Amish Dreams (Amish Romance) Read online

  CONTENTS

  Chapter One - Ruth Yoder

  Chapter Two - Noah Fischer

  Chapter Three - Winter

  Chapter Four - Gott's Forgiveness

  Chapter Five - Starting Over

  Chapter Six - Still Grieving

  Chapter Seven - A Song in her Heart

  Chapter Eight - High Spirits

  Chapter Nine - Blessings

  Chapter Ten - Guide Me

  Chapter Eleven - New Beginnings

  Chapter Twelve - Silent Prayers

  Chapter Thirteen - The Courtship

  Chapter Fourteen - Warming Hearts

  Chapter Fifteen - Happiness

  Chapter Sixteen - Coldness

  Chapter Seventeen - Sweet Kisses

  Chapter Eighteen - Epilogue

  CHAPTER ONE

  Ruth Yoder

  Ruth Yoder packed the last of the crockery into the small kitchen cupboards. She refused to long for the bigger cupboards or the bigger home they had left behind in Ohio. Lancaster County was a new beginning for both her and her father.

  She had spent her entire life in Ohio. Their old community had been the only home Ruth had ever known. Although they no longer had familye there after her grossmammi’s passing five years earlier, they had remained because it was home.

  The decision to leave everything they knew behind to start anew in Lancaster County hadn’t been made lightly, in fact it had been weighed over and over again only to be found the best decision for them both.

  After her mother fell ill over two years before, Ruth and her father had done all they could to make her last months more bearable. The cancer had come so suddenly, so unexpectedly, eating the light from her mother’s eyes with every passing day. Ruth could still remember how frail her mother had been in those last months.

  It had been devastating to watch a once bubbly, energetic and loving fraa lose herself a little more each day to the hungry disease that eventually robbed her of her life.

  After her mother’s funeral Ruth had asked her father if they shouldn’t consider moving. Her father, stunned at first, had scoffed at the idea. But only a week later he had mentioned to Ruth that he had a bruder in Lancaster County. The ball had started rolling soon after that. They had sold their home and packed their belongings, leaving Ohio and the aching memories behind for a new beginning.

  Ruth realized recently that the worst factor for her father was having to leave his carpentry business. They were by no means wealthy, but her father’s skilled hands had ensured them of an income every month. Leaving was a risk they took, but Ruth believed it to be for the best.

  In the old community, memories of her mother were at every turn. Everything reminded them of the loss they had suffered. The heartache had nearly stolen the life from her father’s eyes before they had left. The bus ride to Lancaster hadn’t been long but it had been long enough for Ruth to decide to find a job for the first time in her life.

  She wasn’t smart or specifically skilled but she was good with people and numbers. Surely she could find employment in Lancaster. It was time for her to take care of her father; he had done more than enough over the last few years, caring not only for her but also for her ill mother.

  On their arrival two days before in Lancaster County, her uncle had helped them secure a small two-story home on a small property just outside of town, as promised. Their new buggy and steed had been arranged and all that was left to do was to unpack and start a fresh life.

  Her father was occupied out back with the small shed and the barn, fixing what he could, since the property had been vacant for over a year. Ruth knew that they had enough savings from the sale of their horse, buggy and home in Ohio to get them through the first few months, but she didn’t want to wait until their savings were depleted before looking for a job.

  Once the kitchen was sorted, the beds made, the floors mopped and her father served his lunch, Ruth took the horse and buggy into town. The town was only a ten minute drive from their property. It was not big, and certainly much smaller than the town closest to them in Ohio. As Ruth guided the horse through town she quietly prayed that there would be employment for her here. She secured the horse in front of the general grocer, reminding herself to get the necessary items before returning home. Ruth adjusted her prayer kapp and apron and walked along the sidewalk, looking into the Englisch shops, hoping to spot a sign advertising a vacancy.

  She had almost reached the end of the main road when she noticed an Amish gift shop. Intrigued, Ruth crossed the road and stepped inside.

