As Bishop Glick took his leave of Claire and said goodbye, Naomi’s heart had closed over the bishop’s words. Sometimes opposites could bring out the best in each other when Gott was involved. And what if, more than just involved, Gott was at the very center? Could two opposite people bring out the brightest and best in each other? If there was a bridge between the Amish and the English, was there one available for Mose and Naomi?

  Dare she hope?

  Chapter Twelve

  The bus ride back to Ohio was a long one—nearly eight hours with all the stops the bus made. Mose sat toward the back of the bus alone, his Bible on his lap. He was looking for peace as he watched the farmland melt into towns, which then broke into farmland again as the bus made its way across the countryside.

  The Englishers had been right—there was a special feeling around the Amish land, almost a tangible sense of blessing there. It wasn’t just farmland that lay like a held breath, bated and full of hope. It was Amish land.

  Mose’s heart still felt heavy and sad. He’d fallen in love with the wrong woman while he’d been in Redemption, and he wasn’t sure how he went so wrong on this visit. It was supposed to be simple—help his uncle and start proceedings with a matchmaker. That was it.

  If he were giving advice to another man, what would he tell him?

  Forget her. She’s not the one for you. You’ll only waste your time. Write letters with the more appropriate woman and look for reasons to love her. You’ll find something.

  Very logical. But impossible for him to follow, because his heart just wasn’t letting go. Love was far from logical, it seemed. Was this how a man ended up single for his entire life? Was this how a confirmed bachelor came to be—with a heart that just wouldn’t cooperate?

  When he arrived at the bus stop closest to his community, he took his bag and stepped off the bus. He was home, and it wasn’t like he didn’t have more options now that he was back. He had a matchmaker who had ideas about potential matches for him... His mother would be thrilled about this. And she wasn’t going to understand that he couldn’t go through with it.

  Mose took a taxi to his family’s farm, and when he got there, he found his parents getting ready for a hymn sing that was going to be hosted on their property the next evening. Perhaps worshipping with his community would help clear his head. It was the last hope he had, because his heart felt full to the brim with sadness, and his arms ached with emptiness. He’d kissed Naomi twice, and already he never wanted to kiss anyone but her.

  He’d let himself fall for Naomi, and it was reckless of him, but it was done. He’d only have himself to blame if he never did get that family of his own he longed for. He knew how his heart worked. He shouldn’t have let himself fall for her.

  The next evening, before they started singing, their bishop had a short worship, and the sermon was on the passage in Proverbs that talked about protecting a man’s well, keeping his water for himself and not letting it spread about.

  Drink waters out of thine own cistern, and running waters out of thine own well... Let them be only thine own, and not strangers’ with thee. Let thy fountain be blessed: and rejoice with the wife of thy youth.

  The preacher spoke eloquently about protecting a home, keeping a marriage united, strong and private. He spoke about fidelity and trust, and the blessing that comes from doing things Gott’s way.

  The sermon was not helping Mose’s aching heart one bit, because when Mose thought about a wife now, she was plump, energetic, and her wild, red curls always sprang free of her kapp. And the thought of marrying another woman was impossible. But the thought of Naomi marrying another man was heartbreakingly possible.

  Gott, is Naomi the woman for me? he prayed in his heart. I prayed for a wife, and I found Naomi. Was that Your doing?

  As the singing started, Mose spotted Daniel Lantz away from the rest of the group. His expression was grim, and maybe that sermon had stung for him, too.

  Mose headed over to where Daniel stood by a fence, leaning against the top wooden rail.

  “I heard you went to Pennsylvania,” Daniel said.

  “Yah, I was there for a couple of weeks,” Mose replied. His stutter was still there, but Mose pushed past it, forcing the words out, stammer and all. It had been almost two weeks, and yet so much had happened in that space of time. It could have been a year.

  Daniel just nodded.

  “I h-h-heard about L-L-Leah while I was there,” Mose said.

