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Chapter 1

“Your order’s coming right up.” 

Amelia Taylor forced a tight smile on her lips while clicking on the mouse and pulling up Josh Brown’s invoice. Her bright blue eyes quickly scanned the instructions on the computer screen before motioning for her assistant Henry to come closer.

“Hey Henry, could you load Mr. Brown’s order for him please?” She pointed at a number to indicate where he was headed.

“Sure thing.” The teenager grabbed the keys for the forklift, ready to load the pallet of pumpkins into Josh’s truck.

“Thanks, Amelia. You’re the best.” Josh tipped his hat before stepping away from the counter.

Amelia sighed while brushing a stray piece of blonde hair behind her ear. She sure didn’t feel the best at the moment. Since her twin brother Jake died in a farming accident two years ago, working at her family’s pumpkin farm felt plain hard. She hadn’t acted like herself since that terrible day, and yet she dragged herself to the pumpkin patch each weekend to help her parents fill orders at their bustling farm nestled in the southern Blue Ridge Mountains. 

Both pumpkin farms and apple orchards dotted the landscape in Gilmer County, Georgia. Tourists came from miles around to purchase fresh produce in the fall. Visitors enjoyed both the food and the atmosphere, and so had Amelia. But now, her family’s small farm in the town of Clear Creek had lost its sparkle. While there, all she could think about was Jake and how he should still be enjoying life right along with her. The twenty-year-old spent most of her time at the local community college, although she didn’t have any idea what to major in or do with her life.

Amelia bit her lip as her thoughts snapped back to reality. She needed to take care of business and stop daydreaming. Looking up, she held her breath as a figure walked towards her.

The Amish man looked to be about her age, or maybe a little older. His blue eyes caught her own as they crinkled into a smile, and she couldn’t help to return it. Suddenly self conscious, she tugged at her sweater and wiped her sweaty palms on her jeans.

Amelia had always admired the Amish who lived in Clear Creek, but since her brother’s accident, she’d avoided everything that had to do with farming like the plague. She missed the simple, idyllic life she used to live. If only she could go back in time.

“I came to pick up my order. The name’s Abram Miller.”

“Got it. Give me just a minute while I look up your invoice.”

Amelia’s fingers shook as she typed his name onto the screen. She sensed him watching her, and she shyly took a second look.

He wore gray pants and a crisp, white shirt. Sandy blonde hair peaked out from underneath his straw hat. His arms were strong, tan, and currently folded over his chest.

Suddenly tongue-tied, Amelia turned her face away. Her cheeks burned as she realized that his stare made her stomach flip-flop.

“Okay, it doesn’t look like your order is very large. My assistant is with another customer right now. Do you mind loading it yourself?” She smiled apologetically. “I can help you if you’d like.

Abram put up a hand in protest. “Ja, I can load my order. But you don’t have to help me. It looks like you have a lot of work to do.” 

“If you’re sure. Give me just a second to print out your invoice.”

Abram waited patiently as the printer spat out his piece of paper. With wobbly hands, Amelia handed it to Abram while motioning for him to follow her.

Why does this man have this effect on me?

Amelia pushed aside her peculiar feelings while dodging pallets of pumpkins on her way to the back of the barn. She sensed Abram close to her side as they stopped next to three cartons filled with a variety of pumpkins and gourds.

“Ja, this looks like my order alright. We own an orchard not far from here, and our customers like to purchase pumpkins, too. I think this mix will be a hot seller.”

“Um, that sounds good.” Amelia swatted at a fly that buzzed around her head. “If you need help with anything else, just let me know.”

Abram touched her wrist and gave it a gentle squeeze as she turned to go. “Hey…I didn’t catch your name.”

“Amelia. Amelia Taylor.”

He grinned widely. “Hullo, Amelia. Do your parent’s own this farm?”

She nodded while swallowing a giggle. His use of Pennsylvania Dutch was endearing. She’d grown up hearing it often in her small mountain community.

“Yep. My last name’s Taylor, after all.”

His name sounded familiar to her, too. Miller…Miller. She bit her lip. A light bulb went off in her head as she remembered where she’d heard the name before. Amelia shopped with both her mother and friend Valerie often, and a booth in her small Appalachian town’s shopping district contained intricate needlework bearing the name of Ruth Miller.

Their eyes locked, and she licked her lips. Amelia knew she should get back to the counter, but something intrigued her about Abram. Surprised that she wanted to learn more, she decided to continue their conversation.

“Are you by any chance related to Ruth Miller?”

