A Mother for His Children

FROM AMISH NANNY TO BRIDE?

After her sweetheart’s betrayal, Ruthy Mummert leaves behind the small-town gossip of her Amish community for the first opportunity she can find: a housekeeper position in faraway LaGrange County, Indiana. Ruthy didn’t realize the job meant caring for ten children—and for their handsome widowed father.

To Levi Zook’s mind, Ruthy is too young and too pretty to be anyone’s housekeeper. A marriage of convenience will protect her reputation and give his children the security they dearly need. But it could also give them the courage to grasp a new chance at happiness—if Ruthy is willing to risk her wounded heart once more.

“Why, Levi Zook? Why do you need me to stay? Why would you marry me to keep me from leaving?”

What could he tell her? He liked her, but more than that, he needed her to keep his family together. He cast about in his mind for reasons—what could he say that would convince her?

“I… Well, there’s Eliza. She still wants me to send Nellie and Nancy to her.”

“It would break their hearts to leave you.”

Levi nodded. “With you here, they have a mother, do you see?”

Ruth turned back to the stove, her shoulders slumped. “Ja, I see. That’s a good reason, I suppose.”

A thrill of hope ran through Levi. Would she agree to be his wife?

“We would make a good family—you and I…”

“And the children.”

“Ja, of course.” Levi sighed. This conversation wasn’t going the way he had wanted it to, not

at all. Why couldn’t he tell her how she made him feel?

JAN DREXLER

A recent graduate from Homeschool Mom-hood, Jan Drexler devotes her time to the voices in her head who have been clamoring for attention during the past few decades. Instead of declining Latin nouns and reviewing rhetorical devices, her days are now spent at the computer, where she gives her characters free rein.

She lives in the Black Hills of South Dakota with her husband of thirty years, their four adult children, an extremely furry Husky, and Maggie, the cat who thinks she’s a dog. If she isn’t sitting at her computer living the lives of her characters, she’s probably hiking in the Hills or the Badlands, enjoying the spectacular scenery.

A Mother for His Children

Jan Drexler

www.millsandboon.co.uk

And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.

—Mark 11:25

For my aunts: Martha, Waneta and Nancy.

You taught me what a joy it would be to have sisters!

And with special thanks to Dawn Field, DVM, who was willing to discuss the details of calves and cows over lunch.

Soli Deo Gloria

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

Introduction

About the Author

Title Page

Bible Verse

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

Chapter Twenty-Three

Dear Reader

Questions for Discussion

Extract

Copyright

Chapter One

Shipshewana, Indiana

January, 1937

“She’s old. Dat said so.”

“Ja. Old and mean.”

“Old and mean, and she has a big nose.”

Levi Zook gave his four younger boys a meaningful glare before David could add to the list. “We don’t know what she looks like, but she sounded nice enough in her letters.”

The notes Levi had exchanged with his new housekeeper from Lancaster County had been all business, but the letter of recommendation he received from the bishop in Bird-in-Hand had held the description he hoped for. The bishop had used words like competent, faithful and dedicated, all qualities he welcomed in a housekeeper. He could picture her in his mind: slightly plump, eager to please, gray hair and a face lined with comfortable wrinkles. A grandmotherly type who could teach his daughters the way to keep house.

His youngest son, five-year-old Sam, bounced on his toes in anticipation when he heard the train blow its whistle at the edge of town. Clouds of steam rose in the air above the stark, black tree limbs as the train slowed. All four boys pressed forward to be the first to see the engine as it rounded the last curve before arriving at the Shipshewana depot.

A good half foot taller than the crowd of people on the platform, Levi watched the train rumble over the crossing at Morton Street. Three passenger cars followed the tender. Behind them, freight car doors slid open as furtive figures jumped from the train to disappear between the grain elevator and Smith’s machine shop. Hobos. Tramps. Even on such a frozen day as this. Levi hunched his shoulders at the thought of how cold those men must be as they searched for food and shelter for the night. He doubted if any of them would make it as far as his farm. In weather like this, the men looked for handouts or jobs closer to town.

The squeal of metal grinding on metal brought him back to the passenger cars. He ducked to see into the windows, but all he could see were Englischer faces. No Amish bonnet.