The Only Way (The Amish Millers Get Married Book 4) Read online

  The Only Way

  (The Amish Millers Get Married Book 4)

  Ruth Hartzler

  Copyright © 2015 Ruth Hartzler

  All Rights Reserved

  Smashwords Edition.

  Smashwords License Notes.

  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be resold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with. If you are reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then you should purchase your own copy from your favorite ebook retailer. Thank you for respecting the author’s hard work.

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  Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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  This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to any person, living or dead, is purely coincidental. The personal names have been invented by the author, and any likeness to the name of any person, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

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  1 Corinthians 11:24-26.

  And when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”

  In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.”

  For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

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  John 3:16.

  For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

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  Matthew 5:45-48.

  For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?

  Table of Contents.

  Chapter 1.

  Chapter 2.

  Chapter 3.

  Chapter 4.

  Chapter 5.

  Chapter 6.

  Chapter 7.

  Chapter 8.

  Chapter 9.

  Chapter 10.

  Chapter 11.

  Chapter 12.

  Chapter 13.

  Chapter 14.

  Chapter 15.

  Chapter 16.

  Chapter 17.

  Connect with Ruth Hartzler.

  Next Book in this Series.

  Other books by Ruth Hartzler.

  About Ruth Hartzler.

  Matthew 22:4.

  Again he sent other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, “See, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding feast.”‘

  Chapter 1

  One afternoon late in the fall, Rebecca Miller, clothed in a simple dress and prayer kapp, stepped out of a taxi on the corner of Penny and Western Avenue. The sunlight, twinkling on the windows of the cafes and restaurants and the automobiles, fell in beams through the trees strung along the sidewalk, dappling the young woman in a playful, yellow light. She was followed out of the taxi by Elijah Hostetler, a tall young man with skin browned by the sun. He paid the driver, before stretching his limbs toward the heavens and yawning.

  “Where is the cake store then?” he said, yawning once more.

  Rebecca glanced down at the slip of paper where she had penciled the address. “It should be only a block away. We should have asked the taxi to wait for us, but I suppose we can call another one after we pick up the cake.”

  Rebecca and Elijah were both the youngest of four siblings: Rebecca had three older schweschders, and Elijah had three older bruders. Through a series of curious and delightful circumstances, Rebecca’s oldest schweschder had married Elijah’s oldest bruder; her second oldest schweschder had married Elijah’s second oldest bruder; and, yes, the third oldest schweschder had married Elijah’s third oldest bruder, or she was about to, and that is why Rebecca and Elijah were on an errand to collect the chocolate cake. The other members of their respective families were busy with the wedding preparations, with preparing the food their community would enjoy on the day. Martha, who was to marry Moses, ran a chocolate business, and so a specially made chocolate cake was the obvious choice for one of their wedding cakes.

  “Come on,” said Rebecca, moving through the crowds of people toward the store where the chocolate wedding cake awaited them. “We need to get back shortly. There’s still a lot to do.”

  Elijah yawned for a third time. “I hope the cake isn’t too big. I don’t know how we will get it back in one piece. Do you suppose I can make sure it doesn’t topple over? I hope we get a driver who’s a little more careful around the corners.”

  “I wouldn’t want to be the person who destroyed Martha’s main wedding cake,” Rebecca said, with a grimace.

  “Nonsense,” replied Elijah, scooting around a young boy who had stopped walking all of a sudden in front of him. “She is lovely. I don’t think she would be mad at anyone for anything.”

  “You didn’t have to grow up with her,” grumbled Rebecca, who was not feeling very charitable this morning. Each person in their community over the past couple of weeks had stopped to congratulate her on the marriage of Martha and Moses, and then each person who stopped her remarked how she would be marrying Elijah next. She knew it was not Elijah’s fault that these comments were being made, but she felt irrationally annoyed with him all the same. The fact their familyes had sent them on an errand to pick up a chocolate cake together would only set more tongues wagging.

  “Why are you in a bad mood?” asked Elijah.

  “Stop being so perceptive.”

  “I’m sorry,” he replied, clearly injured by her bad mood. “I’ll stop worrying about your feelings, if it would make you feel better?”

  Rebecca sighed. “I’m sorry.” She took a deep breath in and let it out slowly, watching the sun playing on the buildings and trying to calm herself. “Can I be honest with you?”

  “Sure.”

  “I’m a bit annoyed that everyone believes you and I will be married next.”

  “The idea of marrying me annoys you?”

  “Yes,” said Rebecca at once. “No. Wait. Sorry, I didn’t mean that.”

  Elijah was laughing. “I would be an amazing husband. What are you even talking about?”

  “Sorry!” Rebecca replied. “We shouldn’t even be having this conversation.”

  “It’s a great conversation,” Elijah chuckled. “Come now. List all the reasons why you don’t want to marry me. I can think of a few why I don’t want to marry you. You’re clearly not a morning person, and you find errands to pick up chocolate cakes tedious. Chocolate cakes! They’re one of the happiest things in the world.”

