Free Off the Grid (Amish Safe House, Book 1) by Ruth Hartzler

given at least a dozen offers to ask for help
anytime. What’s more, people were catching up about their lives and
checking on each other to see if any help was needed. One lady
offered to give a ride to another lady to town that week. There was
a woman telling a pregnant lady how she was half done with a baby
blanket for her. Another woman was talking to two boys on a bench.
Based on their bright red hair, Kate assumed they were two of
Esther's boys. Kate was amazed at how well behaved the children
were.
    Kate had to admit the scene was unlike
anything she had ever seen. No one was off in a corner with their
head drooped over a phone. To the contrary, everyone was talking
and happily interacting, one with another. To top it off, the
children were quiet and spoke politely to the adults at all
times.
    “ Mir gleiche die Amische brieder
bsuche .”
    Kate looked at the speaker, startled. She’d
been so lost in thought that she hadn’t seen him approach. “Sorry?”
Was his name Jacob? Or John? Perhaps Jeremiah? The names were all
blurring together. It would easily take her a year to memorize
everything she had been told. And what on earth had he said?
    “Oh, I’m sorry,” the young man said. “I just
said that we all enjoy visiting our Amish brethren. I forgot that
we were all told to speak only Englisch around you until you
get your memory back. I hear you had a bit of an accident.”
    “Yes.” Kate hoped he would not pursue the
matter. While she knew the story by heart, she was not eager to
have too many opportunities to mess up the retelling. She knew that
one could never tell what detail or inconsistency a listener would
latch onto. She was acutely aware of such matters, given her job in
witness security.
    “Must have been rough,” he persisted,
studying her with open curiosity. Kate guessed he was in his late
teens or early twenties. “What’s your community like?”
    Thankfully, Kate was rescued by an older
woman who gave the young man's arm a light pinch and a scolding
glare. “Now don't go bothering her about that today. There will be
plenty of time when she's rested up.”
    “The poor girl has had her share of trials,”
another woman chimed in, “and a good scare the other day.”
    “ Gott is certainly watching over
you,” Esther said, as Kate found herself surrounded by a handful of
reinforcements. Nevertheless, the women looked just as curious as
the young man, but they were clearly too polite to press her for
information just yet.
    “Do you need anything at all?” the older
woman asked.
    “No, no, I'm all right,” Kate said quickly,
and then added, “ Denki .” She did not want to be fussed over.
Before she could plot a quick escape, she suddenly realized that
she couldn't ask for a better opening. “It’s a shame about Mr.
Byler.”
    She paused as the women nodded their
agreement and muttered among themselves.
    “You never got a chance to meet him, did
you?” Esther asked.
    “No, that day was supposed to be my first
time meeting with him. I was just supposed to deliver some whoopie
pies for Beth.” Her response was met with a couple sympathetic
gasps. “What was he like?”
    “Oh, he was wunderbaar .” Esther said.
“Such a lovely mann .”
    “Was there anyone who might have wanted to
cause him harm?” Kate asked, trying to keep her tone light.
    Her question was met with confusion. The
women looked at each other. “ Nee , of course not,” one of
them said. “Who would want to harm Mr. Byler?”
    “He’s gone home to be with Gott ,”
Esther said. “His fraa had already gone home, so she’ll be
waiting for him there.”
    To Kate’s surprise, Esther’s comments were
met with nods and approving expressions. They were talking as if
Mr. Byler had simply had gone away to another state or moved out to
the Bahamas.
    Kate couldn’t help but think of her parents.
Were they with God? Were they waiting for her? She had never
thought of it like that; she had only ever acknowledged