The Missing Will by Wanda E. Brunstetter Read Free Book Online Page B

nice to see my dad’s horses.” Joel grabbed his jacket and followed Glen out the door.
    After they entered the barn, Joel watched Glen get his horse ready and lead it outside to the buggy. “Do you ever take my dad’s buggy horse out for a ride?” he asked.
    Glen shook his head. “No way! That crazy gaul is too spirited for me.”
    “He will only get worse if he isn’t taken out sometimes.” Joel slid his hand into his jacket pocket and pulled out a piece of gum. A memory from the past popped into his head. Dad used to carry gum in his pockets. Whenever Joel went out to the barn to help clean or take care of the horses, he was usually rewarded with a stick of gum. Of course, he was just a boy then, and any little treat from Dad was appreciated.
    Glen broke into Joel’s musings. “You’re most likely right about Grandpa’s horse, but my daed said he’d take care of doing that.”
    “Bet I could make the horse do what I wanted.” With legs spread wide, Joel thrust out his chest. “I grew up with Dad’s horses. I could always make them do what I wanted.”
    Glen tipped his head slightly but made no comment.
    “Has anyone in the family talked about selling Dad’s horses? It makes no sense to keep them, now that Dad is gone.” Joel pulled his fingers through the sides of his hair. “Besides, the money could be split among me and my sisters.”
    “That’s something you’d have to discuss with them.” Glen led his horse to the front of the buggy shafts.
    “Yeah, I’ll do that.” Joel caught sight of Glen’s straw hat lying on the floor of his open buggy. He wouldn’t be wearing it today, however. For church, all Amish men wore their black dress hats. He reached in and picked up the hat. Holding it brought back memories from when he was Amish. It was strange how moments like this made him feel a sense of nostalgia and actually helped him relax. Other times, certain thoughts from his past put him on edge or seemed like nothing more than a distant dream.

    Farmerstown
    “Say, Mom, can me and Scott go over to Grandpa’s after church today so we can jump on the trampoline?” Arlene’s son Doug asked as they finished eating breakfast.
    Arlene pursed her lips. “I don’t think so, Son. It’s not a good idea for you boys to be hanging around over there alone.”
    “I wanna go, too,” Lillian spoke up.
    Her sister, Martha, bobbed her head in agreement. “If we all go, then none of us will be alone.”
    “Our daughter has a point,” Arlene’s husband interjected. “Besides, now that Glen is staying at your daed’s house, they’ll have adult supervision.”
    Arlene frowned. “Glen is not a self-sufficient adult yet. He’s twenty years old, and until he moved into Dad’s place, which is only temporary, he lived at home.”
    “He’s old enough to stay by himself. And he has a full-time job, so I think he’s capable of supervising our kinner today, don’t you?”
    Arlene sighed. “I suppose you’re right.” She looked at Doug. “Just make sure you and your siblings are
achtsam
today. No craziness on the trampoline, okay?”
    “We’ll be careful,” the boy promised.
    “Are you going to ride your bikes, or would you like me to take you there with my horse and buggy?” Larry questioned.
    “We’ll ride our bikes.” Doug looked at his siblings. “Is that okay with you?”
    Scott, Lillian, and Martha nodded.
    Smiling at Arlene, Larry reached over and patted her arm. “While the kinner are at your daed’s place, you should take a nap. You’ve been working too hard lately, trying to keep up with all your chores here, plus helping your sisters sort through your daed’s things. If you’re not careful, you’re gonna wear yourself down and may even get
grank.
”
    “I won’t get sick from doing a little work, so please don’t worry.” She rose from her seat and scooped her dishes into the sink. “Hurry now, everyone. We don’t want to be late for church.”

    Charm
    After