Simple Amish Love 3-Book Collection Read online

  SIMPLE AMISH LOVE 3-BOOK COLLECTION

  SIMPLE LOVE: AMISH BOOKS SERIES

  BOOKS 1-3

  RACHEL STOLTZFUS

  Copyright © 2013 RACHEL STOLTZFUS

  All rights reserved.

  ISBN: 1537665766

  ISBN-13: 978-1537665764

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  BOOK 1 – SIMPLE AMISH LOVE

  CHAPTER ONE

  CHAPTER TWO

  CHAPTER THREE

  CHAPTER FOUR

  CHAPTER FIVE

  CHAPTER SIX

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  CHAPTER NINE

  BOOK 2 – SIMPLE AMISH PLEASURES

  CHAPTER ONE

  CHAPTER TWO

  CHAPTER THREE

  CHAPTER FOUR

  CHAPTER FIVE

  CHAPTER SIX

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  CHAPTER NINE

  BOOK 3 - SIMPLE AMISH HARMONY

  CHAPTER ONE

  CHAPTER TWO

  CHAPTER THREE

  CHAPTER FOUR

  CHAPTER FIVE

  CHAPTER SIX

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  CHAPTER NINE

  CHAPTER TEN

  AMISH COUNTRY TOURS

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  I have to thank God first and foremost for the gift of my life and the life of my family. I also have to thank my family for putting up with my crazy hours and how stressed out I can get as I approach a deadline. In addition, I must thank the ladies at Global Grafx Press for working with me to help make my books the best they can be. And last, I thank you, for taking the time to read this book. God Bless!

  BOOK 1 – SIMPLE AMISH LOVE

  She’s found love. But will a stalker end it all?

  After traveling for rumspringa, Annie Fisher returns to her Amish community of Peace Landing ready to take her Kneeling Vows and find a husband. And when handsome Mark Stoltzfus wants to court with her, it seems like everything is going to plan. But when a stalker tries to ruin Annie’s relationship, will she be strong enough to stand up for herself? And will her fragile new romance survive?

  Find out in Simple Amish Love, Book 1 of the Living Amish series. Simple Amish Love is a sweet, Amish romance that, once you start, you won’t be able to put down.

  CHAPTER ONE

  “Mamm, I’ve decided I want to be baptized,” Annie Fisher announced to her mother one morning after returning from her rumspringe, or “running-around” time. In the world of the Englischers, she had learned and seen so much – things she loved like dancing and rock music, and things she hated like excess drinking and drugs. She had tried it all – that’s what rumspringe is for, and she’d found that she wanted the peace and stability of her life at Peace Landing.

  “Tell your daed so he can let the Ordnung know. You do know that you’ll need to comply with our community’s rules,” Annie’s mother Mary replied drying her hands on her apron. “Now that you’ve returned to Peace Landing, I expect you’ll want to decide what you want to do before you begin courting and get married.”

  “I’ve also decided about that, too. I want to begin teaching here in the Peace Landing School. I took classes at a community college in New York while I was away.”

  “Ach, gut!” Mary asked, “Have you earned your certificate? It isn’t really necessary, but the members of the school board will be more likely to choose you over other candidates if you have it.”

  “Ya, mamm, I know. I hope to be able to go talk to them either next week or the week after,” Annie replied. She was glad for those classes in New York; they gave her great teaching tools that would be a positive addition in the community. Different learning styles that children employ, how to remember things better and easier – these and many other techniques made her college jaunt well worth the time.

  “Well, tomorrow is a meeting day, so I can let Mr. Kopp know that you are interested in teaching,” Mary offered. She looked proud of her daughter, and Annie knew that she was happy that she had returned to the fold. While it was a time to learn about other cultures, most Amish families were happy when their young people chose the traditional life.

  “Mudder, would you? I . . . I am nervous of approaching him,” Annie confessed. It was one of the things that she dreaded most – approaching people even if they were part of her community. She felt awkward, and she would rather get an introduction than going at it cold.

