His Love Endures Forever

Twenty-Four




LEVI HELD HIS BREATH AS DANIELLE SCREAMED. The room was filled with people—the on-call doctor, a grayhaired man with black-rimmed glasses, the same blond nurse, as well as two others. One of the women had pushed in an incubator, and the doctor had already warned them that they would be taking Joshua by helicopter to the nearest neonatal intensive care unit if there were any problems.

Levi felt woozy as he stepped back from Danielle. She didn’t even seem to know if he was there or not, and every minute or so, she howled like a wild animal. Levi just wished someone would tell him what to do. He couldn’t stand to see her in such pain, but he was scared to leave her. “Should I go?” he asked the nearest nurse.

“No, honey,” the older woman said, patting him on the arm. “Go ahead and move around here. You should be able to see the head soon.”

Levi wished he was outside the room, like his father had been. “Nee, nee. That’s okay.” He took a step backward, away from Danielle, but she screamed . . . calling his name this time.

“I’m here,” he said as he stepped up again. He reached for her hand. “I’m here.”

“Don’t go! Don’t leave me!”

“I’m not. I’ll stay right here.” He tried to keep his hand steady as he reached for hers.

The blond nurse said, “Go ahead and push with the next contraction, Danielle.” She nodded to Levi. “Sure you don’t want to come watch?”

Levi shook his head, glancing down at the yellow gown they’d had him throw over his clothes, and wondered where he’d left his hat. And he wondered if Matthew was here. How small would Joshua be? Would he be healthy? Was Danielle going to survive this? He’d never heard anyone scream the way she was now.

Then the nurses gathered at the end of the bed, flanking the doctor, and Danielle gritted her teeth, bearing down through the next contraction, and her screams turned to moans in between.

“Here he comes,” the doctor said. “You’re doing a great job, Danielle. Once more, and you should have your baby in your arms.” He stared at the monitor, watching her contraction build. “Get ready . . .”

Levi stroked her cheek and watched as her face grew red from the effort of pushing. When her head fell back against the pillow, he glanced toward the doctor again, just in time to see him cut the umbilical cord and hand Joshua to one of the nurses.

He was so tiny.

But there was no crying, and the doctor and nurses moved in a flurry to a table where they laid Joshua down, keeping their backs to him and Danielle.

“Is he okay? Why isn’t he crying?” Danielle cried, her questions coming in tired gasps. “Tell me. Is he okay?”

Then Levi’s world stopped spinning for a moment as this new life let go with a wail and everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

“There we go.” The doctor’s words rang through the room. “That’s what I like to hear. Let me just give his lungs a quick listen.” The nurses parted, and Levi and Danielle could see him bend over the tiny, red, squalling babe and listen to his chest with a stethoscope. Then, smiling, he handed the baby to a nurse, and she brought him over and laid him in Danielle’s arms. Levi looked down at the tiny little person he’d talked to for months. Joshua was swaddled in a blue blanket, his face red, his eyes barely open . . . until he heard Danielle’s voice. When mother and son met eyes, Levi swallowed back the lump in his throat. Oh, Lord, what a miracle.

Danielle kept her eyes on the small bundle for another minute before she looked up at Levi. “Our Joshua.” She smiled in a way that Levi would remember for the rest of his life. “Isn’t he beautiful?”

Levi couldn’t take his eyes from the baby. “He’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.”

Then Joshua looked toward him, and a tear slid down Levi’s cheek.

“We have to take him now. He’s very small, only a little over four pounds.” The doctor had already excused himself to go down the hall to check on another patient, and the nurse reached for Joshua. “We’ll keep a close eye on him, but overall he looks to be doing quite well.”

Danielle reluctantly handed him over to the nurse, and awhile later, the room was clear. Levi knew that Martha would arrive soon, and he wanted to enjoy this moment with his wife.

“He’s perfect.” Levi leaned down and kissed her.

“He is, isn’t he?” Danielle pushed back her hair, still sweaty from all her hard work. “Can you believe how small he is?”

“He’ll grow fast.” Levi kissed her again. There’d been so much going on that he’d postponed his worry about Matthew, but now that things were calming down, he was sure that the man must be lurking around somewhere.

