“I understand your need for independence. Maybe I’ve been a little hard on you these past years. But that’s only because I love you. And maybe a little bit because I need you here in the shop. While they’re helpful, your bruders don’t seem to have the passion that you do when it comes to woodworking.”
“Ben and Abram don’t mind helping out.”
“I know. But you have more ambition.”
Paul let go of his vader’s hand. He blew the sawdust off the tabletop and ran his hand over the smooth cherrywood. “I only want what is best for the family, Daed. I would never leave here.”
“I know. Perhaps I was afraid you’d be snatched up by some Englischer’s company. They pay well from what I hear.”
“I’m doing fine with my own furniture.”
“I’ve been hearing talk of your shop. I was at the general store the other day and Mr. Becker told me your shop is getting a lot of foot traffic.”
“I’ve been keeping busy.”
“The long and short of it is, I’m fine with you having the furniture shop in the village. And I’m fine if you want to have a courtship with Lizzie Miller. Not that it’s my blessing you’ll be needing.”
Paul grinned. “Joseph already gave me his.”
Slapping his hand on the workbench, Vader stood, declaring, “Break time’s over!”
Paul untied his heavy canvas work apron, took it off and hung it on a hook near the entrance. “I’ve got to be heading out for a bit.”
He had one thing on his mind and that was to find his Lizzie and convince her that they belonged together. No matter what the obstacles, together they could overcome anything. Paul didn’t want to waste any more time without her.
Chapter Seventeen
He saw her coming over the rise, her pale blue skirt flapping against her legs. Lizzie was moving at a pretty good clip. Pulling the reins toward him, he rolled the wagon to her, bringing it to a stop along the edge of the road.
“Paul.” She ran up to the wagon, out of breath. “I was coming to find you.”
“On foot?” He jumped from the wagon and reached for her hand.
“Ja. I was going for a walk to think about things...to think about us. And then I saw the Clymer Hill Road church spire. It’s so beautiful today.”
Looking over her head, he saw the church off in the distance. It surely was one of the prettiest places in the area. “Would you like me to take you up there?”
“If you have time.”
He started to say, for her he’d always have time, but Paul was still trying to gauge her mood. Something had changed—that was for sure. When he took her hand to help her up on the wagon bench, she didn’t shy away like he expected her to.
Moving to the middle of the seat, Lizzie smiled at him as he settled in next to her.
“It’s a lovely day for a ride, don’t you think?”
Paul didn’t know what to make of any of this. He knew whatever was going on had to be serious. “Lizzie. I’m not sure what’s going on here.”
“I’ve something to tell you and I need to say it at our special place.”
He led the horse and wagon up the long hill to the church. The wheels rattled over the oil-and-stone roadway. In less than ten minutes they reached the spot. Paul sat in the wagon, staring out at the view, thinking that this was all he’d ever wanted out of his life. His Gott, this bountiful earth’s beauty and Lizzie.
“Do you want to get down?” she asked.
He saw a shadow of worry in her blue eyes. Putting his hand over hers, he said, “Let’s go sit on our bench.”
Together, they sat, looking out over the fields and valley, looking toward the horizon. Their fingers were intertwined. They sat that way for a long time, until their breaths came in unison.
Lizzie broke the silence by saying, “I’ve been very stubborn these past days.”
“I hadn’t noticed,” he teased.
“Ja. I think you did. I had a talk with Mary today. She told me some things I hadn’t considered before.”
“Like?”
“Like the fact that love isn’t easy to come by. But when you find it, you should never let it go.”
Paul stayed quiet while he thought about how to go about thanking Mary.
Keeping her eyes averted, Lizzie continued. “My life has been a struggle. But a lot of that I put on myself. After David died and I woke up in the hospital knowing my face, my life, would never be the same...I found it easier to keep to myself. To keep all my feelings inside. To let very few people get to know me. The one constant I’ve had in my life, other than my family, has been you, Paul. And I almost did the unforgivable. I almost let you go. There’s one more thing I need to tell you.”
Lizzie reached out to take his hand in hers. “Paul. I remember. I remember that last day with David. I don’t think any of what happened was our fault. I was going to the barn to get him. I told him we weren’t supposed to be there. I remember climbing high up those bales of hay. We were almost touching the rafters. And David, he was talking about flying through the air. I saw him jumping from bale to bale, his little body leaping high between each one. I tried to find a foothold on the next bale. And then we were tumbling. I lost sight of David. Then the next thing I remember was waking up in the hospital.”
Paul tried his best to blink back tears.
