A Legacy of Love Read online

  COPYRIGHT

  ZONDERVAN

  Legacy of Love

  Copyright © 2018 by Amy Clipston

  Requests for information should be addressed to:

  Zondervan, 3900 Sparks Dr. SE, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49546

  Epub Edition April 2018 ISBN 9780310351986

  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication

  CIP data is available upon request.

  All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com.

  Any Internet addresses (websites, blogs, etc.) and telephone numbers in this book are offered as a resource. They are not intended in any way to be or imply an endorsement by Zondervan, nor does Zondervan vouch for the content of these sites and numbers for the life of this book.

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any other—except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior permission of the publisher.

  Publisher’s Note: This novel is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. All characters are fictional, and any similarity to people living or dead is purely coincidental.

  Printed in the United States of America

  18 19 20 21 22 / LSC / 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

  CONTENTS

  Copyright

  Glossary

  Featured Amish Homestead Series Characters

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Discussion Questions

  Acknowledgments

  About the Author

  In loving memory of my grandparents,

  Emilie and Emil Goebelbecker

  GLOSSARY

  ach: oh

  aenti: aunt

  appeditlich: delicious

  bedauerlich: sad

  bopli/boppli: baby

  boplin: babies

  bruder: brother

  bruders: brothers

  bu: boy

  buwe: boys

  daadi: grandfather

  daed: father

  danki: thank you

  dat: dad

  dawdy/daadi haus: grandparents’ house

  Dietsch: Pennsylvania Dutch, the Amish language (German dialect)

  dochder: daughter

  Englisch/Englischer: English or Non-Amish

  fraa: wife

  freind: friend

  freinden: friends

  froh: happy

  gegisch: silly

  geh: go

  gelassenheit: fundamental Amish belief in yielding fully to God’s will and forsaking all selfishness

  gern gschehne: you’re welcome

  Gmay: Church District

  Gott: God

  granddaadi/groossdaadi: grandpa

  grandmammi/groossmammi: grandma

  gut: good

  Gut nacht: Good night

  haus: house

  Ich liebe dich: I love you

  jah: yes

  kaffee/kaffi: coffee

  kapp: prayer covering or cap

  kichli: cookie

  kichlin: cookies

  kinner: children

  lieb: love

  liewe: love, a term of endearment

  maed: young women, girls

  maedel: young woman

  mamm: mom

  mammi: grandmother

  mann: man

  mei: my

  mudder: mother

  naerfich: nervous

  narrisch: crazy

  nee: no

  Ordnung: the oral tradition of practices required and forbidden in the Amish faith

  rumspringa: running-around period when a teenager turns sixteen years old

  schee: pretty

  schtupp: family room

  schweschder: sister

  schweschdere/schweschders: sisters

  sohn/suh: son

  Was iss letz?: What’s wrong?

  Wie bischt?: How’s it going?

  Wie geht’s: How do you do? or Good day!

  wunderbaar/wunderbarr: wonderful

  ya: yes

  yer: your

  yerself: yourself

  yung: young

  *The German dialect spoken by the Amish is not a written language and varies depending on the location and origin of the settlement. These spellings are approximations. Most Amish children learn English after they start school. They also learn high German, which is used in their Sunday services.

  FEATURED AMISH HOMESTEAD SERIES CHARACTERS

  FRIEDA M. MENNO KING

  Benuel (“Ben”)

  Leon

  ORPHA M. PHARES BONTRAGER

  Susie

  Betty

  MARILYN M. WILLIE DIENNER

  Simeon (deceased)

  Kayla

  Nathan

  EVA M. SIMEON (DECEASED) DIENNER

  Simeon Jr. (“Junior”)

  DOROTHY (DECEASED) M. VERNON RIEHL

  James (“Jamie”)

  Mark (Laura’s twin)

  Laura (Mark’s twin)

  Cindy

  ELSIE M. NOAH ZOOK

  Christian

  CHAPTER 1

  Leon King swallowed the swelling lump of emotion that threatened to choke him as he stood in a cemetery, surrounded by a multitude of community members. He was vaguely aware that the warm September sun was beating down on his shoulders and black hat, but he didn’t care. He was staring at the moist earth covering the grave of his friend Charlie Glick.

  As the minister began reciting a closing prayer, Leon lifted his head to observe Minerva Yoder, Charlie’s fiancée. Tears poured down her cheeks, and she gripped her father’s arm as if it were a lifeline.

  Leon had seen Charlie only a couple of weeks ago. Their volunteer fire companies both responded to a call, a traffic accident on Lincoln Highway in Paradise. The two men worked together to free the passengers from a car pummeled by a tractor trailer, and once the injured were loaded into ambulances, they chatted as they cleared the scene. Charlie talked about his upcoming wedding and moving into the house he’d built on his father’s farm.

  But now Charlie was dead. Two days earlier he’d been hit by lightning while repairing shingles on his father’s dairy barn. He was gone in an instant. And he was only twenty-five years old, the same age as Leon.

