Love Inspired December 2014 - Box Set 1 of 2: A Rancher for ChristmasHer Montana ChristmasAn Amish Christmas JourneyYuletide Baby

by Brenda Minton

  “Don’t worry about the money. I’m just glad that I’m able to help. Unlike some people,” she glanced over her shoulder at her uncle.

  “Don’t be too hard on him. Not everyone believes we have a responsibility to care for all God’s creatures.”

  “But you do.” She looked at him and saw only sincerity and kindness in his face. He had a nice face. The planes and angles of it gave him a rugged look, but they softened when he smiled and his smile reached his eyes, making them sparkle.

  He said, “I like animals. Dogs, cats, horses, cows.”

  “Sheep?” she asked.

  “I don’t know any sheep personally, but I’m sure I would find something to like about them. They look…fluffy.”

  “Only until they are sheared. Then they look naked and embarrassed.” She pressed her hand to her mouth as heat rose in her face. Why had she said that?

  He chuckled. “You seem to know your sheep well.”

  She giggled at her own foolishness. “I live with my grandfather. He raises them. Spend ten minutes with him and his hired man, Carl, and you will learn far more about sheep that you ever thought possible.”

  “Do sheep get along with cats?” He took a step closer and leaned one shoulder against the wall. His nearness sent a wave of awareness shooting along her nerve endings. She was stunned by a compelling urge to move closer to him, too.

  She didn’t, but she wanted to. Looking down to hide that longing, she said, “As far as I know. I am a little concerned about our dog, Duncan. He’s not a cat lover.”

  “Maybe he’ll make an exception for a cat named Christmas.” The sweet, low timbre of his voice sent her pulse racing.

  “Perhaps he will.” She tried to get a grip on her runaway emotions. He was making polite conversation and nothing more. What was wrong with her? She wasn’t the kind of woman to get silly over a man. She was practical and levelheaded. So why did she feel giddy and happy when he was close?

  She stole a sidelong glance at him and found him regarding her intently.

  What was he thinking? Did he find her attractive?

  Foolish thought. She glanced away and saw her uncle watching them with a sour look on his face. Instantly, she was back in his house, hearing his angry voice belittle her attempts to gain his affection. Anger rose up to choke her. Shame burned like acid in her stomach.

  Toby said, “I’m grateful that you have been kind to my sister and I wanted to thank you for that. Having you along is making this trip much easier on her.”

  Greta gripped her hands together. If he knew the kind of person she was underneath the calm face she wore, he wouldn’t want his sister having anything to do with her.

  *

  Toby wanted to see Greta smile again. There was something about the gleam in her eyes and the delicate curve of her lips that warmed him and made him smile in return. There hadn’t been much happiness in his life in the past two months, but this woman gave him hope. Hope that he and his sister could find their way back to each other. Greta seemed to be the oil that calmed their troubled waters. Marianne responded to her in a way she hadn’t responded to the nurses or therapists she had seen in the hospital.

  Maybe he was being ridiculous. He’d known Greta for less than two hours, but somehow it felt as if he had known her for a very long time. Tomorrow, they would part company. It saddened him to think he would never see her again.

  “What’s wrong?” she asked.

  She read him too easily. “I was thinking that it’s a shame our journey will be over so soon.”

  A hint of color rose in her cheeks. She focused her gaze out the window. “It has been interesting.”

  “Much more interesting than I thought it would be.”

  “What’s taking that doctor so long?” Morris asked, shifting in his chair and drawing Toby’s attention.

  Marianne came to stand in front of him and held out a newspaper. “Would you like something to read?”

  “There’s nothing else to do.” He took it from her.

  “Du bishcht wilkumm,” she whispered primly and sat in the chair beside him.

  Toby shot a quick grin at Greta and kept his voice low. “That’s the first time I’ve heard you’re welcome sound like a reprimand.”

  Morris scowled at Marianne but nodded once. “Danki.”

  “At least she got him to say thank you. That’s more than I have ever done.” The chill in Greta’s tone smothered Toby’s mirth and caused him to look at her closely.

