that ye also love one another.
John 13:33
* * *
As Selma talked more with Tom, she pursed her lips into a pout and looked down, wondering if she and Michael would ever be a married couple. She already felt empty without even leaving town. The thought of traveling miles from the man she loved was becoming all the more terrifying. She looked at Tom and was grateful that he was sharing such intimate things with her. “So, how exactly did Moira realize that you were both meant to be together? It seems her leaving was enough to make you realize it, but what about Moira?” Selma asked.
“I didn’t leave her much of a choice. One day I was out working on my family’s farm when something hit me. It was a strange feeling, like a warning that I was running out of time. Then, Moira’s beautiful face flashed into my mind, and I knew at once what I had to do. I knew in my heart that she loved me, and I had to make her see that I was what she needed.” Tom chuckled. “I needed to prove to her that we were supposed to be together. I went to Coulson County and told her that I wasn’t leaving without her.”
Selma’s mouth twitched. “So Moira agreed to marry you just because you drove a couple days to see her?”
Tom laughed and shook his head. “Nee, she agreed to marry me because, for the first time, she knew that we were truly meant for each other. All that time apart was for nothing; we needed to be together, and that moment is what made her realize it too. That’s all you have to do, Selma. Show Michael Stutzman that Gott has brought you both together and that nothing will stop your desire to be with him. Just let him know that until he can look you in the face and honestly admit that he no longer loves you, there’s nowhere else for you to be but by his side. Trust me; no man will ever do that unless he truly means it,” he insisted.
Selma ventured back over to the bed and sat down. Looking up at Tom, she gave a lopsided smile. “So, does that mean you think I should tell him that I’m not going anywhere?”
“Exactly. I have heard that he’s home now.”
“He is?” Selma asked.
Tom clapped his hands together and nodded. He walked toward the door and gave her a little bow before he left the room.
Selma smiled at his antics and then lay back on the bed to stare at the ceiling. Perhaps Tom was right. If Michael saw how much he meant to her, he would realize that life wasn’t over just yet. They were meant to be together; she knew it now, but he didn’t, not yet. That was the moment when she made up her mind to let Mr. Stutzman know that she wasn’t going anywhere.
Selma jumped up from her bed and went to find Tom. She found him in the living room. “Tom, could I borrow one of your buggies?”
“Of course, you can, any time you wish. Would you happen to be going to see Mr. Stutzman?”
Selma looked at the cheeky grin on Tom’s face. “That’s exactly where I’m going. I’m taking your advice.”
Tom stood and stretched his arms over his head. “At last, someone’s listening to me. I’ll hitch the buggy for you.”
Selma followed Tom out to the barn. She watched on while he prepared the buggy and the bay gelding. “There you go, Selma. Drive safely.”
“Denke, Tom. Your words were helpful to me.”
Tom smiled. “Don’t rush back, take your time.”
Selma climbed into the buggy and flapped the reins against the side of the gelding telling him to move onward. All the way to see Mr. Stutzman she was worried about what Moira might think about the two of them, should she be able to talk Mr. Stutzman around. Moira seemed okay about it now, but was that only because she thought that Selma was going back to Coulson County? Then there were Mr. Stutzman’s boys and his daughter-in-laws. Selma bit her lip as she imagined their sour faces at the news that she and Mr. Stutzman would marry.
Then Selma realized that before she faced any opposition she had to make Mr. Stutzman see that they had to be together. They made each other happy, and it was what they both wanted. Surely he thought he was doing the right thing in sending her away, but she wanted to look after him even if he became an invalid. She had to convince him that she wanted to be with him no matter what their future held.
She wondered who would be looking after Michael now that he was at home.
When she got to the Stutzman house, she climbed down from the buggy and walked to the front door. Before she could knock, the door flew open to reveal, Mrs. Sutty, a widow from the Amish community.
“Hello, Selma, nice to see you again.”
