Introduction

Experience "love made new" in this best-selling Amish series.

Sadie Fisher wonders if she'll ever find true love again after the death of her husband. When wealthy Englischer Kade Saunders rents her guest cottage for a month, Sadie's world is turned upside-down.

Kade has a five-year old autistic son who is unexpectedly left in his permanent care. As Sadie's feelings for the child grow, so do her feelings for Kade. But is this man suitable for anything more than friendship?

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Excerpt

Chapter One

That fancy black car looks out of place on an Amish farm.

Sadie peered out the window in her kitchen toward the guesthouse. She’d had plenty of Englisch visitors who arrived in fine automobiles, but this car was long and sleek—like it belonged to a movie star. Her guest insisted it be parked inside the barn, protected from the wintry elements. She stared past the open barn doors and strained to have a better look.

Kade Saunders, the dark-haired Englisch man who owned the car, seemed even more displaced. She’d only seen him briefly when he stopped in to pick up the key three days ago, but the man didn’t look at all prepared for the twelve degree weather in Lancaster County.

Dressed in denim breeches and a black overcoat speckled with snow, Kade Saunders had been wearing white running shoes—not shoes fit for two feet of snow. And the man didn’t have a head covering. His wavy, dark hair glistened with icy moisture, and his hazel eyes shone with irritation. He had accepted the key to the cottage, shivering as he spoke, and declined the maid service included in the rental cost.

Sadie moved from the window and rounded the corner to the den. She tossed another log onto the fire, orange sparks shimmying up the chimney. She warmed her palms and recalled the phone call from the travel agent. The woman requested the one-bedroom cottage January through March for Mr. Saunders, first assuring that his privacy would be respected during his stay. Sadie had hesitated. Her renters up to this point had been couples and families. How would it look for a single man to be occupying the same property as Sadie for three months, even if they were under separate roofs? What would the bishop say if he got word of it?

As if sensing Sadie’s concerns, the woman had said, “Mr. Saunders is quite well-known, and I can provide you with any references you might need.”

That was not the point, but Sadie agreed to the terms. It was the off-season, and she needed the income.

The woman also asked that the refrigerator be stocked weekly. Sadie’s normal rental package didn’t include supplying groceries, but the travel agent assured her that cost was of no concern. The fee they’d agreed upon caused Sadie to gasp, but with a smile on her face.

Sadie found that while cost might not be an issue, actually finding the products Mr. Saunders desired was a challenge. She’d never heard of Gruyere cheese, for example, so she substituted Gouda cheese in the refrigerator instead. His exhausting list of flavored coffees, special breakfast cereals, and unusual pastries were also frustrating.

She did the best she could and also threw in some extras. He was, after all, in Paradise, Pennsylvania—the heart of Lancaster County. He should be trying hometown favorites like shoofly pie, rhubarb pie, chow-chow, and whoopee pies—all of which she’d provided for him in an attempt to make up for the items she couldn’t find. She’d also prepared him a hardy batch of tapioca pudding, along with a loaf of homemade bread, and a variety of jellies and jams.

The den in her old farmhouse was the coziest room in the house, but there was still a nip in the air. She pulled her sweater from the rack on the far wall, eased back over to the window, and looked toward the cottage again, recalling the work she and Ben had done to restore the home five years ago. Their intent had been to keep it as a daadi haus, a place to retire when their own children would take over the main house. Sadly, children didn’t come prior to Ben’s passing. Sadie was glad when Bishop Ebersol allowed her to furnish the cottage with electricity last year for use as a rental property. It had been difficult to make ends meet with Ben gone.

However, the members of her Old Order Amish district never let her go without since her husband’s death. The women folk were always offering their sons and husbands for heavy chores, and they kept her supplied with fresh peas and corn from the family crops, since all Sadie could manage on her own was a small garden. She grew tomatoes, peppers, strawberries, melons, and the like—all items easy to tend. She also had plenty of meat stored in a locker in town, thanks to Samuel Stoltzfus and his wife, Lillian.

Plus, she had her shop out front, which offered an assortment of handmade Amish goods that faired well with the tourists. Women in the district added their crafts to Sadie’s large collection, and they all took turns working at the store, splitting the profits among them. She twisted her head around and checked the clock on the mantel. Nearly seven. She straightened up, tucked loose red ringlets beneath her Kapp, and bowed her head.

