This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.
Copyright © 2018 by Rachel J. Good
A preview of The Amish Widow’s Rescue copyright © 2018 by Rachel J. Good
Cover design by Elizabeth Turner Stokes
Cover illustration by Trish Cramblet
Cover copyright © 2018 by Hachette Book Group, Inc.
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ISBN: 978-1-5387-1128-6 (mass market), 978-1-5387-1129-3 (ebook)
E3-20181010-DANF
Contents
Cover
Title Page
Copyright
Dedication
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Also by Rachel J. Good
Acknowledgments
A Preview of The Amish Widow’s Rescue
About the Author
Newsletters
“Leah,” the voice whispered near her ear.
Her name echoed around her, growing fainter and fainter until it disappeared in the haze.
If only she could stay in this place forever. Cocooned in softness. Warm and comforted.
“Are you all right?” Kyle’s face floated in front of her.
She drifted closer to the surface. Broke free from the murky depths. Her head ached. Her eyes burned. And the pain that had sent her into oblivion returned with a vengeance.
Kyle squatted in front of her. “Are you in pain?”
Could she reach out and smooth that frown from his face? But where were her hands, and why didn’t they work? Why was she on the floor? Nothing made sense.
“I’m taking you to the hospital. You need to see a specialist.” Kyle’s tone brooked no argument.
Leah tried to protest, but he set a gentle hand on her head to keep her from getting up. Then he lifted her. Cradled in his arms, Leah leaned her head against his chest the way she had in her dreams.
Was she still dreaming? If she was, she never wanted to wake up.
To Martha, the Amish midwife who delivered my children at home
and
To the babies who have recently brought much joy into my life:
Leland, Easton, and Sienna
Chapter One
The phone rang as Kyle Miller was rushing out the door. He didn’t recognize the number. Probably a telemarketer, but just in case it was work related, he hit the answer button, tucked the phone between his ear and shoulder, and shoved one arm into his coat before saying, “Hello.”
Slamming the door shut behind him by hooking it with one foot, he repeated his greeting. Definitely an automated call. He should hang up now, but he was busy shrugging his other arm into the sleeve. If traffic was heavy, he was going to be late. He sighed loudly.
A voice on the other end quavered. “Kyle?”
It sounded like a human, but some of those telemarketing firms managed to make their robocalls sound real. “Yes?” he answered cautiously. He wasn’t interested in a time share or a free cruise or…
“Kyle, it’s Dr. Hess. I have a question for you.”
Dr. Hess? Name doesn’t sound familiar. Not one of the doctors I work with at the hospital.
“Yes?” he said again as he clicked open his car door and slid into the seat.
“I’m not sure if you remember me, but you and your brother used to visit my office. And I took care of your parents when…”
The words hit Kyle like a fast, hard gut punch. He froze with his hand on the car door but couldn’t move to close it. Old memories came flooding back. Memories he’d pushed below the surface. Memories he’d hoped never to dredge up again.
His “I remember” came out shakily. Why would the doctor be calling him? Had something happened to his brother? He hadn’t spoken to Caleb in years. A flood of guilt hit him. If Caleb had been hurt or was dying, could he go back and face him? And what about the twins and…and Emma. No, he never wanted to see Emma again.
“Is everything all right? Has something happened to Caleb or—?”
“No, no, I didn’t mean to alarm you. This isn’t a medical emergency. Well, it is in a way. But it’s my own emergency.”
It dawned on Kyle that he’d been sitting there unmoving. He’d forgotten all about being late for his shift. He yanked the car door shut and started the engine. Flicking the phone button on the steering wheel with one hand, he pocketed the phone with his other, then yanked the gear shift into reverse to back out.
“I have some friends at the hospital who’ve been keeping tabs on you,” Dr. Hess continued. “They’ve been telling me you’ll go far in the field.”
“Thanks.” Although if he were honest, the thought of someone checking up on him gave him an uncomfortable feeling. Had Caleb asked their old family doctor to spy?
Kyle whipped his car into traffic and pressed his foot on the accelerator to shoot around a slow-moving truck. The minute he did, old memories haunted him. One memory in particular he wished he could erase. Speeding had destroyed his life and cost him everything he’d always wanted. He lifted his foot and let the car glide to a safer speed while Dr. Hess prattled on about his retirement dreams.
Biting back a sigh, Kyle tuned out the old man’s words as he maneuvered through heavy rush hour traffic. He regretted not grabbing a cup of coffee to wake him up, because the drone of Dr. Hess’s words was lulling him to sleep. Surely, the doctor hadn’t called a relative stranger to discuss his future plans. Kyle wished Dr. Hess would get to the point.
