More Than A Promise

Book 2: Quilting Circle Novella

by Amy Lillard

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

Synopsis

A recently widowed Amish woman is expecting twins but not expecting love in this inspirational romance novella from the author of the Wells Landing series. In Wells Landing, Oklahoma, one of the only women in the quilting circle without children, Mariana Miller prayed to be blessed with a little one throughout fifteen years of marriage. But now, newly widowed, Mariana discovers she’s pregnant—with twins! How will she support herself and the babies, not to mention stay healthy when the doctor puts her on bed rest? As neighbors band together to help, Mariana is more grateful than ever for the Amish community. She especially looks forward to visits from Reuben Weisel, her late husband’s business partner and best friend. Reuben’s quiet strength comforts her—until he proposes marriage . . . Honorable and loyal, there’s no doubt Reuben sincerely wants to provide for Mariana and the twins. Never married, he can now be a good husband and father. So long as the bishop approves, to wed him is a sensible choice—and an unexpected gift. But when Mariana discovers there is more behind Reuben’s proposal than she thought, their fragile agreement and fledgling love will be put to the test . . . Praise for Amy Lillard “An inspirational story of romance, faith, and trust . . . will appeal to fans of Wanda Brunstetter and Beverly Lewis.” — Library Journal on Caroline’s Secret “A beautifully written romance with an adoring character. Lillard writes stories readers can relate to.” — RT Book Reviews on Just Plain Sadie

Release date: November 29, 2016

Publisher: Zebra Books

Print pages: 96

Sample

Finally. The crowd was starting to thin. Mariana had been beginning to believe that they might not ever go home. Between the day she was having and the dull throb starting at the base of her skull, it was past time for a little quiet.

Not that funerals were particularly loud. However, they did have a stress level that couldn’t be matched. Even Amish ones.

Mariana shot her bravest smile to her in-laws as they stood by the front door preparing to leave. There were no words left that needed to be said. Leroy was gone. After a long battle with cancer, he was finally gone.

“I’m coming by tomorrow to check on you.”

Mariana swung around to find Verna Yutzy standing there. She wanted to tell Verna not to come by. That she would be okay. That she wouldn’t need help for a while. But none of that was true, and a person just didn’t tell Verna what to do.

“Thank you.” Mariana squeezed Verna’s hand. “I appreciate that.”

The truth was she was going to need more and more help as the months went on. More than she had ever dreamed.

Verna squeezed right back, then released Mariana’s hand and moved away.

Only a few more of the funeral-goers milled around the living room. Just a little bit ago the place had been crowded with people all eating cold roast beef, mashed potatoes, rolls, and prunes and discussing what a great man Leroy was and how it was God’s will for him to go at such a young age.

He had been a great man. Until the tumor eating at his brain altered him beyond recognition. Oh, his outside had still looked the same, while his insides were all twisted up, his mind not the same as it had been before. There’d been a time, not so long ago, when he still had his wits about him. When he’d still loved her in his own way. And that night when he’d pulled her close—

“Now, don’t you go worrying about anything,” Eileen said. Of perhaps all the people around, Eileen was Mariana’s best friend. But once Leroy had gotten sick, they’d started to drift apart, only seeing each other at the quilting circle meetings every Tuesday afternoon and occasionally at church. “I’ve already got with the buddy bunch. We’re working out a schedule. One of us will stop by each day to make sure you’re doing okay.”

Mariana nodded even as tears stung at the back of her eyes. Not tears of sadness so much as tears of joy. She didn’t know what she would do without these good people of Wells Landing, Oklahoma. She had moved down soon after she and Leroy had gotten married. But that had been almost fifteen years ago. Now she couldn’t imagine calling any other place home.

“Eileen,” she started in protest, “you’ve got so much to do yourself right now.”

Eileen shook her head. “Not anything as important as making sure you’re okay.”

Mariana smiled at the sweet words. Eileen had much more important things to do than look after her. She had two little girls now, sweet things with blond hair and angelic brown eyes. But whether or not they would get to stay still remained to be seen. Eileen had agreed to foster the children from the Englisch home in neighboring Pryor with hopes of adopting them herself one day. Making sure two little girls had everything they needed and were adjusting well to the different lifestyle was more important than Mariana’s well-being. She had known this day had been coming for almost a year now. And definitely within the last month. She trusted God to get her through it. That was always the best way: trusting God.

“And I’ll be fine,” she said.

Eileen gave her “that look,” then squeezed her hand and moved away.

Mariana straightened her spine and resisted the urge to sigh as she rubbed the pounding at the back of her neck. She just needed a little more time. Not to get used to the reality of Leroy’s death. But there were . . . other things. She pressed her hands to her stomach and hoped no one noticed. It wouldn’t do for her news to get around this soon. Leroy hadn’t been buried more than an hour.

“Mariana?”

She pasted on her bright smile and whirled around to face Reuben Weisel, Leroy’s best friend and business partner. “Reuben.” Her face relaxed as her smile turned genuine. “I thought you’d gone on home.”

He shook his head and jerked a thumb over his shoulder. “I’ve been out in the barn. Feeding the horses and stuff. I figured you could use a hand with that.”

She’d been feeding the horses for a couple of months now, but today she hadn’t thought about it. Not even once. How am I going to take care of a baby when I can’t even remember to feed the horses?

“Thank you, Reuben. That means a lot to me.”

“I thought I might stop by tomorrow.” He twirled his hat in his hands. He seemed nervous, though Mariana couldn’t figure out why. He had known as long as she had that Leroy’s time was growing short. “To check on things, you know? Make sure you’re doing okay.”

“That’s not necessary,” Mariana said. She had enough food to last all of this week and half of the next. And Reuben had been coming by steady since Leroy went down. Everything was caught up. Nothing needed to be done.

Well, that wasn’t exactly true. She had to figure out what she was going to do with the rest of her life and how she was going to support herself and this baby. After fifteen years of waiting and praying and wishing for a baby and being envious and jealous of all the new mothers in the community, then praying about that as well, she was finally pregnant. Four months, to be exact.

Thank heaven she carried a little bit of extra weight anyway. No one really noticed the belly that had started under her mourning black. She only wished she had realized that she was having Leroy’s baby before he died and was able to tell him when he was still coherent enough to understand. She could only hope now that he was up with Jesus, smiling down, knowing that their dreams had come true even if their time together had been cut short.

“I would feel better if I stopped by.”

He was a good man, Reuben Weisel, and Mariana couldn’t figure out why he had never married. He was caring and kind, hardworking and handsome. Not that she had thought about his looks much over the years, but it was true. Reuben was a fine-looking man. His dark, curly hair only held a touch or two of gray and seemed not to want to lie in the typical Amish “chili bowl” style. His green eyes sparkled as if he had a secret that no one else knew. He hadn’t reached his fortieth birthday, at which time unmarried Amish men grew a beard regardless of their lack of a wife. So there were no whiskers to detract from the dimples framing his smiling mouth or the one that bisected his chin.

“Mariana?”

She pulled herself from her own thoughts and centered her attention back to the man in front of her. “Jah?”

Concern puckered his brow. “Are you sure you’re going to be oka. . .