His son had just been born.


AN HOUR LATER, Vera stared through the large glass window into a room that held three premature babies, each in their own incubator. Two of the babies had tiny tubes in their mouths, and Vera was sure one of them could have fit in the palm of her hand. She was glad that Joshua was the largest of the three and that he didn’t require any tubes in his mouth.

“The doctor said he’s doing gut.”

Vera turned to see Levi standing next to her, looking as proud as any father would be, and it warmed her heart. She still hadn’t seen Matthew or his mother again, and that left her a bit uneasy, as if they might pounce at any moment.

“He’s a beautiful child.” Vera gazed upon the bundle with her son.

“Ya.” Levi paused, and Vera glanced his way. “It was something. I mean, being there and watching him be born.”

She touched her son’s arm when his voice cracked. “A true miracle.”

Levi took a deep breath. “Where is everyone?”

“They all left and said they would be back to visit tomorrow. Except for Martha. She went downstairs to get something to eat with Arnold.” She turned to Levi. “I bet you haven’t eaten today. You should get something too.”

Levi shook his head. “No, I’m going back to Danielle. I don’t want to leave her, and—”

“I will go to be with Danielle. I’m sure she’s going to eat her dinner when they bring it in.” Vera smiled. “After all that hard work, she’s probably starving.” She waved a hand at him. “Scoot. Go eat. I’ll stay with her.”

“Danki, Mamm.” Levi smiled, then walked down the hall and toward the exit. He was crossing through the main lobby when he heard a woman’s voice.

“Please, Matthew. Please.”

Levi eased to a halt and slowly turned around. A woman dressed in an Amish prayer covering and long blue dress had a coat and bonnet in her hands, and she was facing a man about Levi’s age. The fellow was wearing blue jeans, tennis shoes, a black coat, and a black hat. He looked half-Amish, half-Englisch. Levi walked toward them. He slowed as he got closer, listening.

“Please don’t do this. He is your child. Go see him. You will change your mind.”

Levi didn’t move as the woman went on. She was crying. “How can you do this?”

“Mamm, you shouldn’t have dragged me here.”

“But you said you wanted to be in the boppli’s life. When you came back, you said you would be a father. Matthew, you said all those things, and—”

“I know, Mamm.” Matthew hung his head for a moment before he looked back up at his mother. “I know what I said. And I was trying to make you happy, and I thought I could do this. But this was never part of my plan.”

“But it’s God’s plan for you. He is your child, Matthew.” The woman brought her hands to her face, weeping. When she looked back up, she said, “I wish your father was here.” She shook her head, still crying. “He’d surely talk some sense into you.”

Levi edged closer, and Matthew eyed him.

“Matthew? Matthew Lapp?” Levi’s heart was pounding out of his chest.

“Ya?”

“I’m Levi Detweiler.” It took everything in Levi’s power to extend his hand to Matthew, but in his heart, he knew he had to.

Matthew slowly reached out, and the handshake was brief.

“I will excuse myself.” Mrs. Lapp covered her mouth with one hand and hurried away.

“Do you want to see the boppli?” Levi struggled to keep his voice steady.

Matthew hung his head. “Nee.” He looked up. “I’m not worthy.”

Levi didn’t say anything for a moment as he silently asked God to keep bitterness from his heart and to guide his words. “None of us are worthy.”

Matthew stared at Levi for a moment. “I reckon you think I’m selfish, leaving Danielle and the boppli?”

Levi didn’t like hearing him say Danielle’s name, and he didn’t care if the man left and never came back, but something deep within him begged him to recognize Matthew’s own hurt. “I’m not one to judge you. Only God can do that.”

“I’m sure He has.” Matthew shoved his hands in his pockets and looked at the white speckled tile beneath their feet.

“Danielle named him Joshua.”

Matthew’s eyes softened, as if he recognized the significance of the name. “I don’t like that I’m the kind of man who would do this. I came back to the valley to claim mei sohn, to make you step aside and let me be a father to him. But now that I’m here, and the boppli is here . . .” Matthew shrugged.

Levi swallowed hard but waited for him to go on.

“You will raise him as your own?” Matthew lifted his chin, and he focused worried eyes on Levi.

