Amish Christmas Kinner

Book 3: Amish Mail Order Grooms

by Lenora Worth, Rachel J. Good, Kelly Long

Genres: Clean & Wholesome Romance

Synopsis

This trio of heartwarming, inspirational Amish holiday stories, each connected to its bestselling author’s Amish romance series, captures the blessings of family, faith, and the magic and childlike joy of Christmas.
 
CHRISTMAS EVE BABY * Lenora Worth
It’s a Christmas Eve to remember when a laboring mother-to-be shows up at the King sisters’ Shadow Lake Inn amid a snowstorm. Midwife Sarah King and her three daughters go into action, while the men of the family search for the woman’s husband. And with faithful hearts and helping hands, this magical night may unite a brand-new family just in time to share a Christmas blessing. 
 
BEST CHRISTMAS PROGRAM EVER * Rachel J. Good
On Emily Flaud’s second day of work at the Green Valley Farmer’s Market, two hungry children in tattered clothes snitch some cheese samples—and Emily’s heart. Her co-worker, Hosea King, is less beguiled. He is still grieving the loss of his wife and daughter two years before, especially as Christmas approaches. But when the children are in need of adoption, Emily longs to become their mother—in a prayer that includes Hosea . . .
 
LOVING LUKE * Kelly Long
Wanted: Amish Mail Order Groom. Must be excellent with kinner.Recently widowed,Grace Fisher must be practical. She has a general store to run and needs a gentle man to help raise her kinner. But when Luke King appears, Grace sees a scruffy man who looks far from husband material, while Luke sees a woman who deserves better than he. Yet with faith, each may gain the courage to see beneath the surface—and create a family for many Christmases to come . . .

Release date: September 26, 2023

Publisher: Kensington Books

Print pages: 352

Sample

The winter wind howled and moaned, causing Colette King Mueller to pull her shawl closer as she stared out the front windows of Shadow Lake Inn. Lake Erie crashed and crested out over the far horizon, making her shiver with cold as she remembered the night a year ago when she’d been out in the snow with a dangerous man.

But that was over now, even if she did still have the occasional nightmare. She’d just become a married woman in October, but already she dreamed of having kinner. Maybe two or three little ones. Christmas made her heart tug toward motherhood. So she focused on her dreams instead of the brutal weather. Her sister Abigail now had two children. A boy they called Jon and a bobbeli named after their mamm—Sarah Rebecca, with the nickname of Becca. Tonight during their supper with the inn’s staff, they’d learned the middle King sister, Eliza, was with child. Colette smiled, thinking of the joy on Eliza’s and Levi’s faces. Another little one in the family.

“Maybe you’ll be next,” Mamm had told her in private after the staff members had left to get home before the looming snowstorm. “I know it’s hard to wait, but the Lord knows our plans.”

“I’ve just married,” Colette had responded with a laugh, her cheeks blushing. “I have time.” She couldn’t tell her mamm that the idea of having a bobbeli was a bit unnerving. Her midwife mamm had delivered many babies, so Colette knew she’d be well taken care of. Neh, she worried about what came after the birth. “What if I’m a bad mother?”

“How could you be a bad mother?” Mamm had replied, touching a hand to Colette’s cheek. “You are strong. You proved that when you were put to the test. Now you and Matthew are married and enjoying your new home. You will do just fine when you have your first child.”

“I will do my best.”

Colette watched the heavy snow falling now, thinking this Christmas would be special to all of them. The King sisters had managed to find love with three strong, capable men. But it hadn’t been easy. Thinking that story was for another time, she took one last look out the window.

And saw a shadow moving through the snow.

“Matthew,” she called, “kumm quickly.”

Her husband of two months rushed to the window. “What’s wrong?”

“Someone is out there.” She pointed to the figure moving slowly up the snow-covered drive. “I . . . I see someone.”

Matthew held her close. “You know you’re safe now. The man who tried to harm you is not here, Colette. He’s dead.”

She nodded, touched that he always wanted to protect her when she had nightmares or thought she’d heard or seen something. After being kidnapped last Christmas, she’d tried to get her life back on track, to forget the horrible memories.

But she wasn’t scared for herself. The storm was growing worse. Maybe one of the staff members had been forced to turn around.

“I’m not worried about my nightmares,” she said. “Look, that’s a woman. And she’s out there alone in this freezing weather.”

“I’ll go check,” her husband said after glancing out the window, his dark eyes filled with worry, his face filled with concern.

“I’m going with you,” she replied. “Let me get my cloak.”

Before he could argue, she hurried to the employee room and fetched her cloak and her heavy bonnet.

“Where are you headed?” Mamm asked, her hands on her hips, surprise in her voice.

“I saw a woman on the drive,” Colette said over her shoulder. “Mattie is going to check on her.”

