The Quilter's Scandalous Past

  “And now I’m the one coming to the rescue.”

  He quirked a grin at her.

  She kept her facial expression controlled and didn’t smile back. “I won’t deny I hope that’s the case. It would help him a tremendous amount knowing he’s no longer responsible for it, even though most of the day-to-day operations fall on me, and to an extent, Aunt Anna.”

  “Well, I like what I’ve seen so far. The store has a tremendous amount of potential, and it’s better organized than either of the other two stores I own.”

  “Tomorrow you can spend the day looking over the books and inventory lists and anything else you need. I’ll help however I can.” She smoothed down her apron, then looked him full in the face. “My goal, Joseph, is to convince you this store is worth purchasing.”

  “Then we see eye to eye.” He couldn’t help himself. “All forgiven?”

  She startled, and a hard expression came into her eyes. It was clear she knew exactly what he meant.

  “No,” she said low. “It’s not.”

  Living on a remote self-sufficient homestead in North Idaho, Patrice Lewis is a Christian wife, mother, author, blogger, columnist and speaker. She has practiced and written about rural subjects for almost thirty years. When she isn’t writing, Patrice enjoys self-sufficiency projects, such as animal husbandry, small-scale dairy production, gardening, food preservation and canning, and homeschooling. She and her husband have been married since 1990 and have two daughters.

  Books by Patrice Lewis

  Love Inspired

  The Amish Newcomer

  Amish Baby Lessons

  Her Path to Redemption

  The Amish Animal Doctor

  The Mysterious Amish Nanny

  Visit the Author Profile page at LoveInspired.com.

  The Quilter’s Scandalous Past

  Patrice Lewis

  And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

  —Matthew 6:12

  To God, for blessing me with my husband and daughters, the best family anyone could hope for.

  Contents

  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

  Epilogue

  Dear Reader

  Excerpt from The Rancher’s Sanctuary by Linda Goodnight

  Chapter One

  The June afternoon in Chaffinch, Indiana, was warm and lovely. Esther Yoder paused as a meadowlark perched on a fence post right outside her office window. The bird warbled its beautiful song, then departed with a flutter.

  She smiled, regretting she couldn’t be outside on such a pretty day. But she had work to do and a store to manage. Ledger books full of numbers were spread out on the wooden desk before her.

  At least the town was quiet enough that meadowlarks could serenade through an open window. The last of the tour buses had departed for the day, taking with them the Englisch visitors who came from far and near to experience an Amish town.

  And as always, Esther was right there to greet them as they came into her aunt and uncle’s huge emporium. The business had begun as a supplier of dry goods for Amish and other Plain People, but over the years, it had morphed into a large mercantile, educational venue and tourist destination in the heart of Indiana’s Amish country.

  But for now, the town center was quiet. Esther bent her head once more over the figures in front of her.

  Aunt Anna entered the small office. “I’ve got good news, Esther.”

  “What is it, aenti?” Esther laid down her pencil, pleased at an excuse to stop crunching numbers. She smiled at the older woman, whose gray hair was tucked neatly under her kapp.

  “It looks like we may have a buyer for the store.” Anna grinned.

  “Really!” Esther jumped to her feet, toppling her ledger book onto the floor as she embraced her aunt. “That’s wonderful news! Praise Gott! Does Uncle Paul know?”

  “Yes, he spoke to the man earlier. Paul is so happy. It will be a chance for him to rest and get his health back.”

  “When? How long before he takes it over? How early can he be here? How did you find a buyer?” Esther nearly babbled in her excitement.

  Anna laughed, a sound of pure relief. “He knows your parents, and they mentioned we wanted to sell the store because of your uncle’s health. Apparently, the man owns two other Amish stores in different parts of Indiana, so he’s experienced at running them.”

  “Is he Englisch?”

  “No, Amish. But he’s quite a businessman, apparently. He chooses his investments carefully, and he thinks this location is a gut one. But of course he’ll need to go over the bookkeeping thoroughly, as well as watch the customer traffic and investigate the inventory.”

  “Ja, of course. I’d be happy to go over all the books with him. When can he take over?” Esther bent to pick up the spilled paperwork.

  Anna held up a hand. “Well, it’s not a done deal yet. We’re still in the talking stage, and there’s always a chance it may fall through. He has a number of things he’ll have to inspect first. But he sounds serious. We’re having him over for supper tonight, so you’ll have a chance to meet him. He did mention he wants you to continue managing the store, since you’ve done such a gut job.”

  A portion of Esther’s elation drained away, though she hid that from her aunt. Managing the store was something she did as a labor of love to her aunt and uncle, but it was not what she wanted to continue doing forever. She had other hopes and dreams.

  But all she said was, “Ja, sure, I’d be happy to continue managing.” She dumped the bookkeeping items back on the desk. “And that means you and Uncle Paul can retire.”

  “Ja.” Anna passed her hand over her face in a gesture of weariness. “The Lord is gut,” she murmured.

