Nursing His Heart
When Amish carpenter Samuel Bowman is injured in an accident, he fears heâll never see again. Heâs always provided for his familyâand now that itâs harvest season, the Bowmans are needed in the fields, not at his bedside. So when a young Amish widow becomes his nurse, Samuel expects Rebecca Miller to make his life easier. But his caregiver is bossy, outspoken and challenges him to move on with his life. Though Samuelâs sight is in question, he can plainly see the woman heâs come to care for wonât let herself love again. Now itâs Samuelâs turn to heal her heart.
âWill you marry again?â Samuel asked.
Rebecca wasnât sure how to answer Samuelâs question. It seemed that everyone had an opinion about whether she should or not, but how did she truly feel about it?
He waited patiently for her answer. Somehow, it was easier to express her feelings under the cover of darkness. She didnât have to school her features into blankness and pretend that she was content with the way life was. It was easy to confide in Samuel. Maybe it was because he couldnât see her face.
âI donât believe I will marry. I find great satisfaction caring for the sick among us. I can be useful and I like that.â
âA wife and mother does the same. There are many good men in our community.â
âI find it hard to imagine someone who could make me laugh the way Walter did. Itâs harder still to imagine going through life with someone who doesnât make me laugh. I donât think I could abide that.â
âThatâs understandable. Youâve played some good pranks yourself.â
She giggled. âIâm a bully. Say it like it is.â
âOkay, I agree with that.â
She enjoyed his teasing. Maybe too much. This Samuel was easy to like.
After thirty-five years as a nurse, PATRICIA DAVIDS hung up her stethoscope to become a full-time writer. She enjoys spending her free time visiting her grandchildren, doing some long-overdue yard work and traveling to research her story locations. She resides in Wichita, Kansas. Pat always enjoys hearing from her readers. You can visit her online at patriciadavids.com.
Saying, What wilt thou that I shall do unto thee? And he said, Lord, that I may receive my sight. And Jesus said unto him, Receive thy sight:
thy faith hath saved thee.
âLuke 18:41â42
This book is lovingly dedicated
to my grandson Josh.
Of all the things in life that make it
worth living, your smile is at the top of my list.
May God bless and keep you always.
Grandma Pat
Chapter One
âDonât do this to me now!â
Samuel Bowman yanked his chisel away from the half-finished table leg rotating on the lathe in front of him as it spun to an untimely stop. Laying his tool aside with care that belied his frustration, he brushed away the loose ribbons of wood shavings to make sure he hadnât marred the piece. It was the last leg for a special table. An intricate piece, it had to be finished this morning if he was going to have the set completed on time.
âWhatâs wrong, brudder?â Timothy, Samuelâs second brother, paused on his way past. He held a cardboard box full of hand-carved wooden toys. Also a skilled woodworker, Timothyâs designs were simpler and more modern than Samuelâs.
âThe lathe quit.â A breakdown was the last thing Samuel needed. He murmured a prayer and held his breath as he flipped the machineâs switch off and then back on. Nothing.
Timothy grimaced in sympathy. âLet me get these to the gift shop, and Iâll take a look at it. Mother has a lady who wants to see a few more of my samples. Canât keep the Englisch customers waiting. Is that the table for the Cincinnati dealer?â
âJa, and it has to be finished today. I need the lathe working.â
âDonât worry. It will all get done on time. Iâll look at it when I get back.â Timothy went out the woodworking shopâs front door.
It was all well and good that Timothy thought the table would get done. He didnât have to do it. There was more than Samuelâs reputation for prompt work hanging in the balance. His father had invested the last of the familyâs savings in this venture to expand their shop and add the showroom area now packed with Samuelâs finished works. The family badly needed the money a contract for future sales to the high-end furniture store would generate.
Amish-made furniture was always in demand and Samuel was one of the most skilled carvers in the area. It was his God-given gift, and he put it to good use. Up until now, heâd only sold his work locally from the familyâs gift shop. But their Amish community of Bowmans Crossing was off the beaten path. Few tourists ventured into the area. Samuel knew he needed to reach a bigger market if the family operation was going to expand. With five sons and only enough farmland to support one family, the woodworking business needed to grow, and quickly, or his brothers would have to look elsewhere for work.