She’ll find him a wife for Christmas...

Which of these Indiana Amish Brides is next?

With her wedding business thriving, Annie Kauffmann could never leave her beloved Amish community. So when handsome Amish cowboy Levi Lapp tries to convince her father to move the family to Texas, she must put a stop to it. If Annie finds Levi a wife, he might forget his dream of moving...but can she keep from falling for him herself?

VANNETTA CHAPMAN has published over one hundred articles in Christian family magazines, receiving over two dozen awards from Romance Writers of America chapter groups. She discovered her love for the Amish while researching her grandfather’s birthplace of Albion, Pennsylvania. Her first novel, A Simple Amish Christmas, quickly became a bestseller. Chapman lives in the Texas Hill Country with her husband.

Also By Vannetta Chapman

Indiana Amish Brides

A Widow’s Hope

Amish Christmas Memories

A Perfect Amish Match

The Amish Christmas Matchmaker

Discover more at millsandboon.co.uk.

The Amish Christmas Matchmaker

Vannetta Chapman

www.millsandboon.co.uk

ISBN: 978-1-474-09750-5

THE AMISH CHRISTMAS MATCHMAKER

© 2019 Vannetta Chapman

Published in Great Britain 2019

by Mills & Boon, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF

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Who wants an Amish cowboy?

Annie liked a challenge. She thrived in tough situations. Tossing her kapp strings behind her shoulders, she plastered on what she hoped was her prettiest smile. “All right. You agree to date a couple of my friends...not at the same time, mind you.”

“Of course not,” Levi agreed.

“And in return, I won’t try and stop you from talking to my family about moving to Texas.”

“So now you’re a matchmaker?”

“Think of me as a concerned bystander.”

“All right. It’s a deal.” He held out his hand. “But you have to shake on it.”

But, just possibly, she’d found a way to keep her life firmly rooted in Goshen, because she had the perfect woman in mind for Levi Lapp and this person would never consider moving away.

All Annie had to do was see to it that the two of them fell in love. It would mean she’d have to live around Levi the rest of her life...but at least she wouldn’t have to do so in Texas.

Dear Reader,

Have you ever cherished a dream in your heart—something that was so important to you that you viewed everything else through the lens of what you hoped would happen? A dream can be a wonderful thing. But what about when our dreams blind us to the path in front of us? What happens when the things we are convinced should happen, don’t?

Annie Kauffmann believes she is happy helping other people’s dreams come true. She’s a nurturer, a hard worker and a kind person. She’s settled for a far different dream than she once had—when she believed that she would find true love, marry a kind man and raise a family. Now she’s convinced that while God grants those things for other people, for her, life has taken a different path. She focuses on her work, on making others happy, on finding financial security.

Levi Lapp is pursuing the dream that he has held close since he was a young child when life was simple and good, before he learned that not everyone could be trusted. Before he had his heart broken not by romantic love but by those adults who were supposed to guide him into adulthood. He longs to find his way back to a time when he still held hope and optimism about the future, and he’s convinced the way to do that is to go back to the physical place where he experienced the happiest years of his youth.

Annie and Levi are so busy pursuing what they are sure will make them happy, that they almost miss the blessings God has laid out for them.

I hope you enjoyed reading this book. I welcome comments and letters at vannettachapman@gmail.com.

May we continue to always give thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ (Ephesians 5:20).

Blessings,

Vannetta

Delight thyself also in the Lord:

and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.

—Psalm 37:4

Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

There is none other commandment greater.

—Mark 12:31

This book is dedicated to Bob, my very own cowboy.

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

About the Author

Booklist

Title Page

Copyright

Note to Readers

Introduction

Dear Reader

Bible Verse

Dedication

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Epilogue

Extract

About the Publisher

Chapter One

Annie Kauffmann thought she’d just experienced a perfect day—business had gone well, the fall weather was exquisite and each member of her family was happy and healthy. She leaned her bicycle against the tree in the front yard and ran up the porch steps. Her mother was sitting in a rocker, knitting a baby blanket for her next grandchild. She had twelve and counting. If her mother was sitting, she was knitting—blankets, sweaters, caps and mittens.

“Gut day?” she asked.

“Ya.” Annie sank into a rocker, smoothing her apron over her dress and sinking back with a sigh. “I confirmed two more weddings.”

“Your catering business is growing.”

“It is. The gut thing about these is one is for December...”

“Not many winter weddings, so you must be speaking of Widow Schwartz.”

“The same. The other is for later this month.”

“You had an opening this month?”

“Ya, since you know... Jesse’s was cancelled.”

“Real shame that Emma changed her mind. I believe she’ll regret that.”

“Maybe not though, Mamm. Maybe not.”

Annie was suddenly aware of voices in the house—her father and another man. She peeked out over the porch railing, wondering whose buggy she had missed, but there wasn’t one there.

“Who is Dat talking to?”

“I believe his name is Levi.”

“Levi King?”

“Nein. Levi Lapp.”

“I don’t know a Levi Lapp.”

“He’s new here.”

“New?”

“Arrived yesterday.”

“Did he walk?”

“I imagine he rode a bus to town, but he walked here today to see your dat.”

“Who does he know in Goshen?”

“He’s staying with Simon King.”

“Is he related to Old Simon?”

“I’m not sure.”

Now Annie’s curiosity was thoroughly piqued. “I think I need a glass of lemonade. Can I get you anything?”

Mamm smiled, not fooled for a minute. “Of course, dear. I would love that.”

Annie stepped into the coolness of the house. Though it was September, the temperatures had remained warm, and the cool living room was a relief after her bike ride from town. Her father and Levi Lapp were in the kitchen, which would work perfectly. She straightened her apron, made sure her kapp wasn’t askew and walked into the kitchen as if she had no idea she was interrupting.

She aimed for a casual stride but stumbled when she spied the man in a cowboy hat. A cowboy hat? She shook her head as if that would clear up what she was seeing.

“Annie. I’m glad you’re home. I want you to meet Levi... Levi Lapp.”

“Hello.”

Levi tipped the cowboy hat, revealing blond hair that curled at his collar. “Howdy, ma’am.”

Howdy, ma’am?

Had she fallen asleep and landed in a Western? “I’m Annie.”

“It’s nice to meet you.”

“And you, as well. I was just fetching two glasses of lemonade. Don’t let me interrupt...”

“Levi’s from Pennsylvania—the Lancaster Plain community.”

“Ya? I imagine it’s cooler there.” She didn’t care about the weather in Pennsylvania, but she couldn’t exactly ask about the hat.

“It was cooler when I left. Now Texas, where I plan to go, is still much warmer. They have days in the eighties right through November.”

“Texas?” Annie had pulled two glasses from the cabinet. At the mention of Texas she turned toward Levi, holding the glasses and trying to remember what she was going to do with them.

He wasn’t ugly exactly, only odd looking because of the hat. He seemed to be tall and on the thin side, had a healthy tan and broad shoulders. His blue eyes twinkled as if he understood her confusion and was enjoying it.

Annie raised her chin a fraction higher. “I wasn’t aware there were Plain communities in Texas.”

“Oh, ya. There’s one in Beeville, which has been there nearly twenty years. Only a few families, though.”

“And you’re going there?” It was really none of her business. She placed the glasses on the counter and walked over to the propane-powered refrigerator. Removing the pitcher of lemonade, she held it up, but her dat waved her away, and Levi didn’t seem to notice. A dreamy expression had come over his face. It was as if he’d been transported to another place. She’d seen that look before—usually on a man who was smitten with a girl.

“Not to Beeville, to Stephenville.”

“But you said...”

“There’s no community there now, but there was. It’s where I grew up.”

“You should hear the stories he tells, Annie.” Her dat leaned back and crossed his arms. “Rolling hills, space for a family to grow, cattle and horses...”

Now she was noticing the starry look in her dat’s eyes. She’d seen that before. The last time, it was because he was dreaming of moving to a pig farm in Missouri that he’d read about in The Budget.

So that’s what this was.

Another one of his daydreams.

Nothing to worry about there. This Levi fellow would probably be gone by the end of the week.

“Gut people too,” Levi added. “Texans are quite friendly toward Plain folk.”

Her dat thumped the table. “Sounds wunderbaar. Just what I’ve been thinking of.”

