Free Hope Chest by Wanda E. Brunstetter Page B

jug of freshly made iced tea. “For Emma,” she stated.
    Rachel finished wiping down the table, then excused herself to go outside, hoping her sister hadn’t left yet. She saw Anna hitching the horse to the buggy, but just when she was about to call out to her, Dad came running across the yard. “Not so late tonight, Anna!”
    Anna climbed into the buggy. “I’ll do my best to be back before dark.”
    Dad stepped aside, and the horse moved forward.
    Rachel’s heart sank. Not again! Am I ever going to get the chance to speak with that sister of mine? With a sigh of resignation, she turned and headed back to the house. Today was not going one bit as she’d planned.

CHAPTER 7
    Rachel gripped the front porch railing, watching as Anna climbed out of the buggy and began to unhitch the horse. It was almost dark. She could hardly believe her sister would be so brazen as to disobey their parents two nights in a row. What kind of shenanigan is Anna pulling now? Why is she acting so defiant all of a sudden?
    Before Rachel had a chance to say anything to her sister, Dad was at Anna’s side, taking the reins from her. “Late again,” he grumbled. “You know right well we don’t like you out this late. You’d better have a good excuse for this. Something better than what you told us last night.”
    Rachel wanted to holler, “What did you tell them last night?” Instead, she just stood like a statue, waiting to hear Anna’s reply.
    Anna hung her head. “I ... uh ... need to have a little heart-to-heart talk with you and Mom.”
    “Fine. I’ll do up the horse, then meet you inside.” Dad walked away, and Anna stepped onto the porch. She drew Rachel into her arms.
    “What was that for?” A feeling of bewilderment mixed with mounting fear crept into Rachel’s soul.
    Anna’s eyes glistened with tears. “No matter what happens, always remember that I love you.”
    Rachel’s forehead wrinkled. “What’s going on, Anna? Are you in some kind of trouble?”
    Anna’s only response was a deep sigh.
    “I’ve been wanting to talk to you all day—to see why you’ve been acting so strange and to find out how come you were late getting home last night.”
    Anna drew in a shuddering breath. “Guess you’ll learn it soon enough, because I’m about to tell Dad and Mom the truth about where I was then and why I’m late again tonight.”
    “Weren’t you running errands in Paradise yesterday?”
    Anna shook her head.
    “And today—didn’t you spend the day at Emma Troyer’s?”
    “I went to Lancaster both times,” Anna admitted as she sank into one of the wicker chairs sitting on the front porch. “I know you probably won’t understand this, but I’m going to have to leave the Amish faith.”
    Rachel’s mouth dropped open. “What? Oh, no ... that just can’t be!”
    “It’s true.”
    “But how can you even think of doing such a thing now that you’ve been baptized and joined the church? Don’t you know what it will mean if you leave now?”
    A pathetic groan escaped Anna’s lips, and she began to cry.
    Rachel knelt in front of the chair and grasped her sister’s trembling hand. “I’m guessing the folks don’t know,” she said, hoping this was some kind of a crazy mistake and that as soon as Anna was thinking straight again, she would say it was only a joke and that everything would be all right.
    “I made up some story about why I was late last night.”
    “What story was that?”
    “I said I was with Silas all day, and the reason I wasn’t wearing my cape and apron was because I spilled ice cream all over me.”
    “And the kapp? How come you weren’t wearing that last night?”
    Anna winced as though she’d been slapped. “I lied about that, too. Said Silas wanted to see me with my hair down, so I took the kapp off and forgot to put it back on before I headed home.”
    Rachel’s mind whirled like Mom’s gas-powered washing machine running at full speed. First Anna had said she wasn’t