The Forgiving Quilt

Book 2: Shadow Lake Series

by Lenora Worth

Genres: Christian Suspense

Synopsis

From award-winning New York Times, USA Today, and Publishers Weekly bestselling author Lenora Worth, the second in the Shadow Lake inspirational romance series featuring independent Amish sisters who run a historic inn located near Lake Erie, Pennsylvania.



Eliza King already has a broken heart, and thanks to a rickety ladder, she now has a broken leg too. She isn't dealing with either very well. Ever since a brief romance ended when the boy who'd been courting her tried a little too hard to take things further, Eliza has sought refuge in reading books and tending to her beloved horses. Being incapacitated makes the latter impossible. But her Englisch doctor knows an Amish man looking for just such work . . .



Eliza is shocked to discover that the man is Levi Lapp, the very boy who humiliated her, now all grown up. Levi is embarrassed over his clumsy behavior as a teen. He wants to earn Eliza's forgiveness, even if he can't win back her heart . . . And once Eliza reluctantly agrees to hire him, she finds herself enjoying the little gifts and encouraging notes Levi leaves for her. Encouraged by her older sister, she begins to fashion a quilt out of each item. Soon Eliza can see Levi's caring spirit plainly before her—and the possibility that he might just be the best thing for her horses—and for her.

Release date: November 29, 2022

Publisher: Zebra Books

Print pages: 320

Sample

“Doc, will I ever be able to walk straight again?”

Eliza King gave Dr. Samuel Merrill a pleading stare, her heart as heavy as the cast on her left leg. She’d never get on a ladder again, that was for certain sure. “I miss my horses.”

She missed her mobility, too. She’d been home from the hospital for two weeks now. Still remembering the excruciating pain of falling from a ladder onto the hard floor of the stable alley, she tried to block the awful sound of her bones breaking and a shivering shock moving through her system.

Today, she’d come back for a checkup, so the doctor could make sure the cast was still secure and doing its job. She was ready to go home without this infernal cast, but that would take a few more weeks.

The Shadow Lake Inn, once a massive Colonial mansion, was nestled in a cove near Lake Erie, Pennsylvania, and always had a lot of visitors during the fall. The leaf-lookers would fill the woods and walkways and have the inn’s employees hopping to keep up with the restaurant and the guest rooms. The inn would be so busy in the next few weeks. She had picked a bad time to get hurt.

But when was there a gut time? The inn her family had inherited from a kind and loving Englisch couple had become her world. Her sisters, Abigail and Colette, worked hard in the main house while she maintained the stables and gardens. Abigail’s husband, Jonah, had become a big help. He’d do fine while she was laid up, but Eliza needed her animals. She’d always gotten along with animals better than people.

“Doc?”

The gray-haired Englisch doctor patted her arm and smiled. “Eliza, you have been impatient since the day you were born. Even though I didn’t deliver you, I’ve taken care of you most of your life. But this is serious. You shattered your leg with that fall, you had surgery to repair it, and it will take time to heal.”

“You know how things are at the inn,” Eliza said, wondering how Abigail and Colette were handling the hustle and bustle without her. Fall—her favorite time of year—had come in vivid reds and golds. Jonah was trying to take care of the horses, of course. Her brother-in-law was gut with the animals, but since Daed had cut back on helping around the stables, Jonah had taken on even more responsibility in this first year of his marriage to her older sister, Abigail.

Eliza needed to be with her horses, but it wasn’t possible to do any actual work in the stable. Over the last week or so, she’d mostly sat on a cushioned bench with her leg elevated. “How long, Doc?”

Mamm sat in a chair by the window. “Eliza, you heard the doctor. Surgery is serious. Your bones were pinned back together. Healing will take time.” Looking up at Dr. Merrill, Mamm said, “She will follow your directions. I’ll make sure of that.”

Dr. Merrill nodded. “Your mother is highly qualified to take care of you. Being a trained midwife does come in handy, and Sarah, you go beyond just helping with births. I appreciate your keen interest in all things medical.”

“And I appreciate all your gut advice through the years,” Mamm replied with a smile. “So let’s go over the details regarding our instructions for Eliza.”

“At least six to eight weeks in the cast, then a cane or walker, and a lot of physical therapy.”