  Leon looked to his right. His friend and fellow volunteer firefighter Jamie Riehl stood with his girlfriend, Kayla Dienner. Kayla sniffed and wiped her eyes, and Jamie released her hand and put one arm around her shoulders. She leaned against him. Like Minerva, Kayla seemed to rely on someone else to hold her upright.

  The affection between Jamie and Kayla touched Leon deep in his soul, surprising him. And then an unexpected thought overwhelmed him.

  He was alone.

  He hadn’t had a serious girlfriend in nearly four years. He had no one to comfort, no one special to encourage him after a tough day at the fire station or working at his father’s furniture store.

  A nagging hollowness filled his gut as his gaze moved back to the grave. He couldn’t allow himself to waste another day. He was ready to find someone special and settle down.

  He looked again at Charlie’s grave, and a chill moved down his spine at another gripping thought. I don’t want to die alone.

  When the
minister’s prayer ended, a murmur of conversations spread throughout the crowd, and community members slowly and quietly began to make their way to the buggies that lined the long street.

  Leon turned to Jamie and Kayla.

  “I can’t believe he’s gone.” Jamie spoke in a low voice and shook his head. “We just saw him at that traffic accident a few weeks ago.”

  Leon sighed. “Ya.”

  “We never know God’s plan for us,” Kayla nearly whispered, and her shoulders shuddered slightly, as though she was still trying to regain her composure.

  Jamie nodded. “We have to appreciate every day the Lord gives us.”

  Leon cleared his throat against another knot of emotion as his friends studied each other for a moment. What was wrong with him? Why was he so sensitive today? It wasn’t as though he hadn’t seen grief before—or two people in love.

  He needed to change the subject before his emotions got the better of him in public.

  “Are you volunteering this week, Jamie?”

  “Ya. I’m on for Friday.”

  “I am too.” Leon folded his arms over his chest. He looked past Jamie, and his breath stalled in his lungs as his gaze landed on Susie Bontrager, his ex-girlfriend. They worshiped in different church districts, and he hadn’t seen her for a couple of years. Her eyes met his, and a smile tugged at the corners of her lips. She gave him a little wave. He returned the gesture.

  Susie was standing with her fiancé, Joshua Chupp. She looked up at him and said something, and then they both started walking toward Leon. The muscles in Leon’s shoulders tightened. Susie’s face was radiant with a bright smile, and she was as pretty as ever.

  “I’m going to take Kayla back to her family’s restaurant,” Jamie said, yanking Leon from his thoughts. “I’ll see you at the station on Friday.”

  “Ya.” Leon nodded at Kayla. “Take care.”

  “I’m sure I’ll see you at the restaurant soon.” Kayla gave him a shy smile before taking Jamie’s hand and leaving with him through the crowd.

  “Leon.” As Susie came close, her blue-green eyes sparkled in the midmorning sunlight. “How are you?”

  “I’m gut.” He smiled at her and then nodded at Josh, who returned the greeting.

  “You know Josh, right?” Susie touched Josh’s arm.

  “Of course I do.” Leon swallowed a chuckle. “We were all in the same combined youth group when we were teenagers.”

  “Right. I forgot that.” Susie’s cheeks blushed, a pretty complement to the bright-red hair peeking out from under her prayer covering. “We’re getting married in November.”

  Josh nodded. “I’d heard that. Congratulations.”

  A man appeared beside Josh and touched his shoulder. Josh looked at Leon and then at Susie, as though he might be reluctant to leave them alone. “Excuse me,” he said before stepping away.

  As Leon was drawn to Susie’s gorgeous eyes, regret slammed through him. Why had he let her slip through his fingers four years ago? “You look gut.”

  “You do too.” She smiled up at him, but then her smile faded. “I was sorry to hear about Charlie. He was one of Josh’s cousins.”

  Leon grimaced. “I didn’t know that. I’m sorry for Josh and his family.”

  “Danki. It was a shock. Charlie’s dat said it wasn’t even raining when it happened. The storm popped out of nowhere, completely unexpected.” She clasped her hands together. “Are you still volunteering with the fire department?”

  “Ya. I volunteer one or two days every week.”

  “I remember how much you loved it. Is that how you met Charlie?”

  “Ya. We saw each other on quite a few calls. I just saw him at the scene of an accident a couple of weeks ago.”

  “Josh and I saw him at church on Sunday. I didn’t imagine we’d bury him today. You see someone one day, and then the Lord calls him home the next. Change can come in an instant.”

  “Ya.”

  And then only silence passed between them as they stared at each other for a moment. He longed to know what she was thinking. Was she remembering their time together as boyfriend and girlfriend? Did she ever miss him? Why, after all these years, did he suddenly feel this rush of attraction toward his ex-girlfriend—especially when she was engaged to someone else?

  “I was wondering if I could ask you a favor. I’ve been planning to get in touch with you.” Susie’s words crashed through his thoughts.

  “Sure.” He folded his arms over his black vest and white shirt. “What do you need?”

  “Mei mammi left me two rocking chairs. Do you remember them? They were always in our schtupp.”

