Evelyn looked down at the tea she’d just made him. He hadn’t said he was in a hurry when she’d made it. When he stood, she stood too. “I’ll walk you out.”
When he was gone, Evelyn sat in front of the fire. Marrying Hezekiah seemed the only reasonable choice she could make. He’d shown he was a reliable man and that’s the kind of husband she needed; she was too tired to raise two children on her own.
When Evelyn got into bed that night, she tried to push her worries aside. Surely things would be better when she married Hezekiah. Just like the widow in the bible, she’d taken a step in faith when she’d agreed to marry Hezekiah. In the back of her mind, she heard a tiny voice telling her she was making the same mistake twice. She’d married Amos without loving him and now she was marrying Hezekiah without being in love with him. But if she didn’t marry Hezekiah, what would become of her?
She closed her eyes and prayed. I put my life in your hands, God. I'll trust that you’ll provide for me and my kinner; please help me trust more, and please give me more faith so I can trust you without doubting. Immediately, Evelyn felt better. We don't live in tomorrow we live in today, she reminded herself.
Evelyn slept soundly most of that night. She only had to wake once to feed the baby.
The next morning there was a knock on her door just as she was fixing Martha breakfast. She opened the door expecting to see Sally or Mark at such an early hour.
“Jed!” As soon as she saw him she had a dreadful feeling in the pit of her stomach. She’d made a huge mistake agreeing to marry Hezekiah. She stepped aside to let him in.
“I’m sorry I had to leave so quickly days ago. I called Mary to see how she was and she was in tears. Her parents were trying to make her marry another man, since I had left. I had to go and sort the situation out. In the end, I think disaster was averted.” He looked around and laughed. “Look at you! You look wunderbaar, and Sally tells me you’ve had the boppli.”
“He’s asleep at the moment. He’s a beautiful bu. I called him Nathan.”
“That’s a fine name. I’m anxious to see him.”
Now that he was here, she knew that her heart belonged to him. She would have to tell Hezekiah that she had changed her mind. “Come and sit down on the couch and warm up by the fire.” When they both were seated, she said, “You saved your friend from having to marry someone?”
“Jah, I did. I had a good talk with her parents too, along with Mary. We both told them the truth of how we were pretending there was something between us so Mary wouldn’t feel pressured. I think they understood and they said they would stop trying to marry her off.”
“The truth is always the best.” Now she knew she’d have to tell him that, while he was gone and she didn't think he'd return, she'd agreed to marry Hezekiah. She hoped he’d understand.
“So in the end, the result was good all around. Mary and I don’t have to pretend anymore, and I’ve helped Mary avoid a disastrous marriage.”
“Then you’d agree that marrying the wrong person would be a disaster?”
“Jah it would. That’s why I haven’t married up until now.” He took hold of her hand. “Evelyn, I have something to ask you.”
She stared into his blue eyes, and with him it just felt right.
A knock on the door interrupted them.
“You stay there, I’ll get it.” He opened the door to see Hezekiah.
“Jed! I didn't expect to see you here in this haus.”
“I came to visit Evelyn and the new baby.”
Hezekiah looked over his shoulder at Evelyn seated on the couch. “Have you told him our news, Evelyn?”
This was the worst thing that could’ve happened. All she could do was put both hands to her mouth and stare at the two of them. She was certain Jed had been just about to ask her to marry him. She’d made the biggest mistake of her life agreeing to marry Hezekiah.
When she remained silent, Jed looked back at Hezekiah. “News? What news is that?”
“Evelyn and I are to be married,” Hezekiah announced.
Chapter 19
I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep
that which I have committed unto him against that day.
2 Timothy 1:12
* * *
Jed took a step back. He turned and stared at Evelyn taking a step toward her. “It’s not true, is it?”
Evelyn looked into his eyes feeling as though her heart was breaking into pieces. If only he hadn’t left when he did. Why hadn’t he stayed? Wasn’t she more important than a childhood friend?
“Hezekiah asked me …”
“And you said yes?”
Hezekiah answered for her. “Evelyn has agreed to marry me.”
Jed hadn’t looked at Hezekiah when he’d spoken; his eyes had remained fixed on Evelyn. “Is that why you made that comment to me just now about the wrong person?”
Evelyn frowned as she tried to recall what she’d said. “I’m not certain.” After she spoke Evelyn recalled she had asked him if he would agreed that marrying the wrong person would be a disaster. It was a possibility that Jed thought she was telling him that marrying him would be a disaster. “I wasn’t meaning you,” she finally added.
“Congratulations on your new boppli, Evelyn, and congratulations to both of you on your happy news. Good day to you both.” And with that, he walked straight past Hezekiah and out the door.
Hezekiah sat down next to her. “What was he talking about?”
“I'm not certain; my head is a bit fuzzy—I’ve been so tired since Nathan’s come along.”
“It took Jane months to get back to normal after each birth.”
