by Marta Perry
Aaron wouldn’t nod agreement, but he felt his expression tighten.
Winfield probably noticed. “So I started with what I knew. The horse had been doped, no question of that. But you weren’t the only one who could have gotten at him.”
“No, I wasn’t.” He kept his voice neutral, but that, after all, was what had stung the most...that the man he’d respected had rushed to judge him without investigating.
“Sorry.” Winfield sent a shamefaced look his way and went back to studying the landscape. “Well, I started asking around, and Joe Miller came to see me. He wasn’t happy, Joe wasn’t. Why would you do that? That’s what he said, and it got me to thinking.”
He hadn’t even considered the question of who the guilty party was. Someone had done it, and it had to be someone with access to Winfield Stables shortly before the race.
“Only one of us who worked there could get in on race day,” Aaron said.
Winfield nodded. “And nobody there had reason to want us to lose, unless they were paid off. So I started looking for someone who had more cash than he should have. Joe helped me.” He grimaced. “It wasn’t hard, not with Pete Foster buying drinks for everyone down at the Rusty Anchor all night, when he usually didn’t have two cents to rub together.”
It fit, now that Aaron thought of it. Foster was one of the few stablemen who didn’t really seem to care all that much for the animals he tended. It was just a job for him, that’s all.
“Did he admit it?”
“Yeah, he did. He folded as soon as the racing commission started asking questions. Ended up with sanctions against Norton Stables and a hefty fine for them. Just wish I thought it would make them act straight from now on.” He shrugged, turning toward Aaron. “So, I’m here to say I’m sorry. That comes first. I acted wrongly toward you, Aaron, and I hope you can forgive me.”
Aaron paused, searching for the anger and resentment he’d had when he got back to Lost Creek. It wasn’t there. Smiling, he held out his hand. “It’s forgotten. We’re okay.”
Winfield shook his hand vigorously, beaming. “I’m glad, mighty glad you see it that way. Now for the rest of it—I want you to come back. Not just as head trainer, but also manager. With a raise, of course.”
Manager of an outfit as big as Winfield Stables—that meant something. It was what he’d wanted, but still, he hesitated.
“I don’t expect your answer now,” Winfield added. “You’ll need time. Take all the time you need.”
“Denke—thank you, I mean. My family... Well, I should talk to them.”
He didn’t quite know why he’d said that, but he realized it was true. He hadn’t talked to anyone when he’d run away, and he’d left a lot of hurt behind. He couldn’t do it that way again.
And there was Sally.
They started slowly back down, the grass brushing against Aaron’s pant legs and the scents of autumn rising from the land. Familiar. Everything about this place was familiar, right down to the blades of grass. The day he came back he’d resented that familiarity. Now...
Now it swept over him in a flood, stopping him in his tracks. He’d left here once, called away by the lure of the unknown. He’d looked for a place for himself out there in the world.
But now he felt a call that went bone-deep, beyond any possibility of question. The land itself called to him. He knew, with a certainty that was beyond words, that what he wanted was here...here in the verdant hills, the fruitful trees and the golden wash of autumn sunlight across the fields.
Here, where he had roots, and where work waited for him that only he could do. Where people loved him and belonged to him.
And Sally. The place where he belonged had been here all along, waiting for him to open his eyes, his ears and his heart to find it. There were no more questions. He was at peace.
* * *
The sun was slipping toward the top of the ridge as Sally walked to the barn. Its slanting rays turned the leaves to brilliant shades of yellow and red where they struck. Even with her heart breaking, she could be thankful for the beauty of the valley where God had placed them.
But in a few minutes, the sun would slide behind the hill and darkness would creep over the valley. The air would grow chilly, and she’d be as cold outside as she was inside.
Sally stepped into the barn, stopping for a moment to let her eyes grow accustomed to the dim light. Star poked his head over the stall and gave a whicker of welcome.
She went to him, patting him and holding out the carrot he expected. “Greedy boy,” she murmured. Her throat tightened. “Ach, I should talk. I’m greedy, too, crying over what I can’t have instead of thanking God for what I do.”
Star moved his head up and down, brushing against her. She’d fancy he agreed with her, but she knew he only wanted his face rubbed. Trying to smile, she complied, and his eyes closed in bliss.
“You’re easily made happy, ain’t so?”
She leaned her forehead against the stall post, holding back the tears that kept threatening to overwhelm her. Strange, that even Elizabeth had seemed to know this wasn’t a time to try and make her feel better.
Instead, she’d given Sally an extra-large serving of potpie and shushed Ben when he started to wonder when Aaron might leave. No question but that she and Elizabeth had reached a new understanding. She just regretted that it had come at the cost of so much pain.
Sally wished she could believe that Aaron’s leaving wasn’t already decided. But when she’d seen the way he’d headed toward the Englischer without a backward glance, she’d known. He’d go back to that other life.
So she would stay here, filling up the hole in her heart with family, faith and the scholars who meant so much to her. It was a good life. A satisfying, useful life. But not the one she’d hoped for.
