Finding Her Amish Love. Rebecca Kertz

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СКАЧАТЬ the tears to fall. “Yes,” she whispered. “Very agreeable.” She inhaled sharply. “But I shouldn’t accept. If my foster father comes here looking for me...”

      Leah covered Emma’s hands with her own. “I’m not worried about him. Besides, he won’t find out you’re here among us.” She smiled. “You’ll be a big help to me. Before long, I won’t be able to work for a while.” She patted her belly. “I’m having twins.”

      “Twins!” Emma held her gaze. “You must be so happy about them.”

      “I’m thrilled. I love Henry, and I already love our babies,” Leah said gently.

      She grinned. “I’m happy for you, Leah. You deserve everything good life has to offer.”

      “Danki.” Leah rose and went to the refrigerator. “Now before we do anything else, I’m feeding you, then you can take a shower.”

      It sounded wonderful to her. She must have said it aloud because Leah laughed.

      Emma hesitated. “May I wash my hands before I eat?”

      Leah directed her to a small downstairs bathroom. Emma continued to fight tears as she washed her hands and face. Feeling overwhelmed and emotional, she experienced hope for the first time in a long time. Hope tinged with a feeling of concern for accepting her friend’s offer. There was no mirror in the room, but she could imagine how awful she must look after days on the road and having slept in the barn.

      Emma managed to gain control of her emotions as she wolfed down the turkey sandwich Leah fixed for her. After she finished, she then ate the piece of an apple pie that Leah pressed on her.

      “Come with me,” Leah said after Emma was done eating.

      She followed Leah out of the kitchen, then upstairs to a bathroom with a shower. She glanced down at her dirty clothes and grimaced at the thought of putting them on again.

      Leah turned on the shower and adjusted the temperature. “Wait here a moment.” She returned within minutes with clean clothes.

      Emma eyed the royal blue Amish dress, and her throat tightened with emotion. “Leah, I can’t take your clothes.”

      “Of course you can. Until we can get you several garments of your own.” To Emma’s surprise, Leah took her hand. “Jess, think about it. Hiding in plain sight, you can live among us freely. No one would suspect an Amish girl of being a runaway foster child.”

      Emma hadn’t thought about that. “That does sound like a good plan.”

      “Gut,” Leah said, pronouncing it with an accent. “Gut, not good. But don’t worry, I’ll teach you a few phrases that will make your place here convincing.”

      “Thank you.”

      “Danki,” Leah instructed.

      “Danki,” Emma said, and the Amish woman beamed at her.

      “When you’re done here, come downstairs. I’ll be in the kitchen.”

      “Okay. Danki.”

      “Ja, danki,” Leah corrected with a laugh.

      Emma grinned at her before the woman closed the door, leaving her alone to ponder her new temporary life. She cleaned up and changed into the Amish clothes Leah had provided. She knew she wouldn’t have trouble fitting in. After all, she’d been raised in an Amish community until she was six years old. She knew how to speak high German, although she couldn’t let on. She’d have to allow the others to teach her a few words or they would suspect that she and her parents had left their Amish community for the English world and been shunned by their family and friends for their decision to leave.

      “We need to come up with an Amish name for you,” Leah said. She looked thoughtful for a moment. “How about Emma? You can be my cousin Emma Stoltzfus from New Wilmington, Pennsylvania.”

      “Emma?” she breathed, shocked by Leah’s choice.

      Leah smiled. “Ja. What do you think?”

      Emma smiled back. “I think it will be easy for me to answer to that name.”

      “What’s taking them so long?” Daniel said. He’d brought a stranger into Leah’s life and home. He was worried, although Leah said she knew the girl.

      “Knowing my wife,” Henry said, “she’s feeding Jess over a long conversation.”

      “You’re not concerned?”

      His cousin’s husband shook his head. “Nay, I know Leah. She has gut instincts. If she trusts the girl, then I do, too.”

      “Maybe I should go up to the haus.” Daniel couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling that had come since the discovery of the girl in the barn.

      “You’ll upset not only Jess but Leah as well. Do you want to upset your cousin?” Henry asked with a look of amusement.

      Daniel couldn’t help a smile. Henry had hurt Daniel’s brother Isaac, who had been his best friend, and his cousin Leah had resented him because of it. Even though Henry and Isaac had become close again, Leah hadn’t liked or trusted Henry until she’d gotten to know the man’s true nature. After forgiving Henry, she’d fallen in love with him. Leah had never been happier as Henry’s wife. The fact that she would give birth soon added a new, higher level of happiness to the man on the other side of the counter.

      “Are you hoping for a soohn or dochter?” Daniel asked.

      “One of each or two of either,” Henry said with a smile. “As long as they are healthy.”

      He laughed. “That will take time.”

      Henry shook his head. “Nay. We’re having twins.”

      “Twins!” Daniel grinned. “You’re in for it as a parent. You do know I have twin brothers, ja? I remember all the trouble they got into.”

      “We’ll handle them,” the other man said with confidence. “You forget who their mother is.”

      Daniel laughed. “I’m sure you’re right. Leah is one determined woman.”

      “Praise be to Gott,” Henry breathed. “They’re back,” he said as if Daniel hadn’t heard a door open and shut in the back of the store.

      He waited for Leah and Jess to appear.

      Leah entered first. “I’d like you to meet someone. Her name is Emma.” She looked back. “Emma? Come in and meet my husband, Henry, and my cousin Daniel.”

      Daniel frowned. What had happened to Jess? Had she left as he’d expected? Then Emma entered the room and he stared. It was Jess but not. The young woman standing before him was clean and wore a blue Amish dress, white cape and apron. Leah had rolled and pinned Jess’s hair in the Amish way. On her head, she wore СКАЧАТЬ