  All sign of emotion had vanished from her face. Whatever was wrong between Greta and her uncle, it wasn’t as simple as a grumpy elder making travel difficult.

  She abruptly headed for the door. “I need some air.”

  Chapter Seven

  Toby started to follow Greta. He wanted to know what was wrong, wanted to help if he could. He opened the door, but Marianne shot out of her chair and rushed to his side, her eyes wide with fright as she clutched his arm. “Where are you going?”

  Toby had his own troubles to deal with. He should be concentrating on his sister and not on a woman he’d just met. “No place. I was looking for our van, but Arles isn’t back yet.”

  As he watched Greta walk out to the road, he knew he was kidding himself. He couldn’t ignore her even if he tried. Something about her touched him in a way no other woman had.

  Tomorrow she will vanish from my life and there’s nothing I can do about it. We live hundreds of miles apart. How would I see her? There could be someone special in her life already. This is crazy.

  Sighing heavily, he closed the door and led Marianne back to her seat. She hung on to his arm until he sat down, her worried eyes glued to his face. He tried to soothe her. “I know Aenti Linda doesn’t like dogs, but I wonder if she likes cats?”

  Marianne relaxed and smiled slightly. “She had one named Boots…when she and Mamm were little.”

  “Did she? I never knew that.”

  “Mamm told me. Boots was yellow with white paws.”

  Morris rattled his paper as he turned the page. “They shouldn’t be made into pets. God created them to catch vermin.”

  “Mamm said Boots caught lots of mice.”

  Morris huffed his displeasure and raised the paper to hide behind. Toby wondered if he could pry a little more information about Greta from her uncle. “I heard Arles say you and your niece are going to Hope Springs. Where is that exactly?”

  “Between Millersburg and Sugarcreek in Holmes County.”

  “Greta mentioned she had sisters. How many are there?”

  Morris folded his paper and glared at Toby. “I have four ungrateful, spiteful nieces. It’s a blessing that my brother is gone. To see his daughters turn their back on their family the way they did would have broken his heart. Greta is a shrew.”

  Toby was taken aback by the harshness of his words. “I’m sorry to hear that. Greta seems like a nice woman.”

  “Proverbs 31:30. ‘Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised.’ I tried to teach her to fear the Lord, but she did not listen. Do not be fooled by her. Do not believe what she says about me.”

  Toby fell silent, reluctant to listen to anything else Morris had to say, but the old man’s words confirmed Toby’s earlier feeling. There was more wrong between Greta and her uncle than met the eye.

  Marianne tugged on Toby’s sleeve. He leaned down to hear her weak whisper, “Greta is nice. I like her.”

  “I like her, too. You should rest your voice now,” he said softly.

  She nodded. He sat back and stared at the door, waiting for Greta to return. Everything happened for a reason. Everything was part of God’s plan. He had a purpose in sending the cat to them. There was a reason Toby and his sister had been chosen to share a ride with Greta and her uncle. Perhaps somehow they were meant to help each other. He prayed that was true.

  *

  Greta walked along the narrow roadway in front of the animal clinic with her eyes downcast
and her hands clenched. She prayed for patience. She prayed for strength. She prayed to hold forgiveness in her heart. It was wrong to stay angry and bitter. She knew that. Her inability to find true forgiveness for her uncle’s transgressions made her unworthy to be a member of the Amish faith. One more thing her uncle had taken from her.

  No, she couldn’t think that way.

  If only her sisters were here to counsel her. She needed them now as she had always needed them. Their loving presence in her life was a true gift from God. Without each other, she had no idea how they would have endured life with their uncle.

  She stopped and raised her face to the sky. “I thank You for Your mercy, Lord. Please help me. Curb my tongue so I don’t say spiteful things to him. Make me remember that he is ill and alone. Let me find the compassion to make his final days comfortable. You alone are the judge of mankind, for only You can see into our hearts. I don’t want to harbor this ill will inside me, Lord. Cast it out. Please, cast it out.”

