by Jo Ann Brown
“Who has been so careful not to let moss grow beneath his boots.”
“You’ve stayed on J.J.’s ranch for years.”
“I’ve worked for him for years, but as soon as the chance came to travel while delivering horses, I jumped at doing it.”
“Of course you did, because you care so much for the horses you train. You were anxious for them to make a gut transition to their new homes.”
Was she right? Could he be unlike his parents? If there was anyone in the whole world he was willing to change for, it’d be Sarah, but to try and fail would hurt her far more. That he was sure of.
The rumble of a big truck came from the long driveway. He prayed it was Summerhays, bringing the family home, but he recognized the powerful engine.
J.J.’s truck!
He lifted his bag.
Her face crumpled, and he realized she’d clung to the hope that he’d stay. He couldn’t speak, because saying goodbye was impossible. Instead, he walked to the truck.
Sarah remained on the porch. He saw her flinch when he closed the passenger door. She waved half-heartedly when J.J. called a greeting before putting the truck into gear.
Toby’s gut told him he was making the biggest mistake of his life, but he knew if he loved Sarah—and he did—he couldn’t take the chance of subjecting her to the miserable life his mamm and he had endured. As the truck drove toward the road, like his daed, he didn’t look back.
Chapter Seventeen
The week before Christmas, the large family room was redecorated in a style approved by the four Summerhays kinder. Unlike the flawless decorating magazine decor that once had seemed to shout “Stay out!” the room reflected—at last—the family who lived there. A huge sectional and chairs, looking well used, were arranged to offer a view of the enormous fieldstone fireplace with its crackling fire and the large flat-screen TV hung next to it. Books and video games were scattered over once pristine coffee tables. Photographs of the kinder were displayed throughout the room.
In one corner in front of a large bay window, a tree from the newly named Kuhns Family’s Christmas Tree Farm held court. It was definitely not a designer tree, because it was covered with handmade ornaments and strings of popcorn and cranberries. Ornaments made of homemade dough were painted with food coloring. Others had been decorated with pasta or glitter. So much silver tinsel covered the tree it was almost impossible to see the greenery. Softly falling snow drifted past the window behind its branches.
From the ceiling, crepe paper in bright shades of red and blue were twisted and draped from each corner to the center of the room. Someone must have found an extra box of Christmas tinsel, because silver strands hung from the garlands to reflect the light from the pair of crystal chandeliers. A big sign hung over the fireplace where a nativity was displayed on the mantel. Both congratulations and graduation had been spelled wrong by the kinder, who’d wielded the bright orange and blue markers and still wore the colors on their hands.
A cut-glass bowl, filled with red punch being kept cold by rainbow sherbet, had been placed beside a sheet cake with the same words on top of it, but correctly spelled. The guests, Englisch and plain, mingled with a sense of familiarity and friendship that grew out of being neighbors and from working together in the Salem volunteer fire department.
Sarah hadn’t expected Mr. and Mrs. Summerhays—or Ian and Jessica, as they’d asked her to call them in the wake of the near disaster—to throw a party for her upon her graduation from her EMT training. They’d insisted it was the least they could do for the woman who’d saved their family. Because Sarah suspected they meant more than when she and Toby had dragged the family members out of the house, she’d acquiesced.
The past three months had brought astounding changes to the Summerhays family and her own. Maybe because her brothers saw her training was as important to their fellow firefighters as to her. They treated her again as an equal in their household, making decisions with her. As for the Summerhays family, many trips had been cancelled so both parents remained at home more. Ian and Jessica seemed amazed at how much they enjoyed their kinder.
Alternating between “thank you” and “danki,” Sarah let the guests know how much she appreciated them coming. She hugged her friends from the Harmony Creek Spinsters’ Club and shared the evening with her fellow graduates from the EMT course. The Summerhays kinder raced about, playing with their plain neighbors. They’d become fast friends since; many of the parents in Harmony Creek Hollow had, with a bit of help from Miriam, changed their minds about the kinder playing together. Ian had invited the scholars to enjoy softball games in his unused pastures.
“Congratulations, Sarah,” she heard yet again. This time from behind her.
Sarah started to turn and respond but couldn’t utter a word as she stared into Toby’s intense blue eyes. She couldn’t mistake them for others. Glancing down, she saw he once again wore cowboy boots, a sure sign his ankle was healed. Snow was melting off the shoulders of his dark coat.
“You’re here!” she whispered.
“I am,” he replied, once again the terse man he’d been when they first met.
Tears rose into her eyes. They splashed along her face as the man who’d filled her dreams even before she met him stood in front of her.
“You’re here for my graduation party?” Even saying the words out loud didn’t make it seem possible that Toby had returned from Texas.
“For that and other things.”