  Daniel looked up. “Yah? Is she okay?”

  “Not really,” Mose said, the stutter still strong. “From what I heard, she’s heartbroken. Her friends are worried about her. She’s a shell of the woman she used to be—that’s what I was told.”

  The words took longer to get out, but this mattered. This had to be said. Daniel dropped his gaze down to his hands, and he pulled off his hat and scrubbed a hand through his hair.

  “She’s your wife, Daniel,” Mose said quietly.

  “We aren’t happy together,” Daniel replied.

  “You aren’t happy apart, either,” he replied. “And neither of you are f-f-f—” The words seemed to lock up inside of him, and Mose had to shut his eyes to regain control. “...free to try again, marry someone else. It’s better to work it out, don’t you think?”

  “I used to be a spiritual man,” Daniel said. “I found joy in serving my community and worshipping Gott. Then I married her, and I became...angry, a little bit mean, too. I didn’t recognize myself. She’s so liberal. She refused to bend for me, to change her ways.”

  “Did you ch-ch-change yours?” Mose asked.

  “Too much! And I was in the right!” Daniel shook his head, the sudden fire in his eyes flashing up and then dimming. “Or at least I thought I was. I thought I’d show her how to do things the right way, and that she’d be happier for it. It didn’t work out that way. But it scared me when I lost that feeling of being certain of myself, unshakable in my beliefs. Maybe I wasn’t so solid as I thought I was.”

  “Is she a g-g-good woman?” Mose asked.

  “Yah.” Daniel sighed. “I think I’ve lost my faith in me being a good man, though.”

  How did Mose want Naomi to be treated when she finally did marry? She was liberal, too. But the thought of a man pushing down her spirit made him feel downright angry. She deserved to be treasured. And as unbelievable as it might seem, Mose wanted to be the man to do it... No one else would see exactly what he saw in Naomi.

  “A g-good man protects his w-wife,” Mose said, speaking slowly to get the words out as smoothly as possible. “He provides for her. He comes home to her. He loves her, even when he disagrees with her.”

  He didn’t give up and leave her miserable and alone. Women might be perfectly competent to care for themselves, but they shouldn’t have to do it.

  “I stopped feeling connected to Gott when I married,” Daniel said. “I felt like I lost the purest part of my life.”

  “D-do you feel c-c-connected now?” Mose asked bluntly.

  Daniel looked surprised at the question, then shook his head. “No. I can’t say that I do.”

  “So maybe it wasn’t Leah that was the problem,” Mose said, the words coming easier now, not so many stammers. “Gott is not so easily lost. Perhaps Gott is expecting you to grow.”

  Daniel looked out across the field. “I miss her. I admit to that. When I said those vows, I did mean them.”

  “She’s your wife, Daniel,” Mose said, pushing past his halting words. “She misses you, too. Maybe it’s time to live up to those vows and love her for better or for worse.”

  Mose could see Daniel’s thoughts colliding all over his face. Finally, he said gruffly, “Does she want to see me?”

  Mose shrugged. “Only one w-w-way to f-f-find out.”

  “I thought marriage would be different,” Daniel said. “It’s so much harder than I thought. A woman is...” He shrugged.

  “A whole other person,” Mose finished for him, and there wasn’t one stammer in those words. They rang out strong, clear, true.

  Daniel smiled ruefully. “Yah. That covers it. I’ve been a fool, haven’t I?”

  “From what I’ve heard, she’s trying to figure out how to build a life on her own now,” Mose said. “If I were you, I’d get myself to her door before she manages to do it.”

  Daniel met Mose’s gaze, then nodded. “That’s some wise advice, Mose. I think I’ll do that.”

  A loving marriage was possible between those two. Mose could see it. But it would require Daniel to adjust. He’d have to turn to Gott like he’d never done before, and learn to be the husband Leah needed. It would take more faith than he’d ever used in his previous, unchallenged life.