“I am. She’s my mamm.”

She nodded. “I’ve seen your mother’s work for sale at the Clear Creek Marketplace. She is very talented.”

“I have to agree with you there.” Abram shuffled his feet on the packed dirt that lined the inside of the barn. “So, do you enjoy working on this farm?”

Amelia coughed as her stomach squeezed. “Um…not exactly. This business is owned by my family, and I’m needed here on the weekends. But I’d rather be somewhere else.” She sighed as she looked down at her hands, remembering Jake. Since the sorority house she normally lived in at her college was being renovated, Amelia had temporarily moved back into her parent’s home. Being here felt hard. “I…I don’t think life in this town is for me, and I’m just biding my time until I find a way to leave.”

Pain snaked through her as she stepped away. She really should get back to her counter.

His eyes questioned hers as he cocked his head. “You should be thankful that your family has been blessed with this farm. It’s filled with abundance.” He motioned towards the piles of pumpkins nearly bursting out of the barn. “What else could you want?”

Annoyed, she tapped her foot. Who was Abram to say what she should and shouldn’t want? He had no idea what she’d been through. “If you don’t mind, please keep in mind that you aren’t my boss. In fact, we’ve just met. You have absolutely no right to weigh in on my priorities.” She pushed her wavy blonde hair over her shoulder, avoiding eye contact. Her nerves felt jangly, and she didn’t know why.

He sighed. “I’m sorry if I offended you. Just believe me when I say life away from Clear Creek isn’t all that it’s cracked up to be.”

“How would you know? You’re Amish.”

Abram lowered his gaze to the ground before mumbling quietly. “You’re right…how would I know?”

Amelia sighed, reminding herself to be kind to her parents’ customers. Abram had no idea of the loss she’d experienced on this farm, and she wasn’t about to tell him. Not yet, anyhow.

She stole another glance. Abram shuffled his feet, looking slightly uncomfortable. A warmth spread over her as she let her defenses down for just a moment, remembering the simplicity and joy of her small town upbringing. Surprised, Amelia wondered why she felt this way.

“Look, thank you so much for shopping with us today. My family really appreciates your business.”

Abram’s shoulders relaxed. “And my family appreciates the Taylor Family Farm. Your pumpkins are top notch, and are icing to the cake when customers visit our orchard. By far, this is our favorite place to go when we need to refill our supply.” His eyes twinkled. “If all goes well, I should be back every few days.”

Since her sorority house was being renovated, she should be here, too. A jolt of regret pulsed through her. If she’d just taken care of her responsibilities two years ago, Jake would still be at this farm with her. Everything would be like it should. But instead, she was left without her twin and reminded of his accident whenever she stepped foot on the farm. He shouldn’t have been pinned by their tractor while trying to cover for her negligence.

“Hey…are you alright?” Abram took a step closer, and his earthy scent tickled her nose. She felt her throat tighten while wondering what to say next.

“Fine…I’m fine.”

He frowned. “You don’t look fine. Do you need to step outside of the barn for a minute? It’s awfully hot in here.”

Amelia nodded, and he gently took her by the elbow. Leading her out the door, they dodged pumpkins as they crossed a field and walked towards the shade of a mighty oak tree. Customers milled around with smiles on their faces, and she could hear children shriek with delight while they waited in line for her father’s hayride.

She sighed, defeated for the time being. Abram’s eyes bore into her as she leaned against the familiar tree. After taking a gulp of air, she felt slightly better.

“Would you like to talk about it?”

His words were calm, and to the point. For the first time in forever, Amelia thought yes, perhaps she would. There was something about Abram that made her feel at home. Her cheeks pinked. What was wrong with her? This man was both a customer and a stranger, and she shouldn’t be feeling this way. 

She held up her hand, a sign for Abram to stop in his tracks. “No…I’d rather not.”

His questioning eyes probed further.

“But thank you for leading me outside…for thinking of me. I’ve had a lot on my mind lately, and I definitely can use this fresh air.”

“Of course.” He brushed against her while leaning closer. “You had me worried, there. You looked awfully peaked when we were standing in the barn.”

Touched by his thoughtfulness, Amelia’s lips curved into a smile. Since losing her twin, she didn’t feel like anyone understood her like he had. She’d felt lonely, lost, and alone. 

They locked eyes, until a child bumped into them. Brought back to reality, Amelia’s gaze returned to the busy pumpkin patch. She noticed a group of people staring in their direction. Suddenly self conscious, Amelia hugged her middle.