After she thanked the Lord for the blessings of this new day, she grabbed her black cape, bonnet, and gloves. Then she pulled on her knee-high black boots and braced herself for the blast of arctic air she knew would hit her when she ventured outside. She took a deep breath, swung the door wide, and closed it quickly behind her—gelid wind stinging her cheeks like a thousand tiny needles.

A frosty mix of sleet and snow dusted her cape as she made her trek across the front yard to the shop about fifty feet away. How fortunate she was that Ben’s old workshop was up near the road and visible to the tourists. It had been a tearful chore to get rid of her husband’s tools and to turn his favorite place into a source of income for her, but her friends worked by her side to renovate the old building. Two months ago, they opened Amish Treasures of the Heart.

She glanced around at the snow-covered pastures, visions of Ben tending the land still fresh in her mind. Less painful, but still there. It had been four years since the Englisch car whipped around the corner onto Black Horse Road and into Ben’s buggy. She would never forget the crates of fresh vegetables he had been carting to market strewn colorfully across the road, the toppled buggy, an injured horse which would later have to be put down, and her Ben…dead at the scene.

When she’d heard the commotion, she ran down Black Horse Road faster than she knew her legs could carry her. Jacob King was squatting beside Ben when she arrived, and she knew by the expression on Jacob’s face, her Ben was gone.

She pushed the recollection aside, shook her head, and caught a glimpse of movement to her right. The cottage was about a hundred feet behind the main farmhouse, and she could see Kade Saunders retrieving logs for the fireplace from where she had placed them on the front porch. He was sparsely clothed for such weather. Denim pants and a short-sleeved white T-shirt. Sadie watched him hurriedly scoop two logs into his arms, dropping one before he made it back to the front door.

He grunted loudly. Sounded like cursing to Sadie. She wasn’t sure, but it stopped her in her tracks. She watched him walk backward into the house, cradling the logs in his arms. He was too far for her to catch an expression on his face, but she waved anyway. He didn’t wave back. Of course, his arms were full. He kicked the door shut and was out of sight. It was the only time she’d seen the man in the three days since he arrived.

She tucked her head down to avoid the thickening snowfall and continued toward the shop. It was hard not to wonder what Kade Saunders was doing in Lancaster County for three months. But she’d pay it no mind. The only thing in her thoughts lately was the pending arrival of Milo Troyer, her Amish friend from Stephenville, Texas. They had been writing letters for over two years, and Milo promised to visit in the spring.

He called Sadie every Tuesday at eight o’clock, and they talked for fifteen minutes. It was a cold fifteen minutes out in the barn this time of year, but Sadie was thankful that Bishop Ebersol allowed telephones in the barn these days, a luxury that would have been unheard of in years past. The elders in Milo’s tiny district also permitted phones in the barn. Sadie looked forward to Milo’s telephone call all week long, and soon he would be riding on a bus from Texas all the way to Lancaster County.

They decided he would stay with her friends, Ivan and Katie Ann. He would be visiting for two weeks, and Sadie couldn’t wait for his arrival. With pictures forbidden, she hadn’t a clue what he looked like, except for what he told her. He is tall and slender, like she is, with dark hair and the customary beard after marriage. His wife died shortly after Ben, and Sadie’s cousin had introduced them via mail.

His looks were of no concern, though. Milo’s heart spoke to her in a way she didn’t think possible after Ben died. She knew it was God’s will for her to move on. That’s how it was done, to move on quickly and remarry. She had certainly failed, though, with four years as a widow behind her. There were no options here in Lancaster County for remarriage, and she could tell by Milo’s letters and phone calls that they would be a good match. She was twenty-six when Ben passed. Now at thirty, she’d begin her life with Milo soon. Perhaps they would have the children that she and Ben never did, for reasons the natural doctor in town couldn’t seem to explain.

She entered her gift shop, went straight to the gas heaters, and lit them both. There was no electricity in the farmhouse or the gift shop, only the cottage. It’d be cause for a shunning if she connected to the outside world when it wasn’t necessary and approved by the bishop. She rolled up the green blinds in each of the four windows. The sun was just starting to rise, giving only a hint of light within the building. It was enough for her to start pinning price tags on some of the quilted potholders she finished the night before. Fridays were usually good sale days, but this was the off-season.

If she lived to be a hundred, she’d never understand why the Englisch found their way of life so interesting.

