Holding a Tender Heart
Be sure to read Jerry Eicher’s charming first book in
The Beiler Sisters series
Debbie Watson, a young Englisha girl, grew up admiring her Amish friends, the Beiler sisters. As she graduates from college and finds a job, Debbie’s fascination with the Amish life and faith grows. When she asks Bishop Beiler and his wife if they would consider letting her live with them as a boarder, she’s thrilled when they say yes.
Moving into the Amish community, Debbie becomes involved in Amish activities and soon attracts the attention of Paul Wagler, a successful and sought-after bachelor in the community. But she’s drawn to Alvin Knepp, the youngest son of a poor Amish farmer. Would an Amish man consider courting a woman not brought up in the faith? And would the community allow it?
When Verna Beiler’s boyfriend is accused of stealing, will Debbie’s Englisha background be a help or hindrance? As the truth comes out, it turns out one of Debbie’s suitors is also involved…
If you’re one of the myriad Jerry Eicher fans, you’ll love this new series set in Snyder County, Pennsylvania.
HARVEST HOUSE PUBLISHERS
EUGENE, OREGON
Scripture quotations are taken from the King James Version of the Bible.
Cover photos © Chris Garborg; Anastasjia Popova, Peter Wollinga / Bigstock
Cover by Garborg Design Works, Savage, Minnesota
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
SEEING YOUR FACE AGAIN
Copyright © 2014 by Jerry S. Eicher
Published by Harvest House Publishers
Eugene, Oregon 97402
www.harvesthousepublishers.com
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Eicher, Jerry S.
Seeing your face again / Jerry S. Eicher.
pages cm (The Beiler sisters ; book 2)
ISBN 978-0-7369-5513-3 (pbk.)
ISBN 978-0-7369-5514-0 (eBook)
1. Amish—Pennsylvania—Fiction. 2. Man–woman relationships—Fiction. I. Title.
PS3605.I34S44 2014
813’.6—dc23
2013043548
All rights reserved. No part of this electronic publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, digital, photocopy, recording, or any other—without the prior written permission of the publisher. The authorized purchaser has been granted a nontransferable, nonexclusive, and noncommercial right to access and view this electronic publication, and purchaser agrees to do so only in accordance with the terms of use under which it was purchased or transmitted. Participation in or encouragement of piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of author’s and publisher’s rights is strictly prohibited.
Contents
Holding a Tender Heart
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-Two
Chapter Thirty-Three
Chapter Thirty-Four
Chapter Thirty-Five
Chapter Thirty-Six
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Chapter Forty
Chapter Forty-One
Chapter Forty-Two
Discussion Questions
The Beiler Sisters Trilogy
About Jerry Eicher
About the Publisher
Ready to Discover More?
One
It was almost dark as Debbie Watson drove her car down the icy road toward Verna’s house. This visit was overdue, and her friend would be thrilled to see her. Of that, Debbie was sure. At last Sunday’s meeting, Verna had said, “You haven’t been over to the house in a while. Why don’t you stop by sometime?”
“With the weather the way it’s been, I’m just glad if I can get to work and back home in one piece. But I’ll try,” Debbie had said.
Now that Friday had arrived and the weather had cleared, Debbie decided to keep her word, even though the roads were still slippery. It would be good to see Verna again other than on Sundays. Before Verna had married Joe Weaver this past wedding season, Debbie had seen Verna every day at home. Debbie had moved in with the Beilers as a boarder last year. Now Bishop Beiler’s house echoed with women’s voices—the two Beiler girls still at home, Ida and Lois, mingled in with those of their mother, Saloma, and now Debbie. But Verna was happy, so Debbie wouldn’t wish her back home again. Verna and Joe were deeply in love. Debbie could see that every time she saw the couple together. They still had kind looks for each other, undimmed by the passing months. It was a love she hoped to experience with Alvin Knepp someday.
Debbie gripped the steering wheel tighter as she thought of Alvin. He still didn’t pay her much attention, other than an occasional timid smile. But she shouldn’t complain. Especially after the nice talk she had with him at Verna’s wedding. Yah, Alvin was insecure, but beyond that, he was everything Debbie wanted in a husband.
Debbie’s thoughts drifted back to Verna and Joe. If she didn’t miss her guess, Verna was already expecting her first child. Such things weren’t spoken of in the community, but still there were whispers. And then there was Verna’s dreamy look at the Sunday services.
The car slipped a bit to the right on the ice, and Debbie corrected easily, looking ahead for the turn into Verna’s lane. Joe and Verna had a tough time of it only a year ago, but now they had much to be thankful for. During the previous season, their wedding had been called off because Joe had been under a terrible cloud of suspicion. His Englisha girlfriend from his rumspringa days had brought a false accusation against Joe. The girlfriend claimed Joe was involved with her in a burglary ring. Joe had been charged by the police, and a trial date had been set. Only the intervention of a mysterious, last-minute witness had prevented a miscarriage of justice. Debbie was one of the few who knew that the hand of Henry Yoder, a man the Amish ministry had excommunicated for breaking the Ordnung, had helped Joe in the matter. He’d joined a liberal church after leaving the Amish community. A man in that church knew the truth, and Henry had brought it to Debbie’s attention. This man’s testimony exposed the lies of the ex-girlfriend and her accomplice.
