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Courting Her Prodigal Heart
Mary Davis
Mother-to-be’s Amish HomecomingPregnant and alone, Dori Bontrager’s sure her Amish kin won’t welcome her—or the child she’s carrying—into the community. And she’s doubly determined that her return won’t be permanent. Soon as she finds work, she’ll leave again.But with her childhood friend Eli Hochstetler insisting she and her baby belong here, will Dori’s path lead back to the Englisher world…or into Eli’s arms
Mother-to-Be’s Amish Homecoming
A Prodigal Daughters story
Pregnant and alone, Dori Bontrager is sure her Amish kin won’t welcome her—or the child she’s carrying—into the community. And she’s determined that her return won’t be permanent. As soon as she finds work, she’ll leave again. But with her childhood friend Eli Hochstetler insisting she and her baby belong here, will Dori’s path lead back to the Englisher world...or into Eli’s arms?
MARY DAVIS is an award-winning author of more than a dozen novels. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and is active in two critique groups. Mary lives in the Colorado Rocky Mountains with her husband of thirty years and three cats. She has three adult children and one grandchild. Her hobbies are quilting, porcelain doll making, sewing, crafts, crocheting and knitting. Please visit her website, marydavisbooks.com (http://www.marydavisbooks.com).
Also by Mary Davis (#uec86657e-6705-50cd-9003-02c52ab253e8)
Prodigal Daughters
Courting Her Amish Heart
Courting Her Secret Heart
Courting Her Prodigal Heart
Her Honorable Enemy
Romancing the Schoolteacher
Winning Olivia’s Heart
Discover more at millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk).
Courting Her Prodigal Heart
Mary Davis
www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
ISBN: 978-1-474-09041-4
COURTING HER PRODIGAL HEART
© 2018 Mary Davis
Published in Great Britain 2018
by Mills & Boon, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF
All rights reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. This edition is published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, locations and incidents are purely fictional and bear no relationship to any real life individuals, living or dead, or to any actual places, business establishments, locations, events or incidents. Any resemblance is entirely coincidental.
By payment of the required fees, you are granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right and licence to download and install this e-book on your personal computer, tablet computer, smart phone or other electronic reading device only (each a “Licensed Device”) and to access, display and read the text of this e-book on-screen on your Licensed Device. Except to the extent any of these acts shall be permitted pursuant to any mandatory provision of applicable law but no further, no part of this e-book or its text or images may be reproduced, transmitted, distributed, translated, converted or adapted for use on another file format, communicated to the public, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of publisher.
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www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
“I came for a drink of water.”
“Come on in.” Dori pulled a glass out of the cupboard, filled it at the sink and handed it to Eli.
“Danki.”
She gifted him with a smile. “Bitte. How’s it going out there?”
He smiled back. “Fine.” He gulped half the glass then slowed down to sips. No sense rushing.
After a minute, she folded her arms. “Go ahead. Ask your question.”
“What?”
“You obviously want to ask me something. What is it? Why do I color my hair all different colors? Why do I dress like this? Why did I leave? What is it?”
She posed all gut questions, but not the one he needed an answer to. A question that was no business of his to ask.
“Go ahead. Ask. I don’t mind.” Very un-Amish, but she’d offered. Insisted.
He cleared his throat. “Are you going to stay?”
She stared for a moment and then looked away. Obviously, not the question she’d expected, nor one she wanted to answer.
Dear Reader (#uec86657e-6705-50cd-9003-02c52ab253e8),
I hope you enjoyed the third book of the Prodigal Daughters series, featuring Amish women with nontraditional hopes and dreams.
I wanted to portray women who didn’t follow the traditional path for an Amish. And what prodigal series would be complete without a true prodigal who turned her back on her way of life, her family and everything she knew? For this book, I wanted a young woman who looked very different from the Amish. But deep inside, she still held on to a few core Amish beliefs. I had to figure out what would drive someone so against the Amish way of life back into their midst.
Dori is dear to my heart because she had such an emptiness inside her that she was looking everywhere to fill. Finally, she found what she sought: Gott. Unlike Kathleen and Deborah, Dori isn’t named for one of my wonderful sisters. But I did dedicate this book to my late son, Josh. He was my prodigal who found people fallible and God sufficient. If Josh had met Dori with her rainbow hair, he no doubt would have fallen in love with her.
Happy reading!
Blessings,
Mary
It was meet that we should make merry,
and be glad: for this thy brother...
was lost, and is found.
—Luke 15:32
German Proverb (#uec86657e-6705-50cd-9003-02c52ab253e8)
Mer sott em sei Eegne net verlosse;
Gott verlosst die Seine nicht.
One should not abandon one’s own;
God does not abandon His own.
To my son Josh
Contents
Cover (#u20bd6d2d-c8a0-5949-bd07-a94009ed3372)
Back Cover Text (#u73abc0d4-24af-5f50-ab49-065ef81634fd)
About the Author (#u53cbf577-1b81-5640-be5d-b4bccababa19)
Booklist (#u113d9887-6e4e-5a3a-8ef2-f7fa94275606)
Title Page (#u5d275a16-4c3e-5eb2-bc1a-743b6310ad0c)
Copyright (#u4439f752-6d90-55a5-aaea-5feef0fe08f1)
Introduction (#u9cc54833-b43c-5ecf-88bc-ab59f26aaeb0)
Dear Reader (#ud9a41aee-01cb-5126-a6d6-6519fc10a750)
Bible Verse (#u1c3a0493-93aa-5ee2-82f7-60b4a30b42af)
German Proverb (#ud6fdfdec-a7b2-5ad4-a901-f4cad2d6fe1a)
Dedication (#u208fc188-dfad-5aec-8eee-ecd569e3fa74)
Chapter One (#ufde11d9d-75f4-59dd-b822-7da9bf9e7d02)
Chapter Two (#u07fee578-6ab8-50fd-9b8c-342e8e5d3d14)
Chapter Three (#u9e59aabb-98db-5ede-9587-3e9c03fa9d36)
Chapter Four (#u5d60bd00-ca92-576f-b863-f6c85d069348)
Chapter Five (#u5304a500-1278-5f2f-93eb-4e9eac3a169a)
Chapter Six (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Seven (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Eight (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Nine (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Ten (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Eleven (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Twelve (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Thirteen (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Fourteen (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Fifteen (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Sixteen (#litres_trial_promo)
Epilogue (#litres_trial_promo)
Extract (#litres_trial_promo)
About the Publisher (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter One (#uec86657e-6705-50cd-9003-02c52ab253e8)
Goshen, Indiana
With the reins in hand, Eli Hochstetler drove his vater’s supply-hauling wagon through Goshen in the early-June sun. Dutch’s hooves clip-clopped on the pavement.
Daniel Burkholder sat on the seat next to him. “Have the church leaders given you permission to purchase a computer and make a website?”
Eli shook his head. “I haven’t asked yet.”
“Why not? The summer is going to be over before you know it.”
“I need to have more items made first.” Eli had branched out his blacksmithing from the practical horseshoes, weather vanes and herb choppers to decorative items like napkin holders, door knockers and small animal figures. This second group of items would be marketed toward Englishers, hence the need for a computer and website. Not everyone who requested such privileges were granted them.
“Shouldn’t you make sure they’ll let you before you go to the trouble?”
“I want to show them I have a need and meine work can support a business. I also need to learn about websites and such.”
“You can’t create your own website. They wouldn’t allow that. You’ll need an Englisher to do that.”
“I know. I’m not sure how to go about finding one.”
“Doesn’t every Englisher know about computers?”
