Threads of Grace (Patch of Heaven, Band 3) - Softcover

Long, Kelly

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1595548726 ISBN 13: 9781595548726

Verlag: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2013

Inhaltsangabe

Grace’s beauty almost cost her everything. This new start is all she has left. 

When Grace Beiler was only a girl, she was married off to an older Amish man in order to save her family’s farm. Years later, she finds herself newly widowed and a mother to a young son. She has finally fled her sad past and plans to settle into a quiet life in Pennsylvania.

As soon as she arrives, she captures the attention of Seth Wyse, the most eligible bachelor in Pine Creek. Seth is candid about his feelings for her, and for her son Abel, but Grace is determined to protect her heart. Her determination falters when her brother-in-law reveals the troubling contents of her late husband’s will.

Seth offers Grace his hand in marriage, and thus a means of escape. But despite his having saved her from another loveless marriage, Grace is slow to trust her new husband. And as the months wear on, Seth wonders if he has made a mistake. But God is quietly at work in their hearts, and Seth and Grace soon discover that threads of grace bind them together in a tapestry rich in hope and love. 

• Sweet and thoughtful contemporary Amish romance
• Part of the Patch of Heaven novels—Book 1: Sarah’s Garden; Book 2: Lilly’s Wedding Quilt; Book 3: Threads of Grace
• Book length: 85,000 words
• Includes discussion questions for book clubs

Über diesen Titel

Über die Autorin bzw. den Autor

Kelly Long is a nationally bestselling author of Amish Fiction who enjoys studying the Appalachian Amish in particular. Kelly was raised in North Central Pennsylvania, and her dad's friendship with the Amish helped shape Kelly's earliest memories of the culture. Today, she lives in Hershey, Pennsylvania, with her three children and is a great proponent of autism spectrum and mental health needs. Visit Kelly on Facebook: Fans-of-Kelly-Long and Twitter: @KellyLongAmish.

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Threads of Grace

A Patch of Heaven NovelBy Kelly Long

Thomas Nelson

Copyright © 2013 Kelly Long
All right reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-59554-872-6

Chapter One

Pine Creek, Pennsylvania

Nine Years Later

Exactly how many women do you plan on kissing?"

Seth Wyse grinned at his older bruder, Jacob. "As many as it takes."

The early morning sunlight of first summer played through the open barn doors and highlighted the reddish tones in Jacob's long dark hair. Seth noticed with curiosity the way that same light illuminated the golden hairs on his own forearm. It amused him that newcomers never took them for brothers. Although both of them were tall and broad-shouldered, Seth had blond hair, blue eyes, and a ready smile. Jacob had dark hair, hazel eyes, and a brooding look about him.

"As many women as it takes to get the Widow Beiler out of your head?" Jacob paused in currying the dark mare and shot a frown in Seth's direction. "I thought you were over her. Besides, you're starting to get more of a reputation than you already have among the women folk. One of these days some nice mamm is going to catch you in action, harness you to a bride, and that will be that."

Seth sighed and shifted on the bale of hay where he sat. He had been a bit over the top with the girls lately, but only because he was so frustrated trying to imagine what a kiss with Grace Beiler would be like. Still, Jacob was right about one thing: Seth was obsessed with the woman—had been since the first time he'd laid eyes on her.

"Seth!"

"What?" He snapped out of his reverie to meet Jacob's glare.

"For the third time, get up and do something. Get over her."

"It's not that easy. There 's something in me that's drawn to the woman."

Jacob sighed. "Ach, it's the artist in you."

Maybe Jacob was right. Perhaps Seth's obsession with the lovely Widow Beiler did have some connection to his secret painting and charged dreams. But ever since Grace Beiler had moved to their small community a little over six months ago, he'd tried everything short of standing on his head to get her attention—or failing that, to get the desire to be near her out of his mind.

"At least Grace trusts you with her sohn," Jacob said.

"Yeah, because of you. And Lilly. She likes Lilly."

Jacob grinned. "I like Lilly too."

"That's right, big bruder. Go ahead and tease. You've got a wife you can't wait to go home to, a babe on the way, and you even have a dog. The perfect life."

Jacob rolled his eyes. "Do you want a hund?"

"I want her to pay attention to me," Seth said. "I just turned twenty-four. Maybe she thinks I'm too young. I wonder how old she is. Maybe if I was older, she 'd look at me."

"Age has nothing to do with love."

"Danki," Seth said with a sour expression. "That helps a lot."

A small figure appeared in the doorway and both brothers looked up. It was young Abel Beiler, breathless and sobbing.