With less farmland and growing families, working outside the home had become a way of life for her community. She felt blessed not to have to travel further than her own front yard.

The bell on the front door chimed, and Sadie turned to see her friend, Lillian, walk in. Lillian’s mother, Sarah Jane, followed behind her.

“Whose Mercedes Benz?” Lillian asked. She hung her cape on the stand inside the door.

Lillian was wise about the Englisch ways, able to tell the difference between fancy cars. She hadn’t always been Amish. Lillian converted and married Samuel Stoltzfus a couple of years ago.

Sadie ignored the question. She had a hunch the less they all knew about her mysterious guest, the better. “Where’s Anna?” she asked instead. Lillian usually brought her daughter, a precious bundle who wasn’t much over a year old.

“She’s with Samuel’s sister, Mary Ellen,” Lillian answered. However, her friend was undeterred. Lillian rushed toward the back of the shop and peered out the window toward the guest cottage and neighboring barn. “That’s a very expensive car,” she went on. “Who does it belong to?”

“Kade Saunders.” Sadie joined Lillian at the window while Sarah Jane took over pinning price tags on various items. “I don’t know much about him. The travel agent told me he’s from Los Angeles. I reckon tis gut to have a renter this time of year. These harsh winters usually keep people away.” A tinge of cold air seeped in from outside when her face neared the window. “He’s leasing the place for three months.”

Lillian pulled her head back and squinted her eyes. “Ya? What for?”

“Don’t know. But that travel lady asked me to stock the refrigerator with all kinds of kariyos foods every week. Some of them I couldn’t even find at the market.” She paused. “And he doesn’t want any cleanup service. I reckon he’ll have to wash his own clothes and linens. Lucky for him, there’s a washing machine and dryer in there.”

“Hmm. That is odd,” Lillian pondered. She kept staring toward the cottage and the fancy car in the barn.

***

Kade stared at the TV screen and wondered if he could really survive without basic cable for the next three months. An antique antenna topped the outdated television set and provided a whopping four channels. No CNN or other national channels, only local news that was fuzzy at best. But this is what he wanted, he reminded himself—away from everything.

From his spot on the couch, he propped his feet on the coffee table and tried to ward off his festering thoughts about Alicia. It wasn’t as if she’d broken his heart or anything, but once again he’d let himself be used and fooled by a member of the opposite sex. One shiny new car, a diamond bracelet—and pretty much anything else she’d asked for—and then she was gone. Story of his life. Young, attractive women interested in his money, nothing more.

Kade glanced around at his modest accommodations. This was hardly what he had in mind when his friend, Val, suggested he get out of Los Angeles to find some peace and quiet. But despite the simplicity, he found the cottage to be quite cozy. He just wished it wasn’t so ridiculously cold. But the roaring fire warmed the room, and his refrigerator and pantry were stocked with food—even though he couldn’t identify some of his host’s offerings. Amish food, he presumed.

Val had brought his ex-wife here, he told Kade. Val said there was a peacefulness about the area that would help Kade clear his head. Although, it must not have worked for Val, since Val and his wife divorced shortly after their trip here.

Kade doubted he would see anything outside the cottage, anyway. First of all, it was too cold to go anywhere. Secondly, he didn’t feel the need to be around anyone. To venture out would mean interaction with others, and he wasn’t up for that. He’d hole up here and try to heal himself of all that ailed him. It was a long list.

For whatever reason, he thought of the Amish woman he was renting from. He couldn’t remember her name. But he could recall her ivory skin, incredible blue eyes, and strands of wavy red hair spiraling against her cheek from beneath a cap on her head. She was quite lovely, even without a stitch of makeup on her face and clothed in a baggy dress to her knees. And she was tall and slender. Like Alicia. Kade’s brows narrowed as he grumbled in disgust. Blasted woman.

Still. It was no reason to be rude to the Amish gal when he first arrived—demanding he park his car in the barn and hastily accepting the key before he retreated to his much-needed solitude. Perhaps he could have been a little kinder to the woman. Kade hadn’t seen another soul on the property, except for a few women who entered the shop up front each day. He wondered if she took care of this whole place on her own.