  “You’re too smart for your own good,” said Rebecca. “That is one reason. And you are a morning person. That is another reason.”

  “We both have two reasons not to marry each other,” said Elijah. The pair now stood pressed up against a building, to avoid the crowd of people bustling by, while they searched the numbers on the buildings for the chocolate store. “Are we even?”

  “I am sure there are other reasons. I know: you’re too good looking. Half the girls I know want to marry you. You are, after all, the last unwed Hostetler bruder.”

  “You would think my charm and good looks were a reason for marrying me, not a reason against.”


  Rebecca snorted. “You are arrogant.”

  “Nee, confident,” replied Elijah. “That’s another reason for marrying me. I’m beginning to think you should marry me, after all.”

  “And we never agree on anything. That is another reason. We should write a list and hand it out to everyone who comes up to me, suggesting you and I should marry.”

  “That sounds very time consuming. We wouldn’t have time to help out with Martha and Moses’ wedding if we were to do that.” Elijah stroked his chin. “But it’s not a bad idea now that you mention it.”

  Rebecca smiled. All of Elijah’s teasing had shifted her bad mood, and now she was appreciating the rare fall sunlight, the happiness of her older schweschders, and the feeling of extraordinary things on the horizon.

  “All right,” she announced. “You can stop teasing me now. I’m in a better mood. Denki for cheering me up.”

  “Anytime,” said Elijah. “Look.” He pointed to a small store wedged between two taller buildings. “That’s where we need to pick up the chocolate cake from.”

  “Good spotting.” Rebecca moved toward the small building, pausing in front of it for a moment. “Just so we are clear: you would make a great husband, but I don’t think you would make a great husband for me.”

  “We should make each other a deal,” said Elijah, “to stop our familyes trying to push us into something we both do not want.”

  “So we’re agreed,” Rebecca said, her hand hovering above the door handle. “We shall not marry each other, no matter how much our familyes might wish it, and no matter how many people come up to us, telling us we’re next.”

  “Agreed,” Elijah said, firmly.

  Proverbs 18:22.

  He who finds a wife finds a good thing

  and obtains favor from the Lord.

  Chapter 2

  Rebecca and her older schweschders, Hannah, Esther, and Martha, sat in front of the fire, happily sewing dresses for Martha’s upcoming wedding to Moses. There was a new addition to the familye, the young lady Sarah Beachy, whom Martha had met in jail when she, Martha, had been falsely arrested for theft. It was to this matter that the conversation now turned.

  “It was so kind of your parents to take me in,” Sarah said to the Miller schweschders, “with me being a stranger and from a community in another state.”

  “Yes, it’s weird that Mamm likes you,” Rebecca said.

  Hannah gasped. “Rebecca, that’s rude; apologize at once.”

  Rebecca chuckled. “I didn’t mean anything by it, Sarah; it’s just that Mamm doesn’t usually like anyone, but she really likes you. That is what’s weird; it’s out of character for her.”

  Surprise was stamped all over Sarah’s face. “I can’t imagine your mudder not liking anyone.”

  All the girls chuckled at that. Mrs. Miller was not the warmest personality, and tended to hold a grudge, yet she had welcomed Sarah with open arms. Rebecca found this quite strange, and wondered if her mudder had known Sarah’s familye at some point. It was just not the way her mudder usually acted.

  Her schweschders would not comment in front of Sarah, so Rebecca turned her attention back to the sewing. “Why are we making purple dresses, Martha?”

  “It’s for my wedding of course, Rebecca.”

  Rebecca groaned dramatically. “Obviously! What I mean is, why is it purple? Hannah had purple dresses for her wedding, and Esther had purple dresses for her wedding.”

  “I like purple,” all three schweschders said at once, and then burst out laughing.

  “So do I,” Rebecca said, “but if I ever get married, I will wear a blue dress, just to be different. Hey, I saw that,” she added, when Hannah, Esther, and Martha exchanged glances.

  Martha raised her eyebrows. “And I suppose you’re not going to marry Elijah Hostetler, just to be different?”

  Before Rebecca could answer, Sarah spoke up. “It is quite unusual that all three of you schweschders married three bruders.”

  “It will be four soon,” Martha said, clearly intent upon teasing Rebecca.

  Rebecca raised her hands. “Please stop teasing me about Elijah. I will not be marrying him, don’t you understand? It’s not nice when you keep teasing me about him.” One look at her schweschders was enough to tell her that they were going to continue to tease her. Rebecca sighed loudly.

  “Well, you can’t not marry him just to be different,” Martha said, “especially if he’s the love of your life.”

  Rebecca was growing exasperated. “He’s not the love of my life. Anyway, stop trying your matchmaking; you’re getting as bad as Mamm.” She stood up and went over to the fire, and popped on another small log. “It’s awfully cold for late November. Daed says it might snow tonight.” Rebecca hoped her change of subject would be successful. Just to make sure, she added yet another change of subject. “Perhaps Sarah likes Elijah.”