  “Annie, he is strict, but a good man. He’s fair.” Mary folded raisins into the cookie mix she was making. “Please, turn the oven on so I can get these cookies baked before tomorrow. I still need to bake the bread that’s rising, so we can take it for tomorrow’s lunch.” Her mother was encouraging; she wanted her daughter to succeed in her new life. She knew her daughter was naturally shy, but she also knew her daughter had a lot to contribute.

  ***

  The next morning, Annie and her parents rode in their horse-drawn buggy to the Stoltzfus home, where the day’s church meeting was being held. Annie was excited, knowing she would be seeing her friends, Jenny Kopp and Ruth Yoder. She shifted restlessly, eager to see them. She looked quickly at the loaves of bread and the box of cookies she and her mother had baked the day before.

  Finally, she saw the familiar Stoltzfus property, with the neat, two-story home, the carpentry shop and the fields behind the house. Other buggies had already parked, their horses allowed to graze in the fenced-in field. Annie jumped down before her father could help her down.

  Taking the box of cookies from her mother, she walked quickly into the house to set them aside for the community lunch. Walking outside she looked for Ruth and Jenny. Spotting them waiting for her, a wide smile spread across her gentle, pretty face and she hurried to their sides, Kapp strings fluttering in the wind.

  “Annie! How was your rumpspringe?” Jenny was one of her friends who was, by contrast, outgoing and talkative. She could carry the conversation by herself if she needed to, but she was also considerate of the fact that Annie needed time and space to form and express her thoughts. It was one of the things that Annie liked about their friendship.

  “It was . . . interesting, but I was more than ready to return home,” Annie said. “I had fun, but I belong here. I’m going to ask for baptism . . . and I plan to ask for a teaching position in the Peace Landing School!”

  “I knew it! Ruth, I told you she’d want to teach! Before I came back from New York, she had enrolled in an Englischer school to earn her certificate,” Jenny was all smiles, her blonde hair creeping out from under her cap as she bounced on her toes.

  “Okay, so you were right. Annie, I’ll be helping my parents with the Englischer tourist business again. We had so much fun with it last summer. And we earned so much money, that will help Daed with money for new crops,” Ruth smiled and we felt like we were all young again, three girls against the world. We have been friends forever, and now it looks like our friendship will simply pick up where it left off.

  “If you need help, let me know. I’ll be happy to go to your farm every day, until school starts,” Annie offered.

  “Yes! Mamm has planned so much! We want to make small quilts for dolls, if you could work on a few,” said Ruth.

  “Tell your folks I’ll help with baking,” Jenny offered. “Annie, it was so much fun! And I got to meet Jacob Lapp. We’re courting now,” Jenny said with a blush and a smile.

  “Really? Oh, how exciting! Ruth, how about you? Have you met anybody?” Annie asked.

  In response, Ruth blushed and looked down.

  Annie gr
inned. “We’ll get it out of you!” she promised. In response she heard a sharp exhale and a “Tuh!”

  Looking up, she saw Barbara Kurtz standing in back of Ruth. Her plump stomach strained against the fabric of her dark blue dress. Barbara wore a superior frown. “You girls are so . . . immature. You should be setting your sights on someone more able to provide for a family – someone like Mark Stoltzfus.” As she said his name, Barbara’s face seemed to melt into a simpering smile, then the smile disappeared and its customary frown reappeared.

  Annie shook her head, not wanting to say what she was thinking. “Let’s go find seats before service begins. I’d like to sit with both of you,” she said instead. The three of them walked quietly to the barn’s opening, their happy reunion somewhat marred by Barbara’s intrusion. As she walked in between her two closest friends, Annie spotted Mark Stoltzfus, tall and muscular. As he turned and looked at her with a gentle smile, her heartbeat quickened. Gut, he’s still clean-shaven. He’s not taken, unless he’s seeing someone, but hasn’t asked her to marry him.

  “Annie, you’re back! I had heard you just returned. How did you like New York?” Mark asked. His blue eyes twinkled and she marveled at the connection they shared. She felt so good, so welcome, back where she belonged.

