” Maggie said. “Sometimes I think it’s easy to forget that the Lord wants us all to be happy and to follow His will.” Glaring at the sandwiches, she said, “I need to take care to remember that more often. In between all of our business and plans, life happens.”

  Hannah thought she couldn’t have said that better herself.

  In one hour, all the sandwiches were done and they were cleaning up when Isaac joined them.

  “Hannah, look who’s here,” Maggie said brightly. “Isaac!”

  Hannah tucked her head to try to hide her smile.

  Still grinning at him brazenly, Maggie said, “Did you come in here for a particular reason, Isaac? Do you need me to help ya with anything?”

  Isaac paused, looked in confusion at Maggie and two other girls who were giggling, and then seemed to collect himself. “Danke, Maggie, but I came in here to check on Hannah.”

  “That’s mighty nice of you. Ain’t so, Hannah?”

  Feeling sorry for Isaac, Hannah rushed around the table she was wiping down. “Don’t mind them,” she said as she got to his side. “They are teasing me.”

  He frowned. “Why would they be doing that?”

  That question, of course, made her cheeks turn bright pink. “Never you mind. How are you?”

  “Tired. And wet,” he said, gesturing toward his shirt that she’d just noticed was very damp. “Paul and I have been setting up stations for ice. I’m afraid it ain’t possible for me to carry buckets of ice and water without getting a good bit of it on myself.”

  “At least it’s a cool job.”

  He grinned. “It is at that.” Looking as aware as she that they were being watched, he leaned a little closer. “When the sale begins, do you have any plans?”

  “Not really. I was just going to ask Maggie where she wanted me to help out next.”

  “I was hoping you’d say that. Want to stand with me at the drink table? Some other people are already going to be taking care of the money, but they need people to pull drinks out of the coolers, wipe them off, and hand them out. Want to do that with me?”

  “I’d be happy to.”

  Looking pleased, he nodded. “Great. Come find me when you are ready. I’ll be outside looking for you.”

  “Okay.”

  Smiling softly, he leaned a little closer. He looked like he was tempted to say something else when he glanced just beyond her. Then, with a wry shake of his head, he abruptly turned around and strode out.

  Confused, Hannah frowned at his retreating form, then realized what had set him off when all of the girls around her burst into laughter.

  “It’s so gut to see how kind Isaac treats the new members of our community, Hannah,” Maggie said.

  “Wonderful-gut,” Violet said. “Heartwarming, even.”

  “Now we know who my mother should ask to be in charge of next year’s welcome-wagon committee,” Christina chirped. “I’ve yet to see a member be so attentive.”

  Hannah pressed her hands to her cheeks in a poor attempt to hold off another blush. “You girls are terrible! I know he didn’t know how to handle your teasing. I think you embarrassed him.” She knew they certainly had embarrassed her!

  “Oh, don’t worry about our Isaac,” Christina said. “He might seem flustered around you, but that’s not his usual way. He takes everything in stride on account of him almost dying and all. A little bit of ribbing ain’t going to bother him in the slightest.”

  Almost dying? “What did you say?”

  Christina turned serious. “Has Isaac not told you about what happened to him when he was thirteen?”

  “Nee.” She was tempted to ask for the whole story but decided that that was definitely a story for Isaac himself to share.

  As if she was reading Hannah’s mind, Christina said, “I’m sure he’ll talk to you about that when the time is right. And then, well, you’ll understand why we’re all so happy for him now. And for you, too, of course,” she said before she went back to help Maggie load up sandwiches into a cooler.

  Picking up the cloth, Hannah ran it along the table again. But her mind certainly wasn’t on that task. Instead, she was thinking about Isaac’s easy smiles. His patience. The way he was so amiable and generally happy.

  Had she just learned the reason for his positive attitude?

  If so, she realized that they had something in common. They’d both fought something that had threatened to harm them, that had been unexpected and unwarranted. But while she’d reacted by withdrawing from the world, Isaac had seemed to embrace everything like it was a gift.

