Hidden (Amish Romance Mystery) (Amish Secret Widows' Society Book 2) Read Free Page A

into his haus. She sat down and told him exactly what had happened, from start to finish.
    “I’ll have to find the phone numbers of his sons,” Wil said.
    “I thought you’d have their numbers.”
    “I think I do. Jah , I’m sure that I do.”
    Emma’s hand flew to her forehead. “Oh, I forgot I’ve got Frank’s cat.”
    “ Ach, gut ; Frank loved Growler. Where is he?”
    “Asleep in the buggy. He was asleep when I left the buggy anyway.” Emma looked out the window at the buggy and could not see a cat walking around anywhere.
    “He’s not a barn cat, Emma. You’ll have to keep the cat in the haus. His name is Growler.”
    Emma pulled a face. “Growler? I suppose I can keep him in the haus just until one of Frank’s sons come and get him.”
    “ Jah , I’m sure one of them would love to take him.”
    Emma knew nothing of Frank’s two sons, except that neither of them had stayed in the community. Both boys decided on the Englisch lifestyle many years ago. With Frank in his early eighties the boys would be in their fifties, Emma guessed.
    As she usually did when she got home, Emma unhitched the buggy and tended to the horse. All the while Growler stayed in the buggy until Emma picked him up and carried him into the haus . Once inside, Growler jumped out of her arms, walked around the living room then sprung onto the couch, curled up and went back to sleep.
    “You know how to look after yourself,” Emma murmured to Growler. Emma put a couple of old saucers at the back door for his food and filled up a bowl with water.
    Later that night Wil called in to Emma’s haus to check on her. “You feeling better now?”
    “ Jah, denke . Have you had dinner?” Emma knew that Wil wasn’t much of a cook and did not look after himself as he should.
    “Have you?” Wil asked.
    “I’ve just finished and I was in the middle of washing the dishes. Come into the kitchen.” Emma continued to wash the dishes while Wil sat at the kitchen table. “Have you called Frank’s sons yet?”
    “ Jah , Clive is out of the country and Andrew is coming tomorrow.”
    “ Gut . What do you know about them?” Emma asked.
    “Nothing. I remember them from years ago, but only vaguely. Frank just gave me their phone numbers in case anything should happen to him.”
    “Was Frank expecting something to happen to him?”
    “ Nee , but he was old, that’s all he meant. Even though his sons left, he still spoke to them. Well, from what he said, they hadn’t visited him in five years, but he did get the occasional letter from them.”
    Emma nodded at what Wil said; she knew that many Amish parents had no contact with their kinner when they chose to leave the community, but it sounded as though it was the boys who did not keep in contact with Frank.
    Wil said, “Why don’t you come to Frank’s haus tomorrow to meet Andrew?”
    “I could, I guess. I’ll ask if he can take Growler.”
    “Where is Growler?”
    Emma looked around. “He was asleep on the couch last time I saw him.” Emma looked by the back door to see that all the food had disappeared from the saucer. “Well, he’s eaten.” She pointed to the saucer. “That was full of food. I did leave the door open for a little while before, just in case he wanted to go out for a while. He might still be out there.”
    Wil jumped to his feet. “Emma, he might have run away.”
    “I have no litter tray. I had to let him out.”
    Wil went outside through the back door. “Here, Growler. Here kitty, kitty.”
    Emma followed him. “It’s a little dark to see.”
    “Frank loved that cat,” Wil said.
    “Don’t worry, we’ll find him.” Emma bit her lip and wished she’d taken better care of him.
    After ten minutes of looking for him, they gave up. It was too dark to see too far.
    “Hopefully, he’ll be back in the morning,” Emma said.
    “ Jah , I hope so. Night, Emma. Sweet dreams,” Wil stepped in close to her.
    “Night, Wil.”
    “It will be lovely when we can