Selma noticed that Ida Sutty planted herself in the doorway, and she didn’t look like she was going to step aside to let her through. “Hello, Ida. What are you doing here? I didn’t know that you knew the Stutzmans that well.”
“They called on me to care for Mr. Stutzman for a few days while he gets stronger.”
“Good, wunderbaar.” She stared at the woman and Ida stared back at her. “Mind if I come in?” Selma eventually asked after Ida didn’t offer.
“There’s no one here, but Michael, and he’s tired. He’s resting right now.”
“Well, he’s expecting me. He asked for me to come.”
Ida frowned, and her thin mouth turned down at the corners. “You’ll have to come back later then. I’ll tell him you called.”
Ida went to shut the door, but Selma lunged forward and placed her black boot in the doorway.
Ida looked up at her with her mouth open. “What are you doing, Selma?”
Selma leaned forward, so Ida had no choice but to step back. “I said I’m here to see Mr. Stutzman.”
Ida gasped as Selma pushed her way through the door.
“Who’s there?” Mr. Stutzman called from upstairs.
“It’s me, Michael. I’ll be up in a minute.”
Ida grabbed hold of Selma’s arm and hissed in a quiet voice, “You think you can bustle your way through and take the only man my age in the community? Why don’t you find someone from your own community? It’s just not right. I’ve been waiting for him for some time. We’ve got an understanding he and I.”
Selma pulled her arm away. “Well, I don’t know about that.” Selma headed briskly toward the stairs.
“Come up now, please, Selma,” Mr. Stutzman called.
“I’m coming,” Selma yelled back.
When Selma pushed Mr. Stutzman’s bedroom door open she saw that his arms were extended toward her. “You’ve come back to me,” he said.
“Jah, I have.” She hugged him as best she could. “We belong together.”
“They left me here with Ida. I think she’s planning our wedding. She should be planning my funeral.”
“Hush, Michael. I’ll hear no such thing. I’ve come to tell you that I’m not leaving you, and I don’t care if we only have one day, one week or one year together. It doesn’t matter to me if I have to look after you as though you were a baby. I need to be with you, Michael Stutzman.”
Michael laughed. “I’m glad you’ve come; I prayed you’d come back to me. I changed my mind about telling you to leave as soon as you walked out my door. I realized that we should make the most of the time on this earth that Gott has given us.”
“Jah, that makes sense to me,” Selma said.
“As soon as I got stronger and got rid of that terrible woman from my haus I was coming to fetch you.” They looked into each other’s eyes. “Say you’ll marry me, Selma.”
“I will, I will marry you, Michael Stutzman. Just try and stop me.”
Two weeks later, Michael was strong enough to call a family meeting, which included Moira and Tom.
Mr. Stutzman started off by saying, “I’ve called you all here today to tell you that I’ve asked this lovely woman beside me, to marry me.”
“What did she say?” Adam, his oldest son, asked.
“I said yes,” Selma answered.
Despite Selma and Michael’s fears, Michael’s sons and daughter-in-laws took the news well. They’d grown used to the idea of their father being fond of another woman.
; “I don’t want to take your mudder’s place,” Selma said. “I know that I could never do that. What I do want is to look after your vadder the best that I can.”
“Well, I think that’s fine. How can we be unhappy about that?” Adam said.
“Welcome to the familye,” Miriam, Moira’s oldest sister, said.
Moira stood up. “I must say something. I was against the idea of you two being together. I loved Anna so much, and it seemed odd to think that Michael felt fondness for someone else, but I’m glad now. I’m happy that you two can make each other happy. I couldn’t imagine being on my own again without my Tom.” Moira looked lovingly at her husband and then she doubled over and clutched at her stomach. “I think the boppli might be coming now.”
“Right on time,” Tom said as he sprang to his feet.
“Nee, it’s one week early,” Miriam, Moira’s oldest sister, said. “You’ll have to stay and have the baby here.”
