Harlequin Love Inspired March 2021--Box Set 2 of 2 by Patrice Lewis (best large ereader .txt) 📕

ironic thing is, my gift from Gott is I’m wonderful with babies. I can soothe any baby. I figured that out when I started babysitting for neighbors. Then I began getting hired as a mother’s helper for women who’d just had babies. I don’t like to think it’s hochmut that I’m so gut with bopplin, but it’s my gift. That’s why Levy asked me to care for little Mercy. But am I likely to have bopplin of my own? Nein…” Her voice rose.

“Jane, stop it.” Catherine spoke sternly. “You’re being melodramatic now. You don’t know what Gott has in store for you, but it’s not likely to be a life of minding other peoples’ babies. You’re only twenty-three. There’s plenty of time yet.”

“Easy for you to say…”

“Jane, do you remember your baptism?”

Startled at the abrupt change of subject, she stared at her aunt. “Of course.”

“Do you remember what you promised during the ceremony?”

“Ja, sure, I remember.”

“What did you promise?”

“To walk with Christ and His church, to remain faithful through life until death, to confess Jesus is the Son of Gott, to abide by the Ordnung and be obedient and submissive to it…” It wasn’t hard to rattle off the vows she’d taken, even though her baptism had been four years ago.

“Gut. You do remember. Then why are you failing to keep those vows?”

Jane’s jaw dropped open. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, you’re fighting Gott every step of the way. You fought Him when Isaac married your best friend. You fought Him over coming here to stay with us. You’re fighting Him now, by questioning your appearance and your talents.”

Chastened, Jane remained silent while she tried to process her aunt’s words. They stung. “So you’re saying it’s Gott’s will that I’m a spinster and likely to remain so?”

“I don’t presume to know Gott’s will. But—this is the thing you’re forgetting—neither do you.”

Tears welled up again, and one large one slid down her cheek and onto the table.

Catherine’s face softened. “You’re impatient, child. You want it all now and aren’t willing to wait for Gott to work according to His will, not yours.”

Jane heaved a huge and shuddering sigh. “You’re right, Tante Catherine. I have been railing against Gott. It’s just been so hard watching my sister and all my friends get married. Isaac and Hannah were the last straw.”

The older woman patted Jane’s hand. “Don’t think we aren’t thrilled to have you stay with us, no matter what difficulties you left behind in Jasper. But that’s all behind you now. You have a whole new life to look forward to here. You need to have more confidence in yourself, child.”

“I guess.” Jane wiped her eyes. “I can’t help but wonder if the people I’ve met so far are just being friendly because I’m new in town.”

“Nonsense. You’re not making friends out of pity, you’re making friends because people like you. New friends are gut to have. I’m glad to see you so outgoing.”

“It’s a struggle,” Jane admitted. “But Rhoda—she’s one of those new friends—told me I wouldn’t get to know everyone unless I went to youngie events. She’s right. I know I have to get out more, even if Levy doesn’t think so.”

Her aunt raised her eyebrows. “Levy doesn’t think it’s good for you to have friends?”

“Well nein, he didn’t quite say that. But he admitted he was projecting his sister’s behavior on me. He apologized later and said he kept thinking about how his sister was so sociable right before she disappeared.”

Catherine looked thoughtful. “Ach, poor man. And poor Eliza. He’s right, she was very sociable. I think he believes that’s when she started going down the wrong path. Most of the problem is he doesn’t know where she is or what she’s doing. The fact that she sent a baby for him to raise breaks his heart because he worries that the worst possible fate has befallen her.”

“I had a lot more sympathy for him after I envisioned how I would feel if any of my sisters left the community.” Jane sighed. “My problems seem a lot less important by comparison. I’ll try to have a better attitude, Tante. I don’t know what Gott has in store for me, but I’ll try to be more patient.”

* * *

Levy found himself looking forward to seeing Jane the next morning. He was determined to learn something about this mysterious past she’d alluded to.

But that would have to wait. He had work to do, and he felt the familiar stress arise as Mercy seemed inconsolable that morning, wailing without end.

Jane entered the house without knocking. “I could hear her crying from the road,” she observed. “Apparently those baby lessons I’ve been giving you haven’t sunk in yet.”

He handed over the baby, and as if on cue, Mercy quieted down right away. He shook his head. “I don’t know how you do it.”

“Then you need more lessons.” She gave him a cheerful smile. “Is there anything special you’d like for lunch?”

“Uh, no…” He thrust a hand through his hair. “You seem chipper this morning. Are you feeling okay?”

“Never better.” She gave him a sunny smile and turned toward the kitchen. “If I’m making butter this morning, maybe I’ll use some of it for biscuits with lunch. Biscuits and gravy. And maybe a potato casserole too.”

“Ja, that sounds gut.” He gave her a puzzled look and left the kitchen.

All morning as he hoed and weeded and picked and cultivated, he wondered about her change in attitude. Yesterday afternoon she seemed anxious. Today she was cheerful. What a mercurial woman she was.

“The man I loved married my best friend,” she’d said yesterday.

Evidently that had been painful enough to send her fleeing from the security of her hometown, her parents and siblings, her church.

He found himself wondering just how attached she still was to this man she’d loved.

Before he knew it, it was lunchtime. When he returned to the house, he entered the kitchen and saw newly churned butter in a bowl on the counter, and