So the last wedding season, Verna and Joe had finally married. Verna had been so faithful during that dark time, never wavering in her devotion to Joe in his time of trial. Debbie wondered if she would have done the same. Would she have stood by her man and seen the goodness in him when many others didn’t? She hadn’t been raised Amish, so the trait didn’t come natural to her. It was one of the things that attracted her to these people. She was trying to pract
ice with Alvin the wisdom she’d learned from Verna. Mostly it was the lesson of patience as Alvin continued to work through his fears. At least she hoped that was what was going on with him. He certainly had no misdeeds in his past like Joe Weaver had. The Knepp family was the model of perfection when it came to obedience to the Ordnung. Alvin’s problem was his timidity around Paul Wagler, the man who was still determined to win Debbie’s hand. Alvin couldn’t seem to get past his family’s low reputation among the community and Paul’s well-respected family.
The image of Alvin as a poor farmer didn’t fit her picture of him at all, but everyone had their opinion, she supposed. She used to drive past the Knepp farm before she moved in with the Beilers. She enjoyed catching glimpses of Alvin’s broad shoulders as he worked in the fields. He handled the team of horses with such grace and power. Sometimes he even raised his arm to wave at her, even though he didn’t know her. This was something not every Amish boy would do—pay attention to an Englisha girl while he stayed within the Ordnung rules. But Alvin had, which was one of the reasons she admired him.
Much later she’d learned from Emery, Bishop Beiler and Saloma’s youngest son, that the Knepp family ran one of the worst-kept farms in all of Snyder County. Emery didn’t think Alvin or his older married brothers were to blame. Their father, Edwin, ran things with an iron-but-incompetent hand. The results were disastrous. And keeping the Ordnung rules perfectly didn’t make up for that in the eyes of the community.
Alvin’s father’s farm problems didn’t bother Debbie, but they obviously did Alvin. There was one thing she had on her side. Alvin understood why she was here. When she’d told him, he’d seemed to grasp why she wished to join the Amish community—benefits that included the peaceful lifestyle and the depth of their faith. That was important to her—that Alvin understand her decision to join the community wasn’t based on some spur-of-the-moment emotion. They’d talked about it when they had served as table waiters at Verna’s wedding. She’d motioned toward the women with their kinner by their sides and commented, “I’ve always wanted to be a part of this—ever since I can remember anyway, when I was growing up next door to the Beiler farm.”
“I’m glad to hear that,” Alvin had responded.
Debbie had continued. “Life kind of stalled for me after college. Mom was pushing for me to get out of the house—getting ‘out of the nest,’ she called it. And at my age, I agreed. So I chose to board at the Beilers.”
“I’m sure Bishop Beiler had no problem with that,” Alvin had commented.
Debbie had almost bitten her tongue to keep the words in her mouth. She wanted to tell him that if it hadn’t been for Lois’s ever-present desire to join the Englisha world and Bishop Beiler’s hope that Debbie’s presence might influence Lois for the better, she wouldn’t have gotten in so easily.
“Bishop Beiler had his reasons,” Debbie had said instead.
“What did your mamm think about your move?” Alvin had asked.
Debbie grimaced. “Moving in with Bishop Beiler’s family wasn’t exactly what Mom intended, but it was ‘moving out of the nest,’ so she didn’t fuss too long.”
About that moment, Paul Wagler had sauntered across the lawn, as if he’d accidently passed by on his way to the barn. “Hi, Debbie!” he’d called—even with Alvin right there with her!
Debbie had felt her neck grow warm. Not because she cared for Paul in the least, but because this was an embarrassment. She’d given her assurance to Alvin earlier that Paul meant nothing special to her. Now here he was acting like they were old friends. And she couldn’t be rude to him in public or say what she wanted to—that he leave her alone. Besides, Paul wouldn’t listen anyway. At least he hadn’t so far. Paul was a self-confident man who usually got what he wanted, especially when it came to women. That she didn’t return his affections drove him to try even harder.
“Ignore him,” Debbie had whispered in Alvin’s direction when Paul was out of earshot. But Alvin had noticed her red face, Debbie was certain. And he’d taken a long time to compose himself. She knew that Paul was Alvin’s greatest fear, even worse than his insecurity over his father’s farming reputation. But Alvin had nothing to worry about when it came to Paul. Paul Wagler was like the Englisha boys who used to pursue her—confident, pushy, but with shallow character. She certainly didn’t want Paul as her boyfriend. Ida, the second of the Beiler girls, was the one who had lost her heart to the dashing man. But that was another hopeless match. Paul returned Ida’s affections about as much as Debbie returned Paul’s.
“Ida likes him,” Debbie had said to Alvin that day.
