Ties That Bind Read Online Free

knew that was sheer anger, and God asked people to treat others as He would treat them. So how would He treat Quill in this situation? Seemed to her that God had the perfect chance to strike the man with lightning, but He hadn’t.
    “Rudy, would you tend to the horses? I…I need to check on the cat.”
    Rudy touched her shoulder. “You okay?”
    She could hardly breathe for the anger stirring to life again. Rudy put his hand on her back, and the gentle query relaxed her. “Ya.” She wiped the foggy windshield with her hand, trying to catch another glimpse of the figure. “Would you mind climbing into the haymow and tossing down enough hay to last a few days?” That should keep Rudy busy for a few extra minutes.
    If Quill was here, he wasn’t likely to risk Rudy seeing him on his mother’s property. It could cause more trouble for Berta, and regardless of Quill’s lack of character, Ariana was positive he wouldn’t do anything that might hurt his Mamm worse than he already had.
    He was a dishonest, shady person who seemed to have limits on how low he would go.
    “I don’t mind a bit.” Rudy pulled the rig up to the sidewalk that led to the side entry of the porch. “I didn’t bring an umbrella.”
    “I won’t melt.”
    “Once you hop out, I’ll drive the rig into the barn to get the horse out of the rain for a bit.”
    “Okay.” Did he notice that her voice sounded hollow and distant? Her mouth was dry as she forced herself to get a key out of her purse before leaving the carriage. Cold, prickly rain doused her. By the time she ran up the sidewalk and climbed the porch stairs, she was drenched.
    She walked to the back of the wraparound porch. Wet footprints led to an open window in Quill’s former bedroom. It wasn’t a burglar. There hadn’t been a break-in around these parts for as far back as she could remember. The so-called Amish Nightcrawler did the only thievery around here, and he took willing Amish folk like Quill and Frieda, not items found in a widow-woman’s home.
    Shaking all over, she returned to the side door and let herself in. After locating the matches on the old laminate countertop, she struck one, illuminating the kitchen as she held the flame to the wick of a candle. Goose bumps covered her again as she carried the old metal candlestick holder down the hallway toward the bedroom at the end, the one with the open window. “Quill?”
    Eerie silence followed. She supposed it could be one of his four older brothers, but she was certain it wasn’t.
    “I know you’re here.” She could feel it. Hadn’t she felt this same weird, pinprickly, hair-raising thing several times over the last five years?
    If he’d come to check on his Mamm and she hadn’t been here for a few days, he would be confused. “Your Mamm is fine.” Would a man who’d broken his mother’s heart and embarrassed her in front of everyone care enough to keep checking on her?
    The cat meowed from inside Quill’s room, but it didn’t run to her as usual. She’d forgotten that it had been Quill’s cat at one time.
    Still seeing no one, she chose to press on—out of respect for the love Berta had for Quill more than anything else. Of Berta’s five children, who had left the Amish at different times, Quill, her youngest, had given no forewarning. He hadn’t argued with his Mamm about it or whispered to Ariana about it. When he’d taken off at twenty years old, he’d taken more than Ariana’s heart. He’d taken with him a teen girl, the daughter of Berta’s closest friend. The betrayal seemed unforgiveable to Ariana, but Berta still spoke of Quill as if he’d done nothing wrong.
    Ariana stopped a few feet from his room. “Your Mamm was really sick with a virus of some sort, and she needed to spend a few days in the hospital.” She spoke into the dark as if she could see him “That’s all. She’s expected to come home in a day or two.” She felt silly talking like this, and with every second that