Eliza let out a sigh. “That’s the whole autumn season.”

Mamm shook her head. “You’ve already passed two of the weeks, so you’re coming close to halfway there.”

“You can sit and read and rest, Eliza.” Dr. Merrill smiled again. “You will have other seasons.”

Eliza knew the doctor had her best interests at heart. “I don’t want to get an infection or cause more pain. I’m thankful you helped me and found a competent surgeon. I’ll do my best to stay off my leg.”

“You must,” Mamm said. “You asked for over-the-counter medicine, but I’ll mix up a batch of herbal ointment to ease the itching and dryness and soothe your muscles.”

“And remember, Eliza,” Dr. Merrill said, “if the pain increases, don’t be brave. We can send you a prescription.”

“Can you send me a helper?” she quipped, glancing at her mother’s soft smile.

The doctor, so familiar with her family history and her love of books, sat down behind his desk. “I know a man who’s good with horses. He’s Amish and he recently returned to Shadow Lake. He’s looking for work. He’s also a farrier, so he can make sure Samson and his mares are happy and healthy. I’ve had him out to my farm to work with my horses.”

“But I have a stable with spoiled, picky animals,” she reminded him. “And unlike you, my place is not a fancy ranch with lots of helpers.”

“I do have a great staff,” he said with a grin. “They could use some advice from a taskmaster like you, however.” Placing his hands on his desk pad, he chuckled. “I know Samson is a handful.”

Samson was the big gray Percheron—and her favorite. Rosebud, Sunshine, Pickles, and the pony, Peaches, they all needed her.

“I can’t abandon my animals, Doc.”

“You won’t be abandoning them. You can visit the stables as long as you keep this leg elevated as much as possible. I could arrange for a wheelchair.”

“Neh,” Eliza said, shaking her head so fast, the ribbons on her kapp shook. “I’ll rig up a small buggy. Peaches can give me free rides to the stables.”

“That’s my Eliza. Innovative and determined.” He wrote out some orders and handed them to her. “Don’t overdo it. If you do, your leg might not heal properly and then, yes, you could walk with a limp.”

“Crippled?”

“We don’t refer to it in those terms. But you wouldn’t be completely disabled.”

Eliza would get well. A lot of people depended on her, and she wouldn’t let a broken leg get in the way of her responsibilities. Meanwhile, she’d do what she had to do. “You can send this man over, Doc. We need the help. You can give Jonah all the information, since he’ll have to show the man around.” Then she tossed out, “But if I don’t approve of him, we’ll find help elsewhere.”

Levi Lapp stopped at the end of the lane leading up to the Shadow Lake Inn. He’d never dreamed he’d return here one day, not after that terrible night six years ago.

The night he’d made the worst mistake of his life.

But when Dr. Merrill called him yesterday and told him he was needed, Levi couldn’t say no. He’d come back to Shadow Lake for two reasons—to find work closer to home, and to ask Eliza King to forgive him.

But he couldn’t have imagined those two goals would merge into something he wasn’t prepared to do—face his indiscretions.

His mamm always said, “Gott will find you, and He will redeem you.”

Well, Mamm, you were so right there.

Gott seemed to have a sense of humor, too. Or a sense of justice.

Levi reckoned it was time to face his past, head-on.

After Dr. Merrill called him, he’d told his friend he could make the introductions himself. The doctor had been too busy to argue with him. Now here Levi was, about to start working for the very family he’d dishonored in a foolish attempt to impress his friends during Rumspringa.

His running around days were over now, and he’d returned to his faith. But he’d been away from home for years, doing his work in various Amish communities. When his mamm had gotten word to him that Daed was ailing, Levi had hurried home. Now he’d stay for the rest of his life. His daed had died three days after he returned. Levi needed to take care of his family—Mamm and his younger siblings, James and Laura.

After a month of piecemeal work here and there, he couldn’t turn down this opportunity for a possibly permanent job.

You need the work, he reminded himself. Don’t be a coward.

