The feel of the shower’s hot, steamy water flowing over her bruised and aching body relaxed Ava all the way through. When Eli Miller spoke the name of his newborn son, “Christian” out loud it had sent a shudder quaking through Ava’s body. This was the first time she’d heard Chris’s name spoken out loud since the funeral. Ava had clamped down hard on the emotions firing off inside her locking them deep into her muscles. Whether she succeeded in covering up her feelings was another matter. Ava doubted that much got past Anne Pine’s antennae.
Leaving the Miller farm the two women had ridden in complete silence. The first time there’d been silence between them since the first few moments before introducing themselves to one another.

“Are you staying over tonight?”  Anne Pine finally asked as she pulled up next to Ava’s car in the motel parking lot. Anne could tell a lot about a person by the car they drove. She was downright perplexed. Ava Land was driving a Jeep Wrangler when Anne Pine had pegged as more the BMW or Lexus type.

“I don’t know yet. I’d planned on just staying last night but I’m running late because of the… well because of what happened last night,” replied Ava.

Once she’d successfully delivered Katie’s baby Anne Pine’s mind had started back up wondering about Ava Land. What was a woman like her doing here? Sure Eden had its share of tourists drawn by their curiosity about the Amish, but Ava didn’t seem all that interested over at Gideon‘s or at Eli and Katie‘s farm just now. “My recommendation is that you stay on a day or so. I’m still concerned about a possible concussion.” said Anne.

Ava’s hand instinctively touched her forehead. “The headache is gone now. I think if I get some breakfast I’ll feel fine. Can you recommend a good place to eat?”
“The Paradise Cafe has good eats! After I stop over at Doc Forrester’s to see what’s on the schedule for today, I’m heading over there for some blueberry-buttermilk pancakes and a gallon of coffee. I‘m always starving after delivering a new baby into the world!”

Coffee, yes, thought Ava, that’ll put me right. She could almost smell it. Anne gave her directions and Ava got out of the truck. “Thank you,”  said Ava bowing her head slightly to avoid Anne Pine‘s direct gaze, “For everything. And I need to pay you for the house call this morning.” Ava glanced up to see Anne waving her comment off.

“Forget about it!”

Ava opened her mouth to protest but stopped short. It wasn‘t good to refuse people‘s generosity (Chris had taught her that). “Well then, at least let me buy you breakfast!” Ava countered.

“Done!” barked Anne Pine slamming the palm of her hand down on the steering wheel, “I don’t know about you but I hate eating alone!” said Anne.

Ava smiled suspecting Anne Pine had never eaten out alone once since settling into Eden eleven years ago! She pulled people to her like a magnet. “Can you give me forty-five minutes?” asked Ava.

“Perfect! See you there but I’m warning you ahead of time, I love to eat!”

Getting out of the shower Ava wrapped her hair in a towel turban style and slipped on a robe. Pulling out her laptop she set it up on the bed and connected it to the phone line. While the modem dialed up Ava searched the room for the address of The Red Delicious Inn. Finding it on an index card taped to the inside of the door which also gave the checkout time she returned to her computer and Googled Mapquest. Deftly entering the address of the motel and next to it the address the lawyer for Chris’s estate gave her two days ago, Ava waited.

The map appeared on the computer screen. Ava was stunned!