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Her Amish Holiday Suitor
Carrie Lighte
A serious maedel. A carefree bachelor… And a Christmas Amish Country Courtships surprise! Lucy Knepp has no time for heartbreaker Nick Burkholder…until a pretend courtship means she can finish her embroidery for a Christmas fundraiser in peace. Nick’s arrangement with the too-reserved Lucy’s the perfect cover while he repairs the cabin his brother damaged. But once Nick sees how vibrant Lucy really is, can he prove himself—and show their love is for all seasons?
A serious maedel. A carefree bachelor...
And a Christmas Amish Country Courtships surprise!
Lucy Knepp has no time for heartbreaker Nick Burkholder…until a pretend courtship means she can finish her embroidery for a Christmas fund-raiser in peace. Nick’s arrangement with the too-reserved Lucy is the perfect cover while he repairs the cabin his brother damaged. But once Nick sees how vibrant Lucy really is, can he prove himself—and show their love is for all seasons?
CARRIE LIGHTE lives in Massachusetts next door to a Mennonite farming family, and she frequently spots deer, foxes, fisher cats, coyotes and turkeys in her backyard. Having enjoyed traveling to several Amish communities in the eastern United States, she looks forward to visiting settlements in the western states and in Canada. When she’s not reading, writing or researching, Carrie likes to hike, kayak, bake and play word games.
Also By Carrie Lighte (#u5b8cee8d-d115-576d-8cb3-d1be0629d3b1)
Amish Country Courtships
Amish Triplets for Christmas
Anna’s Forgotten Fiancé
An Amish Holiday Wedding
Minding the Amish Baby
Her New Amish Family
Her Amish Holiday Suitor
Discover more at millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk).
Her Amish Holiday Suitor
Carrie Lighte
www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
ISBN: 978-1-474-09751-2
HER AMISH HOLIDAY SUITOR
© 2019 Carrie Lighte
Published in Great Britain 2019
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)
Note to Readers (#u5b8cee8d-d115-576d-8cb3-d1be0629d3b1)
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Text to speech
“I really am sorry, Lucy,” Nick said softly.
When Lucy finally stopped crying, she asked, “May I use your handkerchief, please?”
“You can use my scarf. I don’t mind.”
The offer to use Nick’s scarf to dry her eyes and blow her nose was so ridiculous and sweet it caused Lucy to chuckle. “Neh, that’s okay,” she said, removing her mittens to dab her tears.
“I’m sorry I treated you that way. I didn’t mean to. I care about you, and I wouldn’t want anything to happen to you. I especially wouldn’t want to play a role in hurting you.”
Lucy was overwhelmed. No man had ever said anything like that to her before, even in friendship. “It’s not your fault,” she said. “And I do appreciate that you care. But I’m not as fragile as you think I am.”
“Fragile? You? I don’t think you’re fragile at all,” Nick scoffed. “I think you’re one of the most resilient women I’ve ever known.”
Lucy was overwhelmed again. If this kept up, she was going to fall hard for Nick Burkholder. Maybe she already had...
Dear Reader (#u5b8cee8d-d115-576d-8cb3-d1be0629d3b1),
When I was around Lucy’s age, I was sometimes drawn to gregarious, charming men like Nick, who in many ways were a contrast to my reserved, introverted personality. Then I went through a phase where I deliberately avoided that type of man at all costs. Like Lucy and Nick, I eventually realized I couldn’t judge a book by its cover one way or the other; I had to get to know the person—and vice versa—on more than a superficial level before determining whether or not to develop a relationship.
Similarly, I’m reminded of Isaiah 53:2, which indicates there was no comeliness about Christ that we would be drawn to Him. Whether that refers to His physical appearance, lineage, societal status or something else, I’m not certain. But I do know He wasn’t anything like people expected. Discovering who He is and how much He loves me is the most rewarding joy of my life, as I hope it is for you, too.
Blessings,
Carrie Lighte
For the Lord seeth not as man seeth;
for man looketh on the outward appearance,
but the Lord looketh on the heart.
—1 Samuel 16:7
For the readers who have followed
my Amish Country Courtships series,
with much gratitude for your interest
and best wishes for your lives.
Contents
Cover (#ue4ea8c3d-8390-5d4b-815d-135b3e869638)
Back Cover Text (#u83373522-da06-57fc-9956-7735f28413f7)
About the Author (#uf0806a29-4a85-5f58-bfb2-bb1ec37b05f1)
Booklist (#u0ece9ffc-0b2f-54a9-93b0-0f53fe126f8d)
Title Page (#uc12f955d-69c3-55e4-be57-c4db803a1722)
Copyright (#ud4c130e2-3abe-5783-815d-d240a1ed51a1)
Note to Readers
Introduction (#ua91c06d2-4997-5a9d-9d4f-c9fbf3fa7cd6)
Dear Reader (#u65e05644-9ac3-5c22-9f75-c5c468c29ab5)
Bible Verse (#u32155ee6-fb43-5f29-858c-675261c41eb4)
Dedication (#ucd6a280d-1d4f-5313-ad15-4e4de85323dd)
Chapter One (#ue0323a07-01ec-5470-a25a-cda28a0ec21b)
Chapter Two (#ube8863ab-8201-554b-b5ae-c9bbe42a4c8d)
Chapter Three (#u61363d0f-78a3-575f-999f-6d9ce4020a5d)
Chapter Four (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Five (#litres_trial_promo)
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)
Epilogue (#litres_trial_promo)
Extract (#litres_trial_promo)
About the Publisher (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter One (#u5b8cee8d-d115-576d-8cb3-d1be0629d3b1)
“You did what?” Nick Burkholder asked as he guided his horse along the dark, winding country roads of Willow Creek, Pennsylvania. It was the Sunday after Thanksgiving, and he and his brother were on their way to a singing at Frederick Stutzman’s house. Their plan was to make a brief appearance and then leave to hang out with Nick’s Amish friends from Elmsville at an eatery in Highland Springs.
