A Wife for Jacob

His Perfect Bride

Jacob Lapp has loved Annie Zook since childhood. But she’s never seen him that way. Once courted—then rejected—by his older brother, Annie’s wary of the Lapp men. But now that Jacob is working at her dat’s blacksmith shop, he feels he’s been given a second chance. It’s no secret Annie wants a husband. Yet she’s intent on marrying someone older, more established—someone the opposite of Jacob. Can he ever break down the walls she’s forged around her fragile heart and prove to her that he’s the perfect man for her?

Lancaster County Weddings: Binding two hearts as one in Amish country

“Why do ya want only an older man?” Jacob asked.

“Don’t ya want someone who’ll cherish you?”

She flashed him a look, startled by the intensity of his golden gaze. Cherish? She was hoping for someone who would be happy to have her to wife. She would feel blessed to be cherished by her husband, but she doubted that would ever happen.

“Younger men don’t want me.” Annie felt her face heat. “I can trust an older man.”

“What about me?” Jacob asked.

“You? What about you?”

“Don’t you trust me?”

Annie grew flustered as she felt his gaze. “I trust you,” she hedged, wondering where the conversation was leading. “We are friends—” He shifted in his seat, and Annie saw him wince. “I’m sorry. Your hand is hurting you.”

“I’m fine,” he insisted, but his pale features said otherwise.

Was Jacob actually suggesting that she consider him as someone who could be more than a friend? Had he been serious? Testing her? Teasing her? Now that he had put the idea in her mind, she had trouble dismissing it. They were friends, she reminded herself.

REBECCA KERTZ was first introduced to the Amish when her husband took a job with an Amish construction crew. She enjoyed watching the Amish foreman’s children at play and swapping recipes with his wife. Rebecca resides in Delaware with her husband and dog. She has a strong faith in God and feels blessed to have family nearby. Besides writing, she enjoys reading, doing crafts and visiting Lancaster County.

A Wife for Jacob

Rebecca Kertz

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.

—1 John 4:7

For my dearest husband,

whom I love with all of my heart… I feel blessed that I met and married you.

Table of Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

Introduction

Dear Reader

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

Epilogue

Extract

Copyright

Chapter One

Lancaster County, Pennsylvania

The windows were open, allowing the warm breeze of early autumn to flow throughout the two-story farmhouse. Anna Zook sat in the family gathering room, folding laundry from a basket of line-dried clothes. She pulled out her youngest brother Peter’s light blue shirt, held it up for inspection and then laid it across the back of the sofa.

It was quiet. Her mother, Peter and her sister Barbara had taken her grandparents up north to see her grossmudder’s sister, Evie, in New Wilmington, an Amish community north of Pittsburgh. Her older brother Josiah had left early this morning to visit the Amos Kings, most particularly his new sweetheart, Nancy. Dat was making some repairs to the grosseldre’s house while her grandparents were away.

As she reached into the basket for another garment, Annie glanced at Millie, sleeping on the floor not far from her feet. Every day she thanked the Lord that Dat allowed her to keep her dog inside the house instead of out in the barn where the other animals were kept. In her community, most pets were excluded from homes, but Millie was special, at least to Annie. And her father was kind to understand what Millie meant to her.

She spread an apron on the cushion beside her, smoothing out the wrinkles before laying it on top of Peter’s shirt. Millie lifted her head and eyed Annie briefly before closing her eyes and lying back down. Annie smiled tenderly at the animal. Millie was a black-and-white mongrel—“mutt” Peter called her—with soulful brown eyes and a mouth that looked as if she were smiling whenever she sat up, panting for a treat. She loved Millie; the dog gave her unconditional affection, following her wherever she went. It had been Millie who had helped her get over the heartache and loss of Jedidiah Lapp. When he’d talked of being friends, she’d known he was telling her that he was no longer interested in her as his sweetheart.

I’ll not be hurt again, she thought. Only by marrying for practical reasons would she keep her heart safe. I’ll wed a church elder or a widower with children, someone who will appreciate me and be happy to have me as his bride. Then after the wedding, she would learn to become fond of her husband. No handsome young man would hurt her again.