Harvest of Hearts

by Laura Hilton

  His fingers moved to tangle in her hair, and he leaned in, his lips meeting hers.

  Shanna sighed. Home—at last.

  About the Author

  Laura Hilton graduated with a business degree from Ozarka Technical College in Melbourne, Arkansas. A member of the American Christian Fiction Writers, she is a professional book reviewer for the Christian market, with more than a thousand reviews published on the Web.

  A Harvest of Hearts follows Patchwork Dreams in The Amish of Seymour series.

  Laura and her husband, Steve, have five children, whom Laura homeschools. The family makes their home in Arkansas. To learn more about Laura, read her reviews, and find out about her upcoming releases, readers may visit her blog at http://lighthouse-academy.blogspot.com/.

  A Preview of

  Promised to Another

  Book Three in The Amish of Seymour Series

  by Laura V. Hilton

  Coming Soon

  Chapter 1

  May I take you home from the singing?”

  Annie Beiler’s breath hitched, and her gaze shot from the dusty toes of her powder-blue tennis shoes to the drop-dead gorgeous man standing not three feet in front of her. Unfortunately, his tentative smile wasn’t aimed in her direction.

  Nein, Joshua Esh’s hazel eyes were locked on Rachel Lapp. Annie had to admit Rachel was cute, with her strawberry blonde hair and green dress that perfectly matched her eyes.

  Joshua was what her Englisch friends called a “player,” for sure. Everyone talked about how he never took the same girl home from singings twice. And Annie couldn’t help hoping that he would eventually make his way to her.

  Rachel’s face lit up. “Danki, Joshua. I’d love a ride.”

  Annie scowled. If and when he got around to asking her, she’d reject him. Someone should have the willpower to say nein. Just that evening, Rachel had been talking with Annie and some other girls about Joshua’s flirtatious ways. It appeared that she’d merely been jealous since he hadn’t asked to take her home.

  Okay, to be honest, Annie did feel a bit envious, too. Make that more than a bit. And it wasn’t just because of Joshua, although he had played a big part in it. The truth was, none of the buwe who’d come from Pennsylvania in the man swap had ever offered to give her a ride. Not a single one.

  She didn’t consider herself that unfortunate-looking.

  Annie brushed past Joshua and Rachel and left the barn. Immediately, she regretted having gone outside, because she did need to find a way home—unless she rode along with another couple. But she didn’t think she could stand there alone by the barn doors, hopeful, when all the buwe she noticed didn’t seem to know she was alive.

  Like Joshua Esh.

  Especially Joshua Esh.

  Annie kicked a rock and winced when it didn’t budge.

  “Annie? Is that you?” A familiar male came sounded from out of the darkness ahead of her.

  She jumped. She hadn’t expected to hear that voice. Not in a month of singings. She frowned. “Luke?”

  “Jah.” He moved into the circle of light from the lanterns hanging around the barn.

  Annie planted her fists on her hips. She wouldn’t make the mistake of falling for Luke Schwartz twice—not that she’d really fallen for him the first time. It was just that he’d asked. And a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush, right? Okay, she’d realized he wasn’t what she wanted—he wouldn’t make her top-ten list of the dreamiest Amish men—but he was better than nothing. She pulled in a deep breath, steeling herself. “What are you doing here?”

  “Ach, that’s a wonderful way to welcome me. I’ve come home.”

  She stilled, her hope building, despite her internal warnings. “For how long?” She didn’t want to spend her life alone. Didn’t want to rely on the kindness of other couples for rides. Didn’t want to be the only girl left unattached, unaccepted, unwanted.

  Unloved.

  But, then again, she didn’t want to settle for just anyone, either.

  Luke didn’t quite meet her eyes. “You wound me.”

  Ach. Not for gut, then. The pencil fell from behind her ear, and she stooped to pick it up, careful not to glance at him as she rose.

  “Never without that ever-present pencil, I see.”

  She winced, hating that he mocked her. It wasn’t common to take a pencil to singings, she knew, but what if she wanted to write something down? The name of a book she’d like to read, perhaps, or something she wanted to mention to her students the following week. Maybe even the initials of her number one dream guy, who stood somewhere nearby but didn’t pay any attention to her. Who didn’t know she was alive. “Sarcasm doesn’t suit you.”

  He sighed. “May I give you a ride home? Looks like things are breaking up.”

  She took a deep breath. “I’m sorry, but I already have a ride. Maybe another time.”

  Luke laughed. “Right. I heard how popular you are. Having to beat the buwe off with a stick, ain’t so?”

  Annie stiffened. “So, you couldn’t pay rent on that run-down trailer and ran home to your parents, jah?”

  Someone moved up beside her, and she turned her head. Whoever it was didn’t register. What she did notice was that others were gathering around her and Luke, watching their exchange.

  She was in enough trouble already, having nearly gotten dismissed from her teaching post. The school board had permitted her to continue teaching, provided she was put on probation. All she needed was for one of these eavesdroppers to go home and tell his or her folks. She’d be out of a job so fast, a racing horse and buggy wouldn’t be able to keep pace. She searched for something to say, something to defuse the situation.

  Luke’s glance slid from her to whoever had stepped up to offer wordless support. He sneered, then backed up a space. “Well, since you have a ride, I’ll just catch you later, then. Good to see you, Annie.”

