Summer Storms

by Amy Clipston

  “That’s a wunderbaar idea.” He touched her cheek. “I was so worried I wasn’t going to be able to marry you. Ich liebe dich, and I promise I will always take care of you.”

  “I love you too. I can’t wait to be your fraa.”

  He leaned down and his lips brushed hers, sending electric pulses singing through her veins. She closed her eyes, savoring the feel of his lips against hers.

  Jesse traced her cheek with the tip of his finger. “I will cherish you forever.”

  Ariana silently thanked God for softening her father’s heart toward Jesse, and she prayed that someday Tobias would come back to their family. But as Jesse leaned in for another kiss, all other thoughts retreated as she looked forward to a future with the man she’d love for nearly her entire life.

  DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

  1.Ariana is devastated when her father forbids her from marrying Jesse. Have you ever found yourself in a similar situation? If so, how did it turn out? Which Bible verses helped you through this difficult time? Share this with the group.

  2.Jesse pours himself into working on Marvin’s farm as a way to prove to Marvin that he is worthy of marrying Ariana. What do you think caused him to grow as a character throughout the story?

  3.Read Hebrews 11:1 (print out the verse). What does this verse mean to you? Share this with the group.

  4.Which character can you identify with the most? Which character seemed to carry the most emotional stake in the story? Was it Ariana, Jesse, Tobias, or someone else?

  5.At the beginning of the story, Marvin blames Jesse for the buggy accident. His feelings toward Jesse change by the end of the story. What do you think causes this transformation?

  6.When Tobias leaves home, he finds solace with his uncle Earl. Have you ever helped someone in need? If so, how did you feel after you helped that person? Share this with the group.

  7.What did you know about the Amish before reading this book? What did you learn?

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  AS ALWAYS, I’M THANKFUL FOR MY LOVING FAMILY.

  I’m grateful for my special Amish friend who patiently answers my endless stream of questions. You’re a blessing in my life.

  To my agent, Natasha Kern—I can’t thank you enough for your guidance, advice, and friendship. You are a tremendous blessing in my life.

  Thank you to my amazing editor, Becky Monds, for your friendship and guidance. Thank you also to editor Jean Bloom, who always helps polish my stories and connect the dots between my books. I’m grateful to each and every person at HarperCollins Christian Publishing who helped make this book a reality.

  Thank you most of all to God—for giving me the inspiration and the words to glorify You. I’m grateful and humbled You’ve chosen this path for me.

  AN EXCERPT FROM LAKESIDE LOVE

  CHAPTER 1

  “ESTHER, IT’S ALMOST TIME FOR THE NEXT TOUR.”

  “Be right there.” Esther Coblentz sighed. She loved guiding the groups of Yankees who signed up to tour her family’s house and farm, and usually she was the one waiting on them instead of the other way around. But right now she was busy watching Judah King. She had a perfect view of him from the front porch as he helped her father and brother, Reuben, plow the large field her father had purchased last month, adding to their existing farm. Since it was already July, they were working hard to get in some late crops.

  “Esther, did you hear me? They’re already gathered in the living room.”

  She barely glanced at her younger sister. “I’ll be there in a minute.”

  “I hope so. I don’t want to have to do the tour.”

  She heard Sarah leave, presumably to go back to the house. Esther knew she couldn’t stand here watching for much longer, but she didn’t want to leave. Not yet. She wanted one last look at Judah. He really was perfect, with hair the color of black licorice, a sloped nose a little upturned at the end, and a mouth she really shouldn’t notice as much as she did.

  But it was his dark eyes—soft, kind, and warm—that had caught and kept her attention four years ago when he and his family moved to their district and her father hired him as a farmhand.

  Pulling her gaze away, she went inside through the small gift shop. Her father, ever the entrepreneur, had decided five years ago to add on to the house, move the family into the new addition, build the small gift shop, and conduct tours. His business instincts had been spot-on. Not only did the family run a successful farm, but their tourist business also thrived.

