Jennie heard a deep chuckle behind her as she dropped her hammer—for the third time. Startled, the nail she’d been holding fell from her fingers and skittered across the plywood floor.
Luke strode farther into the room and stooped to pick up the nail. He flashed her a grin, humor dancing in his eyes. “I guess I should pick it up for you, since I’m the reason you dropped it.”
“Yeah, you should.” She propped a hand on her hips but couldn’t maintain her outraged posture for too long. Too much joy was soaring through her body today.
“Ach, Jennie girl, this haus will never be ready in time for the Hoppers to move in if you keep dropping hammers and losing nails,” Onkel Jed called out from the door.
She didn’t take him too seriously. Not when she could clearly see the shine of his grinning teeth tucked inside of his long gray beard.
He continued, “Maybe we ought to put you back on painting detail, like we did back when you were a kind.”
She snorted, but then ruined it by laughing at herself. They did have a point. Truth be told, she preferred painting, anyway. “You could be right.”
“He is not,” Luke asserted. “I think you’ve been a huge help.”
“That’s only because you like having your frau by your side all the time.” Raymond sauntered into the room. His own beard was starting to come in.
Jennie and Luke had been together as husband and wife for nearly six months. She’d had to take the time to learn about the Amish and join the church. Once she did, Luke had made short work of going through an Amish wedding ceremony. They had attended Raymond’s wedding to Mary Ellen last month.
Jennie loved having a large family around her. And it was made even better knowing that Aiden and his family were welcome to visit.
Aiden and Luke had hit it off immediately. Of course, her older brother was bound to approve of any man that risked his own life to protect Jennie and LJ.
“Let’s take a break,” Onkel Jed called out. “It’s lunchtime.”
Luke walked over and put his hands around Jennie’s waist, lifting her off her ladder and setting her to the ground. Jennie squealed in surprise. He smiled, and if his hands lingered on her waist a moment longer than necessary, no one seemed to notice.
Hand in hand, they walked outside to where the other workers were coming to join them. LJ ran over to her side. She couldn’t help the smile that stretched across her face as her little man scooted in between her and Luke. He was adorable in his dark trousers and straw hat. A perfect little Amish boy. He peeked up at Luke and tried to match his expression and stance. It warmed her heart to see LJ try to emulate his father.
She didn’t blame him. She couldn’t think of a single man who was more admirable than her beloved husband. In her mind, he was everything a husband and father should be. Caring, strong and, most important, he put God first, always.
“Do you ever regret moving back to this part of the state?” she asked Luke softly as they were making their way back to their own house. They’d danced around the subject several times, but she’d never gotten up the courage to ask. Maybe because she wasn’t sure she wanted to hear the answer. And Luke would never lie to her, not even if he thought his answer would upset her.
She peeked in the back. The sway of the buggy had already lulled LJ off to sleep. He’d played hard all day with the other children. After the terrifying time they’d spent when Steve was after them, he’d had nightmares for several months. Plus, he’d become overly clingy. All she had to do was step out of the room, and he’d start shrieking her name. Nearly a year later, seeing him laugh without fear and watching him go off to play without glancing back over his shoulder was a huge relief.
Luke patted her hand with his before putting it back on the reins. “I don’t regret it. My mamm and daed are fine. Simon took over the haus when they moved in the dawdi haus, and they have the grandchildren to keep them busy.”
She nodded. “I know. I just worry because both you and Raymond moved to Meadville to work with Onkel Jed. I hope they don’t blame me.” There. It was out. She’d finally said what had really bothered her.
She didn’t think they did. But it still concerned her.
“Nee, don’t you worry, Jennie. Mamm and Daed love you, they do. And LJ, too.” He steered the mare left to go down their road.
The scent of dust caught her nostrils. She was beginning to enjoy the smell because it meant home.