“So I considered shutting down the practice, but I’m one of the few doctors in the Lancaster area who still makes house calls. People have come to expect it. That’s where you come in.”
“Me?”
“
Yes, you. Seems to me you’ll be needing a place to work now that you’re done with your residency. I’d be happy to turn my practice over to you if you’d help me out for the next year or two. I’d like to cut back to part-time hours.”
Kyle slammed on the brakes before he ran a red light. “Take over your practice?”
“Yes, I thought Esther and I could move to the retirement village she’s been talking about. You could live in the house so you’d have the office right there.”
Kyle pictured the huge old farmhouse set on a country road with the office attached to one side. It was a far cry from his future aspirations, which included working at a major medical center in a large city. Country life wasn’t for him.
“It’s a great offer,” he said, planning to let his old family doctor down gently. “I’ll, umm…”
“Esther and I prayed about it, and we both felt led to give the practice to you.”
“Give?” Kyle said faintly.
“Yes, give. We have plenty of money to buy a home in the retirement village and live comfortably. With no children of our own, we thought it would be nice to help another young doctor starting out. The mortgage is paid off, and you’d only be responsible for the bills once I leave the practice.”
Kyle pulled into a parking space at the hospital. The man is giving away his practice and his home? “That’s a mighty generous offer. I, umm, need to get in to work now. If I don’t, I’ll be late. But I’ll think about it.”
“Don’t just think. Pray about it.”
Kyle choked back the negative retort that sprang to his lips. You wouldn’t catch him praying. “Um, yes. I have to go, but I’ll let you know my decision.” He said a hasty good-bye and ran for the staff entrance.
Having just completed his residency and still drowning in med school debt, the offer was tempting. And it would allow him to repay another huge debt. A debt that had haunted him for years. An unpaid debt to an Amish community.
But it would mean returning to a place he’d left years ago and to which he’d vowed never to return. A place where he’d have to face all the demons of his past.
* * *
Leah waited for Dr. Hess to get off the phone. Usually his wife, Esther, acted as receptionist, but the doctor was sitting in the outer office, which meant Leah couldn’t help overhearing his conversation.
“You’re finally getting some assistance?” she asked when he hung up.
Dr. Hess laughed. “Esther convinced me it’s time to retire, but I can’t go until I’m sure I have a good replacement who will do everything I do.”
“Someone like that may be hard to find.”
“True, but I’m hoping to convince a recent med school graduate to move back to the area. He grew up around here, and his mother—” Dr. Hess ran a hand through his silver hair. “Esther tells me I ramble too much, and she’s right.” He leaned forward, all attention on her. “What do you need today, Leah?”
“I have an expectant mother I’m worried about, but she refuses to come to the office. She says she can’t leave the children. I suspect it’s money.” Leah held out some ten-dollar bills.
Dr. Hess waved them away. “I have more than enough money. I can certainly afford to do some free visits.”
“Yes, but—”
The doctor interrupted her. “What’s her name and address?”
Leah gave him the information and tried once again to give him the money, but the doctor refused it.
He rose and picked up his medical bag. “I’ll head over there now.”
“Thank you so much. I’m praying for a healthy delivery for her.” Leah followed him to the door and out to the parking lot. “I must admit I’m curious about this new doctor. You said he was from the area?” As a midwife, she’d have to work closely with him.
Dr. Hess stopped beside his car. “His name’s Kyle Miller.”
Leah gasped. “Caleb Miller’s brother?”
With a quick nod, Dr. Hess slipped into the driver’s seat. “I’m hoping everyone can let bygones be bygones.”
The Amish community had forgiven Kyle, but having him back in their midst as a doctor might dredge up old hurts. And for Leah, it meant confronting a secret she thought would stay hidden. A secret she’d concealed for years.
Chapter Two
The rest of the week, Dr. Hess’s offer haunted Kyle. Could he go back to that sleepy town in the middle of nowhere? Leave behind his dreams of a fellowship in rare diseases? Even more worrisome, could he live and work among the Amish, especially if it meant facing the ones whose lives he’d destroyed?
The doctor called on Friday, just before Kyle flopped into bed, exhausted after extra hours on call. “Son, I’m not trying to pressure you, but I wondered if you’d thought about my offer.”
Kyle mumbled something noncommittal. All he wanted to do was sleep.
“According to Dr. Patel, you have three days off in a row starting next Wednesday. I’d like to buy you a plane ticket to fly here for a visit. It would give you a chance to look over the practice, see what I do, and discuss possible arrangements if it’s something you decide will suit.”