  Esther’s heart went out to her. Her aunt had been in a lather of worry over her husband’s health. Taking over the management of King’s Mercantile in Chaffinch, Indiana, was the least Esther could do after her aunt and uncle had been her refuge in her time of need.

  “Why don’t you head home?” Esther suggested to her aunt. “I just have a bit more work to do, then I’ll close up. It’s been slow since that last tourist bus departed anyway.”

  “Danke.” Anna smiled. “I’ll have supper ready. The buyer will be at the haus at six o’clock, just so you know.”

  “I’ll be home by then, don’t worry.”

  After her aunt left, Esther finished her paperwork, then closed the office door behind her. The store was quiet with that end-of-the-day feel. She watched as the employees went through the evening procedure of tidying shelves, sweeping floors and closing down their departments for the night. One or two lingering customers slowly made their way to the cash registers.

  It was a familiar ritual, one Esther had performed nearly every day for seven years under her uncle’s careful tutelage. When she started training, Esther herself had no idea she would have such a flair for numbers and management; but the happy result was she was able to lift much of the burden from her uncle’s shoulders.

  She glanced around at the spacious building, built in the mid-nineteenth century at the main crossroads of Chaffinch. If this mysterious businessman did indeed purchase the store, she hoped he wouldn’t make things too modern-looking.

  After saying goodbye to her employees, Esther recorded the day’s receipts and wrote them in her ledger. Then she made sure the office space was tidy and welcoming. She didn’t want to do anything that might jeopardize the man’s interest in buying the store.

  Afterward, she walked the half mile to her aunt and uncle’s small farm, where she had lived for the past seven years. Aunt Anna had said the buyer knew her parents. That meant he must be familiar with Plum Grove, Indiana, where she’d grown up. Esther pressed a hand to her midsection, the familiar anxiety and feelings popping up at the thought of her hometown. Thankfully, it was all behind her.

  As she approached the white clapboard King home—graceful as only turn-of-the-century buildings could be—Esther saw an unfamiliar horse hitched to the post, and a strange buggy by the barn. Smoothing down her apron and adjusting her kapp, Esther stepped inside the cheerful sage-and-cream farmhouse kitchen. Her greeting died on her lips.

  It had been seven years, but she recognized him instantly.

  It was Joseph Kemp.

  Surely this couldn’t be the man interested in buying the store? Esther’s cheeks flared hot as she remembered the shameful humiliation of her teenage years, remembering the event that changed the course of her young life.

  Joseph wore no beard, but his dark blue eyes and straight brown hair were just as she remembered. Laugh lines crinkled the corners of his mouth, and his skin was tanned from outdoor work. His straw hat had left an imprint on his hair.

  The first thought that rocketed through her mind was flight. She glanced around for an escape route. But as he rose politely from his chair,
she knew she had no choice but to brazen it out. She lifted her chin. “Gut’n owed.”

  “Esther Yoder, ja?”

  “Ja.”

  “It’s been a long time.”

  So much for the desperate wish that he wouldn’t recognize her.

  “Ja.” She closed the door behind her and walked over to her uncle Paul and kissed him on the cheek.

  Paul looked surprised. “You know each other?” he asked.

  “I knew him in Plum Grove.” Esther walked over to the kitchen sink, pumped the handle and washed her hands.

  “That makes sense, since he knows your parents.” Apparently oblivious to the tense overtone in the room, Aunt Anna stirred a pot on the stove. “And how is my brother and his wife?” she asked Joseph.

  “They’re doing well.” Joseph talked with familiarity of the family Esther had left behind. His words caused her midsection to clench. There were times she desperately missed her family, since she saw them so rarely. But as for Plum Grove...no. She didn’t miss it at all.

  She puttered around the kitchen, avoiding Joseph’s eyes. Instead she concentrated on wiping a counter, stirring a dish. Anything to keep from having to sit at the dinner table with the man.

  “Komm and eat.” Anna set a bowl on the table, and with reluctance, Esther stopped fussing around the kitchen and seated herself. When she bowed her head, she prayed for serenity.

  She decided to ignore the past and concentrate on the present. Whatever messy history she had with Joseph, his purchase of the store was an answer to a prayer for her aunt and uncle. Least said, soonest mended. That was one of her aunt’s favorite maxims, and this was a prime opportunity to test it.

  “What makes you interested in our store for purchase?” She buttered a biscuit with a show of calm she didn’t feel.

  “A number of factors.” Joseph took a bite of food and swallowed before answering. “This town is seeing a huge increase in the number of tourists, as you’ve no doubt noticed. The location is excellent, right at the crossroads. It’s been in operation for a long time, suggesting stability. And everyone speaks highly of the King family who has operated it for so long.” He smiled at Paul.

  “It’s been a gut store,” affirmed Paul. “But my sons aren’t interested in running it. They trained in other fields and like what they’re doing. If it hadn’t been for Esther here, we probably would have sold it several years ago, after my health went downhill.”

