Amish Harvest, COMPLETE SERIES: Amish Novella
Page 1
An Amish Harvest
COMPLETE SERIES
Samantha Jillian Bayarr
Copyright © 2014 by Samantha Jillian Bayarr
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form either written or electronically without the express permission of the author or publisher.
This novel is a work of fiction. Names, characters, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination, and are therefore used fictitiously. Any similarity or resemblance to actual persons; living or dead, places or events is purely coincidental and beyond the intent of the author or publisher.
All brand names or product names mentioned in this book are trademarks, registered trademarks, or trade names, and are the sole ownership of their respective holders. Livingston Hall Publishers is not associated with any products or brands named in this book
Other Titles by Samantha Bayarr
Jacob's Daughter Amish Series
Jacob's Daughter
Amish Winter Wonderland
Under the Mulberry Tree
Amish Winter of Promises
Chasing Fireflies
Amish Summer of Courage
Under the Harvest Moon
Amish Brides of Willow Creek Series
Amish Brides of Willow Creek: Sibling Rivalry: Book One
Amish Brides of Willow Creek: Second Chances: Book Two
Amish Brides of Willow Creek: Sweet Nothings: Book Three
Amish Brides of Willow Creek: Snowflake Bride: Christmas Edition
Amish Brides of Willow Creek: Songbird Melody: Book Five
Amish Brides of Willow Creek: Sophie’s Honor: Book Six
Amish Brides of Willow Creek: Sugar & Spice: Book Seven
Amish Collections
An Amish Christmas Wish
Amish White Christmas
An Amish Courtship: Complete Series
Amish Harvest: Complete Series
Amish Love Letters
LWF Amish Series
Little Wild Flower: Book One
Little Wild Flower: Book Two
The Taming of a Wild Flower: Book Three
Little Wild Flower in Bloom
Little Wild Flower's Journey
The Quilter’s Son series
The Quilter's Son: Book One: Liam's Choice
The Quilter's Son: Book Two: Lydia's Heart
The Quilter's Son: Book Three: Nathan's Apprentice
The Quilter’s Son: Book Four: Maddie’s Quilt
The Quilter’s Son: Book Five: Nellie’s Legacy
The Quilter’s Son: Book Six: Ethan’s Pride
Christian Romance
Milk Maid in Heaven
The Anniversary
A Sheriff's Legacy: Book One (Historical)
Preacher Outlaw: Book Two (Historical)
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER 1
CHAPTER 2
CHAPTER 3
CHAPTER 4
CHAPTER 5
CHAPTER 6
CHAPTER 7
CHAPTER 8
CHAPTER 9
CHAPTER 10
CHAPTER 11
CHAPTER 12
CHAPTER 13
CHAPTER 14
CHAPTER 15
CHAPTER 16
CHAPTER 17
CHAPTER 18
CHAPTER 19
CHAPTER 20
CHAPTER 21
VOLUME ONE
Chapter 1
“Move, you stubborn ole mule!” Bailey Parker hollered.
Pulling on the harness, she concentrated on guiding the animal to pull the cart filled with apple crates. She’d only been at her great aunt’s farm for two days, and already she’d found out that the deal she’d made with her dad was not exactly to her advantage. Murphy, her aunt’s mule, had suddenly decided he didn’t like pulling the apple cart anymore and was protesting its every move.
She tugged a little harder on his harness, causing him to bolt forward. Bailey watched helplessly as Murphy’s hoof came down on the top of her expensive boot.
She let out a squeal and pushed on his leg to get him to move but he wouldn’t budge. Feeling his weight crushing the end of her snake-skin boot, she tried to wriggle her foot out from under him, but the mule made it painfully obvious that he had no intention of moving.
Being taller than Bailey, Murphy had the advantage over her. She looped her arms around his neck to steady herself and looked him in the eye.
“If Aunt Helena was still here, she would have your hide for acting like this.”
Bailey knew threatening the animal wasn’t going to help, so she thought to bribe him instead.
“Aunt Helena used to give you sugar cubes, didn’t she?” she cooed to the animal. “Is that what you want? Sugar cubes?”
Murphy flapped his lips to show his teeth as he bobbed his head up and down in agreement.
“Is that the only way I’m going to get you to move?” she asked with a heavy sigh. “Maybe that’s what the problem is; you’re spoiled!”
The animal didn’t look the least bit amused by Bailey’s tantrum, and let out a toothy hee-haw as if he was talking back to her.
By this time, Bailey could feel the throbbing in her toes and feared one might be broken under the weight of Murphy’s bulky hoof.
“I can’t go ask Mr. King if he has any sugar cubes for you if you won’t get off my foot,” Bailey said in her sweetest voice, trying to disguise the pain she felt.
For the past five years, the farm had been run by an Amish tenant farmer and his two children. The girl, Hannah, was now seventeen. Bailey had not yet met Hannah’s brother, though the girl had told her he was twenty-seven. Hannah had made a comment about him being too old to marry, which Bailey had found odd. But after some internet research, she’d discovered it was common for the Amish to marry young. Being twenty-five, Bailey had not given much thought to her single status, but Hannah’s remark had hit a nerve.
