The Christmas Quilt

Book 3: Shadow Lake Series

by Lenora Worth

Genres: Clean & Wholesome Romance

Synopsis

From the award-winning, New York Times, USA Today, and Publishers Weekly bestselling author comes the latest novel in her new inspirational romance series, featuring the independent King sisters, who run a historic Inn in the Northwest Pennsylvania Amish community of Shadow Lake Township.



As the holidays approach, Collette King is eager for Matthew Mueller's return to Shadow Lake. Especially now that she has finally surrendered to the truth—that the friend she has known forever, the first man she ever kissed, is the one she longs to spend her life with. So when Mattie shows up at her sister's wedding with another woman on his arm, Collette's hopes are shattered. To heal her broken heart, she begins a quilt honoring her memories of Mattie. But every square she adds only makes her yearn for him more . . .



Matthew's new inheritance comes with a lot of responsibilities—including his late-uncle's deathbed request that he marry the woman who was his ward. But from the moment Mattie sees Collette again, he wishes he could escape his familial duty, even though doing so could bring scandal upon his mamm and daed. Will his desire to protect his parents cost him the life—and the love—he dreams of? Or can faith work a Christmas miracle that blesses all . . .

Release date: August 22, 2023

Publisher: Zebra Books

Print pages: 320

Sample

Her sister was getting married today.

Colette King watched as Mamm helped Eliza with her pretty mint green wedding dress, her hands gentle as she tied the white apron sash and then pinned a mauve flower made from fabric scraps onto the front of the apron. Then she adjusted the organza kapp she’d made for Eliza a few weeks ago. This was a sweet, solemn moment, since Eliza would one day be buried in the apron and the matching white cape. But it would be a long time before that happened, Gott’s will.

And it might be a long time, too, before Colette wore that traditional apron and cape on her own wedding day. Her man was not here where he belonged. Maybe she wasn’t the marrying kind. Maybe she’d just stay safe and sound with Mamm and Daed all her life. Find a cat to love. Or she’d be the library lady, loaning out her precious books. She had a great cookbook collection. She’d always enjoyed experimenting with food.

“There,” Mamm said with a satisfied smile, her gaze moving over Eliza and ending Colette’s lament over her own situation. Mamm patted Eliza’s hand. “You look lovely, Eliza. I hope you and Levi will always be as happy as Daed and I have been all these years.”

Eliza blinked back tears, her eyes bright. “I’ve never been so happy, Mamm. Denke.”

“I’ll bring you a bite to eat,” Colette offered. “You might forget about food during the celebration.”

They’d turned the quilting room into the bride’s room for today. Eliza stood and looked out the window at the light November snow. “Finally, a year after he proposed, Levi and I are getting married. A happy day.”

Today was a happy day. December was coming, and with it Christmas. Colette loved Christmas. It always made her happy. Well, almost always.

Levi and Eliza had waited because his mamm suffered from Parkinson’s, and Levi had wanted to get Connie the best help possible. That had taken priority, but Connie was doing better now. The King family owned and managed the Shadow Lake Inn, so Levi and Eliza they had finally agreed that with both of them working at the inn, it was most practical for them to live on the grounds That gave Daed and Mamm the opportunity to offer the young couple the cottage where they had lived ever since they got married. Her parents decided to build a grossdaddi haus just behind it. All of that had happened over the last year. So today had to be a happy day.

After hugging her sister, Colette hurried from the room and went out to get some air. Although a bit of snow had fallen last night, the temperature was mild enough for the planned outdoor wedding, especially with the sunshine warming the air. She glanced around the grounds of the Shadow Lake Inn, her gaze moving over the new pavilion they’d built earlier this year. It glowed a stark shimmering white against the dusting of last night’s snow. The huge beamed structure was filled with rows and rows of folding chairs and long benches they’d brought in on bench wagons.

Eliza would marry Levi Lapp under the shelter of the pavilion, with two fire pits burning on each side to keep the chilly air at bay. They’d all worked hard to string evergreens and white ribbons through some of the beams and posts. The pavilion would look festive for this wedding and for the four weeks of the holiday season, when tourists would rent out the inn for parties and get-togethers.

