Read Online Simple Faith by Anna Schmidt - Free Book Online Page A

he worked his way across the tiles as far away from the window as possible, all the while studying the distance to the ground. The vine began to crackle and break. Below him he saw the wooden cart. It had some straw in it—not enough to completely cushion his fall, but it would have to do.
    From inside the cottage, he heard the splintering of the entry to his hiding place. He had no choice. He let go of the vine and fell.
    His aim was good. He landed on the straw in the cart, which covered any noise he might have made if he’d landed on the ground. He took only a split second to assess his condition—bruises for sure and a couple of scrapes and cuts—before he pulled himself up and out of the cart and hobbled as fast as he could to the shed. He had to bank on the idea that having searched it just minutes before, the Germans would not search it again.
    This time he was going to have to share the space with Olaf’s horse. The animal glanced around when Peter limped inside the shed and edged past to collapse at the back of the stall.
    “Easy, girl,” Peter murmured when the horse snorted and pawed at the straw. “Just need to stay here till they’re gone, okay?”
    Yeah, like the horse could possibly understand the situation
.
    Peter pushed himself against the back wall of the stall and tested his leg by stretching it out. It hurt but not in the way it had before the German doctor had removed the shrapnel. His main problem at the moment was that he was cold—his teeth chattering. He looked longingly at the horse blanket spread over the stall wall. But if he pulled it down and the Germans came looking …
    He wrapped his arms tightly around his chest and snuggled into the hay that smelled of horse and dung.
    Voices in the yard brought him alert—and the horse as well. Again the animal snorted and pawed, tossing her head back and forth, trying to see what was going on in the yard.
    Peter thought of a brand-new danger. What if the officer decided that a horse was just what he needed to go with that riding crop? If they came and took the horse, he would be totally exposed. He reached up and unhooked the rope connected to the horse’s neck and tugged. “
Descendre
,” he urged, hoping that he had the correct French instruction for getting the animal to lie down. If the officer thought the horse was old or sick, he wouldn’t want it. “
Descendre, s’il te plaît
.”
    The horse tossed her mane and snorted. “I don’t have time for politeness,” Peter growled. “Descendre.” He tugged hard on the rope.
    Slowly the animal knelt and then fell heavily onto her side, completely blocking Peter from view and providing a delicious warmth, the likes of which Peter had not enjoyed in weeks. “
Merci
,” Peter whispered as he stroked the horse’s neck and tried to figure out what was happening in the yard and house.
    But the horse’s body heat was a luxury that Peter had pretty much given up ever experiencing again. He could not recall the last time he had been warm to the bone. He heard the car leave but knew better than to make his presence known until he was sure they were all gone. Instead, he curled closer to the horse and felt his eyes grow heavy as he surrendered to the seduction of the warmth, the loamy perfume of horse and hay, and sleep.
    When he woke, the German was standing over him—not the unwanted visitor but the doctor—Josef Buchermann. The man was grinning at him, but Peter instinctively moved closer to the back of the stall. His sudden action woke the horse, who lumbered to her feet, nearly crushing Peter in the process.
    Josef spoke to the animal in German, trying to calm her.
    “She prefers French, I think,” Peter said, edging his way past Josef and the horse and closer to the door of the shed. There his exit was blocked by a short, stocky man with skin the color of fine leather who glared at him and said nothing.
    So I was right
, Peter thought.
They’ve come for me
.
    Suddenly Anja burst