Her Amish Christmas Sweetheart

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Meg was chatting with her mother and aunt when Jacob and Annie entered the kitchen from outside.

“Meg, we thought you might like to go home.” Jacob smiled as he approached, carrying his daughter. “’Tis been a long day for you.”

“We can take her,” Mam immediately said.

“No need,” Annie assured her. “Our little ones are ready to be home.”

“Are you sure you don’t mind?” Meg asked, delighted by Jacob’s offer. She wanted nothing more than to rest.

“I don’t think you should be alone,” her mother murmured with concern.

“Mam, I’ll be fine. I’ll take a nap. Please stay here and enjoy yourself.”

“We can stay with her for a while.” Annie picked up EJ, who had been holding on to her hand.

Meg gazed at her cousin-in-law gratefully. “Mam, I’ll be fine. I’m not seriously injured. I have a broken leg.”

“I should check with your vadder.”

“Nay!” Meg exclaimed. “You know how Dat is. He’ll want to bring me home. He’s enjoying himself, Mam. I’ll be fine for a couple of hours. Honestly. I’ll just close my eyes and sleep.”

“Endie Missy, Meg will be fine,” Jacob assured her. “I’ll make certain of it.”

Her mother stood and retrieved Meg’s coat. “Oll recht. I’ll see you at home a little later.”

Feeling sore and highly emotional, Meg rolled her chair closer to her mother. “I love you,” she whispered with tears of gratitude.

Soon, she was riding in Jacob and Annie’s buggy, with EJ seated next to her and Susanna on her mother’s lap up front. Jacob had stowed her wheelchair behind Meg’s seat.

She was never so glad to see her home as when Jacob pulled into the barnyard and parked close to the house. She watched him take out her wheelchair first. She expected him to open it for her, but he placed it near the porch instead, then came back to carry her up the steps and on inside. “Danki.”

“You’re willkomm,” her cousin said with a grin. His good humor faded quickly, though. “I wish I’d thought to bring you home earlier. I should have suspected you weren’t ready to be visiting.”

Meg shook her head. “I didn’t want Dat and Mam to stay home because of me. They would have refused to go if I’d admitted I wasn’t feeling well.”

“Poor Meg,” Annie murmured with sympathy as she followed them into the great room.

Jacob placed Meg into a chair and went outside for her wheelchair.

“You look exhausted,” Annie said as she sat on the sofa not far from where Meg was seated. “Would you be more comfortable here?”

“Nay, I like it here,” Meg assured her. “I can look out the window.”

Jacob entered the room and set the wheelchair near the far wall. Meg smiled her thanks, then studied the children, who played on the floor near their mother. “I’ll be oll recht by myself.” She shifted her leg onto the stool her father recently had handmade for her. “I appreciate your help.”

Annie smiled. “You gave us a gut excuse to get these little ones settled at home.” She watched fondly as the two chatted quietly.

“EJ is a wonderful big bruder.”

The boy’s mother laughed. “Most of the time, but not always.”

Her husband agreed. “He’s a gut boy, though.”

“He looks like Elijah,” Meg said without thinking.

Jacob’s short bark of laughter startled her. “That’s what Eli says. Blond hair and blue eyes. But my bruder is not the only one with those features.” He fondly eyed his wife.

Meg couldn’t help the small smile that came to her lips. “Ja, he does look like his mam, but he looks like his dat, too.”

Her cousin beamed at her.

“Now, go home!” Meg ordered.

Jacob blinked at her vehemence. “I told your mam we’d stay for a while.”

“And you did. Now, take your little ones home.”

“Can we get you anything before we go?” Annie asked, her gaze sharp.

“I’ve had too much to eat and more than enough to drink today. I’ll be fine.”

Jacob picked up his son while Annie reached for their daughter.

“Thanks for noticing how tired I am,” Meg said.

Her cousin shook his head. “Don’t thank us. The credit goes to Peter. He’s the one who suggested you might like to go home.”

The young family left, leaving Meg with a lot to think about. It was as if Peter had read her mind again. The realization unsettled her.

Her parents and sisters came home an hour and a half later. Her father didn’t look happy as he entered the great room.

“I’m well, Dat,” she said, before he could speak. “Jacob and Annie made sure I was settled before they left.”

“You should have told us you wanted to go.” He looked upset. “I should have known it was too soon for you.”

“I’m fine. Please don’t worry about me.”

Dat regarded her with what looked suspiciously like tears in his eyes.

“I could eat, though,” she said teasingly, and she saw the worry leave his expression.

“Supper will be ready soon.” He turned to leave.

“Dat.” He faced her. “Danki for caring,” she said.

His expression grew soft. “I’m your vadder.”

The evening passed quietly after a simple meal of cold cuts and fresh bread, followed by apple pie. Meg hadn’t actually slept after Jacob had brought her home, but she had rested. It didn’t take long for her to fall asleep once she’d retired for the night.

She woke up to the sounds of birds outside her window the next morning. She relished the pleasant sensation of lying in bed, listening to birdsong, until it hit her. Peter. Alarmed, she sat up. She was going to be working with Peter for weeks, planning their parents’ party.

She closed her eyes, recalling the way he had studied her when she’d last seen him. He’d been kind to her recently, and he’d convinced Jacob to take her home. She didn’t know what to make of his thoughtfulness.

She stood, grabbed her crutches and tried not to think of him. But his face remained ever present in her thoughts.

Chapter Five (#u93d1a112-c583-50d3-a821-fbc70f31cb68)

Monday afternoon Peter paused at the base of the stairs and stared up at the Stoltzfus farmhouse. The last thing he’d expected to be working on was planning a birthday party for his mother and Arlin Stoltzfus. He had learned about Missy Stoltzfus’s and his father’s arrangement to have him and Meg work together to plan the celebration the evening of the last singing, the night that Reuben Miller and Meg had had the accident. Peter had figured that because of the accident, their parents would have forgotten all about the arrangement. But apparently not. So here he stood, in front of Meg’s house, after being told by his father this morning that Missy and Meg would be expecting him today.

He thought about Meg. How on earth was he going to work with her? Meg Stoltzfus could be difficult on a good day. Planning an event with her wasn’t going to be easy.

He grinned as he realized that he was up for the challenge.

He thought of Agnes and the wonderful afternoon they’d shared on their walk with Alice. The three of them had chatted, laughed and had a nice time. It had been a stress-free afternoon. Still, he had thought of Meg during it. It felt as though something was missing when he spent time with Agnes.

Peter climbed the steps and knocked.

Meg’s mother opened the door. “Peter!” She smiled as she stepped back to allow him entry. “Come in. Meg is in the great room.”

“Is she feeling oll recht?” he asked, as he followed her through the kitchen.

“She’s coming along,” Missy said.

As he entered the room, he caught sight of Meg immediately, seated in a chair facing the window. She looked pensive as she gazed out into the yard.

“Meg, Peter’s here.”

She jerked as if burned, and met his gaze. “Hallo, Peter.” She lifted her cast off a stool and tried to turn her chair.

He rushed forward to help, gently grabbing the back of her chair and swiveling it to face the room. He then retrieved the large stool she’d been resting her leg on and placed it directly in front of her.

Meg gave him an irritated look as she lifted both legs onto the stool. Clearly, she wasn’t happy to accept his help. If this was the way their planning time would go, then it was going to be much more challenging than he’d envisioned.

He grabbed a wooden chair from the other side of the room and sat, facing her. She seemed much improved since yesterday. “You look better. You must have slept well.”