Evelyn held her head in her hands. What was she going to do? She’d agreed to marry Hezekiah as a way out of her problems, but that was no basis for a marriage. Not the kind of marriage she’d had dreams of, at least. How could she let this kind man down in a gentle way? Even if things with her and Jed would never be the same she knew that she couldn’t marry Hezekiah while she had feelings in her heart for another man.
“We shouldn't marry, Evelyn.”
She looked up at him stunned. “What do you mean?”
“Do you have to ask me that?”
Embarrassment burned her cheeks and she could no longer look at him.
“I can see it all over your face. It's that man, Jed, you care about and not me.”
She looked back at him. “I do care about you, Hezekiah.”
He chuckled. “But not in the same way. It seems you have a great deal of affection for that man and that is why we cannot marry.”
Even though what he said was true, part of her felt it was another rejection— another let down for her — another loss.
“Denke for being so kind understanding. You’re a remarkable man.”
“I'll still be around to help you with anything that needs doing.”
All she wanted to do right now was cry and be alone. She put her hand on her forehead. “I think I need to have a bit of a sleep now. Sally or Mark will drop by later to see if I need anything. They always come by.”
Hezekiah left the house quietly, and then she was alone again.
Why did everything have to be so hard? Evelyn had watched all her older sisters get married, and have children and perfect families. On top of that, her sisters had been in love with their husbands before they’d married. In her heart, she knew that things with Jed would never be the same. As soon as he was gone for a few days, she’d already moved on. How could a man recover from a betrayal like that?
With both Hezekiah and Jed out of her life she had many things to consider. What if she sold the house to Hezekiah? The burned-down house and land in exchange for wiping the debt? It seemed like a good idea if Hezekiah would be agreeable to it.
She hadn't heard Hezekiah leave, so she hurried to the window to see that Hezekiah was only just climbing into his buggy. She opened the door and waved him back.
He headed towar
d her.
“I just had a thought. I don't know if you'll be agreeable to it, but in exchange for my debt to you, would you be willing to have the fire-damaged haus and my vadder-in-law’s land?”
He tipped his hat slightly back on his head to scratch the top of his hairline. “Would you be willing to do that?”
“I figured the land wouldn't be worth much more than that figure.”
“The land could be worth a great deal more than that. I'll look into things and I would be willing to pay you the going rate, less the debt.”
“Denke; that would be a burden taken off my shoulders, but only if it works out for you too.”
He smiled at her, nodded and walked back to his buggy. Evelyn was pleased that he didn’t seem to be holding any resentment toward her. Without the second house, her hopes for an income from it would be gone, but at least it was getting rid of a debt. And she wouldn’t have to worry over what to do with the burned-ßdown house.
She'd been a fool to panic and say she would marry Hezekiah. She’d fallen into the same trap as she had when she agreed to marry Amos—she was marrying out of convenience and desperation—not love. Seeing Jed again had given her strength.
Scratching her stomach, she could feel her nerve-rash coming back. What would Jed think of her now? He would think, you're an opportunistic woman marrying a wealthy man just so he could give you a comfortable lifestyle. She’d ruined things between herself and Jed, and now he’d most likely gone back home. Jed had to have come there to ask her to marry him. What a big fool she’d been.
With God’s strength, she decided she’d make a life for her children and herself. She’d write a list of what was wrong with her house and all her brother-in-laws could do a little bit each to help. Was it pride that had stopped her asking for help in the past? While she was at it, she decided to be on the lookout for ways to help others and not be so consumed with her own problems.
Martha ran to her from the kitchen and climbed on the couch beside her. “Dat gone, Mamm?”
Still not knowing whether she meant her father or Hezekiah, Evelyn smiled and put her arm around her. “He’s gone, Martha. He’s gone home.”
Right then both of them jumped as their front door was flung open. They turned to see Jed.
Chapter 20
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
Psalm 23:4
* * *
“As soon as I got back to Mark’s haus, I knew I had to come back to see you. That comment you made got me thinking. Do you remember what it was?”
Martha ran to him.
Evelyn said, “Excuse me, Jed, for a moment. Martha, come and play with your toys here on the blanket.”
“I want to play with Mr. Esh.”
“Nee! It's adults’ time to talk. You sit down.”
“Okay, Mamm.”
Evelyn looked back at Jed. “We can talk in the kitchen.”
He followed her into the kitchen and, as she picked up the pot, he said, “I don't want tea or anything else. I've come back to make sure that you're not making a big mistake. Will you sit?”
She stared at him, wondering if he traveled around the countryside trying to save women from marrying the wrong men. Was she just a friend to him as Mary was? He’d helped Mary get out of an unsuitable marriage—was he trying to save her from a marriage to Hezekiah?
When she sat down, he cleared his throat, and then said, “Evelyn, I came here earlier today to ask you to marry me.”
She gulped.
“Then I found out you were marrying Hezekiah. Why had you never mentioned that you were involved with the man? With all the time we’d spent together and how things were between us, I thought we had something.”
