by Kelly Irvin
“I don’t know how much time it will take.”
“Take all you need. You’ll see the good I see in you and know the bad things Atlee said to you weren’t true.” His grip on her hand tightened. He took the other hand and held them both in his. “You’re gut.”
The terrible memories receded farther and farther, not gone, but with less power to hurt. “I can learn to see what you see.”
“Gut. We’ll work on the store together and we’ll take our time and we’ll see where we go.”
“I have a feeling we’ll go far.”
He kept her waiting a few seconds as he studied her face, his gaze searching, asking. He surely found the answer he sought because he bent over and kissed her hard and long. She stood on tiptoes to return the favor.
When they finally broke apart, she put her hand on his chest and smiled up at him. “You bought the buggy, didn’t you?”
“Melvin is letting Mary Kay and me make payments.”
She tugged him down for another kiss, letting it linger, enjoying the feel of his lips on hers and his hands on her shoulders for as long as she could before her lungs demanded she breathe. They eased apart.
Fingers entwined, faces lifted to the warm summer sun, they strolled toward the buggy and a future full of promise.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1.Jennie feels guilty because she wanted out of an abusive marriage and then her husband died in an accident, freeing her. Have you ever longed for a change in circumstances only to have something unexpected and equally difficult happen? What did you learn from it?
2.Blake reminds Nathan of Luke 14:26, which says “If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple.” What do you think Jesus meant when He said a person has to “hate” his loved ones in order to become a disciple? Why is it necessary? How did it apply to Nathan’s situation?
3.Although the Amish are Christians and focus many of their beliefs on the New Testament Gospels, most do not believe in evangelizing because they choose to hold themselves apart from the world and show their faith by example. How do you feel about that? Is it possible to lead others to Christ through example?
4.Jennie is afraid to love again for fear of choosing badly a second time. Leo is afraid to love for fear of losing as he did with his father. They’ve both suffered loss and hurt. Some people think that when they become Christians their troubles are over. Scripture says we will have trouble in the world, but not to worry because Jesus has overcome the world. Why do you think God allows trouble or suffering in our lives?
5.What do you think this verse means: “See, I have refined you, though not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction” (Isaiah 48:10)? How does it apply to Jennie and Leo? How does it apply to your life experiences?
6.The Mennonites come from a splinter group of early Amish believers who broke off because they didn’t agree with Meidung or shunning. How would you feel about no longer interacting with a family member who has left the faith? Do you agree with Jennie’s assessment that it is not intended to be a punishment, but rather encouragement to return to the fold and follow the rules? Could you do it?
7.Jennie spent fifteen years in a marriage with a difficult, sometimes abusive, husband because she took her marital vows very seriously. The Amish do not divorce. How do you feel about that? Are there times when a situation cannot be tolerated, despite the nature of those vows? What would your advice to Jennie have been if you were her friend?
8.For Leo and Jennie both, loving each other represents taking a chance, relying on God, and having faith in the future despite the pain they’ve suffered. What events in your life have made you afraid or uncertain about taking chances? Have you overcome your fears? How did you do it?
9.Christians believe God has a plan for each one of His children. Jennie can’t imagine how that plan could involve being married to a man like Atlee, his death, and her role as a single mother of seven children. Have you ever had experiences that made you wonder what God’s plan is for you? How do you seek to know that plan and live it?
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE RESOURCE
Jennie’s story was a difficult one to tell and may be hard for some to read, but the sad fact is that relationship abuse—whether physical, emotional, or both—isn’t fiction. It happens every day across the United States and around the world. If you are experiencing abuse, please know that people are standing by to help you. Call the National Domestic Violence Hotline, available 24/7, at 1–800-799-7233. Service is provided in two hundred languages. For TTY/Deaf/Hard of hearing, call 1–800-787-3224.
For more information about relationship abuse and resources, visit the website at www.thehotline.org.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I am deeply thankful for the opportunity to write these books. I treasure every minute of it, even when the words don’t flow and the story disappears into a thick fog. It’s a gift to be able to write full-time, and it wouldn’t be possible if it weren’t for my husband, Tim, and his support. I thank God for him every day.
My thanks to Susan Rohrer for the detailed explanation of laminitis for Leo’s story. As always any mistakes are totally mine. Thanks to Eileen Key for taking the time to read the rough draft and save me from myself on a number of silly bloopers.
I continue to be blessed with a wonderful editor in Becky Monds, whose sense of story and character makes each book so much better. Thank you, Becky, for your hard work, thoughtful feedback, and dedication to the craft of writing and storytelling.
While this story takes place in Jamesport, Missouri, where there is a large Amish population, the characters in this book are figments of my imagination as are the businesses described, which have fictitious names. Some of the events, such as the Purple Martin Open House, are real, but the location, date, and characters are mine. I have used poetic license in my description of several places in my story, so please remember that, above all else, this is fiction.
As always, my deepest appreciation goes out to the readers who buy these books and make it possible for me to continue to write them. God bless you.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Kelly Irvin is the author of several Amish series including the Bliss Creek Amish series, the New Hope Amish series, and the Amish of Bee County series. She has also penned two romantic suspense novels, A Deadly Wilderness and No Child of Mine. The Kansas native is a graduate of the University of Kansas School of Journalism. She has been writing nonfiction professionally for more than thirty years, including ten years as a newspaper reporter, mostly in Texas-Mexico border towns. A retired public relations professional, Kelly has been married to photographer Tim Irvin for twenty-nine years. They have two children, two grandchildren, and two cats. In her spare time, she likes to write short stories and read books by her favorite authors.
