Page 42 of A Hidden Hope

Evie wasn’t sure what to expect from Wren when she returned to Windmill Farm that afternoon. Dok had sent Charlie and Evie out to deliver insulin to a patient when, according to Hank Lapp, Wren had stormed out of the office in a snit.

Not a huge surprise. All day, Wren had acted like her knickers were in a twist.

As Evie walked into the farmhouse, she was surprised to be met with utter silence. She found a note from Fern on the kitchen table: Forgot to tell you. Helping out at a Haystack fundraiser this evening for a family whose baby is in the hospital. Leftovers in the fridge.

Evie had been around the Plain people long enough to know that a Haystack was a favorite meal. It was really just a pile of toppings—kind of like nachos, or french fries with everything you could think of heaped on top.

“Wren? Are you upstairs?”

When there was no answer, Evie assumed Wren was over at the buggy shop, complaining to Charlie about Dok, about the residency, about the Amish, about Evie. Since she had the house to herself, she decided to take a shower and wash her hair.

She climbed the stairs, a satisfied smile tugging at her lips as she thought about how the visit to Dan Hostetler’s house had wrapped up.

She hadn’t been particularly happy to have been paired with Charlie for the insulin delivery to Dan—but it was nice to get out of the office and even nicer to get away from Wren.

Just a week ago, Evie would’ve been jumping for joy to be alone with Charlie.

Not today. The drive to Dan Hostetler’s had been quiet.

She and Charlie were cordial, but the warmth and companionship they’d shared was gone.

Evie just couldn’t pretend that everything was okay between them when it wasn’t, and although Charlie did sense things had changed, he didn’t seem to have a clue why.

Despite that undercurrent, it ended up being one of those visits where everything just clicked.

Dan Hostetler needed a lot more help than he’d let on to Dok—the screws on his crutches kept loosening and he’d just been using one to hop around the house.

Charlie was able to fix his crutches and then give Dan some tips on how to get around on them.

Turned out that Charlie had broken his ankle in high school playing football, and as soon as it healed, he promptly broke the other playing basketball—so he’d had a full school year on crutches and considered himself something of an expert.

Evie showed Dan how to better monitor his blood sugar levels, as the diabetes diagnosis was a recent one.

She explained diabetes to him in a way that he hadn’t previously understood, and she could see the tension ease from his shoulders.

They shared a cup of tea afterward, talked about Dan’s huge flower garden, and by the time Evie and Charlie left, it felt more like a visit with an old friend than a house call.

The ride back to the office felt like a completely different experience than the trip out to Dan Hostetler’s. Most of it, anyway.

“That went well,” she said as she buckled her seat belt. “I didn’t realize how much I’ve missed going on house calls with Dok.”

“Pretty cool,” Charlie said. “Are they all like that?”

“Yes. Different, but the same. It’s why I love being a rural nurse. You get to really connect with people, be there when they need more than medical treatment. A lot of people need someone to listen and make them feel cared for.”

Charlie slowed at a red light and turned to her. “So why would you want to leave Dok’s practice?”

Ugh. She’d forgotten she was supposed to be giving Charlie the silent treatment.

“Dok wants you to stay. Annie does. Fern does.” He faced the windshield again, clearing his throat. “I do.”

Evie stared out the window. “Wren doesn’t.”

Charlie shot her a sharp look. “Wren? What does she have to do with anything?”

Everything! Evie wanted to shout. You’ve let her mold you , shape you , claim you , and plan your whole life.

But she didn’t say any of that. What would be the point?

“Evie, I know Wren can be ... a little much. But you shouldn’t let her get to you. You shouldn’t let her boss you around.”

Evie let out a deep, long sigh ... meant to convey that she considered that remark to be the pot calling the kettle black. Even his man bun was Wren’s doing.

Charlie probably didn’t pick up on what the sigh was meant to say, but he did seem to catch on that she wasn’t interested in talking about Wren or about anything else. The rest of the ride to the office was in silence.

Oh well.

In the bathroom, Evie started the tap on the shower to give the water time to get hot. Fern’s water took a long time to warm up, so while she waited, she went to the bedroom to get a fresh set of clothes. As she opened the bedroom door, she stopped. Something seemed funny.

All Wren’s clothes were off the wall pegs. Her shoes, usually lined up meticulously along the wall, were gone.

