Breathing in his manly scent, Grace allowed herself to meld into his embrace.
She loved him too.
But how could she love him without betraying her cousin? Grace didn’t see a way out.
“What about Leah?” she asked quietly. “I can’t hurt mei cousin.”
Samuel nuzzled her neck and whispered in her ear. “I talked to her just a little bit ago. She understands and said she’s happy for us.”
Grace’s heart raced faster than the cars that sped past their buggy out on the open road. “I can’t get in the way of Leah’s happiness.”
Samuel held her close, not wanting to let her go. “She’s given us her blessing.”
Grace felt a sudden ache in her heart for her cousin. “I don’t understand how she can step aside so easily and give up her own happiness for my sake!”
Samuel placed his hands firmly on her shoulders, forcing her to look at him. “Leah is not my concern, you are. I love you and want a future with you. My future is not with Leah.”
Grace choked on his words. “How can you be so insensitive?”
“I’m not being insensitive. I’ve taken measures to make changes to my future commitments, and I believe I can make you both happy,” Samuel stated in his defense.
Grace pushed him away.
This had become completely out of control and completely unacceptable to Grace.
“I believe what you’re proposing is illegal,” she said. “And I’ll not take any part in it.”
Chapter 38
“What are you talking about, Grace?” Samuel asked forcefully.
He looked into her eyes waiting for an explanation to her peculiar accusation, but she stood there silent.
“As much as I love you too and want a future with you, I can’t do that if it means hurting Leah.”
Feeling regret as soon as the words left her lips, she pressed her way back into his arms. She wanted him to hold her one last time before she had to let him go. She’d never experienced a love this deep, and she wasn’t quite ready to let it slip away from her. Grace’s feelings for Samuel were a mystery to her. She’d had a date or two before, but no other mann had ever made her feel this way.
The intensity of her feelings were so inexplicable, she almost wondered if the whole thing hadn’t simply been a glorious dream that she would soon wake up from.
Samuel held her close, allowing his lips to travel along the angles of her neck and cheeks. He was so deeply in love with Grace, he had no idea how he could have ever thought he could live without her.
Grace reached up and clutched Samuel’s wheat-colored curls, using them to draw his mouth toward hers. Even if she decided to let him go, she would savor this moment with him and keep it in her memory for future reference as the time she was actually in leib with a mann who was obviously equally in leib with her. She knew she could not keep him for long. He belonged to Leah, not her. But for now, he was hers—all hers, and no one could take that from her.
Samuel gravitated toward her, enveloping her with his entire body and soul. He could not get enough of her sweet kisses. But he wanted more. He wanted more than ever to make Grace his fraa. He would not risk losing her to his foolish notions of taking on the full weight of his commitments.
Thanks to his talk with Leah earlier that day, she had released him of his full obligation and had agreed to work with Grace to help assure harmony in their new familye unit.
But would that be enough to convince Grace that they could all make it work? He thought so as long they could all work together.
Still lost in her kisses, Samuel held her with reckless abandon, not caring that they were in a public place. Albeit, the bus station was devoid of riders, and the mann behind the counter held a newspaper in front of his face; Samuel could not be further from concern over his and Grace’s public indiscretion than he was at the moment. Her lips were so soft, and her breath so sweet; he couldn’t think of anything else at the moment…
“There you are,” Leah said loudly.
Except that…
Chapter 39
Panic rose up in Grace at Leah’s voice. It was too late for apologies. She’d promised her cousin she would not pursue her betrothed, but here she was caught in his arms.
Grace pushed herself away from Samuel slowly, hoping that extra second would help her think of what to say. Problem was, there was no excuse for what she was doing.
“I’m so sorry, Leah,” Grace began.
Tears welled up in Leah’s eyes.
“I don’t know whether to give you a sound lashing, or hug you, Cousin” Leah said around her tears.
“This isn’t what it looks like, Leah,” Grace pleaded with her cousin. “I promise, I was only saying goodbye to Samuel.”
Leah placed her hands on Grace’s arms, steadying her shaking. “You don’t have to do that. Samuel and I had a gut talk on the way here, and we found a way to make this work for everyone. I admit, your letter made me angry at first, but only because I didn’t understand it. Now I do, and I believe Samuel and I have come up with a solution.”
Grace felt bile pushing up in her throat. How could her cousin be so casual about this?
“Have you gone completely narrish, Leah?”
“Nee, Grace, I just want you to be happy.”
Grace shook off confusion. “I have no idea what you’re talking about, Leah, but I’m willing to step aside for the sake of your happiness.”
Leah pulled her into a quick hug and then released her. “There is no need for that, don’t you see?”
Grace threw her hands up in disgust. “I have no idea what is going on here, but I’m not going to share your betrothed with you,” she said, her lip quivering. “You can have him.”
Leah and Samuel began to laugh so hard tears welled up in their eyes.
Grace planted her hands on her hips and pursed her lips. “I don’t see what is so funny about this. This is serious!”
Leah cleared her throat. “You’re right, Grace, I’m sorry. Stay here with Samuel for a minute and I’ll be right back. There is someone I want you to meet.”
Grace felt Samuel reach for her hand the minute Leah walked out the door of the bus station. She glared at him and pulled her hand away.
“Don’t do that!” she demanded.
Within minutes Leah returned with a mann who kept his head down until the two of them were headed toward her. Grace’s breath caught in her throat at the sight of him.
Grace’s eyes darted between Samuel and the mann at Leah’s side, his arm locked in hers. Feeling a half-giggle, half-cry escape her lips, Grace was too afraid to hope that what she saw was real. She felt Samuel’s hand slip into hers again, and this time, she didn’t pull away.
“This is mei bruder, Henry,” Samuel said. “He prefers to be called Silo. We’re twins!”
Samuel turned to Grace not wanting to miss the expression on her face.
It was nothing short of relief.
Chapter 40
Grace hurried to help Leah get ready for her wedding. The Bishop was waiting on them to begin, and here they were talking and reminiscing like silly school-girls. It would be the last talk they would have as single cousins, and neither of them wanted to miss this opportunity to say the important things that had made them so close over the years.
Leah and Silo would be taking over half the acreage of the familye farm, allowing Samuel the freedom to pursue a future other than his obligation to all his daed had worked for. Easing the burden from Samuel’s shoulders had been what Leah and Samuel had talked about that day she’d run off to the bus station. Before, Leah had refused to have any part of the responsibility as she had wanted a fresh start with Silo, free from familye obligation. It had been selfish on her part and had put a strain on Samuel’s relationship with her and his own bruder.
That day seemed like it had happened ages ago. It didn’t matter anymore. All that was important was that they had found a solution just as Samuel had promised her that day.
Grace hugged Leah and told her she’d meet her outside under the vine-covered trellis to stand with her for her wedding. She was truly happy for her cousin, but for now, all she could think of was her own upcoming wedding with Samuel.
THE END
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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
CHAPTER 22
CHAPTER 23
CHAPTER 24
CHAPTER 25
CHAPTER 26
CHAPTER 27
CHAPTER 28
CHAPTER 29
CHAPTER 30
CHAPTER 31
CHAPTER 32
CHAPTER 33
CHAPTER 34
CHAPTER 35
CHAPTER 36
CHAPTER 37
CHAPTER 38
CHAPTER 39
CHAPTER 40
An Amish Courtship, COMPLETE SERIES: Amish Novella Page 7