Annie didn’t answer that. What was the point? This was the way Dat’s crazy ideas went. By next week he’d have moved on to raising exotic animals or trying a new crop. She loved her dat, loved everything about him, but she’d learned long ago not to worry about his wild ideas. She had a business to run—a thriving wedding-catering business here in Goshen, Indiana. The last thing she needed to concern herself with was pulling up roots and moving to Texas.

Instead, she poured the lemonade into the glasses, smiled at her dat and the Amish cowboy sitting at their table and said, “I’ll leave you two to your discussion, then. It was nice to meet you, Levi.”

“And you.”

He tipped the ridiculous hat again and smiled as if she’d said something witty. Not just a cowboy, but a charming one to boot.

Levi spoke with Alton Kauffmann another fifteen minutes. When his wife, Lily, came in and started making dinner, he knew it was time to go.

She smiled at him as she pulled what looked like the mixings of a ham casserole from the refrigerator. “It’s nice meeting you, Levi. I hope you’ll come visit again.”

“Oh, he will,” Alton said. “The bishop has come up with a work schedule for Levi, since he’s new to the area. He’ll be helping me here two afternoons a week—Wednesdays and Fridays.”

“We’ll expect you to stay for dinner on those days...if you can.”

“Danki. I appreciate that.”

Alton said something about checking on the horses, so Levi let himself out the front door. Annie was sitting in one of the rockers, writing in a journal. She didn’t immediately notice him, and so he was able to study her for a minute.

Young—she couldn’t have been over twenty.

Pretty—not that he was interested. He was here to recruit families to move to Texas, not court a woman.

Focused—she still hadn’t looked up.

Levi cleared his throat. “Pretty place you have here.”

“Ya, it is.” She finally glanced up. “Danki.”

“Reminds me a little of Texas, the way the hills stretch out to the west...”

He could still see it in his mind. He wished he had pictures to show her, but of course being Plain they didn’t usually fool around with cameras, even the ones on cell phones. He had a few Texas magazines that he’d brought with him. He’d have to remember to bring one over the next afternoon when he came to help Alton.

“You were awfully intent on what you were doing there.” He nodded toward her journal.

“Oh. I have a catering business...for Plain weddings. I keep all my notes and calendar in here.”

“That’s interesting. I’ve never met an Amish businesswoman before.”

“Really? You’ve never purchased something from a local bakery?”

“Oh, ya. Sure.”

“Or bought fresh jam?”

“Peach and strawberry.” He moved to the rocking chair beside her, placed the knitting basket that was in it on the porch floor and sat.

“All run by women entrepreneurs I would imagine... Plain women entrepreneurs. You can find them in nearly every bakery and fruit stand—not to mention quilt shops and yarn shops. They are also house cleaners and most of our teachers. Schoolhouses aren’t a business, but you get my point.”

“I do. Obviously, this is a subject you’ve given a lot of thought.”

“I have.”

She raised her chin like she had in the kitchen. It almost made him laugh. She was a spunky one.

“I’ve offended you, and I’m sorry. It wasn’t my intention.”

She considered him a minute and then closed her journal. “It’s possible I’m a little sensitive about the topic, being an entrepreneur myself.”

“So tell me about your business.”

“Not much to tell. I cater weddings.”

“I thought...”

“That the family of the bride cooks the food? Ya. A lot of people think that. But when you consider that most of our weddings have over 400 guests...well, the mothers of the bride and groom have an increasingly difficult time cooking for a gathering of that size.”

“Maybe they could invite less people.”

“And put me out of business? No thank you.” Her tone was serious, but she smiled at his joke. “How did you land in Goshen? We’re a good ways from Lancaster, Pennsylvania.”

Levi didn’t respond immediately because the actual answer was complicated. He certainly didn’t want to go into his family situation with this young woman he’d known less than twenty minutes. And how could he explain how he’d vowed never to return to this area when he was still just a boy? Goshen did not hold good memories for him, but here he was. He decided to go with the simplest, though less complete answer. “My family knows Simon King. He lived with us in Texas, and he’s interested in possibly returning.”

“Mamm mentioned you were staying with Simon. We call him Old Simon because there are two others in the congregation—Tall Simon and Young Simon. Young Simon is older than Tall Simon but younger than Old Simon.” She laughed and then added, “You know how Plain communities are.”

“I do, and he’s not that old.”

“I’m just surprised he’d be interested in moving at his age.”

“I suppose that since his wife died, he’s a bit lonely. We stayed in contact over the years. When I mentioned that I was raising up a group to start a new community, he was interested.”

“How many families do you need?”

“A dozen is the usual number, with at least one church leader.”

“And that would be Old Simon?”

“It would.”

“How many families do you have so far?”

“There’s myself, Simon and possibly your dat.”

Annie covered her mouth with her hands. It took Levi a minute to realize she was laughing. It irritated him, though he couldn’t have said why.

“What’s so funny?”

“I’m sorry.” She pulled her lips into a straight line, and stared down at her lap, smoothing out her apron with her fingertips. Obviously, she was making a huge effort to rein in her amusement.

“No, tell me.”

“It’s only that Dat...”

“Yes?”

“I hope he hasn’t raised your hopes. Mamm says he likes to dream, that it’s entertainment for him like some people might read a book. It’s harmless enough. We’ve all learned not to take him too seriously in that regard.”

Levi stood and pushed his cowboy hat more firmly on his head, but Annie was now on a roll.

“Once he was going to move us to Canada...there are Amish communities there, you know.”

“I’m aware.”

“Another time, it was a pig farm he was going to purchase, in Missouri, and then there was his idea to raise camels. He checked out a lot of books from the library for that one.”

“I would think you’d show more respect for your dat. It seems that you don’t take what’s important to him very seriously.”

“You’re an expert on my dat now?”

“I can tell when a man has a dream.”

“Like you?”

“Ya, like me.”

Annie stood as well and moved a step closer. She gazed up into his face. She looked at him in the same way his mother often had, and it only served to increase his irritation even more. There were always some who were closed-minded, who couldn’t see the possibilities of a fresh start in a new place.

“I don’t mean to be rude, Levi. However, if you’re counting on my family moving to Texas, you should know that’s not going to happen.”

Instead of contradicting her, he said, “I’m glad I’ll have plenty of time to speak to your family about this.”

“Speak to them?”

“Since I’ll be working here two days a week.”

“You’re going to be working here?”

“It’s nice to meet you, Annie. Perhaps we can continue this conversation tomorrow. Your mamm has invited me to stay for dinner.”

She crossed her arms and scowled at him as he turned and made his way down the porch steps.

Levi gave her a backward wave, but he didn’t look back.

He wanted to. Annie Kauffmann made a pretty picture standing on the front porch with fall leaves pooled at her feet and a cat rubbing against her legs. He didn’t allow himself a last glance, though. He knew all about naysayers, people who said it couldn’t or shouldn’t be done. He’d been stopped by them long enough.

This time, he had a plan.

If things went well, he’d be in Texas by spring.

Chapter Two

Annie managed to avoid Levi on Wednesday when he came to help her father in the fields. They owned a mere eighty acres, but her dat used every bit of it. He adamantly believed in varying the crops, which increased the amount of work but also improved the harvest. The hay wouldn’t be ready to cut for another two months. The sorghum would need to be harvested by the end of October, soybeans after that, and winter wheat had to be planted as well.

There was always work to be done on a farm.

It wasn’t unusual for their bishop to arrange for young Amish men from out of town to find some work, and it was true that her father needed help, but she wasn’t sure Levi Lapp was the kind of help he needed. Like the first day he’d spent time with Levi, her dat spent Wednesday evening asking enthusiastic questions about Texas over dinner.

“Big ranches there?”

“Some are. The King Ranch is bigger than the state of Rhode Island.”

“You don’t say.”

“Many are smaller family places, though. Like we would have.”

Annie and her mamm shared a look, but her mother merely shook her head. They’d been through this before. It was best to let the dream run its course. If this went the way of her dat’s other ideas, he’d move on to something else before the end of the week. So she endured dinner with Levi and tried to simply nod and appear polite. Had he swallowed an entire encyclopedia of Texas trivia? She couldn’t resist commenting when he laughingly told them about the Texas state mammal.