Today, however, the inn was closed because of the wedding. A private event with a mixed group of attendees—mostly Amish, with some Englisch who worked here, such as Henry Cooper, who ran the front desk and watched over the huge lobby, as well as Englisch vendors who provided the necessities to run such an establishment. Mamm and Daed would preside over the event, and Colette and her older sister Abigail would be in the wedding party. Levi’s younger brother, James, and their sister, Laura, would also stand by him.

But would Matthew make it back in time? They’d argued the last time he’d called. And now his letters had trickled down to one or two a month. She wished she could take back her words to him. They’d planned to marry, but they couldn’t announce it properly until they talked to the bishop and acquired a Zeugnis, which would then be delivered to a minister. Once that happened and Colette, the bride, had a talk with the minister to be sure she had no hesitation, the wedding would be announced to the church.

That should have happened by now, but Matthew had been called away before he could talk to the bishop.

Abigail shouted out to her from the inn’s back entrance.

“Colette, kumm help me with Jon, please.”

Colette pivoted, her dark burgundy dress and crisp white apron swishing against the leggings she wore underneath to keep warm. Tugging at her black cape, she called, “On my way.”

She entered the bustle of the industrial kitchen, where large pans of baked chicken and savory corn bread dressing were lined up on the counter alongside macaroni and cheese, creamed spinach, and various other side dishes. They were having a huge dinner after the noon wedding. Eliza looked so happy as she and Mamm hurried back into the quilting room.

“Let me take Eliza a small plate,” Colette said, hurrying to gather cut meat, some cheese and bread, and a handful of freshly made wedding mints, so her sister would have a sweet taste after eating.

She offered her sister the food and nodded her approval. “I have to tend to Jon,” she said, so she could escape before she ruined her sister’s joyous mood.

But her heart hammered that familiar refrain with each step: I miss Matthew. I miss Matthew.

Would he be home soon? And if so, would he still be mad at her for wanting him home?

Her Mattie had been gone for six long months, due to an ailing uncle who’d needed help on his Missouri farm.

“I’ll be back in a few weeks,” he’d told her the night before he left. “Just through the harvest, and then we can officially become engaged.”

“You’ll need to get back soon. Abigail has a baby now and Eliza is getting married the last week of November. We need your help more than ever.”

His gaze moved over her face. Matthew had beautiful golden-brown eyes. “And do you need me, Colette?”

“You know I do. I love you.”

It had taken her a long time to say those words, but she truly loved Matthew Mueller. Last Christmas, after they’d flirted and laughed and whispered sweet nothings to each other, he’d given her a quick kiss at a youth singing and told her that he’d loved her since the day she’d been born. Two years older than her twenty-one, he’d known her as a baby, a toddler, a kind, a teen, and, now, a woman. And loved her all that time. They’d been courting since that night.

But it had taken her too many years to finally realize she loved him, too. Wishing she could take back all the times she’d ignored him or brushed him away while they worked side by side in the inn’s kitchen and café, Colette had savored their brief time together, but then he’d up and left a few months after she’d declared her love. They’d communicated through letters, but Matthew wasn’t the chatty type. His letters had been practical and hadn’t revealed very much other than that he missed her and couldn’t wait to get home.

But three weeks ago he’d called her. Happy to hear from him, Colette asked when he’d be home.

“I don’t know. A lot is going on here.” He went quiet. Matthew tended to put on a good face and hold all his angst inside.

“Matthew, what’s wrong?”

“I can’t talk about it.”

“Can’t or won’t?”

“I just wanted to hear your voice. I’ll be home when I can get there.” The gruffness in his tone pierced her heart. They’d never argued before, but he sounded so angry.

Frustrated, Colette snapped back at him. “I know you’re a big help to your onkel, but you should be here. Will you be able to attend Eliza and Levi’s wedding?”

“Right now, Colette, I don’t know.”

The rest of the conversation had not gone well. The call had ended on a bad note, and she’d not heard from him since.

Had she lost her Mattie?

“Stop pouting and take Jon for his morning nap in the nursery room, please,” Abigail said, handing her giggling son, Jonah Junior, over to Colette when she entered the kitchen. They called him Jon, but he looked exactly like a junior Jonah. And he was loved by the entire family. Born in the spring, he was now the apple of the family’s eye, and he loved to crawl into anyone’s lap.