Levi clucked to send Rudolph, the gentle reddish brown quarter-horse he’d raised from a colt, back onto the gravel lane. Rudolph really did have a furry red nose, with a white streak of fur moving up that noble nose to shoot across the top of the gelding’s head. Children loved him and Rudolph loved humans. Maybe he would help Levi win over Eliza again. Dr. Merrill said he knew the Kings very well and that they needed help right now. Not sure what had happened, Levi knew enough about medical privacy rules to realize there was no point asking questions.

Rudolph was gut at dealing with hurting humans, but Levi wondered if he’d help Eliza or if she’d send him packing.

He went on up the lane, taking in the canopy of fall trees in various colors ranging from golden yellows and bursting oranges to russet and burgundy splatters here and there. Fall was here, the air crisp, sending the hot winds of summer away and replacing them with clean, fresh cold breezes.

He sent Rudolph trotting toward the stables, hoping to avoid the historic Colonial-style inn where the three King sisters would surely be bossing everyone around. He smiled at that thought. Those girls were different—more independent and a little more progressive than most of the Amish girls he’d met.

Eliza had a mind of her own—the one time he’d tried the wrong moves on her, she’d let him have it with a fist to his stomach and a promise that she’d knock him out if he ever came near her again. Somehow, she’d forgotten the Amish did not approve of violence. But who would blame her? He’d been too fresh, and she’d put him in his place.

To calm his nerves, he took in the view of the lake below the bluffs, then turned to glance toward the inn. A huge old place, steeped in history, and still thriving thanks to the King family, who’d taken it over after the Englisch couple that had hired them left it to Eliza’s parents. He’d spent a lot of time here at singings and frolics and during church, where he’d glance across the aisle to find Eliza’s golden-brown hair and beautiful hazel eyes. Her eyes reminded him of the changing leaves—so many different colors, going from gold to green, depending on her mood.

He prayed she’d be in a gut mood today.

Levi pulled his custom-built wagon up close to the open barn doors. He didn’t have a sign on his wagon, but it was equipped with whatever he might need to shoe a horse or clean up an existing shoe.

After he’d checked Rudolph, he left the horse and wagon by the open doors to the stables. His heart hammered, his hands sweated, his head filled with regret and apprehension, and just a dash of anticipation. Surely, Eliza’s bad feelings for him would have softened by now.

Then he heard her voice.

“I don’t like this, Jonah. A stranger working with Samson. You know how Samson is, ain’t so?”

The man answered her. “I was a stranger and Englisch at that. You accepted me.”

“But I trained you,” she said. “I was able to watch you and help you and correct you.” A pause, a sigh. “Besides, you were a fast learner, and I had to keep you away from Abigail.”

“Ja, you sure did all those things.”

Her laughter, like the sound of tiny bells chiming, hit Levi square in his midsection, somewhere in the vicinity of his heart. He remembered that voice and that laughter. He also remembered her tears.

He’d embarrassed her, hurt her feelings, and if she hadn’t stopped him, he might have done something he would have regretted. He regretted even thinking of such a thing now. Not that he’d ever force himself on a woman, but kissing Eliza had brought out too much need in him. And her, too, obviously. Their strong reaction had scared both of them. Her fear had turned to anger. His fear had turned to shame.

He was going to need a lot of courage to go into that stable and face the woman he’d tried to seduce when they were both seventeen. Eliza was no longer a child.

But he was no longer that kind of boy either. He’d changed and grown; the events of his life had left imprints on his heart. Eliza King had left a big imprint on his heart.

He would never be that stupid again.

Eliza wished she could get up and move around. If she ever got out of this cast, she would certainly dance a jig. Her daed would be appalled, but that’s how she felt in her head. Her leg had to heal before she could even walk again. Why had she decided to search the rafters for an old basket? They had plenty of baskets in the inn’s storage room and at the cottage where her family lived, but she’d wanted this particular one to use for making a show-stopping fall arrangement for the lobby of the inn. She never found the basket, but the old ladder had broken a rung when she’d stepped back, and down she’d gone. Just thinking about it now made her shiver.

“Where’s the ladder?” she asked Jonah, hoping he’d burned it.

He glanced around in the midst of cleaning Sunshine’s stall. “I’m going to repair it. Meantime, I’ve ordered a new one from the hardware store in town. A sturdy one made with tough metal so the rungs can’t break.”

