The Christmas Cradle

Book 6: Seasons of the Heart

by Charlotte Hubbard

Genres: Christian Romance; Romance

Synopsis

For the peaceful town of Willow Ridge, November presents an early holiday surprise. Stranded in the snow, eighteen-year-old Lena Esh and her boyfriend, Josiah Witmer, need more than a place to stay for the night. Lena defied her strict family and their judgmental beliefs to run away with Josiah and have his baby. But she’s starting to wonder if he can prove as responsible as he is passionate, and she isn’t sure how—or if—they can ever find a place to truly call home.

Expecting their own miracle baby, Miriam and Ben Hooley rally the town to help the young couple, and Lena draws strength from their unexpected support. Though trouble may come calling, in this season of joyous rebirth, a little child will lead them. And two couples will see their dreams of forever family come true.

Release date: September 29, 2015

Publisher: Zebra Books

Print pages: 368

Sample

Ben Hooley sprayed lemon furniture polish on a rag and wiped his fingerprints from the wooden cradle he’d just completed. His pulse thrummed steadily as he gazed at his work, a Christmas gift for his dear wife Miriam, who was round and rosy-cheeked as they anticipated the birth of their first child. For weeks he’d been crafting and sanding and staining this special cradle in his spare time, so the wood would be smooth and glossy—as beautiful as the love he’d shared with Miriam for nearly a year. He’d welded a hummingbird in pewter to adorn the headboard because she loved to watch those amazing little birds flit from flower to flower in her summertime garden.

As the snow and wind howled around his cozy smithy on this November night, however, Ben’s conflicting thoughts were anything but warm and sunny. His dilemma felt as sharp and pointed as the hummingbird’s beak, and he couldn’t seem to resolve the conflict that weighed heavily on his mind.

How could he uphold the tenets of the Old Order if he allowed his pregnant wife to continue working outside their home? The bishop of Willow Ridge, Tom Hostetler, had been gently reminding Ben that it was a husband’s job to keep his wife at home, caring for her family—just as it was Ben’s duty as a preacher to insist that Miriam follow the ways of their Plain faith.

But how could he convince Miriam to leave her beloved Sweet Seasons Café without crushing her spirit? Feeding people fulfilled her personal mission—gave her a way to reach out to folks, just as Jesus had preached that His disciples should feed His sheep. Ben could simply order her to stay home, but he didn’t have it in him to remove the smile from her lovely face. Miriam was everything to him—and that, too, posed a problem, because his love for God was supposed to be his first priority.

Ben put away his tools, craving the company of his wife as he pondered this important issue. He asked God for guidance, for the right words to win Miriam’s compliance—

A beam of headlights pulled him from his deep thoughts. Ben was amazed to see how much snow had clung to his window since he’d come to the smithy after supper, and the longer the lights shone into his shop, the more concerned he became. He slipped into his coat and hat, wondering why anyone would be traveling in a snowstorm so late in the evening. He pushed hard against the door, sweeping three or four inches of fresh snow aside with it as he stepped out into the nasty weather.

The bay mare hitched to the buggy in front of his shop hung her head tiredly as the white snow collected on her back. Ben had walked only a few yards before he heard two loud voices coming from the rig. He sensed a conflict far greater than his own as a young woman raised desperate questions while her driver lashed out in frustrated exhaustion. He had no desire to get involved in this couple’s argument—yearned to rejoin Miriam in their cozy kitchen—but he couldn’t leave two stranded travelers to fend for themselves on such a dangerous night.

Magdalena Esh wrapped the worn blanket more snugly around her shoulders, groaning from exhaustion. Fat, icy flakes were pelting the buggy, threatening to overwhelm the windshield wipers. She was so tired of riding—so stiff from clutching the bulge of her unborn child—she wanted to scream.

“Why have we pulled over, Josiah?” she demanded. “This can’t be Higher Ground. There’s supposed to be a big stone sign out by the road, and—”

“We took a wrong turn,” the young man beside her snapped. He yanked on the lines to halt the horse. “You haven’t stopped whining since we left this morning. I can’t think straight—can’t see a blasted thing because of this snowstorm—and your yammering is driving me nuts!”

Lena sat taller despite her aching back. “I suppose it’s also my fault that Dolly threw a shoe and that your cell phone wasn’t charged before we left?”