“I will.”

Matthew glanced at his mother, across the waiting room. The woman sat on a couch, her head buried in her hands. Then he looked back at Levi. “Give Joshua your last name. Give him a gut home and a gut life.”

Before Levi could answer, Matthew turned on his heel and quickly went through the automatic doors that led to the parking lot. His mother rose and quickly followed him, calling his name.

Levi went back to the elevator. He’d lost his appetite, and he wanted to be with his wife.

And to have another look at his son.


IT WAS LATER in the afternoon when Vera told Danielle and Levi good-bye. Martha and Arnold were back in the cafeteria, and Vera told them she’d meet them there. Vera was sure that no one ate as often as those two. The hospital had said that Levi could stay in the reclining chair in Danielle’s room.

“I will have Wayne bring me for a visit tomorrow.” She kissed Levi on the forehead, then leaned down and kissed Danielle on the cheek. She was in the doorway when she paused, remembering. “Have you chosen a middle name for Joshua?”

Levi shook his head, but Danielle spoke up. “I’d like to name him Joshua Abraham.” Danielle smiled, and Levi’s face lit up.

Vera put a hand to her chest, smiling, remembering the day she’d given Levi the name Levi Abraham. “How gut. How very, very gut.” She blew them a kiss and left.

On her way to the lobby, she thanked God for the blessing of Joshua. He was tiny, but healthy, and she couldn’t ever remember seeing Levi glow the way he did when he gazed upon or spoke of the child. Her son had already told her about the visit with Matthew, and Vera knew that she should feel relief in her heart, but there was a sadness she couldn’t quite identify.

She crossed the lobby and was almost out the door when she noticed Anna Marie sitting in a chair in the corner. The woman was just staring across the room.

“Anna Marie?” Vera approached slowly.

Anna Marie looked up at Vera with tired, swollen eyes. “I know I need to go home, but I just . . .” She smiled a bit. “I can’t seem to bring myself to call the driver.”

“Where is Matthew?” Vera sat down beside her.

“He is gone.” She looked up at Vera. “And I have no more tears.” But a tear trailed down her cheek anyway.

Vera wasn’t sure what to say. She knew how devastated she would be if Levi had fled the community. She’d learned to live with the fact that Levi wasn’t Amish, but her heart would have broken in two if he’d given up his birthright and gone to live far away. “I know you are going to miss him terribly.”

“Ya.” She stood up and gazed into Vera’s eyes. “I know this isn’t the way you wanted things, but I will trust and pray that you will be a gut mammi to the boppli.”

Guilt wrapped around Vera as she thought back to her visit with Anna Marie, and how desperate she was to have Levi removed from this situation. Then there would have been no Joshua in her life. “I will,” she said softly.

Anna Marie rushed toward the door.

“Wait!” Vera called out to her, the way the Lord had just called to Vera.

Anna Marie turned around, and Vera walked to her. “Come on.” She looped her arm in Anna Marie’s.

“What?”

Vera smiled and said firmly, “Let’s go see our grandchild.” She pulled Anna Marie along, and a few moments later, as they stood outside the window of the nursery, Anna Marie cried as she gazed upon her grandchild for the first time.

“He is beautiful, no?” Anna Marie dabbed at her eyes.

“Ya, he is.” Vera reached for Anna Marie’s hand and squeezed. “And he will be very much loved with all of us in his life.”

Anna Marie cried harder, and Vera couldn’t believe that she’d been so wrapped up in her own worries that she’d never considered Anna Marie. She’d been so afraid of being pushed from her son’s life, and then this baby’s, and all the while, Anna Marie was feeling the same way.


DANIELLE WAS SURE that the hardest thing she’d ever done in her life was leaving Joshua in the hospital to go home. She and Levi drove to the hospital every day, and each time they left, Danielle cried, and Levi struggled to be strong for all of them. Thanksgiving had been particularly rough, especially since Emily and David left for Lancaster County a few days before the holiday, and Joshua was still in the hospital.

