The Dawn of Christmas: A Romance from the Heart of Amish Country Read online

  THE DAWN OF CHRISTMAS

  PUBLISHED BY WATERBROOK PRESS

  12265 Oracle Boulevard, Suite 200

  Colorado Springs, Colorado 80921

  The characters and events in this book are fictional, and any resemblance to actual persons or events is coincidental.

  Copyright © 2012 by Cindy Woodsmall

  Previously published as part of Christmas in Apple Ridge, copyright © 2012 by Cindy Woodsmall.

  Cover design by Mark D. Ford; cover photos: girl, Carie Hill; background, Dale Yoder

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

  Published in the United States by WaterBrook Multnomah, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House LLC, New York, a Penguin Random House Company.

  WATERBROOK and its deer colophon are registered trademarks of Random House LLC.

  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

  Woodsmall, Cindy.

  The dawn of Christmas : a romance from the heart of Amish country / Cindy Woodsmall.

  pages cm.

  eBook ISBN: 978-0-307-73214-9

  1. Single people—Fiction. 2. Amish—Fiction. 3. Christmas stories. I. Title.

  PS3623.O678D39 2013

  813′.6—dc23

  2013023137

  v3.1

  To our dear, lifelong friend Catherine Logan

  Your faith is strong and stalwart, yet you understand

  the winds of change that sweep through the soul.

  You’ve spent a lifetime going out of your way

  to help those who need or seek a transition.

  You’ve tirelessly planted seeds of hope and courage

  in every person blessed to come into contact with you,

  and since I was a teen, I’ve considered it a privilege to call you a friend.

  As my youth fades a little more each day,

  and I see the past with perfect clarity,

  I honor your wisdom and counsel and strength even more today.

  You own a piece of my heart.

  Contents

  Cover

  Title Page

  Copyright

  Dedication

  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

  Muffled voices drifted through the living room, but Sadie couldn’t make out the words. She sat in a ladder back, avoiding Daniel’s gaze by staring into a fireplace with its few fading embers. Family members, hers and Daniel’s, peered at her with eyes full of pity and shock.

  When Daniel had made his intentions known, folks whispered behind her back that little Sadie Yoder had finally snagged someone’s attention and she better hold on for dear life. She knew that was true, but she hadn’t cared what people thought, not one whit. Daniel Miller had moved to Brim from Tussey Mountain a year earlier, and he’d fallen in love.

  With her.

  Her, of all people. The one best known for being a quiet stick of a girl who caught no man’s eye.

  Every day that passed she’d thought her heart might explode from the joy of falling in love. When he’d asked her to marry him, well, she’d all but fainted from the excitement.

  Daniel wasn’t just any man. He was above her in every way. He was handsome and had a deep voice, strong shoulders, and a way of winning people’s respect. At twenty-four, only five years older than she, he already had an established horse-trading business. She’d fully believed in him and felt honored he’d chosen her.

  Now …

  She lifted her eyes to meet his, and heartbreak stole her breath. If her legs could carry her, she’d get up and walk out.

  “Forgive me.” Daniel’s lips barely moved, his whisper meant for no one but her. He looked as shocked and hurt by his behavior as she was.

  She turned her attention back to the stone fireplace. It stood silent, the pile of gray-and-black ashes smoldering from a fire that once burned hot. A perfect depiction of her life.

  A blur of crisp magenta folds swirled in front of her, and her cousin Aquilla knelt beside her chair. Aquilla’s perfect oval face radiated beauty. Her blond hair framed her head like a halo, and her green eyes were mesmerizing. And all of it was able to steal Daniel’s heart before Sadie caught a hint of what was happening.

  “Please, Sadie.”

  Please? What was Aquilla thinking? Did she hope Sadie could also be convinced of her lie? Or did she want Sadie to have the power to erase their betrayal? their indulgence? their sin?

  Daniel had been a perfect gentleman with Sadie, but what she’d witnessed less than an hour ago proved he was not unfamiliar with a woman’s body. She could still see his hands embracing Aquilla, caressing her in a way that would haunt Sadie for years.

  She had invited Aquilla two months ago to come from out of town to help prepare for the wedding. What a fool she’d been.

  Aquilla clasped her delicate hands over Sadie’s stained ones. “It wasn’t as it looked. I promise. You misunderstood.”

  That was a lie. One Aquilla had already repeated a few times, no doubt hoping it would save her from gossip and from looking like the betrayer she was. Sadie kept her gaze fixed on the fireplace, wishing she could escape like smoke up a chimney. Everyone would leave later, but how many would be unsure of what she’d actually seen? This would be her only chance to defend herself against Aquilla’s lies to Daniel’s family, but the words begged to stay hidden.

  A mere hour earlier Sadie had been making last-minute alterations to her wedding dress. As daylight grew faint, she’d needed a new propane tank for the gas pole light in her bedroom. She hadn’t even known Daniel had arrived for a visit. As she’d crossed the backyard, she’d breathed in the fall air and enjoyed the red and yellow leaves of maple and birch trees.