“I never once thought you were to blame.”
“I know, but for years I blamed myself.”
Gripping his hands, she gazed up at him. Paul saw her hurt, fear and guilt slip away.
She blinked and then gave him a small smile, saying, “I’m ready to let the past go and look to the future.”
He couldn’t imagine his life without her in it. But to hear those words coming from his Lizzie...his heart filled with love.
“Lizzie, never once has my love for you wavered.”
Paul stood, pulling Lizzie up off the bench. They faced each other as a cool breeze swirled around them. He brought her hands to his mouth and kissed them. Then, releasing them, he cupped her beautiful face in his hands. He ran his thumb along the scar. And then lowering his head, he kissed the roughened skin. She tried to pull away, but he held her in his loving hands.
“I love every part of you. From your head to your toes, Elizabeth Miller. I love you.”
“I love you with all my heart and all my soul. With all that I am, Paul Burkholder.”
He kissed her, feeling her love and strength. Releasing her, he turned them to face the horizon.
“I think David would be very happy if he could see us together.”
He held fast to her hand. “I know he would be.”
Gathering her in his arms, he held her tightly. She smelled like sunshine and lemons and love. “Why don’t we go give our families the good news about our courtship.”
Tipping her head back, she looked up at him, and laughter bubbled out of her. “Are we courting?”
He nodded. “Your vader has already given his blessing for our marriage.”
Tears sprang to her eyes. “Oh, my. Then I guess our future has already been decided.” And they couldn’t have been happier.
Epilogue
“Let me see!” Laughter bubbled up out of Lizzie as Paul led her through the door of their new haus.
Shortly after Paul had declared his intentions and acquired his Zeugnis from the church, with Joseph’s blessing, he and Lizzie had gotten married. Lizzie had insisted she only wanted family and close friends at the wedding—not the entire community—which had been fine with Paul. He thought they’d waited long enough.
Paul had finished the dining room table shortly after their wedding. And today he’d be showing his handiwork off to his new wife, who at the moment stood squirming in his arms. Chuckling, he said, “Lizzie, patience is a virtue.”
“Hmm.” She laughed again.
“If I stand perfectly still, can I open my eyes?”
“Yes.”
Making sure she was standing in the right spot, at the head of the table, Paul said, “Okay. Open your eyes.”
She let out a gasp, her eyes widening. “Paul! It’s wunderbar!”
Moving around the table, she took in every inch of his work. The cherrywood top had been a splurge, even though he’d known that pine would be simple and plain, lasting years. Paul had wanted to give his Lizzie something that would last a lifetime. He wanted something that could be passed from generation to generation, long after they were gone to be with Gott.
Lizzie began tipping her head this way and that, and then bent to look underneath the table. He couldn’t imagine what she could be searching for.
“Lizzie?” he questioned her. “Is something wrong?”
“Nee. I’m looking for your mark.”
He walked around the table and joined her at the side. Taking her hand in his, he guided her fingers under the table, until they touched the spot where the small circle lay. Rubbing their fingers over the grooves of the brand, he felt the letters PB.
They sat down on one of the benches that had been a wedding gift from his family. Other than their bed, the dining set was the only furniture in their two-bedroom home.
“I have a gift for you, too.” Lizzie stood and then disappeared into the bedroom. She returned with a flat package.
“Open it.”
Paul tipped his head, giving her a curious look. He tore the tape off the wrapping, lifted the paper away and then gasped when he saw the watercolor.
“I know you loved that barn painting, and I destroyed it. Lucky for both of us, I remembered all the details.”
Running his fingers along the edges of the barnwood frame, he felt at a loss for words.
“Ben did the frame for me,” Lizzie admitted. “I thought we could hang this above the mantel in the living room.”
“I think that would be a fine place. I’m sorry the room is so empty.”
“Paul, I’m not worried about the furniture,” Lizzie assured him as she returned to her place next to him on the bench.
“If I’d had more time before our wedding, I could have made you some more furniture.”
Lizzie pulled him toward her and kissed him soundly on the mouth.
Lifting her head, she said, “It wouldn’t matter to me if our haus were empty, because as long as we are together, these walls will be filled with love.”
* * *
If you loved this story, check out these other books set in Amish country:
The Amish Widower’s Twins by Jo Ann Brown
His Suitable Amish Wife by Rebecca Kertz
A Perfect Amish Match by Vannetta Chapman
Her New Amish Family by Carrie Lighte
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Keep reading for an excerpt from Healing the Cowboy’s Heart by Ruth Logan Herne.