  A bell chimed, alerting the proprietor to her presence. Ohio had also boasted Amish shops, but this was quite different. These homemade items were reasonably priced compared with the exorbitant prices charged in Ohio. A small card describing the significance of the item in the Amish community was paired with most products. A smile formed on her mouth as she browsed the shelves. She was fascinated by the explanation cards and found herself smiling beside the Amish dolls. As a little girl, Ruth had owned a doll just like the ones on the shelf. Faceless ragdolls wearing plain clothes and prayer kapps. Above it was a card that read as follows:

  These dolls are loved by little Amish girls. They are companions, toys and source of comfort. Traditional Amish dolls do not have faces because as Amish we like to ensure our children know that regardless of our outer looks we are all the same in God’s eyes.

  “Can I help you?” an Englischer suddenly asked behind Ruth, startling her.

  “Ach, nee. Denke. I was just browsing. I love the explanations you add to each item.”

  The lady was in her late forties and although she wore a bright red dress and matching lip-gloss, she had a kindness in her eyes that made Ruth smile.

  “Yes, when I started the gift shop we only had a small Amish section but I soon learned that tourists are intrigued by your way of life. So after time, the shop now concentrates on Amish gifts. All the items in the shop are procured from the local community.”

  “That’s truly a gut gesture on your part.” Ruth smiled, touching a doll. “I used to have one just like this.”

  “I’m Jennifer Thomson. I haven’t seen you around before. Are you new in town?” Jennifer laughed, shaking her head, causing her auburn curls to bounce on her shoulders. “I’m sorry I’m too curious.”

  Ruth laughed, “I’m Ruth Yoder. Jah, my daed and I just moved here from Ohio. I was actually hoping to find work in town but I see no one is hiring at the moment.” Ruth sighed putting the doll back on the shelf.

  “Is that so? Well not everyone likes to advertise vacancies, you know. I personally never do. I like to get a sense of someone before I even consider offering them a job. Just like I have a good sense about you. What kind of job are you looking for, Ruth?”

  Ruth shrugged, shaking her head, “I’ve never really worked before. Mamm was quite ill these last few years and I spent most of my time taking care of her. I am quite proficient with numbers and I’m gut with people, at least that’s what Mamm used to say.”

  Jennifer frowned for a moment before nodding, “Ruth, how would you like to work for me? I don’t have anyone helping me at the moment, and I’ve never had an Amish girl work for me before. I think it will be a good fit, since you can explain whichever items don’t have explanation cards.”

  Ruth’s brows shot up in surprised, “You’re offering me a job?”

  “I guess I am,” Jennifer smiled. “You need help and so do I. How about four days a week from nine till four? Tuesday through Friday. Mondays I’m closed, and I guess you have your hands full over weekends with chores.”

  Ruth couldn’t believe her ears. Not only was Jennifer offering her a job, but she was offering her a j
ob that would still allow her Mondays and weekends free to tend to the house, “I promise I won’t let you down.”

  “I’m sure you won’t.” Jennifer invited Ruth back to the small office where she made them each a cup of kaffe. Jennifer proposed a wage that was much higher than Ruth anticipated, before holding out her hand, “Welcome to the team.”

  Ruth couldn’t believe her luck. Not only did she manage to find a job, but she managed to find a well-paying one in an Amish gift shop. Her father was going to be over the moon for her.

  She arrived home later that afternoon and told her father about meeting Jennifer Thompson. Just as she suspected, her father was happy for her although there was still a haunting shadow in his eyes. Ruth couldn’t help but wonder if it was because he missed her mother, his carpentry business, or Ohio or all of the above.

  CHAPTER TWO

  Noah Fischer

  Noah Fischer put the cows in the paddock early the following morning. For two days he had noticed movement at the house on the edge of their property. That home had been empty for the better part of two years and now finally it seemed to be occupied again.

