Following Your Heart Read online

  Readers of Amish fiction love Jerry Eicher’s Little Valley series…

  Ella Yoder, a young, independent Amish woman, suffered a terrible loss. But now she must pick up the pieces of her shattered life and move forward. Will her faith in God and in her community survive?

  Ella and Aden’s wedding and their move to their dream house is set for June. The beautiful wedding quilt is almost finished when tragedy strikes and the life they’d planned together is demolished. Why would God take my true love home? Ella wonders.

  With Aden gone, Ella’s future is uncertain. Daniel, Aden’s brother, decides to finish Aden and Ella’s dream house. Should Ella sell the home and land? Or will she go against tradition and move into the home alone?

  When a very eligible bachelor calls, Ella faces family and community pressure to accept his courting. Torn between her heart and Amish expectations, Ella must choose…

  Ella Yoder has moved into her dream house. Living alone for the first time, she ponders her options. How will I make a living? How will I live without Aden? What will become of me?

  Two would-be suitors soon make their intentions known. Ella agrees to take care of Preacher Stutzman’s three motherless girls. Her heart is touched by their love for her. Is their affection the answer for Ella’s shattered heart? Does God want her to marry Ivan so she can be the mother his three children need? But there’s the bishop’s offer of marriage to consider… and the unusual option to consider of staying single and living in the home Aden designed.

  Ella loves the widower Ivan Stutzman’s children. She is genuinely devoted to Ivan and keenly aware of his desire to propose, but her feelings stop just short of romance. Is her love for Ivan’s children enough to make a marriage work?

  When a handsome Englisha man seeks Ella out to ask about the Amish faith, Ella is wary but intrigued. She agrees to meet with him—but only with the bishop’s approval. Soon Ella is torn between her devotion to Ivan and his children and her growing feelings for the Englisha. With dire consequences at stake, Ella must decide what her heart really wants, what God’s will is for her, and whether she will stay true to her Amish heritage.

  Jerry Eicher’s Hannah’s Heart series follows Hannah Byler’s quest for true love within the traditions of the Amish faith. Although life in rural Montana is unfamiliar and at times dangerous, Hannah learns to thrive as she shoulders new responsibilities, deals with sudden hardships, and embraces her place in this small community of believers.

  Hannah Miller’s Amish faith is solid, and her devotion to family and the Amish community unquestionable. Yet her young spirit longs for adventure and romance. Troubling circumstances arise that provide a good excuse to spend the summer in Montana at a relative’s ranch.

  Her heart awhirl with emotion, Hannah dreams about her future. Sam, the boy Hannah has known all her life, is comfortable and predictable. Peter is a wild card. And Jake is unpredictable and mysterious. Hoping for a dream come true, Hannah leaves the life she’s known and sets out for the wilds of Montana.

  Hannah and her husband live near a small Amish community in a rough log cabin that is far from everything Hannah holds dear. Anxious about her new role as wife and soon-to-be mother, Hannah understands she must learn to control her anxious heart if her marriage is to survive.

  When her husband loses his job and answers the call to ministry, they discover hardships will either drive them apart or draw them closer together. With winter pressing in and money scarce, Hannah is determined to find hope despite the fearful conditions.

  Hannah is adjusting to married life. While her husband works long days as a furniture maker and minister, she stays busy keeping their home in order. Both anticipate their baby’s birth with joy.

  When word of a Mennonite tent revival spreads and worry about losing church members mounts, Hannah’s sister arrives and quickly catches the eye of a bachelor whose brother left the church during the last revival. And when an Englisha neighbor announces his interest in one of the Amish widows, Hannah’s husband is caught in the middle of the controversy.

  Will Hannah and her husband’s determination to stay faithful to God and the traditions of their church survive the turmoil?

  HARVEST HOUSE PUBLISHERS

  EUGENE, OREGON

  Scripture quotations are taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or to events or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Cover by Garborg Design Works, Savage, Minnesota

  FOLLOWING YOUR HEART

  Copyright © 2012 by Jerry S. Eicher

  Published by Harvest House Publishers

  Eugene, Oregon 97402

  www.harvesthousepublishers.com

  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

  Eicher, Jerry S.

  Following your heart / Jerry S. Eicher.

  p. cm. — (Fields of home ; bk. 2)

  ISBN 978-0-7369-4478-6 (pbk.)

  ISBN 978-0-7369-4479-3 (eBook)

  1. Amish—Fiction. I. Title.

  PS3605.I34F65 2012

  813'.6—dc23

  2011032582

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, digital, photocopy, recording, or any other—except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior permission of the publisher.

  Printed in the United States of America

  12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 / LB-CD / 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

  Contents

  Readers of Amish fiction love Jerry Eicher’s Little Valley series…

  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

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Chapter Thirty

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  The Fields of Home series, Book 1: Missing Your Smile

  Where Love Grows: Book 3 in The Fields of Home Series

  From Jerry and Tina Eicher, My Dearest Naomi…

  About Jerry Eicher…

  More Great Books by Jerry Eicher

  AmishReader.com

  Longing for a taste of Amish cooking?

