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Harvest House Publishers - Vannetta Chapman

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154 pages

English

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A Wedding for Julia, the third book in a romantic series from popular author Vannetta Chapman, takes a last look at the Amish community of Pebble Creek and the kind, caring people there. As they face challenges from the English world, they come together to reach out to their non-Amish neighbors while still preserving their cherished Plain ways. Julia Beechy is so stunned, she can hardly breathe. Her mother's announcement that she must either marry or move from the family home upon her mother's imminent death catches Julia by surprise. How can she leave the only home she has ever known? What about her dream of opening her own Plain cafe? When Caleb Zook offers support, comfort, and a solution, Julia is afraid to accept it. Can she marry someone she barely knows? Is it the right thing to do? Is this God's plan for her future? Caleb thought his time for marrying was long past, but he feels a stirring in his heart he cannot shake for this beautiful, forlorn woman. Amid the circumstances of this life-altering decision, the people of Pebble Creek weather the worst storm to hit Wisconsin in the last hundred years. Where will Julia and Caleb be on the other side of it?

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Romance

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Publié par	Harvest House Publishers
Date de parution	01 juillet 2013
Nombre de lectures	0
EAN13	9780736946179
Langue	English

Informations légales : prix de location à la page 0,0480€. Cette information est donnée uniquement à titre indicatif conformément à la législation en vigueur.

