Patricia Davids - Amish Christmas Joy

Instant Father

One minute, Caleb Mast is an oil-rig roughneck who answers to no one but himself. The next, he’s the father of a special-needs child he never knew existed. What kind of home can a man like him—without faith or community—provide for an eight-year-old girl? For little Joy’s sake, Caleb returns to the Amish community he left behind years ago. His daughter bonds with Amish schoolteacher Leah Belier, and Caleb feels hopeful for once. But Leah blames Caleb for dashing long-ago dreams and can’t bear to trust him. With Christmas weeks away, one special girl just may bring two hearts—and an entire community—together.

Brides of Amish Country: Finding true love in the land of the Plain People.

Leah laid a protective hand on Joy’s head.

“Patience and kindness are the keys to raising a special child,” she told Caleb. “All children are gifts from God, but we believe a child such as Joy is one of His most cherished gifts.”

Caleb’s hands dropped to his sides. He looked…defeated. “I know what the Amish believe. That’s why I’m here. The only reason I’m here.”

She didn’t understand. He tipped his head slightly. “The prodigal son has returned. You don’t look happy to see me.”

She wasn’t. She didn’t care if he knew it. He had changed a great deal in the past nine years. The wild, handsome Amish boy she had known had matured into a tall, rugged-looking man with a muscular frame and deeply tanned skin. He wore his dark hair cut short in the Englisch way, not in the bowl-cut style the men of her community wore.

Leah realized he was studying her, too. Watching her with hard, piercing gray eyes that gave away little of what he was thinking.

PATRICIA DAVIDS

After thirty-five years as a nurse, Pat has hung up her stethoscope to become a full-time writer. She enjoys spending her new free time visiting her grandchildren, doing some long-overdue yard work and traveling to research her story locations. She resides in Wichita, Kansas. Pat always enjoys hearing from her readers. You can visit her on the web at www.patriciadavids.com.

Amish Christmas Joy

Patricia Davids

www.millsandboon.co.uk

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Whosoever shall receive one of such children in my name, receiveth me: and whosoever shall receive me, receiveth not me, but him that sent me.

—Mark 9:37

This book is lovingly dedicated to the parents

of special-needs children everywhere.

Contents

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

Dear Reader

Questions for Discussion

Excerpt

Chapter One

Loud pounding pulled Caleb Mast out of the first good night’s sleep he’d had in a month. He squinted at the clock on his bedside table. Who was beating on his door at three-forty in the morning?

Staggering out of bed, he made his way through his condo. After four weeks on an oil platform in the Gulf, he was ready for some downtime. He’d stayed twice as long as his normal rotation to cover for an injured crewmate. The twelve-to thirteen-hour shifts seven days a week were tough. Lousy weather and a shorthanded crew made the extra two weeks a killer. All he wanted was to crawl back in bed.

If some of his crewmates were looking to celebrate on their first night in, they could have fun without him. He didn’t do the party scene. Not since... He dismissed the thought without finishing it. He didn’t look back. The pounding resumed.

He yanked open the front door. “If this building isn’t on fire you’re in trouble. What?”

A woman stood on his doorstep. She had a little girl beside her. Thunder rumbled in the distance. A fine mist was falling, scenting the air with rain and making a shimmering halo around the streetlamp across the roadway. A yellow hatchback with a dented door sat parked beneath it.

The woman pushed back her frizzy blond hair. “You’re a hard man to find, Caleb.”

The voice belonged to a bad memory from his past. “Valerie?”

She gave a halfhearted smile. “You remember my name. That’s something.”

Was she kidding? He had turned his life upside down, cut bone-deep family ties and moved halfway across the country with Valerie Perry. A year later, she left him a goodbye note with no forwarding address and an empty bank account. Now, after nearly nine years, she was back. Why?

There were dark circles under her eyes and a droop to her full lips. She was thin as a rail. Her once-thick brown hair was bleached a brittle white-blond. It made her look cheap. Even at this hour, she wore heavy eye makeup. She licked her dry, cracked lips.

He folded his arms over his chest. “What do you want?”

“You could pretend you’re happy to see me.”

“If you’re here to repay the money you stole, then I’m thrilled.”

She dropped her gaze. “I’ve come for...another reason.”

“Mama, I’m tired,” the girl whined. She peered at him through a mop of blond hair, straight and pale as wheat straw. He was stunned to see the characteristic round face, small upturned eyes and slightly flat nose that indicated she had Down syndrome.

His Amish mother had always told him such children were God’s most precious gifts, sent to special families for a special purpose.

“I’m hungry. I wanna go home.” The girl’s speech was slow and halting. She hid her face against Valerie’s leg.

“Hush. I’m talking,” Valerie snapped.

Sympathy for the kid made Caleb take a step back from the door. October in Houston was balmy compared to the crisp autumn weather of his childhood home in Ohio, but the rain was picking up. “You want to come in?”

She steered the child past him into the living room. “Lie down on the sofa while we grown-ups talk.”

Talk about what? What did they have to say to each other after so long? He should have shut the door in her face. She wouldn’t be here if she didn’t want something.

“But I’m hungry, Mama.”

No matter what Val had done, the child deserved his kindness. “I’ve got some cold pizza and milk in the fridge. It’s not much, but she’s welcome to it.”

Breakfast of champions. His Amish mother would be horrified to see him feeding a kid pizza at this time of the night. Then again, she’d be horrified by a lot in his current life.

The look the girl gave him was tired, fearful and hopeful all at the same time. He crouched to her level. “It’s pepperoni pizza. Is that okay?”

She nodded once. He glanced at Valerie. “Would you like something? Coffee?”

“Sure.” She followed him into the kitchen. He pulled a pizza box from the fridge, placed a slice on a paper plate and stuck it in the microwave.

Valerie took a seat at the glass-topped table in the corner. “Things are such a mess. I didn’t know where else to go. My boyfriend kicked us out, the jerk. My mom died last month.”

“I’m sorry.” Caleb had never met her mother. He shot a look toward Valerie as he spooned grounds into the coffeepot. She had a tight grip on her purse. She bit the corner of her lip and looked everywhere but at him. When the microwave bell dinged, she almost jumped out of her chair.