"What's wrong, Abel?" Seth moved toward the child. Abel had autism, a traumatic brain birth injury, and many developmental delays. He was hesitant with his trust. Seth had learned not to do anything with abrupt haste around the boy, as it only seemed to upset him.

The boy's violet eyes, so like his mother's, were huge in his pale face as he stared up at Seth. "Mama's hurt. Her legs are stuck. Under ... under some rocks."

"Okay ... okay. Tell me, slowly." Seth put a gentle hand on Abel's shaking shoulder. "Where is she?"

"In the garden at home. The rock wall fell down. She ... she was planting flowers."

Seth glanced at Jacob. "I'll go."

Jacob stepped in front of him and held out his hand to the boy. "Abel, come here."

The child moved but still hiccupped with sobs. "I'm scared."

"I know," Jacob soothed. "I'll stay here with you, and Seth will go see to your mamm, all right? It's going to be okay."

Seth heard the words from a distance as he threw the reins over their fastest horse, and then he began to pray.

Grace winced as she tried to hoist herself up on her elbows. She'd been foolishly working near a low, unstable rock wall, attempting to do some repairs and plant some flowers. Her shoe had caught on a jagged stone and the whole thing had given way.

She blew a dark hair off her brow in exasperation. Her kapp was askew. Her right foot hurt badly, and she couldn't wriggle free of the weight of the stones. She had no choice but to send Abel to the Wyse farm for help.

She knew her son had been scared, and she uttered a prayer for his peace of mind. Yet she could not help hoping, as she gritted her teeth and tried another fruitless movement, that it would be Jacob Wyse who would come. Not Seth.

The less rational part of herself mocked her silent plea. Of course you want Seth Wyse. Why else have you been avoiding him for six months?

Grace groaned and caught a fierce grip on her wayward thoughts. True, she had been avoiding him, but only because he was so obvious. So sure of his charm. And so young.

She could avoid him, but she couldn't avoid the truth: for the first time in her life, she had met someone who attracted her. But for a hundred reasons, she couldn't take the chance. It was too soon. Everything was too raw. There was too much risk. Too much pain.

She had come to Pine Creek to get away, to heal. To protect herself and her sohn. She couldn't—wouldn't—jeopardize that for a handsome face and a quick smile.

Suddenly she heard the approaching hoofbeats of a single horse. Grace shielded her eyes against the summer sun and caught a glimpse of golden hair. She stifled a groan, anchored herself more sturdily on her elbows, and lifted her chin. She could strive for dignity, if nothing else.

He was off the horse and by her side in a moment. "Grace? How bad is it? Maybe we shouldn't move you."

He ran strong, practiced hands down the length of her legs to where the rocks lay. Shame burned like her skin at his touch, even through the fabric of her apron and dress.

"Do you mind?" she snapped.

He shot an incredulous look at her. "I'm trying to help you, not touch you."

"Es dutt mir leed," she apologized in a whisper. "Of course. I need help. It's mainly my right ankle, I think."

As he began to move the rocks away, she took a deep breath and concentrated on looking up at the blue sky. Waves of pain drifted through her. But more than the pain, she was aware of the clean, fresh scent of him, like linen and green grass and life itself.

She bit her lip as he reached the last bit of the wall.

"Can you move anything?" he asked.

She began to ease her left leg out from the debris. Her black shoe looked dented and mashed, but she flexed her ankle and bent her knee. "I think this leg's okay."

He exhaled a sigh of relief and turned to the other foot. "I'll try not to hurt you," he said, his hand poised above her right leg.

But you will, a voice inside her said. You will ...

She pushed the thought aside. "Go right ahead. I manage pain well."

Don't hurt her. Don't ... don't hurt her. He repeated the words silently, like a prayer.

Under normal circumstances, Seth knew how to handle a woman as well as he knew how to manage an injured mare. But he felt cold sweat dampen the back of his cotton shirt when he saw the awkward angle of her right ankle. How could she not be screaming in pain?

"I think it's broken, Grace. I'm going to have to stabilize it before we go to the doctor."

"Do what you...

Details zur Ausgabe

• Verlag: Thomas Nelson Publishers
• Erscheinungsdatum: 2013
• Sprache: Englisch
• ISBN 10: 1595548726
• ISBN 13: 9781595548726
• Einband: Taschenbuch
• Anzahl der Seiten: 304
• Kontakt zum Hersteller: Nicht verfügbar
• Verantwortliche Person: Reckitt Benckiser Deutschland GmbH; consumerhealth_de@reckitt.com; ; Darwinstrasse 2-4; Heidelberg; 69115; Deutschland