“If you want to take the blame for those problems, be my guest.” Josiah glared at her, his dark eyes narrowing beneath the brim of his black hat. “I should never have told you I had a new job in Higher Ground. Should’ve just—”

“Taken off without me?” Lena finished hotly. “What a lovely thing to say, just a month before your baby’s to be born! You liked me well enough when we were—”

“You didn’t exactly push me away, Lena!” he countered. “Now shut up! There’s a light in that building, so I’m going inside to see—”

A sharp rapping on the side of the buggy made them both suck in their breath. Through the fogged window Lena could make out the shape of a man’s head. She hoped by some far-flung miracle it would be the Hiram Knepp who’d hired Josiah rather than someone bent on taking advantage of their desperate situation.

Why did you ever think Josiah Witmer would look after you? Your parents warned you to forget about him and join the church, but you didn’t listen.

The baby shifted restlessly, kicking her insides. Lena knew she’d start crying again if she didn’t get out of this rig soon.

Josiah opened the buggy door, letting in a gust of snowy air as the man’s face became visible. Lena was relieved that his broad-brimmed hat and beard were signs he was Plain.

“How can I help ya?” he asked earnestly. “It’s not fit weather for man nor beast, and it’s gettin’ too dark to be out on these snowy roads.”

“We’ve veered off our route,” Josiah replied. “Where might I get my horse a new shoe, and maybe find a place to stay the night?”

The man’s face lit up. “You’re not as lost as ya thought. I’m a farrier and this is my smithy,” he replied, gesturing toward the building behind him. “Pull your rig over here. Let’s get you kids in out of the cold.”

“Denki,” Josiah murmured. “Show me where to park, all right?”

The man grasped the harness to guide Dolly closer to the smithy. As the buggy lurched forward, Josiah closed the door with a tired sigh.

“What if he turns us away when he realizes we’re not married?” Lena asked with a hitch in her voice. “What if we’re not even close to Higher Ground and—”

“We’ll deal with it, okay?” he muttered. “If I’d known you were the type to worry over every little thing, I’d never have—”

“You’re calling this baby a little thing?” Lena countered. “When are you going to figure out that this little person will need food and clothes and—”

The buggy halted, and once again a rapping on the window silenced them. Josiah flashed her a warning scowl before opening the door. Lena thought he might leave her to clamber out of the rig by herself—being short and eight months along made even the simplest maneuvering more difficult these days—so when Josiah offered his hand, Lena grabbed it before he could change his mind.

As they followed the man into the smithy, Lena was immediately grateful for the fire in the forge. She shook the snow from her old blanket, sensing their host was assessing her and Josiah. He removed his hat and offered his hand.

“Ben Hooley,” he said. “You’ve made it to Willow Ridge, but you intended to be somewhere else, I take it?”

“Jah, we’re going to the new colony at Higher Ground,” Josiah replied as he grasped Ben’s sturdy hand. “I’m Josiah Witmer, and Hiram Knepp’s hired me to cook in his new supper club. This is Lena Esh. We’re mighty glad we found you because I don’t think either of us can take much more of that rig and the road today.”

“It’s gotten dangerous out,” Ben agreed. His hazel eyes had widened while Josiah was talking, and he seemed to be considering his reply carefully.

He noticed we have different last names, so he might not let us stay. Lena pressed her lips together to keep from crying. It’s been one disaster after another these past eight months.

“It’s awful late to shoe your mare,” Ben remarked. “How about if I stable her here for the night? I’ve got a place for ya to stay, and my wife’ll fix ya some supper, but—”

Lena held her breath when the man’s face stiffened.

“You’ll have to stop fightin’,” he stated firmly. “My Miriam is also expectin’ a child soon and I won’t have our home turned into a battleground. If I see her gettin’ upset because of your raised voices, you’ll be on your way. Understand?”

Lena’s face went hot. Had she and Josiah been squabbling so loudly that their words had carried outside the buggy? It seemed they were constantly pushing each other’s buttons—although it hadn’t been that way before she’d told Josiah she was pregnant.

Lena closed her eyes, exhausted. “I’m so tired of fighting,” she murmured, pressing her hand into the small of her back. “I’ll hold my tongue if you will, Josiah.”

Josiah’s eyebrows rose in resentment, but then he exhaled wearily. “All right, we’ll call a truce.”

“Glad to hear it. You’ll feel better for speakin’ more kindly to each other,” Ben said with a nod. “I’ll tend your horse and be back in a few.”

Lena watched their host head back outside into the flying snow. The walls of Ben Hooley’s shop were lined with tools hung on pegs and cabinets that were cleared of all extraneous items—a place for everything and everything in its place. On a worktable near the forge she spotted a cradle that glimmered in the firelight.