“Denke, Jonah.”

“That old thing wasn’t safe, and I’m pretty sure I mentioned that several times.”

“You did, but I was in a hurry and took my chances. I have learned my lesson, for sure.”

Her brother-in-law had become her confidant during the last year. Jonah understood her in the same way he understood her older sister, Abby. Except he loved Abigail with all his heart and had done much to prove it. He even knew how to deal with their younger sister, Colette. Jonah had given up the outside world to become Amish. As if Gott had known exactly what this place needed, a gut strong man to help them with the never-ending chores. And to make her lonely sister happy. He’d changed his name to the one Abigail had given him—Jonah from the lake. He’d gone through hours of study with the bishop and her daed. Those two men were his best friends now.

Jonah had washed up on the shore with no memory in the early spring of last year. After he’d remembered who he was and taken care of some dangerous people, he’d come back to stay.

Eliza wished she could find someone like Jonah. She loved him as a brother, but she wanted someone to love as a partner. Jonah was a gut brother-in-law. Eliza wished a man like Jonah would show up for her. But she feared she might become the alte maidal of the family.

After a few tries during her Rumspringa, she’d given up on love. She preferred horses and books now. There was that one boy, that one night, that wouldn’t leave her mind and made her reluctant to get close to anyone. Maybe because she’d messed up things with him so badly.

“Hello, Eliza.”

And just like that, the very man she’d been thinking of was standing there in the open doors of the stables, his silhouette shadowed, his shoulders broad now, and his voice deep. But it was a voice she could never forget.

“Levi Lapp,” she said from where she sat on a bench with cushions all around her and her broken leg up on a pillow, “what are you doing here?” Her mind reeled at seeing him again after so many years—years when she’d tried to forget him completely.

“I’m your new hired help,” he said as he stepped forward, giving her a chance to see his rugged face and that shaggy light brown hair that she’d once wanted to tame. She’d thought she’d be able to tame him, too. That had not worked out. After they’d broken up, he’d left.

But her heart began to beat too fast, reminding her that he was now back in a big way. Just like their brief relationship, this would not work either.

Jonah turned from mucking the stall and walked up to him. “Hello. Levi?”

Levi nodded, confirming what she hoped wasn’t true. She’d hoped she might be seeing things thanks to her pain medicine.

“Ja,” he said, his eyes dancing from her back to Jonah. “Levi Lapp. We talked on the phone.”

Jonah’s smile brightened. “You’re right on time.”

“Neh,” Eliza said. “He is in the wrong place, and this is not a gut time. Any time with him is not a gut time. There is no way I will allow this man to handle or take care of any of my animals. Not now. Not ever.” She crossed her arms over her chest to protect her heart, then looked Levi square in the eye. “And that is final.”

Jonah looked from her back to Levi. “Am I missing something?”

“Ja,” she said. “You missed telling me who we might be hiring. It won’t be him.”

Levi stepped forward. “I see you still have a strong temper. What happened to your leg?”

She glared at him. “Nothing for you to be concerned about.”

He stood. She sat. They stared each other down.

Jonah, never one for drama, held up a hand. “Someone needs to explain what’s going on. I take it you two know each other.”

“We do,” Levi said before she could spit out the words. “We used to be close. Walking-out close.”

“We broke up,” Eliza managed to say. “End of story.”

Jonah watched her and then turned to Levi, his expression changing. “So, you’re the one?”

Levi waited for her to speak. “Go ahead. Tell him, and then I’ll be on my way.”

“He’s the one,” she replied. “It was a long time ago and I handled it.”

Jonah shifted closer to Levi but kept his eyes on Eliza. “Do you want me to deck him?”

Eliza blinked. “What does that mean?”

Levi’s smile held some heat. “He’s willing to knock me out on your behalf. Are you two together?”

Eliza managed an unladylike snort. “Neh. He’s my overprotective brother-in-law, who used to be Englisch and worked as a detective. He helped put away a whole cartel of bad folks. Do not make him angry.”

She almost laughed at the shock on Levi’s handsome face. “I’ve been away too long. Things have changed.”

“That’s right. You don’t belong here,” she retorted.

Jonah let out a long-suffering sigh. “She’s right about me. I was once angry and full of vengeance. Then I met Abigail.”