“I think I’m fine now. Feel free to grab your order. I can check to see if Henry is available to help you now, if you’d like.”
“No, I got it.” He started to back away slowly. “I’m glad you’re feeling better. If you ever need a listening ear, I’ll be around.” He winked before turning away.

And just like that, he was gone.

Amelia sighed. What had come over her?

It’s like her senses were thrown out the window.

Growing up in Clear Creek, Amelia knew talking to an Amish man was like playing with fire. The Amish kept to themselves when it came to relationships between males and females.

Shyly, she watched as Abram carried a large box of pumpkins from the barn with ease and walked towards the group of horses and buggies tied to a hitching post. He was tall, and strong. Abram walked with quiet confidence, and she was surprised by her attraction to him.

She needed to squash it, and fast. After the farming accident, Amelia knew she couldn’t live in Clear Creek long term. The memories were just too painful.

As if on cue, Amelia’s sheepdog, Sadie, nuzzled her hand.

“Sadie, have you come to offer a hand?” The dog wagged her tail and licked Amelia on the arm. She laughed as she ran her hands through Sadie’s coarse fur. “You always know how to make me feel better.” Amelia sighed as she walked slowly back towards the barn. A vision of Abram’s concerned gaze burned into her conscience, and she squinted her eyes, hoping it would leave her mind quickly. 

***

Abram leaned back against the worn seat in his buggy, a smile filling the outline of his squared jaw. He guided his horse, Bessy, to make a right-hand turn towards his parent’s home in the heart of Amish country on the banks of Clear Creek. He glanced at the pumpkins behind him as the buggy continued slowly and steadily towards his childhood home. What a morning it had turned out to be. 

The fruit reminded him of Amelia Taylor…for some reason, he was quite taken by the Englisher. Her wavy blonde hair framed her pixie-like face before trailing down her back. Her blue eyes had bore into his with a sadness he wished he could take away. Abram found her short stature to be endearing as she led him to his order in the big, airy barn.

As much as he hated to admit it, he’d felt some attraction there. He wanted to comfort Amelia when her lips turned down and her posture stooped. In fact he wanted to do more than that. Abram wished he could have scooped her up in a hug right then and there. 

What was wrong with him? Why was he always attracted to things outside of his reach?

Abram had nearly broken his mamm and daed’s heart when he left town during his Rumschpringe. He’d come very close to leaving his Amish faith to seek a name for himself within the Englishe world as a musician during his running around years. After his rejection on the music scene, he realized the magnitude of what he’d left behind, Abram returned home to his roots, fully willing to accept his culture for the rest of his life.

This had been a few years ago, and Abram felt like he still hadn’t fully regained the trust of his family.

He wished they believed him when he said that he wasn’t going anywhere. Life outside of Clear Creek wasn’t all it was cracked up to be. It was calloused, and hard. Abram was fully content with his life in this small, Georgian community. Until he met Amelia Taylor, that is.

Bessie turned onto a tree-lined lane with its mountain backdrop while his thoughts returned to reality. Apple trees dotted the landscape over rising hills, and a handful of cars in the drive indicated customers were wandering the orchard to pick their delicious produce. It was good to be home. The white farmhouse was framed by his mother’s rambling rose bushes, and he spied his nieces, Ada and Abby, playing amongst the apple trees to the west side of the residence. He guided Bessie towards the barn as his mother stepped onto the front porch.

“Abram! I’m glad you are home! Were you able to pick up our order without any problems?”

“Ja, there were no problems at all.”

Ruth Miller hurried down the porch steps, her wide frame quickly closing in the distance between the two. “Tis gut to hear. Denki ever so much for stoppin’ by the Taylor farm for us today.”

“You’re welcome, I didn’t mind at all. I enjoyed giving Bessie a chance to run off some steam. I’ve been so busy in the apple orchards that I fear I’ve been neglectful to the mare.”

“Nee, she looks perfectly healthy to me.” Ruth patted her son’s arm. “Denki ever so much again. I didn’t want to load my two granddaughters into the buggy while they were havin’ so much fun playing outdoors.”

Abram looked at the two young girls romping amongst the trees. They belonged to his sister, Miriam, and his brother-in-law, Marcus. They were expecting another bobbeli, and his mother had agreed to watch her grandchildren while Miriam visited her midwife.

“Mamm, is everything going well with Miriam’s pregnancy? Is her visit today standard protocol?”

She smiled widely. “Ja, everything is going quite well, to my knowledge. You will have another niece or nephew in three months’ time.”

