Engaged to the Single Mom

by Lee Tobin McClain

  And as they embraced, the sky opened up and a warm, gentle rain started to fall, offering God’s blessing on their new beginning.

  Chapter Fifteen

  “That was awesome, Mom!”

  Angelica turned toward her son’s excited voice, only slightly slowed down by her wedding dress. Pure white. Traditional. What she’d always wanted.

  “What was awesome, honey? The wedding?”

  “No, the ride in a Hummer!”

  Of course, her healthy, normal son had loved their unorthodox ride back from the church more than fidgeting through the wedding ceremony and receiving line.

  Now they were back at the farm for the reception, which Lou Ann had insisted on orchestrating. There were two canopies set up, in case the warm October sunshine turned to rain, and Angelica could smell the good hearty dinner that was on buffet tables for the guests.

  A small wedding, but meaningful. Just what she’d hoped for...and for many years hadn’t dreamed possible for herself.

  Since forgiving Jeremy that day by the side of the road, since feeling the sincerity of Troy’s love and belief in her, she’d felt light enough to fly.

  Gramps hustled over to give her a hug. “Did I tell you how beautiful you look?”

  “About a dozen times, but it’s okay.” She kissed his grizzled cheek. “Thank you for walking me down the aisle. You’ve been wonderful today. I’m so grateful.”

  “Not sure about the rest of those Hintons, but Troy is all right.” Troy had tried to talk Gramps into moving out of the Senior Towers and into the bunkhouse. When Gramps had refused, insisting on staying with his friends, Troy had helped him move into a bigger apartment at the Towers, paying the difference in rent secretly to save the old man’s pride.

  That was part of what she loved about Troy: he was willing to change, to break from the long-held Hinton animosity toward Gramps, to embrace her family with all its flaws.

  Lou Ann had ridden from the church with Troy’s father. As she emerged, radiant in a maroon dress and hat, from Mr. Hinton’s vintage Cadillac, Gramps sniffed. “I’m gonna go over there and make sure he’s not bothering Lou Ann. He always did have a crush on her.”

  People were all arriving now, and Angelica watched Lou Ann rush away from both men with an eye roll, hurrying on to direct the caterers and welcome guests. Angelica hadn’t wanted a big fancy reception, but thanks to Lou Ann, everything was simple and perfect, from the centerpieces—a pretty mix of sunflowers, orange dahlias and autumn leaves—to the bluegrass band strumming lively music.

  “Hey, Mom, look!” Xavier came out of the kennels, his suit knees dusty. “I have a ’prise for you!”

  “You’ll want to watch this,” Troy said, coming up behind her. He wrapped his arms around her middle and she swayed back against him. He made her dizzy...in a good way. A very good way.

  “Mom, pay attention!” Xavier stood frowning, hands on hips.

  Troy chuckled into her ear, and Angelica laughed with self-conscious delight. It amazed her that she could feel so attracted to Troy, that it was easy and good to be close to him. No more cringing, no more fear. She trusted him completely.

  She was getting back the girl she’d been, with God’s help. He truly did make all things new.

  She eased herself over to Troy’s side, where she could breathe a little more easily. “What’s the surprise, sweetie?” she called to her son.

  “Lily’s dressed up for the wedding!” Xavier yelled, so loud that everyone turned to see.

  The rescued pit bull, her collar decorated with yellow roses, emerged from the barn with a line of puppies behind her. Amid the happy murmur of the guests, Xavier’s voice rang out again. “Look what else!”

  He whistled, and Bull came running full tilt from the barn.

  Angelica did a double take. How was Bull moving so fast?

  And then she realized that his back legs were supported by a doggie wheelchair, also decorated with yellow and white flowers. As he zigzagged after Xavier, Angelica pressed her hands to her mouth, amazed.

  “We’ve been practicing with him for a couple of weeks,” Troy said. “Xavier was determined that Bull could come to the wedding and play.”