But three days ago, Joshua was able to come home, and now that they were getting settled, it was time to tackle an issue heavy on her heart. She’d thought about her mother a lot since Joshua arrived, and sometimes the void seemed too huge to ever span. When painful memories pushed to the front of her mind, she reminded herself that she’d turned her worries over to God. But she knew that if she was going to truly find peace, she was going to have to forgive her mother.

Levi was working. Joshua was sleeping. This was a good time to take the first step toward that goal.

Dear Mom,

It sounds like you have turned your life around and are happy. I’m glad for that. Things have changed for me too. I am married—to Levi Detweiler, and we have a son, Joshua, who is almost a month old. He is a blessing, and I adore him in a way that I didn’t know was possible. I know all this probably comes as a shock, but I needed time, Mom, to be able to turn my life around. I did that by finding a relationship with God, and it sounds like you found your way to Him as well.

I’m not ready to see you. I don’t know when I’ll be ready. But I wanted you to know that I am married, that I have a son, and . . . that I forgive you. Maybe you don’t care one way or the other. I don’t know. But if there is remorse in your heart, then I hope that you will forgive yourself also. There is nothing we can do about what’s happened in the past. As I look at Joshua, and know that I would gladly give my life for him, it’s hard for me to understand how you could hit your child. Over and over again. Every time I try to weigh it out in my mind, I think that the pain you felt must have just overwhelmed you, and you took it out on me. Maybe it was because you missed Dad so much, or something else.

Anyway, I’m very happy. And I want you to be happy also. I have enclosed a picture of Joshua. Please don’t come visit me. But if you’d like to call me, I’ll answer. Or if you’d rather write me a letter, that would be good too.

Love,





Danielle





She read the letter two more times, then put it in an envelope to mail. As she put a stamp on it, she thought about everything she’d been through with her mother and where she was in her life today. Despite the abuse, if things had gone any other way, she wouldn’t be exactly where she was today. God had a plan all along.


LATER THAT EVENING, she watched as Levi rocked Joshua. Vera had already mentioned how heartwarming it was to see Levi with Joshua. Amish men rarely had much to do with young babies, and Vera had been doubly surprised when she’d walked in and found Levi changing a diaper.

Danielle waited until her husband carried Joshua to bed before she motioned for him to follow her into the living room. She turned up both propane lamps and patted the couch next to her. “Come sit by me. I have something to tell you.”

“What’s on your mind, Ladybug?” He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and kissed her tenderly, then whispered, “Because I’m hungry.”

Danielle giggled. “You’re always hungry.” She eased away, deciding to tell him on a full stomach. “Wait here. I’ll feed you first. I made some potato soup today.”

“Really?”

“Yep. Your mom’s recipe.”

Levi rubbed his belly, and Danielle went to the kitchen.

As she dished them both a bowl of soup, she thought about her mother—again—and wondered if she would hear from her. It made her think about others “missing” from their lives. Matthew had left town shortly after Joshua was born, and to her knowledge, never laid eyes on his son. But Anna Marie had come to visit them in Canaan twice. Vera had told her that a baby could never have too much love, and if Vera was accepting of Anna Marie, then Danielle was going to try to be equally as compassionate. Both times Anna Marie had said that her husband was working. Danielle wondered if there was more to it than that. No one had seen Sarah in weeks, and Sarah’s parents were evasive to those who asked. “She’s gone to visit relatives,” was all they’d say. Danielle wasn’t going to miss her.

After they ate, Danielle curled up on the couch and waited for Levi to join her.

“You’ve been so gut about not pushing me to get solar panels or electricity,” Levi said as he snuggled up beside her. “And now that things have settled down, I’m going to fix things up for you.” He chuckled. “You’ve almost been living like an Amish person.”

Danielle couldn’t stop the smile from spreading across her face. “Actually . . .” She bit her bottom lip, still grinning. “That’s what I want to talk to you about.”

Levi twisted to face her. “What?”

She grabbed his hand and squeezed. “I’ve talked to Bishop Esh, and he can baptize us both two weeks from now. He said that I’ve been attending worship service and that he knows I will continue to learn about the Ordnung as your wife.”

“What?” Levi blinked his eyes a few times. “Danielle, what are you saying?”