“On Friday night I, uh, sort of started a fire in Jenny Nelson’s cabin,” seventeen-year-old Kevin repeated, referring to the vacation house of an Englisch acquaintance.
The redheaded brothers were known for kidding around, so Nick assumed Kevin was joking. “Oh, I get it. You mean you started a fire in their fireplace. You sounded so serious you had me going for a minute there. Voll schpass.”
“I wish it were very funny,” Kevin replied, using the Englisch term for voll schpass. It seemed to Nick his brother had picked up more Englisch phrases and habits during the first six months of his rumspringa than Nick had learned during the entirety of his own five-year running around period.
Kevin’s voice was somber as he continued. “I mean, jah, initially I was trying to start a fire in the fireplace, but one of the newspaper logs I rolled must have—”
“Kevin!” Nick cut him off. “You should know better than to use newspaper logs after all the warnings Daed’s given you!”
“I just thought—”
“Neh, that’s just the problem. You didn’t think at all,” Nick retorted, ironically using the same words his father often used when lecturing him. He brought the buggy to a standstill at the side of the road and turned to face Kevin. “Please tell me no one was injured.”
“Neh. But there was a little superficial damage to the walls and ceiling.”
Kevin proceeded to tell Nick he must have been distracted by the other guests summoning him into the kitchen to eat, because he forgot to close the protective mesh screen on the fireplace. He reckoned when someone opened the door to the cabin it created a back draft, and ash from the dry newspaper logs was swept through the air, because the next thing anyone knew, a pair of window curtains caught fire. The flames quickly leaped to a dried floral wreath hanging on the wall nearby, and before Jenny could retrieve the extinguisher, the wood paneling and ceiling had been burned, too.
Nick’s mind was reeling, and he could hardly focus on the additional details Kevin provided about the mishap. If only Nick had attended the party with him, the fire probably wouldn’t have happened. But Nick’s parents had requested Nick stay behind and help take inventory at the hardware store his father owned.
“You just went out on Wednesday night. You’re too old to be gallivanting around at every opportunity,” his mother had said in a tone that indicated she meant business. “Your daed needs your help organizing and stocking up on specialty products the Englisch buy for Grischtdaag. Friday evening is the only opportunity he has.”
Nick couldn’t refuse. At twenty-one, he’d stretched out his rumspringa longer than almost anyone in his church district, which was a point of contention between his parents and him. They strongly implied if he didn’t decide to join the church soon, he’d have to move out on his own. While he wouldn’t be shunned, it would be disgracing for the entire family if he lived apart from them but stayed in the Amish community without being baptized into the church.
The choice should have been an easy one, and deep down, Nick had already made up his mind. He loved God, he loved being Amish and he loved his community. By now he knew that although some aspects of Englisch life were appealing, he had no desire to “go Englisch” for good. But he was also keenly aware that as long as he didn’t join the church, he wouldn’t be permitted to marry an Amish woman. And although he had courted most of the eligible young women in Willow Creek, as well as several from the Elmsville district, he hadn’t met anyone he considered compatible enough to marry. Apparently, the same wasn’t true for how the women felt about him; when he inevitably broke up with them, the women often expressed deep disappointment. Worse, they cried as if there were no tomorrow, no matter how gentle or diplomatic he tried to be about ending their courtship.
To Nick it seemed the women he courted didn’t really care whether they were compatible with him. It was as if they were more interested in being married than being in a marriage relationship. Granted, there was no mandate requiring Nick to get married once he joined the church, but it was generally expected. Once he was baptized, the pressure—especially from his mother—would really kick in. So, by prolonging his rumspringa, Nick was securing his bachelorhood just a little longer. Meanwhile, someone new might move to town. After all, a spouse was a gift from the Lord, and who could say when and how the Lord might give him that gift?
Kevin spoke again, jarring Nick from his thoughts. “Jenny said if I pay for the repairs, she’ll hire a contractor and then she won’t have to tell her folks about the fire. So, can you lend me the money? Since we’re passing Jenny’s house on the way to Highland Springs, I sort of promised her I’d let her know tonight.”
“Are you narrish?” Nick asked, calling his brother crazy. “I cleaned out my savings to purchase Penny last spring.”
