He moved toward Blake and placed a card in his hand. “I’ll be in touch. Make sure Miss Miller gets safely home.” The chief tipped his head to Abigail, then left them alone in the conference room.
Blake stared after the chief for a long moment. What a day. He could barely take it all in. He was exhausted. And he could only imagine that Abby must be even more so, considering all the abuse her body had taken. Of course, if she’d just stayed in her bed in the E.R., some of the trouble could have been avoided.
He turned back to Miss Abigail Miller. Looked as if he was to give her a ride home. Frankly, he was glad to have the excuse to keep an eye on her a bit longer. She’d pushed herself too hard today and needed someone to make sure she went straight home and got some rest. Although as tough and stubborn as she was, she probably already had her own ideas about that.
He wouldn’t admit to himself that he found the woman’s ridiculous determination rather intriguing. Or that he found her pretty, too. Naturally pretty, not like many of the women he knew back in New York who spent a lot of money in order to look a certain way. Abby had smooth, creamy skin, huge blue eyes and a healthy glow, despite the lump on her head. And her energy—it was amazing. It drew everyone in—or at least, it drew him in.
Blake made a note to himself to be on his guard with Abby. Not only was she a patient, he had not come to Lancaster for romance. In fact, that was the last thing he needed in his life.
“I’m disappointed,” she said. “I’d hoped there would be more they could do. And it all sounded so crazy as I was retelling what happened, you know?”
“Crazy but real. As real as whoever put those nasty bruises on you. Now that the body is in the morgue, I’m sure the investigation will move right along.” Blake rubbed his hand through his hair. He didn’t want to think about it anymore. He wanted dinner and a long, hot shower. “Let’s get out of here.”
“Am I allowed out of here?” She stood, too, a hopeful and wide-eyed expression on her face.
Blake smiled. “I already signed the release. But as I’m sure you already know, after a concussion you shouldn’t spend the night alone. Someone has to be with you and wake you up at certain intervals during the night.”
“Right.” She let out a long sigh. “I guess I’ll go to Eli’s.”
Was Eli a boyfriend? Abby definitely wasn’t married. Everyone had been calling her Miss Miller. Blake shook his head. Why was he even thinking about that? “You shouldn’t drive, either. You’ve had a lot of medication today.”
She checked her watch and frowned. “Hmm...that’s a problem. Janice has already gone home and most of my other friends and family drive buggies.”
“I’m staying at the Willow Trace Bed-and-Breakfast. Are you headed in that direction?”
“Actually, that’s not far from where my brother lives,” she said. “Would you mind terribly?”
“Eli is your brother?” He lifted an eyebrow.
“Yes, and he drives a buggy, or I’d ask him to pick me up himself.” She smiled. She had a fabulous smile. “He used to drive a Mustang, but now he’s back to a buggy.... So, do I get a ride or what?”
“Oh, yes. Of course.” Blake felt his face flood with heat. “I thought I already said that.”
* * *
Abby collected her things from her nurse’s locker and followed the new doctor to his car—one very expensive SUV.
Hochmut—that was what her father would say if he saw her in that fancy vehicle. Bishop Miller would shake his head and disapprove, just as he seemed to do of everything she decided these days. Her father didn’t know how much his condemnation hurt—she wouldn’t let it show. She couldn’t.
Anyway, it would be silly not to take the ride from the doctor. He was headed in the same direction. And hopefully, her father would not be visiting when she arrived at her brother’s.
Blake drove slowly out of the hospital parking lot. Almost immediately, they came up behind an Amish buggy. Abby sighed. Looked as if it might be a long, slow drive to Eli’s.
“This highway is not a good one for passing,” Abby said.
Blake was just about to reply when his phone rang. Again. It was almost nonstop—buzzing, ringing, vibrating. What could be so important?
“Sounds like someone needs to get in touch with you very badly,” she said.
“Excuse me,” he said to her, then answered the phone. “Hello...No, I can’t...I’m not in the city....I don’t know....You’ll just have to figure it out....Not anytime soon.... Okay...Bye.”
He put the device away.
“I’m sorry. People back home keep forgetting I’m not in town. It’s crazy. It’s ringing all the time.” He looked embarrassed or flustered or both. “In a few days it will slow down...I hope.”
“So, getting away from all of that—is that one of your reasons for coming to Lancaster?” she asked. “Or are you interested in the countryside? The Amish? Horses and buggies? Avoiding a nightmare family you left behind?”
He laughed at her teasing. He was quite handsome when he smiled. Abby turned away as a strange rush of emotions shot through her.
“All of those things.” He looked at his phone. “I guess some things are harder to get away from than others. But I don’t have any family.”
“Everyone has family.”
“I don’t.”
She glanced over at him, waiting for an explanation.
“Only child. And my parents died recently.”
Abby dropped her head. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to bring up something so—”
“No, no. It’s fine. The accident was months ago,” he said.
“I’m still very sorry.” Abby turned and looked out the window. “Can I ask what kind of accident?”
“A plane crash.” Blake relaxed his hands on the beautiful mahogany steering wheel. “You know, one of those little island-hopper planes. The computer inside malfunctioned. They hit a storm. It just happened. It wasn’t anyone’s fault.”
“You must miss them terribly.”
He smiled, but it was a sad, regretful sort of smile that touched Abby’s heart at its core.
“So what else? You said you came to Lancaster for lots of reasons. So tell me a few. To get away from your phone and what else?”
“Well, the rest of it is a long story.” He smiled at her again. “But you, you are doing remarkably well after all you’ve been through today.”
“Thanks, but I feel like a wreck. A train wreck, actually. I can’t wait to get to my brother’s and collapse.”
There was a moment of silence.
“So, another reason you came to Fairview?” she prodded him, not liking the silence. “Come on. It takes my mind off the assault.”
“Okay, another reason... Actually, I was going to tell you earlier but then we started talking about... Never mind.” He shook his head. “So another reason I came to Lancaster is to find something. I might have a family connection here I plan to look up.”
“But I thought you didn’t have any family.”
“Well, I don’t. I don’t know these people. And it may be nothing. Really, forget I mentioned it.” He changed the subject. “Did you need to stop by your own place? You must need to get some things? Some clothes? A toothbrush?”
“Oh, no. That’s okay. I can borrow things from