Read A Heart Once Broken Online

Authors: Jerry S. Eicher

A Heart Once Broken

BOOK: A Heart Once Broken
7.89Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
ads

HARVEST HOUSE PUBLISHERS

EUGENE, OREGON

All Scripture quotations are taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

Cover by Garborg Design Works, Savage, Minnesota

Cover photos © Chris Garborg; Bigstock

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 HEART ONCE BROKEN

Copyright © 2016 Jerry S. Eicher

Published by Harvest House Publishers

Eugene, Oregon 97402

www.harvesthousepublishers.com

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Eicher, Jerry S.

A heart once broken / Jerry S. Eicher.

pages; cm. — (St. Lawrence County Amish)

ISBN 978-0-7369-6587-3 (pbk.)

ISBN 978-0-7369-6588-0 (eBook)

1. Amish—Fiction. 2. Mate selection—Fiction. 3. Man-woman relationships—Fiction. I. Title.

PS3605.I34H43 2016

813'.6—dc23

2015016852

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 the publisher. The authorized purchaser has been granted a nontransferable, nonexclusive, and noncommercial right to access and view this electronic publication, and purchaser 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.

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

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-Two

Chapter Twenty-Three

Chapter Twenty-Four

Chapter Twenty-Five

Chapter Twenty-Six

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Chapter Thirty

Chapter Thirty-One

Chapter Thirty-Two

Chapter Thirty-Three

Chapter Thirty-Four

Chapter Thirty-Five

Chapter Thirty-Six

Chapter Thirty-Seven

Chapter Thirty-Eight

Chapter Thirty-Nine

Chapter Forty

Chapter Forty-One

Chapter Forty-Two

Discussion Questions

About the Author

Ready to Discover More?

About the Publisher

Chapter One

L
ydia Troyer smoothed the wrinkles in her dress with a quick brush of her hand as she watched Ezra Wagler's buggy pull into Deacon Schrock's lane on Kelley Road. Now Ezra would put his horse, Midnight, in the barn and join the other St. Lawrence County Amish young people with the work at hand.

They had all gathered on this Friday evening to help clean the house and yard of the recently arrived deacon and his
frau,
Ruth Ann, who had both just joined the community. After their tiring move from Holmes County, Ohio, the couple appeared happy and had settled easily into the North Country in upstate New York.

Lydia gave her dress another quick brush and glanced at the barn door, hoping to catch Ezra's attention as he joined the young workers. A minute later and still no Ezra, Lydia looked across the yard to where her cousin Sandra Troyer was on her knees in the garden, pulling weeds with several of the other girls. Lydia allowed a smile to creep across her face. Tonight she had the advantage over Sandra. Her brush-cutting assignment wouldn't leave smudges on her dress or dark streaks on her hands. Sandra, too, was looking at the barn door for the same reason she was. As were a few of the other young girls with similar aspirations.

That was one of the things so maddening about Ezra, besides his handsome
goot
looks. He was the young man many of the community girls set their
kapps
for…though everyone knew she and her cousin Sandra had the inside track. The two had vied for Ezra's attentions ever since they finished their
rumspringa
days—about the same time Ezra and his family joined the community.

The rivalry of the two cousins had begun in their school days, long before Ezra had arrived. Even as rivals, they had managed to stay steadfast friends, though lately things had become a little grim. What had begun as a healthy competition—such as who could get the most 100s in school—had turned into something more serious after their
rumspringa
convinced both of them to be baptized and settle into Amish life. The cousins had wasted no time making their interest in the newcomer known. And Ezra, seeming to enjoy the attention, was obviously in no hurry to choose between the two cousins.

“Maddening!” Lydia muttered aloud.

“I know,” Rosemary said from a few feet away. “These weeds are stubborn as all get-out.” Lydia took another whack with her hoe as she gave Rosemary a smile. Thankfully the younger girl couldn't read her thoughts.

Though Lydia's rivalry with Sandra descended to low depths at times, neither she nor Sandra seemed able to back off. On this point they were equally determined. Whoever won Ezra's hand in marriage would have won the most important competition between the two girls.

For this contest they were evenly matched indeed. Both Sandra and Lydia had decent looks—among the best in the St. Lawrence County Amish community. Lydia had heard whispered more than once by one of the younger girls in frustration, “Those pretty Troyer cousins!”

Lydia stood up straighter as she caught sight of Ezra's smiling face. He walked her way, but then he glanced across the barnyard to where Sandra was working and waved toward her. Sandra waved back, but stayed on her knees. Lydia grinned as Sandra tried in desperation to tuck a few loose strands of hair under her
kapp
with one hand. The attempt, no doubt, left further smudges of dirt on Sandra's face.

Ezra hollered something toward Sandra she couldn't understand. Sandra appeared to smile and hollered something back as Ezra moved closer. Lydia could see the girls near Sandra giggle at this exchange between the two. After a few words, Ezra moved on, walking toward Lydia.

“Looks like you get your chance now,” Rosemary said with a wicked smile. “When are Sandra and you going to settle this matter?”

Lydia didn't answer. There wasn't anything to say. Ezra would choose soon. He would have to. She so wanted to win this competition. It had always been difficult to tell who would gain the upper hand, whether Sandra or herself. Back in their school days Sandra would have the best average grade one week, and the next week Lydia would be ahead. But with this contest, someone would be left heartbroken. That would hurt worse than any defeat they'd suffered at school.

Lydia rallied her emotions as Ezra drew near.

“Hi there, Ezra,” Rosemary chirped before Lydia could speak. “We've been needing a man on this fencerow for some time.”

Lydia gave Ezra a sly smile, but remained quiet now that Rosemary had spoken up first. She used a low-key approach. Sandra, on the other hand, could chatter a hundred miles a minute when she had the opportunity.

“Well, then. It looks like I've come to the right place,” Ezra said with a chuckle.

Lydia gave Ezra an admiring look. “You should be able to handle the rest of this fencerow all by yourself then.”

“Oh no,” Ezra protested. “I wouldn't want to lose the company of two such pretty females. Please stay.”

Rosemary gave a sly grin. “Your sugar tongue will get you nowhere with me, you know.”

Ezra grinned. “A man's gotta try, doesn't he?”

Lydia joined in their laughter. That was what she loved about Ezra. He could joke and laugh with any of the young people and make everyone feel special and appreciated.

Rosemary handed her hoe to Ezra. “Here, I'll go get another one.”

“Thanks,” Ezra replied, seemingly pleased with the offer.

Lydia worked on a tall thistle as Rosemary hurried away. This gave her a few moments alone with Ezra. Giving him a quick glance, she said, “You look handsome tonight. Did your
mamm
make that new shirt for you?”

BOOK: A Heart Once Broken
7.89Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
ads

Other books

The Last One by Alexandra Oliva
Haze and the Hammer of Darkness by L. E. Modesitt, Jr.
Night Diver: A Novel by Elizabeth Lowell
Have to Have It by Melody Mayer
Saved and SAINTified by Laveen, Tiana
Cougar's First Christmas by Jessie Donovan
Odd Girl Out by Rachel Simmons
Kernel of Truth by Kristi Abbott
Post-American Presidency by Spencer, Robert, Geller, Pamela