Free A Sister's Hope by Wanda E. Brunstetter Page A

too, for all the good it will do,” Martha said with a shake of her head. “Dad’s shop is gone.”
    Ray turned to Donna. “You stay here with the women. I’d better go see if I can lend Roman a hand.”
    “I don’t know what Dad’s going to do without his shop,” Ruth said to no one in particular. “How’s he going to earn a living with no place to do his woodworking?”
    “Maybe he’ll decide to move,” Donna spoke up. “I’d certainly encourage Ray to move if something like this happened to us.”
    “Dad will never move,” Grace was quick to say.
    Martha couldn’t stand there and listen to the women’s conversation any longer. She needed to see how things were going with the men. With a quick, “I’ll be back,” she sprinted down the driveway. Halfway to the shop, she heard sirens blaring in the distance. A few minutes later, two fire trucks pulled in, with Sheriff Osborn’s car and John Peterson’s rig right behind them.

    The next few days went by in a blur. As upset as Roman was over losing his shop, he took comfort in knowing no one had been hurt. He’d been overwhelmed when his friends and family had rallied around, offering supplies and money so he could start up his business again. With winter around the corner, he’d decided to temporarily use one section of the barn as his shop and to rebuild in the spring. The sheriff had promised to do a thorough investigation and said he would keep a closer watch on the Hostettlers’ place.
    “I hope he means it this time,” Roman mumbled as he headed for the barn on Saturday morning. The sheriff had made that promise before, but had he? No! He’d used the excuse that he was either too busy or couldn’t spare the men to patrol the area regularly. Romanhad begun to think the sheriff didn’t care. But when he’d shown up on Thanksgiving Day, he’d acted genuinely concerned—even said he was thankful no one had gotten hurt.
    When the attacks had first begun, Roman hadn’t wanted to involve the sheriff. He’d figured they’d been random acts by rowdy kids looking for a good time. But as the attacks continued, he’d become more concerned. Of course he hadn’t told Judith or his daughters the way he really felt. He was trying to set an example—show them how strong his faith was and that he was trusting God to protect them. Despite Roman’s resolve to remain strong, his nerves were beginning to wear, and Judith’s were, as well. Since Thanksgiving, she’d had trouble sleeping. She’d also been acting jittery as a June bug. He wondered how much more she could take.
    Roman glanced at the field behind their place. The cows and horses grazed peacefully, basking in the early morning sun. A few dried-up wildflowers lined the fence, and birds chirped from the trees.
    If only life could be calm and undisturbed like the scene set before me, he thought regretfully. If we could just put the past behind and forget about all the frightening things that have been done to us. He grunted. Guess that won’t happen until this horrible nightmare ends—if it ever does.
    As Roman stepped into the barn, two pigeons that had been roosting in the hayloft swooped down and landed on the floor. His heart leaped into his throat, and he jumped back. Get a grip, he told himself. You can’t let every little noise set you off.
    He moved to the nearest shelf, grabbed a book of matches, and lit a lantern. I just need to continue to pray and seek God’s direction.

    As Rosemary stood in her driveway, saying good-bye to Ken and Sharon, a lump formed in her throat. Moving away from her only son was harder than she’d thought it would be. Even so, her place was here in Holmes County right now. Her Amish family needed her more than ever.
    “I wish you’d forget about staying here and come home with us,”Ken said with a worried expression. “I’m concerned for your safety, Mom.”
    “I’ll be fine,” she assured him. “The attacks have only been made on the