C Is for Courting

Book 3: Amish ABCs

by Shelley Shepard Gray

Genres: Amish & Mennonite; Christian Anthologies & Collections; Clean & Wholesome Romance

Synopsis

Surprises abound in the latest heartwarming inspirational tale of four English-raised siblings who return to their grandparents’ Ohio community with plans to become Amish—but discover, one by one, that even the simple life has its complications . . .

The second eldest, Beth Schrock always believed herself the most level-headed sibling. After all, in the wake of their parents’ divorce, it was she who emerged as the caretaker and steadying presence. Yet after almost two years in Ohio, Beth’s life remains the most unsettled.

Unlike her younger sister and brothers, Beth has yet to become Amish, or fall in love, much less marry.
Still, she is about to take on the biggest responsibility of them all. She is going to be a mother. A single mother. While she’s not proud of her actions, she is excited, and hopeful about the sense of purpose this change will bring.

When Beth happens to meet family acquaintance Junior Lambright, they bump heads a bit. But after she takes a part-time job at his successful candle factory, it doesn’t take long for sparks to ignite—or for Junior to decide to be the friend Beth clearly needs.

Still, neither expects a romance. Ten years older than Beth, Junior seems content to devote himself to work and his two senior Labradors. And as Beth’s due date looms, she must choose a path. She considers returning to Cleveland and her high-paying, high-stress, realtor job. She could hire a nanny. But she’d miss so much about Walden—including Junior.

And then, Junior proposes.

Beth is sure Junior’s sweet offer is only to save her reputation. . . . Unless, like her, Junior is also yearning for something more. With faith, and the courage to open their hearts, they might soon find out . . .

Publisher: Kensington Books

Print pages: 304

Sample

October 18

Walden, Ohio

The weather was miserable, especially for the middle of October. Wrapping her grandmother’s thick black cloak around her more tightly, Beth Schrock carefully made her way over to Patti Coblentz’s house. The first time she’d visited, the weather had been warm, the well-worn path leading from the Schrocks’ old barn to the neatly tended path in front of Patti’s door was easy to find, and Beth had nothing but time on her hands.

Today, with the wind blowing specks of sleet onto her face, was another story. She couldn’t wait to get to her destination and then return to her grandparents’ farm next door.

That wasn’t going to happen very quickly, however. Her arms were filled with loaves of bread, and her body felt heavy and sluggish.

She was uncomfortable, cold, and worried about her future. She was also feeling guilty because her grandmother was getting over a cold and still felt a little under the weather and she hadn’t done half the things she’d promised she would. Which was why she was walking to Patti’s house in the rain and sleet instead of watching it from the other side of the living room window.

As another blast of wind threatened to turn her eyelashes into mini-icicles, she grimaced. “Are you happy now, Beth?” she chided herself. “Was this what you dreamed about when you imagined leaving your ‘real’ life behind?”

Of course, her subconscious didn’t have an answer for that, and thank goodness.

Of course, that wasn’t a surprise, either. She didn’t seem to ever have a clue about how to live her life. Not anymore.

Almost two years ago, when she’d imagined living Amish on her grandparents’ farm, she had thought all her troubles would miraculously fade away. She’d been such a fool.

Today, it felt like every one of her troubles had doubled in size, but she had less of an idea about how she was ever going to solve them. What had happened to her? How could she have gone from being the most levelheaded of her family to being pregnant, unwed, and unsettled?

Patti’s door opened just as Beth reached the front steps.

“Beth, what in the world are you doing here?” Patti asked as she stepped out to lend a hand.

She held up two mittened hands. “Obviously, I’m delivering Mommi’s bread.”

But instead of looking pleased, Patti’s scowl deepened. “I canna believe you!” she scolded as she reached for her arm. “You should not be outside. It’s sleeting.”

“I know. I didn’t melt, though.” She smirked, hoping to make Patti smile.

She did not.

After allowing Patti to pull the loaves of bread out of her arms, she attempted to defend herself. “I didn’t think it was that bad out when I started.”

“Did you also not think to look out the window?” Patti asked as they climbed the three steps.

Since she’d already realized that much of her life didn’t make sense, she responded with a barb of her own. “Ouch. That’s kind of harsh.”

Immediately, Patti looked shamefaced as they entered her warm house. “You’re right. I’m sorry.” Closing the door behind them, she continued. “I just hate the thought of you slipping and falling.”

She would hate that, too. “I was careful,” she said, as she toed off her boots and pulled off her mittens.

Patti collected all of it and set them on the welcome mat. “Come into the living room. I’ve got a fire going. We’ll take off your cloak in there. It needs to dry before you put it on again. Then you can stand in front of the flames and warm up while I get you some tea.”