Mamm hurried after her. It seemed the whole group had heard and decided to tag along. Soon, her entire family and the staff members who were spending the night at the inn stood by the window, watching as she and Matthew moved through the deepening snow to the woman.

“Help,” the stranger called out when she looked up. “Please help me.”

Colette saw the fear in the woman’s eyes. Fear and pain. A shiver danced down Colette’s spine. What had happened to this young woman?

“I’ve got you,” Matthew called to the frightened woman, reaching out his hand to help her up the slope of the hillside. The sound of the lake crashing in angry waves and the snow howling all around made it hard to hear anything.

Colette met them at the bottom of the white stone steps, trying not to slip. “We’ll get you inside. It’s warm and safe here.”

They guided her up onto the porch, where the gaslights showed her fatigue and exhaustion, her dark blue eyes bright with apprehension and fluffs of golden blond hair lifting from her dark bonnet. “I . . . I’m about to have a baby.”

Then she screamed and doubled over, her hands on her stomach. “It’s too early. This can’t be happening now.”

Mamm appeared on the porch at that moment and went into action. “Abigail, get a bed ready on the lower level—one of the private rooms. Find my liners and bring one to protect the mattress. Jonah, get boiling water ready. Levi, build a fire in the fireplace in that room.” She glanced around while she and Colette led the woman inside the big lobby. “I don’t have my medical bag.”

“I’ll go get it,” Matthew said. “In the cottage?”

“Ja, in the mudroom.” She described the blue canvas bag and two smaller equipment bags. “Please bring me all three.”

Henry, the Englischer who worked the front desk, called out, “I’ll get extra blankets and I’ll keep watch for any others who get caught out there.”

Mamm nodded as she rushed up the hallway to the rooms off to the left of the big kitchen. “Denke, Henry.”

Colette held the woman’s hand while she and Eliza took her to the nearest room. They only had two rooms on the first floor, and both were available.

Eliza motioned to the nearest one at the back of the house with a slight view of the lake from one window. “I just cleaned it and put fresh linens on today, in case we needed more room.”

At times such as this, people could get stranded. The Kings never turned down a stranger in need even if they did have a Closed sign on the door.

Abigail returned from the large linen closet with a plastic mattress protector. “Here we go,” she said to the woman. “Let’s sit you in the chair while we prepare the bed.”

“Gut,” Colette said to Abigail. “I’ll go help Mattie with Mamm’s bag.”

“Neh,” the woman screamed, her fingers digging into Colette’s arm. “Stay with me. I’m so scared. It’s not time for the baby to come.”

“I won’t leave,” Colette told her, indicating to Abigail she’d stay. “Let me get these wet clothes off you, ja?”

The woman shivered and shook. Her teeth seemed to rattle, but she tried to get her heavy cloak open. “Okay.”

Colette helped the woman lift the cloak away. She was Amish, no doubt about that. Her hair was still mostly tidy in spite of the wind howling outside. Her black bonnet and heavy wool cloak were both soaked with melting snow. She shivered as they helped her onto the bed, her deep blue dress damp up to her knees, her boots and socks soaked. If she’d been out much longer like this, hypothermia would have set in.

“She’s cold, Mamm.” Colette grabbed extra blankets and covered the woman as they undressed her.

“Here you go,” Mamm said as she helped them get the woman’s boots off. “You’re safe now.” Mamm’s serenity always amazed Colette.

The woman nodded, her voice husky. “Denke.”

“I’m Sarah King. What’s your name?” Mamm asked after they’d managed to get the woman into a nightgown and in the bed under the blankets and quilts.

“Leah, Leah Kauffman. My husband is Simon.”

“Leah, we are going to take care of you, ain’t so?”

“Denke,” the young woman said again. “I was supposed to meet Simon here, but my buggy got stuck up on the main road, and I had to leave the horse and buggy there. I tried to walk the rest of the way and I got lost. He’s coming home on a bus from Ohio, which was to make a stop in town. We’d hoped to find a nice place for a quiet supper, and a friend had suggested your inn. But then my water broke and here I am. I’m afraid he won’t make it in time.”

Mamm nodded and patted her hand. “Listen to me. I’m a midwife. We will do our best to help you. And I’ll see what I can find out about the bus.”

“A midwife?” Leah’s expression changed from panic to relief. “I am thankful. Gott led me here.”

Mamm lifted her chin. “I’m sure He did just that.”

The woman nodded, and then she moaned and her face turned into a tight, twisted frown of agony. Mamm checked her stomach, then looked at the woman as she fell against the pillows.

“You are having contractions, for certain sure. I’ll need to examine you,” Mamm explained. “Do you live in Pennsylvania? Here in our community?”

“I used to live in Lancaster, but we recently got married and moved to a house not far from here. A few miles out from the township proper. Simon works all over Pennsylvania and Ohio. He had gone home to Ohio to visit his sick sister. The doctor told me to stay behind.”