  Noah was twenty and still lived with his parents. Most men his age were courting or already married but Noah just hadn’t met the girl with whom he wanted to spend the rest of his life just yet. Besides, most of his time was spent on the farm helping where he was needed. They had a very successful dairy farm and supplied most of the community with milk.

  Although Noah knew that his parents hoped he would one day join the dairy, Noah couldn’t help but dream of becoming a carpenter. He again caught sight of the young woman he had first noticed two days before. She was much younger than the mann, although this wasn’t strange in Amish communities. When a mann’s wife passed away he was permitted to wed again, and he surmised this was probably what had happened in the case of his neighbors.

  They weren’t from Lancaster, of that Noah was sure; he would have recognized them if they were locals. No, the new neighbors moved here from another community. Just as Noah leaned on the corner post of the paddock, his mother called him from the kitchen door. “Noah!”

  A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. One day he would have kinners who hurried to him whenever he called their names. Adjusting his wide brim hat, Noah headed to his mother who was waiting for him at the kitchen door with a basket in her hands.

  “Why don’t you stop spying on the neighbors and go over and introduce yourself? I’d go, but I have too much to still do today. Here you go,” she passed him the basket. “Welcome them from all of us and hopefully your curiosity will rest a little easier.”

  Noah smiled, shaking his head, “Jah, Mamm.”

  “There’s a gut mann,” his mother said before turning and heading back into the house.

  Noah glanced into the basket filled with freshly baked bread, jams, and vegetables from the garden along with a small potted plant. The ultimate welcome basket.

  He headed towards the haus and wondered if he would find both the mann and the fraa at home.

  Crossing the field he wondered if there would be time later to work on his woodwork. Since childhood Noah had always been intrigued with wood and dreamed of becoming a carpenter, but he knew that his parents needed him at the dairy.

  That meant he was not free to spend much time experimenting with carving and sanding wood. His masterpiece to date was a small chest for his mother to store her gardening tools in. Although it was nowhere near the quality Noah wished it to be, he was proud of it nonetheless.

  He wasn’t sure why a mann with a long heritage of dairy farming was interested in wood. He only knew that something about the wood shavings, the saw dust, the promise of creating something from nothing but raw wood, drew him in. One day, he promised himself as he crossed onto the neighboring property, he would pursue that dream. One day he would be a carpenter and his creations would last for decades after he no longer walked the earth.

  They had always had one carpenter in their community, old Samson. Samson had passed away three years ago, leaving Noah wanting for someone under whom to apprentice. He knew that his dream was most likely just a pipe dream, but he didn’t let that stop him from dreaming.

  He was surprised to see many repairs already made to both the small barn and the shed out back. Their neighbors may only have been there for two days, but they had been busy, Noah thought walking around back. A small patch under the kitchen window had also already been cleared for a vegetable patch.

  Noah smiled as he looked around. It was nice to see life next door again. Perhaps he could become friends with their new neighbors. Just as he rounded the haus, he noticed the fraa through the kitchen window. His breath caught and his feet stopped at the sight of her. She was the prettiest woman Noah had ever seen. Her hair was the color of rich honey, her skin like fresh milk. Her eyes reminded him of the cloudless Fall sky above him: bright blue, with hints of darkness at the edges. She didn’t notice him as she was too focused on working at the kitchen table.

  Noah actually felt his heart stop for a moment before willing it to beat again. He had never met a woman who had made his heart skip a beat before. He cleared his throat, took a deep breath and headed for the door. He knocked briskly and waited for the door to be opened.

  A large mann about twice Noah’s age opened the door. His eyes were brown and dark, his frame broad for his age. “Hullo. Can I help you?” he asked with a furrowed brow.

  Noah cleared his throat again, “Hullo. Nee, I just brought this over. We’re your neighbors, over there,” he pointed towards his home before holding out the basket. “This is just a welcome basket from me and my parents to welcome you to our community.”