Hot tea sounded wonderful, but making Patti fuss over her like that was not. “I came over to give you bread, not make more work for you.”

“Making tea isn’t work.”

“Okay, but I can just turn around. You don’t have to go to the trouble.”

“You are not going to do anything but come in here. Now, don’t worry about the tea. I know some of it is loaded with caffeine, but not this one. I made sure to buy some decaf last time I went shopping.”

Beth knew Patti well enough to realize that continuing to argue wouldn’t make either of them happy. Patti would simply dig in her heels. “Danke.”

“Of course, dear.” She clapped her hands together. “Now, you get warm, then take a seat. Put your feet up and rest a bit, okay.”

“Okay.”

“Gut. I’ll be back in a jiffy.”

And with that, Patti hurried to the kitchen. Realizing that she had no choice but to take her new neighbor’s advice, she stood directly in front of the fireplace and held out her hands. And then, before she could stop herself, she moaned in contentment. The heat coming off the grate felt heavenly. Continuing to face the fire, she called out over her shoulder, “I’m so glad you had a fire going. It feels heavenly.”

“I thought the same thing when I sat down in front of it with my devotional early this morning. Stormy days are for inside reflection, ain’t so?”

“Yes.” Much better than giving herself a hard time while walking through the sleet.

“Now, don’t even think about leaving until you have a rest and warm up.”

“I’ll stay for a few, but please don’t worry. I’ll be fine. It’s a short walk.” Unhooking the cloak, she shook the few drops of precipitation that clung to the fine wool before tossing it on the magazine holder on the ground. She’d hang the garment up properly as soon as she could feel her hands.

“Would you like some strudel with your tea? It’s cherry.”

“Thanks, but I better not. The doctor already told me that I shouldn’t be gaining so much weight so fast.” Looking down, she rubbed a protective hand across her belly. Within the last two weeks, she’d gone from looking a little chubby to definitely having a baby bump. “Honestly, it’s probably good that I’m walking every day, even in bad weather.”

“You aren’t walking back,” Patti called out from the kitchen. “Junior can drive you. Right, Junior?”

Wait. What? They weren’t alone?

“Of course,” a deep, masculine voice replied from the hallway. “I don’t mind at all. Besides, we finished our work quickly today. I’ve got more than a little bit of extra time.”

“Danke, Junior. Please, go into the living room and join my friend Beth.”

Feeling her cheeks heat, this time having nothing to do with the temperature of the fireplace and everything to do with pure embarrassment, Beth turned to face the newcomer. Junior-whoever-he-was.

The man walking into the room was a complete surprise. Looking at least five years older than her own age, Junior looked to be in his midthirties. That wasn’t the shock. It was his looks. The man was so handsome: clean-shaven, clear hazel eyes, and thick blond hair. He also had muscles on top of muscles. Honestly, he was massive. He kind of looked like a Viking in one of her favorite television series.

What he didn’t look like was a “Junior.”

She also couldn’t figure out why he was sitting with a contented expression in Patti’s kitchen. She’d thought Patti and her brother Martin had something special between them.

When she realized he was taking in everything about her as well, she found her cheeks heating. Nothing like being a twenty-eight-year-old, unwed, un-Amish mother dressed almost-Amishy to give off a first impression.

A bad first impression.

Just as quickly, Beth shook off those feelings of discomfort. First of all, her personal life was none of his concern. Secondly, she might be contemplating a life in Walden, but that didn’t mean she still wasn’t the same woman she’d always been. A little too assertive, and tough enough to stand on her own two feet.

“Hi,” she said.

He got to his feet. “Hiya. You must be Beth Schrock. I’m John Lambright, but everyone calls me Junior.”

If she’d been at work, she’d step forward and hold out her hand. Since she was in Patti’s kitchen, she stuffed her hands in her dress’s pockets. “It’s nice to meet you.”

“Junior is one of my bookkeeping clients,” Patti said as she carefully slid a healthy portion of strudel on a plate. “Beth here is living with her grandparents next door.”

“It’s nice to meet you,” he said with a slight nod. “I’ve heard a lot about you and your family.”

“Oh?” She glanced at Patti.

“Don’t worry, Beth. It weren’t nothing bad. Just normal news.”

“I see.” Though, she kind of didn’t.

“Pretty much everyone in the area has been following the adventures of you and your siblings,” Junior said with a smile. “What with your sister marrying a preacher and your brother marrying Treva Kramer soon after.”

“Yes, I can imagine there would be talk.”

“Please sit down, Beth,” Patti said with a kind look. “You need to get off your feet for a spell.”

And . . . there was the reminder of her pregnancy. Out there in the open. “I’m all right.” Suddenly noticing the ledgers and pair of manila folders open on the other end of the dining room table, she mentally groaned.

