by Deidra Scott
TELL IT TO MY HEART
DEIDRA SCOTT
Table of Contents
Title Page
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Prologue
Chapter One
Mandy Hostetler took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Raising the bat to her shoulder, she narrowed her eyes and watched the ball carefully as Sam released it from his grasp and sent it sailing through the air. Mandy lifted the bat and gave it a fast swing, her heart beating fast as she heard the wood make contact with the hard, leather ball.
“Look at it go!” One of the boys yelled as the ball went flying up over the trees and into a nearby field.
Mandy lowered the bat to her side and smiled triumphantly.
“Good job, Mandy!” Levi exclaimed.
Mandy threw her head back and laughed as the twelve-year-old boy gave a little dance.
“Mandy!” In the distance, she could hear her mother calling to her from their large, two-story white house, “Mandy kumm!”
With a deep sigh, Mandy handed Levi the ball bat and slowly shook her head, “Sounds like mamm needs me for something.”
Making the short trip to the back door of the Hostetler home, Mandy passed several Amish men who were standing in the front yard enjoying their time together after the church service.
Stepping in the kitchen, Mandy immediately found her mother standing at the kitchen sink washing a pile of dishes.
“Ach, child, where have you been?” Mrs. Hostetler exclaimed, giving Mandy a look of semi-disgust.
Reaching down to knock some dried mud off the bottom of her dress, Mandy laughed and braced herself for a sharp reproof from her mother, “Oh, the boys wanted me to play some softball with them. I didn’t intend to be gone for long.”
Glancing at the group of Amish women buzzing around in the kitchen, Mrs. Hostetler lowered her voice and whispered, “Can’t you behave yourself like a lady at least on Sunday?”
Suzie Christner reached out to grab a clean dish, wiping it with a dish towel, “Mandy, when are you going to drop the wooden ball bat long enough to grab onto a boyfriend?”
Mandy smirked as she washed her hands in the wash basin and then started to put away a pile of dried plates, “Of all the things I need, a boyfriend is not one of them!” She declared, “I’m twenty-five-years-old and I’ve been fine without one this long....I don’t see why that would change.”
Lizzie Eicher said, “Oh, Mandy, you don’t know what you’re missing out on! A man is gut for so much. I know you’ve caught plenty of attention too! If the men aren’t won over by your looks, they certain are interested once they taste your cooking!”
Mandy shook her head, “I’m good with a hammer and I can break a horse. I can spend my day out in the fields and then come in at night to cook my own supper.” Giving a shrug, she announced, “There’s nothing a man can do that I can’t. So why would I need one?”
Hoisting her chubby baby up on her hip, Lizzie tossed in, “You can’t have a family on your own.”
Mandy narrowed her eyes and shook her head, “That’s fine...because children are another thing I simply don’t want!”
The group of women all laughed – all, that is, but Mandy’s mother. Mrs. Hostetler muttered, “I had hoped that sending her to stay with her grandmother during the week would help calm her down some. But, since I sent her, she’s spent her time not only reading Granny books and cooking her meals...but has also been up on the roof patching the shingles.”
Although Mandy could tell her mother was disgusted, her announcement brought another round of laugher from the women.
Mandy smiled to herself. Let her mamm fret and fuss as much as she wanted. Mandy wouldn’t be getting married. Ever!
Each Sunday night, Mandy would hitch up the buggy and travel the short two-mile trip to her granny’s house where she would stay until Friday afternoon. While Mandy’s granny was strong and healthy, she was nearing her ninety-sixth birthday and needed a lot of help around her house.
When Mandy entered her granny’s house that Sunday afternoon, Granny was sitting in her rocking chair, a quilt thrown across her knees and her Bible spread across her lap.
“Gut evening, Granny!” Mandy exclaimed as she hurried to hang up her shawl, “Have you had anything to eat?”
Granny shook her head, “I just started one of your delicious cinnamon rolls.” She motioned toward a sticky sweet treat on a plate beside her, “That’s plenty for me.”