Evie went to the bathroom and pulled open drawers. Everything of Wren’s was gone. All her makeup, hair products, combs and brushes, soaps and shampoo.

A cold sense of urgency seized Evie. She turned off the shower faucet, hurried back down the stairs, almost tripping in her haste, and dashed out the door toward the buggy shop.

The door was wide open, and even before she got within a few yards of it, she could hear Wren’s voice, loud, raised in anger.

“We had a deal, Charlie. Before we got here, we made a deal. I only came because you agreed to that. You promised me.”

Evie froze just outside the door, her breath catching in her throat. Wait. Was Wren leaving? Was Charlie?

“So it didn’t go the way you wanted, Wren.” Charlie’s voice was calm, but Evie could hear the frustration beneath the surface. “That doesn’t mean you just up and leave.”

“There’s no reason to stay any longer.”

“There’s every reason. You’ve got an opportunity to work with an outstanding doctor. What more could you want?”

“So much more ... than this !”

This. Evie knew Wren well enough by now to know what this meant to her. A stinky farm, a run-down buggy shop, a rural doctor who encouraged her patients to try what Wren considered whacky, nontraditional remedies.

Charlie’s voice had an edge to it, one that Evie hadn’t heard before. “Then ... just go back and get it.”

“Without you?”

“That’s right. Go without me.”

A long pause. “What about us? What about our plans?”

“Those are your plans, Wren. They’ve always been yours.” Charlie sounded firm. “I’m not leaving.”

“Well, she’s leaving.”

“Maybe. Maybe not.”

“Charlie, be serious.” Wren’s tone shifted, the anger slipping away, replaced by a tinge of panic.

“You can’t make it on your own. You never could.

I’m the only reason you got through college and med school.

You’ve got the boards staring you in the face and you’ve barely started to study!

You’ll never pass them without my help.”

“Quite possibly right. But I’m willing to try. I’m not leaving, Wren.”

“Well,” Wren said, her voice tight with emotion, “I’m not staying.”

“Look, I want you to stay. But if you need to leave, then leave. I think you’re making a terrible mistake by going.”

There was a tense silence, followed by the sound of something being moved inside. Suddenly, Wren stormed through the door, suitcase in tow. She stopped short when she saw Evie standing there. “Oh, for Pete’s sake. You’re eavesdropping again.”

Eavesdropping was turning into a terrible habit for Evie, but it was not without its benefits. Hearing what she heard, she stood taller, as if it would make her feel braver. “Wren, don’t leave.”

Wren’s eyes blazed with a mix of hurt and fury. “Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t go.”

“There’s only one good reason. Dok Stoltzfus can make you a better doctor.”

Wren took a step close to her, until their faces were inches apart. “I don’t need Dr. Stoltzfus’s help to make me a better doctor. I don’t need anyone’s help.”

Before Evie could even think of how to respond, Charlie joined them at the door. “Man, Wren. You’re always pushing good people away. When will that ever change? When are you going to figure it out?”

Wren turned on him, her expression a mix of defiance and something deeper, something raw. “What does that mean?”

“That you need people,” Charlie said, his voice quieter now.

Evie could see Wren was taken aback by his words.

There was a flicker of something—doubt, maybe—but it was gone as quickly as it appeared.

A honk from the road shattered the moment.

Wren’s Uber had arrived. She glanced between Evie and Charlie, her face hardening again, before letting out a huff of frustration, turning, and heading toward the waiting car.

Charlie and Evie stood side by side, watching Wren climb into the car. The engine hummed to life, and without a glance back, Wren was down the road, the dust trailing behind her. They watched until the car disappeared around the bend in the road.

“I thought coming here would be good for Wren,” Charlie said quietly. “But it didn’t work out the way I’d hoped.”

A week ago, Evie would’ve been dying to know what exactly he had hoped for. But now, she wasn’t so sure she wanted the answer. Knowing would only add salt to a wound she was trying to let heal. Best to leave it alone.

Charlie turned to Evie, like he wanted to say something. His lips parted, his brow furrowed, but after a moment’s hesitation, he closed his mouth and turned back toward the buggy shop.

Evie watched him go, wondering if he might decide to leave Stoney Ridge to join Wren, wherever she’d gone.

Just days ago, such a thought would’ve left her in pieces.

But now? She didn’t feel as bereft as she would have thought.

Things like love, she was starting to learn, might be better left in God’s hands.