She patted his hand as she passed him. “All right, then. I’ll see you boys in a few minutes.”
Ash lifted Levi into his arms and walked to the window, where they could see the preparations taking place in the backyard. “You see those pretty lights over there? We’re having a big party because your mama is getting married.”
Levi pointed. “Mama?”
“Yes, buddy, Mama is right over there getting ready. And we’re going to get ready, too, because today is a big day. We’re going to be a family.”
Levi pointed out the window again. “Mama?”
“That’s right. You and me and Mama. I’m gonna be your dad.” His eyes were stinging with tears.
Levi turned big brown eyes on Ash. “Dad?”
“That’s right.” Ash forced the words over the huge lump in his throat. A tear tracked down his cheek when those little arms latched around his neck. “I’m the luckiest dad in the whole world. Now we better get ready, because Aunt Claire will not be happy if we’re late.”
* * *
Jordan stood at the kitchen door—dressed in a tea-length lace gown and cowboy boots—and watched her best friends walk down the aisle between the chairs on the back lawn. Allison had piled Jordan’s hair on top of her head and Wynn had done her makeup. She’d held their hands as they prayed for her and Ash and their new life, just beginning to unfold.
Someone had taken the swing down and decorated the arch with flowers and twinkle lights. In less than five minutes, she would walk out that door and down the steps and promise that she would love Ash forever. It was fitting that they would get married under the big old oak tree. She prayed that their roots as a couple would grow deep, their arms would stretch wide and their love would cast shade for those who needed it.
With tears in her eyes, Claire handed Jordan a bouquet of hydrangeas and lilies that Bertie had picked in her backyard. She caught her twin in a hug. “I wish Mom was here to see how beautiful you are. I love you.”
“I love you, too.”
“Okay, here I go, before I cry all my mascara off.” Claire walked slowly down the wide steps of the old house and down the aisle, and then it was Jordan’s turn.
Joe offered his arm as Jordan stepped over the threshold. He would walk her down the aisle to give her away.
It was a beautiful night, stars scattered in the vast sky, and below, all the people she loved, gathered to witness the start of a new family.
When she started down the aisle, she saw Ash waiting for her at the altar, Levi held safe in his strong arms. Joy exploded in her chest. They were hers, these two men, beyond all reason and logic.
She realized, finally, that she didn’t have to listen to that voice, the one telling her she didn’t deserve this family, this life. Maybe she and Ash weren’t perfect, but they had each other and they weren’t giving up.
And that was the lesson, she thought, as she stepped into place beside Ash. You didn’t give up. You never gave up. You kept trying and trying until the trying became the joy.
It was the journey that was beautiful, not how it ended.
And she and Ash had a beautiful journey ahead.
* * * * *
If you loved this story,
pick up the other book
in the FAMILY BLESSINGS series,
THE DAD NEXT DOOR
from author Stephanie Dees.
Available now from Love Inspired!
Find more great reads at www.LoveInspired.com
Keep reading for an excerpt from AMISH CHRISTMAS TWINS by Patricia Davids.
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Dear Reader,
I love a good calendar! It’s always a big decision which planner I’ll use for the next year. I replenish my supplies—pens, sticky notes, stickers—and I delight in filling in the little squares with my lists and checking off my daily tasks.
In A Baby for the Doctor, Jordan has plans. She’s busy starting a business. She isn’t prepared for a child in her life and she definitely doesn’t have time for romance! She’s surprised when God leads her to both and struggles to understand His plans for her.
Sometimes I’m like that, too, and I struggle with laying aside my tasks to follow God’s plan. It takes faith to put down the to-do list and step out into the unknown, but it’s when we put aside our agenda and follow God’s that we find true joy and fulfillment.
Thanks for joining me again in Red Hill Springs! I’d love to hear from you! Find me at my website www.stephaniedees.com or on Facebook!
Wishing you all the best,
Steph
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Amish Christmas Twins
by Patricia Davids
Chapter One
John Miller squeezed his eyes shut and braced for the impact of the bus hurtling toward the back of his wagon.
God have mercy on my soul.
A powerful draft knocked his hat from his head as the bus flew around him, missing his wagon by inches. The reckless driver laid on the horn as he swerved back into the proper lane. John’s frightened team of horses shied off the edge of the highway, jolting the wagon and nearly unseating him.
He quickly brought his animals under control and maneuvered his wagon back onto the roadway. It took longer to get his heart out of his throat. When his erratic pulse settled, he picked up his black Amish hat from where it had fallen onto the floorboards and dusted it against his thigh. God must still have a use for me here on earth. I’m sorry, Katie May. One day I will be with you again.
