Katie's Journey to Love Read online

  When the plane stopped and the seat belt light went off, Margaret stood up to reach her carry-on bag. When Margaret stepped aside, Katie did the same. Several long minutes later, the line in their aisle surged forward. Katie kept Margaret’s back in view as they walked up the ramp. They met up with the other two and walked through the airport terminal.

  The girls retrieved their suitcases at baggage claim and went through customs with no problems. On the other side, they were greeted with a joyous shout from Margaret’s mom. She came rushing up, hugging and kissing Margaret and then giving Katie and the others a welcome home hug.

  Nelly led them out to the parking lot, chatting up a storm as they went. She shared all the news from the Mennonite community, including the bits and pieces the girls had picked up from Facebook. The girls chattered about their adventures too. Soon everything was jumbled, but they would sort it out as time went on. No one said anything about Ben. Perhaps Nelly hadn’t thought of the subject or maybe Margaret had mentioned Katie’s connection to him in an email so Nelly was being kind.

  As they drove out of the airport and took the interstate toward Delaware, Katie wondered if her relationship with the Mennonite youth would continue. Something had changed inside her. The closer they came to home, the more certain she was. Everything was feeling quite different. Katie forced herself to focus on the chatter between Nelly and the other girls. She even tried to get a word in edgewise, but she soon gave that up. She would save her words for Mamm and Jesse. Right now just hearing the happy talk in the van was doing her spirit a lot of gut. It kept the niggling dread of having to talk about Ben and deal with Mabel at bay. Perhaps Mabel had changed since she’d left. Katie could only hope.

  “Does your mom know you’re coming home today?” Nelly asked Katie, cutting into the middle of the conversation as if the thought had just occurred to her.

  “Yah. This is the date we’d planned, so everything should be fine.”

  “Okay,” Nelly said. “I just wanted to make sure.”

  The chatter started again and didn’t slow down until Nelly pulled into Sharon’s driveway. Katie got out to stretch her legs and say hello to Sharon’s mamm.

  At the next stop, it went much the same. Nancy’s mamm spent quite some time asking questions about the trip and giving everyone time to answer. Katie responded as best she could. Yah, she’d enjoyed the trip. Yah, she would go again, but she didn’t expect that to happen. Nee, they hadn’t gotten on each other’s nerves. Nancy was an angel, and they couldn’t have made such a good trip without her. When Nancy’s mamm was satisfied, Nelly, Margaret, and Katie piled back into the van. Katie’s home was next.

  Suddenly Katie realized she was so jittery that her hands were shaking. Hanging on to her carry-on bag, Katie forced herself to keep breathing evenly. She’d been through so much on this trip, so there was no sense passing out now.

  Jesse’s farm soon came into sight, and Katie clutched her carry-on even tighter. There was no sign of anyone as Nelly drove in the driveway, but Katie had no more than opened the van door when Mamm came racing out of the washroom door, her apron flying.

  “Oh, Katie!” Mamm wrapped her in her arms. “I thought you’d never get home!”

  “I know,” Katie choked. “It seemed like an awfully long time.”

  Mamm let go to shake hands with Nelly and Margaret, her shyness apparently gone in the joy of her daughter’s homecoming.

  “Thanks so much for taking care of Katie while she was gone,” Mamm was saying to both Margaret and her mother. “I can never express my gratitude sufficiently.”

  “We are the ones who are grateful that Katie was along,” Margaret said while Katie retrieved her suitcase. “And I’m sure I speak for the other girls. We had a great time.”

  “Well, it was very nice of you to invite her.” Mamm wiped away her tears.

  They stepped back as Nelly and Margaret got back into the van. Nelly started the engine, and soon the van was moving down the driveway, turning left onto the main road.

  Mamm and Katie turned toward each other for another long hug.

  “I’m so glad to be home, Mamm. I can never say how much,” Katie whispered.

  Mamm held Katie at arm’s length. “You’ve changed. I’m not sure how, but something is different about you.”

  “Oh, Mamm, I’ve lost Ben!” Katie cried. “How can I not have changed? That and the trip…I don’t think I’ll ever be the same again.”

  “It’ll be okay,” Mamm said as she held Katie close again. “Everything is going to be okay. Dah Hah has His reasons for the way things happen. And they are always for the best for all of us who love Him.”

  Mamm knew what she was talking about. Not that she’d lost a boyfriend to a hideous crime like she had, but Mamm had suffered in her own way. And look how Da Hah had healed her and brought her love again.

  “I know He’s watching over us,” Katie said, wiping at her tears. “Well, on to the next difficult subject. Does Mabel still hate us?”

  A soft smile spread over Mamm’s face. “Mabel’s inside waiting for you. She wanted to give me this time alone with you before she greeted you.”

  “Things are different then?” Katie asked hopefully.

  Mamm hesitated. “Maybe some. At least for the moment. Da Hah is still working miracles. We just have to trust where He leads us and willingly follow Him.”

  “I know.” Katie looked up as Mabel appeared, walking across the lawn toward them. Katie turned from Mamm and ran to meet Mabel. They met on the sidewalk and embraced.

  “You’re home!” Mabel said. “I’m glad you’re back. And I’m sorry about Ben. I really am.”

  “Thank you, Mabel. It’s been hard,” Katie whispered.

  Mabel smiled as Mamm came up with Katie’s suitcase. The three of them turned and walked into the house together.

  Discussion Questions

  1. Should Emma have been better prepared after her wedding to Jesse to deal with the time when the entire family would be together?

  2. How well does Katie do with her attitude toward Mabel?

  3. Should Katie have suspected there were ulterior motives to Ben Stoll’s sudden interest in her?

  4. Why would Mabel think she could hide her furtive meetings with Mose Yutzy?

  5. Did Jesse correctly handle Katie’s request to join the three Mennonite girls for a trip to Europe?

  6. Should Jesse have taken a stronger hand in dealing with Mabel’s hostility?

  7. What do you think about how Emma handled the conflict with Mabel and between Mabel and Katie?

  8. Was Jesse’s offhand rejection of Mose Yutzy a reaction to something else?

  9. Was Katie in the wrong by confronting Mabel when she’d been with Mose in the barn?

  10. Should Katie have accepted the gift that enabled her to join the three Mennonite girls for going overseas?

  11. Is Ben falling in love with Katie? Why or why not?

  12. Does the strengthening of Katie’s faith while the girls tour early Anabaptist sites equip her to better deal with the news of Ben’s arrest and betrayal?

  13. Have you experienced God’s healing touch as Katie did in the Swiss Alps?

  14. How much has Mabel’s heart softened toward Katie when she arrives home from Europe?

  About the Author

  If you enjoyed Katie’s Journey to Love, you’ll want to watch for book 3 in the Emma Raber’s Daughter series!

  Katie’s Forever Promise

  (coming Fall 2013)

  And don’t forget book 1!

  Katie Opens Her Heart

  JERRY EICHER’S bestselling Amish fiction (more than 500,000 in combined sales) includes The Adams County Trilogy, Hannah’s Heart series, The Fields of Home series, and the Little Valley Series. After a traditional Amish childhood, Jerry taught for two terms in Amish and Mennonite schools in Ohio and Illinois. Since then he’s been involved in church renewal, preaching, and teaching Bible studies.

   

  Jerry S. Eicher, Katie's Journey to Love