From their window, Evie could see Charlie out in front of the buggy shop. Here he’d been banished to an outbuilding, and he looked like he was a kid in a candy store. He was wandering around an assortment of buggies and wagons, in different levels of repair.
Something else to add to her ever-growing list of what she loved about Charlie: The guy could find a silver lining in just about anything. Cheerful Charlie. Evie loved uncovering new layers of him, like peeling an onion—only without the tears. While Wren studied on the train, Charlie told Evie a few stories from med school. Apparently, the first two times he visited the hospital morgue, he fainted when meeting his cadaver.
Evie heard Wren mutter something, so she turned around to see her fumbling with an oil lamp.
“How do you even light this thing?” she said with a grumble.
Evie walked over. “Here, let me show you. It’s not as hard as it looks.” She struck a match and lit the lamp with practiced ease.
Wren’s forehead furrowed. “How do you know how to do that?”
“My grandparents were Mennonites. Not quite like the Old Order Amish around here, but close. I spent my...” She wasn’t sure how much she wanted to share of her upbringing with Wren. Too messy for someone like her to understand. “I spent a lot of time at my grandparents’ farm.” She set the lamp on the nightstand. “You’ll get the hang of it in no time.”
Wren arched one dark eyebrow. “Easy for you to say. I need my phone and Wi-Fi to function.”
“You’ll adjust,” Evie said, unzipping her suitcase. “It’s actually kind of nice to unplug for a while.”
Wren plopped down on one of the beds, looking defeated. “I don’t think I can do this. No Wi-Fi, no electricity ... It’s weird. It’s old-fashioned. It’s like living in the dark ages.”
“On the bright side, Fern has indoor plumbing.”
That got Wren’s attention. She bolted straight up and leaned forward, squinting at Evie. “You mean ... not all Amish ... have...?”
Evie started to laugh, then realized Wren was serious. “Some do, some don’t. It depends on how progressive or how conservative they are.” She sat on the bed across from her. “The Amish aren’t one-size-fits-all. Each church is self-standing, so even though they share a lot in common, there’s quite a bit of variation from one Amish community to the next.”
Wren let out a groan-laugh. “I had no idea that indoor plumbing was optional.” She looked almost ... distressed.
This was a side of Wren she’d never seen. “I’m sure there will be Wi-Fi at Dok Stoltzfus’s office. And as for living here, I think you’ll be surprised to see how many ways the Amish get thingsdone. It might be different than you’re used to, but it’s not like the dark ages.” Evie shrugged. “And if you really can’t adjust, then you can always look for an apartment to rent in town.”
“I signed an agreement to let the program reimburse the landlord instead of taking a stipend. I thought I’d save more money that way.”
This, too, was a side of Wren that Evie didn’t expect. She wouldn’t have thought money was a problem for her, but maybe that’s why she chose the loan forgiveness program in the first place.
Wren lifted her head. “What about transportation? How are we supposed to get around? I assumed a car would be provided. It certainly should be. We’re out in the boonies.”
“Lots of extra scooters over at the buggy shop. You’re welcome to them.” Fern stood at the door, arms crossed against her chest. How long had she been there? Evie hadn’t heard her come up the stairs.
“Is it always this hot?” Wren said.
“Just wait a month for the real heat to show up,” Fern said. “This is downright winter weather.” She disappeared down the stairs.
Wren stood and turned in a slow circle. “Where’s the closet?”
Evie pointed to two boards on the wall, each with a row of pegs. “There.”
Wren stared. “That’s not a closet. That’s a couple of sticks.”
“Like I said before, welcome to the world of the Amish,” Evie said. “You’ll get used to it.”
Wren shot her a look. “I wouldn’t bet on that.” She pulled out a blouse, hung it on one peg. Then a pair of pants. Another blouse.
Evie watched as Wren took over all the pegs without a second thought.Okay ... it’s fine, she told herself. Living out of a suitcase wasn’t the worst thing. A tiny compromise to keep the peace, and Evie was good at making those.