  Sarah laughed. “Nee, leave me out of it, Rebecca. I don’t think I will ever get married; I’ll be an old maid, and be surrounded by lots of cats.” As if on cue, Tom, a fat ginger cat with a big white spot under his chin, walked over to her from his comfortable spot near the fire and purred against her legs. “Look at us, a couple of strays.”

  Mrs. Miller had never allowed her dochders to have pets, saying that animals must earn their keep, but when the stray cat had turned up on the Millers’ doorstep just after Sarah had, Mrs. Miller had told Sarah she could keep him. Mrs. Miller had even told Mr. Miller to take him to the veterinarian to be neutered. That had very much surprised all her dochders, who figured collectively that Mrs. Miller must be getting soft as she grew older. The cat was even allowed inside.

  “You’re part of our familye now, Sarah,” Esther said. “Our growing familye,” she added.

  Sarah smiled. “When I see bopplis as cute as your dochder, Esther, and your twins, Hannah, I do feel I’d like to get married.”

  Esther rubbed her hands together nervously. “That reminds me, I hope Mamm is doing okay with Isobel. I haven’t been away from her for so long before.”

  Hannah moved to reassure Esther. “Mamm will be fine with Isobel, and with Rose and Mason, too. Actually, she’ll be better with Isobel than the twins, as they’re into everything now that they’re walking.”

  Rebecca yawned loudly, and everyone looked at her. “Are you tired, Rebecca, or is it just the warmth of the fire making you yawn?” Sarah asked.

  Rebecca shrugged. “A bit of both. Working at the B&B can be tiring at times. Anyway Sarah, you’re doing all the chores with Mamm now that I’m at the B&B most days. They’re probably equally tiring.”

  Sarah smiled, and Rebecca studied her face. Sarah was very pretty, with long, straight blonde hair and vivid blue eyes. Her complexion was all peaches and cream. It’s a wonder that a young mann hasn’t asked her on a buggy ride yet, Rebecca thought, her stomach clenching at the thought that Elijah might just be the young mann to do so.

  “I’ll get used to it,” Rebecca continued, to take her mind off her thoughts. “The Flickingers are a lovely couple. I see a lot more of Ida than Samuel, though.”

  “Mamm’s not happy that they bought a haus so close to ours,” Martha volunteered, “what with the cars and Englischer traffic that now go past our haus on their way to the B&B.”

  “They don’t exactly go right past our haus,” Rebecca said.

  Martha rubbed her forehead. “True, but it’s close enough to upset Mamm.”

  Two miles away would be close enough to upset Mamm, Rebecca thought, but kept her opinion to herself. The B&B was only a ten minute walk away from the Millers’ haus, in the opposite direction to Noah and Hannah’s.

  Rebecca was excited that a B&B had opened just up the road, and was glad to see that the old Mennonite building had been renovated. It was wonderful to have new people in the community; that hadn’t happened for as long as she could remember, apart from Sarah. That was the reason that she had accepted the job working at the B&B, helping with the cooking and cleaning. It go
t her out of the haus and into the company of other people. Rebecca had no desire to start her own business like Martha had, but she did want to be around other people, and new people at that.

  John 21:12.

  Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” Now none of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord.

  Chapter 3

  Rebecca was pinning sheets to the line, enjoying the late fall sunshine. It’s a good drying day, she thought. Everyone was predicting an early winter, and a harsh winter at that. Rebecca was already looking forward to spring; it was not that she minded the cold; in fact she preferred winter for the beautiful sights, but she missed the fragrance of all the spring flowers. Spring was always a delight to Rebecca, with the spicy scent of the dianthus, the sweet scent of the honeysuckle, the delicate scent of the hyacinths, and the leathery, earthy fragrance of the saffron. Rebecca had made a lavender spray to spray on the linen for the B&B, but nothing could replace the fragrance of fresh spring flowers.

  The B&B had electricity thanks to numerous solar panels, and had a large electric washing machine, a far cry from the old wringer washer that Rebecca was used to. “I’m going to have an electric washing machine and solar power when I have my own haus,” Rebecca said aloud. “I can’t go back to the old wringer washer after this.”

  “That’s the first sign of madness, isn’t it?”

  Rebecca’s hands flew to her throat and she looked around to find the source of the male voice. When she saw him, her mouth fell open. Standing in front of her was a tall, young mann with black hair and piercing brown eyes, and more to the point, he was covered with tattoos, and wearing a large hoop earring in each ear, and more disturbingly, a large nose ring.

  “What is?” she stammered.

  “Talking to yourself.” The young mann laughed and walked closer to her. Rebecca involuntarily took a step backward. “Talking to yourself is the first sign of madness,” he said.

  “Sorry, no smoking allowed.” Rebecca pointed to the cigarette hanging out of his mouth. She felt silly after she said it, but it was an automatic response.

  The man simply looked amused by her comment, but continued to smoke. “And who might you be?”