Tom said, “You’ll have to have the boppli here, it might not be safe to travel. I think you’re giving birth tonight.”
Everyone gave a chuckle at Tom’s excitement.
Miriam fixed a room up for Moira to give birth in, and then gathered fresh towels. Miriam had experience in delivering babies, having delivered Hazel’s two babies and many other babies in the community. Miriam was the closest the community had to a midwife.
With Moira in the upstairs room, the family carried on with the dinner. When the dinner came to an end, Miriam, as the oldest daughter-in-law, sent everyone except Selma, Tom and Moira, home. Young Millie was already asleep in one of the bedrooms.
Five hours later, baby William was born.
When the excitement died down and everyone went to sleep. Selma went into the kitchen and made herself some tea. She heard a sound in the doorway and looked up to see that Michael was now awake, he’d slept through the whole thing.
“Moira had a boy,” Selma said.
“That’s wonderful news. It feels good that another child was born in this house.” He sat down next to Selma. “All went well I trust?”
“Jah, it did. I’m too excited, and also too exhausted to sleep.”
Michael’s gaze turned to the window of the kitchen. “It’s close to morning.”
“How are you feeling?” Selma asked.
“Feeling like I want to marry you. Selma. Will you marry me, and marry me as soon as possible?”
Selma gave a little giggle. “I’ve already said I will marry you.”
“I like to keep asking you.” Michael chuckled. “I’m a silly old man sometimes.”
“I do feel better about things after the meal last night. Your family is more accepting than I thought they’d be. Adam even apologized for being rude.”
“Forget them, Selma. They’ll be fine; they’re all adults now anyway.”
“Jah, I will marry you, Michael Stutzman.”
Michael leaned toward her and kissed her on her forehead. “You’ve made me a contented man, Selma. I have something to live for again.”
* * *
Michael Stutzman and Selma were married twelve weeks later. After the wedding ceremony, the food was served and Moira managed to pull Selma aside.
“Selma, I’m so sorry that I was horrid to you when you and Michael were first courting.”
“You were never that way with me, Moira.”
“I had awful thoughts. I thought that in some way that Anna Stutzman would be forgotten or somehow you marrying Michael made Anna’s memory a little more distant, or something.”
“I know you thought that. You’ve already told me that you felt that way and I understand. How do you feel now then?” Selma asked.
“I’m so happy for both of you. I can’t think of anything that I’d like better than two of my favorite people getting married.”
Selma put her arm around Moira’s shoulders. “Denke, for saying that. I’m glad that we’ve got everyone’s approval now. Everything has turned out the way that I hoped it would. Although, sometimes I get a few strange looks from some of Michael’s boys, but I guess that’s understandable.”
“What are you two chattering about?”
Moira turned around to see Michael walking toward her and Selma. “I was telling Selma how I felt when the two of you first started to get interested in one another.” Moira put her hand to her mouth and gave an embarrassed laugh.
“Changes take a while to get used to,” Michael said. “Like all these cats that I’m now the vadder of.”
Moira giggled at the thought of Mr. Stutzman having a houseful of cats. “I’m happy for both of you. I really am.”
“Denke, Moira, that means a great deal to both of us. You and your sisters are very special to both of us.” Michael looked lovingly at his new wife. “Come on, Selma. People are waiting for us to take our seats at the wedding table.”
Moira watched as Michael took hold of Selma’s hand. She saw the elderly couple smile at each other before they walked back to their wedding guests arm in arm.
* * *
While the earth remaineth,
seedtime and harvest,
and cold and heat, and summer and winter,
and day and night shall not cease.
Genesis 8:22
Thank you for reading ‘Amish Second Loves.’
The next in the Amish Brides series is:
Book 5 Amish Silence
Esther had suffered a severe hearing loss due to illness as a child. All Esther wanted was to be treated as a normal twenty-five-year-old woman and not as someone with a disability.