Her battered heart ached as hope died within it again. She’d heard Ian talking about a new horse he was expecting to be delivered. It must have been coming from J.J.’s ranch and, again, Toby had joined his boss in bringing it north. How soon would he be leaving again?
When his broad hand cupped her chin, she was shocked he’d be so brazen in public. It wasn’t the Amish way to show open affection, even when a couple was walking out together.
Then again, Toby Christner was unlike any other Amish man she’d met.
“I had to see you again,” he said, his voice as rough as his skin. “Our farewell felt wrong.”
“And you want to get it right?” She hated her sarcasm, but she was mixed-up. She loved him. If he’d come back to say goodbye again, she wasn’t sure her heart could bear it.
“There are a lot of things I need to get right.” His thumb traced her cheekbone as he tilted her face so she looked into his eyes. They stood that way for a long minute, then he took her hand and led her out of the crowded room and into the entry hall.
Nobody followed them, and he didn’t stop until they entered the fancy room where they’d first waited for Ian to arrive to talk with J.J. He released her hand but didn’t move away from her.
As if there hadn’t been a break in their conversation, he said, “Sarah, you know I’ve spent most of my life avoiding getting involved with people in order to keep from getting hurt. In doing that, I cut myself off from myself, too, to the point I forgot how to laugh until you gave me a reason to again.” He gave her a wry grin. “Does that make sense? It did when I heard it in my head, but saying it out loud...”
“It makes complete sense.” She laced her fingers together in front of her apron to keep from reaching out to put her arms around his shoulders. “Has that changed?”
“Before I answer your question, I think you should ask another one. You haven’t asked me how long I’m staying this time.”
“I don’t want to know that. I’m enjoying the blessing of having you here right now.”
“Ask me.”
“Why? The party—”
“Please, Sarah, ask me.”
Though she had to fight to push each word out, she tried to keep her voice light as she asked, “How long are you going to be here for this time, Toby?”
He took her hands again and laced his fingers through hers. “For the rest of my life.”
&nb
sp; “What?” She was sure she’d heard him wrong.
“Your boss has offered me a job. He advanced me enough money to purchase a few acres along Harmony Creek. I plan to build a house and become a member of the Leit here.”
“You do?” This had to be a dream. The sweetest dream she’d ever had. “J.J.—”
“Is happy because he knows I’ll be here to train the horses he breeds, and he’ll have Summerhays Stables as a customer for years to come.” He drew her to him. Letting her hands go, he slipped his arm around her waist. “Sarah, how can I leave you after you’ve taught me how important it is to be connected to others and to God?” His fingers swept along her cheek again, sending tingles zipping through her. “How can I leave the one I love? We hadn’t even reached the main road before I knew I had to return here to ask you to be my wife.”
“You’ve been gone for three months.”
“I had to follow your advice.” He brushed a strand of hair back toward her kapp. “You told me before I left that I needed to forgive my daed. You were half right. I needed to forgive him and forgive myself. It took me two months to find out where my parents were living.” He shook his head. “Believe it or not, they’ve found a settlement that suits them. It’s not like any plain settlement I’ve ever seen because there’s constant debate about everything, but they love it. When I saw how happy they were, forgiveness came easily.”
She folded his hand between hers and squeezed it. “The Lord has blessed you.”
“He’s blessed all of us. When I finally listened to my daed, I discovered he’d been looking for a place where he thought my mamm and I would be at home. Somehow, he found it for us.” His grin widened. “The day I was ready to leave my parents’ house, Summerhays called with a job offer, and I knew God approved of my plan. Will you marry me this Christmas, Sarah? You’ve made Summerhays and his wife realize they want to be a real family, and you’ve made me realize I want you and me to be a family, too.”
She couldn’t answer because four young voices were shouting, “Toby! It’s Toby!”
The Summerhays kinder poured into the room and rushed to throw their arms around him. Sarah stepped back to give them space. She laughed when they all talked at once, asking questions, telling him about what they’d been doing, urging him to try the cookies they’d baked for the party.
Toby gently peeled Ethan and Mia from his legs and set them back a step. He patted the older two on the shoulders before saying, “I’ve told you a bunch of times that you need to listen and give Sarah a chance to answer before you ask more questions.” The kinder looked puzzled, until he added, “Let’s start by having her answer my question. Will you be my Christmas bride, Sarah?”
Excited squeals came from the youngsters, but Sarah looked only at Toby.
“Ja,” she said, unable to stop the tears tumbling out of her eyes again. “Ja, I want to be your wife. I want us to be a family.” She laughed. “You’ll be my Amish Christmas groom in every meaning of the word.”
“Finally! Someone got it right and knows I’m not a cowboy.” He gave her the grin that caressed her heart, the smile she knew he shared with nobody else.
“I don’t care what you call yourself as long as you’re mine. Frelicher Grischtdaag, Toby.”
