Marie E. Bast - The Amish Baker

A child brings them together...

Will their differing Amish beliefs pull them apart?

When his son breaks one of baker Sarah Gingerich’s prized possessions, widower Caleb Brenneman insists the boy make amends by doing odd jobs in her bake shop. A childless widow, Sarah can’t help falling for the boy...or his farmer father. But Caleb is progressive New Order Amish while Sarah holds traditional beliefs. Though they’re worlds apart, are they a perfect match?

MARIE E. BASTgrew up on a farm in northern Illinois. In the solitude of country life, she often read or made up stories. She earned a BA, an MBA and an MA in general theology and enjoyed a career with the federal government, but characters kept whispering her name. She retired and now pursues her passion of full-time writing. Marie loves walking, golfing with her husband of twenty-seven years and baking. Visit Marie at mariebast.Blogspot.com.

Also By Marie E. Bast

The Amish Baker

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The Amish Baker

Marie E. Bast

www.millsandboon.co.uk

ISBN: 978-1-474-09482-5

THE AMISH BAKER

© 2019 Marie Elizabeth Bast

Published in Great Britain 2019

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

All rights reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. This edition is published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, locations and incidents are purely fictional and bear no relationship to any real life individuals, living or dead, or to any actual places, business establishments, locations, events or incidents. Any resemblance is entirely coincidental.

By payment of the required fees, you are granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right and licence to download and install this e-book on your personal computer, tablet computer, smart phone or other electronic reading device only (each a “Licensed Device”) and to access, display and read the text of this e-book on-screen on your Licensed Device. Except to the extent any of these acts shall be permitted pursuant to any mandatory provision of applicable law but no further, no part of this e-book or its text or images may be reproduced, transmitted, distributed, translated, converted or adapted for use on another file format, communicated to the public, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of publisher.

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Version: 2020-03-02

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Caleb laid his hand over hers.

“Let me speak first.” His voice was warm and laced with excitement. “We have never had an understanding, but I think you care for me. Is that true?”

“Jah.”

“More than just as a friend?”

A smile twitched at the corners of her mouth. “Jah.”

“Gut. Until we figure out how to get around being from different Orders, can we just have an understanding that we want to see each other?”

Her fitful night’s sleep last evening had filled her with fear of never seeing Caleb and his kinner again. Now as she looked out the buggy and across the street, that fear lunged at her throat. Her bishop was staring straight at her.

Caleb’s request met with her approval, for sure, but given their differences and the scowl on the bishop’s face, she was equally certain Bishop Yoder would not agree. But how far would he go to make her rethink her decision?

Dear Reader,

I grew up on a farm in northern Illinois, not far from Amish country. When we would drive to town, I’d see Amish buggies and horses. That form of transportation looked like fun, so I asked my dad why we didn’t have a horse and buggy. To my disappointment, he explained it was part of their religion to give up modern devices. From then on, the Amish have intrigued me.

Now I live seventy-six miles from Kalona, Iowa, and visit there often. The Amish started to move to Iowa in 1846 to live a more secluded lifestyle. The different groups—including the Old Order, New Order and Beachy Amish—have settled in seven Iowa counties.

In The Amish Baker , Sarah Gingerich, who is Old Order, and Caleb Brenneman, who belongs to the New Order, struggle with what their church Ordnung requires and what their hearts want. Like Sarah and Caleb, sometimes we might feel as though God has left our side. That is, until we discover that the impossible can come true and God is faithful and has never left us.

I love to hear from readers. Tell me what you enjoyed or what inspired you. Email me at Bast.Marie@yahoo.com, visit me at mariebast.blogspot.comand facebook.com/marie.bast, or follow me on Twitter.

Blessings,

Marie E. Bast

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

—Jeremiah 29:11

My husband and sons, you three are the joy of my life.

In loving memory of Lois Walline, my mom, and Blanche Browning, my aunt, the two best cooks and bakers I have ever known. I miss you dearly.

Also, to Melissa, my editor and wizard in disguise, for believing in me, and Scribes202, my critique partners.

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

About the Author

Booklist

Title Page

Copyright

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

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-One

Epilogue

Extract

About the Publisher

Sarah Gingerich stomped into her Amish Sweet Delights bakery an hour earlier than her usual arrival time of 4:00 a.m. Who could sleep a wink after what Bishop Yoder had said to her yesterday? She slid the dead bolt closed. He had his nerve.

Straightening her shoulders, she shook off the indignant words. Gelassenheit —calm down and let it go.

She scooted to the pantry for flour, mixed the bread dough, tossed it on a floured board and began kneading. After folding the soft mass over, she floured and kneaded again.

As she punched the dough a little harder than necessary, the bishop’s words came rushing back to her. Heat rose from her neck to her ears, burning her now as it had when he had said them. She couldn’t believe that during his preaching on the rewards of being a wife and mother, he had stared straight at her the entire time. Later, he called her aside and mentioned it was time she stopped mourning Samuel and remarried. Why would he say such a thing?