Once again, Beth realized she had a lot to learn about living Amish—and disregarding stereotypes. Just because Patti was Amish didn’t mean she did nothing but cook, clean, quilt, and wait for visitors to come knocking on her door. She was a busy woman with her own business.

“Patti, this pastry looks so good. I’ll enjoy it while you two finish your meeting.”

“Are you sure you don’t mind? I don’t want to be rude, but Junior and I do have a few more things to discuss.”

“Would you like me to go into the kitchen? It might give you some more privacy.”

Patti turned to Junior. “What would make you feel most comfortable?”

“There’s nothing too secretive about taxes or savings plans. Beth can stay put. I don’t mind finishing our work here.”

“Very well.” After shooting a quick look at Beth, Patti sat down at the head of the table, put on reading glasses, and picked up a pencil. “Here’s where I think we could make some changes.”

After reading her notes, he asked, “What about when the quarterlies are due?”

Patti pointed to an open calendar. “We could either agree to meet here or I could give you a call and remind you to mail that check.”

“You wouldn’t mind?”

“Of course not. It’s my job.”

Beth tucked her head as she pretended not to notice how deep Junior’s voice was. It sounded a little husky, and like it was touched with sandpaper. She liked it.

And then there was his grin. That smile tugged at her insides. Made her think about things she didn’t want to think about. Such as Kiran and the night she couldn’t wait to forget.

Or the way her brother Martin’s eyes always sought out Patti when she was near. How his yearning for her was almost palpable. And how she, herself, had never felt anything close to that.

You’re being a fool, she reminded herself. Junior Lambright was at Patti’s house for work. She’d come over uninvited.

She was eating cherry strudel while they worked. Not only did that feel rude, but she was pretty sure that staring at the guy while he talked about his personal finances was rude, too.

So how come she kept stealing glances at him?

Shouldn’t a man’s smile be the last thing on earth she should be thinking about? Hadn’t the last two months taught her anything?

Stabbing a wayward cherry on her plate, she frowned.

“Ah, Beth? Beth?”

She started. Lifted her head. “Yes?”

“Are you all right?”

“Of course. Why?”

“You were stabbing that pastry like it had personally offended you.”

Beth dropped her fork. “Sorry about that.”

Patti continued to look concerned. “Does it not taste good to you?”

“It tastes fine, Beth,” Junior blurted.

“Nee. I mean, um, I’ve heard that sometimes foods taste different when one . . .” Obviously embarrassed, she cut herself off.

She might wish she had done things differently in her life, but Beth knew she was long past the point of pretending that her pregnancy didn’t exist. “When one is pregnant?”

“Jah.”

“I suppose that might be true, but my attitude has nothing to do with the baby.” Standing up, she collected her plate and undrunk tea. “I don’t think I’m the best company today. I’m sorry to not have your tea, but I think it’s best if I head on home.”

Patti’s brown eyes filled with worry. “But your cloak is still wet and it’s still raining.”

“I’ll be fine. Our houses are close.”

Junior’s chair scraped against Patti’s wooden floor, no doubt scuffing it. “I’ll take you.”

“There’s no need.”

“I think differently.” His voice was firm. It was obvious he wasn’t going to accept her pushing him away. Or, perhaps, burdening Patti.

There was only one way to respond. With as much grace as she could muster. “Thank you.”

Ten minutes later, she had her grandmother’s cloak back on and was sitting next to Junior in his buggy. His horse was a sturdy gelding named Arthur, of all things. He’d glanced at Beth when Junior had helped her into the buggy and then seemed to stomp a hoof. She wondered if he was anxious to go or wasn’t real pleased to have yet another person to cart around.

“Ready?” he asked.

“Sure.”

“All right, then.” He clicked. Arthur, obviously eager to be on his way, pulled the buggy forward with a lurch and then off they went.

Needing to break the silence, she said, “How long has Patti been your bookkeeper?”

“Not long.”

“My brother said she’s very good at accounting.”

“Is he a client, too?”

“No, he’s more of a friend to her.” She bit her bottom lip so she wouldn’t add that Martin was a special friend.

“How are you settling in at your grandparents?”

“Well enough.”

“That’s gut.”

“I think so, too.”

Still looking straight in front of him, he blurted, “What about your man?”

Her man? “Who might that be?” she asked sarcastically. Junior might be giving her a ride home, but her personal business wasn’t his.

“The father of your unborn baby.”

Well, she supposed one couldn’t get much more specific than that. But did she appreciate the question? No. No, she did not. Though it was tempting to say that the father was none of his business, Beth knew that he was going to be one of many folks who would either ask outright or reach out to someone in her family for more information. Her grandparents did not deserve that. “I don’t have a man. This baby is a product of a foolish night.”

