Reclaim My Heart

EPILOGUE

“Perfect day for a wedding,” his uncle said, adjusting his navy tie. “You nervous?”

“Not a bit.” Lucas smoothed his hands down the lapels of his jacket. “If anything, I feel like this has been too long in coming.”

A fresh crispness snapped in the cool spring air. Crocuses and yellow daffodils bobbed their colorful heads in the large planters placed strategically along the street. The two rounded the corner and Lucas’s step slowed when he saw the plain black buggy sitting outside the Oak Mills Courthouse. Jasper lifted his hand in greeting to the woman sitting inside.

“I’m going in to find Zach and Tyne,” his uncle said. “You have plenty of time.”

“Thanks,” Lucas murmured, then veered toward the street.

The horse nickered and bobbed its head when he approached.

“Ruth?” He was too surprised to smile. “Thank you so much for coming. I sent the invitation to let you know what was happening. I have to say, I never expected you to attend.”

“I thoughmy or“Thant of contacting you. I’ve written you half a dozen letters.” Ruth Yoder captured a wayward strand of hair and tucked it neatly under the white band of her pleated cap. “But then I decided a surprise would be better.”

She reached her hand out to him and he took it. The full skirt of her black cotton dress billowed slightly and he glimpsed her sturdy, polished shoes as he helped her down onto the sidewalk.

“Your father?” Lucas asked.

Her mouth went flat. “He went to be with his Maker. Six weeks back.”

“I’m so sorry.” Then an age-old Lenape sentiment came to mind and he murmured, “May your heart find peace.”

Her hazel eyes filled with sad resignation. “He was very ill there at the end.” She took a deep breath and gazed up at the courthouse, swallowing back her grief.

“I brought you something,” she said, turning so Lucas could look into the back of the buggy. A beautiful quilt sat folded on the back seat. “It’s a wedding ring pattern.”

Lucas’s throat constricted. “Thank you so much. Did you make it?”

She lifted calloused hands. “Amazing what these rough old things can do, isn’t it?”

He stepped forward and leaned in, gingerly touching the colorful fabric. “It’s amazing. Tyne will love it.”

“Now,” Ruth began. She tugged at the waistband of her dress. “You said I have a grandson. Will I meet him today?”

“Oh, yes. I’m sure he’s inside. With his mother. And his grandparents. And my uncle.”

“That was your father’s brother?” she asked.

Lucas nodded.

“I hope I get to talk to him today.”

“I’m sure you will. Tyne’s parents have planned a small reception at their house later this afternoon. You’re welcome to come.”

“I’d love to.” She reached inside the buggy and slid something from the floorboard. “I brought this for your son.”

The small, leather-bound album looked worn. Lucas opened it and sucked in his breath when he saw the yellowed newspaper clippings. Unexpected tears sprang to his eyes.

The first was an article that depicted him as a boy of eight. He was holding a certificate and wearing the medallion he’d been awarded in an elementary school science competition. Lucas still remembered the weather display that had won first place in the event.

Another was a group shot that had been taken when he and a group of his friends had raised money to help pay the hospital bill of a local boy who had been injured in a fall. Chase had lingered for weeks, but in the end, he hadn’t survived. The sound of Mrs. Halloway’s heart-wrenching sobs at the funeral were forever emblazoned in Lucas’s mind.

There were several pages of clippings from high school sporting events, football and track. His high school graduation picture made him smirk. His hair had been longer than Tyne’s back then.

“How in the world did you get all of these?” he finally asked his mother.

There was a lovely secretiveness in the twinkle of her blue green eyes. “Father forbade newspapers from the outside to be in the house.” She shrugged. “But a mother has to keep up with her child, doesn’t she?”

She slid her hand up his forearm. “I may not have had the privilege of raising you, Lucas, but I love you. I’ve always loved you.”

With trembling hands, he closed the album and set it on the floorboard of the buggy. Then he turned and wrapped his arms around his mother. She hugged him as if her very life depended on it, as if this were the last human touch she would ever receive.

When they parted, her gaze was so watery, tears trailed down her cheeks. “I never thought that would happen.”

Lucwideivas pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and offered it to her. “I’m glad you were wrong.”

She laughed through her tears. “So am I.”

“Listen,” he told her. “I want you to know it’s okay. I understand what happened. I realize your religion made it impossible for you to keep me with you. I don’t hold that against—”

“My religion?” she asked, tilting her head a fraction. “Lucas, I didn’t give you to your father because of my religion.”

