Finding Refuge
Shunned by the Amish community, shepherd Carl King has given up on his dream for a family. Yet when captivating Lizzie Barkman shows up at the sheep farm where he works, Carl sees the wife he once dreamed of. Lizzie is looking for a new start, for herself and her sisters, and discovers Carl to be a kind and gentle man who cares deeply about the Amish way of life. But he is under the bann. Is it possible that this forbidden man holds the key to her familyâs safetyâand the one to her heart?
Brides of Amish Country: Finding true love in the land of the Plain People
âIs it time for me to bring in more sheep?â Lizzie asked.
âItâs time for a rest and some lunch.â
She grimaced as she rubbed her hands together. âI had no idea their wool could be so greasy.â
âItâs lanolin. It gives you soft skin.â Carl held out his hand. She ran her fingers across his palm. He inhaled sharply as his heart beat faster.
She mustâve sensed something, because her gaze locked with his. He wanted more than the brief touch of her fingers. He wanted to hold her hand. To reach out and pull her close. He wanted to learn everything there was to know about this amazing woman.
She quickly turned away. âIâd better get something ready for lunch. I hope cold sandwiches will be okay.â
âThat will be fine.â
âGoot.â
He watched her hurry away and wished he had a reason to call her back.
Chapter One
âYou canât be serious.â Lizzie Barkman gaped at her older sister, Clara, in shock.
Seated on the edge of the bed in the room the four Barkman sisters shared, Clara kept her eyes downcast. âItâs not such a bad thing.â
Lizzie fell to her knees beside Clara and took hold of her icy hands. âItâs not a bad thing. Itâs a horrible thing. You canât marry Rufus Kuhns. Heâs put two wives in the ground already. Besides, heâs thirty years older than you are.â
âOnkel wishes this.â
âThen our uncle is crazy!â
Clara glanced fearfully at the door. âHush. Do not earn a beating for my sake, sister.â
Lizzie wasnât eager to feel the sting of their uncleâs wooden rod across her back, but it was outrageous to imagine lovely, meek Clara paired with such an odious man. âTell Onkel Morris you wonât do it.â
âHe wonât go against Rufusâs wishes. Heâs too scared of losing our jobs and this house.â
It was true. Their uncle wouldnât oppose Rufus. He didnât have the courage. Rufus Kuhns was a wealthy member of their small Plain community in northern Indiana. He owned the dairy farm where they all worked for the paltry wages he paid. He claimed that letting them live in the run-down house on his property more than made up for their low salaries. The house was little more than a hovel, although the girls tried their best to make it a home.
âOnkel says it is his duty to see us all wed. Iâm twenty-five with no prospects. Iâm afraid he is right about that.â
The single women in their isolated Amish community outnumbered the single men three to one. Lizzie was twenty-three with no prospects in sight, either. Who would her uncle decide she should marry?
âBeing single isnât such a bad thing, Clara. Look at my friend Mary Miller, the schoolteacher. She is happy enough.â
Clara managed a smile. âItâs all right, Lizzie. At least this way I have the hope of children of my own. If God wills it.â
It hurt to see Clara so ready to accept her fate. Lizzie wouldnât give up so easily. âRufus had no children with his previous wives. You donât have to do this. We can move away and support ourselves by making cheese to sell to the tourists. Weâll grow old together and take care of each other.â
Clara cupped Lizzieâs cheek. âYou are such a dreamer. What will happen to our little sisters if we do that?â
Greta and Betsy were outside finishing the evening milking. At seventeen, Betsy was the youngest. Greta was nearly twenty. They all worked hard on the dairy farm. With twenty-five cows to be milked by hand twice a day, there was more than enough work to go around. Without Clara and Lizzie to carry their share of the load, the burden on their sisters would double, for their uncle wouldnât pick up the slack.