Jo Brown - An Amish Proposal

Rescued: Mother-to-Be

Pregnant and without options, Katie Kay Lapp is trapped between two worlds—abandoned by her baby’s Englisch father, not ready to return to her Amish family. With nowhere to go, she’s rescued by the unlikeliest of heroes—the man whose heart she shattered. Months ago, Micah Stoltzfus courted her, envisioned a future with her, until she chose the big city over him. Now bound by duty to protect mother and child, Micah offers a solution—marriage. Though his heart never healed, he still cares for the Amish beauty. He knows he’ll be the father Katie Kay’s baby needs...but can he show her he’s also the love she’s always wanted?

Micah’s touch scrambled her thoughts.

Her hopes that he hadn’t noticed the tremor in her voice faded when he said, “It’s going to be okay.” He flashed her a smile.

Lost in her despair, she’d failed to see how much power his grins still had to move her, reminding her how they’d laughed together after singings. She realized how much she missed that.

Something else she’d thrown away when she’d tossed him out of her life.

“Tell me the truth, Micah,” she blurted. “Why are you helping me?”

“Why wouldn’t I? You’re pregnant and—”

“You don’t have to feel obligated because you’re the one who found me.”

He shook his head, sadness dimming his eyes. “After all this time, Katie Kay, I thought you knew me better than that.”

She winced, realizing how she had wounded him. It hadn’t been intentional. She wanted to know the truth about why a man whom she’d treated poorly would help her.

No, it was more than helping. He wanted to be certain she and the boppli were taken care of. He was a gut man. Better than she deserved.

Dear Reader,

Dorothy isn’t the only one who wonders what’s “over the rainbow.” That song and story resonate with us because we’re impatient to find out what lies ahead or want to make sure, as Katie Kay does, that we’re not missing out on something important. Learning to “let go and let God” is tough, and many of us have to learn it over and over. And sometimes the hard way. With each reminder that God understands what’s truly inside her, Katie Kay opens her heart to Him and love. And that’s a lesson for all of us to let go and let God lead us on the path He has for us, isn’t it?

Stop in and visit me at www.joannbrownbooks.com. Look for my next story coming soon from Harlequin Love Inspired.

Wishing you many blessings,

Jo Ann Brown

JO ANN BROWN has always loved stories with happily-ever-after endings. A former military officer, she is thrilled to have the chance to write stories about people falling in love. She is also a photographer and travels with her husband of more than thirty years to places where she can snap pictures. They have three children and live in Florida. Drop her a note at joannbrownbooks.com.

An Amish Proposal

Jo Ann Brown

www.millsandboon.co.uk

For all people will walk every one in the name of his god, and we will walk in the name of the Lord our God forever and ever.

—Micah 4:5

For Elizabeth McIntyre

Thanks for keeping us on track.

And herding writers is

definitely harder than herding cats...

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

Introduction

Dear Reader

About the Author

Title Page

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

Epilogue

Extract

Copyright

Chapter One

Paradise Springs

Lancaster County, Pennsylvania

When the night sky opened and it started raining, Katie Kay Lapp stopped by the side of the road, covered her face with her hands and began to cry. The cold downpour was the final insult in a day that had begun badly and gotten worse with each passing hour. How had she gotten to this point? Months ago, she’d been the center of attention of young men at any gathering. They’d vied for time with her and for the chance to take her home in their courting buggies. Now she was abandoned and afraid and had no place to go.

You could go home.

Ach, it was easy for the little voice in her head—the one nagging her endlessly about doing the right thing—to say that. But she’d burned her bridges behind her and in front of her and around her. She couldn’t go home. Her sisters would welcome her, but Daed would insist on knowing every detail of what she’d done since she ran away. He’d want to pray with her and ask her to repent for any sins she’d committed.

And she’d committed a bunch. Some intentionally and others by accident. In the eyes of Bishop Reuben Lapp, what she’d done would need to be repented for with prayer before it could be forgiven.

She moaned aloud when she imagined telling her daed about her fear that she was pregnant. Many plain women her age were married with one or more bopplin, but she hadn’t been ready to settle down and lead an Amish life, the only life she’d ever known until she left home four months ago to find out what the rest of the world was like. It hadn’t been a carefree rumspringa decision. Instead, she’d made the choice with care and a lot of deep consideration.

Or so she’d thought at the time.

Raindrops slid beneath her T-shirt and down her spine like a cascade of ice cubes. October could be a beautiful month in southeastern Pennsylvania or unforgiving like tonight.

Straightening, Katie Kay looked around. She wasn’t sure where she was. Somewhere in rural Lancaster County, she knew, but not exactly where. She hadn’t paid any attention. She’d been surprised when Austin, whom she’d described to others as her Englisch boyfriend because she’d foolishly believed he cared about her, had driven her and a couple of other Englischers out of Lancaster City, but she hadn’t watched where they were going. Rain had been falling, and the streetlights had glittered on the windshield, disguising any landmarks in splattered light. She hadn’t expected she’d need to know. She’d thought she was returning to the apartment she shared with Austin and their friends.

Not her friends, she knew. Neither had protested when Austin snatched her cell phone from her purse and ordered her out of the car. Maybe Vinnie and Juan, his Englisch friends, had been as astounded as she’d been, never guessing he’d drive off and not come back for her.

She kept walking. She didn’t have any other choice. The country road was two narrow lanes that curved and rose and fell over the rolling hillsides. It was edged on both sides by harvested fields. She peered through the darkness, but the lights she could see appeared to be a mile or two in the distance. Was she somewhere without many houses? Or were there ones between her and the distant lights? Amish houses wouldn’t be lit this late in the evening because the people living in them usually rose before the sun and were in bed soon after sunset.

Two cars raced toward her. If the drivers saw her, they gave no sign, not swerving to the middle of the road to make sure they avoided her as they passed. The tires of the second sent a shower of dirty water over her.

“It’s not fair!” she cried out. Nothing had been fair since her mamm died five years ago. Everyone had expected her to step into the role of housekeeper for her daed. After all, her half sister had when Daed’s first wife died. But Priscilla was the perfect Amish daughter and now was the perfect Amish wife and mamm. Katie Kay had been the one who questioned everything and was too curious to accept things just because someone told her so.