She cupped his face in her hands. “I’m telling you that I know everything you gave up for me—and for Joshua. It was the most unselfish thing in the world, and I wish that I could say I was telling you that I want to be Amish as a way to show you how selfless I can be . . . but the truth is, I want to be Amish all the way, and to raise Joshua that way. For me as well as you. Your mom has been teaching me the Ordnung, even though I don’t think she realized it. I still have a lot to learn, but I know that you’ll teach me too.”

“Danielle . . .” Levi kissed her on the mouth, several times. “Are you sure this is what you want?”

“I’m positive. God has blessed me far more than I could have imagined. I know Him now, Levi. And I think Joshua could get to know Him whether or not he was raised Christian or Amish, but I want this for all of us.” She waved a hand down at her knee-length green dress. “You haven’t even noticed, have you?”

“I—I thought you were just wearing those dresses because they were more comfortable, you know, after the baby was born.”

Danielle laughed. “They are more comfortable.”

Levi grinned. “This makes me very happy. How long have you been planning this?”

“I’ve been thinking about it since before Joshua was born.”

“Does mei mamm know?”

“No. I thought we’d tell her together.”

Levi pulled her close and kissed her on the top of the head. “Ach. She is going to be very happy. What does Martha think about it?”

“She said that if I’m going to be Amish that I have to learn how to make creamed celery the way she likes it.”

They both laughed, snuggling on the couch.

After a while, Danielle said, “You know, your mother told me something, and I never forgot it.” She paused, recalling Vera’s words. “She said, ‘His love endures forever.’ She told me to talk to the Lord like I would a friend and to open my heart to Him. She said life will never go the way you plan. But putting your total trust in God is the answer.”

Levi’s eyes settled on her. “His love does endure forever. And so will my love for you. Forever.”

“Mine too.”

She settled into Levi’s arms as the light from the lanterns flickered and danced on the ceiling, and she thought about all they’d been through in such a short period of time.

Now they had a lifetime to look forward to. Together. With their son. And God.





Reading Group Guide




1. Do you believe that God communicates with us through our dreams? Has this ever happened to you or someone you know?

2. Levi meets three people in his dream. One of them is his father, and he doesn’t recognize the other two. Is the dream image of Levi’s earthly father representative of his heavenly Father? If so, who were other two people that Levi met on the path?

3. Danielle and Levi are best friends when they get married. What if Danielle and Levi’s relationship had never progressed past that of friendship? How important is romance in our lives, regarding our lifetime mate?

4. Danielle still loves her mother despite her abusive ways, even though she says several times that she hates her. Have you ever been in a situation when you thought “why me, Lord?” only to find out way down the road that these bad experiences ultimately brought you to a much better place?

5. Vera feels that her world is falling apart when Levi marries Danielle. What are some examples of God working through Vera for the good of all? And what does Vera learn about herself through the process?

6. Do you think that Danielle ever really loved Matthew? Or did she just think she did, longing to fill a void in her life? What if she hadn’t gotten pregnant? Would she have ended up leaving with Matthew? Or would Matthew have treated her exactly the same—pregnant or not—when he finally left his people for a life in the outside world?

7. Like so many married couples, Levi and Danielle must adjust to each other’s ways. What are some instances when they both compromise?

8. Vera snubs Sarah after Sarah kissed Levi and told Danielle about it. Was Vera justified in doing this?

9. Even though the Amish usually don’t minister to the Englisch, Levi finds himself doing just that with Danielle. Have you ever felt called to minister to someone who seems an unlikely candidate for change, causing you to question why God would ask you to do so? What was the result?

10. Forgiveness abounds in the book. Forgiveness of self and forgiveness of others. What are some instances when the characters ultimately forgive, and how does it benefit that person—and those they are forgiving? Or does it?

11. The Bible does not condone premarital sex, but Danielle sleeps with Matthew. Is she already on God’s path, even though she has gone against what we are taught? Or, as only God can do, does He constantly adjust our paths based on the choices we make in an effort to bring us to Him?

12. Emily and David are heading back to Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, for a visit. What do you think will happen? There is a new bishop in Lancaster County who is stirring things up in the community. Emily is pregnant. David never wanted to leave Lancaster County in the first place. Are their roots in Canaan strong enough to keep David from wanting to move back to his hometown of Paradise?





