The Twin Bargain (Love Inspired)

by Lisa Carter

“Speaking of kids? What if... What if I didn’t just change your last name? How do you think the girls would feel about being Lucy and Stella Green?”

  A smile crept across her lovely features. “I think it would be best to let them tell you themselves.”

  Getting out of the booth, she pulled him to his feet and motioned to someone through the window.

  Outside on the sidewalk, Miss IdaLee waved. Miss GeorgeAnne’s face wore a what took you so long expression. His grandmother had a hand on Lucy’s and Stella’s shoulders. Blond hair plaited into braids, they were dressed in identical yellow sundresses.

  He cut his eyes at Amber. “Pretty sure of yourself.”

  “Actually, only sure of my heart.” She bit her lip. “But I hoped. You gave me back my hope, Ethan.”

  Kissing her forehead, he vowed to spend his life making sure her dreams came true.

  He gave her a crooked smile. “Good to know we’ve got the matchmakers’ seal of approval.”

  “Are you kidding?” She nudged him with her hip. “I have it on good authority they’ve already contacted a wedding photographer.”

  He laughed. “Do we get to decide anything?”

  “The wedding date.” She wrapped her arms around his waist. “And how happy we’ll be.”

  “A done deal.” He grinned. “Because we’re going to be very happy.”

  The bell over the door jangled.

  Shooing the twins over the threshold, his grandmother’s gaze cut to him and Amber. “I’m trusting you two can take it from here.”

  Ethan gave a mock sigh. “Other worlds to conquer, eh?”

  Grandma winked at him. “Other matches to make.” The bell jangled once more as she rejoined her friends. Laughing and chatting, the three old ladies headed down the block.

  Hands behind their backs, the girls hunkered inside the door.

  “Lucy? Stella?” He crouched, and they flew into his arms.

  Thank You, God. He glanced at Amber. Thank You for all my girls.

  Wriggling free, Stella thrust a bright blue piece of construction paper in his face. “This is for you.”

  Amber helped Lucy hop onto a stool.

  He examined Stella’s picture. In crayon, she’d drawn six stick figures against a backdrop of wavelike mountain ridges. A lump grew in his throat when he saw what she’d painstakingly written at the bottom.

  MY FAMILY

  BY

  STELLA

  “Me and Lucy.” She pointed out helpfully at the two smallest figures. “Grandpa and Gigi are there.”

  She looked at him from those solemn little eyes of hers. “Here’s Mommy and... Mommy and... Lucy!” Stella hissed. “It’s your turn. Pay attention.”

  Lucy hopped off the stool. “We wuv you, Efan.”

  He gathered both girls close, but Stella blew out an exasperated sigh. “That’s not what you were supposed to say, Lucy. We practiced.”

  Lucy snuggled against him. “I’m too shy, Stehwaa.”

  He bit back a laugh.

  Smiling, Amber shook her head. “Absolutely untrue.”

  “Why do I have to do everything in this family?” Stella captured his face and held it between her hands. “Ethan Todd Green?”

  “Yes, ma’am?” He didn’t have to wonder where she’d learned that—thank you very much, Grandma Hicks.

  “Will you marry our mommy, Ethan, and promise to be our forever daddy?”

  Tears stung his eyes. His Marine buddies wouldn’t have recognized him. The girls—his girls—had turned him into an emotional basket case. And he loved it. Every single minute of it.

  “Stella Bella. Lucy Lou.” He mouthed, I love you, to their mother. Then he hugged the twins tight. “I will.”

  There was nothing he wanted more than to be a forever daddy. A forever husband. And forever home.

  * * *

  If you loved this book,

  be sure to check out Lisa Carter’s

  other heartwarming stories:

  His Secret Daughter

  Hometown Reunion

  The Christmas Baby

  The Bachelor’s Unexpected Family

  The Deputy’s Perfect Match

  Find these and other great reads

  at www.LoveInspired.com

  Keep reading for an excerpt from The Amish Christmas Matchmaker by Vannetta Chapman.

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  Dear Reader,

  Welcome to Truelove, North Carolina—Where True Love Awaits, set in the breathtaking Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina.

  The course of true love doesn’t always run smooth, but never fear. The Truelove Matchmakers will make sure everyone finds their happily-ever-after.

  Amber is afraid that she’s messed up so badly she will never find love again. Yet when she chooses forgiveness, she finds true freedom.

  For Ethan, trust doesn’t come easily, either. Because he finds the courage to open his heart to Lucy and Stella, he and Amber find their happily-ever-after as a family.

  No matter how tragic the past or present, God can take what is broken and make it into something beautiful. He delights in bringing beauty out of brokenness. For truly, God is the happily-ever-after for which we were made.

  I hope you have enjoyed this journey with Amber, Ethan, Lucy and Stella. I would love to hear from you. Email me at lisa@lisacarterauthor.com or visit www.lisacarterauthor.com.