  “Esther has been the manager for four years now,” added Anna. “She’s been training even longer. She knows the business better than anyone.”

  “Then you can be the one to show me the books and inventory,” Joseph said to Esther.

  “Ja, sure. It’s tourist season, so we often have buses of visitors pass through. We’ll have times we’re very busy. But in the morning or late afternoon, when it’s not so crowded, I can show you our inventory and our list of suppliers. And I’m sure you’ll want to go over the books.”

  “Excellent. I have no doubt the store is in very gut hands, and assuming we proceed with the sale, I hope you’ll continue managing it.”

  Esther murmured something noncommittal as her uncle took up the conversation. She didn’t taste the food she put in her mouth. She was too busy choking on humiliation.

  Joseph Kemp. Of all people to be buying the store!

  * * *

  Joseph watched Esther’s skittish behavior throughout supper. It didn’t surprise him when, as soon as the meal concluded, she offered to do dishes while her aunt and uncle urged him to relax in the parlor.

  The years since they’d last seen each other had been difficult ones for him, dealing with Thomas, his unmanageable younger brother. And his sister Miriam, too—a young woman who desired nothing more than a chance to train in nursing. Ironically, Miriam had just gotten a job in Chaffinch’s hospital, which had been part of his decision to consider the purchase of King’s Mercantile here in the same town.

  As for his brother Thomas—Gott help him, he never wanted to see Thomas again. Unfortunately his brother was a continual thorn in his side, with frequent scrapes with the law, outlandish behavior and the ability to cause shame to everyone.

  The chaos of his earlier family life was in sharp contrast to the tranquility of the King and Yoder families, both here and in Plum Grove. Both families were upstanding, devout people. It was just Esther whose behavior had caused pain to her parents. He wasn’t surprised when her teenaged escapades proved so embarrassing that she came to live with her aunt and uncle.

  But, if her store management was any indication, it seems she’d settled down over the last few years.

  And he had to admit, she’d grown up. Her dark blue eyes were steady and mature, her brown hair neatly tucked beneath her kapp. He knew she’d been baptized several years ago. No scandal or gossip touched her name. Unlike the town she’d left behind, here in Chaffinch, her reputation was unblemished.

  He trailed Anna and Paul King into the parlor, filled with comfortable older furniture and items of domestic tranquility—a mending basket, a bookcase full of books, a newspaper.

  “Please, take this chair.” Paul gestured toward the most comfortable-looking seat.

  “Esther?” called Anna from the parlor. “Leibling, would you make coffee for us?”

  “Ja, sure,” she responded from the kitchen.

  Within a few minutes, Esther came out holding a tray with coffee cups, cream and sugar. Anna made sure his coffee was to his liking, but Joseph eyed Esther, who still seemed as nervous as a cat.

  “My sister Miriam was asking about you the other day,” he offered. “Do you remember her?”

  “Ja, of course.” Her face softened. “Miriam and I were best friends when we were younger. How is she?”

  “It was disappointing when she left the church to become a nurse, but she loves her work.”

  He saw surprise in her face. “Miriam became a nurse!”

  “Ja. She just got a job at the local hospital here in Chaffinch, so you’ll probably see her soon.”

  “That would be wunnerschee. I’ve missed her.” He heard a note of sadness in her voice. “She was always the nicest person...” Her voice trailed off.

  Joseph picked up on her unspoken implication. “Unlike Thomas,” he noted.

  “Ja.” Her voice was short. “Unlike Thomas.”

  “You know Joseph’s family?” Anna asked in bewilderment.

  “Ja.” Esther looked at the floor for a moment. “I know his family. Aunt, if you don’t need me, I’ve got some...some sewing to do.”

  “Ja, sure.” Anna’s face held a puzzled expression.

  Esther then fled the room.

  Joseph leaned back in his chair, a little embarrassed. He shouldn’t have brought up the past. It was not his place to remind her of the scandal that had sent her fleeing Plum Grove. Instead, he was here to conduct business.

  He would do well to remember that and keep his memories to himself.

  * * *

  Esther laid fabric pieces on the table in front of her, piecing together another quilt. Her eyes stung, and she forced the tears not to fall.

  Was Gott playing a joke on her? The painful wound she’d buried seven years ago had healed over...or so she thought.

  Now she realized it hadn’t. It was just as raw as it ever was. Joseph, by his very presence, had reopened that wound.

  She sniffed and wiped her eyes against the tears she couldn’t hold back. The colorful patches of fabric, lit up by the evening sun pouring through her window, blurred.

  When finished, the quilt she was working on would be sold in the store. Esther was pleased her sewing skills contributed in some way to the financial success of the emporium. Her aunt and uncle had taken her in seven years ago when she’d fled the scandal in Plum Grove. She wanted to help them in any way she could to thank them for taking her in when she needed it.

  And now the store would be sold. Sold to the man whose behavior had ultimately sent her hundreds of miles away to another community. Very likely, it meant she had to work with him through the transition period. Oh yes, Gott had a sense of humor.