“They have three, actually. The longhorn is the large state mammal. The Mexican free-tailed bat is the flying state mammal. And the nine-banded armadillo is the small state mammal. Those are quite a sight to see. They can run up to thirty miles an hour...”

“Why would they need to run for an hour?”

Levi seemed to consider the question seriously, and Annie was suddenly sorry she’d asked it.

“I suppose they wouldn’t. My point is they’re fast, and they can jump straight up too. I’ve seen them jump...” he held a hand level with the table. “At least that high. It’s something else.”

Now she was irritated. In truth, she’d been irritated since he’d sat down and started spouting facts and figures. “Aren’t they just large rats with shells?”

“More like an anteater or a sloth.”

“Who would choose that for their state mammal?”

“Texans would. In fact, they did in 1927.” He said all of this slowly, as if she were a child and couldn’t grasp the concept.

Her mother jumped in and started talking about the possibility of rain, and Annie soon lost track of the conversation. Thinking back over what she’d said as she washed the dishes, she was rather proud of herself. At least she hadn’t laughed at him. She hadn’t openly mocked him, but what was his deal? Why did he act as if Texas were the promised land?

She’d simply have to pray for extra strength to curb her tongue when she was around him.

Friday that wasn’t so easy.

On Friday, Levi managed to tax her patience to the limit.

It didn’t help that she had a wedding the next day, the florist had ordered roses instead of mums and she’d spent ten hours in the kitchen cooking and shredding chicken. When Levi and her father trotted inside, leaving muddy prints across the floor she’d just cleaned, Annie thought she might flip like pancakes on a griddle. Things went downhill from there.

She placed a dish of chicken potpie in the middle of the table. Beside it was a loaf of fresh bread, butter and a large salad. Her mamm came in asking about the field work, and they all sat down to eat—including Levi. The serving bowls had barely been passed when her dat started in on the Texas trivia points for the day.

“Levi was telling me about Texas longhorns.”

Levi held his hands up to his head and then spread them as far apart as possible. “Big longhorns.”

“Horns curve outward and can measure up to eight feet in length,” her father said. “Sharp on the end, but apparently they’re gentle animals.”

“Most are.” Levi reached for an extra piece of bread. “Best to check with the owner before approaching one.”

Annie dropped her fork onto her helping of chicken potpie and gave Levi her most critical look. It always worked when she substituted at their local school, but Levi simply shoveled in another forkful of chicken pie and grinned at her.

“Great dinner,” he said after he’d swallowed.

She learned about the rivers that often ran dry, the terribly hot summer temperatures—her father laughed at that as if such a thing would be eons better than their pleasant summers—and even about their wildflowers.

Finally, she said, “If you’ll excuse me, I need to load up my trailer.”

“I can help with that,” Levi said.

“Nein—”

“How kind of you, Levi.” Her mamm stood and began picking up dishes. “Accept his help, Annie, and your dat and I can clean up this kitchen.”

Annie couldn’t remember the last time she’d seen her father help with the dishes. This was plainly a trick to throw her and Levi together, and she couldn’t imagine what her mother was thinking. Unless...maybe she was hoping that she would set Levi straight. She could certainly do that.

“Okay then. Danki, Levi. If you’ll pick up those boxes of cooked chicken, I’ll bring the loaves of bread.” The bread tray was clumsier but lighter. The chicken would have taken her at least two trips, but Levi picked up both large boxes and looked around as if he were wondering what else he could carry.

They were barely out the back door when he started in with his questions.

“You have a wedding tomorrow? I thought most Amish weddings were on Tuesday or Thursday.”

He was tall and his shadow leaped out in front of them as if it was leading the way. The thought annoyed Annie, though she supposed he had no control over his shadow.

“Tomorrow’s wedding is a special situation. This family has relatives who live out of town. They couldn’t arrive until late on a Friday afternoon, so we scheduled the wedding for a Saturday.”

“You cater a lot of weddings?”

“Ya, I do...” She turned toward him when they reached her trailer, ready to confront him about this Texas issue. Then she looked over her shoulder, and the sight of her mobile kitchen eased the knot of tension in her shoulders. “You can bring those inside.”

The trailer was small, but she was proud of it. Inside was a mobile kitchen—with dishes for five hundred people, propane-powered refrigerators, three stoves that provided her with a dozen burners, plus a large industrial-sized oven that was six feet tall. On the side, they’d had stenciled the words Plain & Simple Weddings in a black italic font.

She set the trays with loaves of fresh bread in the oven. It was taller than she was and would hold the loaves just fine. She didn’t have to turn it on, because the loaves were already baked. She’d heat them before the luncheon. When he handed her the boxes of chicken, she took each platter out and set it in one of the propane refrigerators, which she’d turned on earlier in the day.

Levi’s eyes widened as he looked around, and he let out a long whistle. “Wow. Some setup you have here.”

“It is, and it took time and a lot of work to be able to afford it.”

“You pull this with your buggy?”

“No, I don’t pull it with my buggy. That would be illegal, not to mention unsafe.” She nudged him back out the door of the trailer.

“Then how...”

She waved away his question. She had no intention of telling him the ins and outs of her business. He didn’t need to know that she had an Englisch partner who owned a large pickup truck. Though she could imagine what Priscilla would say about Levi, and that eased even more of the tension in her neck. Priscilla would call him tall-fair-and-yummy.

She walked out of the trailer and said a quick prayer for patience and wisdom. She seemed to need large helpings of both around Levi Lapp. “I need to talk to you about my dat.”

“Oh. He’s a nice guy. You have a wunderbaar family.”

“Ya, I do.” She thought to ask him about his family, but she didn’t want to get distracted. “Look, I wish you well in finding a group to start in Texas...”

“Your dat seems quite keen about the idea.”

“That’s the thing I wanted to talk to you about. Remember what I told you before? Dat gets excited about an idea, usually for about a week.”

“Maybe this time is different.”

“It isn’t.”

“How can you know that?”

“Because I know him. He’s a gut worker, a gut provider and a gut husband and dat. He doesn’t smoke or drink or run around.”

“Which would make him a great addition to my group.”

“We’re not moving to Texas!” The words came out more sharply than she’d intended, and for a moment the ever-present smile slipped from Levi’s face.

Finally, she was getting through to him.

Or so she thought.

“Change is hard. I understand. And you have this thriving business...”

“Which I have no intention of packing up and moving to Stephenville, Texas.”

“Might not be Stephenville. It would depend on where we can find good land at a reasonable price.”

“You’re missing my point.” Maybe she should try appealing to his sense of right and wrong. “Mamm and I like it here. My bruders, they live close enough that they’re able to help with the harvest. My schweschder lives down the road. We have freinden and family here, and I have a thriving business. We. Are. Not. Moving.”

She’d moved out in front of him, but he scooted around her and plopped down on the step which led up into the trailer. She stood there, arms crossed, waiting for the truth of what she was saying to sink in beneath his cowboy hat.

“I think what you’re actually trying to say is that you’d like me to stop speaking to your dat about a move.”

“Exactly.”

“Would you also like me to quit working for him?”

“What? No. Obviously, he’s satisfied with your work, and he needs the help.”

“Would you rather I didn’t stay for dinner?”

“Of course not. Mamm doesn’t mind, and it certainly makes no difference to me.”

“So I’m allowed to work here and eat here, but only if I watch what I say.”

She was shaking her head before he finished talking. “I’m not the boss of you.”

“That’s true. You are not.”

When he glanced up at her, she was discouraged to see that his normally amiable expression had changed into something more stubborn. Something probably resembling a Texas mule, if they looked any different than Indiana mules.

She cleared her throat and tried a different approach. “I admire what you’re trying to do. I’m simply asking that you consider the situation of my family. We’re happy here. Don’t stir Dat up with all this talk of longhorns and wildflowers.”

“Okay.” He stood and clamped the ridiculous cowboy hat down more firmly on his head.

“Okay?”

“Ya.”

“Just like that?”

“Seems a fair enough request.”

“I agree. That’s why I made it.”

“Gut day to you then.” With a quick smile, he turned and walked toward the lane. As if he’d just thought of something, he stopped, took off the hat, scratched his head and then turned back toward her. “Tell your parents gut evening, and danki again for the meal.”