It was apparent to Bailey that Hannah lacked female companionship, and even more-so since the girl had practically become Bailey’s shadow since she’d arrived on her aunt’s farm. Bailey had spoken to the girl’s father, Abraham, a handful of times to get instructions, but the older brother hadn’t been around.
The King family rented the main house, while Bailey was content to move into the small cottage on the other side of the barn. Bailey was happy with this arrangement since the cottage sat at the far edge of Goose Pond, and it was there that she’d stayed with her friends during those summers while visiting her favorite aunt.
She still found it hard not to imagine Aunt Helena stepping out of the back door of the house, toting a tray with fresh-squeezed lemonade and butter cookies the way she used to. Now all she saw was Mr. King and his daughter, Hannah, and she wasn’t sure how she felt about it.
“Let’s go, Murphy. Your job is to pull the cart, and my job is to pick the apples. Please move your stubborn old body because you’re hurting me and I need to prove to my dad I can handle this challenge.”
Bailey dodged the animal’s oversized teeth as they playfully nipped at her, causing her to fall back and hit the ground. With her foot now free from her boot, she was able to examine her toes to be sure nothing was broken.
“He likes his ears scratched,” a male voice chuckled.
Startled, Bailey looked in the direction of the laughter she assumed was at her expense. Resting against a nearby apple tree was a young Amish man. The teas
ing glint in his blue eyes sent Bailey’s blood to boiling. If not for the dimples that framed his smile, she would have been furious at his laughter. But she was curious to learn who he was and what he knew about the mule’s temperament.
If this was Hannah’s older brother, Bailey was surely going to have a tough time concentrating on her work. His royal blue shirt clung to his muscular physique; the sleeves rolled up to the elbows exposing tanned arms. His blond hair, cut straight across in front, framed his face in such a way that accentuated his square jaw.
“Who are you? And what are you doing in my apple orchard?”
He extended a calloused hand to Bailey, and she took it reluctantly. As he pulled her up from the dirt, heat warmed her at his touch. Her cheeks were pink from embarrassment, realizing the handsome stranger had witnessed her entire performance with the mule.
“I’m Lucas King, but you can call me Luke. I live here. Who are you?”
“I’m Bailey Parker, and I own this place. Or at least I will if I can get Murphy off my boot so I can get started picking these apples before they rot and fall off the trees.”
Bailey flicked a reddish-brown curl impatiently from where it rested on her cheek and tucked it behind her ear. She looked down, feeling embarrassed that Murphy was still standing on her boot—the weight of his hoof had long-since turned her foot numb. She pulled on his harness again trying to act casual, hoping Luke wouldn’t notice her frustration.
Murphy didn’t budge.
Luke stepped forward and nuzzled the animal’s head, using both his strong hands to scratch at Murphy’s ears. The mule responded by closing his eyes and burrowing his large head under Luke’s arm.
Luke stopped to give a command. “Kume, Murphy.”
The mule lunged forward, pulling the cart along with him.
Bailey picked up her boot and limped a few steps away before stopping to slip her foot back inside. Her foot hurt, but she was determined not to let this mishap avert her focus from her goal.
“What was that you said to make him move? It’s taken me twenty minutes to get him to move from the barn to the edge of the grove, and he spent another ten minutes on my foot. Your father had to hitch him to the cart for me, but I told him I could handle it from there. Maybe I’ve been away so long Murphy has forgotten me.”
Luke smiled. He’d obviously watched her struggle with the animal, and it seemed to have amused him.
“It was the scratching of Murphy’s ears that did it,” Luke said. “You’re lucky he didn’t kick you.”
Bailey pushed more stray hair behind her ear. “He tried a couple of times, but I think he prefers to step on my toes. I remembered he liked to kick from when I was younger, but he’s gotten slower in his old age. If I recall, Aunt Helena used to feed him sugar cubes to get him to move.”
Bailey had spent every summer with her Aunt Helena until five years ago when the elderly woman had passed away. She hadn’t been able to step foot on the property in the heart of Amish country—until her dad made her an offer she couldn’t refuse. Her father knew how much she loved the farm and offered to sign over the deed to the property to her if she was able to bring in the apple harvest this year without any help.
It had not been easy coming back to the farm after being away for so long, but Bailey was more determined than ever to bring Aunt Helena’s farm back to life the way she remembered it as a young girl.
Her aunt had let the place become a little run-down the last few years before she passed. It looked better now than it did then, but Bailey supposed it was due to the fact Luke’s family had been living on the farm. They certainly kept the place clean. Young Hannah seemed to work harder in one day than Bailey had her entire life. But with an apple orchard to harvest, she was already beginning to feel the pain of a hard day’s work.
Luke petted the mule’s head as they walked to the end of the small orchard.
