Double Take by Melody Carlson Page A

and surveyed the farm, which seemed stark and harsh in the light of day, much less romanticized than it had appeared last night in the purple dusky light. Some chickens squawked and a cow mooed, but no one seemed to be in sight.
    She looked every which way, then sprinted across the hard-packed soil to the barn. Once she was inside, hiding in the shadow between the door and a wooden wall, she could hear someone doing something up above her. The sound of footsteps and scratching sounds and loud thumps told her Daniel was probably working up there. Hopefully he’d be occupied for a while.
    She noticed an old-fashioned black phone, the kind with a curly cord, hanging on a post by a door. Did she dare do this? How could she not?
    Holding her breath, she waited, listening to the noises overhead, and finally decided that if she spoke quietly, Daniel might not even hear her. She reached for the phone, quickly dialed the numbers of her cell, and heard the rings and the sound of her own voice saying, “Hey, it’s me, you know what to do.”
    Irritated that Anna wasn’t answering, she quickly launched into a desperate message. “It’s me,” she said softly. “I’ve decided we need to switch back, Anna. Immediately. I can’t do this. I want out. I don’t want to get you in trouble, but we have to undo this. I’ll call you in about an hour if I can. You better answer then.”
    As she hung up, she realized the noises above her had stopped. Worried that Daniel had overheard her conversation, she waited, but now she heard what sounded like someone working outside. She slipped out the side door, then peeked around the corner to see not middle-aged Daniel but a much younger man doing something with hay bales on the backside of the barn.
    The shirtless man hoisted one hay bale on top of another as if it were an oversized building block. Madison gaped at his perfect abs and ripped muscles as he shoved the bale into place. His torso was tan and glistening in the sun, and with his shaggy blond hair, chiseled profile, perfect nose, full lips . . . seriously, this guy could model for the front of a romance novel.
    As if he could feel her eyes, he turned and stared back. Madison’s hand flew to her mouth and she considered running, but instead she started to giggle.
    As he reached for a light blue shirt that was lying on a nearby hay bale, he asked in German who she was.
    She paused to gather her thoughts. The sincerity in his eyes almost enticed her to say her real name, but then she remembered the switch. “Nicht Anna,” she said as she cautiously moved closer. Curious if he was as attractive up close as from a distance, she explained how her mother and Rachel were sisters. In response, he told her that Daniel was his uncle, his mother’s brother.
    For a long moment, they just stood looking at each other, transfixed. Then his slow smile revealed straight white teeth and his blue eyes sparkled in a way that told her he found her attractive too. She took in a quick breath. This guy was so good-looking! He smiled as he said something else to her, but it was like her inner translator had checked out and the words went right over her head.
    She held up her hand to stop him, brokenly explaining that English was more understandable.
    “You speak English?” he asked.
    “Yes.” She pushed a strand of hair from her face, wishing she’d taken the time to comb and pin her hair. She realized she’d forgotten her cap too, but hoped that wasn’t offensive.
    His eyes lit up. “I speak English . . . fluently.”
    “Oh, good.” She tried not to jump up and down for joy. He was fluent in English! But instead of launching into her normal speech pattern, she controlled herself. She needed to keep her character believable. “That is good. We can speak English together.”
    He nodded as he adjusted his suspenders over his shirt.
    “What is your name?” she asked.
    “Malachi Stoltzfus.” He stuck out his hand. “And you are Anna—Anna