“Because you are going to let my aunt adopt me?”
“That’s right. And when I say it, I want you to bang that gavel so that everyone knows it’s official. Are you ready?”
Kyle nodded and took the gavel in his hand. Judge Harbin looked out over the courtroom. “I do hereby grant the petition of Faith Martin to adopt the minor child, Kyle King.”
Grinning from ear to ear, Kyle smacked the gavel down as hard as he could. The courtroom immediately erupted into cheers.
Late in the afternoon, Faith and Kyle got out of the van in front of her house. Samson carried Kyle’s bag to the porch, congratulated Faith again and drove off. On the front steps of her home, holding Kyle’s hand in hers, she raised her face to the sun and closed her eyes. Kyle was staying! Praise God for His goodness.
Kyle was hers.
The phrase echoed inside her mind in an endless refrain. She could scarcely believe it. Her prayers had been answered. She had regained her child and her faith all in one day.
When she opened her eyes, they were drawn across the fields to Adrian’s farm. Much of the happiness in her heart was due to him. If Adrian had not gathered the church members together and spoken for Kyle, the day might have had a very different outcome. Love for Adrian warmed her soul.
Her thoughts were interrupted when another car came up the drive. To her surprise, she saw it was Miss Watkins. What was she doing here?
When Kyle saw the social worker get out of her car, he threw himself against Faith, wrapping his arms around her legs. “I get to stay, right? The judge said so.”
Faith quickly sought to reassure him. “You will stay forever and ever.”
He looked into her eyes. “Are you sure?”
“I am.”
Looking to Miss Watkins and then back to Faith, he whispered, “You promise?”
She picked him up and kissed his cheek. “I promise.”
Miss Watkins came forward. “I give you my word that you can live here for as long as you want, Kyle. Just promise me you won’t run away again.”
“I won’t. Not ever. Aunt Faith, can I go tell Shadow I’m staying?”
Faith lowered him to the ground. “Go tell all the animals.”
He raced away to the barn. Faith pressed her hand to her lips to hold onto the joy that filled her to overflowing. To think she’d once wondered if she could love her brother’s child as much as her own.
Miss Watkins cleared her throat. “I hope you realize that I only wanted what was best for Kyle.”
“I know that.”
“Would you mind if I stop in to see him from time to time? He’s a remarkable young man.” Tears sparkled in the depths of her eyes.
Faith grasped her hand. “You will always be welcome in our home.”
“Thank you.” Caroline returned to her car and drove away. When the dust settled, Faith saw Adrian walking across the field toward her.
How could one heart hold all the love she felt without bursting? It truly was one of God’s miracles.
On the day they’d first met, she had wondered what it would be like to have a husband so strong and sure of his place in life. Would she have the chance to find out or had she ruined her chance at happiness by her willingness to put aside her religion?
She prayed he could forgive her.
She waited until Adrian reached her side. He took off his hat. “Faith Martin, I have something I wish to speak to you about.”
He sounded so nervous. Had he to come to tell her he wanted to call off their courting? His reaction at the courthouse had given her hope that he still cared for her. She said, “I’m listening.
“You have too much work to do to get this place ready before winter. You don’t even have hay put up for your animals yet and your barn needs repairs.”
“That is true.” A lecture on her property wasn’t what she had been expecting when she’d seen him coming.
“It will take the entire fall to get things ready.”
“You’re right. It will.”
“I have hay and I have paint.”
She crossed her arms. “Is there a point to this?”
He turned his hat around and around in his hands. “Your boy needs a man to help guide him on the path of the righteous.”
“I agree. Bishop Zook has offered to help in just such a fashion.”
“That is goot. You are not alone, Faith. There are people who will willingly help you carry your burdens.”
“You mean like pruning my trees and shearing my alpacas?”
“Ja, those things, too.”
It wasn’t exactly the declaration of love she longed to hear. Maybe he had changed his mind. Did he see her as fickle and weak? Mose always said she was weak. Had he been right?
“Adrian!” Kyle’s excited shout made them look toward the barn. The boy came running toward them at full speed. Adrian dropped to one knee as the boy raced into his arms.
Wrapping his arms around Adrian’s neck, Kyle said, “I get to stay here forever and ever.”
“That’s something I was hoping to talk to you about.”
Kyle drew back to look him in the face. “What do you mean?”
Adrian glanced up at Faith. “I reckon I should ask both of you since you’re a pair now.”
“Ask us what?” Kyle demanded.
Adrian rose to his feet still holding Kyle. “I never thought I would love anyone the way I loved my son and my wife. But, Faith, I love Kyle as much as I loved my own son, and I love you as much as any man can love a woman.”
Faith heart began pounding in her chest as it swelled with happiness. She couldn’t speak.
Kyle said, “Are you gonna get mushy with my Aunt Faith? Ben said you were gonna.”
Adrian grew serious as he gazed into Faith’s eyes. “I must have a chat with my brother, but in this case he was right. Faith, will you marry me and live as my wife for all the days God gives to us?”
She choked back her tears of joy. “I will.”