He opened the refrigerator and took out the plastic bowl of tapioca pudding. Best pudding he’d ever had in his life. He grabbed a spoon from the drawer and finished the last little bit in the large container, then tossed the empty bowl in the sink, along with the past three days of dirty dishes. He would have been better served to have accepted the Amish woman’s housecleaning services included in the rental. He wondered for a moment if he should reconsider and have her come tidy up a bit each day, but disregarded the thought. That would require a limited amount of conversation. He began to fill the sink with soapy water.

Thirty minutes later, he was back on the tan couch. He adjusted the volume on the TV, listened to a woman discuss a nearby animal shelter, and then he turned the television set off. And he sat—thinking.

He crossed his ankles on the coffee table and thought about how much money he’d made by following in his father’s footsteps. At thirty-seven, Kade had more money than he’d ever spend in one lifetime. And he couldn’t have been more miserable.

One thing would cheer him up, he thought—some more of that tapioca pudding from the Amish woman.

***

Sadie fought the below-freezing temperature that evening and pulled two logs from the stack of firewood she kept in the barn, wishing she’d remembered to do it earlier in the day. Her boots heavy in the deep snow, she edged toward the farmhouse, glancing at the cottage lit up by electricity, smoke wafting up and out the chimney. Something caught her eye on the front porch. It was the empty plastic bowl that she had sent the tapioca pudding in. Why in the world would he set it on the front porch?

She put the logs down and trudged toward the cottage, the frigid air nipping at her cheeks. She grabbed the bowl, went back to the barn for her wood, and then headed toward the farmhouse. All she wanted to do was climb into bed and re-read the letter she received from Milo two weeks ago, to take refuge in his promises and combat her dwindling hope.

Following a bath, she lit the lantern by her bed upstairs and pulled out Milo’s note.

My Dear Sadie,

I am counting the days until we meet. I will come to see you when the winter weather has passed. I reckon the springtime is when I will come. The sound of your voice helps me to picture you in my head. You are schee, I know. If it is God’s will, you will become my fraa and we will be together. The Lord will guide us.

I am reminded of our church song—‘We Have This Moment’. The words make me think of you—“Hold tight to the sound of the music of living. Happy songs from the laughter of children at play. Hold my hand as we run through the sweet fragrant meadows, making memories of what is today. We have this moment to hold in our hands, and to touch as it slips through our fingers like sand. Yesterday’s gone and tomorrow may never come, but we have this moment today.”

I want to share mei moments with you, Sadie. I will write you again soon.

In His name, Milo

Sadie folded the letter and pressed it against her chest. She could only pray that Milo would be everything she longed for. While she’d grown accustomed to fending for herself, how wonderful it would be to have a man to help with chores, to hold her, to love her, to grow old with. Maybe God would even see fit to bless them with a child.

‘We Have This Moment’ was one of Sadie’s favorite songs. She recalled another verse from the song—“Tender word, gentle touch and a good time sharing, and someone who loves me and wants me to stay. Hold them near while they’re here and don’t wait for tomorrow to look back and wish for today.”

“Please God,” she prayed silently. “Bless me with companionship as I go forth in life to serve You.”

***

Sadie headed toward the shop the next morning and wondered if the snow would keep tourists away. It was Saturday, so she had highs hopes that some customers would rough out the weather. Today’s schedule called for Sadie and Katie Ann to work since Lillian and her mother had worked the shop yesterday. But Katie Ann was down with the flu, and Sadie declined Mary Ellen’s offer to fill in for Katie Ann. There wasn’t enough going on this time of year to cause need for two women to run the shop. Sadie knew she could handle it own her own. Besides, Mary Ellen had a family to tend to. She, on the other hand, did not.

It was nearing eight o’clock when she lit the heaters and drew the blinds in the shop. She had started early in the morning by making another large batch of tapioca pudding, thinking perhaps her guest might have intended her to do so since he left the empty container on the front porch. Either way, it was no trouble. By seven o’clock that morning, she had prepared the pudding for her guest and baked two loaves of bread for the elderly woman down the street, Lizzie Esh. Lizzie suffered with arthritis and had difficulty cooking these days, particularly the effort it took to repeatedly kneed dough for a loaf of bread. She planned to run the bread to Lizzie after she closed the shop in the late afternoon.

She glanced at the container of pudding she brought with her to the shop. Then she walked to the back window and looked toward the guesthouse. One light appeared to be on in the rear of the cottage. With her winter cape, bonnet, and boots still on, she decided to leave Kade Saunders the container of tapioca pudding on the porch. Surely, he’d come out soon for firewood and see it before it froze.

