Free Plain Peace (A Daughters of the Promise Novel) by Beth Wiseman Page A

and he was determined that no Amish member of his district would come near the clinic for any reason. Noah had tried to talk to him several times, but the bishop wouldn’t give him the time of day. That had been eight months ago. He wondered if it would be worth it to try again. Maybe he’d been pressured enough by the community to consider lifting the ban.
    If the bishop didn’t bend, Noah would have to consider relocating his practice. In the heart of Amish country—and way off the beaten path—his clinic wasn’t frequented by many Englisch , as the Amish called them.
    He let out a heavy sigh and called Carley. Maybe he’d just take off early and spend time with his two favorite girls.

    Anna hadn’t said anything to her grandparents about the woman she saw in the garden late last night. In truth, she hadn’t said much of anything to her grandparents at all. She was angry with Daadi for not listening, upset with Mammi for not standing up for her, and feeling a little guilty for thinking about sneaking out on Saturday—though she’d do it if she had to.
    An early morning inspection showed that the old woman had robbed her of almost all of the ripe strawberries she would have picked today. Critters she could tend with, but she wasn’t sure what to do about an old woman picking in her garden well after dark. If she was so desperate to do such a thing, surely she was hungry.
    Anna dressed for bed Monday night wishing she could talk to Emma about Jacob. But Mammi had kept her busy longer than usual delivering bread, jams, jellies, and homemade noodles. Her grandmother had also asked her to buy a few things from the grocery store—without mentioning it to her grandfather, of course.
    When Anna returned home shortly before the supper hour, Daadi was out in the barn and Mammi was in the basement. Anna wasn’t sure what her grandmother kept down there, but she knew the little room stayed locked, and Mammi spent a lot of time in it. Once when Anna asked her about it, her grandmother said it was her prayer closet. Anna suspected more was going on down there than meditation or prayer.
    It was barely after dark when she settled into bed, but four o’clock came early each morning. And she’d nearly drifted off to sleep when she heard the familiar rustling sound in her garden. She grabbed her binoculars and found her way to the window, shocked to see the old woman in her garden again. What is she going to steal this time?
    Anna felt around her bedroom until she found her robe hanging on the peg, then slid into her slippers. She didn’t want to alarm the intruder by lighting a lantern. She tiptoed down the stairs, noting her grandparents’ door was shut. Holding her breath, she turned the knob on the back door, thinking she would sneak out, then make her way along the side of the house to get a closer look at the woman.
    She took slow, careful steps up against the side of the house, hoping her own rustling didn’t send the woman running. As she grew nearer, she saw that the woman was facing away from her, with one arm raised high above her head. Anna boldly walked across the yard toward the garden.
    “Hey!” Her heart raced as the tiny figure spun around. It took her a few seconds to make out the details of the woman’s face. “ Mammi , what in the world are you doing out here?”
    Her grandmother quickly stuffed her hands in her apron pockets, and Anna wondered if she’d gone mad.
    “It’s late. What are you doing wandering around out here?” Anna asked again.
    Mammi lifted her eyebrows and puckered her lips. She reminded Anna of a small child who’d just gotten caught with her hand in the cookie jar.
    “It’s a full moon.” Mammi pointed toward the stars. “I was making a wish.”
    Anna planted her hands on her hips. “ Ya , I’m sure that’s it. And was it a full moon last night too?”
    Her grandmother lifted her chin. “What are you talking about?”
    Anna shook her head. “Come on. It’s late.