Amish Recipes




Pickled Okra

3 lbs. small tender okra pods

1 small hot pepper, per jar

1 clove garlic, per jar

1 pint white vinegar

1 quart water

¼ tsp. pickling spice

Sterilize canning jars and lids. Pack okra pods into hot, sterilized jars just tight enough to have them stand upright. Put 1 hot pepper and 1 garlic glove in each jar. Combine vinegar, water, and pickling spice in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Pour boiling vinegar solution over okra, leaving ½ inch headroom. Seal with sterilized lids. Process in hot boiling water for 5 minutes.

Vera’s Stew

2 lbs. stew meat

¾ cup chopped onion

2 cups beef bullion

2 cups water

½ cup burgundy cooking wine

¼ tsp. paprika

¼ tsp. ground thyme

½ tsp. garlic powder

¼ tsp. pepper

1 can cream of mushroom soup

¼ tsp. salt

7 small potatoes

Small jar mushrooms, including juice

Brown stew meat with onion. Add rest of ingredients and simmer on low until potatoes are done.



Lemon Pie

1 8-inch pie shell, cooled

1 ⅓ cup (15 oz.) Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk

½ cup lemon juice

1 tsp. grated lemon rind or ¼ tsp. lemon extract

2 egg yolks

Put condensed milk, lemon juice, lemon rind or extract, and egg yolks into mixing bowl; stir until mixture thickens. Pour filling into cooled pie shell.

Meringue

¼ tsp. cream of tartar, if desired

2 egg whites

4 T. sugar

Add cream of tartar to egg whites and beat until almost stiff enough to hold a peak. Then add sugar gradually, beating until stiff and glossy but not dry. Pile lightly on pie filling and seal to pie crust all around. Bake at 325 degrees until top is lightly browned, about 15 minutes. Cool.





Acknowledgments




THANKS BE TO GOD FOR ALL THE LIFE EXPERIENCES I have had up to this point. Although, during the dark times, it was often hard to see the light, and I was guilty of questioning His will. But I now know that those experiences were preparing me for a life of servitude to Him through stories of His grace and redemption.

As always, if this book changes one life or brings one person closer to God, then I have done my job for Him. Although, writing these books also ministers to my own soul, and with each story that God lays upon my heart, I know that He does this not just for readers—but for my own growth, healing, and understanding of the role He plays in my life.

Our lives are as perfect as the peace we feel in our hearts. God’s love will take you from the dark places, and when His light shines within you, others will see it and want it. Peace comes from sharing that light with others.

To my husband, Patrick, and my family and friends— this journey wouldn’t be the same without you all traveling along with me. With each new book, my sense of family is nourished, bonds of friendship are strengthened, and I cherish even more my relationship with my husband. Thank you all. I’d especially like to thank two dear friends: Barbie Beiler for all her help over the past five years. And to Janet Murphy, my fabulous assistant—you’re the best!

Many thanks go to my publishing team at Thomas Nelson and my agent, Mary Sue Seymour.





An excerpt from

need you now

DARLENE’S CHEST TIGHTENED, AND FOR A FEW SEC-onds she couldn’t move. If ever there was a time to flee, it was now. She put a hand to her chest, held her breath, and eased backward, sliding one socked foot at a time across the wooden floor of her bedroom. She eyed the intruder, wondering why he wasn’t moving. Maybe he was dead.

Nearing the door, she stretched her arm behind her, searching for the knob. She turned it quickly, and at the click of the latch, her trespasser rushed toward her. In one movement, she jumped backward, across the threshold and into the den, slamming the door so hard the picture of the kids fell off the wall. She looked down at Chad, Ansley, and Grace staring up through broken glass, then hurried through the den to the kitchen. Her hand trembled as she unplugged her cell phone and pressed the button to call Brad. Please answer.

It was tax time, so every CPA at her husband’s office was working long hours, and for these last weeks before the April deadline, Brad was hard to reach. She knew she wouldn’t hear from him until after eight o’clock tonight. And she couldn’t go back in her bedroom. What would she have to live without until then? She looked down. For starters, a shirt. She was later than usual getting dressed this morning and had just pulled on her jeans when she’d noticed she wasn’t alone.