  Esther smiled at her mother, Fanny. She was ringing up a customer who was purchasing a few of Sarah’s homemade jellies and jams. Esther didn’t sell anything in the gift shop. She wasn’t a gifted seamstress like Mamm or a great cook like Sarah. She was . . . average. Average looks, average skills, average everything. Most of the time she was okay with that. Except when she saw Judah. Then she was reminded that average wasn’t good enough, not compared to Sarah.

  Sarah was the beautiful one. The talented one. The one Judah was in love with.

  Esther’s smile dimmed. She couldn’t think about Judah and Sarah right now. She had a tour to give, and she always made sure to do her best when it came to the Yankee visitors, including speaking only English for them, which her family did with all Yankees.

  She entered the living room and smiled at a group of six Yankees standing near the front door. The five women looked to be in their midsixties, and a school-aged boy looked about nine or ten—and very out of place.

  “Hello everyone,” she said. “My name’s Esther. If you’re ready, I’ll take you on the tour. We’ll start with the house, then go out to the barn where you can meet our animals. From there you’ll see our fields. All this makes up a real working farm. Please let me know if you have questions anytime during the tour.”

  The women and boy followed Esther as she moved about the living room. Pointing to the woodstove, she said, “Amish families usually have this going during the other seasons, but it’s not needed in the summer, of course.” Then she showed the group the gas-powered lamp, explaining how a typical Amish family spends their evenings in each season.

  As she observed the group, she realized four of the women were friends and the boy and the fifth woman were together.

  “Where’s the TV?” the boy asked, searching the room.

  “The Amish don’t watch TV,” the woman nearest to him said.

  “So no Xbox?” he said in disbelief. “What about an iPad?”

  “Jefferson,” the woman with him said. She adjusted her wire-rimmed glasses. “The Amish don’t use any electronics at all.”

  “Actually, that’s not true,” Esther interjected. “We use some electronics, as long as they’re associated with our businesses.”

  “I see,” she said. “I had no idea.”

  The boy muttered something under his breath, stuck his hands in the pockets of his tan shorts, which seemed a size too big for his slight frame, and shuffled his feet against the spotless wood floor. Esther gave him a small smile. He didn’t return it, but she didn’t mind. This wasn’t exactly the type of tour that would interest a boy his age, and it was clear he’d been dragged along by the woman, who was probably his grandmother.

  Esther showed them the rest of the house—three bedrooms in pristine condition, one bathroom, the mudroom—decorated with Amish hats, boots, aprons, and a kapp for effect—and finally Kathleen Fuller the kitchen, which was the room that always brought the most questions.

  “Can I have one of these?” Jefferson looked at the bowl of peppermint candies in the middle of the table.

  “Of course,” Esther said, pushing the bowl toward him.

  Jefferson reached in and grabbed a handful. Esther waited for the woman with him to say something, but all the adults were busy looking at the “adorable” touches Daed had insisted on when Mamm decorated the kitchen. “A percolator!” one of them said. “I haven’t seen one of these in years.”

  “And a gas lamp in the corner,” another woman said. “Oh,
Denise, look at this.” She pointed to a cast iron popcorn popper, several gold bracelets jangling on her thin wrist. “Isn’t this wonderful? I would love to have one of these.”

  “I want something to drink.” Jefferson plopped down on one of the chairs and shoved a piece of the peppermint candy in his mouth. “It’s hot in here.”

  “I’ll get you something in the gift shop.” The woman with him looked at Esther apologetically. “His mother didn’t sign him up for day camp this week.”

  “Dad was supposed to do it, Grandma.”

  Ah, she was his grandmother.

  “Regardless, there was a snafu. So Jefferson is spending some quality time with me. I thought visiting an Amish home would be very educational.”

  “More like very boring.”

  “Don’t be rude.” She smiled at Esther again, but the smile was strained at the corners of her thin lips. “This is all fascinating. I don’t see a refrigerator here. How do you keep your food cold?”

  “In the winter we put our food in a wooden pantry my father built. In the summer we use coolers. There’s also an ice machine a few houses down.”