“Kumm, little pumpkin,” Colette said to the bobbeli, glad to have something to occupy her time before the wedding. “You’ll have to sleep right through the best part, but don’t worry, you won’t miss out on the wonderful food we plan to eat.”

Jon bobbed his head, his dark curls so like Jonah’s, and babbled a response. At almost seven months old, he babbled a lot.

“Nap, nap,” she sang, dancing him around the room. “Ruth Ann will watch over you and read you a funny story, ain’t so.”

Jon giggled and grabbed at the strings of her kapp.

Colette kissed his baby-sweet cheek. “What a joy you are.”

Abigail let out a sigh. “Two more hours and then our sister will be married to the man who kissed her for the first time.”

Colette danced around with Jon, making him giggle again. “Ja, and we well know how that turned out.”

“She is marrying him after he went away and returned and they finally stopped circling and decided to be honest with each other—that is how it turned out,” Mamm said as she came in with Eliza, both of them beaming. “Colette, stop worrying about Matthew. The man loves you. He will be back.”

How did Mamm do that? She could take one look at any of her daughters and know exactly what they were fretting about.

Eliza’s eyes held a dreamy sheen, but she tried to commiserate. “I know Matthew. He wouldn’t tell you he loved you and then never return to make good on that declaration. Something is holding him up.”

“It’s been longer than I expected,” Colette replied. “He’s mad at me for wanting him home for this wedding, but really I want him home forever. What if something happened to him? The weather has been bad to the west.”

Mamm and Eliza shot Abigail a speaking glance.

“What is it?” Colette demanded, her instincts on high alert. “Something has happened. Is he okay?”

Mamm took Jon into her arms and directed Colette off to the side. “Do not fret about Mattie. I have it from a gut source that he’s on his way home. His uncle passed two weeks ago.”

“Where did you hear that?”

“From your aenti Miriam, first thing this morning,” Mamm replied. “You know my sister is like a sieve when it comes to gossip. She can’t keep it in.” Mamm kissed Jon. “But I made her promise not to tell you or anyone else, because I knew it would upset you to hear he was coming without letting you know.”

“But who would be gossiping about Matthew?” Colette asked, thinking her mother probably knew more than she was saying.

“Just someone who has relatives in the same community. That’s all Miriam told me. His uncle died and Matthew will be home by Christmas at the latest. Don’t ruin Eliza’s big day, Dochder.”

“But Christmas is over a month away.” Colette bit her lip. “I’m sorry. I won’t mention this again now, but once the wedding is over, I aim to corner Aenti and find out what’s going on.”

“Well, I wish you the best on that,” Mamm replied. “Now I have to get finished with this busywork and get your daed bundled up and ready for the wedding.” Mamm tugged her close while Jon giggled and reached out his hands. “You look so pretty today, so get that smile of yours into shape and let’s celebrate this wedding.”

Colette kept one eye on the ceremony and one eye on the lane leading up to the inn. Lined with buggies of all shapes and sizes, it looked like a strip of black quilting material. But she wasn’t thinking about quilt patterns. She wanted to hear the clip-clop of one more team of horses, of one more buggy pulling up alongside the others.

Matthew had to make it back before Christmas. She didn’t like feeling this helpless, yet she had to show patience and grace because he’d done a gut deed. He’s answered the call for help from an elder in his family. He could be dealing with the estate or staying to finish winterizing the farm so he could shut it down.

Then it occurred to her: What if he had to stay there indefinitely, like forever? What if after their quarrel, he’d decided he no longer wanted to live in Shadow Lake?

Or be with her?

Colette saw her mother frown, so she went back to listening to the vows Eliza and Levi were exchanging. Vows to love and honor each other. They were short and sweet, but the minister would also provide a sermon to remind others that marriage was a sacred promise between a man and a woman.

Forever.

That thought scared her. Was that why she’d pushed Matthew away so many times? Eliza had struggled with the responsibility of becoming a wife, and now Colette saw the gravity and the finality of marriage.

Did she want that? Could she do that?

What would happen when Matthew came home?

She didn’t have to wait too long for an answer.