Mandy smiled, “I’m glad you like them.”
“Child, your cooking is better than that of anyone else!” Granny exclaimed, reaching up to readjust her glasses, “I’ve heard people in the community brag on your treats.”
Mandy let out a sigh as she sat down in another chair opposite her grandmother, “Ugh, I’ve heard plenty about that today. All the women kept teasing me about catching a husband with my cooking.”
Granny laughed and then shook her head, “Ach, child, things never change! As long as I can remember, the married women aren’t happy as long as an unmarried woman is in the community. A bunch of matchmakers, they are!”
Mandy jutted out her bottom jaw, “Well, they’re just going to have to learn to be happy now, because I’m not getting married!”
“Ah, sweet child,” Granny smiled as she reached out and patted a weathered hand on top of Mandy’s, “What will you do if the Lord has a man in store for you?”
Mandy shook her head stubbornly, “I’m pretty much certain the Lord has nothing like that planned for me. There are no men who have ever caught my attention. I’d be a bad wife to anyone.”
Granny chucked and sighed as she looked down at her Bible, “As you say, dear, as you say.”
Mandy wasn’t enjoying Granny’s conversation. She could handle a lot of things, but she didn’t appreciate it when Granny started bringing God into these discussions. Quickly excusing herself, she hurried upstairs to get ready for bed.
Chapter Two
Monday morning found Mandy on top of the kitchen roof with a nail gripped between her teeth and a shingle in her hands. The hot August sun beat down on her head, causing her to reach up and wipe sweat from her brow.
The sound of a vehicle pulling into the driveway caused Mandy to sit up straight and become alert. A shiny blue Ford truck stopped in front of the house. Through the tinted windows, Mandy couldn’t make out the driver.
“Hello!” Mandy called down when the driver’s door opened. A strange man stepped out. Dressed in a button-up shirt and khaki pants, he seemed oddly out of place.
Glancing up at the roof, he nodded in her direction and called out, “Is this the home of Anne Hostetler?”
“Wait just a minute!” Mandy replied as she scampered across the roof and to the ladder that was leaned against the side of the house.
When she reached the ground, Mandy wiped her hands across her dress and worked to tuck her hair back under her prayer cap.
“Is Mrs. Hostetler home?” The stranger asked.
Mandy viewed him in suspicion, “Who are you?”
“Dr. Matt Byler,” he threw out a hand in Mandy’s direction, “The last time Mrs. Hostetler was at the hospital, the doctors had some concerns and asked me to come out to check on her.”
Something about the stranger unnerved Mandy. He didn’t have a particularly bad feeling to him, but he made her uncomfortable. His brown eyes were too solemn and, as she took his hand in her own, something about the feel of his smooth skin felt unfamiliar and strange. He certainly wasn’t like the men she was used to within the Amish community.
“She’s inside,” Mandy managed to mumble, “Come on in.”
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Leading Dr. Matt into the house, Mandy directed him to the sitting room where Granny was napping in her rocking chair.
“Granny,” she spoke up, “Someone is here to see you!”
Opening her eyes, Granny sat up in surprise.
“Hi there,” Dr. Matt said with a smile as he squatted down beside her chair, “I’m Dr. Matt Byler. The hospital suggested that I stop by and see how you are doing. I hear you had some problems with your heart a few weeks ago.”
As Dr. Matt talked more about Granny’s recent health scare that turned out to be nothing serious, Mandy went to the kitchen to bring out some of her fresh apple pie. Dishing it out onto a plate, Mandy wondered if this Englischer had ever tasted anything quite like her pie. Just the thought of it brought a haughty smile to Mandy’s face.
Stepping into the sitting room, Mandy listened as Dr. Matt looked Granny over and announced, “I hope I’m in as good shape when I’m sixty as you are at ninety-five.”