  “You don’t worry about the food spoiling?”

  She shook her head. “We eat it fast enough, especially my brother and my father.” And Judah, who spent a lot of time here, probably more to see Sarah than to help their father. She pushed the thought away. “We also make sure not to buy more than we need.”

  Another woman nodded her head. Her eyeglasses were on a thin decorative chain that hung around her neck. “That’s a wonderful way to live.”

  Esther thought so too. She’d met a lot of Yankees in her life, especially since she started doing the tours. While some aspects of non-Amish life appealed to her, none of them rivaled her faith, family, and community. Still, that didn’t mean she couldn’t sympathize with Jefferson. “Let’s head out to the barn,” she said, looking at the boy. “I think you’ll find something to interest you there.”

  As Esther expected, he perked up when he had the chance to see the animals. As he patted Peanut, their pet miniature pony who loved attention, Esther stood back at the edge of the barn while the women walked through it. None of them were as enthusiastic as Jefferson about the cow, two sheep, one old draft horse, and a pen of cute bunnies. Two of them wrinkled their noses, but Jefferson’s grandmother apparently decided to be adventurous. She awkwardly patted the gentle cow on top of its head.

  “Small group today?”

  At Judah’s question, Esther’s confidence evaporated. “Ya,” she replied, but she didn’t look at him. She kept her gaze glued on Jefferson, who had turned his attention to the bunnies. Still, she couldn’t resist taking a glance at Judah.

  He leaned against the barn wall, his handsome face reddened by the heat and farm work. His pants and shirt were dusty, and he smelled like a man who’d spent most of the day in the field. But none of that put her off. Judah King was also a hard worker, which she appreciated. His intention might be to get closer to Sarah, but he was a great help to Daed and Reuben.

  “Seen Sarah lately?” he asked. He’d straightened, put his hands on his trim waist, and caught her eye. “I looked for her in the gift shop, but she wasn’t there. Yer mamm said she hadn’t seen her either.”

  “Nee. I haven’t seen her.” She bit her bottom lip.

  “Grandma, can I take one of the bunnies home?” Jefferson said, his head popping up over the rabbits’ pen.

  “No.”

  “Please?”

  “Your parents don’t have room for pets. Besides, your father is allergic to animal dander.” Grandma walked over to the pen. “Why don’t you say hello to the draft horse?”

  “I want to be with the bunnies.” Jefferson gripped one under his chin.

  “I think an intervention is in order.” Judah winked at Esther before moving toward the boy. “Don’t hold the bunny so tightly,” he said as he climbed into the pen. He picked up another bunny and held it gently in his hands. “Like this, see? You don’t want to hurt them.”

  Jefferson loosened his grip and cradled the bunny like Judah showed him.

  All Esther could do was sigh. Or rather swoon. There was something wonderful about seeing a cute, delicate creature in Judah’s large hand, safe and secure.

  “Now,” Judah said, putting the bunny down, “let’s go see Maisy. She looks lonely, and she likes company.” He led Jefferson out of the pen and over to the draft horse, who didn’t look the least bit lonely and only tolerated visitors. Esther smiled.

  “Your young man is very good with kids,” one of the ladies said to her as she moved to stand beside Esther.

  “Oh, he’s not—” She clamped her lips. What harm would it be in letting them think she and Judah were together? It wasn’t as if they could be confused for siblings. Esther was blond and fair with average blue eyes, a sharp contrast to Judah’s dark hair and eyes and tan skin.

  “I think we’re finished here,” Grandma said, wrinkling her nose at Maisy’s whinny. “I’ve seen enough animals, thank you.” She smiled, her upturned lips wrinkling deeply at the corners as she turned to Esther. “If I don’t get Jefferson out of here, he’ll be asking to take home the cow and the horse.”

  The other women laughed and Esther regained her senses. They’d spent longer in the barn than normal, thanks to her gazing at and daydreaming about Judah. “We’ll go outside and I’ll show you our garden and fields.”

  “That sounds boring,” Jefferson said, not moving from Maisy’s side.