  And trust Troy to make it happen, to take the time to work with Xavier and the dog and to keep the surprise for her.

  “Come and get it, everyone!” Lou Ann called, and people flowed toward the tables to eat, stopping to greet them on the way. And there were hugs. So many hugs.

  As she and Troy stood there arm in arm, welcoming their guests, Angelica lifted her face to the afternoon sunshine and thanked God for all He’d done for them.

  Xavier barreled up toward them, and at the same time, both Troy and Angelica reached out to hold him. “Our whole family,” Angelica said, rubbing her son’s head, roughened by newly sprouted hair. Joy bubbled up inside her, rich and full and satisfying.

  “Well...” Troy said, sounding guilty.

  “Mom? There’s one other thing. Dad and I have been talking about it.”

  “What?” She stepped out of Troy’s embrace to frown in mock exasperation at her two men. “Are you guys conspiring against me?”

  “What’s ’spiring?”

  “Hatching a secret plan, buddy. And...kinda. Tell her, Zavey.”

  Her son reached out and took one of her hands and one of Troy’s. “I want a little sister.”

  “Oh, Zavey Davey...” She looked up at Troy as her mind flashed back to a family she’d seen in the park. Mom, Dad and two children, one an adorable little girl. She hadn’t thought it was possible God could be so good to her, but now she knew He could.

  The last of her old doubts about the future faded away at the sight of Troy’s smile. “What do you think?”

  “I think it’s a distinct possibility.” He gave her a quick wink and reached out to pull her back into his arms.

  * * * * *

  Keep reading for an excerpt from A WIFE FOR JACOB by Rebecca Kertz.

  Dear Reader,

  Cancer, violent crime, broken relationships... Most of us have been touched by at least one of these difficult challenges. Life in this world isn’t always easy or pretty. Angelica suffered terribly at the hands of her assailant and struggled to care for her son during his illness. But she maintained her faith throughout her struggles, and her hard times were redeemed in her love for Xavier and ultimately in her new family with Troy.

  I’ve faced challenges in my own life and have struggled to understand why God allows us to suffer. We may never fully understand God’s ways. But I’ve learned that walking with God through life’s challenges brings me closer to Him than easy, happy times ever could.

  How fortunate we are to be able to rely on a loving God who helps us cope with and grow through our hard times, and who works all things for good.

  Wishing you peace,

  Lee

  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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  Chapter One

  Lancaster County, Pennsylvania

  The windows were open, allowing the warm breeze of early autumn to flow throughout the two-story farmhouse. Anna Zook sat in the family gathering room, folding laundry from a basket of line-dried clothes. She pulled out her youngest brother Peter’s light blue shirt, held it up for inspection and the
n laid it across the back of the sofa.

  It was quiet. Her mother, Peter and her sister Barbara had taken her grandparents up north to see her grossmudder’s sister, Evie, in New Wilmington, an Amish community north of Pittsburgh. Her older brother Josiah had left early this morning to visit the Amos Kings, most particularly his new sweetheart, Nancy. Dat was making some repairs to the grosseldre’s house while her grandparents were away.

  As she reached into the basket for another garment, Annie glanced at Millie, sleeping on the floor not far from her feet. Every day she thanked the Lord that Dat allowed her to keep her dog inside the house instead of out in the barn where the other animals were kept. In her community, most pets were excluded from homes, but Millie was special, at least to Annie. And her father was kind to understand what Millie meant to her.

  She spread an apron on the cushion beside her, smoothing out the wrinkles before laying it on top of Peter’s shirt. Millie lifted her head and eyed Annie briefly before closing her eyes and lying back down. Annie smiled tenderly at the animal. Millie was a black-and-white mongrel—“mutt” Peter called her—with soulful brown eyes and a mouth that looked as if she were smiling whenever she sat up, panting for a treat. She loved Millie; the dog gave her unconditional affection, following her wherever she went. It had been Millie who had helped her get over the heartache and loss of Jedidiah Lapp. When he’d talked of being friends, she’d known he was telling her that he was no longer interested in her as his sweetheart.