“Wow. That must have been some night.”

She was about to be offended . . . until she saw the hint of a smile on his lips. “Are you joking?”

“I am.”

Beth didn’t know whether she should be mad or not. Deciding that keeping her mouth shut was the better idea, she grunted.

“Are you upset? I’m sorry. I suppose my joke was in poor taste.” Before she could respond, he added, “It’s just that my cousin and her husband had to try for months for their first baby. Here, you got pregnant in one night.” Twin splotches of color appeared on his cheeks. “And, I’ve just become very aware that my teasing was not only rude, but I’ve gone on about it far too long. I’m sorry.”

“No . . . I mean, it’s okay.” She shook her head, not sure what to say but needing to say something. “I . . . well, this pregnancy caught me off guard, too. And the guy I was with.”

About a dozen thoughts seemed to roll around in his head, but he remained silent.

And then he was setting the parking brake. “Stay put. I’ll come around and help you down.”

“I can get myself out.”

“I’d prefer to help you.” Those eyes that seemed to see far too much settled on her. “If you wouldn’t mind, that is.”

Beth didn’t reply. She also didn’t move until he opened the buggy’s door and held out a hand. Accepting his help, she pretended she didn’t notice the way his left hand curved around her waist and his right hand’s fingers were slightly rough. Or that he smelled faintly of oranges, like he’d eaten one that morning.

“Thank you for the ride,” she said.

“Anytime.” Glancing behind her, he nodded his head before climbing into the buggy, clicking the reins, and driving off.

Wondering who he’d seen, she turned to see Martin in the doorway.

Immediately, her heart lifted. Her brother was here. Now, at the very least, she wouldn’t feel quite so alone and out of place.



Martin felt guilty for not being all that happy to see his sister walk through the door. No, that wasn’t quite right. He did want to see Beth. He wanted to see his grandparents, too.

All of them had a lot of things to catch up about. But ever since he’d arrived in Walden an hour ago, he’d been stuck doing everything but what he wanted to do, which was see Patti.

He really missed Patti.

Though they’d talked on the phone almost every night, it wasn’t the same. He wanted to see her smile, to watch the way her nose wrinkled when she was mentioning something distasteful or see how her expression lit up when she laughed.

He’d been starting to think that he lived for those moments when she laughed. The tight control she had on her emotions seemed to release in a rush whenever she burst into laughter. Happiness would infuse every feature. The sight never failed to lift his spirits.

Or maybe it was just the sight of her that did.

Yeah, it had been way too long since he’d seen Patti.

But it looked like their reunion was going to have to wait a little bit longer.

“Martin!” Beth called out as she rushed toward him after pulling off her cloak.

He took advantage of that second to look her over. Though she now sported a definite baby bump, the rest of her looked smaller. That seemed odd. Had she been sick?

Grasping her arms, he pulled her close. “Hey, Bethy. It’s good to see you.”

“Same. I’ve missed you.”

Realizing her cheeks were cold and damp, he said, “Where’ve you been?”

“Over at Patti’s.”

“Why?” he asked, hoping that he didn’t sound envious. “Just to pay her a visit?”

“Yes, and to give her some loaves of bread.”

“She walked over there,” Mommi said as she joined them in the living room. “Though exercise is good for her, I thought she should’ve worn a better hat.”

Focusing on his sister again, he said, “It’s sleeting outside. The ground is no doubt slick. You could have slipped and fallen.”

“I didn’t.”

“Still, you shouldn’t have walked.”

“I needed to get out of here, and it was no big deal. I was fine. Plus, a friend of Patti’s gave me a ride home in his buggy. I only walked there, not back.”

His? Jealousy, his unwelcome new best friend, roared to life. “Patti had a man over?”

“She did, but he was a client, not a suitor. Settle down.”

“I’m settled.” And he was, kind of. “What’s his story? Is he married?” Ignoring the amused glances his sister and grandmother were exchanging, he added, “Was he English or Amish? And how old was he?”

“He was Amish. He drove a buggy, remember? As far as his status and age, I’m not sure about either. If I had to guess, I’d say he wasn’t married and is older than Patti.”

“By how much?”

“Oh, for heaven’s sakes!” Mommi exclaimed. “Bethy, how about you tell me this man’s name and I’ll fill in your bruder.”

“Junior Lambright,” Beth replied. “Do you know him?”

Their grandmother leaned back with a pleased expression. “Ah, to be sure. He’s a nice man. A good one.”

“I thought the same thing,” Beth commented. “I mean, at first I thought it was strange that he was named Junior, but it suits him.”

“I reckon it does. But with a name like John, it’s better that he goes by Junior, ain’t so?” Eyes sparkling, she added, “Some days, it feels like every fifth man I meet is named J. . .