  And if it was possible for Daniel, was it possible for Mose, too? Mose had a choice in front of him—go back to Redemption and offer his heart and his name to Naomi Peachy, or stay here and play it safe.

  No woman was going to fill his heart the way Naomi did, and no matter how many years passed, he was going to wonder how Naomi was doing, and she’d still keep a part of his heart no one else would ever touch. Was that even fair to another woman he might marry?

  “T-t-tell you what, Daniel,” Mose said. “I’m going to g-g-g—” The word was stuck again, and he took a breath, starting over in his mind. “...go back with you. We can get tickets on the overnight bus.”

  “You’re coming, too?” Daniel frowned.

  “Yah,” Mose said. He could have said more, but he was exhausted from the effort of this conversation. Yes, he was going back, because Mose didn’t want Naomi to figure out how to move on without him, either. He wanted her to look up at him just the way she had the last time he kissed her, every single day for the rest of his life.

  A strong and competent woman could live without the man she loved...but a wise man never asked it of her. Her heart was worth more than any challenges that might come their way.

  Gott, I love her, he prayed silently. Grow me into a better man...for her.

  * * *

  Naomi knelt in the garden, pulling up the last of the pea plants, and throwing them into a compost heap. The pumpkins were still on the vine, and there were potatoes to dig up before the first frost, but today it was simply clearing out the old foliage in preparation for spring.

  She was hoping that the chore would clear her mind out, too, but it wasn’t working that way. She’d been praying every day since she was a teenager for Gott to bring her the man she’d marry, and this was the first time she’d experienced a love that rocked her life the way Mose had.

  It hadn’t been a very long visit, either! But there was something about Mose—that same sweet friend from childhood had matured into a strong, faithful man. And she’d fallen in love with him. If only she’d been the kind of woman he needed.

  Naomi pulled out another tangle of dried vines and tossed them irritably behind her, then she pushed herself to her feet. The sounds of a car on the drive drew her attention, and she turned to see a taxi pulling up to a stop at the house. Naomi shaded her eyes in the golden, September sunlight, and her heart skipped a beat.

  “Mose?” she called. “What are you doing back here? I thought—”

  She didn’t finish what she was saying, but instead hurried across the grass toward him. Her first instinct was to run into his arms, but before she got there, a sobering thought occurred to her. He’d said he was going to find a wife...and maybe he was back to start that process with Adel in earnest.

  She stopped a couple of yards from the car and Mose handed some money to the driver, and the taxi started to reverse. Mose smiled hesitantly.

  “I thought you went home,” she said.

  “I d-d-did,” he said. He pulled an envelope out and it crinkled between his strong palms. He looked so hesitant, so uncertain, and her heart was overflowing with heartbreak, even still. She was trying to hold herself back, but all she wanted was one more hug from him.

  “Oh, whatever!” she said, and she crossed the distance between them and flung her arms around his neck. “Maybe it’s another goodbye, but I missed you.”

  A lump in her throat cut off any more words, and she blinked back a mist of tears as his strong arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her in close. She could feel his warm breath against her neck, and for a few heartbeats, they just stood there, wrapped in each other’s arms. Whoever Mose married, he’d always be special to Naomi.

  Mose pulled back, and he handed her the envelope. “I wr-wr-wrote it d-d-down.”

  Naomi accepted the envelope. It wasn’t sealed, and she pulled out a sheet of paper. Did she want to read this in front of him? If it was going to hurt, she might want to read it alone. But he was standing there watching her expectantly, and she let her gaze drop to the page.

  Dear Naomi,

  I said I’d write, and it’s easier for me to say everything I need to say this way. I can’t take the chance of my words getting tangled up inside of me when it matters most.

  I love you. I said it before, and I meant it with every ounce of my being. I love you. And I know we’re different, but I realized something when I went back to Ohio.

  I talked to Daniel, and I saw myself in him...