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Dear Reader,
A Love for Lizzie is my debut novel with Love Inspired. As my characters Lizzie and Paul went on a journey, so did I. This was my first time writing an Amish story. I discovered that the Amish community is built on traditions, faith and family. And even though their life is lived simply, the Amish have their share of life’s trials and tribulations. Paul and Lizzie have to overcome many obstacles, including trusting in their faith in God and in each other. Though my book is set in a fictional town called Miller’s Crossing, the actual area is based in beautiful Chautauqua County, also known as the Southern Tier of New York State. As you read this book, imagine rolling hills, dotted with barns and acres of open farmland.
You can learn more about me by visiting my website at www.traceyjlyons.com, or stop by my author page www.Facebook.com/TraceyJLyonsAuthor. I love hearing from my readers. You can contact me at [email protected].
I hope that you enjoy reading Lizzie and Paul’s story as much as I enjoyed writing it.
Welcome to Miller’s Crossing!
Happy Reading,
Tracey
Double Treat Cookies
This recipe makes 8 dozen cookies.
Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup butter (2 sticks) softened
1 cup of granulated sugar,
plus ¼ to ½ cup reserved for shaping
1 cup packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup creamy peanut butter (or for extra crunch you can use 1 cup chunky peanut butter)
1 cup chopped salted peanuts
1 6 ounce package semisweet chocolate chips
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda and salt.
In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter, sugars, eggs and vanilla until fluffy. Then blend in the peanut butter.
Add the dry ingredients to the butter and sugar mixture.
Stir in the chocolate chips and the peanuts.
Shape dough into small balls about 1½ inch in diameter, then place them 3 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets.
Using a glass, dip the bottom in the reserved granulated sugar and flatten each cookie.
Bake until brown, about 8 minutes. Transfer cookies to wire rack for cooling.
These cookies can be stored in a container and will stay fresh for up to five days. You can also use butterscotch chips in place of the semisweet.
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Healing the Cowboy’s Heart
by Ruth Logan Herne
Chapter One
Charlotte Fitzgerald might be a big-animal vet, schooled to remain unemotional when things go bad, but the scene in front of her sent a chill of misgiving through her despite the Idaho midsummer’s day. She was facing seven critically ill horses who had found their way into a paddock adjacent to a well-known riding academy at the height of summer-camp season. On her right were a dozen young steeplechasers, hoping and praying for the stray horses’ survival.
Charlotte had spent a lot of years praying as a child. Wishing her mom hadn’t died shortly after giving birth to her. Hoping her father would become the kind of dad every child wanted and needed.
But her Mama did die and her prayers regarding her father went unanswered. As a result the intuitive horsewoman and veterinary surgeon learned to stand on
her own two feet. For now that was enough.
“That one needs to go down.” Braden Hirsch had been the only local farm-animal vet until Charlotte rolled her mobile-veterinary-clinic van into town less than forty-eight hours before to fulfill the terms of her uncle’s will: if she spends a year helping to keep Pine Ridge Ranch solvent, she would inherit 25 percent of the ranch’s value next summer. She’d give the mixed horse and sheep venture free veterinary care as needed, but right now her focus was here, watching the crusty vet perform a half-hearted medical triage on the depleted animals.
She’d intended to meet Dr. Hirsch later today, a polite gesture. One professional to the other. He was in his sixties, according to the internet, and maybe considering retirement.
Only here they were, caught at a scene of horrific neglect and tragic circumstances, and she was about to make the whole thing worse by disagreeing with him.
He jerked a thumb toward a hobbling chestnut gelding. “Too far gone.” Then he waved to a group of three miserable creatures that were huddled together. “The palomino might have a chance. The rest...” He scowled at the remaining horses, and Charlotte understood his expression.
He wasn’t mad at them.
He was furious that they’d been left to struggle for however long it took to put them in this wretched condition.
“Braden.” The woman who’d called for help kept her voice purposely soft. “You’re going to put six of them down?”
He glared at her, then the horses. “You wanted a professional opinion, Bitsy. You got it. Any idea where they came from?”
She shook her head. “None. Which means they’ve probably been wandering throughout winter, based on the state they’re in. You’d think that with the conditions we’ve had for the last two months, they’d have recovered somewhat, wouldn’t you?”
The veterinarian huffed. “Some are smart enough to do that. Some aren’t. And sometimes it becomes survival of the fittest.”
Survival of the fittest? Char bit back a protest.
A Love for Lizzie Page 16