“I thought so too. Hezekiah asked me all of a sudden.”
“Are you in love with the man?”
She shook her head. “Nee! I'm not!”
“Then, why are you marrying him, Evelyn?”
“I'm not. I told him, or rather, he told me when you left this morning … he said it was clear who I had feelings for and it wasn't him.”
“Did he mean me?”
She laughed. “Jah.”
“So you're not going to marry him?”
“Nee!”
He leaned forward and grabbed her hand. “Evelyn, will you marry me?”
She looked into his eyes and all she could do was nod. She couldn’t speak.
He laughed and wiped a tear from his eye. “Were you ever going to tell me your engagement to Hezekiah was off, or just wait for me to find out for myself?”
“I don't know what I was doing. I’m sorry I agreed to marry Hezekiah—it was thoughtless and silly. I didn’t know you’d be coming back. You just disappeared and it reminded me of Amos.”
“I didn’t mean for that to happen. The last time I saw you I thought you were a little distant with me, and I thought time apart might be good for both of us—I guess that’s why I didn’t tell you I was going.”
“It’s one of those potholes of life we talked about some time ago.”
Jed nodded. “A large one. I’m sorry I did that to you. I never want you to feel like I’ve deserted you. I’ll do my best to make you feel safe.”
“I'm so tired of worrying about things all the time. I’m so tired in general.” Evelyn tried to stop the tears but she couldn’t. A stream of tears flowed down her cheeks.
Jed stood and moved his chair beside hers. He put his arm around her and she rested her head on his shoulder. “I’m here now to take care of you and Martha, and my new son that I haven’t even met yet.”
Evelyn laughed. “Don’t make me wake him. I need a rest.”
“I won’t. I’ve plenty of time.”
She wiped tears from her eyes but stayed resting against his shoulder. “Where will we live?”
“You're not worried about things already are you?” he joked.
She smiled. “I don't care where we live.”
“We can live where ever you want to live. I have a business in Ohio, a lumberyard, but it can run without me and I can live here. I could even open a second one here.” He looked around him at the house. “We can buy a new haus, or make this one bigger.”
She looked into his eyes. “Do you have the money to do that?”
He nodded. “We can rebuild William’s house. I heard about it burning down. I say ‘William’ as if I knew him, but I never knew your vadder-in-law.”
“I have offered Hezekiah that he can buy it to wipe out the debt Amos left.”
“Amos had a debt?”
“He hadn't told me, but he’d been out of work for the past year and regularly borrowed money from Hezekiah, probably so I wouldn't find out he’d lost his job.”
“It's a hard thing for a man to face not being able to provide for his family.”
She looked into his eyes and when he smiled back at her she knew that to start anew she had to tell him all of all her concerns. She sat straight. “I need to tell you some things about the marriage I had with Amos. It wasn't what it seemed to other people.”
“You did tell me you weren't in love with him, and you told me he was away from the house a lot.”
“It was more than that. I just want you to know so you know the things that upset me and things that I might be sensitive about.” She shared with him all the things that had happened—and had not happened—between her and Amos and how he didn't pay her or Martha much attention.
“It won't be like that with us, Evelyn. It won't be like that at all. I've always wanted kinner. And I won't be leaving you to spend my time at another haus.”
She stared into his eyes and knew that it was true.
“If we decide to stay here, I don’t want you to live in this haus anymore, and I prefer you to sell the other house to Hezekiah. I want us to start brand-new with everything.”
“Can we have a house where no spiders can get in?”<
br />
He laughed. “I’ll try everything I can to keep them out, and if one does come in I’ll make certain it’s not in the house very long. How does that sound?”
“That sounds fine to me.” She laughed and rested her head on his shoulder again.
There were still so many unanswered questions—how William’s house had burned down, how Martha would adjust to a new father, and a dozen other things, but wasn’t life always like that? Not knowing everything all at once had caused Evelyn many a nerve-rash. Just like the widow from the Bible, she’d trust. From today, she would choose to trust in God and believe that no matter if things looked bad, God would turn things around—even in the very last hour.
* * *
Who knoweth not in all these that
the hand of the LORD hath wrought this?
Job 12:9
Thank you for reading Amish Widow’s Proposal. I do hope you enjoyed it.
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Blessings,
Samantha Price
The next in the series is:
Book 6 The Pregnant Amish Nanny
She'd do anything to support her child ...
even take a job as a nanny.
When Amish woman, Courtney, is left widowed and expecting a baby, she moves to a larger community in hopes of finding a job and a new life. She is delighted to receive a job as a nanny for a widower, who has three unruly children.
As Courtney's feelings for Aaron develop, what will she do when she discovers another woman is hatching a plot to capture his heart? Is it too soon to love again?
You will love this sweet Amish romance that touches on human frailties balanced with honesty and love.
Amish Widow's Proposal Page 10