Kyle had been planning to catch up on sleep and dirty laundry. “I don’t know if—”
“I realize it’s a major commitment. That’s why I’d like you to come for a brief visit.”
Kyle hesitated. How could he refuse? Dr. Hess and his wife had been there for him and his brother, Caleb, during their agonizing decision to remove their mom from life support after the car accident that had already taken their dad’s life. Esther had mothered them for months after both funerals, ensuring they had clean clothes and meals and occasional motherly hugs.
“You probably have a lot to do.” Dr. Hess’s voice wavered, adding to Kyle’s guilt.
“I, umm, I’ll book a flight.”
“I’m happy to pay. I know how expensive medical school is, and I’m asking you to do me a favor on your precious time off.”
“It’s all right.” Kyle yawned. “I’ll swing it.” Money was tight, but he didn’t want to be beholden to Dr. Hess. If Kyle decided staying in the Amish community was too painful, it would make turning the doctor down that much harder.
“I apologize,” Dr. Hess said. “Sounds like I’m keeping you from some much-needed sleep. Good night, and I’ll see you Wednesday. Let me know when your flight gets in, and Esther will pick you up.”
“Thanks,” Kyle managed before another yawn overtook him. Soon after he shut off his phone, he fell into a deep sleep. But his last thoughts before he drifted off were of Emma…and the baby…
* * *
Memories continued to trouble Kyle as the days ticked down to Wednesday. Several times he almost canceled his flight, but he hated to break a promise or let the Hesses down, so on Wednesday morning, he headed to the airport as planned.
After a brief flight, Kyle walked out into a frigid October day. He preferred the warmer North Carolina weather.
Esther Hess was waiting by the curb when he walked out the door. She’d aged since he’d last seen her, but the wrinkles creasing her face formed deep smile lines. “I’m so glad you decided to come.” She motioned for him to get into an old-fashioned black car sporting black bumpers, grill, and hubcaps. Not fashionable ones, but ones whose chrome had been blackened with a paintbrush. She smiled at his confusion.
“It’s a Black-Bumper Mennonite car. They believe the silver is too gaudy and showy. They also dress plainly and have some of the same practices as the Amish.”
At the word Amish, Kyle winced. “Are you and the doctor planning to join a Black-Bumper church?” If they were, would Esther need to exchange her matronly flower-print dress, which fell to just below her knees, for a calf-length black dress that some conservative Mennonites wore?
Esther smiled. “We may be Mennonites, but we’re not quite that strict. We bought the car secondhand because it was an excellent price. I kept everything black to remind me to stay humble.”
A few people in the ai
rport parking lot pointed and stared, making Kyle glad he didn’t know many people in the area anymore.
“Martin’s promised to give up the practice as soon as God sends someone who’ll do it for him. It may be selfish of me”—Esther shot him a sideways glance—“but I’m hoping he’s found that someone in you. Forty years is a long time. He deserves a break.”
“He certainly does.” That doesn’t mean it needs to be me. I certainly wouldn’t be anyone’s answer to prayer.
As Esther drove, Kyle almost drifted off to sleep. Not only because he was physically drained, but because coming back here had hit him hard emotionally.
The jangle of a phone startled him.
“Would you mind answering that?” Esther asked. “It’s Martin’s ringtone.”
Kyle mumbled a groggy hello.
Dr. Hess’s jovial welcome boomed through the phone, and Kyle held it away from his ear.
“Glad you arrived safely. Could you ask Esther to come to Enos Fisher’s?”
“We’ll be there shortly, Martin,” Esther called out. She smiled apologetically at Kyle. “I was hoping you’d get a bit more rest before Martin dragged you around on house calls.”
“It’s all right. I’m used to it. The lack of sleep, I mean.” He’d never done house calls. That would be a first.
As Esther wound her way out into the country, the neat brown squares of harvested fields resembled giant patchwork quilts, like the multicolored ones flapping on some clotheslines they passed. Kyle’s heart sank. He’d forgotten how isolated some of these farms were. And the outbuildings reminded him of parties at an Amish barn and…
He released a sigh as Esther bumped down a dirt lane toward a neat white farmhouse surrounded by rows of chopped-down cornstalks. Behind a wooden fence, cows lowed in the field, and when he opened the car door, the crisp fall air carried the earthy scent of farmland. Kyle inhaled deeply. The familiar sights and sounds made his eyes misty. Though he and Caleb had grown up Englisch and had lived in town, they’d spent time on friends’ farms, and Kyle had visited one Amish house more times than he could count.
He shook off the nostalgia. Being here with the doctor meant he needed to appear professional. He pasted on a neutral, businesslike expression.
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