The Wonder of Your Love (A Land of Canaan Novel) Read online

  Mary Sue Seymour, my friend, my agent—thank you for guiding my career and for the friendship we share.

  Barbie Beiler, I sure do miss you, and I hope to visit soon! Your input—based on your own Amish background—continues to strengthen my books, keeping them authentic. Sending you big hugs, my friend.

  To my line editor, LB Norton—Wow! You jumped in at the 11th hour on this book, and what a fantastic job you did. Thank you for all your hard work and willingness to push a step further to make the book a better read. Hope to meet you in person soon. Blessings to you.

  To friends and family not mentioned here, please know that they only give me so much space to write acknowledgments, or otherwise, I could go on forever and ever about how much each and every one of you means to me and how much I appreciate your encouragement, support, and love.

  And last, but certainly not least—to my readers. A huge thank you for reading for my books. If one of my stories brought you a step closer to God, or perhaps got you off of the fence where He is concerned, possibly gave you hope or a better understanding of His grace—please let me know by sending me an email at [email protected].

  Reading Group Guide

  1. In the beginning of the story, Katie Ann doesn’t think Eli is her type. Why? What are some of Eli’s characteristics that Katie Ann ultimately finds charming and is attracted to?

  2. Katie Ann struggles to forgive Ivan for his infidelities. How does her inability to forgive set roadblocks along her own life path? Who are we really hurting when we can’t forgive?

  3. Eli has his life planned out, and he feels as though he’s earned some time off. When do his big plans to travel start to fall apart and lose the allure? Why do you think that happened?

  4. Katie Ann admits to herself that her relationship with God is not what it used to be. What happens when Katie Ann finally accepts that God is in charge and submits to His will without second-guessing His plan for her?

  5. As in real life, there are several ‘gray’ areas mentioned in the book, things or a way of life that aren’t traditionally part of Amish living. One of those is the use of cell phones. What are two more instances where rules are bent?

  6. Eli notices early on that Katie Ann and Martha’s friendship is special, if not unlikely. But despite their many differences, Katie Ann and Martha are more alike than they may seem. How so?

  7. What do you think will happen to Lucy? Do you think that she and Katie Ann will cross paths again someday? Will Jonas and Benjamin ever meet each other? If so, how do you think that will go?

  8. Martha is a large presence in the book, and her heart is as big as her outspoken personality, which explains why she took Danielle in. As Martha begins to take on a parental role, how do you see her changing with regard to Danielle?

  9. Early on, Katie Ann and Eli agree to just be friends. Have you or anyone you’ve known fallen in love with their best friend? How did it turn out?

  10. Katie Ann and Eli share one similar quality. They are both unselfish. What are several instances when this shines through for each of them, and when does this endearing quality sometimes block God’s efforts for their future together?

  11. Danielle tells several lies—to her mother on the phone in the hospital, to the nurse and others about not knowing who hit her, and to Martha when she tells Martha that her parents are dead. Is it ever justifiable to tell a lie? How might things have turned out differently if Danielle had always told the truth? Would things have turned out better or worse for her?

  12. Often God has a plan for us that we can’t see or understand, putting us on the right course for the life He wants us to live. What are some examples of this in your own life? Have you ever unknowingly blocked His efforts? Or do you believe that it was always God’s will for things to have happened exactly the way that they did?

  Amish Recipes

  Peanut Blossoms

  1 c. sugar

  1 c. brown sugar

  1 c. butter or oleo

  2 eggs

  1 c. peanut butter

  ¼ c. milk

  2 tsp. vanilla

  3½ c. flour

  2 tsp. baking soda

  1 tsp. salt

  2 (10 oz.) pkgs. chocolate kisses or miniature peanut butter cups

  Cream sugars, butter, and peanut butter. Beat in eggs, milk, and vanilla. Stir in dry ingredients. Shape into balls and roll into additional sugar. Bake at 375 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes. Immediately press a chocolate candy into each cookie. Yield: about 7 dozen.

  Chicken and Rice Casserole

  1 c. rice, uncooked

  ¼ c. onions, minced

  2 Tbsp. parsley flakes

  ½ tsp. salt and pepper

  1 whole chicken, cut up

  1 can cream of chicken soup

  ¾ c. salad dressing

  1¼ c. water

  Put rice in greased casserole. Add onions and seasonings; mix well. Combine soup, salad dressing, and water; beat. Pour half of soup mixture over rice, top with chicken and remaining soup mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 1½ hours. Sprinkle with paprika, if desired.

  Lazy Wife’s Dinner

  1 can cream of celery soup (or cream of mushroom soup)

  1 c. macaroni, uncooked

  1½ c. milk

  1½ c. frozen vegetable of your choice

  ½ lb. Velveeta (or American cheese)

  1 c. diced potatoes

  1 c. diced carrots

  1 c. meat of your choice, cooked and chopped into bite-size pieces

  3 Tbsp. chopped onion

  Mix all the ingredients together and pour into 9” x 13” baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 1½ hours.

