Hearse and Buggy (29 page)

“Because one man spent the past three hours poring over Walter’s records until he knew how much money belonged in each envelope.”

Eli draped a respectful arm across Esther’s shoulders and addressed his future mother-in-law in a voice choked with emotion. “He is a good man.”

“He is a fair man,” whispered Esther.

Martha looked from Eli to Esther and finally to Claire before turning to face the man they spoke of—a man standing just inside the doorway with a pained expression in his eyes.

For that moment, time seemed to stand still, stymied by sixteen years of hurt and disappointment, bitterness and
uncertainty. Claire held her breath and waited, the pounding of her heart rivaled only by the ticking of the clock above the register and Esther’s occasional tear-induced sniffle.

But all of that faded away as Martha turned a watery gaze to the floor and addressed the brother she’d been raised beside until a life choice took them in separate directions, bringing them together again at that very moment …

Two people who were no longer the same yet had changed very little.

“Thank you, Jakob.”