She took a step closer and cupped his face with her hands. “I didn’t believe love like this was possible, but now I know it is. We are truly blessed.”
Adrian lowered Kyle to the ground and took Faith in his arms. His kiss was everything and more than she’d dreamed it would be. After a long breathless moment, he drew back and tucked her head beneath his chin. “Thank you for saying yes. Thank you for showing me my way back to God.”
Kyle wrinkled his nose. “Does this mean we’re going to live at your place?”
Adrian smiled at him. “If that’s all right with you?”
“I reckon it is. Guess I’d better go tell Shadow we’re moving, after all.” He took off and jogged toward the barn.
Adrian’s eyes softened as he watched Kyle. “I can’t believe I was so afraid of love and hid from it all this time.”
“I was afraid, too, but you have shown me that a man can be kind even when he is upset. I learned to trust you, Adrian. That is something I was sure I would never do again. You’ve given me the one thing I need that no one else can give me.”
“What is that?”
“Your love.”
He smiled and pulled her close. “Ja, my heart holds all the love you will ever need.”
She gazed into his eyes, happier than she could ever remember being.
He said, “I don’t want to wait to marry you. I hope you weren’t planning on a long courtship.”
Unable to resist teasing him, she said, “I don’t think we should rush into anything. It takes a long time to get to know a person well.”
He nodded. “You’re right. We should give ourselves two years.”
“At least.” She tried to keep a solemn face but failed. There was no way she could wait that long.
Pulling her close again, he whispered, “I’ll be lucky to last a week. How soon can we get hitched?”
“With all the preparations I need to make…six months.” When he was holding her close it sounded much too long to wait.
&nb
sp; “My mother will help, and if I know her, she’ll cut that time in half.”
“If she can help arrange a wedding in three months, she is a worker with great talents.”
“Then both of you should get along fine for you are one, too, my love.”
When his lips closed over hers once more, Faith knew she’d found more than a home in Hope Springs. She’d found courage, a family and a love unlike anything she’d dreamed was possible.
Dear Reader,
I hope that you have enjoyed The Farmer Next Door. I can’t tell you how much fun it was to research alpaca farming. Okay, I will tell you. It was a hoot! I didn’t have to travel far to visit an alpaca farm. It turns out that there was one less than twenty-five miles away from my house. I would love to tell you how lost my friend and I got on the way to this farm but that would require a whole new book. Needless to say, the farmer waiting to give us the tour waited a very long time but was very gracious when we did finally arrive.
By the time we left his small operation, I wanted an alpaca of my own. I don’t believe there is a cuter animal anywhere than a one-week-old baby alpaca. Their fleece is supremely soft, their eyes are large and luminous with long spiky eyelashes that a supermodel would envy, they bounce around like they have springs instead of feet and they hum to each other. Seriously, I so wanted one. Luckily for my husband, there are numerous city ordinances against owning livestock in my city or I would have smuggled one off the farm.
If you have not already met an alpaca, I hope you have the chance to do so someday. Yes, they do spit when they get upset, but their cute factor far outweighs that one little flaw. God has blessed us with such magnificent diversity, in animals as well as in people. Sometimes, it just takes my breath away.
Blessings to all,
Questions for Discussion
Throughout this book, Faith struggles with forgiving her deceased husband for his cruelty. It is not until she learns about his tragic childhood that she is able to let go of the hurt. Have you ever found yourself in the situation of wanting to forgive someone who is deceased? Did that decision give you peace even though you could not speak directly to the person?
Do you believe it is easier for the Amish to forgive others, or do you imagine that they sometimes harbor ill will toward others?
Adrian suffered the tragic loss of his wife and then his son. His life became mired in grief. Do you know someone unable to move past their grief? What can we offer them in the way of comfort?
How do we reconcile the loss of those we love by tragic circumstances with our idea of a just and loving God?
The Amish keep alive many skills lost to modern people such as Faith’s skill at spinning. Whom do you know that is keeping alive a dying art?
Faith’s conflict with Kyle’s social worker revolves around the lack of modern conveniences in her home. The Amish do adopt from outside of their faith. Is it unfair to expect a child reared in a modern home to be raised in such a different environment?
The Amish believe that all that happens is God’s will.
When faced with an uncertain situation, how do we know if we are following God’s will?
Would you want to raise an animal like an alpaca? Why or why not?
What’s the strangest animal you’ve seen kept as a pet?
What was your favorite scene in the story and why?
What did you learn about the Amish in reading this story that you were not aware of before?
Adrian and Faith each got a second chance at love. Do you believe it’s possible to fall in love a second time?
Why or why not?
Put yourself in Kyle’s shoes. How would you feel if you were torn away from modern conveniences and sent to live in an Amish house? How would you cope?
What modern convenience would be the hardest to give up? Explain.
ISBN: 978-1-4592-0854-4
THE FARMER NEXT DOOR
Copyright © 2011 by Patricia Macdonald
All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without the written permission of the editorial office, Love Inspired Books, 233 Broadway, New York, NY 10279 U.S.A.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
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The Farmer Next Door Page 19