“Oh, Josiah, look,” she murmured. Like the old-fashioned cradles often passed down from generation to generation, this one sat on a table or the floor rather than on tall legs. Lena ran her finger along its glossy wooden sides, in awe of the headboard’s intricate metalwork. A pewter hummingbird sipped from a morning glory bloom, with vines and tinier blooms flowing along the headboard’s curved edges. “Do you suppose Ben made this?”

“For his upcoming baby, most likely,” Josiah replied as he, too, admired the piece. With one finger, he made the cradle rock on the worktable—and then he backed away as though the hummingbird had stabbed him with its long, pointed beak.

See how spooked he is about this baby? Lena thought ruefully. No doubt Ben Hooley was devoted to his wife and eagerly awaiting their child. How she yearned for that kind of love—a rock-solid relationship that she feared Josiah Witmer wasn’t ready to give her. Her mother had begged her to return home rather than leaving with this good-looking, impetuous young man. Her dat had told her not to bother coming home if she took up with such a no-account, restless dreamer. If their Missouri adventure went wrong, Lena couldn’t return to Bloomfield, Iowa. She’d have to face the consequences of loving a man who wouldn’t commit himself to her and their baby.

Lena swallowed the lump in her throat. Lord, every time I come to You I’m begging, but please, please get me through this ordeal. Help me raise this child right, she prayed. Even if I have to do it alone.

While Miriam watched the young couple at her table devour scrambled eggs and fried potatoes as though they hadn’t eaten in days, her heart went out to them. They looked painfully young to be roaming the roads on a snowy November night. The set of Josiah’s jaw and Lena’s pink-rimmed eyes suggested that their journey had been bumpier than Mother Nature alone was making it, and that the path ahead of them wouldn’t smooth out any time soon.

“So you’re on your way to Higher Ground?” Miriam asked carefully. She broke a few more eggs into the cast-iron skillet.

“Jah, I saw an ad in The Budget inviting new residents, so I called the phone number. Now a fellow there wants me to cook in his supper club,” the young man answered. His hat had flattened his dark, wavy hair, and his brown eyes met hers with a sense of confidence that bordered on cockiness. “When he heard about my catering business—roasting whole hogs and grilling ribs and briskets for parties—he told me I’d be in charge of the kitchen at his new place.”

Miriam’s eyebrows rose. It was unusual for a Plain man to do so much cooking—but it was the mention of a supper club in Higher Ground that piqued her curiosity. She noticed how Ben’s expression was tightening, so she proceeded cautiously. “Who would this fella be? I’ve not heard anyone speak of a supper club—but then, I’ve not been to Higher Ground, either.”

Lena’s eyes widened. “Are we that far off course?” She glanced fearfully at Josiah. “I—I thought you knew where we were headed—”

“And I do!” he blurted out testily. He inhaled deeply to quell his impatience when Ben flashed him a warning glance. “His name’s Hiram Knepp. He’s offered me a nice salary and a place to stay while I get his restaurant going.”

Miriam noticed immediately that Josiah’s reply seemed to be only about himself, which might explain the way Lena’s china blue eyes widened in her pale face. She didn’t appear to be out of her teens, a mere child about to have a baby in what seemed to be an iffy situation. And if Hiram Knepp, the excommunicated bishop of Willow Ridge, had made such glowing promises to lure Josiah to the new settlement . . .

“Hiram must’ve heard gut things about your way with food,” Ben spoke up from his seat at the end of the table. “But have ya met him yet? Have ya seen this supper club he told ya about?”

Josiah’s eyes flashed. “I talked to him on the phone. His offer would put me way ahead of where I’d be in Bloomfield, working out of my house.”

Miriam shared Ben’s concerned gaze, stirring the eggs in the skillet. Surely if Hiram had hired Josiah, there really was a supper club—whatever that was—for the young man to cook in. But she had an uneasy feeling about this whole situation.

“I can see you’re eager to start to work—and anybody would be excited about bein’ in charge of a new place,” Ben added quickly. “But I’d be real careful, dealin’ with Hiram Knepp. He used to be our bishop here in Willow Ridge, but when we learned of his underhanded dealings, we banned him from our church. Told him not to come back to town.”

Lena sucked in her breath. “What did he do that was so awful? I’ve never heard of a church district banning their bishop.”

“You sure we’re talking about the same fellow?” Josiah challenged. “Lots of Plain folks have the same names, after all.”

“Oh, there’s only one like this Hiram Knepp,” Miriam murmured. She sprinkled the eggs with salt and pepper. “Findin’ a car in his barn, and learnin’ that he’d made a crooked deal to acquire land for Higher Ground was just scratchin’ the surface, I’m afraid.”