  CHAPTER ONE

  The early morning light streamed through the kitchen window, sending sunbeams bouncing across the plain white walls. Susan Hostetler closed her eyes as she listened to the sound of her daett’s deep voice leading out in morning prayer. It was so gut to be home again, she decided, feeling the warmth of the stove on her back, noticing the soft touch of the hanging tablecloth on her arms, and taking in the delicious smell of Mamm’s breakfast filling the room. Already Asbu
ry Park seemed thousands of miles away, another world lost in the distant past. Yet it had only been a few days since she’d returned home, bringing Teresa and baby Samuel with her.

  Beside her Teresa sniffled as she pulled a white handkerchief from the pocket in her new Amish cape dress. Her hand hit the side of her head covering and knocked it askew as she dabbed her eyes. Teresa wasn’t quite used to Amish clothing, Susan thought. She smiled. Teresa had insisted on wearing the dress Mamm had made for her the moment she saw it.

  Menno’s deep voice was wrapping up the prayer. “And now, may the God of all peace comfort our hearts with His holy grace. And be with us this day, oh Lord. Lead us in the path of Your righteousness. In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.”

  Teresa stuffed the handkerchief back into her dress pocket. Susan gave her friend’s arm a quick squeeze under the table while she reached with the other to pass the plate of eggs.

  Susan’s mamm, Anna, glanced at both girls. “I have things I need at the Dutch Barn this morning. Do you girls want to drive down for me? The weather isn’t too bad, and it would give Teresa a chance to see more of the community.”

  “I don’t know why not,” Susan replied. “Teresa, do you want to go?”

  “What about Samuel?” Teresa asked, glancing toward the upstairs doorway.

  “I’ll watch him,” Mamm offered, smiling. “You’ve fed him already, haven’t you? And I already love the little fellow.”

  A quick smile spread across Teresa’s face as she nodded.

  “Then he’ll be okay for a few hours,” Mamm said.

  “I don’t know much about babies,” Teresa replied, her smile fading. “I’m so thankful you took me in. You don’t know how much it means to me.”

  “You’re very welcome here,” Mamm said. “And you can stay as long as you wish.”

  Susan’s daett, who had been listening to the conversation, spoke up. “Da Hah gives His grace to all of us, does He not?” He helped himself to some eggs. “We are more than glad to help out.”

  Susan thought Teresa was going to pull her handkerchief out again.

  Teresa gathered herself together instead and, barely speaking loud enough for them to hear, said, “I have wanted this for so long. You have no idea how much I have wanted this. At first I was thinking only of my son, but now I want this life for me too. It’s an answer to my prayers.”

  “Da Hah is a very gracious God,” Menno said. “And you’re welcome here, Teresa. Just remember, we are all human, even here in the community. But I suppose you’ll be finding that out as time goes on.”

  “That’s for sure,” Mamm said. “And none of us should ever be forgetting we are not perfect.”

  “But I think you are all wonderful,” Teresa protested. “I haven’t seen anything but saintliness so far. You are such sweet people. I know I can never be a true Amish person—like from birth—but Samuel can. He is almost the same as being born Amish since Susan was right there with me the whole time.”

  “As Menno said, you really shouldn’t think too highly of us,” Mamm corrected gently. “Even if you feel very good about us right now. No doubt you will be seeing our faults before long.”

  Teresa didn’t look convinced, but she let the subject drop.

  Menno frowned, deepening the weather-drawn lines on his face. Apparently he was not going to allow the matter to end here. “Mamm and I are very glad Susan is back with us, Teresa,” he said. “And that you could come with her. You must remember, though, that Da Hah wishes no one to consider themselves perfect. Our life here may be different from what you are used to—and hopefully better. But only Da Hah is perfect, and He is a very jealous God.”

  “Yes,” Teresa said, raising her eyes to meet his face. “I’m going to try to live the way I ought. It’s just that I’ve never been taught a lot of things about God like you people have been.”

  Susan breathed a sigh of relief. Thankfully the discussion this morning at the breakfast table was going quite well—better than she had dared hope. Teresa was joining in freely, and Mamm and Daett were being very gentle and kind with this touchy subject.

  “There will be plenty of time to learn,” Mamm said, getting up from the table. “Da Hah makes sure of that.”

  “I hope there is,” Teresa agreed. “But I have a very long way back from where I’ve been. And I want to say again that I’m sorry about the baby…being I’m not married. Do you think God will forgive me?”

  “Da Hah already has,” Mamm said, coming back with freshly baked bread that had been sliced.

  “He has?” Teresa looked up at Mamm’s face.

