Read Online A Sister's Test by Wanda E. Brunstetter - Free Book Online Page B

“Nothing pressing. If we clean this up together, we’ll get to work that much quicker.”
    “Sounds good to me.” Cleon shielded his eyes from the glare of the sun and stared in the direction of his home. “Grace was quite disturbed last night about the stink bomb episode, not to mention seeing that reporter again. I think it would be good if we get this cleaned up before she has a chance to see it.”

    Grace held Anna’s hand as they headed down the driveway toward her folks’ house. She hadn’t slept well. Had Gary really come back to Holmes County to write more stories, or did he have evil on his mind? Were the attacks some sort of test to see how much her family could endure?
Maybe a good talk with Mom over a cup of tea might make me feel better.
    She gritted her teeth and tried to focus on something positive—the cloudless sky overhead, the emerald grass beneath her feet, the bounty of multihued flowers in bloom, a warbling bluebird calling to its mate. The babe in her womb kicked just then, and she smiled. She had goodthings to think about, and as the Bible reminded in Philippians 4:8, she would try to think on those things.
    “Can we go see Esta today?” Anna asked, giving Grace’s hand a tug. “I wanna see how Winkie’s doing.”
    “Maybe after lunch.”
    As they neared her folks’ place, Grace noticed a strip of toilet paper hanging from a branch in the maple tree. Her gaze traveled around the yard. Had Mom and Dad been the victims of a TP party? If so, it seemed odd that there was just one strip of toilet paper hanging from the tree. “That’s sure
fremm
,” she murmured.
    “What’s strange, Mama?” Anna asked as she tromped up the back steps.
    “It’s nothing for you to worry about.”
    When they entered the house, Grace found her mother sitting at the kitchen table with her Bible open and a cup of tea in her hand.
    “Wie geht’s?”
Mom asked as Grace took a seat at the table and Anna dropped to the floor beside a milky white kitten.
    “I’m feeling a little better than yesterday.” Grace reached for the teapot sitting in the center of the table and poured herself some tea.
    “You looked so pale and shaken when we returned from Berlin yesterday. I was worried about you.”
    Grace glanced over at her daughter, who sat cross-legged on the floor with the kitten in her lap. “Anna, why don’t you take the kitten out to the porch and play with her there?”
    “Why can’t I stay here?”
    “Outside’s a better place for the kitten.”
    Anna clambered to her feet and headed out the door.
    Mom pushed a jar of honey in Grace’s direction. “With the boppli coming soon, you need to get plenty of rest and remain calm.”
    Grace added a spoonful of honey to her tea. “It’s hard to relax knowing Gary is back and might have been the one who threw the stink bomb into Dad’s barn.”
    Mom nodded. “Did you see the mess we woke up to?”
    “What mess was that?”
    “Someone strung toilet paper all over the house, barn, and your daed’s woodworking shop.”
    “I saw a piece of toilet paper hanging from a branch in the maple tree, but that was all.”
    “The men cleaned it up before they went to work this morning.”
    Grace shivered and leaned back in the chair, her thoughts racing.
    “Are you cold? Would you like one of my shawls to drape around your shoulders?” Mom asked with a look of concern.
    Grace shook her head. “I’m not shivering because I’m cold. I’m afraid Gary might have come back to continue harassing our family. The stink bomb and TP mess could be just the beginning.”
    “I hope not.” Mom lowered her voice, even though Anna was no longer in the room. “Your daed mentioned that Luke dropped a hammer during the work frolic on your new house and that it almost hit Ruth. Did you hear about that?”
    Grace shook her head, then pushed her chair aside and stood.
    “Where are you going?”
    “I think I should make another trip to Berlin to see if I can find