“Jah, Hiram paints a pretty picture when he talks.” Ben gazed first at Josiah and then at Lena, his face tight with concern. “I’m not tellin’ ya what to do, understand. But ya might want to stay here in Willow Ridge and check out the situation in Higher Ground before ya commit to anything.”

“You can stay with us for as long as ya need to,” Miriam insisted. She carried the skillet to the table and poured the scrambled eggs into the serving bowl. “We’ve got a dawdi haus on this level you could stay in, Lena, and Josiah, you can bunk in one of the guest rooms upstairs.”

“It’d be a shame if you’d come all this way only to find out Hiram’s supper club isn’t even built yet,” Ben added. “Might be a long time before you’d have any money comin’ in. And with a baby on the way—”

“It’s a done deal. Knepp says I’ll be drawing pay as soon as I show up,” Josiah stated impatiently. He spooned more scrambled eggs onto his plate and smeared jelly on another slice of toast. “I appreciate the way you’re looking after us, but once the roads are clear, I’ll be heading to Higher Ground.”

Lena’s fork clattered to her plate. She wrapped her arms around her bulging middle, hanging her head. “Jah, there’s no going back,” she murmured. “My folks and Aunt Clara warned me—told me this situation sounded awfully chancy—”

“You could’ve stayed in Iowa,” Josiah muttered.

“—but I wanted the baby to be with its father,” Lena continued sadly. “So Dat told me not to come home. ‘I’ve made my bed, so I’m to lie in it,’ he said.”

Miriam set the skillet down and gently grasped Lena’s shaking shoulders. “A nice warm bed is exactly what ya need right now, too,” she murmured. “You’ve both had a hard day. Things’ll look clearer to ya after a night’s rest.”

A sob escaped the girl. “I—I didn’t mean to cause you so much trouble.”

“Oh, honey-bug, you’re no trouble at all,” Miriam insisted as she massaged Lena’s back. “We’d be doin’ ya both wrong if we didn’t give ya a place to stay on such a snowy night.”

“And we want ya to know that things might not be the way they seem, far as what’s happenin’ in Higher Ground,” Ben insisted. “God might’ve had His reasons for slowin’ ya down, bringing ya to Willow Ridge instead. I’ll shoe your horse first thing tomorrow, and then ya can decide for yourselves, all right?”

Josiah cleared his throat as though he intended to challenge Ben’s opinion, but then he shrugged. “Sure, why not? We’re at your mercy until my horse is fit to travel, ain’t so?”

Miriam met her husband’s gaze over the top of Lena’s head. She and Ben were no strangers to such an attitude, after helping Ben’s two younger brothers establish a milling business over the past year while convincing them to join the church and accept adult responsibilities. Luke and Ira were now both engaged and following paths of faith, however, so there was hope and help for Josiah—if he would accept it.

“How about if I get ya settled in the dawdi haus?” Miriam asked Lena. “Ben can show Josiah his room upstairs—”

“And I’ll bring in Lena’s suitcase,” Ben insisted, “because neither of you girls should be totin’ anything heavier than those precious lives you’re carryin’. I’ll be back in a few.”

“But I feel bad about accepting your hospitality without repaying you,” Lena protested. “After the way you’ve fed us and taken us in, it’s only right to give you some money or help out somehow.”

“Tell ya what,” Miriam suggested as she watched the weary girl rise from her chair. “If either of ya wants to help in the Sweet Seasons tomorrow, that’ll be fine. That’s my café across the road, and I’ll be bakin’ in the wee hours while you two should be gettin’ your rest. You’re welcome to eat your breakfast there while ya figure out what ya want to do next.”

“Denki so much,” Lena murmured as she and Miriam entered the hallway at the back of the house. “Sleeping late sounds heavenly.”

Miriam opened the door to the small apartment she and Ben would share when they were too old to climb the stairs anymore. As she closed the curtains in the sitting room and the bedroom, she glanced out the windows into a cold, crisp night. Only a few snowflakes drifted in the air now. In the glow of the moon, the snow-covered hills and rooftops took on a make-believe quality—but the couple she and Ben had welcomed into their home were dealing with more reality than they seemed to be aware of.

“Not meanin’ to be a busybody,” Miriam murmured as she put fresh towels in the bathroom, “but if you and Josiah aren’t married—”

“Jah, you got that right,” the girl said with a sigh.