A slight smile had stolen over his face. Alvin knew the impossibility of that matchup. Not that it kept Ida from hoping things would change, especially after Paul had agreed to serve as best man in Verna’s wedding. That temporary match had placed Paul in Ida’s company for the day.
Debbie sighed and held the steering wheel steady as she pulled into Joe and Verna’s driveway. Alvin had left her under the clear impression that afternoon that he would soon ask her for a date one Sunday evening after the hymn singing. But nothing had happened. Maybe he didn’t wish to date an Englisha girl who wasn’t a church member yet? The Ordnung-inclined Knepp family might have such thoughts, Debbie told herself.
Would Alvin’s insecurity put an end to her hopes for a romantic relationship? Would it even shake her determination to join the Amish community? Debbie had always thought it wouldn’t, but with the spring baptismal instruction classes ahead of her, the question stared her in the face. If Alvin wasn’t the only reason she wished to join the Amish, why didn’t she go ahead and join the class? There were many reasons to do so. For one, if she began the instruction classes this spring that would be about the time she’d graduated last year from college. Wouldn’t that be a coincidence—and a fitting one at that?
Thankfully, Joe had cleared the lane of snow all the way from the road to the barn. Debbie pulled beside the barn door and parked. The soft glow of lantern light was visible through the dusty glass. Joe would be about his chores, no doubt. He’d want an early start before the winter’s deep darkness set in.
Later in the evening, after supper, Joe and Verna would sit around the stove to read and spend time together. They lived their lives like the generations of the Amish faithful before them…and would do after them. These were not people tossed about by an ever-changing world. They were anchored in all that was good of the past. They embraced only what they found in the current culture that benefited their families, which was precious little. That was one of the reasons Debbie was here. She wanted this life—not the one she’d grown up in.
Debbie pushed open the car door and stepped out into the snow. True to her expectation, the front door burst open and Verna rushed out onto the porch with a shawl wrapped over her shoulders.
“Stay there!” Debbie called as she motioned with her hand. “I’m coming right in.”
Verna looked like she meant to dash across the snowy lawn to greet her, but apparently she changed her mind.
Debbie hurried up the little pathway Joe had shoveled from the barn to the house.
“Oh, Debbie!” Verna wrapped her in a tight hug. “You’ve come to visit me.”
“I said I’d try.” Debbie laughed. “I wasn’t sure the weather would cooperate.”
“Yah, it’s an extra-bad winter,” Verna said. “Joe struggles to keep our lane open. But it’s gut of you to stop by.” Verna took Debbie’s hand and led her inside. “I’ll have hot chocolate ready for us in a minute. I even have cinnamon rolls I made today. Will you have one?”
“No rolls.” Debbie held up her hand. “I don’t want to spoil the supper I’m sure Lois will have ready at home.”
Verna glowed. “You could stay, you know. I can cook.”
“I’d love that.” Debbie said. “But Lois and the rest of the family are expecting me.” She followed Verna into the kitchen and sat down with a sigh. “You do have it cozy in here.”
; Verna beamed. “It’s comfortable. And we get to enjoy our first winter together, just Joe and me. I can’t tell you how thankful I am for all you did, Debbie. You know Joe and I wouldn’t be together if it hadn’t been for your help.”
Debbie dismissed the praise with a wave. “There were others who helped besides me.”
Verna shook her head. “You always play down your part, Debbie. That last witness was sent from Da Hah, but you were there to help get it through. And your college education didn’t hurt either.”
Debbie shrugged. What Verna said was true, but she didn’t wish to dwell on the subject. She would help where she could, but it was small payment for all that the Beilers had done for her. They’d taken her in as a boarder even if she was Englisha. That wasn’t exactly the accepted norm for the Amish community.
Verna poured steaming water into cups. “How are things at home? Is Lois enjoying having the bedroom to herself?”
“I think so,” Debbie allowed. “I miss sharing a room with her, but it seemed senseless to go on that way, what with your room sitting empty across the hall.”
Verna set the cup in front of Debbie. “Here’s the bowl of cocoa. I’ll let you add what you wish. Some days I like extra in mine.”
Debbie dipped a heaping spoonful of the chocolate into her cup. She stirred it and took the first sip. “Winter makes things both darker and more peaceful, doesn’t it?”
With a pensive look, Verna sat down beside Debbie. “Yah. The land rests in the winter and so does the soul. That’s how Da Hah intended it. The world out there seems to rush through all the seasons, missing so many blessings.”
“Yes, they do, “ Debbie agreed. “Like the Christmas season we’ve just been through. From what I was used to, it was such a change living in the community. Though I did go home to Mom and Dad’s on Christmas morning, it turned out Mom had to work that afternoon. ‘As a favor to a friend,’ she said.”
“Yah, though life lived our way has its costs,” Verna mused. “But in the end it pays back…much more than most people can imagine. Like our quiet evenings together with the farm work finished early. It’s truly a peaceful time, Debbie, with the quiet, snow-covered fields lying outside the living room window. It heals the wounds of last year—some of which I didn’t even know I had.”
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