  Praying eased her agitation and helped her regain a measure of calm. She needed to remember that she was never alone. God was with her, watching her, holding her up as she dealt with every trial in her life, not just her uncle.

  Although her faith in God had wavered during her years with Morris, the past few months in her grandfather’s loving home, and her acceptance by the caring community of Hope Springs, had restored and strengthened that faith. She would not doubt again, no matter how difficult life became.

  Turning around in the road, she walked back the way she had come with renewed resolve. No matter what her uncle said or did, she would turn the other cheek and give him the care he needed, even if she couldn’t do it with a glad heart.

  On her walk back, she noticed the Christmas decorations on the houses and lawns along the road that she had been too upset to see before. A huge blow-up snowman and an equally large Santa adorned one yard while a second house had only a row of red lights around the porch. She and her sisters had enjoyed the few times they were allowed to go into town during the Christmas season. The lights and decorations were pretty, but they didn’t hold the true meaning of the season. This year, she would try hard to make her heart worthy of the gift God had given the world on that first Christmas Day. His only Son.

  She reached the clinic just as the van returned. Arles got out and gave her a big smile. “Grandma Coblentz was sure happy to see her grandkids. It’s the best part of my job, bringing families together. I like it when it’s for weddings and Christmas, but I don’t much care for carrying folks to funerals. Still, even death has its place in our lives. It brings us together, too. How is that poor cat?”

  “The vet was still working on her when I stepped out.”

  “I hope we can get going soon. The weather report is calling for central Ohio to get heavy snow. It could be a humdinger of a storm. I’d sure like to stay ahead of it.” He held open the clinic door and she walked in.

  Just as they entered, the vet came out carrying a cardboard box with rows of round holes along the sides. She set the container on the chair beside Marianne and opened the top. Everyone but Morris crowded around to look.

  Christmas lay curled up sleeping. The cat had a bandage around her head that left her good ear protruding through a slit in the material. The side of her neck had been shaved. A half dozen dark stitches were visible in the pink skin.

  The vet held out a bottle of pills to Greta. “I’ve given her some sedation. She should sleep for a while. When she wakes up, I want you to give her one of these three times a day. It’s an antibiotic. Keep the stitches clean and dry. Watch for signs of infection. If she starts scratching at it, cover it with a dressing. I gave her a flea treatment, too. She needed it. Give her water, but don’t give her any food for a few hours. Do you have anything to feed her?”

  Greta shook her head. The doctor left the room and returned with a second cardboard pet carrier. “I’ve put some kitty litter and a couple of pouches of cat food in here. It should be enough to last a few days. I think she’ll be fine.”

  “Never seen a cat wearing a bonnet before. She looks almost Amish,” Arles said with a chuckle.

  Greta had to admit he was right. The only thing the cat’s head covering was missing to make it more bonnetlike was the ribbons. After settling the bill, Greta handed the box to Marianne. It looked for a moment as if the girl would refuse to carry it, but the cat meowed pitifully from inside.

  Marianne took the box and set it on the floor. She opened the top. Reaching in, she petted the cat. “It’s okay. Go back to sleep.”

  Arles said, “We should get on the road if we are going to make Upper Sandusky before dark. We’ll stop briefly in Beaverdam for Mr. Barkman to take his walk. Hopefully, we won’t have any more delays.”

  “Just a minute.” The vet left the room and returned a few moments later with a pink cord and a small pink dog harness in her hand. “You will have to keep her on a leash when you let her out so she doesn’t run off. Someone left these here. You can have them. No charge. This way you won’t have to put a collar over those stitches.”

  “That’s very kind of you,” Greta said.

  “It was good of you to take care of this poor little stray. I’m sure her former mistress is looking down and smiling to know that her companion has found a new family.”

  Toby picked up the pet carriers and they all went out to the van. Without the Coblentz family taking up most of the seats, it was much roomier. Morris climbed in first. Marianne sat behind him in the second row. She looked at Toby. “Can Christmas sit with me?”