  There was something to be said for that. Something that she needed to learn how to do, even if it took weeks and months.

  CHAPTER 21

  Saturday, August 20

  Looking at Hannah as she walked out to join him, Isaac decided that it was official: women really were a mystery to him. Hannah had been working in a hot un-air-conditioned gymnasium for at least five hours. During that time, she’d set up the assembly line, made hundreds of sandwiches, and then cleaned it all up, too. She should look tired and rumpled.

  Yet, here she was, walking to his side, with hardly a hair out of place.

  He, on the other hand, felt as sweaty as he no doubt looked. He was beginning to be real thankful that he’d gotten so soaked with his ice duty. Maybe it helped him not be too smelly.

  Yeah, right. That was surely wishful thinking.

  “Isaac, you look like you are concentrating on something mighty important,” Hannah said. “Are you having some trouble with the drinks?”

  “Not at all. I was just standing here thinking about the differences between men and women.”

  Her eyes widened. “I see.”

  Suddenly realizing that she could be imagining all sorts of things, he blurted, “I was thinking about how fresh you appear. As opposed to me.”

  To his relief, she grinned. “You do look like you have been a hard-working man.”

  “I’m hoping I don’t smell too badly.”

  “If you do smell, I’ll, um, try to deal with it as best I can. I wouldn’t worry about it, anyway. I’m fairly sure I smell like lunch meat.” Wrinkling her nose, she added, “I don’t think I want to have a ham sandwich for a couple of weeks.”

  “We’ve got a few minutes. Do you want to walk around a bit?”

  “Of course,” she said with a smile.

  He smiled back, liking her carefree answer. Hannah was really coming out of her shell around him, and he was so glad of that. He wanted to get to know the real her, not just the guarded person she’d been that first day by the creek. Of course, he also wanted to be able to share more of himself without feeling like he was walking on eggshells.

  Around them, the crowd grew.

  The high school soccer field and parking lot were packed with people and cars, and even more buggies. People of all ages were milling around, too. Some were simply doing what he and Hannah were doing, talking and looking. Others were taking care of last-minute setup.

  As was their way, teenagers and grade-school children were racing or weav
ing through all the crowds. It made it a bit of a challenge to walk anywhere. One needed to constantly be looking right and left before stepping forward.

  Isaac didn’t want Hannah to get nervous, so he made sure to stay close to her. Realizing that she might be uncomfortable with the large crowd, since she’d been so skittish just a few weeks previously, he did his best to check on her continually.

  “Let me know if this is all too much for you,” he said. “I don’t want you to feel overwhelmed.”

  “I would have thought this would have scared me an awful lot, but I seem to be doing okay.” Smiling at him, she said, “It must be the company.”

  He liked that. He liked that she felt safe and secure by his side. He liked that he was able to be someone that she felt she could depend on. “Thank you for that,” he said.

  As they walked on, she said, “Isaac, Christina mentioned something about you that I didn’t know.”

  “Oh? What was that?”

  “You don’t have to talk about it, if you don’t want to,” she said in a rush. “But, well, she said that you almost died once.”

  He turned to examine her face. “That is true.”

  “Is it a secret?”

  “It ain’t a secret. Sorry if I seem to be taken aback. It’s because I am surprised you hadn’t already heard.” After taking a moment to figure out how to tell her what happened, he shrugged his shoulders, thinking that the storytelling didn’t really matter all that much. “You see, when I was thirteen, I got real sick. I had spinal meningitis. I was in the hospital for quite some time.”

  “I’ve never heard of that.”

  “Most people haven’t, I don’t think. My parents sure didn’t. Doctors, of course, know the symptoms, but since it starts out with an assortment of aches and pains and a fever, my parents didn’t take me in right away. By the time they did, it was almost too late.”

  Her eyes widened. “That had to have been mighty frightening.”

  “It was.” It didn’t take much for him to remember the pain and the panic that had accompanied the realization that nothing his mother was doing for him made a lick of difference. “I remember being so sick and weak and hurting so bad that I thought dying was going to be a blessing.”