She let out a heavy sigh and rubbed her forehead. Brad answered on the sixth ring.

“Bradley . . .” She only called him by his full name when she needed his full attention.

“What is it, babe?”

She took a deep breath. “There is a snake in our bedroom. A big black snake.” She paused as she put a hand to her chest. “In our bedroom.”

“How big?”

She’d expected a larger reaction. Maybe her husband didn’t hear her. “Big! Very big. Huge, Brad.”

He chuckled. “Honey, remember that little snake that got in your greenhouse when we lived on Charter Road in Houston? You said that snake was big too.” He chuckled again, and Darlene wanted to smack him through the phone. “It was a tiny little grass snake.”

“Brad, you’re going to have to trust me. This snake is huge, like five or six feet long.” A shiver ran down her spine. “Are you coming home or should I call 9-1-1?”

“What? You can’t call 9-1-1 about a snake.” His tone changed.

“Darlene, don’t do that. Round Top is a small town, and we’ll be known as the city slickers who called in about a snake.”

“Then you need to come home and take care of this.” She lifted her chin and fought the tremble in her voice.

Deep breath on the other end of the line. “You know how crazy it is here. I can’t leave right now. It’s probably just a chicken snake, and they’re not poisonous.”

“Well, there are no chickens in our bedroom, so it doesn’t have any business in there.”

“Chad can probably get it out when he gets home from school. Maybe with a shovel or something, but tell him to be careful. Even though they’re not venomous, it’d probably still hurt to get bit.”

Darlene sighed. “Our girls are going to freak if they come home to find a snake in the house.” She turned toward a sound in the entryway. “I’ll call you back. There’s someone at the door, and I’m standing here in my bra. I’ll call you back. Love you.” She clicked the phone off, then yelled toward the door, “Just a minute!”

After finding a T-shirt in Ansley’s room, she pulled it over her head as she crossed back through the den toward the front door. This was the first visitor she’d had in the two months since they’d moved from Houston. She peeked around the curtain before she opened the door, realizing that her old city habit would probably linger for a while. Out here in the country, there probably wasn’t much to worry about, but she was relieved to see it was a woman. A tall woman in a cowgirl hat. She pulled the door open.

“Your Longhorns are in my pasture.” The woman twisted her mouth to one side and folded her arms across her chest.

“This is the second time they’ve busted the fence and wandered onto my property.”

Darlene thought this cowgirl could have walked straight off the set of any western movie. She was dressed in a longsleeved denim shirt with her blue jeans tucked into brown boots. She was older than Darlene, possibly midforties, but she was gorgeous with huge brown eyes and blond hair that hung in a ponytail to her waist.

“I’m so sorry.” Darlene shook her head. Brad should have never gotten those Longhorns. Neither she nor Brad knew a thing about cows, but Brad had said a move to the country should include some Longhorns. Although it didn’t make a lick of sense to her. She pushed the door wide. “I’m Darlene.”

The woman shifted her weight but didn’t offer a greeting in return. Instead, she stared at Darlene’s chest. Darlene waited for the woman to lock eyes with her, and when she didn’t, Darlene finally looked down. Her cheeks warmed as she sighed.

“Oh, this is my daughter’s shirt.” Don’t Bug Me! was scrolled across the white T-shirt in red, and beneath the writing was a hideous picture of a giant roach. Darlene couldn’t stand the shirt, but twelve-year-old Ansley loved it. “Do you want to come in?” She stepped back.

“No. I just wanted to let you know that I’m going to round up your Longhorns and head them back to your pasture. I’ll temporarily repair the fence.” The woman turned to leave, and it was then that Darlene saw a horse tethered to the fence that divided their property. She stifled a smile. This woman really was a cowgirl.

“Know anything about snakes?” Darlene eased onto the front porch, sidestepping a board she knew was loose. The porch was on their list of things to repair on her grandparents’ old homestead.

“What?” The woman turned around as she held a hand underneath the rim of her hat, blocking the afternoon sun.

“I have a snake in my bedroom.” Darlene shrugged. “Just wondering if you had any . . . any experience with something like that?” She padded down two porch steps in her socks. “I’m not sure I got your name?”