  In His Love,

  Lisa

  We hope you enjoyed this Harlequin Love Inspired story.

  You believe hearts can heal. Love Inspired stories show that faith, forgiveness and hope have the power to lift spirits and change lives—always.

  Enjoy six new stories from Love Inspired every month!

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  The Amish Christmas Matchmaker

  by Vannetta Chapman

  Chapter One

  Annie Kauffmann thought she’d just experienced a perfect day—business had gone well, the fall weather was exquisite and each member of her family was happy and healthy. She leaned her bicycle against the tree in the front yard and ran up the porch steps. Her mother was sitting in a rocker, knitting a baby blanket for her next grandchild. She had twelve and counting. If her mother was sitting, she was knitting—blankets, sweaters, caps and mittens.

  “Gut day?” she asked.

  “Ya.” Annie sank into a rocker, smoothing her apron over her dress and sinking back with a sigh. “I confirmed two more weddings.”

  “Your catering business is growing.”

  “It is. The gut thing about these is one is for December...”

  “Not many winter weddings, so you must be speaking of Widow Schwartz.”

  “The same. The other is for later this month.”

  “You had an opening this month?”

  “Ya, since you
know... Jesse’s was cancelled.”

  “Real shame that Emma changed her mind. I believe she’ll regret that.”

  “Maybe not though, Mamm. Maybe not.”

  Annie was suddenly aware of voices in the house—her father and another man. She peeked out over the porch railing, wondering whose buggy she had missed, but there wasn’t one there.

  “Who is Dat talking to?”

  “I believe his name is Levi.”

  “Levi King?”

  “Nein. Levi Lapp.”

  “I don’t know a Levi Lapp.”

  “He’s new here.”

  “New?”

  “Arrived yesterday.”

  “Did he walk?”

  “I imagine he rode a bus to town, but he walked here today to see your dat.”

  “Who does he know in Goshen?”

  “He’s staying with Simon King.”

  “Is he related to Old Simon?”

  “I’m not sure.”

  Now Annie’s curiosity was thoroughly piqued. “I think I need a glass of lemonade. Can I get you anything?”

  Mamm smiled, not fooled for a minute. “Of course, dear. I would love that.”

  Annie stepped into the coolness of the house. Though it was September, the temperatures had remained warm, and the cool living room was a relief after her bike ride from town. Her father and Levi Lapp were in the kitchen, which would work perfectly. She straightened her apron, made sure her kapp wasn’t askew and walked into the kitchen as if she had no idea she was interrupting.

  She aimed for a casual stride but stumbled when she spied the man in a cowboy hat. A cowboy hat? She shook her head as if that would clear up what she was seeing.

  “Annie. I’m glad you’re home. I want you to meet Levi... Levi Lapp.”

  “Hello.”

  Levi tipped the cowboy hat, revealing blond hair that curled at his collar. “Howdy, ma’am.”

  Howdy, ma’am?

  Had she fallen asleep and landed in a Western? “I’m Annie.”

  “It’s nice to meet you.”

  “And you, as well. I was just fetching two glasses of lemonade. Don’t let me interrupt...”

  “Levi’s from Pennsylvania—the Lancaster Plain community.”

  “Ya? I imagine it’s cooler there.” She didn’t care about the weather in Pennsylvania, but she couldn’t exactly ask about the hat.

  “It was cooler when I left. Now Texas, where I plan to go, is still much warmer. They have days in the eighties right through November.”

  “Texas?” Annie had pulled two glasses from the cabinet. At the mention of Texas she turned toward Levi, holding the glasses and trying to remember what she was going to do with them.

  He wasn’t ugly exactly, only odd looking because of the hat. He seemed to be tall and on the thin side, had a healthy tan and broad shoulders. His blue eyes twinkled as if he understood her confusion and was enjoying it.

  Annie raised her chin a fraction higher. “I wasn’t aware there were Plain communities in Texas.”

  “Oh, ya. There’s one in Beeville, which has been there nearly twenty years. Only a few families, though.”

  “And you’re going there?” It was really none of her business. She placed the glasses on the counter and walked over to the propane-powered refrigerator. Removing the pitcher of lemonade, she held it up, but her dat waved her away, and Levi didn’t seem to notice. A dreamy expression had come over his face. It was as if he’d been transported to another place. She’d seen that look before—usually on a man who was smitten with a girl.

  “Not to Beeville, to Stephenville.”

  “But you said...”

  “There’s no community there now, but there was. It’s where I grew up.”

  “You should hear the stories he tells, Annie.” Her dat leaned back and crossed his arms. “Rolling hills, space for a family to grow, cattle and horses...”

  Now she was noticing the starry look in her dat’s eyes. She’d seen that before. The last time, it was because he was dreaming of moving to a pig farm in Missouri that he’d read about in The Budget.

  So that’s what this was.

  Another one of his daydreams.

  Nothing to worry about there. This Levi fellow would probably be gone by the end of the week.