“Abby? You’re married to Abigail?”

“He is,” Eliza replied, glad to have Jonah on her side.

But then Jonah said, “I am. But I don’t condone violence anymore. Except—if Eliza wants me to knock you to the floor on her behalf, I will. If not, we need your help and you come highly recommended. But if you two are going to go at it all day long, we can’t hire you.”

“Eliza?” Levi asked. “Do you want him to hit me? Will that make you see that I’m not a boy anymore and I regret what I did? If so, I will gladly take the hit.”

Eliza couldn’t believe this was happening. She’d often dreamed of two valiant men arguing over her. Maybe one of them would win her heart and the other would be a friend or protector. Things always ended happily, no matter.

Now that it was coming true, the dream stung more than it burned. What should she do? Levi hadn’t tried to force her that night. He’d only kissed her. A kiss she still remembered, but one that had shaken her to her sneakers. She’d panicked and overreacted to his determination to make their first kiss a passionate one.

“Answer him,” Jonah encouraged. “If you are afraid of him, I’ll make him leave. We don’t have all day, and we certainly do not have time for you to overthink this.”

“I’m not . . . overthinking,” she replied, thinking about a lot of things. “I do not want you to hit him, but I do not want him here.”

“Then I will leave,” Levi said.

He turned to go, but before he made it to the open doors, a big roan horse with a tuft of chestnut hair right over its nose stuck its head inside the door and neighed.

“Rudolph, how did you get in here?” Levi said, his voice devoid of any surprise.

“Is that your horse?” Eliza heard herself asking. The animal was beautiful. “A quarter horse with an unusual nose.”

“He’s a big baby,” Levi said, looking impressed that she knew the breed. “And he manages to stroll off sometimes, wagon and all.”

Eliza knew animals. “Or maybe someone just left him unhitched so he could graze?”

“He didn’t leave the wagon behind,” Jonah pointed out.

Levi shrugged. “I left him hitched to the wagon. He never runs off, but he’s known to go strolling. He’s smart enough to turn that little wagon around, but I reckon he wanted to see what all the fuss was about. He knows a stable door when he sees one. He might like a carrot.”

Sure enough, Eliza saw a small work wagon still hitched behind the curious horse. “Oh, I didn’t see that.”

Levi motioned for Jonah. “Will you help me unhitch him from the wagon, so he can move more freely? He’s restless after driving around this morning.”

Jonah nodded and the two men went out to loosen the many straps and tugs involved in a hitched wagon. Like heavy belts, each strap had to be unbuckled and unwound to free the wagon from the horse. Rudolph threw his mane back, his impatience obvious, but once the two men backed the wagon away and released the long shafts, he relaxed. That made Eliza smile. But when her eyes fell across Levi’s fine features and heavy muscles, she snapped back to stare at the rafters.

“This is my worst nightmare.”

Rudolph finally pulled free and stepped into the dark entrance to the stables, his nose twitching with interest. Eliza fell for the horse but ignored the man.

“I can see why you named him Rudolph,” Jonah said as the men entered and stood to the side. “He has a red nose.”

“And he thinks he’s a reindeer,” Levi said with a smile.

A smile that went straight to Eliza’s heart. To counter it, she grabbed the chunks of carrots and apples she’d brought to feed the other horses and held one out to Rudolph.

Rudolph walked right up to her and nudged her with his red nose.

“He likes you,” Levi said, a triumphant smile on his face. Then he turned and glanced around the stables. “What a nice place. Rudolph and I could easily work here, in spite of it all.”

Jonah lifted his chin and sent Eliza a stern glance. “I’ll show you around.”

And off they went, like two peas in a pod, while Eliza sat, unable to chase after Jonah and tell him to stop.

She watched Rudolph and rubbed his nose each time he lowered his head to her. “Why did he come here of all places? He’s been away a long time.”

Rudolph’s eyes widened but he gave her no answers.

“Do you spend a lot of time with him?”

Of course he did. The gelding seemed lovable and compliant while the man seemed dangerous and different than she remembered. She didn’t want to remember. She could call one of her sisters to come help her back to the house, but they’d only ogle Jonah and ask too man. . .