“Ach, Star, why am I so foolish?”
“What are you feeling foolish about?”
For an instant Sally stared at Star as if the gelding had spoken to her. Then she turned toward the doorway. Aaron stood there, a dark silhouette against the golden light behind him. The moment seemed to freeze into an image that burned into her mind.
Aaron moved toward her, the image becoming reality. He crossed the space between them in a few steps and then stopped an arm’s length away.
“I...I thought you’d gone.” It was all she could manage. She had visualized him on the road back to that other life so clearly that she could barely grasp his presence.
He shook his head. “Winfield is gone. He left after supper.”
“But I thought...” she stammered to a halt. Maybe Aaron had needed time—time to make things right with his family, time to prepare for leaving.
“I would never go away without saying goodbye.” He paused, his gaze on her face. “And I can’t possibly say goodbye.”
The truth began to dawn on her, so longed for that she didn’t dare believe it. “You can’t?”
“I can’t, because I’m not going. This is home.” There was a certainty in his deep voice that she hadn’t heard before. “This is where I belong. I know that now.”
Wait...take it slowly. She had to be sure. He had to be sure. “Are you certain sure of that?”
He smiled, ever so slightly...just a hint of that teasing smile she cherished. “Doubts, Sally? Yah, I’m certain sure.” He reached across the space between them to take her hand, holding it as if it tethered him to this spot. “I didn’t know myself until I had the chance to go back. And then I knew.”
Quick understanding flooded her. “Your boss...your friend...he believes you now. That’s what you wanted.”
“He believes me, yah. It’s like you said—quick to anger, and just as quick to regret. Once he cooled off, he took the time to find the truth. He asked me to come back with a raise and promotion. But I turned it down.”
She could scarcely take a breath. Now
it was his grasp that tethered her.
“It was just like the bishop said. If I waited and listened with an open heart, the Lord would show me what was right.” Aaron’s voice thickened with emotion. “I stood there looking at the farm with his offer in my ears, and all I could hear was the call to stay—as if each separate blade of grass and clump of soil was calling out that here is where I belong.”
Her heart was almost too full for speech. “I...I am happy for you.”
The tug of his hand brought them closer. “Don’t you see? Everything I want is here...including you, if you’ll have me. Will you, Sally?”
She could only look into his eyes, wordless. Her answer must have been written in her face, because he closed the gap between them in a heartbeat, and his lips found hers.
The world closed into the warm, protective, cherishing circle of Aaron’s arms. The kiss spoke of shared love and tenderness. Of commitment. Of belonging to each other as long as life should last.
When their lips parted at last, she felt that everything important had been said between them. And she was sure enough to be willing to tease him, just a little.
“You know what this means, don’t you? You can’t get out of it. You’re going to be kneeling in front of the entire church.”
He dropped a kiss on the tip of her nose. “You’ll enjoy that, won’t you?”
He might mean it lightly, but she realized in that instant that it was even more true than he thought. “Enjoy might not be the right word.” She tilted her face up to his. “Rejoicing would be better. We will all rejoice.”
“Yah, I guess you will.” He almost sounded surprised. “The bishop was right about that, too. He said that part came at the end, not the beginning. I see it now. He knew that once God had His way with me, asking forgiveness and accepting it would be something to look forward to, not to reject.”
She nodded, heart full. “You’re not dreading it any longer?”
“No, never. It was only pride that held me back, always pride.” He seemed to struggle for words. “I understand now. There’s no room for pride in love. I’m sorry it took me so long.”
There was no room for pride in love. It was exactly what she’d learned, too. God had dealt with both of them.
“It was worth it.” She put her palm against his cheek, feeling the connection that flowed back and forth between them, sure and strong. “We still have a lot to look forward to...a whole lifetime of being together.”
He turned his head slightly to press a kiss against her palm. “And a lot for me to make up. I need to court you properly, don’t I?”
“That’s right. Every single step.” Her joy was spilling over, making her want to laugh for sheer pleasure.
His arms tightened around her again. “Then we should start with another kiss, ain’t so?”
Holding him close, she gave herself to the kiss...a kiss that held all the promise of a life together, blessed by God, who had brought them so surely to this moment. They were both home where they belonged.
Epilogue
“You will be next, ain’t so?” Onkel Zeb put a hand on Aaron’s shoulder as they stood together for a moment, out of the crowd of people who packed the Fisher farmhouse to celebrate the marriage of Daniel and Rebecca.
“I will.”
Aaron figured about a dozen people had said that to him in the past hour, and there would be many more before the day was over. Instead of annoying him, it gave him a fresh spurt of joy each time. In a few months, he and Sally would belong to each other in the sight of God and the church.
“A spring wedding will be gut, even if it’s not traditional.” Onkel Zeb set his seal of approval on their plans. “Sally will want to finish out the school year.” He sent a cautious glance toward Aaron. “She will miss her scholars, ain’t so?”