Rising to his feet, Dr. Matt turned and sat down in the other rocking chair, “Your bouts of breathlessness do worry me. I would like to keep a close eye on this and possibly hook you up to a heart monitor so we can make sure that your heart is functioning properly.”
“Here,” Mandy took the opportunity to pass him a plate of pie, “Have some apple pie.”
“No, thank you,” Dr. Matt returned with a shrug, “I don’t like apple pie.”
Raising an eyebrow, Mandy said, “Perhaps that’s because you’ve never had my apple pie.”
The doctor opened his mouth to protest but then reached out to take the plate in his hand.
“How long have you been practicing medicine?” Granny asked.
Dr. Matt took a bite of the pie and swallowed, “I graduated last year. I used to live in this area and decided to move back to start my practice. Once I get established, I plan to quit working with the hospital and start a small clinic nearby.”
“Do you make house calls often?”
Dr. Matt set his plate aside, the rest of his pie untouched, “I would like to work closely with the Amish community and I know that house calls would be beneficial, so yes, I plan to ultimately offer house visits on a regular basis.”
Granny clapped her hands together in surprise and smiled, “Ach, how wonderful that will be! We have such a time trying to find drivers to take us places and driving to the doctor on a buggy can be such a difficult experience. You will be the answer to our prayers!”
Dr. Matt looked down at his hands and finally said, “Well, I suppose I should move on. I’ll be needed back at the hospital soon.” Pulling himself to his feet, he let Mandy lead him to the front door. Reaching in his pocket, the doctor pulled out a business card, “Here. This has all my contact information. If you need me, let me know and I’ll be over as quickly as possible.”
Dr. Matt then handed Mandy the plate full of pie. Giving a smirk, he announced softly, “No matter how good of a cook you think you are, I still don’t like apples.”
Mandy stood speechless, the plate of hardly-touched pie in one hand and his business card in the other.
“Goodbye, Mrs. Hostetler!” He called out as he opened the front door, “I’ll be back in the next few days with your test results.”
“Danki for the visit!” She returned.
“You’re welcome.”
As the doctor drove away, Mandy found herself faced with a mixture of different emotions. How dare he insult her by not eating her pie! Her pie was famous as being the best in the community; Englischers usually couldn’t get enough. But, on the other hand, Mandy felt more curious about him than any other man she had ever met.
Shaking her head, Mandy tried to clear away the thoughts that were assailing her. Ach, she had no interest in any man – let alone an Englischer!
Chapter Three
Despite the fact that Mandy had been shaken by Dr. Matt’s lack of interest in her pie, she quickly put it out of her mind. Life around Granny’s house was too busy to be fretting about the opinion of a rude Englischer. Mandy busied herself keeping up with the laundry, baking some goods for a local Amish store, and designing a plan for the new chicken coop she was going to build.
No, Mandy didn’t have time to think about the handsome young doctor and had put him entirely out of her mind until she saw his truck pull into view Thursday afternoon.
Grimacing to herself, Mandy pulled a pie out of the oven, wishing for all she was worth that she could throw it right in his face.
“Hello,” Dr. Matt called out as he knocked on the front door. Mandy hurried to open it, a scowl on her face.
“Granny,” she called out, “That doctor is here to see you again!”
“Oh, gut!” Granny replied, pulling herself up from the kitchen table where she had been busy breaking beans, “It’s wunderbar-gut to see you again, doctor!”
“It’s wonderful good to see you, too.” The doctor replied with a smile.
Mandy went back to the stove, giving him a side-wise glance of surprise when she realized that he understood her grandmother’s Amish language.
“You’re full of surprises, doctor!” Granny exclaimed, “How do you know Amish?”
The doctor smiled and laid a folder on the table with a shrug, “I grew up around Amish as a boy. I know the language and a lot of the customs.” Opening a folder, he announced, “All of your tests came back in good shape. It seems you have no serious health concerns.”
Mandy let out a sigh of relief as she hurried to spread soft homemade icing on a plate of fresh cookies.