  “Ya, I remember them. I sat in them quite a few times.” Susie had been so close to her grandmother. Leon knew those chairs meant a great deal to her.

  “Right. I was wondering if you could repair them for me.”

  “I’d be froh to. What’s wrong with them?”

  “The pieces of wood that make up the back.” She pointed toward her spine. “You know, where you rest your back?”

  He tried in vain to fight a grin. “You mean the spindles?”

  “Right.” She gave a little laugh, and she looked adorable. “They’re loose on both chairs. The arms are loose as well. Come to think of it, the legs and rockers are too. Mei dat says they can be repaired, but he’s not a furniture expert. I also think they need to be restained. It’s been a long time since anyone cleaned them up.”

  “I can sand them down and restain them for you, as well as make the repairs. Just bring them by the store.”

  “Wunderbaar,” she said with a wide smile. “I’ll pay you, of course.”

  He shrugged. “All right. I can fit them in between projects I’m doing for mei dat. How soon do you need them back?”

  “Not until the end of November. I want to put them in our new haus. Josh is building it on his dat’s farm, and he says I can decorate and furnish it any way I want. I always dreamt of putting the chairs in mei haus. Mammi left mei schweschder her hope chest, but she knew how much the rockers meant to me.” She blushed. “I’m sorry. I’m babbling.”

  “It’s fine. It’s gut to talk to you. It’s been a long time.”

  “Ya.” She nodded. “I haven’t seen you since last year, right? When some of our freinden went to the lake. Or was that two summers ago?”

  “I think so. You weren’t dating Josh then, were you?”

  She shook her head. “No. We’ve been together only a year.”

  “Oh.” Once again he took in her beautiful face. How did Josh convince Susie to marry him in a year? Of course, marriage was what Susie had wanted.

  Why did he care? It was none of his business. Not now.

  “I’ll bring those chairs to the store tomorrow.”

  “That would be perfect,” he told her.

  Josh returned and touched Susie’s arm. “I’m ready to go now,” he said.

  Leon said good-bye to the couple and then made his way to his buggy through the thinning crowd of mourners. He was sad about losing Charlie, but at the same time seeing Susie lifted his spirits—even though she was engaged to another man.

  Leon’s Sunday best now hung on a peg in the restroom, where he’d changed into his work clothes before stepping into the workroom at Lancaster Furniture Sales and Repair. His older brother, Ben, was working on a wingchair. “How was the funeral?”

  “Bedauerlich.” Leon took a bottle of water from the propane refrigerator at the back of the room, and then he went to his work area and hopped up on a stool. “Minerva Yoder is his fiancée, and she sobbed through most it. His mamm did too.”

  Ben blanched and sat down on a stool beside the chair he’d been repairing. “Ach, that had to be tough to see.”

  “It was.” Leon opened the bottle and took a long drink as his thoughts turned to Susie. She was still so stunning. Her red hair and striking eyes had made her the most alluring young woman in his youth group. It took him a year to work up the courage to ask her to be h
is girlfriend. He’d convinced himself she would say no, but she’d responded with an excited yes. In fact, she said she’d hoped he would ask her.

  Then after two years everything fell apart when she told him she wanted more out of their relationship. She wanted marriage, and he’d had no choice but to admit he wasn’t ready to take that step. He was only twenty-one. Almost before he knew it, they’d broken up.

  “Leon?”

  “Huh?” Leon’s gaze snapped to his brother.

  “Where did you go just now?”

  “Go?” Leon lifted an eyebrow.

  Ben laughed as he pointed at him. “You were lost in thought. What’s on your mind?”

  As he debated how much to share with his brother, Leon squeezed the bottle of water, which crinkled in protest.

  “You don’t have to tell me, little bruder.” Ben stood and returned to repairing a leg on the wingchair.

  Leon usually didn’t appreciate Ben’s little reminders that he was two years older. Strangers would have no idea which brother, both with the dark eyes and dark hair inherited from their father, was the eldest. But today he’d ignore his comment.

  “I’ll tell you.” Leon pushed off the stool. “I saw Susie at the cemetery.”

  “Susie?” Ben turned toward him. “Susie Bontrager?”

  “Ya.” Leon finished his water and tossed the bottle into the nearby trash can. “Josh Chupp was there too. They’re getting married in November, and they were at the funeral because Charlie was Josh’s cousin. Susie asked if she could bring her grandmother’s rocking chairs here for me to restain and repair, and I assured her she could. She wants to put them in her new haus.”

  He paused. “She looked really gut.”

  “Okay.” Ben sank down onto his stool. “Susie is getting married?”

  “Right.”

  “Then why are we even talking about her?”

  “We’re not. I’m just telling you she’s bringing in her rocking chairs.” Leon turned toward his work area and studied the bureau he’d started to sand before heading to the funeral. He pulled on his face mask, retrieved his sanding block, and set to work trying to erase Susie’s attractive smile from his mind.

  Then Ben appeared beside him, and Leon jumped with a start.

  “What?” Leon pulled off his mask and glared up at his brother.

  “Forget the rocking chairs. Do you still have feelings for Susie?”