Annie stared after him, wondering what had just happened.

Why had he agreed so readily?

Why was he smiling?

What was she missing here?

Those things didn’t matter. What mattered was that they could put this silly matter of Texas behind them, and she could go back to focusing on her business. Though it was only September, she’d already passed the previous year’s profit. Now if she could have a strong fall, she’d feel in a good position for starting the new year.

A new year in Goshen, Indiana, not on the wild plains of Texas.

Amish families tended to eat dinner early—that way they could go out and do the evening chores before things were too dark to see well. The sun had dipped toward the west and a pleasant coolness had settled in as Levi walked down the road, away from the Kauffmans’ and toward Old Simon’s.

He was thinking of how pretty and stubborn Annie was, how focused she was on that catering business—as if it were all that mattered—and the way her cheeks colored pink when she was angry. He was wondering what it was about himself that irked her so much, when an Amish man working on a fence line called out to him.

“You must be the fellow helping out my father-in-law.”

“I’m Levi. Levi Lapp. If your father-in-law is Alton Kauffmann, then ya. I’m helping him out two afternoons a week.”

“Thought so.”

“What gave me away?”

“You’re the only Amish person I’ve ever seen wearing a cowboy hat. By the way, I’m Jebediah. I’m married to Alton’s middle daughter, Nicole.”

“Nice to meet you.”

Jebediah didn’t seem in any hurry to finish mending the fence. Instead he leaned against one of the fence posts and started peppering him with questions. “Heard you’re from Texas. What was that like? Also heard you were going back. When do you expect to do that? And do you really think you’ll convince Alton to go with you?”

Levi laughed. “It doesn’t take long for word to get around.”

“You know how it is.”

“I do.” Levi scanned the horizon and wondered how best to address Jebediah’s questions. As usual, his enthusiasm for the subject won out over any instinct that might have told him to approach the subject slowly. “Texas was wunderbaar, and I’ve been trying to get back pretty much since we left, which was twelve years ago when I was fourteen. I hope to move down in the spring. Now that I have a church elder interested—”

“Old Simon?”

“Ya.”

“He’s not in the best of shape.”

“He’s not in the worst, either, and once we’re there, I think others will come.”

“Maybe.”

Jebediah’s comments were nothing like Annie’s. He didn’t sound critical of the idea so much as skeptical. A skeptic he could handle.

“You should think about going with us.”

“Can’t say as I’m interested myself, but if Alton goes, well that might be a different story. My wife is pretty attached to her family, which is gut because mine is in Ohio and we can’t afford land there.”

“Land in Texas is cheap.”

“Is it now?” Jebediah grinned as if he’d heard that one before. “Cheap doesn’t really matter if you don’t have any money, which I don’t. Married four years ago, and we have three boppli with another on the way. Every cent I makes gets plucked from my hand like a north wind snatched it away.”

“That doesn’t bother you?”

“Not really. We have what we need.”

Levi wasn’t sure how to answer that. It was a common sentiment among Amish men and women alike. He had a little trouble relating. It wasn’t that he wanted more. It was only that he wanted something different than what he had.

“I don’t want to keep you from mending that fence, and I best get on before Old Simon wonders what happened to me.”

“See you tomorrow then.”

“Tomorrow?” Levi had already turned away, but now he turned back to Jebediah. “Oh, I don’t work for Alton on Saturdays. That’s my day to stay and help Old Simon.”

He’d even started calling the old guy that, and he’d only learned the nickname recently.

“I mean that I’ll see you at the wedding.”

“Wedding?”

“Beth and Avery. Old Simon will be there for sure and certain—everyone will. It’ll be a gut time for you to meet folks.”

The wedding that Annie had been preparing for. He suddenly realized that he’d like to see her in action, serving the masses from her tiny trailer. “I don’t even know them.”

“You’re invited nonetheless. You’re a part of our community now. Everyone’s invited.”

Those words echoed through Levi’s mind as he walked the last half mile to Old Simon’s house. You’re a part of our community now. It was a simple yet common sentiment among Plain folks. You moved in; you were accepted.

So why had he never felt at home in Lancaster?

Why did he have such terrible memories of his time here in Goshen?

Maybe because he’d resented his community’s decision from the day they’d abandoned the Texas community. Maybe because the move had been difficult for his parents, not to mention his siblings. The old ache twisted in his gut, but he chose to ignore it.

That was his past.

His future was to the south and moving closer every day.

He arrived home to find Simon sitting on the back porch, an open Bible in his lap. He barely seemed to look down at the well-worn pages. In fact, Levi had surmised that the old guy’s eyesight had weakened to the point that he couldn’t read the words printed there, but it seemed to soothe him to hold the open Bible.

He also was a terrible driver. It was a good thing that the buggy horse practically drove itself, or they would have been killed on Levi’s first day in town.

“Preparing for your sermon?”

“Ya.” Simon looked up in surprise, so apparently, he hadn’t heard Levi enter through the front door or the banging of the back screen door as he’d come outside. Maybe his hearing was going too, but a smile spread across his face.

He was a nice old guy, terribly lonely since his wife had died the year before. Their children were in Kentucky. Levi had written to both sons before he had accepted Old Simon’s invitation to move to Goshen. He didn’t want to be the source of hard feelings in the family. The eldest son had explained that they were trying to convince Simon to move, but that so far he’d resisted. Levi didn’t share with Jonah his hopes that Simon would move to Texas with him. He didn’t lie about it. The subject just didn’t come up.

Old Simon patted the Bible. “Gotte’s word—it’s a lamp for my feet and a light for my path.”

“Is that what your sermon will be on?” Levi eased onto the floor of the porch, bracing his back against the porch column.

“Maybe,” Simon said. “As the Lord leads.”

“I met Jebediah this afternoon.”

“He’s a gut man and about your age, if I remember right.”

“Told me about the wedding tomorrow.”

Simon’s expression turned to one of concern, but then he tapped his forefinger against the arm of the rocker and said, “I knew there was something I was forgetting. We have a wedding tomorrow.”

“He said I was welcome to attend, even though I don’t know Beth and Avery.”

“Who?”

“The couple getting married.”

“Oh. That’s right. It is a gut idea for you to go. I assumed you would. Weddings are a gut place to meet people, and maybe a young lady will catch your eye.” Simon grinned and then turned his attention out to the family garden. He hadn’t put that in himself. A neighbor must have done it for him. He didn’t seem to see the last of the vegetables that waited to be gathered, though. Instead he spoke of the past. “Did I ever tell you where I met my fraa, Tabitha?”

“You didn’t.”

“It was at a local wedding. I knew the minute I saw her that she was the one.” He pressed his fingertips against his chest. “Something in my heart...just told me.”

Levi didn’t know how to answer that, so he stood and said, “I ate with the Kauffmanns. Have you had anything yet?”

Simon shook his head and turned his eyes back to the pages of his Bible. “Can’t say as I’m hungry.”

“I’ll go and fix you an egg with some of that ham we had left over. You need to eat.”

“Ya. Okay.”

Levi walked into the kitchen and set about putting together a simple meal for the old man. Working in the kitchen reminded him of Annie’s lecture about women entrepreneurs. Levi was fine with that. He didn’t see any problem with women starting businesses. In his experience, they often had excellent perspectives on what customers wanted to purchase.

He actually admired her for starting an Amish catering business, but he sensed that her passion might become a roadblock for his own plans. Alton wouldn’t want to leave unless his entire family was behind the idea. And Annie obviously was dead set against it. It wasn’t absolutely necessary to have Alton in his group, but it would help. And it might mean that Jebediah and his family would come, as well.

All he had to do was win Annie over to the idea.

Which, he knew, would be no simple task.

As he heated the cast-iron pan, fried an egg and put it on the plate with fresh bread and a slice of ham, he thought of the words of his daddi.

No dream comes true unless you wake up and go to work.

He’d known it wouldn’t be easy to start a community in Texas, but he was willing to work. He only had to convince ten more families and then they could send two men down to look for land. Goshen was a big community. Regardless what Annie said, he thought that Alton would follow through on this dream. Indiana Amish weren’t as set in their ways like Pennsylvania Amish, or at least that was how it seemed so far.