  I’ll not be hurt again, she thought. Only by marrying for practical reasons would she keep her heart safe. I’ll wed a church elder or a widower with children, someone who will appreciate me and be happy to have me as his bride. Then after the wedding, she would learn to become fond of her husband. No handsome young man would hurt her again.

  As she folded pants, socks and undergarments, Annie frowned. Lately, her mother had been hinting that she wasn’t getting any younger. “You should find someone to marry and soon,” Mam had said.

  How could she find someone to marry? Didn’t they have to show an interest in her first? She tried to think of all the older men who were free to marry. Preacher Levi Stoltzfus. Amos King’s brother Ike, newly back in his home community from Indiana, where he’d lived with his wife before she’d passed on.

  Annie loved it in Happiness. Whomever she married must stay here. Charlotte King had married Abram Peachy, their deacon, and she was happy raising Abram’s five children. If I can find someone as nice as Abram, I’ll be content. First respect, then love will follow, a safe kind of love that brings only peace rather than heartbreak.

  She picked up a stack of socks and set them carefully in the laundry basket. Next to the socks, she placed the folded undergarments. Suddenly, Millie rose up on all fours and began to bark fiercely.

  “Millie!” she scolded, startled by her dog’s behavior. “Stop that this minute!” What was bothering her?

  But the dog continued to bark as she scurried toward the window, rose up on her hind legs, propped her front paws on the windowsill and then barked and whined as she peered outside.

  “Girl, what do you see?” Annie frowned as she approached, looking over the dog’s head to search the yard for the cause of the animal’s agitation. And she saw the ladder against the grosseldre’s house leaning crookedly against the gutter. Suddenly apprehensive, Annie searched for her father and then saw him, lying on the ground not far from the base of the ladder.

  “Dat!” She rushed out of the house and ran to him. Millie slipped out behind her, but Annie cared only to get to her father to see if he was all right. Millie hovered nearby, wanting to get close enough to sniff Dat, and Annie had to scold the young dog to stay away.

  “Dat,” Annie breathed as she knelt near his head.

  He groaned. “Annie—” He tried to rise and cried out with pain.

  “Nay,” she said. “Don’t move. We don’t know how badly you’re hurt.”

  Her father lay with his eyes closed, looking paler than she’d ever seen him. “I’ll go for help. Stay where you are.” She leaned closer. “Dat, can you hear me?”

  “Ja,” came his soft whisper, then he grimaced.

  Annie stood, and raced barefoot through the grass and down the dirt drive as fast as she could, her heart thudding, her fear rising with each step. It wasn’t safe to try to move him herself. She had to get help.

  * * *

  “We had a gut morning,” Jacob Lapp said as he steered the family’s horse-driven market wagon from Bird-in-Hand toward home. “Dat will be pleased that we picked up the lumber.”

  “Ja, and Mam will be happy we bought everything on her list and so quickly,” his younger brother Isaac said.

  Jacob flashed him a glance. “You helping Dat with the repairs at Abram’s?”

  “Ja, ’tis why he wanted the lumber this morning. The shed on the deacon’s property has become unsafe. Abram is afraid that one of the children will get hurt.”

  Jacob silently agreed. A building that wasn’t sturdy was an accident waiting to happen. “They’ll have plenty of time to fix the shed today,” he said conversationally. “It’s a gut day to be working outside.” His brothers were handy with tools, expert in construction. Jacob could handle a hammer as well as any of them, but he didn’t want to work in that occupation for a living.

  He sighed. He wanted what his older brothers had: a wife, a home and work that would provide for his family. His older brothers had found their life paths. Noah was an expert cabinetmaker with a thriving business. Jedidiah, his eldest brother, owned a small farm and supplemented his income with construction work when it suited him.