As soon as the minister finished, they all headed to the inn to get warm and have dinner. As the crowd moved toward the inn, Colette glanced up to see Matthew walking toward her with a dour look on his handsome face. Then she noticed the young woman clinging to his arm, smiling up at him. In the same way Colette smiled at him each time they were together.

Had Matthew found someone new while he was gone?

Matthew Mueller felt sweat moving down his spine like tickling spiders. The look on Colette’s face earlier had told him everything. Her expression had held disbelief, her eyes had shone bright with a hundred questions, and her lips had jutted in a confused pout. He’d just broken her heart into pieces, and there wasn’t a thing he could do about it.

He’d hurried inside the inn to find a seat in a corner. The reception would take place here, and it couldn’t be over soon enough for Matthew. He and Colette had had a fight over the phone, and now he wished he could take back his harsh words. But perhaps it was best that she thought they were done, because now he could not marry Colette. He could not be with Colette at all.

The woman clinging to his coat smiled up at him, reminding him of what lay ahead. “This inn is amazing, Matthew. I can see why you loved working here.” Her dark brown eyes took in the scene with a dismissive blankness. “I’m sure you’ll miss it.”

“Ja, it’s a gut place to work. The best.” He’d be fired now, of course. But that might be for the best, because he wouldn’t be able to stay in Shadow Lake now, or work here in the kitchen either. “I will miss the inn and the people I’ve known all my life.”

But he had close to a month here, at least. To get things figured out with his family. To right a wrong. To accept his fate.

Colette walked by with her sister Abigail; then she whirled to face Matthew. He wanted to turn and leave. But the two women stood and stared at him, both with quizzical expressions. Abigail’s smile held friendliness and curiosity. Colette’s stare held daggers and hostility.

His companion nudged him. “Matthew, aren’t you going to introduce me to the King sisters?” She smirked at them. “I’ve heard so much about all of you, I feel as if I know you already.”

Colette’s blue-green eyes brightened like a forest about to burn. Putting her hands on her hips, she said, “Ja, Matthew, why don’t you introduce us?”

Matthew swallowed his shame and said, “Abigail and Colette, this is Shelah Frantz. A friend from Missouri.”

Colette’s skin blazed pink. He’d embarrassed her and humiliated her, and at her sister’s wedding at that. “A friend from Missouri, now? Interesting.”

Abigail held out her hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Shelah. How long will you be with us?”

Shelah giggled, ignoring Abigail’s kind gesture, and clutched Matthew’s arm. “As long as needed for my fiancé to make the arrangements to bring his family to Missouri. We have plenty of room, since Saul Mueller’s home is rather large.”

“Your fiancé?” Colette glanced around. “I did not see him with you earlier.”

Shelah giggled. “Oh, he’s right here.” She looked up at Matthew, her eyes full of adoration. “Matthew and I are to be married after Christmas.”

Matthew wanted to grab Colette and run, so he could explain. He’d asked Shelah to let him announce the news in his own time since he had not formally asked her to marry him. But Shelah only lived on Shelah’s time. She thought they should marry, and now she’d gone and announced what she wanted people to know. His only choice was to verify the truth.

“We have to get things organized before . . . then,” he said, but that sounded weak even to his ears.

Colette’s smile froze into an expression he’d never forget, but the look in her eyes as she glared at him shouted despair. To her credit, she held her emotions tight. “Well, isn’t this a surprise. Matthew, you failed to let us know you were engaged, but it seems Shelah is very excited. Congratulations.”

Then she gave Shelah a burning once-over, pivoted like a top, and swished her way through the swinging doors to the kitchen.

“Is your little friend always so abrupt, Matthew?” Shelah asked in an innocent tone.

“Colette is . . . just being Colette,” he replied, his gaze following the still-swinging doors.

Abigail gave him a shrewd stare. “So gut to meet you, Shelah. And Mattie, I’m glad you’re home. We have a lot to catch up on, ain’t so?”

Before he could speak, Shelah touched Abigail’s arm. “Only for a while. I mean he won’t be here for long. We’ll be leaving again in a few weeks. We have a big wedding to plan.”