  She forced a smile. “Glad you’re back, Luke.”

  He turned and disappeared into the darkness.

  ***

  Joshua stood beside Annie for a moment. Silent. Wishing he could say something to salve the hurt she must feel. He sensed the pain radiating from her as she watched the redheaded man walk away.

  The whole situation confused him. He’d been attracted to Annie the moment he’d met her, but when he’d fished for more information about her, he’d found out she was taken. Off limits. All but engaged to Luke Schwartz, who had vowed to return for her someday. Apparently, that day was now.

  Yet Annie hadn’t been waiting with bated breath.

  Joshua didn’t know exactly what that meant.

  He knew only what he wanted it to mean.

  The crowd around them thinned as the pairs began to make their ways to their buggies. Joshua became conscious of Rachel standing on the other side of him, twisting her apron in her hand while she waited on him to do something. He wasn’t sure what.

  He swallowed the lump in this throat and turned to face the brunette schoolteacher. “Um, Annie. I’m going right past your haus. I can give you a ride, if you’d like.”

  The expression in her dark eyes could have withered a lesser man. “I couldn’t possibly impose on a courting couple.”

  “Ach, you know gut and well Rachel and I aren’t courting.” He couldn’t commit to anyone. Not when his attention had been caught and held by one certain Amish schoolteacher. But he wouldn’t approach her—not until he knew for sure what was happening between her and Luke. Or seeing if he could somehow catch her eye. Choosing a future frau was a serious thing. After all, he’d be spending the rest of his life with her.

  It wasn’t like God would point her out with a bright-neon light, one that he’d be sure to notice in this quiet, rural community. Then again, maybe He had. Joshua had certainly sat up and taken notice of Annie.

  “I’m going right past your haus,” he repeated, tucking his thumbs into his suspenders to keep from reaching out and touching her arm, grasping her hand, or otherwise physica
lly imploring her to just hush up and come along.

  The good Lord certainly hadn’t made Annie Beiler into a submissive maidel. Not like Rachel Lapp, who still stood silently on his other side, waiting for him to finish. She’d probably be a docile, obedient frau. Unfortunately for her, he liked a bit of spunk.

  Spunk was something that Annie Beiler possessed in abundance, if what he’d overheard during the school board meetings was true.

  Ignoring him, Annie turned around and headed for the barn. He watched her go, torn whether to follow or not. Rachel still waited quietly by his side, so he straightened and faced her. “Shall we?”

  She met his gaze, her green eyes wide. “Maybe we should wait to see if Annie needs a ride first. Her sister left with a beau, and her brother isn’t here.” She looked around. “Neither is her best friend.”

  “Jah.” Joshua swallowed, then glanced back at the barn. “I’ll ask again.”

  “Has Luke returned home for gut?” Rachel asked before he’d taken a step.

  Joshua shrugged. “He was at the haus when we came back from church this afternoon, and he said he’d kum home.”

  “Ach, his parents must be so happy.”

  Joshua nodded, but the truth was, he didn’t know. The Schwartzes had both seemed rather skeptical when they’d found Luke on the porch after church. Already, the whole community seemed to know about his homecoming. Who needed a phone when the grapevine was so effective? Annie had looked surprised to see him, however, so perhaps the news hadn’t spread as quickly as Joshua thought.

  “I’ll go see if I can find Annie. Be right back.”

  Rachel smiled. “I’ll wait at your buggy.”

  Joshua gave a brief nod, then headed back inside the lantern-lit barn, where he breathed in the scents of animals, dust, and hay. He skirted the table, still laden with sandwiches, vegetables, and cookies left over from the singing, and walked toward a far corner where he thought he saw a brown dress in the shadows. Annie always wore brown, as if she wanted to go unnoticed. Hidden from view. Invisible.

  Of course, given the recent conflicts with the school board, maybe flying low was the best thing for her.

  With a sigh, Joshua paused, backtracked, and grabbed a couple of peanut butter cookies off the table. Taking a bite of one of the crumbly cookies, he retraced his steps toward the corner where he thought Annie was hiding. He swallowed. “Annie?”

  No answer.

  He rounded a pile of hay bales and saw her, crouched low. “Hey. You’ll never find a ride hiding back here.”

  She jumped up and straightened her shoulders. “I wasn’t hiding. I was….” She looked around and picked up a piece of straw, poking it back into the bale. “Cleaning. They missed this corner.”

  Joshua raised his eyebrows and silently watched her pick up more straw for several moments. Fighting a grin, he leaned against another bale of hay.

  Annie balled her fists and planted them on her hips. “Aren’t you going to go take Rachel home?”

  “It’s more fun watching you pick up straw. And I’m sure the Stoltzfuses will appreciate that you took so much time cleaning this part of their barn. By hand, no less. I’ll be sure to tell Shanna.”

  “You’re insufferable. Nein wonder your community swapped you out.”

  Her comment couldn’t have been farther from the truth, but he didn’t mind. That was just what he wanted everyone to believe—for now, at least. But it didn’t matter. The temptation to grin won out. “Jah. I’ll just be the thorn in your side, here. Now, quit being so stubborn and admit you need a ride home.”

  “I’ll admit nein such thing.”