  “One only has to look into that baby’s face to see the hand of Da Hah already working,” Mamm said. “Da Hah makes the walk of obedience as easy as possible.”

  “But Samuel—he didn’t sin. I did.”

  “We have all sinned, Teresa,” Menno said. “As even my own Susan has. Just not in the same way. And Da Hah has forgiven her.”

  “Daett!” Mamm gasped. “You don’t know what Susan has been doing while she was gone.”

  “Perhaps not, but she was away,” Menno said. “That is serious enough. And the world calls to our weak flesh at every turn. Even Susan’s.”

  Teresa looked up and spoke slowly. “I hope you’re not thinking bad thoughts of Susan because of me. I know I’ve made awful choices in my life, but Susan hasn’t done anything like I have. She’s a holy woman. She dated only Christian people, like Duane Moran. He was a nice man.”

  Menno dropped his fork on the table. It bounced once before clanging on the floor. “Susan spent time with an Englisha man? She spoke to him of love?” he asked.

  Oh no! Susan thought. Here it comes. Now what am I going to do? Oh, why did I ever confide to Teresa about Mr. Moran? She had known it was only a matter of time before her mamm and daett started asking questions about her time spent with the Englisha.

  “Daett,” Mamm said, reaching over to stroke his arm, “we knew Susan had to be doing some things like that.”

  “But she is my dochtah,” Menno said.

  Susan got to her feet and walked over to her father. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders. “I’m home, Daett,” she said. “Can’t you just leave it at that? And I haven’t done anything wrong. Really.”

  “But you spoke of love with an Englisha man?” Menno raised his eyes to Susan’s face.

  “No, I didn’t. He was a very nice person, Daett,” Susan said. “I went out to eat with him in a restaurant. I did not agree to marry him. Okay?”

  Menno thought for a long moment before he sighed. “I had hoped to never hear of such things happening to my youngest daughter.”

  “You have lots of other daughters, Daett,” Susan said. “They’ve all turned out okay.”

  Menno sighed again and then bent down to pick up his fork. “So what have we done wrong with you?” he asked. “What have we not taught you that we taught the others? How could one of my girls just up and leave so suddenly like you did?”

  “But she’s back!” Mamm said before Susan could answer. “So let’s be thankful for that. Perhaps Da Hah will give us grace to continue from here.”

  That was the answer they’d be the most satisfied with, Susan figured, taking her seat again.

  “I’m sorry,” Teresa told Susan quietly. She pushed her food around with her fork.

  “You helped me get back home!” Susan whispered back, leaning over to give Teresa a hug. “Let’s not forget that.”

  “Da Hah moves in mysterious ways,” Mamm said. “I’m glad to see how much you two girls love each other. It helps make my heart feel better about your time away from us, Susan. If Da Hah can bring about this love, then your time among the Englisha was not completely lost.”

  Menno nodded in agreement. “Da Hah also forgave sinners while He walked on this earth. Perhaps I should not have spoken so harshly.”

  “I understand, Daett,” Susan said, mustering up a smile. “And if I didn’t know that y
ou and Mamm loved me, I never would have come home.”

  “I am glad you are home,” Menno said. “But surely you won’t be having those Englisha boyfriends coming to visit the farm, will you?”

  Susan laughed. “I think Robby did mention something about coming. But he’s not my boyfriend. We’re just friends. His mother owned the bakery where I worked.”

  “Susan!” Anna gasped. “How could you do such a thing? Inviting an Englisha boy here?”

  “He’s only a friend, Mamm,” Susan repeated. “And I doubt he’ll come anyway.”

  Menno nodded with a hint of a smile on his face. “That Thomas of yours came by looking for you over Christmas. Has Mamm told you about this?”

  “No, she hasn’t.” Susan glanced over at her mamm, who was staring at her plate.

  Menno smiled. “Perhaps this thing can be patched up between the two of you?”

  Susan took a deep breath before answering. “I may not want to patch things up with Thomas, Daett, so please be understanding. What I want is a man who will love me. Someone who will not fall in love with my best friend the first time I turn my back.”

  “We all have made mistakes,” Daett said. “We all have our faults.”

  “Did you fall in love with Mamm’s best friend while you were seeing her?” Susan asked him.

  “No,” Menno said. “That one I did not do.”

  “That proves my point,” Susan said.

  Menno fell silent, but Mamm didn’t look ready to drop the subject. Moments later she spoke up. “You always were the fiery one of the girls, Susan,” she said. “Don’t you think you’re overplaying this a little? Thomas does seem like a nice man, and he did go all the way to Asbury Park to visit you over Christmas, not knowing you’d left already. It shows you he is serious now.”

  “I didn’t know about that,” Menno said, leaning forward over the table. “That does sound serious—and quite gut to me.”

  “I think it counts for a lot,” Mamm said. “It clearly shows that whatever affection he had for Eunice, it was very short-lived.”