“Layla.” She gave a quick wave before she turned to leave again. Darlene sighed. Clearly the woman wasn’t interested in being friends. Or helping with the snake. Darlene watched her walk to her horse and put a foot in the stirrup. Then she paused and twisted her body to face Darlene. “What kind of snake?”

Hopeful, Darlene edged down another step. “A big black one.”

Layla put her foot back on the ground and walked across the grass toward the porch. Darlene couldn’t believe how graceful the tall blonde was, how out of sync her beauty was in comparison to what she was wearing.

“Only thing you really have to worry about around here are copperheads.” She tipped back the rim of her hat. “Was it a copperhead?”

At five foot two, Darlene felt instantly inferior to this tall, gorgeous, horse-riding, snake-slaying blonde. She wasn’t about to say that she couldn’t tell one snake from the other. “I don’t think so.”

“All I’ve got is a .22 with me.” Layla pointed back to her horse, and Darlene saw a long gun in a holster. “But a .22 will blow a hole through your floor,” Layla added. A surreal feeling washed over Darlene. She thought about their previous home in a Houston subdivision, and a woman with a gun on a horse wasn’t a sight they would’ve seen.

“Do you have a pellet gun?” She stopped in front of Darlene on the steps. Darlene was pretty sure that was all they had—Chad’s BB gun.

“Yeah, I think so.”

Five minutes later, Darlene pushed open the door to her bedroom and watched Layla enter the scene of the invasion. The bed was piled with clean clothes, but at least it was made up. The vacuum was in the middle of the room instead of in the closet under the stairs. It wasn’t the way she wanted a stranger to see her bedroom, but it could have been worse.

Layla got down on her knees and looked under the bed. From the threshold, Darlene did a mental scan of what was under there. Boxes of photos, a flowery hatbox that had belonged to her grandmother, an old red suitcase stuffed with baby keepsakes from when the kids were young—and a lot of dust.

“There he is.” Layla leaned her chest to the floor and positioned Chad’s BB gun. Darlene braced herself, then squeezed her eyes closed as two pops echoed underneath the bed. A minute later, Layla dragged the snake out with the tip of the gun. “Just a chicken snake.”

Darlene stepped out of the room, giving Layla plenty of room to haul the snake out. Big, black, ugly. And now dead. Blood dripped all the way to the front door. Layla carried the snake to the fence and laid it across the timber, its yellow underside facing the sky.

“Belly up should bring rain.” Layla was quickly up on her horse. “Tell your husband that I’m patching the fence up, but he really needs some new cross planks.”

“I will. And thank you so much for killing that snake. Do you and your husband want to come for dinner tonight? I’d like to do something for you.”

“I’m not married. And I can’t come to dinner tonight. Thanks, though.” She gave the horse a little kick in the flank, then eased through a gate that divided her acreage from Brad and Darlene’s. She closed it behind her from atop her horse and headed toward the large house on top of the sloping hillside. Coming from town, the spacious estate was fully visible from the road, and Darlene’s youngest daughter called it the “mansion on the hill.” The rest of the family took to calling it that too.

In comparison to their run-down farmhouse, Darlene supposed it was a mansion. Both homes were probably built in the late 1800s, but Layla’s was completely restored, at least on the outside, with fresh yellow paint and white trim. A splitrail, cedar fence surrounded the yard, and toward the back of the property, a bright-red barn lit up the hayfield not far from a good-sized pond. A massive iron gate—that stayed closed most of the time—welcomed visitors down a long, winding driveway. And there were lots of livestock—mostly Longhorns and horses. If the wind was blowing just right, sometimes Darlene could hear faint music coming from the house.

She was hoping maybe she could be friends with Layla, even though she wasn’t sure she had anything in common with her. Just the same, Darlene was going to pay her a visit. Maybe take her a basket of baked goodies, a thank-you for killing that snake.





About the Author


Author photo by Saxton Creations

BETH WISEMAN IS HAILED AS A top voice in Amish fiction. She is a Carol Award winner and author of numerous bestsellers including the Daughters of the Promise series and the Land of Canaan series. She and her family live in Texas.