  “Sure.” He put the cat on the seat beside her and the box with the supplies on the floor.

  He stepped aside as Greta got in. She paused beside the seat behind Marianne, but decided to go all the way to the back so Toby could sit behind his sister. She was surprised when he came and sat down with her.

  “Do you mind?” he asked.

  Chapter Eight

  He wants to sit with me.

  A flush of pleasure made Greta smile and look down. Hopefully, he wouldn’t notice she was blushing. She felt like a schoolgirl again. “I don’t mind at all.”

  “Did your walk help?”

  She glanced at him sharply. “It did.”

  “Goot. Want to talk about it?”

  It was tempting but she shook her head.

  “And here I expected to be entertained by your nonstop chatter.” His teasing tone pulled a reluctant smile from her.

  “If you want nonstop chatter, I suggest you start talking.”

  “I guess I’m not in the mood for it, after all.” He stifled a yawn.

  “You can sleep. It won’t bother me.”

  “Are you trying to tell me I look tired?”

  She tipped her head to regard him closely. “Tired? Nee. Haggard to the point of collapse. Ja.”

  He chuckled again. “Sadly, that is a fair assessment.”

  “Shall I move up to another seat so you can stretch out?”

  He settled lower, leaned his head back and closed his eyes. “I think I have forgotten how to sleep lying down. It’s been so long. I just need to close my eyes for a minute. I hope Marianne isn’t overdoing it. I worry about her. She doesn’t have much strength.”

  “You stayed with your sister while she was in the hospital?”

  “I had to. She got very upset if I wasn’t there. There wasn’t anyone else to stay with her. We hadn’t yet settled into a community here or joined a new church. A few of my friends came at first, but the hospital would only allow family members into the burn unit. Our aunt wanted to come, but she has a big family to care for, and I knew it would be a hardship for her. In retrospect, I should have accepted her offer.”

  “Do you do that often?” Greta asked.

  He opened his eyes and frowned. “Do I do what?”

  “Refuse help when you need it?”

  He gave her a wry smile. “Am I guilty of being prideful? I have been, but I’m learning that I can’t do every
thing.”

  Greta gathered her things. “Then stretch out on this bench and take a nap. I will keep an eye on your sister and wake you if she needs anything.”

  He nodded his consent. Greta moved up to one of the single seats where she could keep an eye on Marianne and on Toby. He folded his long legs on the seat and pillowed his head on his coat. It wasn’t long before his breathing became deep and even and she knew he was asleep.

  She had never watched a man sleeping before. At least no one younger than the elders who sometimes nodded off during the long church services. The lines of strain around Toby’s eyes touched a chord within her. She wanted to see them soothed away.

  They didn’t detract from his good looks. At leisure to study him, Greta assessed his features one by one, trying to decide why she was so attracted to him. He had a strong square jaw and lean cheeks with high cheekbones. His nose was a little too prominent, but added to the whole, it fit him. She decided his mouth was his best feature. His lips were perfectly shaped, not too full, not too thin, and they curved easily into a friendly smile. Yes, she liked his smile the best. And the small dimple it revealed in his left cheek.

  His dark brown hair was fine and straight, but it was cut shorter than the traditional Amish bowl-style. Young men during their rumspringa, the years when they were free to try English ways and decide if they wanted to remain Amish, often adopted English hairstyles. There was nothing remotely English about his clothing. He wore dark, homemade pants, a pale blue shirt and black suspenders. Had he left his rumspringa behind or was he only dressing Amish because he was going to visit his Amish family?

  Greta realized there was a lot about this young man that intrigued her, but it was unlikely that she would learn much on this short trip. She glanced toward his sister. Marianne was napping, too. She had wedged herself into the corner of the seat. Her head rested against the window glass.

  Greta took off her coat and folded it into a bundle. Slipping in next to the child, Greta eased her coat beneath the girl’s cheek without waking her. She glanced over the seat back at her uncle. He had assumed the same position. She seemed to be the only one who couldn’t sleep.