  “It was big, loud, smelly and noisy. I’m glad I got to see the Englischer world, but I’m happy to get back home,” Annie said truthfully. “I did enjoy it, and I’m glad I got the chance to experience new things – things I would not have gotten to see if I hadn’t gone.”

  “Did you go on tours?”

  “Ya. I saw the Metropolitan Museum of Modern Art, the 9/11 memorial and other sites. I got used to the subway very quickly! At least, now I know that, when I go back to New York, I will be able to get around,” Annie said confidently.

  “I enjoyed my time, but I knew I’d be coming back to Pennsylvania and Lancaster county. My life is here, and I’m enjoying starting my own carpentry shop,” Mark said.

  “It looks like it’s time for service to start . . .” Annie said with a shy smile.

  “We’ll talk later, then,” Mark said with an inviting smile.

  Annie blushed, hearing the words. Jenny and Ruth took her hands and they found an open bench, where they sat together, listening to that week’s minister giving the message. Annie focused on Mr. Yoder as he spoke in his familiar, sing-song Pennsylvania Dutch dialect. At the end of the service, her stomach growled. It had been early when she and her parents had gotten up for breakfast before leaving their house for the day’s service. Walking with Ruth and Jenny, she helped bring the foods to the barn, where they were set on long tables set up for the community lunch.

  When it was time for the children and young people to sit down and partake of the meal, she was very hungry. Loading her plate with sandwich meats, bread, vegetables, church spread, coffee and snitz, she sat down thankfully with her friends and began to eat hungrily. As she looked up from her plate, she saw Mark, at an adjoining picnic table with other young men, looking at her. Looking down, she continued to talk with her friends. Once she had finished eating, she saw Mark walking around, looking for someone. She jumped as Jenny elbowed her in her side. “Mark wants to meet you! He’s looking for your parents to ask for permission to court you!”

  Annie blushed a delicate rose-pink. She drank deeply from her coffee, not seeing Barbara Kurtz glaring at the three of them.

  Barbara glared at them, thinking, You are not the right person for Mark Stoltzfus! I saw him first, so he’s going to be mine. Jenny King, you don’t know what “love” is! Ruth Beiler, you’re so shy, you’ll never court with anyone, let alone get married. As she thought, one hand stole to her neatly combed hair, sliding under her kapp and making sure it was still neatly styled.

  Sitting up straight, as she imagined a dignified young woman ready to court might look, she eyed other young women on the picnic benches. None of them had offered to sit with her. None of them was chatting, giggling or gossiping with her. It was just her and her younger sister, Sarah. So be it. As a young woman of dignity, I am set apart from these giggling . . . schoolchildren.

  “Sarah, I’m going to need your help with something. I want to meet Mark Stoltzfus, and I want him to begin courting me,” Barbara whispered.

  “How? How will I help you?” Sarah whispered back. Just the thought of mingling with others her age frightened her.

  “Never mind. As soon as I get some ideas, I’ll let you know what we’ll be doing and how you can help me,” Barbara whispered back sharply.

  Sarah drew away from her older sister – she could be so harsh at times!

  ***

  After dinner that night, Annie had just finished cleaning the kitchen when her father took her arm and asked her to sit at the dinner table.

  “We have something to tell you,” he said.

  “Annie, would you like some tea to go with the oatmeal raisin cookies?” Mary raised her eyebrows expectantly.

  “Certainly. I’ll boil the water and set the table,” Annie said.

  Five minutes later, the small family was sitting around the dining room table. Annie nibbled on one of the tasty cookies.

  “Annie, you’ve met Mark Stoltzfus, correct?”

  Annie’s mouth suddenly went dry. She nodded at her father as she took a sip of her hot, fragrant tea. “Ya, daed. We spoke for a few minutes today.” She couldn’t help but like him; he was beautiful, warm, strong and kind.

  “He came to your mamm and me after service today, and asked us for permission to begin seeing you. And . . .”

  “And, what did you tell him?” Annie asked quietly.