He sighed with relief. His parents Jed and Ruth Miller had only two living children. Most Amish families had many more. Miriam’s pregnancy was shaky at the start, and Abram was grateful to know all was going well now. His family was looking forward to this bobbeli’s arrival with great anticipation and joy.

“Wunderbaar, I’m glad to hear it. Miriam should be back soon, correct?”

Ruth nodded in agreement. “Once she arrives, we plan on eatin’ dinner before she and the children return to their home. Marcus will be working their land until sundown, so he won’t be joining us.”

Abram’s stomach rumbled. His mother was well known in Clear Creek for the delectable meals she prepared.  He began humming a tune as he unloaded the crate of pumpkins from his buggy. For a moment, not just hunger ate at him. Guilt gnawed his stomach, too. The pumpkins reminded him of a pretty blonde he had no business thinking about.

His mother frowned in disapproval. “Now son, singin’ Englishe music under your breath will get you in trouble quickly if the church elders catch wind of it. Please remember you are takin’ baptism classes and plan to fully commit to our church in just a few months.” He noticed Ruth’s shoulders sag as if a weight had been placed upon the dear woman’s back. “I cannot risk losing my son to the world once more.”

Abram looked down, as the impact of her words hit him square in the chest. He’d caused his mother great pain when he had left Clear Creek in search of a different life. “Mamm, you have nothing to worry about. I am here for gut.”

She nodded as she stoically watched her son unload their buggy. 

“Denki for the reassurance. I truly appreciate it.” Ruth wiped stray hair off of her face that had escaped from her kapp. “Look at all of the bounty flowing out of the buggy! Hopefully, we will need to return to the Taylor farm every few days. The fall apple pickin’ season is in full swing, and many tourists have been dropping in.”

Abram plopped the crate onto the fertile soil near his rig and began to pull the pumpkins out two by two. He hoped his mother was right. Much to his chagrin, Abram realized he would like nothing more than to see Amelia on a regular basis. 

Why he gravitated towards this woman, he would never know. His family would be heartbroken if they were privy to the thoughts swirling through his brain at the moment. He thought of her gentle features paired with her industrious spirit. He’d watched her for a moment before heading to the counter to pick up his order. She was both confident and proficient. Most Amish girls were a bit too reserved for his liking. He knew she fit his bill perfectly.

But, there was only one problem.

“Son, why do you have a faraway look in your eyes?” Ruth squinted as she looked directly at Abram’s face. “Did somethin’ exciting happen while you were at the pumpkin patch earlier?” She clasped her hands in excitement. “Better yet, did you meet a girl? There are many beautiful Amish girls that visit the Taylor Family Farm, ja?”

He hung his head as his cheeks turned a shade of red. He’d met a girl alright, but she wasn’t who his mother had in mind. “You know gut and well most Amish fellows like to keep their love lives under wraps. But if I ever ask a girl to be my frau, you will be the first to know.”

His mother beamed. “Abram, it does a mother’s heart gut to know her son is plannin’ on joining our church. When you do marry, that will be the icing on my cake.”

He sharply let out his breath while he lifted the last of the pumpkins from the crate. While Abram knew his parents had high hopes for him to marry soon, not a single Amish girl had caught his eye. Sure, he’d noticed many girls making moon eyes at him at his church meetings, but he was positive none of these girls were intended for him. They were all too much like Lydia Yoder, whom he had courted briefly before leaving for Nashville. Unfortunately, he realized that much like his taste in music, he preferred Englishe girls over their Amish counterparts.

“I hope to never disappoint you again. I have full intentions to live as an Amish man for the rest of my days.”

“Denki son, this is wunderbaar to hear.” Ruth patted her son on his back before turning towards the large, white farmhouse.

Abram removed his straw hat to run his fingers through his hair, while looking at his young nieces chasing a toad across the yard. He yearned to have a family of his own one day, and he couldn’t wait to be a daed to a house full of children who frolicked over the rolling hills of Clear Creek’s Amish farmland. It wouldn’t do for Abram to chase after a fancy woman. He never intended on hurting his parents during his Rumschpringe, and he vowed then and there to never do it again. 

Nonetheless, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t get Amelia off of his mind. Behind her confidence he’d sensed a sadness, and he wanted to get to the bottom of it. He was drawn to her, and wanted to protect her. A sigh blew through his lips.

Abram decided to pay another visit to the pumpkin patch as soon as possible. Surely no harm would come from an innocent conversation with the young woman.