“And you came here instead of the bus stop in town to meet him?” Mamm asked as she checked Leah’s vitals and prepared her equipment. “You must have started out just before the weather got worse.”

“Ja,” the woman said. “We decided to meet halfway and this is about halfway. We’d planned on spending the night here. I was concerned about the weather, but when I called earlier, a nice man said the inn is normally closed to the public over Christmas, but he saved us a room anyway.”

Mamm smiled, her expression giving away nothing. “That would be Henry. He works at the check-in counter and books most of our guests. He’s been told to save a room every year just in case.”

Leah’s eyes filled with tears. “In case of emergency?”

“Exactly,” Mamm said. “Or in case of a miracle.”

Colette and her sisters stayed close to see if Mamm needed anything. They were on standby with the things she’d want to help Leah. Hot water simmered on the stove, clean towels and sheets were on the dresser, even an extra nightgown and robe for the frightened woman. Mamm had her birth bags ready. The heavy bags contained her sterilized birthing instruments and equipment, a blood pressure monitor for Leah, and a Doppler monitor for the baby, a baby scale, and an oxygen bag. It sure took a lot to birth a baby.

Colette stood in the corner as Mamm used the blood pressure cuff to make sure Leah was steady. Then Mamm checked Leah’s heartbeat with a stethoscope.

“You’re doing gut,” Mamm assured Leah. “Pressure is a bit high, but that’s normal since you’re in labor. I’m going to use what we call a Doppler on your stomach so we can also hear the baby’s heartbeat. Is this your first?”

Leah nodded, her gaze moving from Mamm to Colette. “Do you have children?”

“Not yet,” Colette said as she moved closer. “I just got married two months ago.”

“We’ve been married a year,” Leah said. “Had our ups and downs, but we love each other. This was a special treat, meeting here for a nice supper. We thought we had time. This one wasn’t due until the first of the new year.”

Mamm smiled. “Little ones are on their own time. You do look like you’re near your due date.”

“Another week I thought,” Leah replied through a grimace of pain. “I’m worried this is happening now.”

“That’s also normal. Sometimes they kumm early and sometimes they kumm late.”

Colette swallowed her fears while she watched Leah’s expression change from worry to pain. Why did childbirth have to hurt so much? Love and marriage sure brought many different complications. But it had to be worth it, she figured. Jonah and Abigail beamed with joy over their two children. Eliza was flushed with happiness expecting her first child, and Levi walked around all puffed up like a rooster.

She thought of Matthew and knew in her heart she’d love to give him a bobbeli. But being here, seeing Leah so concerned and in such agony gave her pause. She’d have to think this through, but bobbelis did come into the world all the time.

Mamm must have sensed her discomfort. Her gaze bounced from the woman in labor to Colette. “These pains will come and go. Contractions only mean the baby is working to enter the world. It’s not pleasant at times, but it will be over soon.”

Leah nodded. “I know but I wanted Simon here.”

Colette took her hand. “My brothers-in-law and my husband have gone to see if they can find Simon. They took horses because the roads are so bad. But the bus might have stopped somewhere else for the night.”

“What if there was an accident?” Leah asked, her eyes wide and misty. “What if Simon doesn’t make it? Or he can’t make it because he’s hurt?”

“We won’t focus on that,” Mamm said in a firm tone. “You must calm down and focus on birthing this child. Gott will take care of the rest.”

Leah nodded. “I will try. I’m relieved the men are checking on my Simon. Even if the bus makes it to the township, I fear he’ll wind up spending the night in the bus terminal.”

Eliza came in and heard Leah. Then she glanced out the window. “They planned to get your horse and buggy off the road, too. They know what they’re doing, and if anyone can find your husband, it will be those three.”

Giving her mother a nod, Eliza said, “I’ll go and check with Henry. Maybe he’s heard another weather report on that fancy radio of his.”

Colette stayed with Leah while Mamm went about her work. “I know how you feel,” she told Leah. “Matthew and I have known each other all our lives, but I almost lost him to another woman.”

Leah’s eyebrows slanted up with interest. “You must tell me about that.”

Colette explained how Matthew had inherited a vast Amish estate in Missouri. “She came with it. But she had another boyfriend—a very bad person—who wanted her to go after what he thought should be his.”

“So he wanted his woman to marry your man in order to get the inheritance?” Leah asked, her voice rising as pain hit.

“He did, but it didn’t turn out the way he’d expected, because the woman couldn’t go through with the plan. We found out the truth and . . . unfortunately he died trying to harm us.”

“That’s awful,” Leah said, her agony deepening as pain hit her again.

Colette shivered, dark memories coming to mind. “That’s the gist of it. You don’t need details right now.”