  The man’s stern face split into a welcoming smile, “Denke. Please, do come inside. I’m Peter Yoder.” He offered his hand and Jacob was surprised by his strong grip. Peter stepped back just enough to reveal the blonde angel that Noah had seen through the window, “This is Ruth Yoder.”

  Noah nodded, rubbing his hands against his thighs since they were suddenly very clammy. “It’s a pleasure to meet you both. Like I said, I just wanted to bring you the basket. The milk’s fresh, the bread too and the vegetables come from our garden.”

  Ruth stepped forward with a smile that made Noah’s knees buckle for a moment. “What a sweet gesture. Denke…sorry, what was your name?”

  Noah cleared his throat forgetting his own name for a moment in the face of her beauty. “I’m Noah. Noah Fischer.”

  “Denke Noah,” she smiled taking the basket from him. Noah quickly composed himself after fawning over another mann’s wife. He was probably breaking three of the seven deadly sins just looking at her. He looked towards the mann, focusing on him instead. “What brings you to Lancaster?”

  CHAPTER THREE

  Winter

  “Why don’t you come inside and have some kaffe?” Ruth offered, hoping her voice was steadier than her heart. Just the sight of the attractive young mann made her heart race a little. She had never interacted much with the young men in their community in Ohio. At first she was too young; when the time had come for her to start attending singings, her mother had become ill. Her mother had frequently insisted that Ruth take some time to enjoy being young instead of just taking care of her, but Ruth had refused, wanting to spend every moment she had with her mother. Besides, the few times menner had coming knocking at their door, her heart barely tripped a beat.

  Not like it did now. She caught herself, momentarily lost in his hazel gaze before gathering herself.

  Now suddenly she wished she had more experience with menner. His warm brown eyes smiled along with his mouth. “That would be nice, denke.”

  “Kumm, sit down,” Peter offered as he moved towards the table.

  Ruth couldn’t decide if it was a blessing or a curse that their next-door neighbor was so handsome. She quickly made three cups of kaffe before joining the menner at the table. She knew it was best to make herself scarce and let the menner talk but kn
ew her father would insist she stay and make acquaintance as well.

  As Noah spoke, Ruth listened to the cadence of his voice and found it soothing. Her father hadn’t yet made friends since arriving in the community and she was glad for his part for the male company.

  She listened as the menner spoke, unwilling to interrupt or to excuse herself, as either would be rude.

  “I noticed you moved in a couple of days ago. Which community did you reside in before?” Noah asked looking at Ruth directly. She felt a blush rush into her cheeks but ignored it as she cleared her throat.

  “Ohio. Also an old order community. We decided it was time for a fresh start,” Ruth said with a smile before her father added.

  “The memories there were too heart wrenching after losing my wife the year before,” her father added with a sad smile. “But Ruth and I are looking towards the future. We have each other and the world at our feet, don’t we Ruth?”

  Ruth watched Noah frown for a moment before he merely nodded. “Well, Lancaster is a very nice area. We have quite a few communities, mostly old order like this one. You’ve surely met the bishop?”

  Ruth glanced at her father who also looked a little confused at Noah seemingly trying to sell them Lancaster County. “Jah, we have. Soon after arriving in town,” Ruth confirmed. Her father’s bruder, Uncle Eli had introduced them to the Bishop on the first day of their arrival. The bishop welcomed them with open arms and Ruth was actually excited for their first church Sunday.

  The room went quiet for a moment until Peter spoke. “I see you farm. Just cattle or corn as well?”

  Noah smiled, seemingly grateful for the change of subject. “Jah, third generation dairy farmers. I always teased that my parents loved their cattle more than they loved me.” A teasing smile quirked his mouth making Ruth’s heart skip a beat before he continued. “We supply milk to most of the county. If you ever need, you know where to find some.” He laughed and for a moment his eyes met Ruth’s. She felt her tummy flutter and quickly looked away, surprised at the reaction. When Ruth looked at Noah again she saw he was now focused on her father.