Then again, he could be merely seeing what he wanted to see. Time would tell—though he didn’t have much of that. They needed to form a group, decide on some basic rules and then send down scouts. They needed to do all of those things in the next few months. After all, planting season in Texas started early.

Chapter Three

Levi didn’t have a chance to talk to many people before the wedding. Amish weddings started rather early in the day—on account of they were long and they needed to be finished in time for lunch. Then there were games for the young adults and children, and after that, most of the teens and young married folk stayed for dinner.

Beth and Avery’s ceremony was taking place outside, so it was fortunate that the day dawned mild and sunny. In fact, it was a perfect fall day. He watched families assemble across the benches that had been set out in the backyard of the Stutzman farm, but his mind was on Annie Kauffmann. He’d had only one glimpse of her when he and Old Simon were walking from their buggy to the house. He was thinking of how he hoped to have time to talk to Alton again when he spied Annie darting from her trailer toward the back porch.

How did she manage to move that trailer there?

When did she find the time to cook enough food for all of these people?

Did she enjoy cooking that much?

And why wasn’t she married? She was a nice-enough-looking woman and pleasant, other than her dislike of Texas. Or maybe it was him that she disliked. It was hard to tell.

He was chasing that line of thought when the hymn singing started. Old Simon led the congregation in a prayer, then there was more singing, a short sermon, and finally, the soon-to-be-married couple stood in front of everyone.

It seemed to him like they’d only been there a few minutes. He was surprised when he glanced at his watch and saw that ninety minutes had already passed.

As he watched the couple exchange their vows, his mind slipped back to Annie. Did she need help readying the wedding lunch? Probably not. No doubt she’d catered many weddings before without his help, but then again, perhaps volunteering would soften her up a little.

Before he could properly think that through, they were singing again and then the bishop—an older guy named Marcus with a beard that was more salt than pepper—reminded everyone to stay for the meal and led them in a time of silent blessing. The next thing Levi knew, Jebediah appeared at his side holding two babies in his arms and introduced him to at least a dozen people. It would take him a while to get all the names straight, but he tried to look as if he were paying attention. The names were common Amish names—Joel, Matthew, Silas, Eli, Martha, Tabitha, Naomi. He wondered how he would ever remember who was who, but then he realized he wasn’t staying in Goshen. It didn’t really matter if he remembered everyone’s name. So he smiled politely and said hello.

Finally, a woman and a young girl moved beside Jebediah. The woman said something softly to him, as the young girl clung to her dress. Jebediah laughed and turned to Levi.

“This is my wife, Nicole.”

“Oh, ya? Gut to meet you.”

“Jebediah told me all about you.”

He could see the family resemblance, now that he studied her closely. She had the same warm eyes as Annie, but her hair was blonder and she had her father’s height. Annie was shorter with hair that reminded him of the color of autumn wheat. The word prettier popped into his mind, but he brushed it away. Annie Kauffmann might be pretty, but she had a lot of strong opinions that she didn’t mind sharing. It might be funny except for the fact that she was standing in the way of his plans.

“I think we lost him for a minute,” Nicole said.

“He drifts off every now and then.” Jebediah jostled the two babies in his arms.

“I can hear you. I was thinking of how much you look like your sister Annie.”

“You look exactly like Annie described. She’s talked about you a fair amount.” Nicole reached out and wiped some drool off one of the babes in Jebediah’s arms. “As has Dat.”

“All gut things I hope.”

“From Dat? Ya. But Annie, well...you know how Annie is.”

“I do? I’ve only known her a few days.”

“She’s not exactly a mystery.”

“Meaning?”

“She told me she told you that she doesn’t like all this Texas talk.”

“I guess she did mention it.”

Jebediah and Nicole both laughed at that as if he’d told a joke. It made him squirm, not that they might be laughing at him, but that he might be up against a force to be reckoned with. Instead of delving into the details of Annie’s opposition, he changed the subject.

“What are your children’s names?”

“The twins are Micah and Mitchell—nine months old.” Jebediah readjusted both babies in his arms. “Our oldest is Rachel.”

“I’m three,” Rachel proclaimed, holding up a pudgy hand and bending down her thumb and pinky.

Levi remembered what Jebediah had said about their expecting another. He glanced at Nicole’s stomach, then quickly averted his eyes.

She again laughed. “I’m five months along, in case you were wondering.”

“I wasn’t.” And now his cheeks were burning.

When everyone else surged forward to be in the first seating of folks who would eat, Levi hung back.

“You can come with us into the first group,” Jebediah said.

“No need. I don’t mind waiting. Gives me time to watch folks.”

Annie had stepped out of the trailer to deliver two platters of food. When she stepped back inside a small tabby cat crept in after her.

“Uh-oh,” Jebediah said.

His astute comment was immediately followed by an ear-piercing scream. He handed the babies off to Nicole, but Levi was already on his way toward Annie.

The scene in front of him when he stepped into the trailer was something he wouldn’t forget for a very long time.

An Englisch woman was holding two large bowls of side dishes up high and trying to move around Annie without dropping them. She wore a conservative dress and a handkerchief over her hair, which was red and braided into a long ponytail down her back. She most certainly was not Amish.

Annie wore a light gray Amish dress with a white apron. A fresh kapp covered her hair, and her cheeks were a bright red. She had a pot lid in one hand and a dish towel in the other. She was slapping at the cat with the towel and holding the pot lid like an early Christian in Rome’s Colosseum fending off the hungry lions.

As for the cat, he was clearly a terrified kitten, but that didn’t stop him from arching his back and hissing at Annie.

Levi wanted to see how this would unfold. He wanted to burst out laughing, but another look at Annie told him that wouldn’t be a wise move.

So instead, he pulled off his Stetson, dropped it over the unsuspecting cat, scooped it up in his arms and fled the trailer.

“Who was that?” Priscilla was still holding the two dishes of corn casserole high, as if the cat might return at any moment and leap on the food.

“I’ll explain later. We need to get this food out there.”

The next hour passed in a blur of activity. Annie loved nearly every minute of it. She liked feeding people, liked seeing the bride and groom and families relax. This was their day of celebration. They shouldn’t be worried about chicken and hot rolls and casserole dishes. The fact that she did her job well meant that they could enjoy the wedding. And she didn’t mind admitting that she was very good at guiding families through these special days, when there weren’t feral cats hopping into her trailer.

She sighed and stood in the doorway looking out over the tables.

“Take a break,” Priscilla said. “In fact, take some food and go sit down somewhere.”

“You’re bossy, you know that?”

“Which is why I make a good partner.”

“I guess.”

“You’re still staring at him.”

“Who?”

“The Amish cowboy.”

Annie snorted at that. It sounded so ridiculous. It was ridiculous.

“So what gives?”

“He arrived here a few days ago.”

“Why?”

“Looking for families to move to Texas.”

“I didn’t realize there were Amish communities there.”

“There’s one, and it’s quite small and located in South Texas. Levi wants to start another.”

“Ahhhh...” Priscilla’s single word said she finally understood the problem. She’d been around Annie long enough to know how excited her dat could be when he first dove into a new idea.

“We’re not moving,” Annie said.

“Have you told your dat that?”

“You can’t tell Dat anything. You have to...wait it out.”

“Like the camels.”

“Ya. Like that.”

“If it’s any consolation, I have family in Texas—Fort Worth. I’ve visited a few times. It’s not such a bad place to live.”

Annie shook her head and picked at the plate of food that Priscilla had pushed into her hand. “I need a plan.”

“Uh-oh.”

“What if Dat went through with it? I mean usually he doesn’t, but this time could be different. I’ve never seen him this focused before. He even checked out some books on Texas from the library. Spent some time on their computers looking things up too.”

“That does sound serious.”

“I need a plan to distract Levi.”

“What did you have in mind?”

“I don’t know. What are men interested in...” At that moment, a swell of laughter arose from the newlyweds’ table. Both Annie and Priscilla stuck their heads out of the trailer to see the bride blushing and the groom ducking his head.

“Women,” they said at the same time.

“That’s it.” Annie reached for her glass of tea and made her way down the trailer steps.

“Do you need help?” Priscilla called after her.

Annie turned so that she was walking backward. “You already helped. You gave me the idea.”

“I did?”