  Then she’d opened the shed door. In a moment of time, as quickly as the hope of being loved had come to her, it had fled. Every hope of marrying Daniel shattered. The laughter of their future children silenced.

  She’d run back to the house, fleeing a truth she could not escape. Once inside, she’d slammed the door tight, locked it, then fallen against the frame and wept. When she’d looked up, dozens of her relatives and Daniel’s were staring at her. She’d forgotten they were there to help prepare for her and Daniel’s wedding day.

  Daniel and Aquilla had pounded on the door, demanding she let them in.

  Sadie’s Daed had hurried to her, asking what was going on, and she’d whispered what she’d witnessed. The emotions that crossed her Daed’s face mirrored her own. He’d been the one to encourage the relationship, nudging the two of them together from the moment Daniel had arrived in the community. When Daed had opened the door to Aquilla and Daniel, Sadie had expected their guilt to be evident on their faces. But they’d looked only upset, and Aquilla’s first words were a
lie she didn’t even stumble over.

  Aquilla’s eyes had glistened with tears, and her angelic face radiated sincerity. “I fell off a stepladder, and he caught me.” She’d turned to face everyone in the room. “She’s insecure about Daniel, imagining her worst fears concerning him.” She’d wiped tears from her face. “Why would I want the only man she’s ever dated when I can date anyone I choose?”

  Immediately the heads of loved ones had begun to nod, and murmurs rippled through the room. Daniel had stood by quietly, neither denying nor confirming Aquilla’s account. Her cousin had skillfully planted doubt in everyone’s mind, and in so doing, Sadie felt what little strength she still possessed drain from her. It wasn’t Sadie’s nature to defend herself, to stir anger and resentment when the argument would still leave people unsure of who was right.

  If given time, would Daniel take up Aquilla’s lie too?

  Sadie closed her eyes, trying to reconcile what was happening with what was supposed to take place tomorrow. She pulled free of her cousin’s hand and rose, hoping her legs would not fail her. Standing mere feet from Daniel, she stared into his eyes, remembering how they’d grown so close over the past months, talking for hours, laughing at things only they shared. She studied him now. Who was this stranger? What did he see when he looked at her? Did his heart break for all he’d forsaken?

  He gazed at her. “I swear to you on my life, nothing like this has happened before or ever will again.”

  She was tempted to believe him. But how could she be sure? Did he mean what he said, or would he say anything to end this nightmare?

  She’d never know.

  What she did know was that her family believed she’d remain unwed forever if she didn’t marry Daniel. Even rebellious teens weren’t gawked at or gossiped about like a woman who had never married—at least until the woman was past thirty. Then everyone accepted her fate without further discussion.

  Daniel angled his head. “Don’t call off the wedding, Sadie,” he whispered. “It’ll cause a scandal. And there’s no sense in trying to weather that.”

  Visions of him with Aquilla tore at her again. His mouth pressed against Aquilla’s, his hands under her dress, roaming over her body. The pain struck again, so deep, so intense, Sadie longed to ease it. She only needed to nod, and he’d embrace her. Relief would rush through him and their families, and everyone would surround her with words of hope and encouragement. Her pain would ease.

  But would it ever go away?

  She feared not. Doubt would fade when she was in his arms, then grow as bright and scorching as an August sun when she wasn’t.

  Could she live with that? The seconds ticked by as she studied him, and anger grew in Daniel’s eyes.

  “Despite what you thought you saw,”—Daniel took a step back, talking loudly enough for most everyone to hear him—“Aquilla has told the truth, and I’m begging you not to call off the wedding over a misunderstanding.”

  His words hit hard, and she felt the weight of judgment from her family and his bear down on her. Trembling, Sadie struggled to catch her breath. She wasn’t strong enough to cope with a broken heart and the fallout of people’s disappointment in her if she chose to call off the wedding.

  But was she strong enough to marry a liar?

  Four years later

  Sadie rode in the front seat next to the hired driver. Her lips were pressed into a thin line. Summoned. Just like that. She’d been sent for.

  She held the letter from her parents, the one they had sent to her boss and trusted advisor. Loyd Farmer had given it to her mere hours ago, his elderly hands trembling in their usual manner.

  At least this mandatory family gathering wouldn’t be held at her parents’ or siblings’ homes in Brim. There would be no chance of encountering Daniel.

  Thankfully, she hadn’t been required to return home but a few times over the years. She could thank her Daed for that. He’d believed her about Daniel’s betrayal and had managed to stir up pity for her from the church leaders so they’d leave her alone, allow her to move away, and permit her to go on Mennonite mission trips. Normally, the church leaders would be heavily involved in an incident like the one with Sadie and Daniel and Aquilla. They’d hear all sides and render a verdict. If Sadie had been able to convince the church leaders of what she’d seen, the lovebirds would’ve been shunned for at least six weeks. But two things stood in her way: an eye for an eye wasn’t God’s way, and it was her word against Daniel’s. Aquilla would have verified Daniel’s account of that day. Sadie only had God as her witness. So rather than start a fight she couldn’t win, she put the matter in God’s hands. Her Daed had appealed to the leaders, telling them that whether Sadie saw Daniel and Aquilla together or simply thought she did, she was broken over her loss. Daed’s argument had been convincing enough that they’d let him have final say over Sadie. She respected her Daed for what he’d done, and she owed him a lot, but she liked who she had become because of the extra freedoms she enjoyed. She couldn’t give them up now.