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HARVEST HOUSE PUBLISHERS
EUGENE, OREGON
Scripture verses are taken from
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
New King James Version. Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Holy Bible, New International Version , NIV . Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011, by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com
Cover by Koechel Peterson Associates, Inc., Minneapolis, Minnesota
Cover photos Koechel Peterson Associates, Inc., Tammy Venable / Shutterstock
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead is entirely coincidental.
A WEDDING FOR JULIA
Copyright 2013 by Vannetta Chapman
Published by Harvest House Publishers
Eugene, Oregon 97402
www.harvesthousepublishers.com
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Chapman, Vannetta.
A wedding for Julia / Vannetta Chapman.
pages cm.-(The Pebble Creek Amish series ; book 3)
ISBN 978-0-7369-4616-2 (pbk.)
ISBN 978-0-7369-4617-9 (eBook)
1. Amish-Fiction. 2. Wisconsin-Fiction. I. Title.
PS3603.H3744W43 2013
813 .6-dc23
2012043877
All rights reserved. No part of this electronic publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means-electronic, mechanical, digital, photocopy, recording, or any other-without the prior written permission of publisher. The authorized purchaser has been granted a non-transferable, non-exclusive, and non-commercial right to access and view this electronic publication and agrees to do so only in accordance with the terms of use under which it was purchased or transmitted. Participation in or encouragement of piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of author s and publisher s rights is strictly prohibited.
For my friend, Donna Marlene Seals
Acknowledgments
This book is dedicated to Donna Seals. She is one of those rare things-a friend you can call any time, day or night. She s also a fabulous proofreader and has helped me through every manuscript. I love you, sweetie.
Thanks to my prereaders: Dorsey and Kristy. They do a fabulous job of catching my mistakes and I value their opinions. Also, I appreciate my family and their encouragement as I pursue my dream of putting stories full of grace into readers hands. I m grateful for the help of my agent, Mary Sue Seymour, as well as the superb staff at Harvest House for publishing this story. Kim Moore deserves a very special thank-you for making my job so much easier than it might otherwise be.
I invite readers to visit www.locksoflove.org . They are mentioned in passing in this novel.
I enjoyed this return visit to Pebble Creek located near the real town of Cashton, Wisconsin. If you re ever in the area, stop by, visit the local shops, and enjoy the beautiful country.
And finally always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ (Ephesians 5:20).
Isaac brought Rebekah into his mother Sarah s tent, and she became his wife. He loved her deeply, and she was a special comfort to him after the death of his mother .
G ENESIS 24:67
Contents
Acknowledgments
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Epilogue
Author s Note
Discussion Questions
Glossary
Recipes
Apple-Cinnamon Pie
Buttermilk Cornbread
Chicken Casserole
Chicken and Dumplings
Cinnamon Flop Cake
Guey Louie Sandwiches
Lazy Daisy Oatmeal Cake
Sunbonnet Cake
About the Author
About the Publisher
Prologue
Pebble Creek, Wisconsin
March
J ulia Beechy stood next to the open grave and prayed the wind would stop howling for one moment. Next to her, she could feel her mother trembling. Ada Beechy had turned seventy-eight the previous week, two days before Julia s father had passed. It would have been perfectly acceptable for her mother to sit, especially in light of the mist, the cold, and the wind.
Ada Beechy had no intention of sitting.
But Julia did shuffle one step closer to her mother, so that their sleeves were touching, as the bishop began to read the words to the hymn Ada had requested- Where the Roses Never Fade. Ada had stared out the window of their kitchen, her attention completely focused on the rosebushes, which had yet to bud, while members from their church sat beside Jonathan s body in the next room. She d gazed at the bushes and made her request.
Bishop Atlee had nodded, ran his fingers through his beard, and said, Of course.
Julia tried to focus on the bishop s words as the men-the pallbearers-covered the plain coffin with dirt. How many shovelfuls would it take? Would Bishop Atlee have to read the hymn twice? Why was she worrying about such things?
David King stepped back, and Julia realized they were finished. Bishop Atlee bowed his head, signaling it was time for them to silently pray the words from the passage in Matthew, chapter six, verses nine through thirteen-their Lord s prayer. Julia s mind formed the words, but her heart remained numb.
Amen, Bishop Atlee said, in a voice as gentle as her mother s hand on her arm.
The large crowd began to move. Words of comfort flowed over and around her. There had been a steady coming and going of people through the house to view her father s body for the entire three days. Julia had become used to her privacy as she cared for her parents alone. The large amounts of food and the people had surprised her. Some of them she saw at church, but others came from neighboring districts. Those she barely knew.
She and Ada turned to go, for their buggy was marked with a number one on the side. The white chalk against the black buggy caused Julia s heart to twist. They had led the procession to the cemetery. They would lead the gathering of friends away from the graveside.
But Julia realized she wasn t ready to leave.
She pulled back, needing to look one more time. Needing to swipe at her tears so she could read the words clearly.
Jonathan Beechy
11-3-1928
3-6-2012
83 years, 4 months, 3 days
Now she and her mother were alone.
Chapter 1
Tuesday morning, six months later
J ulia glanced around the kitchen as she waited for her mother s egg to boil. Everything was clean and orderly. Why wouldn t it be? It was only the two of them. Except for the days when she baked, there was little to do. Julia was hoping that would change soon, and she meant to talk to Ada about it. Today would be a good day. She d put it off long enough.
The water started to boil, and she began counting in her mind. Three minutes made for the perfect egg, at least for Ada it did. There were few things her mother could stomach on the days she wasn t well, but a soft-boiled egg was one.
Julia walked around the kitchen as she counted, and that was when she noticed the calendar. She d failed to flip the page to September. Where had the last six months gone?
Six months since her father had died.
Six months of Ada s health continuing to fail.
Six months that Julia had continued to postpone her dream.
She flipped the page, smiled at the photograph of harvested hay, and vowed that today she would speak with her mother. Returning to the stove, she scooped out the egg with a spoon and placed it in a bowl of water to cool. Slicing a piece of bread from the fresh loaf she d made yesterday, she laid it on a plate and added a dab of butter and apple preserves on the side. She set the plate on a tray, which already held a tall glass of fresh milk. Picking it all up, she turned to walk to her mother s room and nearly dropped the tray when she saw Ada standing in the doorway.
I m not an invalid, and I don t need to eat in my bedroom.
She weighed a mere eighty-nine pounds. Julia had brought in the scale from the barn last week and confirmed her fears. Her mother was losing weight. She was also shrinking. Ada now stood a mere five foot four inches.
Why was it that the body shrank as it grew older? It was almost as if it needed to conserve its energy for more important things. Her mother had attempted to braid her hair and tuck it under her kapp , but the arthritis that crippled her hands made the task difficult. The result was snow-white hair sprouting in various directions and a kapp tipped slightly to the back of her head. She also hadn t been able to correctly pin her dark green dress.
In spite of her appearance, the blue eyes behind her small glasses twinkled with good humor and complete clarity. Her mother s health might be failing, but today her mind was sharp. Julia was grateful. Some days sporadic bouts of dementia robbed her even of that.
Mamm , I don t mind bringing it to you.
Ada waved her hand, dismissing the notion. When I m too feeble to get out of bed, I ll be praying the Lord sees fit to take me home.
Julia didn t think it was a good time to remind her she d stayed in bed three days last week. Ada remembered well enough. She simply chose to ignore the bad days.
Let me help you.
Setting the tray on the kitchen table, Julia was relieved to see that at least her mother was using the cane Dr. Hanson had provided. He d suggested a walker, but Ada had insisted the Lord was her strength. The cane was a compromise.
Julia inwardly winced as she looked at