She made her way to an empty seat, sat down and enjoyed the plate of food. The chicken had not dried out, the vegetable casseroles were tasty and the bread practically melted in her mouth. She was a good cook, a good businesswoman, and she wasn’t going to lose everything she’d built to a guy who had stumbled into town with a dream.

It was later that afternoon before she had a chance to implement her plan. She and Priscilla had cleaned the dishes and made sure everything was ready for the evening meal. With nearly two hours before they had to do anything else, Priscilla decided to drive into town and do some shopping. Annie made her way to the pasture fence, where Beth’s parents kept their small herd of goats. They were playful animals. One stuck its nose through the fence when she approached, so she reached into her pocket and pulled out a piece of carrot.

“Now they’re going to stampede over here.” Levi walked up and crossed his arms on the top of the fence.

“Maybe that’s what I wanted.”

“A goat stampede?”

She dusted off her hands and shooed the goat away. “I saw you talking to Dat earlier.”

Levi raised his hands in surrender. “Not the way you think.”

“So you weren’t talking to him about Texas?”

“I didn’t bring it up. I told you I wouldn’t, and I didn’t.”

“But...”

“I didn’t say I wouldn’t answer questions. He brought it up because he had a few questions that cropped up from his reading.”

“And it didn’t hurt that a few other men were standing around listening.”

Now Levi smiled. “Come on, Annie. It’s why I’m here. You can’t fault me for that.”

“Except your plan could bankrupt my business.”

“Ten families moving wouldn’t affect you at all.”

She shook her head so hard that her kapp strings bounced back and forth. She had promised herself she wouldn’t get into an argument with him. That wasn’t her plan.

But she needed for him to see what was at stake.

Suddenly she thought of the brainstorming sessions she’d had with Priscilla, before they’d started Plain & Simple Weddings. Part of their initial challenge had been convincing families that they needed their services, and that in the end, it would be less expensive for them. She was up against the same sort of thing with Levi. He simply didn’t understand that he needed her services, and she wasn’t talking about catering.

Levi Lapp thought he needed a fresh start, but that wasn’t the case at all. When had moving away from your problems ever solved anything?

Levi didn’t need to move; he needed to believe in himself.

He needed to be able to envision his future here—in Goshen, Indiana.

He needed a woman, and she knew several that were available.

Annie cleared her throat and looked back toward her trailer. “Priscilla and I started our business three years ago.”

He seemed surprised at the change of subject, but he turned as she had and looked out at the trailer.

“She put up two-thirds of the initial money.”

“You mean buying the trailer?”

“It’s actually a mobile kitchen and cost a little more than twelve thousand dollars.”

Levi glanced at her in surprise. “Seriously?”

“Ya. Stoves, refrigerators and enough dishes for five hundred...not to mention the trailer itself and the licensing fees.”

“I had no idea.”

“We broke even the first year.”

“Wow.”

“She’s a gut partner too. Since she’s Englisch, she drives a truck that can pull the trailer. She can also order a lot of what we need wholesale on the computer.”

“You’re saying you two make a wunderbaar team. I can see that. You have every right to be proud of what you’ve done, Annie.”

“Pride goes before destruction as my mamm often reminds me, but I am pleased with our success. More importantly I enjoy what we do. I like making this...” She waved at the large group of people sprawled across the green yard—full, content, some of them growing sleepy. “I like making it all possible. I enjoy seeing others happily wed.”

“What about you?”

“Me?” Her thoughts scrambled for an answer to his question. It wasn’t the first time someone had asked her why she wasn’t married, but somehow it was different coming from Levi Lapp while he smiled at her with his cowboy hat tilted at an angle.

“Doesn’t being at so many weddings make you...interested in finding someone?”

“I’m only twenty-four.”

“I didn’t say you were an old maid.”

“My mamm worries about that, but I’m in no hurry. I’ve been to my schweschder’s often enough to know that running a catering business is less work than three small children.” She paused, and then added, “What about you?”

“Me?” His voice squeaked. He cleared his throat and resettled his hat on his head. “I figure that will happen after I move to Texas.”

“But what if you could find a fraa here and take her with you?”

“Now you’re making fun of me.”

“I’m not.”

“Did you have someone in mind?” The grin he gave her reminded Annie of the cat in her trailer—mischievous and daring.

Annie had a flash of clarity then, staring up into Levi’s blue eyes. There was no doubt that she could find women in their congregation interested in dating Levi Lapp, but she wouldn’t be able to trick him into it. That part of her plan died before she could implement it. Levi was like competition that you had to face head-on.

So she stepped back and crossed her arms. “Do you really think you can convince my dat and bruder to move to Texas?”

“I’m not saying that I can, but it should be their decision...along with your mamm and your schweschder. If it’s what they want, then you should be happy for them.”

She didn’t bother arguing that her mamm and schweschder were quite happy in Goshen. Levi was like a steam-engine train headed in one direction—no U-turns allowed.

“All right. I’ll make you a deal.”

“A deal?”

“You agree to date some of my freinden...”

“Date?”

“Hear me out. You’re not planning on staying. They’re not necessarily looking to get married, but they need...let’s say they need a little experience in the dating area.”

Levi groaned. “You’re going to set me up with the rejects.”

She felt a headache forming just at her left temple. Closing her eyes, she prayed to Gotte for patience, then counted to three.

“They’re shy,” she corrected him. “And maybe they have a lack of confidence. Dating you should help that.”

“Because I’m such a gut catch?”

He grinned, and she realized he was handsome. Not her type, but handsome nonetheless. Yes, this plan could work.

“Let’s say there’s no pressure on either side. That should help. They’ll know you’re not staying...”

“And I’ll know they’re not really interested. This is a terrible plan. Why would I agree to it?”

This was the tricky part. She almost couldn’t believe she was going to suggest it. But then again, what choice did she have? He was going to talk to her dat and Jebediah in spite of how much it bothered her. They would keep asking him questions. He’d keep painting pictures of rosy Texas sunsets.

“When were you planning to leave?”

“You get right to the point, don’t you?”

“Do you even have a plan?”

“Of course I do.” Levi scuffed the toe of his boot against the dirt, and she noticed he was wearing Western boots. Of course he was.

“Why does our bishop let you dress like that?”

“This?” He pointed the toe of his boot up. “These are Ariats. Very comfortable.”

“And that.” She pointed at his hat.

“A Stetson. All Texans wear them.”

“Why are you wearing them? You’re Amish.” She said the last word slowly, in two drawn-out syllables.

“Marcus talked to me about it,” Levi admitted. “He said if I decided to join the community I’d need to dress more conservatively. I assured him I was moving on, so he said it wasn’t a problem.”

“Back to the when of your plan...”

“I hope to go down before Christmas to look for land and move by early spring—my target date is February or March.”

“That’s not spring.”

“It is in Texas.”

She couldn’t hold the sigh inside. She’d hoped he was planning for a move in a year, which would have been plenty of time for her dat’s attention to wander elsewhere. A scouting party before Christmas? That was mere months away. She’d have to work fast if she hoped to save the nice comfortable life she had. She’d already waded in too far to back out now, plus she didn’t have any backup plan. It wasn’t going to be easy to match Levi with someone. Who wanted an Amish cowboy? Though there was one possibility...

Levi was studying her as if expecting her to give up. He didn’t know her very well. She liked a challenge. She thrived in tough situations. Tossing her kapp strings behind her shoulders, she plastered on what she hoped was her prettiest smile. “All right. You agree to date a couple of my friends...not at the same time, mind you.”

“Of course not.”

“And in return, I won’t try and stop you from talking to my family about your plans.”

“As if you could.”

“My point is that you won’t have to deal with my objections.”

He studied her a minute and then said, “Seriously?”

“Ya.”

“What’s in it for you?”

“Me?”

“Why are you doing this? I know you’re dead set against the idea of moving.”

“Oh, I am not moving. I’ll find a way to stay here even if you convince the whole community to move south.”

Levi laughed. “That’s the Annie I know.”

“You don’t know me.”

“Uh-huh. But seriously, why are you doing this?”

“I like weddings is all. I enjoy seeing two people who are meant to be together find each other.”

“I’m not getting married.”

“I know, but maybe Gotte has different plans.”

“What does Gotte have to do with it?”