John shook his head when the bus pulled to a stop a few hundred yards down the highway. “Foolish Englischer. In a hurry to get nowhere fast.”
He settled his hat on his head and glanced back at his cargo. Thankfully, the restored antique sleigh carefully wrapped in a heavy tarp hadn’t shifted. He could ill afford another delay in getting it to its new owner.
His entire trip had been one misadventure after another. He’d left home in plenty of time to complete the two-day journey, but a wrong turn in unfamiliar country had taken him five miles out of his way. One of his tie-downs had snapped, forcing him to lose time rigging another. Then a broken wheel had taken three hours to repair, time he didn’t have to spare. This simple trip could end up costing him as much if not more than a hired hauler would have charged and he was already half a day late for his appointment. He hoped his Englisch client was the understanding sort.
Putting his team in motion, John reached the rea
r of the bus before it moved on. According to the directions in the letter from his customer, he needed to turn right at the rural intersection just ahead. He waited for the bus driver to move out of the way. After several minutes, he leaned to the side trying to see what the holdup was. A woman in a red coat with a purple backpack slung over her shoulder finally stepped off with two little children in tow. The bus pulled away, belching black fumes that made his horses snort and toss their heads. He spoke softly to quiet them.
The woman stood at the edge of the highway, looking first north and then south as if expecting someone who hadn’t shown up. The roads were empty in all directions except for the bus traveling away from them. The children, both girls about three years old, were clinging to her legs. One rubbed her eyes, the other cried to be picked up. The family’s clothing and uncovered heads told John they weren’t Amish.
He slapped the reins against his team’s rumps and turned his wagon in front of them, glancing at the woman’s face as he did. She looked worried and worn-out, but she smiled and nodded slightly when she met his gaze.
One of her little girls pointed to his team. “Horsey, Mama. See horsey?”
“I do, sweetheart. They’re lovely horses, aren’t they?” Her smile brightened as she glanced down at her daughter. The love in her eyes shone through her weariness. Why wasn’t anyone here to meet them?
“Horses bad,” the other child said, stepping behind her mother.
The woman dropped to one knee and pulled the child close. “No, they aren’t bad. They may look big and scary, but they won’t hurt you. This man tells them what to do. I’m sure they mind him far better than you mind me sometimes.”
The child muttered something he couldn’t make out, but the young mother laughed softly. It was a sweet sound. “No, precious. They won’t step on you and squish you.”
The child latched on to her mother’s neck and muttered, “I tired. Want to go home now.”
He should keep moving. He’d told his client to expect him four hours ago, but it didn’t feel right to drive away and leave this young mother standing alone out here even if she wasn’t Amish. He pulled the horses to a stop and looked down at her. “Do you need help?”
Detaching the child from her neck, she stood up and smoothed the front of her coat with one hand. As she did, he noticed a bulge at her waist. Was she pregnant?
“I’m trying to get my bearings. I haven’t been out this way in years. Do you know an Amish farmer named Ezekiel Lapp?”
Her voice was soft and low. He heard the weariness underlying her tone. The wind blew a strand of her shoulder-length blond curls across her face. She brushed her hair back and tucked it behind her ear as she looked at him with wide blue eyes.
She was a pretty woman. Her daughters, identical twins by the look of them, were the spitting images of her with blue eyes and curly blond hair. Some man was fortunate to have such handsome children and a lovely wife to come home to at night.
She placed a hand on each little girl’s head in a comforting or perhaps protective gesture, her fingers moving gently through their hair. She raised her chin as she faced him.
The gesture reminded him of his wife, Katie, and sent a painful pang through his chest. Katie used to give him that exact look when she was determined to do things her own way. The woman at the roadside wasn’t physically similar to his wife. She was tiny where Katie had been tall and willowy. She was fair where Katie had been dark, but the two women shared the same stubborn set to their chins and the same determination in their eyes. He smiled in spite of himself.
Katie would have been a good mother, too...if only she had lived.
He shut away his heartbreaking memories. Katie May was gone, their unborn child laid to rest with her. It had been four years since their passing, but his grief was as sharp as if it had been yesterday. Most folks thought he had moved on with his life. He’d tried to, but he couldn’t forgive God or himself for her death.
He looked away from the young woman and her children. “I don’t know him. I’m not from this area.”
Realizing how gruff his voice sounded, he gestured to the tarp on the flatbed wagon behind him. It had taken him eight weeks to restore the sleigh and two days to haul it this far. He was anxious to drop it off and head home. “I’m delivering this sleigh to Melvin Taylor. The directions he sent said he lived four miles south of this intersection. Does that help?”
Her face brightened. “I remember Melvin. He lived a half mile south of Grandfather’s farm. We can find our way now. Thank you. Come on, girls.” She repositioned the backpack on her shoulder and took each girl by the hand as she started down the road.
