His New Amish Family. Patricia Davids

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СКАЧАТЬ have my heart set on an auction. Besides, I thought we had a deal. We shook on it.”

      Paul grinned. It seemed his new client was an honorable man. “It’s up to you but he is mistaken if he thinks all Amish farmers are poor. You’ll get a fair price at auction. You can put a reserve on it if you want. If the bidding doesn’t reach your set price, it’s a ‘no sale’ and you are free to sell it another way.”

      Ralph smiled. “I’m going to hope for a bidding war.”

      Mr. Jones appeared more puzzled than disappointed but he got back in his car and drove away.

      Paul leaned forward in his seat to get a good look at the farm as they drove up. Both the barn and the house were painted white and appeared in good condition. He made a quick mental appraisal of the equipment he saw, then jotted down numbers in a small notebook he kept in his pocket.

      “What is she doing here?” The anger in Ralph’s voice shocked Paul.

      He followed Ralph’s line of sight and spied an Amish woman sitting on a suitcase on the front porch of the house. She wore a simple pale blue dress with an apron of matching material and a black cape thrown back over her shoulders. Her wide-brimmed black traveling bonnet hid her hair. She looked hot, dusty and tired. She held a girl of about three or four on her lap. The child clung tightly to her mother. A boy a few years older leaned against the door behind her holding a large calico cat.

      “Who is she?” Paul asked.

      “That is my annoying cousin Clara Fisher.” Ralph opened his car door and got out. Paul did the same.

      The woman glared at both men. “Why are there padlocks on the doors, Ralph? Eli never locked his home.”

      “They are there to keep unwanted visitors out. What are you doing here?” Ralph demanded.

      “I live here. May I have the keys, please? My children and I are weary.”

      Ralph’s eyebrows snapped together in a fierce frown. “What do you mean you live here?”

      “What part did you fail to understand, Ralph? I...live...here,” she said slowly, as if speaking to a small child.

      Ralph’s face darkened with anger. Paul had to turn away to keep from laughing.

      “You can poke fun at me if you want but that is not an explanation.” The man was livid.

      Clara sat where she was, seemingly unruffled by his ire. “Eli invited us to live with him last Christmas. We moved in six months ago.”

      “No one told me that. I didn’t see you at the funeral.”

      “We have been in Maryland visiting my mother for the past month.” She stroked her little girl’s hair. “Sophie became ill and was in the hospital briefly. Eli’s friend Dan Kauffman called me to tell me about Eli’s passing. He knew Mother and I couldn’t return for the funeral. Surely he told you that, for I know he attended.”

      “I don’t speak to the Amish and they don’t speak to me. You’ll have to find somewhere else to live. Uncle Eli left the farm to me.”

      Her eyes widened with astonishment. “I don’t believe it. He told me he had amended the farm trust and made me the beneficiary months ago.”

      Ralph looked stunned but he quickly recovered and glared at her. “Even if he did, he revoked that amendment three weeks ago when he made me the new trustee. He said nothing about you or your children. That’s why they call it a revocable trust, Clara, because a man can change his mind anytime. It’s irrevocable now that Eli is gone and this farm belongs to me.”

      Paul wished he knew more about how such things worked.

      “You’re lying, Ralph. Eli wouldn’t turn over his farm to you.”

      “You make it sound like we weren’t on speaking terms. I came to visit the old fellow at least once a year.”

      “Only to see if you could beg money off him.”

      “I admit my motives weren’t always the best but things have been different lately. I cared about the old guy.”

      “Cared about what you could get from him. Open the door at once.”

      Ralph crossed his arms and leaned back. “You haven’t changed, cousin. You’re still trying to boss me around. I’m not going to let you in my house.”

      “You have changed. You’ve gone from scamming Amish folks out of a few hundred dollars to stealing costlier things, like this farm.”

      “If you feel that’s the case, cousin, call the cops. You can use my phone.”

      Her lips narrowed into a thin line. “You know it is not our way to involve the Englisch law.”

      “Yeah, I do know that. The Amish don’t like outsiders. Suits me.”

      “Is that what you were counting on? You’re a man without scruples. You are a blemish on our family’s good name.”

      Her biting comment surprised Paul. She might look small but she was clearly a woman to be reckoned with. She reminded him of an angry mama cat all fluffed up and spitting mad. He rubbed a hand across his mouth to hide a grin. His movement caught her attention, and she pinned her deep blue gaze on him. “Who are you?”

      He stopped smiling. “My name is Paul Bowman. I’m an auctioneer. Mr. Hobson has hired me to get this property ready for sale.”

      Her angry gaze snapped back to Ralph. “I would like to see the document Eli signed giving you the farm that he had promised to me and my children.”

      “That document is none of your business. My attorney has it.” He turned and walked toward the car.

      She stifled her anger. Paul saw the effort it took and felt sorry for her. She drew a deep breath. “Ralph, please, search your heart and find compassion for us. You know Sophie will need medical care her entire life. I will be hard-pressed to pay for that care without the income this farm will provide.”

      Ralph stopped but didn’t look at her. “The church will take care of you. Isn’t that what they promise? Eli and I mended our difference. You should be happy about that. The Amish are all about forgiveness.”

      “I wish I believed you.” Clara turned to Paul. “You can’t auction off this farm. It doesn’t belong to him.”

      Paul held up both hands and took a step back. “This is clearly a family matter, and I don’t think I should get involved. Do you have a place to stay? My aunt and uncle will be happy to welcome you to their home.”

      Her tense posture relaxed a little. “I’m grateful for the offer but we have to stay here. My daughter has Crigler-Najjar syndrome. It’s a rare liver disease. She has a special blue-light bed she must sleep in at night. It is upstairs in the front bedroom.”

      Paul had heard of the blue-light children but he’d never seen one. Clara’s daughter was a pretty child with white-blond curly hair and a golden hue to her skin. Her bright blue eyes regarded him solemnly. The boy shared СКАЧАТЬ