He wished her a Merry Christmas, too, before his laughter warmed her lips as he claimed them in a kiss that thrilled her to the tips of her toes.
Shouts of more congratulations drew them apart, and Sarah saw her brothers leading the cheers. She leaned her head on Toby’s shoulder, knowing her most precious dreams were coming true.
* * * * *
If you enjoyed this story,
pick up these other stories from Jo Ann Brown:
Amish Homecoming
An Amish Match
His Amish Sweetheart
An Amish Reunion
A Ready-Made Amish Family
An Amish Proposal
The Amish Suitor
Available now from Love Inspired!
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Keep reading for an excerpt from An Amish Holiday Wedding by Carrie Lighte.
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Dear Reader,
Family...
The most important people in our lives are our families. Some are related by blood. Others come into our lives in different ways. They’re the people who matter the most, the ones we’d risk anything for...and the ones who drive us crazy at times. We get the angriest at our family because what they think and do and feel matter deeply. Like Sarah and Toby, we have to learn to understand and forgive our families, something that can be more difficult than forgiving friends or strangers. We must come to see that what annoys us is coming from a place of love, a place where we are truly blessed.
Visit me at www.joannbrownbooks.com. Look for my next story in the Amish Spinster Club series, coming soon.
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Jo Ann Brown
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An Amish Holiday Wedding
by Carrie Lighte
Chapter One
Faith Yoder secured her shawl tightly around her shoulders, climbed onto the front seat of the bicycle built for two and began pedaling toward Main Street. It wasn’t quite five o’clock in the morning and her brothers hadn’t yet risen to do the milking. Her headlight cast a weak glow, barely illuminating the empty lane in front of her. The rest of Willow Creek, Pennsylvania, was still asleep and the November moon was her only companion.
Or almost her only companion. As she made a wide turn onto the primary stretch of road leading into town, she spied a lone figure lumbering beneath the streetlamp a few yards ahead of her.
“Watch out!” she warned as her downhill momentum propelled her closer.
The man lifted his head but didn’t move from her path, so she quickly swerved onto the shoulder to avoid hitting him. Her front wheel wobbled off the road and into the shallow ditch, causing her to lose her balance.
“My oier!” she shouted and jumped clear of the heavy bicycle, which clattered on its side. The cargo she’d been carrying in a crate strapped onto the backseat—two dozen eggs—smashed against the pavement. “My oier are ruined and now my cupcakes will be, too!”
“You ought to be as concerned about hitting pedestrians as you are about making cupcakes,” the man replied in Pennsilfaanisch Deitsch as he hobbled to where she was searching the ground for any unbroken eggs.
“I didn’t hit you, so you can quit that limping,” she contended and peered at him under the dim circle of light cast by the stre
etlamp.
Although the young man’s hair was mostly hidden by his hat, a few dark brown curls sprang from beneath the brim. He wore no beard, which meant he’d never been married. He was average height, but his shoulders seemed unusually broad beneath his wool coat. She didn’t recognize him as being from Willow Creek. Most Amish women in their district wouldn’t have argued with a stranger on a deserted road in the wee hours of the morning, but Faith Yoder wasn’t most Amish women. Having grown up with six brothers, she knew how to hold her own.
“If you’re so worried about getting hit,” she continued, “you could exercise common sense and walk on the side of the road, not in the middle of the lane.”
The man seemed at a temporary loss for words. He gave her a once-over before replying, “It seems strange you’re lecturing me on common sense, when you’re the one riding a tandem bicycle pell-mell through the pitch-dark with a basket of oier strapped to the backseat. You might consider getting a headlamp.”
“For one thing, it’s not pitch-dark—there’s a full moon out. And for another, I have a headlamp,” Faith retorted, setting her bike upright and extending the kickstand.
But noting the sickly glow waning from the light on her handlebars, she recognized she probably bore the responsibility for their near-collision. Chagrinned, she added, “It does seem I need to replace my battery. I hadn’t noticed. I travel this road so often I probably could make the trip blindfolded. My name is Faith Yoder. What’s yours?”
She couldn’t tell whether it was a smile or a grimace that flickered across the man’s face. “I’m Hunter Schwartz, Ruth Graber’s great-nephew.”
Hunter Schwartz, of course. Faith had heard Hunter was bringing his mother from their home in Parkersville, Indiana, to care for Ruth. The elderly woman had broken her ankle and severely sprained her wrist after falling from a stepladder in the little cannery she owned across the street from Faith’s bakery.
Faith should have recognized Hunter from his childhood visits. If it hadn’t been so dark, she undoubtedly would have spotted the cleft in his chin and remembered his earnest brown eyes. Coupled with a valiant personality, his boyish brawniness had caused many of the young meed to dream of being courted by him the autumn he was sixteen.