John didn’t urge his horses to move. A three-and-a-half-mile walk was a lot to ask of such small children, and the woman if she was pregnant. It would be dark before they arrived at their destination. The mid-November day had been pleasant so far, but it would get cold when the sun started to go down.
He didn’t normally concern himself with the affairs of the Englisch, but something about this young woman kept him from driving away. Maybe it was the worry he had glimpsed on her face when he first saw her, or how she spoke so caringly to her girls. Perhaps it was the way she squared her shoulders, looking as if she carried a great weight upon them. He didn’t know what it was, but he couldn’t leave without offering her assistance.
Maybe it was because she reminded him of Katie.
This is foolish. They’ll be fine on their own. An Amish family wouldn’t think twice about walking that far.
However, an Amish mother and her children would be properly dressed with heavy coats and sturdy shoes. The thin white shoes on this woman’s feet didn’t look as if they would last a mile. He sighed heavily and urged his team forward to catch up with her.
He pulled his horses to a halt beside her. “It’s a long walk, frau. I can give you a lift. I’m going in the same direction.”
She stopped walking and eyed him with obvious indecision. “That’s very kind of you, but I don’t want to put you to any trouble.”
“It’s no trouble.” It was, but it would trouble him more to leave her.
“We’ll be fine.” She started walking again.
Stubborn woman. “It will be dark before you get there. The kinder, the children, already look tired.”
She glanced at her girls and then at him. “You’re right, they are tired. It was a long bus ride from...home.” Her gaze slid away from his.
He didn’t care where she was from or why she didn’t want to share that information. The more time he spent reasoning with her, the longer his client would be waiting. He leaned toward her. “Then hand the children up to me and save them a long walk.”
She hesitated, chewing on the corner of her lower lip.
Exasperated, he was ready to leave her and get on with his journey. “You’ll be safe with me, frau, if that is what worries you.”
“That’s exactly what a serial killer would say.”
He scowled at her but noticed the twinkle in her eyes as she tried to hide a smile. “Are you teasing me?”
She grinned. “I was trying to, but I fear I have offended you.”
The Englisch were a strange lot. “I take no offense. Give over your kinder.”
He took each child she lifted to him and settled them on the bench seat, knowing he would likely be sorry for his generosity before long. The children would whine and cry, and the woman would probably talk his ear off. He offered her his hand.
A blush stained her cheeks rosy pink. “I’m not as light as the girls.”
He almost laughed at the absurd notion that she was too heavy to lift. “I can get you up here without undue effort...unless your pockets are full of bricks. Are they?”
A smile twitched at the corner of her lips. “They aren’t, but you may think so.”
Her sweet expression pulled a chuckle from him in return. “I doubt that.”
She slipped her hand in his. Her fingers were soft and dainty compared to his big calloused paw. He’d almost forgotten what it was like to hold a woman’s hand, how it made a man feel strong and protective. Gazing into her upturned face, he was drawn to the humor lingering in her blue eyes. Sunlight glinted on her hair as the breeze tugged at her curls. He easily pulled her up to the wagon seat. The delicate scent of jasmine reached him. Was it her perfume?
Amish women never wore perfume. It was considered worldly to do so and was thus forbidden, but the fragrance of this young woman reminded John of summer evenings spent on his grandmother’s porch as the bees hummed around the hanging plants she had cherished. Perhaps he would buy a plant in the spring to remind him of his grandmother and of this young mother.
He slowly released her hand and forced himself to concentrate on his horses. “Walk on, Jake. Get along, Pete.”
* * *
Willa Chase glanced from under her lashes at the man beside her. Her Amish Good Samaritan had amazing strength. He had lifted her pregnant bulk with one hand as easily as he had lifted her three-year-old daughters. Seated beside him, she felt dwarfed by his size, but, oddly, he didn’t intimidate her. He had spoken gruffly at first, but there was a gentle kindness beneath his teasing that put her at ease.
It was an unusual feeling for her. Before her husband died, he had taught her not to be the trusting sort. Perhaps she’d made an exception because this man was Amish. She had been Amish once, too. A very long time ago. To keep her children safe, she would become Amish again. Then Willa Chase and her daughters would disappear forever.
“I like horsey. Like horsey man,” Lucy said, giving their driver a shy smile.
“Horse bad. Man bad.” Megan glared at him and stuck out her lower lip as if daring him to argue with her.
“No, he isn’t bad, Megan.” Willa slanted a glance at the man beside her. As was typical of married Amish men, he wore a beard but no mustache. “I’m sorry about that, sir.”
A Baby for the Doctor Page 18