She lived life as a recluse and attended very few Amish gatherings.
When a storm damages Esther's house, she is forced to spend time with Amish builder, Devon Hershberger.
Devon and Esther quickly become friends and Esther hopes their relationship might develop into something more. When Devon encourages Esther to go to a doctor about her hearing, Esther’s older brother disapproves and sends Devon away.
Devon makes an effort to see Esther in secret, but is her brother right about Devon only wanting Esther for a wife if she can be healed?
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Samantha Price
All books in the AMISH BRIDES series:
Book 1 Arranged Marriage
Book 2 Falling in Love
Book 3 Finding Love
Book 4 Amish Second Loves
Book 5 Amish Silence
Other books by Samantha Price:
Stand-Alone Christmas novel:
In Time For An Amish Christmas
* * *
ETTIE SMITH AMISH MYSTERIES
Book 1 Secrets Come Home
Book 2 Amish Murder
Book 3 Murder in the Amish Bakery
Book 4 Amish Murder Too Close
Book 5 Amish Quilt Shop Mystery
Book 6 Amish Baby Mystery
Book 7 Betrayed
Book 8: Amish False Witness
Book 9: Amish Barn Murders
Book 10 Amish Christmas Mystery
Book 11 Who Killed Uncle Alfie?
Book 12 Lost: Amish Mystery
Book 13 Amish Cover-Up
Book 14 Amish Crossword Murder
Book 15 Old Promises
Book 16 Amish Mystery at Rose Cottage
Book 17 Amish Mystery: Plain Secrets
Book 18 Amish Mystery: Fear Thy Neighbor
* * *
AMISH MISFTIS
Book 1 The Amish Girl Who Never Belonged
Book 2 The Amish Spinster
Book 3 The Amish Bishop’s Daughter
Book 4 The Amish Single Mother
Book 5 The Temporary Amish Nanny
Book 6 Jeremiah’s Daughter
Book 7 My Brother’s Keeper
* * *
SEVEN AMISH BACHELOR
S
Book 1 The Amish Bachelor
Book 2 His Amish Romance
Book 3 Joshua’s Choice
Book 4 Forbidden Amish Romance
Book 5 The Quiet Amish Bachelor
Book 6 The Determined Amish Bachelor
Book 7 Amish Bachelor’s Secret
* * *
EXPECTANT AMISH WIDOWS
Book 1 Amish Widow's Hope
Book 2 The Pregnant Amish Widow
Book 3 Amish Widow's Faith
Book 4 Their Son's Amish Baby
Book 5 Amish Widow's Proposal
Book 6 The Pregnant Amish Nanny
Book 7 A Pregnant Widow's Amish Vacation
Book 8 The Amish Firefighter's Widow
Book 9 Amish Widow's Secret
Book 10 The Middle-Aged Amish Widow
Book 11 Amish Widow's Escape
Book 12 Amish Widow's Christmas
Book 13 Amish Widow’s New Hope
Book 14 Amish Widow’s Story
Book 15 Amish Widow’s Decision
Book 16 Amish Widow’s Trust
Book 17 The Amish Potato Farmer’s Widow
* * *
AMISH ROMANCE SECRETS
Book 1 A Simple Choice
Book 2 Annie’s Faith
Book 3 A Small Secret
Book 4 Ephraim’s Chance
Book 5 A Second Chance
Book 6 Choosing Amish
* * *
AMISH WEDDING SEASON
Book 1 Impossible Love
Book 2 Love at First
Book 3 Faith’s Love
Book 4 The Trials of Mrs. Fisher
Book 5 A Simple Change
* * *
AMISH BABY COLLECTION
Book 1 The Gambler’s Amish Baby
Book 2 The Promise
Book 3 Abandoned
Book 4 Amish Baby Surprise
Book 5 Amish Baby Gift
Book 6 Amish Christmas Baby Gone
Amish Second Loves Page 7