“They always knew that I didn’t belong in New Wilmington,” he went on. “When I had come back, they were just relieved that I was Amish again. When you and I moved here, they didn’t need to worry that I would be drawn to the Englisch way of life. My heart was completely taken up with you and our son.”
Sighing, she leaned her head against his strong shoulder, feeling his muscles move as he continued to direct the mare into their driveway.
“Don’t forget your mission work.”
“Jah. That was the work Gott put on my heart. They would never fight against His will. The fact that I am able to do Gott’s work with my wife and my son, not to mention my closest brother, at my side, well, that is a great blessing in my life.”
He stopped the buggy to let her off at the side porch. She gathered LJ into her arms.
“Do you need me to carry him?” he whispered.
She shook her head. “Nah. He’s soon going to be too big for me, but I can still handle him.”
She’d miss it when she could no longer carry her boy. A smirk edged onto her face. Although, there would be others. Very soon.
When Luke came in for the night, she watched him as he hung his hat by the back door. There was still light coming in the front windows, although it was fading fast.
“Want to watch the sunset?” she asked.
In response, he laced his fingers with hers and opened the front door. They stepped out onto the porch. She inhaled deeply. The lilacs were fragrant this evening.
Luke stepped behind her and wrapped his arms around her middle. His chin rested on her white kapp. She sighed, content.
“Hey, Luke?”
“Hmm?”
“I’ve been thinking about what we were talking about earlier. You know, about how LJ is going to be too big for me to carry soon.”
“Jah?” He kissed the top of her head. She could feel the warmth through her kapp. How she loved this man!
“Well, I think that I’m going to have to stop carrying him in about three months.”
“Huh?” He moved his arms and came to stand beside her. “What does three months have to do with it? We have no way of knowing how much he’ll grow in that time.”
“True.” She ducked her head to hide the grin threatening to break loose. “However, I’ll be too big probably.”
She let that sentence settle into the silence between them. The expectancy in the air was almost tangible.
After about thirty seconds, she dared to peep up at Luke. His eyes were wide and glistening. Seeing him so close to tears, she had to fight back her own.
“Jennie? Are you?” His voice was hoarse.
She nodded. “I am. Nearly two months along.”
He shook his head even as a smile bloomed across his face. A tear tracked down his cheek, but he didn’t appear to be aware of it. His right hand moved to rest across her belly. “A boppli.”
“Yes, we’re going to have a baby.”
“I never got to see LJ as a baby.”
That nearly broke her heart. “I know. But you’ll see this one, every step of the way. And LJ will be such a great big brother.”
They stood for a few minutes in silence, just happy to be in each other’s presence. Suddenly, Luke was half laughing, half growling.
“What?”
He stood back to stare into her face. “I’m so happy about this, all I want to do is go to tell Raymond, and my onkel and everyone the news. But it’s not the Amish way.”
Jennie bit her lip. She remembered his cousin had had a baby a month ago. She’d suspected the woman was carrying, but no one had said anything until the baby was actually born. Even the brothers and sisters weren’t told. “Okay, I know it’s not the Amish way, but I really want to tell Aiden and Sophie.”
“Of course! That should be fine. They’re not Amish. I don’t expect they’ll be telling anyone around here.”
When he held out his arms, she slipped into them. Tilting her head back so she could peer up into his face, she smiled. “God has blessed us so much, Luke. I don’t have the words to say how happy I am at this moment. Or to say how very much I love you.”
“Who needs words?” Her husband bent his head to kiss her, showing her without words that he, too, loved her beyond words.
If you enjoyed this book, don’t miss the other heart-stopping Amish adventures from Dana R. Lynn’s Amish Country Justice series:
Plain Target
Plain Retribution
Amish Christmas Abduction
Amish Country Ambush
Amish Christmas Emergency
Guarding the Amish Midwife
Hidden in Amish Country
Plain Refuge
Find more great reads at www.LoveInspired.com.
Keep reading for an excerpt from Christmas Protection Detail by Terri Reed.