  “Remember, I told you I’d get you something to drink in the gift shop when we were finished with the tour,” his grandmother reminded him. “And if you’re extra good, I might get you a treat.”

  “Coming!” Jefferson gave the horse one more pat on the nose and jogged to the rest of the group.

  Again, Esther wanted a last look at Judah, who was now talking in a low voice to Maisy, gently stroking her nose. Esther had never been jealous of an animal before. Always a first time. She Kathleen Fuller watched Judah for another brief moment, then started to follow the group.

  “Esther?” Judah called out.

  She turned, putting on what she hoped was her prettiest smile. “Ya, Judah?”

  “If you see Sarah, tell her I’m looking for her.”

  Her smile dimmed. Of course Sarah was uppermost in his mind. When hadn’t she been? “I will,” she said, hiding her disappointment. And she would keep her promise. She always did, even though a little bit of her heart shattered every time she was confronted with the reality that Judah was in love with Sarah, not her.

  She left to join the tour group, wondering if she would ever get over Judah King.

  Judah gave Maisy one more pat on the nose and the rest of the animals a bit more feed for a special treat, then left the barn and headed for the new field. Enoch and Reuben had taken their break in the family’s kitchen, and Judah had used the respite to try to find Sarah. As usual, she wasn’t around when he had a break. If he didn’t know better, he’d think she planned it that way.

  But Sarah wouldn’t do something underhanded like that. She was beautiful, sweet, charming . . . perfect. Problem was, he wasn’t the only one in their district who thought so. Sarah Coblentz had more men interested in her than should be decent. But again, that wasn’t her fault.

  How could they not be attracted to her? Judah had fallen head over heels the first day he’d seen her four years ago. And one day he would win her. He was determined to. If persistence meant anything, Judah was ahead of the other guys by miles. It was a bonus that he liked working at Coblentz Farms. Enoch paid well, and he’d rather be farming than working construction, which was what he did in the fall and winter months until it was time for spring planting.

  He walked out of the barn into the hot but fresh outdoor air and glanced at the house. Should he check there for Sarah again? He decided not to. Esther would give Sarah his message. Good old dependable Esther. She always kept her word.

  He glanced over
at Esther as she talked to the group of older ladies and Jefferson. The young boy was kneeling in front of a row of sunflowers and tugging at the stems. Judah was about to intervene when Esther smoothly walked toward the kid, still explaining about the different vegetables and flowers the Coblentzes planted every year, and put her hand on Jefferson’s shoulder. Just a light touch, but enough to get the boy’s attention. He straightened, and she kept her hand on his shoulder until she had guided him to his grandmother.

  Judah was impressed. Esther was not only dependable, but great with children. He’d noticed that after church services. She never hesitated to kick off her shoes and play with the kids, whether it was volleyball, baseball, or horseshoes. Esther definitely liked to have fun.

  “Judah!”

  His ears perked up at the sound of Sarah’s voice. She stopped in front of him, and he was nearly struck dumb by her beauty. Flawless skin, crystal-blue eyes that were so pale they seemed to constantly sparkle, full lips that were perpetually rosy and begging to be kissed.

  “Esther said you wanted to see me?” Sarah said.

  Danki, Esther.

  “I thought after supper today we could go get some ice cream at the Parlor.” The Parlor was a small ice cream and sundry shop that catered to both Yankees and the Amish.

  “Oh, Judah. That’s so nice of you. But I already have plans.”

  Plans? With whom?

  “Maybe we can go some other time. You could invite Esther, though. She loves the Parlor’s ice cream.” With that Sarah turned around and left. Although he was disappointed she’d turned him down, he couldn’t help but notice that even her walk was perfect.

  Hmm. Maybe he should ask Esther to go with him to the Parlor. But what would they talk about? Esther was a quiet and shy woman, emphasis on the quiet. Then again, she might know what Sarah was doing tonight. Or if she’s seeing someone. It made his head pound to think about it, but if Sarah was seeing someone else, he needed to size up his competition.