  Thanks to Amish friends in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania and Westcliffe Colorado.

  The Daughters

  of the Promise novels

  Visit AmishLiving.com

  What would cause the Amish

  to move to Colorado, leaving

  family and friends behind?

  The Land of Canaan Series

  Darlene thought moving to a small town would bring their family closer together, but it just might tear them apart.

  Available April 2012

  AN EXCERPT FROM

  Need You Now

  DARLENE’S CHEST TIGHTENED, AND FOR A FEW seconds she couldn’t move. If ever there was a time to move—to run—it was now. She put a hand to her chest, held her breath, and eased one socked foot at a time behind her across the wood floors in her bedroom. With each tiptoed step, she kept her eyes on the intruder, wondering why he wasn’t moving. Maybe he was dead.

  She reached behind her and twisted the doorknob, and the click sent her trespasser scurrying across the floor toward her. In one swift movement, she jumped backward across the threshold and into the den, and slammed the door so hard a picture of the kids fell off the wall. She looked down at Chad, Ansley, and Gracie staring up through broken glass, then hurried through the den to the kitchen. Her hand trembled as she unplugged her cell phone and pressed the call button. Please answer.

  It was tax time, so every CPA at her husband’s office was working long hours, and for the last few weeks before the April deadline, Brad was hard to reach—either with a client or in a meeting. She knew not to expect him until after eight o’clock tonight. Knowing she couldn’t go back in her bedroom, she wondered what she would have to live without until then. For starters, a shirt.

  Darlene looked down at her semi-bare upper half. She’d managed to pull on her undergarments and a pair of shorts from her drawer before she was forced out of her bedroom. She let out a heavy sigh and rubbed her forehead. Brad answered on the sixth ring.

  “Bradley…” She only called him by his full name when she needed to be sure she had his full attention.

  “What is it, babe?”

  She took a deep breath. “There is a snake in our bedroom. A big, black snake.” She paused and shivered. “In our bedroom.”

  “How big?”

  She’d expected a larger
reaction. Maybe her husband didn’t hear her. “Big! Very big. Huge, Brad.”

  He chuckled. “Honey, remember that little snake that got in your greenhouse when we lived on Charter Road in Houston? You said that snake was big too.” Another chuckle, and Darlene wanted to smack him through the phone. “It was a tiny little grass snake.”

  “Brad, you’re going to have to trust me. This snake is huge, like five or six feet long.” A shiver ran down her spine. “Are you coming home or should I call 9-1-1?”

  “What? You can’t call 9-1-1 about a snake. Darlene, don’t do that. Round Top is a small town, and we’ll be known as the city slickers who called in about a snake.”

  “Then you need to come home and take care of this.” She lifted her chin and fought the tremble in her voice.

  Deep breath on the other end of the line. “You know how crazy it is here. I can’t leave right now. It’s probably just a chicken snake, and they’re harmless.”

  “Well, there are no chickens in my bedroom, so it doesn’t have any business in there. Brad, it’s a snake. Are you hearing me?”

  “Chad can probably get it out when he gets home from school. Maybe with a shovel or something.”

  Darlene sighed. “Our girls are going to freak if they come home to find a snake in the house.”

  “Maybe—”

  “I’ll call you back. There’s someone at the door, and I’m standing here in my bra. I’ll call you back. Love you.” She clicked the phone closed, then yelled toward the door. “Just a minute!”

  After finding a T-shirt in Gracie’s room, she pulled it over her head as she crossed back through the den toward the front door. This was the first visitor she’d had in the two months since they’d moved from Houston. As had been habit in the city, she peeked around the curtain, relieved to see it was a woman. A very tall woman in a cowgirl hat. She pulled the door open.

  “Your Longhorns are in my pasture.” The woman twisted her mouth to one side and folded her arms across her chest. “This is the second time they’ve busted the fence and wandered onto my property.”

  Darlene thought this cowgirl could have walked straight off the set of any western movie. She was dressed in a long sleeved denim shirt with her blue jeans tucked into brown boots. She was older than Darlene, possibly mid forties, and stunning, with huge brown eyes and blond hair that hung in a ponytail to her waist.

  “I’m so sorry.” Darlene shook her head. Brad should have never gotten the three Longhorns. Neither she nor Brad knew a thing about cows. But Brad had said a move to the country should include some Longhorns. She pushed the door wide. “I’m Darlene.”

  The woman shifted her weight but didn’t make a move toward the door. Instead, she stared at Darlene’s chest. Darlene raised a brow and waited for the woman to lock eyes with her, and when she didn’t, Darlene finally looked down. Her cheeks warmed as she sighed.

  “Oh, this is my daughter’s shirt.” Don’t Bug Me! was scrolled across the white T-shirt in red, and beneath the writing was a hideous picture of a giant roach. Darlene couldn’t stand the shirt, but fifteen-year-old Gracie loved it. “Do you want to come in?” She stepped back.