  Naomi’s breath caught. Yes, that had been her fear all along.

  I don’t want to end up heartbroken and half a man for the rest of my life because I left you behind. I know I didn’t marry you yet, but you have my heart already.

  Daniel is going to talk with Leah and hopefully bring her home to Ohio. He’s miserable without her, too, and he might have thought he wasn’t as good of a Christian with her, but I think he just realized how imperfect he was all along and he didn’t like seeing the truth. Well, I’m not perfect, either, and I don’t want to make Daniel’s painful mistake.

  We’re different, true, but I believe Gott brought us together, and us falling in love with each other was no mistake. I think Gott can grow us both, make us better versions of ourselves and let us love each other for a lifetime.

  Marrying you would force me to grow, and I welcome it. Because I don’t want another day without you. The last one was hard enough.

  —Mose

  “Marrying me?” she whispered.

  Mose’s cheeks grew pink, and he caught her hand.

  “Are you thinking of marrying me?” she asked quietly, her green eyes sparkling with unshed tears.

  He opened his mouth, but he couldn’t get the first word out.

  “Because something changed for me, too...” she said. “I know we’re different, but the bishop changed his mind about us helping the Englishers because he saw the difference I made with Trevor.”

  She told the story quickly of what had happened.

  “And I couldn’t get the thought out of my head,” she concluded. “If there’s a bridge between the Amish and the English, why not with us? Because I love you, too, Mose! I love you so much!”

  A tear leaked down her cheek and she brushed it away.

  “Th-this part I h-h-have to say m-m-myself.” Mose swallowed, and while his words were halting, she waited with bated breath, treasuring every single one. “I love you. I want to be your husband, and to take care of you, and provide for you. I want to be the man who lets everyone else know that you’re under my care. I want to have children with you, and grow old with you. Please, Naomi... Marry me.”

  “Do you need me to change, Mose?” she asked, and she held her breath waiting for his answer.

  He shook his head. “No. Just love me.”

  That was easy enough—she was already in love with the man. She didn’t need convincing. She knew the man Mose was, and if he could see himself happy married to her just as she was, she would live her life a grateful woman.

  “Well?” he said. “W-will you?”

  “Yah...” she said, and she sniffled, wiping her face again. “Yah!”

  “Yah?” He searched her face, and Naomi couldn’t think of a better way to express her heart than to raise up onto her tiptoes and lightly kiss his lips.

  Mose bent over her, gathered her close against him and kissed her rather thoroughly. Her heart was soaring among the clouds overhead as she twined her arms around his neck. When they pulled back, breathless, she smiled up at him.

  “I love you,” he said, his voice deep, rich, and not a single halt in the words.

  “I love you, too!” she said.

  And then the side door opened and Aaron came tumbling outside. Claire stood in the doorway, her face aflame.

  “I’m sorry!” she called. “Aaron, get back inside! Now!”

  “It’s okay!” Naomi laughed, and she looked back at Mose. He shrugged, a smile on his lips. “We’ve got news, Claire...”

  Because after all these years of waiting, she wasn’t playing any secret-keeping games until the banns were read. She was marrying this man, and she wanted the whole community to know.

  Just as soon as they could arrange, she’d joyfully become Mose’s wife.

  Mose squeezed her hand, and she leaned her cheek against his shoulder, still feeling an overwhelming sense of awe.

  This was it... This was what it felt like when all of her hopes and dreams finally came into agreement with Gott’s will. It was worth the wait.

  Epilogue

  Naomi and Mose were to be married in a big community wedding held on the Knussli farm. When an Amish community wanted to pull a wedding together quickly, they did it! And all the Redemption families pulled together to make Naomi and Mose’s wedding one to remember.

  The men helped Jake to finish painting his barn so it would be ready in time for the wedding, and the women pulled together with Adel to make sure there would be food to feed the guests. Even Leah and Daniel were coming back for the wedding.