“Maybe He brought you to Goshen for a reason...a different reason.”

“So now you’re a matchmaker?”

“Think of me as a concerned bystander.”

Levi shook his head. “I don’t know...”

“Is it a deal or not? If you’d rather, I can keep pointing out all the terrible things about your Lone Star State.”

“All right. It’s a deal.” He held out his hand. “But you have to shake on it.”

She rolled her eyes, but put her hand in his. He closed his fingers around hers, held her hand long enough that she didn’t like the goose bumps running down her arm or the jumble of nerves in her stomach. She jerked her hand away.

“Great. Then it’s settled. I’ll give you the name of your first date when you come over on Wednesday to work.”

“I look forward to it.”

Of course he did. The man was conceited in addition to being stubborn. But, just possibly, she’d found a way to keep her life firmly rooted in Goshen, because she had the perfect woman in mind for Levi Lapp and this person would never consider moving away. All Annie had to do was see to it that the two of them fell in love. She was envisioning a wedding announcement before the holidays if she handled this right. No need for a long courtship at their age. It would mean she’d have to live around Levi the rest of her life, but at least she wouldn’t have to do so in Texas.

Chapter Four

Annie woke the next morning determined to start right away on her new plan. Levi Lapp had invaded her dreams throughout the night—she’d found herself surrounded by wildflowers, nose to nose with a longhorn, even looking across a vast plain toward rain clouds in the distance. As if those images of Texas weren’t bad enough, Levi himself had put in several appearances, always wearing his Stetson hat and that cocky grin.

It was past time to do something proactive and push Levi and his Texas trivia out of her dreams. She picked her newest Sunday dress, brushed her hair vigorously and wove it into a braid tight enough to pucker the skin along her forehead. Pulling the covers up snug on her bed, she prayed for wisdom and patience. She was bound to need both.

Her mamm found her downstairs making coffee before the sun was up.

“Problem sleeping, dear?” Her mamm stared at the coffee maker on the stove as if she could make it percolate faster.

“Go sit down. I’ll bring it to you.”

“All right.”

Five minutes later, they were both clutching steaming mugs of coffee and sitting at the kitchen table.

“Want to talk about it?” Her mamm kept blinking her eyes, as if she wasn’t quite awake yet.

“About what?”

“Whatever’s bothering you.”

“Nothing’s bothering me.”

Instead of arguing, her mother took another sip of the dark brew—the entire Kauffmann family enjoyed their coffee strong—and waited.

“Oh, all right. I’ll admit it. This thing with Levi has worked its way under my kapp.”

“Has it now?”

“I don’t want to move to Texas, Mamm.”

“Which is understandable.”

“It is?”

“I want to be where your father is, and if he decides—”

Annie groaned. “Tell me you’re not on their side.”

“This isn’t about us and them. This is about seeking out and following Gotte’s wille for our lives. I’m not afraid of doing that even if it means living in a different place.”

“I’m not afraid. It’s just that if Levi had never shown up on our doorstep, Dat would never be considering a move to Texas.”

“Perhaps, but Gotte brings people into our lives for a reason.”

Annie jumped up to refill their mugs. As she turned toward the stove, she muttered, “I’m pretty sure it was a Greyhound bus that brought Levi to us.”

“And yet Gotte put this dream in Levi’s heart.”

“Oops. I didn’t mean for you to hear that.”

“Levi’s relationship with Old Simon also brought him here.”

Annie refilled her mamm’s mug and then plopped down in the chair across from her. She needed her mother with her on this. Perhaps she should try a different tack.

“Okay. Let’s assume what you’re saying is true...”

Her mamm’s eyebrows arched, but she didn’t interrupt.

“But what if Levi is confusing some unresolved business from his childhood as Gotte’s leading? Maybe Gotte brought him here for a reason—a reason other than ripping twelve of our families away to start a new community. Maybe Goshen needs Levi here, but he doesn’t realize it yet.” For some reason, that idea didn’t sit well with her, either. In her daydreams, Levi had always ridden off toward the West, tilting his hat against the setting sun, searching for another community where he could disrupt people’s lives.

“What I mean is that perhaps Gotte has other plans for him. We can’t know.”

“Indeed.”

They were silent for a moment. Finally her mamm said, “Do you have some ideas about why Levi might be here?”

Annie picked at a fingernail. “Maybe he’s supposed to meet someone here.”

“Someone?”

“A woman, Mamm. Maybe he’s supposed to meet a woman, fall in lieb, settle down and start a family.” Once she said it out loud, the plan took on a new dimension. What she was suggesting was possible. It was almost as if she were doing a charitable thing for him. “I spoke with Levi yesterday after the wedding, and he’s agreed to allow me to set him up on a few dates.”

“That’s kind of you.”

“I guess, but just think, Mamm...if he falls in lieb, then he might forget this ridiculous obsession with Texas.”

“Mmm-hmm.”

“He might decide he wants to stay here in Goshen.”

“I suppose that’s possible.”

“And if he stays, well, we both know that Dat’s enthusiasm for moving will melt away.”

Instead of arguing with her, which was what Annie had suspected, her mamm smiled over the rim of her mug. “Who did you have in mind to set him up with?”

“Martha Weaver.”

“Have you spoken to Martha about this?”

“Nein. I was hoping to do so after church service.”

Her mamm drained her coffee cup, stood and pushed her chair back in under the table. Walking around behind Annie, she kissed her on top of the head, causing Annie to feel four years old again.

She thought that her mother would reprimand her, tell her to mind her own business, caution her about intervening in other people’s lives. She didn’t. Instead, she simply walked to the refrigerator, pulled out what she planned to cook for breakfast and began cracking eggs into a bowl—leaving Annie to wonder what she wasn’t saying. If she were honest with herself, some doubts remained in her mind about this new plan. Perhaps she was foolish to think that playing matchmaker could solve her problem.

It was well after lunch before Annie had a chance to speak with Martha. She’d been friends with Martha since their school days. Though Martha was two years younger, she’d always seemed to be around Annie’s age, perhaps because she’d stepped into the role of helping with her younger siblings. Annie found her watching over her disabled brother as well as a group of the younger children who were playing in a pile of leaves in the circle of three giant maple trees. The service had been held at the Bontragers’ place. The old couple had raised a family of twelve in Goshen. All their children—all twelve of them—had moved to Maine, and the small For Sale sign in the front yard reminded Annie that they would be joining them soon. The Bontragers had been around as long as Annie could remember.

Why would they move?

Why did things have to change?

Plainly they were happy here.

She shook away the questions and reminded herself to focus on her mission.

Walking over to Martha, she held out her arms to accept one of the Miller babies that her friend was holding. “Joseph or Jeremiah?”

The twins were six months old, but she still couldn’t tell the difference between them.

“Joseph. You can tell because he has a little strawberry mark on the back of his neck.”

Annie snuggled the baby against her neck and sat down at the picnic table that had been positioned under the trees. “Where’s the older bruder?”

“Stephen has a little cold, so Kathy took him inside to see if he’d nap. I was already watching over the others, so two more didn’t seem like a problem.”

There were six children of various ages running around, some falling in the leaves, some sitting on the ground and crushing the brittle red, yellow and orange leaves in their fists. Off to the side sat Martha’s brother.

Annie had known Thomas all of her life. She didn’t see him as disabled so much as she saw her best friend’s twin brother. Sometimes, though, when they were in town shopping or splurging on ice cream, she’d notice the way strangers looked at Thomas. In those moments she’d have a tiny inkling of what it was like for Martha and why she was so fiercely protective of him.

Tommy, or Big Tom as he liked to be called, had a flat nose and small ears. He had been diagnosed with Down syndrome the day after his birth. At twenty-two, his body had grown to that of a man, but he still acted like a child in many ways.

Amish families have the highest incidence of twins of any demographic group—a teacher had mentioned that in class one day and Annie had looked around the room to spot no less than six pairs of twins. Annie understood that the bond between twins was strong, but the bond between Martha and Thomas exceeded even that. It was as if they were tethered together by some invisible line—a spiritual cord stronger than any rope made by man.

Martha seemed content to watch the children and her brother. She was mature for her age and bore an air of complete contentment. She wore glasses—blue frames she’d found on sale at the local optometrist office—had beautiful white-blond hair and blue eyes.

