“Let me see!” Laughter bubbled up out of Lizzie as Paul led her through the door of their new haus.
Shortly after Paul had declared his intentions and acquired his Zeugnis from the church, with Joseph’s blessing, he and Lizzie had gotten married. Lizzie had insisted she only wanted family and close friends at the wedding—not the entire community—which had been fine with Paul. He thought they’d waited long enough.
Paul had finished the dining room table shortly after their wedding. And today he’d be showing his handiwork off to his new wife, who at the moment stood squirming in his arms. Chuckling, he said, “Lizzie, patience is a virtue.”
“Hmm.” She laughed again. “If I stand perfectly still, can I open my eyes?”
“Yes.”
Making sure she was standing in the right spot, at the head of the table, Paul said, “Okay. Open your eyes.”
She let out a gasp, her eyes widening. “Paul! It’s wunderbar!”
Moving around the table, she took in every inch of his work. The cherrywood top had been a splurge, even though he’d known that pine would be simple and plain, lasting years. Paul had wanted to give his Lizzie something that would last a lifetime. He wanted something that could be passed from generation to generation, long after they were gone to be with Gott.
Lizzie began tipping her head this way and that, and then bent to look underneath the table. He couldn’t imagine what she could be searching for.
“Lizzie?” he questioned her. “Is something wrong?”
“Nee. I’m looking for your mark.”
He walked around the table and joined her at the side. Taking her hand in his, he guided her fingers under the table, until they touched the spot where the small circle lay. Rubbing their fingers over the grooves of the brand, he felt the letters PB.
They sat down on one of the benches that had been a wedding gift from his family. Other than their bed, the dining set was the only furniture in their two-bedroom home.
“I have a gift for you, too.” Lizzie stood and then disappeared into the bedroom. She returned with a flat package.
“Open it.”
Paul tipped his head, giving her a curious look. He tore the tape off the wrapping, lifted the paper away and then gasped when he saw the watercolor.
“I know you loved that barn painting, and I destroyed it. Lucky for both of us, I remembered all the details.”
Running his fingers along the edges of the barnwood frame, he felt at a loss for words.
“Ben did the frame for me,” Lizzie admitted. “I thought we could hang this above the mantel in the living room.”
“I think that would be a fine place. I’m sorry the room is so empty.”
“Paul, I’m not worried about the furniture,” Lizzie assured him as she returned to her place next to him on the bench.
“If I’d had more time before our wedding, I could have made you some more furniture.”
Lizzie pulled him toward her and kissed him soundly on the mouth.
Lifting her head, she said, “It wouldn’t matter to me if our haus were empty, because as long as we are together, these walls will be filled with love.”
If you loved this story, check out these other books set in Amish country:
The Amish Widower’s Twins by Jo Ann Brown
His Suitable Amish Wife by Rebecca Kertz
A Perfect Amish Match by Vannetta Chapman
Her New Amish Family by Carrie Lighte
Available now from Love Inspired!
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Keep reading for an excerpt from Healing the Cowboy’s Heart by Ruth Logan Herne.
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