“You could always bribe him with one of these apples. Just don’t let him eat the ones that have dropped to ground or they’ll give him a stomach ache. Trust me when I say you don’t want to clean up after him if he gets sick!”
Bailey didn’t know if she liked Luke’s know-it-all attitude, but she supposed he’d had more practice with farm-related things than she had. Still, she felt a little out of place on a farm that was to be hers. How would she be able to run things smoothly with Luke and his family knowing more than she did about her own property? She was already off to a bad start, and she had a feeling Luke would not let her forget she’d needed his help.
When they reached the end of the row of apple trees, Luke steered the mule and cart around and stopped between the first two rows of trees. He tied Murphy’s lead to one of the trees and started pulling the crates from the back of the cart.
“Let’s get started,” he said after wiping his brow with the back of his hand. “We could probably get these crates filled by the end of the day.”
Bailey looked at Luke. “We? My father said I have to do this by myself or I don’t get the deed to the property.”
Luke crossed his arms over his muscular chest as he suppressed a smirk. “If you attempt to pick all of these apples by yourself, you won’t finish before the first frost ruins them. Mei familye has been bringing in the apples for the past five years. If we help you, it will get done on time.”
Bailey shook her head at him. “My father’s instructions were very clear. I have to do the work myself.”
Luke stepped back and watched Bailey struggle with the ladder on the side of the cart. She propped it up against the first tree and looked back at Luke with determination in her eyes.
He held his hands up in retreat. If she wanted to do the work herself, he would let her. But he knew she would be begging him to help her before the day was done.
Chapter 2
Bailey’s arms ached and her blue jeans were making her legs sweat. The cowboy boots she’d picked out at the western store before her trip were cute when she’d decided to purchase them, but now they made her feet too warm. She hopped down from the ladder and pulled the expensive boots off her feet. She wriggled her toes and buried them in the cool grass. Sitting in the thick carpet of shade-grass, Bailey wished she’d had the mindset to bring a water bottle out to the orchard with her.
No sooner had she thought it than Hannah walked down the aisle of trees toward her with a picnic basket in her hands. Bailey hoped whatever was in that basket included something cool to drink. Her stomach rumbled, telling her she was ready for some lunch.
Hannah stopped in front of Bailey. “I took a break from hanging the wash to bring you some food. Luke told me you wanted to do the picking by yourself so I didn’t want to bother you. But I know how hungry and thirsty you can get out here in the hot sun.”
Bailey watched as Hannah opened the large basket and pulled out a lap quilt which she spread across the ground. Then she removed a thermos, two plastic cups and plates, and silverware sets wrapped in linen napkins.
“I fed mei dead and mei bruder in the haus so I could sit out here with you. I hope that’s alright.”
Bailey processed Hannah’s statement and nodded, thinking she understood. She’d already noticed having a difficult time deciphering about half of what the girl said to her, but Bailey figured she’d get better at it as time passed.
“Danki. I get tired of being the only girl. When mei mamm went to heaven, we moved here. I had to leave my friends and mei cousins. I’ve made a few friends here, but now they’re all running off and dating. They have no time for me.”
The girl looked sad and lonely, but Bailey couldn’t be responsible for filling that gap.
Could she?
She felt sorry for Hannah, but she was here to make sure she got the deed to her Aunt Helena’s property. She hadn’t given any thought to what would happen to the King family once she took over the farm—until now. Would they want to stay on while she continued to live in the cottage? Or would she want to live in the main house at some point?
&
nbsp; That was something she would have to give some serious thought to—especially since she didn’t want to think about Luke or Hannah leaving. She’d not had a sister growing up, and Luke was just so nice to look at that she didn’t care how shallow it made her feel to think about such things. She knew better than to pretend she wasn’t attracted to the Amish man. But would he find her worldly ways attractive?
She doubted he would, but it didn’t stop her from feeling the way she did.
Hannah was already growing on her more than she cared to admit. Her kindness reminded Bailey of her Aunt Helena. She felt sorry for the girl, whose facial expressions made her look older than she was. Her blond hair was constantly disheveled, but Bailey supposed that was a result of her workload.
Bailey wiped the sweat from her cheeks with the linen napkin, grateful that Hannah had brought lemonade—just like Aunt Helena used to.
Chapter 3
Luke wiped sweat from his brow as he mucked out the stalls in the barn. Each shovel-full of manure he placed in the wheelbarrow made him wonder how a city-girl like Bailey would fare doing the job. Luke intended to spare her that much—especially since she refused his help with the apples. That chore alone would keep her busy for at least the next month if she continued to refuse his help.
Luke hoped sending Hannah to keep Bailey company would eventually get her to trust them. He didn’t want to have to go behind her back and start picking at the other end of the orchard the way he’d planned, but if that’s what it took to get the apples harvested before the frost came, he would run the risk of making his new boss angry. Luke admired Bailey’s determination, but she wasn’t being very sensible in his opinion. Despite her stubbornness, he found her very attractive, and he wasn’t certain how he felt about that yet.
“How’s the Englischer doing out in the orchard?”