Four hours later, Colette wiped her face with a brisk passing of a handkerchief across her nose. “He is engaged and never once told me. Even when he called. But I knew from the way he was acting something was wrong. And then we had that terrible fight. In all the letters back and forth, he never mentioned he had fallen for another woman. And a nasty woman at that. I am never, ever falling in love again.”

Mamm and Abigail glanced at each other and back to her. Eliza, flush with happiness, had left with Levi to hop a bus to Pinecraft, Florida, where they would honeymoon in a quaint little beach cottage and soak up the warm sunshine.

While she sat here in her family home, drowning in sorrow and tears. So not like her, but this pity party was necessary. Despite her happiness for her sister, she only wanted to wallow in her sadness now and listen to the beat of her broken heart.

“This is not like Matthew,” Mamm said. “He doesn’t have a cruel bone in his body. Maybe he met her after you two had your fight. He could have thought he’d lost you, so he turned to someone else. Someone who made herself available?”

Colette thought about that. “Or perhaps the fight gave him an excuse to turn to her? We did say some unpleasant things to each other. I was upset and I wasn’t kind. Now I’ve lost him forever.”

Mamm patted her hand. “Colette, this might not be your fault. Matthew does not look like a happily engaged man. In fact, he looks downright dreadful. Shelah, on the other hand, is cooing like a love dove. Something is not right with those two.”

Just thinking of them together upset Colette’s stomach.

“I had to endure them sitting together during the whole dinner reception. I couldn’t eat, couldn’t enjoy the beautiful cake Edith and I created. All I could think of was pushing Shelah’s face into those red roses we made for the top layer of the cake.”

“We don’t do such violent things and you very well know it,” Mamm replied, her tone firm but calm.

Colette bobbed her head. “I do know, Mamm. But still . . .”

“But still, truth be told, I’d like to do that very thing myself,” Mamm admitted in a fiery whisper.

Colette loved her mamm even more than ever.

“I cannot believe our Matthew would do such a thing,” Abigail said, her tongue clicking. “Why?”

“Her,” Colette said. “Did you hear her? See her? She’s pretty and apparently very confident. She made it a point to tell us Saul had a huge home and they plan to live there. She obviously thinks she deserves that.”

“She could be using Matthew to get that huge home,” Abigail said while she rocked Jon to sleep. The poor toddler was as tired as the rest of them. But he had entertained all the guests with his sweet smile and his love of people.

Colette wanted to cry all over again. Now she’d never be a mother to any child. Matthew had humiliated her in front of the entire community. If only she’d held her temper and not demanded he get home quickly, they might still be together. But he’d been shuttered and untalkative, and she’d snapped. She wasn’t proud of it, but they could have talked the problem through. And it was too late now.

“I’ll never show my face in public again,” she decided out loud. “I need answers, however, and I intend to find them.”

“I’ve heard from Matthew’s mamm that Saul was a bachelor and well-off,” Mamm replied as she handed Colette a cup of spearmint tea. Mamm believed tea cured anything. “Miriam asked around, and apparently Matthew has inherited Saul’s entire estate and plans to live on his farm.”

Colette let out another sob. “How can I compete with that?”

Abigail grabbed her hand. “There is no competition. If he is engaged to Shelah Frantz, then that is that.”

“Not until I get some answers,” Colette said. “He owes me that much for ruining my life.”

“You should be careful there,” Mamm warned. “If Matthew is truly to marry Shelah Frantz, he can’t be seen with you now. That won’t set well. Not at all.”

Colette lifted her head to stare across the table at her mother. “We are well past being unseemly now. Matthew Mueller owes me some answers, and I will get them.”

She might be humiliated, but she would rise up and find the truth—then she would declare herself an alte maedel. She’d need to find some cats to keep her company. Colette loved cats, but the thought of not being married to Matthew made her burst into tears all over again.

While Colette was across town lamenting her broken heart, Matthew was sitting at the supper table with his mamm and daed and Shelah, wishing he could talk to Colette. He’d planned to do that first thing, but his plan had not worked.

Shelah had taken over his life and his world.

How had he let this happen? Well, he’d had no control over the events of the past few weeks. His whole future had been turned upside down, and the worst part was he couldn’t tell anyone what had truly ha. . .