“—then ya want to be sure you’ve got a place to stay and folks nearby who can help ya when your wee one’s born,” Miriam continued earnestly. “If Josiah seems set on cookin’ in Higher Ground—even if ya get the feelin’ that’s not a gut idea—you can stay with us, Lena. All right?”

Lena landed heavily on the edge of the double bed. “Miriam, you don’t have to—I’m sticking with Josiah, even if it seems we’re at odds,” she insisted. “He’ll come around once the baby’s born. He’s angry now because we lost our way in the snowstorm.”

Miriam smiled. She knew all about young girls falling head over heels in love and not seeing their men’s flaws. “How old are ya, Lena?”

“Eighteen. Josiah’s twenty-one, though,” she added quickly. “And he really is a wonderful-gut cook, when it comes to roasting hogs and grilling all kinds of meat. He’ll make a go of it at the supper club. Really he will.”

Miriam wished she could believe that Hiram’s job offer was the solid opportunity this young couple needed it to be. This late in the evening, however, it was best to keep her doubts to herself.

“My daughter Rebecca stayed here for a while,” Miriam murmured as she glanced around to see if anything else needed doing. “She was raised in an English family—a long story—but now she’s livin’ in the apartment above Ben’s smithy and helpin’ at the Sweet Seasons and the Willow Ridge clinic while she runs her computer design business.” Miriam smiled at the thought of her three dear girls, grown and living purposeful lives now. “My daughter Rhoda just married the nurse fella who runs the clinic, and my other girl, Rachel, lives across the road with her husband and their new baby. If Ben and I aren’t around, any of those girls’ll be happy to help ya.”

“This is so nice of you,” Lena murmured. “More than I deserve.”

Miriam grasped the young woman’s shoulders, gazing into her pale blue eyes. “Don’t ya be thinkin’ that way, child,” she insisted. “God’s lookin’ after ya because ya do deserve a gut life for yourself and your wee one. If ya settle for less, I’ll be mighty disappointed in ya.”

Lena’s eye’s widened, but then she smiled tiredly. “I’ll keep that in mind, Miriam. He steered us toward you and Ben tonight, after all.”

Satisfied with that response, Miriam turned toward the door. “I don’t want to see ya until you’ve gotten a gut night’s rest, hear me?”

“Loud and clear. Denki ever so much for not casting me out like—well, never mind,” the girl murmured. “I’m grateful.”

Miriam closed the dawdi haus door, shaking her head. She had a feeling Lena’s parents and her aunt Clara had reached the end of their ropes, dealing with an unwed pregnancy and the brash young man who’d caused it. While Amish parents often sent their unmarried pregnant daughters to stay with relatives in another town, Miriam had never understood how mothers could turn their backs on young girls at the neediest time of their lives. Then again, it was the man of the house who made the rules about this situation, so Lena’s mother might’ve been bound by his decision.

But Lena was now dependent upon a young fellow who seemed unaware of her impending responsibilities, or of how a few reckless moments of passion had cost Lena her family’s support. She must be feeling terribly desperate and alone, facing the birth of her baby among folks she didn’t know.

Show me what we can do for these young people, Lord. You know how I can’t bear to watch Your lost lambs suffer.

Very early Saturday morning Ben entered the Sweet Seasons kitchen and went immediately to the oven, where Miriam was pulling out a large pan of cinnamon rolls. “Are ya supposed to be liftin’ this much weight?” he asked as he took the pan from her. “Yesterday Andy reminded me—again—that ya need to find help if you’re gonna keep workin’. And it would be better if ya weren’t workin’,” he added emphatically.

As he set the hot pan on a cooling rack, Miriam sighed. “I’m not helpless, Ben,” she insisted. “What would I do with myself if I weren’t in this kitchen? It’s another month and a half until the baby comes—and it’s not like I haven’t given birth before.”

Although Old Order wives weren’t to work outside the home, Miriam’s dedication to her café was one of the reasons he loved her, so Ben spoke more gently. “I’m lookin’ after ya, followin’ Andy’s orders,” he replied. He kissed her, caressing the bulge of her sweet belly where their baby was kicking. “Plant your backside on that stool. What else can I do for ya?”

“For starters, you can tell me what you’re doin’ here so early of a Saturday morning, Mr. Hooley,” she teased. She perched on the tall stool beside the counter to mix the powdered sugar in her big glass measuring cup with milk. As she drizzled the white frosting over the hot rolls, Ben’s stomach rumbled so loudly they both laughed.

“I came to see if my woman would feed me something before I shoe Josiah’s mare,” Ben said, following every hypnotic swirl of the frosting. . .