“Yah, she will.” The subject didn’t hold any secrets...he and Sally had discussed it thoroughly. “She hopes...we both hope that we’ll start a family soon, and she’ll have our own kinder to teach and care for. And later, once they’re bigger, she’ll be able to go back to teaching again.”
The custom was that teachers were young, unmarried women, but that was just the way it had been in their district, not the way it must be. And Sally was born to teach.
A small figure hurtled out of the door behind them, almost tripping. Aaron caught Lige before he could go headlong, and set him on his feet.
“Denke, Onkel Aaron.” He said the words with a shy smile. “You’re my onkel now, too, ain’t so?”
“I am, for sure. We are all family now.”
“Yah.” The boy beamed. “I’m glad.” He hurried off again, bound on some errand of his own, most likely.
“Families coming together and new families starting. That’s how life is meant to be.” Onkel Zeb had a satisfied look on his face. “And we will set to rest forever the idea that the King men are unfortunate in love, ain’t so?”
“For sure.” Aaron said the simple words with feeling. To see Daniel and Rebecca claim each other in marriage today had moved his heart. He longed for the moment when he and Sally would be the ones taking that step in the presence of the church.
His gaze, moving across the tables of guests, came to rest on Sally, who was giving some directions to those serving. As if she felt the touch of his look, she turned her head to smile at him. Their eyes met, communicating without a spoken word from across the room.
Onkel Zeb elbowed him. “What are you doing wasting time with me? Go and help your sweetheart.”
“Gut idea,” he said, and slipped through the forest of chairs and tables, narrowly missing a collision with a teenager carrying a laden tray.
Coming to his rescue, Sally caught his hand and led him out a door. He found they were in a short hall between the kitchen and the pantry. Alone in the hall. Taking advantage of the moment, he stole a quick kiss.
Sally looked up at him, her face saucy. “I thought you wanted to see me.”
“I did,” he protested. “I needed a kiss. And maybe, since we’re alone for a moment, a second one.” He suited the action to the words.
After a satisfying moment, Sally reached up to drop a kiss on his chin. “Won’t be long until you’re growing a beard. Sure you won’t miss the clean-shaven look?”
He rubbed his chin. “I think I’ll look wonderful gut with a beard, don’t you?”
“Fishing for a compliment? Yah, I’m so besotted with you that I’d think you looked handsome no matter what.”
“That’s as it should be. After all, I look considerably different now than when you were first promised to me.”
For once he had the satisfaction of seeing Sally at a loss. “Different?” Her face was puzzled.
“You forgot,” he said, shaking his head. “I’m surprised at you. You must have been at least eleven or twelve when I said I’d wait for you to grow up and marry you. Don’t you remember?”
“Teasing again,” she said in her best teacher voice. “The teacher might have to make you stand in the corner.”
“That’s all right.” He snuggled his arms around her. “As long as you’re there with me.”
She responded with the gurgle of laughter he loved, and Aaron’s heart swelled. Little had he known, that day he’d walked down the road with his heart filled with bitterness, just how much joy waited for him here.
This was what their life together would be like—filled with joy and laughter and no doubt their share of sorrow. But whatever the future brought, God would bring them through it together, so long as they were faithful.
* * *
If you enjoyed this story,
don’t miss the previous books in the
Brides of Lost Creek series from Marta Perry:
Second Chance Amish Bride
The Wedding Quilt Bride
And be sure to pick up
&nb
sp; Amish Christmas Blessings
from Love Inspired, featuring Marta Perry’s
The Midwife’s Christmas Surprise
Find more great reads at www.LoveInspired.com
Keep reading for an excerpt from Her Amish Child by Lenora Worth.
Join Harlequin My Rewards today and earn a FREE ebook!
Click here to Join Harlequin My Rewards
http://www.harlequin.com/myrewards.html?mt=loyalty&cmpid=EBOOBPBPA201602010003
Dear Reader,
Welcome to the third book in the Brides of Lost Creek series, The Promised Amish Bride. Sally Stoltzfus was just a child when the neighbor she adored, Aaron King, ran away to the Englisch world. Sally was left with the memory of a lighthearted promise...that when she grew up, Aaron would marry her. When Aaron comes back, life takes unexpected turns for many people in Lost Creek.
I love stories of first loves finding fulfillment, so this story was a joy to write. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. And that you’ll come back again for future stories set in Lost Creek.
Let me know if you enjoy my story. You can find me online at www.martaperry.com, on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/martaperrybooks, or you can email me at [email protected]. I’ll be happy to respond with a signed bookmark and my brochure of Pennsylvania Dutch recipes.
Blessings,
Marta Perry
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!
Connect with us on Harlequin.com for info on our new releases, access to exclusive offers, free online reads and much more!
Harlequin.com/newsletters
Facebook.com/HarlequinBooks
Twitter.com/HarlequinBooks
HarlequinBlog.com
Join Harlequin My Rewards and reward the book lover in you!