  “Gut people too,” Levi added. “Texans are quite friendly toward Plain folk.”

  Her dat thumped the table. “Sounds wunderbaar. Just what I’ve been thinking of.”

  Annie didn’t answer that. What was the point? This was the way Dat’s crazy ideas went. By next week he’d have moved on to raising exotic animals or trying a new crop. She loved her dat, loved everything about him, but she’d learned long ago not to worry about his wild ideas. She had a business to run—a thriving wedding-catering business here in Goshen, Indiana. The last thing she needed to concern herself with was pulling up roots and moving to Texas.

  Instead, she poured the lemonade into the glasses, smiled at her dat and the Amish cowboy sitting at their table and said, “I’ll leave you two to your discussion, then. It was nice to meet you, Levi.”

  “And you.”

  He tipped the ridiculous hat again and smiled as if she’d said something witty. Not just a cowboy, but a charming one to boot.

  * * *

  Levi spoke with Alton Kauffmann another fifteen minutes. When his wife, Lily, came in and started making dinner, he knew it was time to go.

  She smiled at him as she pulled what looked like the mixings of a ham casserole from the refrigerator. “It’s nice meeting you, Levi. I hope you’ll come visit again.”

  “Oh, he will,” Alton said. “The bishop has come up with a work schedule for Levi, since he’s new to the area. He’ll be helping me here two afternoons a week—Wednesdays and Fridays.”

  “We’ll expect you to stay for dinner on those days...if you can.”

  “Danki. I appreciate that.”

  Alton said something about checking on the horses, so Levi let himself out the front door. Annie was sitting in one of the rockers, writing in a journal. She didn’t immediately notice him, and so he was able to study her for a minute.

  Young—she couldn’t have been over twenty.

  Pretty—not that he was interested. He was here to recruit families to move to Texas, not court a woman.

  Focused—she still hadn’t looked up.

  Levi cleared his throat. “Pretty place you have here.”

  “Ya, it is.” She finally glanced up. “Danki.”

  “Reminds me a little of Texas, the way the hills stretch out to the west...”

  He could still see it in his mind. He wished he had pictures to show her, but of course being Plain they didn’t usually fool around with cameras, even the ones on cell phones. He had a few Texas magazines that he’d brought with him. He’d have to remember to bring one over the next afternoon when he came to help Alton.

  “You were awfully intent on what you were doing there.” He nodded toward her journal.

  “Oh. I have a catering business...for Plain weddings. I keep all my notes and calendar in here.”

  “That’s interesting. I’ve never met an Amish businesswoman before.”

  “Really? You’ve never purchased something from a local bakery?”

  “Oh, ya. Sure.”

  “Or bought fresh jam?”

  “Peach and strawberry.” He moved to the rocking chair beside her, placed the knitting basket that was in it on the porch floor and sat.

  “All run by women entrepreneurs I would imagine... Plain women entrepreneurs. You can find them in nearly every bakery and fruit stand—not to mention quilt shops and yarn shops. They are also house cleaners and most of our teachers. Schoolhouses aren’t a business, but you get my point.”

  “I do. Obviously, this is a subject
you’ve given a lot of thought.”

  “I have.”

  She raised her chin like she had in the kitchen. It almost made him laugh. She was a spunky one.

  “I’ve offended you, and I’m sorry. It wasn’t my intention.”

  She considered him a minute and then closed her journal. “It’s possible I’m a little sensitive about the topic, being an entrepreneur myself.”

  “So tell me about your business.”

  “Not much to tell. I cater weddings.”

  “I thought...”

  “That the family of the bride cooks the food? Ya. A lot of people think that. But when you consider that most of our weddings have over 400 guests...well, the mothers of the bride and groom have an increasingly difficult time cooking for a gathering of that size.”

  “Maybe they could invite less people.”

  “And put me out of business? No thank you.” Her tone was serious, but she smiled at his joke. “How did you land in Goshen? We’re a good ways from Lancaster, Pennsylvania.”

  Levi didn’t respond immediately because the actual answer was complicated. He certainly didn’t want to go into his family situation with this young woman he’d known less than twenty minutes. And how could he explain how he’d vowed never to return to this area when he was still just a boy? Goshen did not hold good memories for him, but here he was. He decided to go with the simplest, though less complete answer. “My family knows Simon King. He lived with us in Texas, and he’s interested in possibly returning.”

  “Mamm mentioned you were staying with Simon. We call him Old Simon because there are two others in the congregation—Tall Simon and Young Simon. Young Simon is older than Tall Simon but younger than Old Simon.” She laughed and then added, “You know how Plain communities are.”

  “I do, and he’s not that old.”

  “I’m just surprised he’d be interested in moving at his age.”

  “I suppose that since his wife died, he’s a bit lonely. We stayed in contact over the years. When I mentioned that I was raising up a group to start a new community, he was interested.”

  “How many families do you need?”

  “A dozen is the usual number, with at least one church leader.”