“As far as it goes, I just advise you to keep doing what you’re doing.” Dr. Matt replied, “Whatever you’re doing, it must be right.”
Granny chuckled, “Well, I get by with a lot of prayer and a lot of my granddaughter’s cookies. Would you like one, doctor?”
Mandy instantly felt her defenses go up, “I’m sure he doesn’t want one, Granny...”
“No,” Dr. Matt replied, “I like cookies. Besides, if they’ll help me stay as health as your grandmother, I think eating one is a good choice.”
Passing him the plate, Mandy found herself holding her breath, hoping he wouldn’t reject this treat like he had her pie.
“Are you enjoying your time in this area?” Granny asked.
“Oh, yeah,” Dr. Matt answered around a bite of cookie, “I couldn’t be happier. I have met so many great people. The Amish are keeping me busy since I make house calls, and I still have my work at the hospital as well.”
Wiping some crumbs off his pants, Mandy was relieved to hear him say, “That was a very good cookie.” Standing up, he glanced over at the plates of treats on the counter and exclaimed, “I hope you don’t plan to eat all of these!”
Mandy had to laugh at his comment and quickly explained, “I’m supposed to take them into town to a little Amish store. Speaking of which, I need to go call a driver to take me into town. I have a way back, but not a way there.” Although she hated to ask, Mandy managed to force out the question, “Is there any chance I could borrow your phone?”
Dr. Matt smiled, “I can do even better than that. I’m headed to the hospital, so I can take you into town myself.”
The idea of being alone with the good-looking Englischer suddenly made Mandy feel uncomfortable. Shifting from one foot to the other, she searched her mind for any excuse to say no.
“What a good idea!” Granny threw in, “Mandy, this will work out so gut for you!”
Mandy slowly nodded her head, “Ach, all right, that would be good. Thank you.”
The trip to the store felt uncomfortable with Mandy positioned in the front of the truck next to the doctor.
“Have you ever driven a truck before?” Dr. Matt asked, obviously looking for anything to start conversation.
Mandy laughed and shook her head, “Oh, no, that’s not the Amish way! But I certainly have wanted to at times.”
The doctor shook his head, a sadness suddenly evident in his dark eyes, “It’s not so great.
Between you and me, I think you’ve got it better. I’d much rather be riding behind a buggy than maneuvering the Englischer world.”
His words caused Mandy to laugh again. Over the years, she had often wished that she wasn’t so confined by her faith. The idea of breaking free to encounter everything the world had to offer was intoxicating. Although she had given up her wild ideas and chosen to stay within the Amish community, she still had to be somewhat envious of anyone with a truck.
“How old are you?” He asked bluntly.
“Twenty-five. How about you?”
Dr. Matt laughed, “I’m thirty.” Thinking for a moment, he announced, “You’re mighty bold for an Amish woman. Is that why you’re not married?”
Mandy felt her face grow warm and she jutted out her bottom jaw, “I’m not married because I choose not to be married. Believe me, I’ve had plenty of opportunities. What about you? Thirty is certainly old not to be married. Are you too rude to get married? Or have you been married and she left you?”
The doctor threw his head back and laughed this time, “Oh, wow, your gentle way of saying things makes me feel so good. No, I’ve not been married...and I have no intentions of ever being married. I decided a long time ago that marriage isn’t for me. I haven’t had a girlfriend in about ten years now.”
Mandy was silent for a moment, suddenly realizing that she and this strange Englischer had something in common. While this realization made her disturbed, it also brought a strange wave of comfort.
Pointing to the Amish store on the right, Mandy showed Dr. Matt where she needed to get out. Surprisingly enough, she found herself wishing that their ride had lasted a little longer.
Chapter Four
Once again, Mandy spent the weekend with her family, trying her best to keep from saying anything that would cause her mamm to scold her. By the time Sunday night came, Mandy was ready to get back to Granny’s house. She almost wished that she could stay with Granny every day and completely cut out her visits back home.