Those eyes were now studying her, brows slightly arched, a smile playing on her lips.

Annie jumped up, still snuggling baby Joseph and pacing back and forth in front of Martha. Another glance at her friend confirmed that she’d have a higher chance of success if she got straight to the point.

“Levi Lapp would like to step out with you.”

Martha’s mouth fell open, and she looked over her shoulder as if Annie might be talking to someone else.

“How do you know Levi?” Martha asked. “He just moved here...”

Annie blushed. “He was at our house last week, talking to my dat about Texas.”

A toddler ran over to Martha and held up his arms. She shifted Jeremiah to her left arm and pulled the toddler into her lap. “Why would Levi Lapp want to step out with me?”

“Why wouldn’t he? You’re a pleasant person, Martha, and very eligible. Let’s not forget that.”

“I rarely do.”

“You’re pretty, and you have a good head on your shoulders.”

“He couldn’t possibly know what kind of head I have on my shoulders. So stop trying to butter me up and just tell me what’s really going on.”

Annie groaned. She should have known Martha wouldn’t make this easy.

“He wants to move to Texas.”

“Why do you care about that?”

“He wants to start a community there, and he’s targeting our community to pull families from.”

“Targeting?”

“Whatever.” She waved away Martha’s concern about her word choice. “He’s been bending my dat’s ear, and now Dat is stirred up.”

“Ahh. Now your concern makes sense. But what does this have to do with me?”

“I need to distract him.”

“That’s what you want me to do?”

“Nein. Ya. Maybe.” Baby Joseph had fallen asleep in her arms, so Annie sat on the ground in front of the picnic table, crossed her legs and placed him in the crook of her knee. She quickly explained that Levi was working at their house two days a week and that he had set his sights on recruiting her father and brother.

“Jebediah and Nicole might move to Texas?”

“I don’t know. Anything is possible, I guess.”

“Wow.”

“I know.”

“Texas?”

“You should hear him talk about it. Actually, you will hear him talk about it if you go out on a date with him because it’s his only topic of conversation.”

“Hmm. You make him sound more attractive all the time.”

Annie snorted. “He’s good-looking enough, I’ll give you that, but that’s not the point. I just want you to agree to go out with him a few times.”

“Again...why? You know I’m taking a six-month break from dating.”

“Ya.”

“After what happened with David—”

“It wasn’t your fault he left the faith. He would have been willing to move to Alaska if they’d let him keep that cell phone.”

They shared a smile, both remembering the way that David had carried it around, glancing at it every few minutes, tapping on it constantly with his fingers.

“That relationship was never going to work anyway,” Martha admitted. “But the fact remains that I’m on a roll of bad relationships.”

“Only three.”

“Four if you count Meno.”

“Years ago, and he was never right for you.”

“None of them are.” Instead of looking as if that thought depressed her, Martha smiled. “I’m on a break.”

“Okay. All right. So don’t call it a date. Call it being a friend to someone new in our community.”

“It doesn’t have to be romantic?”

“Nein. Levi thinks...”

“Uh-oh. What did you tell him?”

“I might have mentioned that you need practice dating.”

“We both know that isn’t the case.”

“You need practice dating someone new.”

“Let me get this straight. I’m supposed to go out with him and distract him...”

“Maybe mention the gut points about Goshen. You know this place as well as I do, and it’s a fine community. He doesn’t have to go to Texas to find a place to settle down.”

“I’m not falling in love with Levi Lapp.”

“Of course not.”

“I don’t want to move to Texas any more than you do.”

“Exactly.”

“He’s bound to figure that out sooner than later.”

“Later would be better. Just buy me some time for Dat to simmer down about the idea.”

“Why don’t you do it? Why don’t you date him?”

Annie shook her head so hard that her kapp strings bounced back and forth. “Oh no. That would only encourage him to get closer to my family. Plus, fall and spring are the busiest seasons for my business. I have no time to waste on dating.”

“Oh, but I should...”

“You know what I mean. It’s fine for other people. I want other people to date.”

“If they didn’t, you’d be out of business.”

“Exactly.”

Martha placed the toddler on the ground and baby Jeremiah in his baby carrier. She stood, stretched and cast a look toward Big Tom who was still playing in the leaves, though now he was lying on his back and making a snow angel—or maybe a leaf angel. Martha smiled, and Annie was struck again by how close the two were.

Annie handed Joseph back to Martha, stood and brushed off the back of her dress.

“Will you do it?”

“Ya, ya, I’ll do it.”

“Danki.”

“But only because you’re my best friend.”

“I owe you.”

“Ya. You do.” Martha walked over to her bruder, who held up a hand and allowed her to pull him to his feet.

Annie glanced up in time to see Levi driving away in Old Simon’s buggy. She’d missed talking to him today, but that was okay. She’d tell him the good news first thing Wednesday.

By the time Levi showed up at the Kauffmann place on Wednesday, he’d completely forgotten Annie’s plan to find him a girl. He’d been focused on other things. He’d talked with several of the local families at the wedding, and three had come back to ask him questions after the church service. At this rate, he might get to Texas earlier than he’d thought. He might have enough interest to send down a scouting group before fall turned into winter.

He was mucking out the horse stalls early Wednesday morning, before they’d even had breakfast, when Annie showed up in the barn.

“Gude mariye, Levi.”

He wiped the sweat out of his eyes and squinted at her.

As usual, she looked fresh and energetic. Normally she seemed aggravated when she saw him, as if she’d swallowed unsweetened lemonade. Today she was smiling broadly. Why the change in attitude?

Then he remembered their deal and literally slapped himself on the forehead.

“Problem?”

“Just remembering what you talked me into.”

“I didn’t talk you into anything. I simply made a suggestion and you agreed.”

She grinned at him as she had on Saturday. He could still feel her hand in his, the way her eyes had widened as she’d glanced up into his eyes, and then how she’d snatched her hand away as if she’d been stung by a bee. What was that about?

She didn’t waste any time ruining his morning. She pulled a folded sheet of paper from her apron pocket and waved it at him. “I wrote down the information you need for your date.”

“My date...”

Her plan was bound to be a trap. He didn’t know how, but he was sure that it must be designed to ruin his goal of moving to Texas.

“Her name is Martha Weaver. Here are directions to her house as well as the number for the nearest phone shack.”

He took the piece of paper and stared down at her tidy handwriting. “Guess I’m stuck doing this.”

“You’re lucky to date Martha, actually. She’s levelheaded, nice looking—”

“Then why isn’t she courting or married? There must be something wrong with her.”

“And she’s my best friend.”

“Oops. Sorry if what I said sounded rude.”

“It did, but I’m not surprised. Men your age only want to step out with the prettiest, thinnest girls.”

“That’s not true.”

Instead of arguing, Annie walked into the stall and around the perimeter. “Martha has a sweet tooth. You might think about taking her to the pie pantry.”

“I have dated before, you know.”

“Oh, you have?”

“Don’t look so surprised.”

“I’m not surprised.”

He could tell that she was holding in her laughter, which irritated him more than it probably should have.

“I wonder if your mamm has breakfast ready.”

“Oh, ya. That’s what I came out to tell you.”

“You could have led with that.”

“And miss the chance to tease you?”

“Is that what you’re doing? And why are you in such a chipper mood this morning?”

“Who wouldn’t be in a good mood on such a beautiful morning?”

He had been too—until Annie showed up with her dating instructions. He hadn’t fully thought this through when he’d agreed to her dating scheme. His few attempts to date back in Lancaster had been a disaster. The women he’d met were only interested in settling down and having babies. He had nothing against either, but they’d had no patience for his talk of moving to Texas, especially when they’d heard that he was saving every dime in order to make the move possible.

Dreamer.

Naive.

Immature.

He’d been called all sorts of things, always with a smile, a touch on the shoulder, and a look of pity. Well, he didn’t need anyone’s approval or sympathy, and he didn’t need another woman who was going to try and set him straight.

“What are you frowning about?”

Instead of answering, he carried the pitchfork into the main room of the barn, then returned to pick up the muck bucket. Annie was still there, leaning against the wall, a smile on her pretty face, arms crossed, studying him.

“You don’t have to look at me that way.”

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