  “We told him that he has our permission to begin seeing you. He is a fine young man with a very good head on his shoulders. He will provide a good living to any woman he chooses to marry,” John replied.

  Annie smiled inwardly, feeling happy. “Denki, daed! I . . . I do like him.”

  “Annie, you are of an age where you can meet young men. Make sure that Mark Stoltzfus is the man you want to start spending time with – seeing multiple men from Peace Landing would not be good for your reputation, especially as you prepare for your baptism,” Mary Fisher cautioned.

  “Ya, mamm, I know. I will not bring shame to the Fisher name,” said Annie.

  ***

  After helping her mother with housework the following day, Annie hitched the horse to the buggy and went to visit the Peace Landing school board to request consideration for a teaching position the following autumn.

  “My mamm is planning to retire at the end of this school year, Mr. Kopp. I have earned my teaching certificate from an Englischer college in New York, so I am ready to begin teaching here in Peace Landing,” she concluded as she handed her certificate to the school board head.

  “Miss Fisher, you have just come back from your rumspringe, correct? What decision did you make regarding living in compliance with the Ordnung? Do you plan to stay in Peace Landing and make your life here?” asked a junior board member, stroking his short, dark beard.

  “Ya, Mr. Zook. It is my plan to stay here in Lancaster county and make my life here. The students of Peace Landing will be assured of my presence in the school room every year for as long as God wills it,” said Annie quietly.

  “Very well, Miss Fisher,” said Mr. Kopp. “We will talk amongst ourselves and make our decision before the start of the next school year. Thank you for coming to see us,” he said.

  Annie stood and shook the hand of each board member. Smiling slightly, she took her leave and left the one-room school house.

  ***

  Annie was finishing the last of her family’s ironing when Ruth Beiler and Jenny King stopped by.

  “Mamm, the ironing is done. May I visit with Jenny and Ruth?” asked Annie.

  “Certainly. Ruth, Jenny, you must stay for dinner. We will be having beef stroganoff and vegetables,” responded her mother.

  “Thank you, Mrs. Fisher. We would appreciate having dinner here,” Jenny
said with a beaming smile. The three girls walked out to the porch, where they could take advantage of the warm sunlight. Now that spring had arrived, they grabbed every opportunity they could to enjoy the warmth.

  “Well . . .?” asked Jenny with a beaming smile.

  “Well, what?” asked Annie, teasing her. She knew exactly what Jenny wanted, and she felt like teasing her.

  “Come on! What did Mark ask your parents on Sunday? And what did your parents tell him?”

  “Are you going to put a notice in the Peace Landing Gossip-Gazette?” asked Annie, with a twinkling grin on her face.

  “Annie! What did your mamm and daed say”

  Annie finally decided to stop torturing Jenny. Sighing with a happy grin, she said, “Daed and mamm gave me permission to start seeing him!”

  Annie’s friends began squealing in happiness and excitement. Jenny clapped her hands together twice before clasping them under her chin. Happiness showed in her dark brown eyes as her kapp slid sideways.

  Annie giggled as Jenny set her kapp straight. “You’re wearing the one that’s too big, aren’t you?”

  “Ya. I will tell my mamm that it’s too big for me to wear. We have fabric, and I can make another one – one that fits!”

  After Jenny and Ruth went back home, Annie was helping clean the kitchen when someone knocked on the front door. Her daed answered the door, and Annie heard him talking to their guest.

  “Well, hello, Mark! Come on in. How was your work today?”

  “It was well, denki. I have finished a bedroom set for an Englischer couple from Philadelphia, and they will pick it up this weekend,” said Mark.

  In the kitchen, Annie nervously wiped the kitchen counters clean. swallowing a huge lump of nerves that had suddenly settled in her throat. Jumping as she felt her mother’s hand land on hers, she looked at her with huge, dark eyes.

  “When your daed calls you, go into the living room. You have our permission to walk along our property, but stay within sight of the house,” Mary murmured.

  “Ya, mamm. Denki,” Annie said. She pushed her kapp off her head and smoothed her hands over already-smooth hair, then pulled her kapp back on.