  Still, her Daed had beckoned her, and in the blink of an eye, she was compelled to head to Apple Ridge, where her mother’s family lived. But this wasn’t a good weekend to be gone from her job as the floor manager of Farmers’ Five-and-Dime. Although they’d probably be fine without her, the Fourth of July weekend was one of their busiest times.

  One would think Sadie could get out of bending to her parents’ demands by now. With Loyd and Edna Farmer’s guidance and support, Sadie had moved into a house in Stone Creek with two Plain Mennonite girls and had gone to work for the Farmers in their variety store.

  Sadie had learned that the Stone Creek Mennonite group did mission work at a remote mountain village in Peru. She’d never expected to be able to go with them. It just wasn’t done in her community. But her Daed had not opposed her, and what Amish church leader would deny a broken woman the right to serve God by caring for those less fortunate?

  None, she’d discovered. Not a one—even if they were not sure what Sadie had seen that day in the shed.

  Since her Daed and the church leaders had given her so much leeway for four years, Sadie had expected by now to be free of having to buckle under her parents’ wishes. But the opposite seemed to be true. Her Daed had been writing to her more of late and calling her regularly, all with strongly worded pleas for her to return to her Amish roots and live under his roof.

  The letter in her hand bore a polite command from her Daed—and he’d sent it to her Mennonite employers. It was a shrewd move on her parents’ part. They knew Loyd and Edna would support them and that Sadie wouldn’t argue with the elderly couple. And her Daed had chosen neutral ground for what she believed to be the beginning of the latest battle to get her home. She took comfort in the fact that her parents had not pulled the church leaders into their struggle. If they had, she’d have been called home to Brim instead of to her grandmother’s place.

  The driver pulled onto Mammi Lee’s driveway. Sadie stared at the old house, dreading what lay ahead of her.

  She wasn’t the same dedicated-to-the-Amish woman they’d raised her to be, but she couldn’t tell them that. All she could do was aim to honor them to the best of her ability and hope her excuse of brokenness from Daniel’s betrayal would continue to give her the freedom she needed.

  Her Mamm came out of Mammi Lee’s house, a smile on her face and worry in her eyes. Sadie opened the car door, praying for wisdom and strength to get through the next three days and then return to the life she loved.

  She embraced her mother. The warmth radiating from Mamm brought tears to Sadie’s eyes. For a moment she wished that circumstances were different. But no, she would return to Stone Creek. The only question was whether she’d do so with peace and love reigning between her and her parents, or if they’d be at war. Of course, there was one other question …

  Whether she’d leave as a member in good standing with the Amish or be excommunicated.

  Levi stood at the kitchen counter, crackin
g two eggs simultaneously and dumping the yolks and whites into a bowl.

  “How do you always do that?” Tobias stood on his tiptoes, peering into the container.

  Levi tossed the shells into the sink, wiped his hands on the kitchen towel tucked into his pants, and passed him the last egg. “Try it.”

  Tobias smacked the egg against the bowl. Eggshell slid into the bowl while the contents oozed onto the countertop.

  Levi chuckled. “Close enough.” Running the flat of his hand across the counter, he scraped the mess into the bowl and dug out the pieces of eggshell. He rinsed his hands, dried them, and handed Tobias a fork. “Here, you scramble them.”

  With twelve eggs in the bowl, Tobias would be busy for a few minutes. In the meantime Levi started a flame under the camp-stove toaster and put four pieces of bread on it.

  Tobias gazed up at him, eyes shining. “I love you.”

  Levi tousled the boy’s hair. “You’d better, or no more eggs for you.”

  How could this sweet boy’s mother have left him so suddenly? If Levi could, he’d look her in the eye and demand an answer to that question. For a moment anger stirred, but he tried not to let it pull him under.

  The back door slammed. “Do I smell toast?”

  Tobias grinned at Levi’s brother. “And soon it’ll be eggs too!”

  Andy came into the room, both eyebrows raised. “Are you ever going to cook that boy anything but eggs?”

  “Nope. It’s healthy and easy.” Levi flipped the bread over, toasting the other side. “Like some smart guy once said, ‘If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.’ ”

  “No picking on Levi.” Tobias grinned. “I don’t know anybody that’s got an uncle like mine.”

  “Good answer.” Levi loved the kid. He was a pain in the neck at times, but Levi had never seen another like him.

  Andy peeled out of his dirty shirt and tossed it toward the doorway of the washroom, then moved to the sink and flicked on the water. “I’ll wash up and take over. You still have time to get cleaned up and make it to tonight’s singing.”