Refraining from reacting to this unexpected revelation was nearly impossible.

“I became pregnant with you during my rumspringa.” She paused, moistened her pale, bare lips. “During our seventeenth year, we’re given the freedom to experience the world. It’s a time when we’re released from the church. It’s our belief that only informed adults can truly accept Christ and the church and the Amish way. We can’t reject something we’ve never experienced. So, for a time, we’re not bound to the Ordnung. The rules.” Again, that secretive smile passed her lips. “Much to my father’s complete displeasure, I took full advantage of my months of freedom.

“It was not the first time a young girl found herself carrying a child out of wedlock. Usually, such an occurrence would have resulted in a hasty marriage. But I could not marry your father. That was never a possibility. He was…‌not one of us. I would have been shunned.” She folded his handkerchief into a perfect square. “Besides, even if it had been an option, I fear your father would not have married me. I loved him, Lucas, but I do not believe Ry Silver Hawk felt the same about me.”

Remembering what his uncle had told him, Lucas found his gaze drifting from his mother’s.

“My father was a hard man. His Ordnung was the death of my mother. The doctor said she died of pneumonia. But I believe she was worn out. She gave up. I was duty bound to stay with him, Lucas. I was his daughter and I was called to honor him and take care of him. He had no one but me.”

Her tone was even, matter-of-fact.

“But I could not allow you to be subjected to that,” she told him. “It almost killed me to hand you over. But I had been to Wikweko. I had witnessed how your community clings together. They take care of one another.” She used the folded handkerchief to wipe an errant tear from the corner of her eye. “I knew you would be happy. And very much loved.”

Lucas stared at Ruth Yoder, her eyes, cheeks, lips devoid of makeup, and thought she was absolutely beautiful.

He cleared the thick emotion from his throat. “I was,” he assured her. “And I thank you for giving me that.”

She smiled and hugged him once again. “I am sure you must have a thousand questions about me. Because I know I have a thousand about you. But we really shouldn’t keep your bride waiting any longer.”

“Yes, it would be a shame if she decided to turn tail and run now.” He laughed. “We moved back to Wikweko, you know. I just opened an office there.”

“That’s wonderful.” Ruth checked that the horse’s reins were secured to the meter post.

“Tyne is thinking of opening a bakery. But she hasn’t decided yet.”

“I am a fairly good baker, myself,” his mother told him. “I may offer her my services. I have lots of free time on my hands these days.”

Arm in arm, they ascended the courthouse steps.

• • •



“Mom.” Zach tapped his mother’s shoulder, excitement elevating his whisper. “Mom! Here he comes. Who’s that with him?”





She shushed him and promised to answer all his questions later. sti elBut for now, she feasted her eyes on Lucas as he held open the glass door for his mother.


Tyne smiled at Lucas. “I thought you’d changed your mind.”

“Are you kidding me?” he said. “Let’s get this show on the road.”

Looking at Ruth, Tyne’s smile widened. She leaned forward and kissed the woman’s cheek. “I’m so happy you’re here,” she murmured. “I know Lucas is too.”

Her gaze skipped from Jasper, to her dad, her mom, her son, and finally to Lucas’s mother. Love saturated every nuance of her being when she looked into Lucas’s eyes. “It seems the family is finally all together.”

His soft kiss was swift and sweet. “Seems so.” He kissed her again. “Can we please get in there and make this official? I’ve been waiting long enough.”

Holding tight to Lucas with one hand, her son with the other, Tyne was ready to say I do. She was ready to be a family. A whole family. At last.





A NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR

Dear reader,

I hope you enjoyed my story. Reclaim My Heart is very special to me. I was afraid the book might never see the light of day. You see, my father was diagnosed with cancer while I was writing the story and I became his primary caretaker. It’s difficult to write about love and happily-ever-after when you’re watching someone you love become sicker and sicker, and there’s not a darn thing you can do about it. So I set the book aside.

After giving myself time to grieve, I decided to work on Lucas and Tyne’s story, and I’m so glad I did. I fell in love with these characters, especially Uncle Jasper. I hope you liked them too.

If you found the book entertaining, please consider leaving a review. Good reviews help other readers find books. (And I’m not going to lie, good reviews help me too.)

I hope you’ll look for some of my other titles:

The Merry-Go-Round

His Wife for a While

Her Fake Romance

Mountain Laurel

Taking Love In Stride