  “No. I just wanted to let you know that I’m going to round up your Longhorns and head them back to your pasture. I’ll temporarily repair the fence.” The woman turned to leave, and it was then that Darlene saw a horse tethered to the fence that divided their property. She stifled a smile. This woman really was a cowgirl.

  “Know anything about snakes?” Darlene stepped onto the front porch, sidestepping a loose board. The porch was next on their list of things to repair on her grandparents’ old homestead.

  “What?” The woman turned around as she held a hand underneath the rim of her hat, blocking the afternoon sun.

  “I have a snake in my bedroom.” Darlene shrugged. “Just wondering if you had any—any experience with something like that.” She padded down two porch steps in her socks. “I’m not sure I got your name, earlier?”

  “Layla.” She gave a quick wave before she turned to leave again. Darlene sighed. Clearly the woman wasn’t interested in being friends. Or helping with the snake. Darlene watched her walk to her horse and put a foot in the stirrup. Then she twisted her body to face Darlene. “What kind of snake?”

  Feeling hopeful, Darlene edged down another step. “A big, black one.”

  Layla put her foot back down on the ground, then walked across the grass toward the porch. Darlene couldn’t believe how graceful the tall blonde was, how out of sync her beauty seemed to be with what she was wearing.

  “Only thing you really have to worry about around here are copperheads.” She tipped back the rim on her straw hat. “Was it a copperhead?”

  At five foot two, Darlene felt instantly inferior to this tall, gorgeous, horse-riding, snake-slaying blonde. She wasn’t about to tell her she didn’t know one snake from the other. “I don’t think so.”

  “All I’ve got is a .22 with me.” Layla pointed back to her horse where Darlene saw a long gun in a holster. A surreal feeling washed over her. She recalled their previous home—and life—in Houston, and a woman with a gun on a horse wasn’t a sight they would’ve seen. “A .22 will blow a hole through your floor. Do you have a pellet gun?” Layla stopped in front of Darlene on the steps. Darlene was pretty sure that was all they had—Chad’s BB gun.

  “Yeah, I think so.”

  Five minutes later, Darlene pushed open her bedroom door and watched Layla walk into the room. The bed was piled with clean folded clothes. At least it was made up. The vacuum was in the middle of the room instead of in the downstairs closet under the stairs. It wasn’t how she wanted a neighbor to see her bedroom, but it could have been worse.

  Layla got down on her knees and looked under the bed. Darlene stayed in the doorway and did a mental scan of what was under there. Boxes of photos, a flowery hatbox that had belonged to her grandmother, and an old red suitcase stuffed with baby keepsakes from when the kids were young—and a lot of dust.

  “There he is.” Layla leaned her chest to the floor and positioned Chad’s BB gun. Darlene braced herself, then squeezed her eyes closed as two pops from the gun echoed from underneath her bed. A moment later, Layla drug the snake out with the tip of the gun. “Just a chicken snake.”

  Darlene stepped out of the room, giving Layla plenty of room to haul the snake outside. Big, black, ugly. And now dead. Blood dripped across the newly polished hardwood floors all the way to the front door. Layla carried the snake to the fence and laid it across the timber with its yellow underside up.

  “Belly up should bring rain.” Layla was up on her horse in a flash. “Maybe tell your husband that I’m patching the fence up, but he really needs some new cross planks.”

  “I will. And thank you so much for killing that snake. Do you and your husband want to come for dinner tonight? I’d like to do something for you.”

  “I’m not married. And I can’t come to dinner tonight. Thanks, though.” She gave the horse a little kick in the flank, then rode across the pasture. Darlene had wondered who lived in the farmhouse up on the hill. Her youngest daughter called it the mansion on the hill. In comparison to their rundown farmhouse, Darlene supposed it was a mansion. Both homes were probably built in the late 1800s, but Layla’s house was completely restored with yellow paint and white trim. A white picket fence surrounded the yard, and toward the back of a property, a bright red barn lit up the hayfield not far from a good-sized pond. And there were lots of cows. If the wind was blowing just right, sometimes Darlene could hear faint music coming from the house.

  She was hoping maybe she could be friends with Layla. The woman was intriguing for sure. And Darlene could use a friend. She had met a few people since they’d lived here, but not any she felt she could be friends with.

  She clearly had nothing in common with the woman. But just the same, she was going to pay her a visit tomorrow. Maybe take her a basket of baked goodies to say thank you.

  About
the Author

  BETH WISEMAN IS HAILED AS A top voice in Amish fiction. She is the author of numerous bestsellers, including the Daughters of the Promise series and the Land of Canaan series. She and her family live in Texas.

  Visit BethWiseman.com

  Table of Contents

  Glossary

  One

  Two

  Three

  Four

  Five

  Six

  Seven

  Eight

  Nine

  Ten

  Eleven

  Twelve

  Thirteen

  Fourteen

  Fifteen

  Sixteen

  Seventeen

  Eighteen

  Nineteen

  Acknowledgments

  Reading Group Guide

  Amish Recipes

  About the Author