Leah nodded as another contraction began. Mamm coached her on her breathing and offered her some ice chips. “We need the baby to appear before you start to push. Otherwise, you will use your energy too soon.”

“How much longer?” Colette asked, the wonder of it all making her feel small and unsure. Birth was such a wunderbar gut thing. But scary, too. On the other hand, women all over the world seemed to keep birthing children. She giggled at that thought.

Mamm gave her a curious frown and checked her watch. “The contractions are getting closer together now. Not much longer.”

“But Simon is not here,” Leah said. “I want my husband.”

“I’ll go and see if there is any news,” Colette offered, needing to escape the birthing room. She certainly hadn’t anticipated something like this happening tonight.

Eliza met her in the hallway. “I haven’t heard any news, nor any screams of pain from our patient. Is she okay?”

“Leah is scared but holding her own,” Colette said. “I, on the other hand, feel faint.”

“Are you afraid?” Eliza asked, clutching her stomach. “It is a strange but miraculous thing, birthing a child.”

“I was thinking that, exactly,” Colette admitted. “Both frightening and exciting.”

Eliza held her stomach. “All women go through it.”

Colette did not feel confident. “I did remind myself of that, too. I suppose if Mary went through this in a stable, we should be able to survive it with Mamm’s help,” she replied. “I believe a little miracle happens with the birth of each child.”

Eliza twisted her lips. “I think you could be correct, sister. We worry and fear, but it is a natural occurrence. You might as well be prepared.”

“Are you?” Colette asked, curious.

“I have to be,” Eliza said. “Abigail has been sweetly coaching me, of course.”

Colette huffed a laugh. “You mean, nagging you and bossing you, don’t you, sister?”

“Well, ja, that too.” Eliza laughed with her. “I can be bossy myself. My children will fear me and always be proper.”

“Ja, I do believe that.” Colette didn’t believe those words for a minute, but she humored her pregnant sister anyway.

Abigail had been on bed rest for a time while pregnant with little Jon. But she’d done much better with Becca. Colette prayed Eliza would have a smooth birth. Her sisters were strong and determined, so she must be the same. Or they’d never let her forget it.

“We’ll all be okay,” she said, trying to sound confident. “We have Mamm.”

Eliza grabbed Colette’s hand. “Really, I’m terrified, but we must remember Mamm is the best at what she does. She will take care of us in the same way she takes care of any woman in need.”

“We are blessed to have her,” Colette said. “I’m surprised one of us hasn’t followed in her footsteps.”

Eliza grinned. “We aren’t that brave.”

Colette laughed at her sister’s words, but she knew they were all brave in their own way. And they would all provide grandchildren for Mamm and Daed. She had to admit that witnessing this birth had opened her eyes to what her Mamm really did to bring kinner into the world.

When she thought of Daed’s heart condition and how he’d almost died last year, she closed her eyes and thanked Gott for her blessings—for giving her daed a few more years on earth and for allowing her and Matthew to overcome all that stood between them. She was thankful for her mamm, too, for being so understanding and giving the best advice to her daughters.

Again, she remembered how each of her sisters had struggled to find true love. So many obstacles had been in their paths. But they’d pushed through each challenge, they’d survived, and now they were strong and secure.

Leah would be the same. She might be a stranger, but Colette felt she knew her well, knew her fears and knew the fierce kind of love she felt for her husband, for her unborn child. It was the way of their world. Gott, faith, family, kinner.

I want a child, she thought. I want that kind of legacy to show my love for my husband.

Then she smiled. She wouldn’t fear having a bobbeli, a kinner of her own—Matthew’s child. Now she knew she’d welcome being a mother.

Had Mary been scared? Had she doubted herself on that cold night in the stable? Ja, but Mary had been brave and strong, too. And she’d had a beautiful boy.

Was there anything more sacred?

Eliza took over with Leah while Colette went to help put away the food from their earlier supper. Mamm moved about, laying out her supplies and making sure everything was ready to go.

Leah was dozing between contractions but she woke with a scream of pain. “Where is the other one? Colette?”

Eliza took her hand and smiled. “She is the kitchen supervisor, so she had to help put away the food from our Christmas supper tonight.”

Checking the blankets, Eliza studied the frightened woman’s face. “I’m the middle sister, Eliza King Lapp. I’ve only been married a year myself.” Touching her stomach, she said, “I just discovered I’m pregnant. Levi and I officially announced it at our Christmas gathering tonight.” Then she leaned close. “My mamm already knew and asked me about it three weeks ago. She has an uncanny way of knowing these things, due to her work.”

“Not uncanny,” Leah replied, still unsure. “Instinct, I’d think.”

“Ja, and she is gut at her job so you need not worry about anything. She knows all the local doctors, too.”

“I can hear you, you know,” Mamm called from the bathroom.

Leah’s fear subsided as her eyes grew wide with curiosity. “You have the same golden-red hair color. . .