  But me? I help Dat with the farmwork, but I don’t want to be a farmer, nor do I want to work in construction. And I don’t have Noah’s talent for making furniture. He had no idea what his special God-given gifts were, and until he discovered he had any, he’d not be thinking of marrying. He wouldn’t wed until he could provide for a family.

  As he drove down the main road, past Whittier’s Store, and continued on, Jacob pushed those thoughts aside and enjoyed the scenery. The only sounds were the horse’s hooves hitting pavement and the occasional rev of an engine as a car approached and then passed.

  Suddenly, he saw a young Amish woman running barefoot down the road. She stopped and waved at them frantically as they drove past. “Schtupp!”

  Jacob pulled the buggy to the side of the road. Once he’d reined the horse to a halt, he sprang from the vehicle and hurried back to see what was wrong. He recognized the young woman immediately. “Annie!” She was Annie Zook, a friend from childhood and his brother Jed’s former sweetheart.

  Annie hesitated. “Jacob?”

  “Ja.” He studied her with concern. “Annie, is something wrong? Can we help?”

  She glanced from him to Isaac as if she wondered if they could help. “Dat’s hurt!” she exclaimed. “He fell off the roof of my grosseldre’s house!”

  Jacob hid his alarm. “Is he conscious?”

  “Ja,” she cried, “but he’s in pain!”

  “I’ll stay with you,” he told her, “while Isaac goes for help.” Isaac climbed out of the vehicle and approached. Jacob addressed his younger brother, “I’ll drive to the Zooks’, then you take the wagon. Find a phone and call 911.” Isaac nodded, his expression turning anxious before he got back into the vehicle. Jacob helped Annie into the buggy, then he climbed in and took up the leathers. “Yah!” he cried, spurring the horse on.

  The horse’s hooves pounded against the macadam road. Jacob drove down the dirt lane to the Zooks’ farmhouse, hopped out and helped Annie to alight. He turned to his brother. “Hurry, Isaac!” he urged. “Try the Martins or Whittier’s Store.”

  “I will.” Isaac slid over and grabbed the reins. “Don’t worry, Annie. I’ll get help.” Then, he set the mare to a fast pace as he stee
red the animal back to the main road and toward the nearest available phone.

  “Where is your vadder?” Jacob asked.

  “Over here,” she said. He accompanied her past the main house to where her father had fallen.

  Jacob felt his heart beat faster as he saw the ladder, which looked like it would topple over. He noted the danger to Joe, who lay on the ground a few feet away. “Hold on, Joe!” He rushed to move the piece of equipment a safe distance from the dawdi haus before he returned quickly to hunker down near the injured man’s head. “Joe?” he said softly. His fear rose when the man didn’t immediately respond.

  “Dat!” Annie sobbed, clearly terrified. “Dat, open your eyes—say something! Please!” She touched her father’s cheek. “Dat, Jacob Lapp is here. Isaac has gone for help.”

  Joe’s eyelashes fluttered and then opened. “Annie?”

  Annie crouched next to Jacob. “Ja, Dat! Jacob and me. What hurts?”

  “My leg,” he gasped.

  Joe tried to rise, then cried out and reached toward his left leg. Jacob immediately stopped him. “Nay. Don’t move. You could injure yourself more.”

  Joe leaned back and closed his eyes. “Burns,” he whispered. “Feels like fire.”

  “Hold on.” Jacob’s gaze met Annie’s. “An ambulance will be here soon,” he assured her.

  Her blue eyes glistening with tears, she nodded. “I didn’t know what to do.”

  “You did the right thing, leaving him be to get help.” Jacob felt a little catch as he studied her. He’d never seen her looking so vulnerable. He rose to his feet and offered her his hand. She appeared reluctant to take it and rose without help.

  It seemed like forever, but it must have been only ten minutes till they heard the ambulance siren. Jacob managed a smile. “Help has come.”

  “Thanks be to God,” she prayed. He could see that she was trying to pull herself together.