The ground was solid beneath her feet as she walked toward the cottage, with no new snow since the heavy downfall yesterday afternoon. And it was pleasantly warmer today, approaching thirty degrees. She could see that her guest still had plenty of firewood stacked on the porch, which reminded her she would need to cart some firewood to the farmhouse for later.

She was still a good ways from the cottage when she first heard the music. Evidently Kade Saunders was awake after all. She edged slowly across the yard toward the porch and stopped at the bottom of the steps. A woman’s voice belted loudly above an assortment of instruments. Sadie loved to sing in church and tried to imagine what it would be like to sing along with actual instruments, something that would never be allowed in her district. Owning an instrument was said to bring forth unnecessary emotions.

This is like spying, she thought, as she held her position, beginning to hum to the rhythm. Just a little longer. How could owning an instrument that produced such beautiful sounds be wrong in the eyes of God, she wondered?

Finally, she placed the plastic container with the tapioca pudding on a small table between two rockers on the front porch. Then turned to leave.

She hadn’t even made it to the steps when the cottage door swung open. Sadie spun around. Stunned, she faced off with Kade Saunders standing in the threshold. A flush rose from her neck, accompanied by a knot in her throat as she gulped back her embarrassment. The man was wearing what appeared to be pajama bottoms. He was barefoot, and he didn’t have a shirt on. She instinctively threw her hands over her eyes, gasping, but unable to move.

“Wait right here.” Kade held his palm toward her and backed into the house.

No problem. She couldn’t move. She widened her fingers on one hand to have a peek. He was pulling a white sweatshirt over his head as if sensing her embarrassment at seeing him in such a way. The flush had overtaken her face, she was quite sure. She brought her hands down and began nervously twisting the ties on her black cape. Pajama bottoms, for goodness sake.

“I—I brought you some tapioca pudding,” she stammered. She pointed in the direction of the small table.

Kade walked toward her on the porch, still barefoot. “Thank you. That was the best tapioca pudding I’ve ever had.”

His shoulder brushed with hers as he whisked by her to retrieve the pudding from the table. Her feet were rooted in place when he came back her way, then he stood uncomfortably close to her, facing her. He put one hand on his hip and tucked the pudding container against his side with the other hand. “Do you want to come in?”

“No,” she blasted back, wishing right away she hadn’t sounded so shocked by his offer.

He wasn’t smiling, but he didn’t have the irritated look on his face like he did the first day of his arrival. “Okay,” he said, then shrugged. “Suit yourself.” He turned to head back into the cottage.

Finally, she was able to move her legs and abruptly turned to head down the steps, promising herself she would never come back to the cottage until time to deliver more groceries, which she quickly calculated wasn’t for another three days.

“Hey,” he called out to her.

She had only taken four or five steps into the snow when she was forced to turn around and acknowledge him. “Ya?”

“What’s your name?”

“Sadie.” She offered a brief smile before turning back around. Then she bolted forward.

“Hey, Sadie,” he said.

Again she turned around. “Ya?”

“If you like listening to the music so much, why don’t you knock on the door and come in out of the cold next time?” he began, much to her horror. “You don’t have to loiter on the front porch.”

If only the Earth would open up and swallow me, she thought.

“No, no,” she mumbled. She gave him a quick wave, and continued stepping backwards. She wasn’t sure exactly what she tripped over, but as her legs buckled beneath her, she flew backward, hitting her head on the icy ground below.

Sprawled out on her back, the image of Kade Saunders bolting barefoot across the snow was the last thing she remembered before she awoke on his couch, with him huddled over her. view abbreviated excerpt only...

Discussion Questions

1. In the beginning Sadie is convinced that Milo is perfect for her even though she has never met him in person. If Sadie had never met Kade, do you think she would have married Milo?

2. Kade travels to Lancaster County to escape his life, but ends up finding more than he’s ever anticipated. What are some of the things he discovered in Lancaster County? Have you ever traveled somewhere and expected one thing, only to find another? What do you think would’ve happened to Kade if he had never visited Lancaster County?

3. Twice, Tyler quotes readings from the Bible to both Sadie and Kade. Do you think these are coincidences, or was God trying to reach Sadie and Kade through Tyler? Has there ever been a time when you thought God was trying to reach you through another person?

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»	Author Beth Wiseman's Web Site
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