Building Trust: An Amish Family Novella

By Kathleen Fuller

Grace Miller and Joel King are in love. They’ve dated secretly for the past year and when he proposes marriage, Grace eagerly agrees. But when she tells her parents about the wedding, she’s shocked when her father tells her she can’t marry Joel. Can Grace get to the bottom of her father’s animosity toward Joel so they can have the happily ever after she’s always dreamed of?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Zondervan
• Release date: Jun 12, 2018
• ISBN: 9780310352648

Kathleen Fuller

With over two million copies sold, Kathleen Fuller is the USA TODAY bestselling author of several bestselling novels, including the Hearts of Middlefield novels, the Middlefield Family novels, the Amish of Birch Creek series, and the Amish Letters series as well as a middle-grade Amish series, the Mysteries of Middlefield. Visit her online at KathleenFuller.com; Instagram: @kf_booksandhooks; Facebook: @WriterKathleenFuller; X: @TheKatJam.

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COPYRIGHT

ZONDERVAN

Building Trust

Copyright © 2018 by Kathleen Fuller

Requests for information should be addressed to:

Zondervan, 3900 Sparks Dr. SE, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49546

Epub Edition June 2018 9780310352648

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication

CIP data is available upon request.

Any internet addresses (websites, blogs, etc.) and telephone numbers in this book are offered as a resource. They are not intended in any way to be or imply an endorsement by Zondervan, nor does Zondervan vouch for the content of these sites and numbers for the life of this book.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any other—except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior permission of the publisher.

Publisher’s Note: This novel is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. All characters are fictional, and any similarity to people living or dead is purely coincidental.

Printed in the United States of America

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To my husband, James. I love you.

CONTENTS

Copyright

Glossary

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Epilogue

Discussion Questions

Acknowledgments

About the Author

GLOSSARY

ab im kopp: crazy, crazy in the head

ach: oh

aenti: aunt

Amisch: Amish

appeditlich: delicious

bruder: brother

bu/buwe: boy/boys

daag/daags: day/days

daed: father

danki: thank you

dawdi haus: smaller home, attached to or near the main house

Dietsch: Amish language

dochder: daughter

dumm: dumb

dummkopf: idiot

Englisch: non-Amish

familye: family

frau: woman, Mrs.

garten: garden

geh: go

grossmutter: grandmother

grossvatter: grandfather

gut: good

gute nacht: good night

hallo: hello

haus: house

hungerich: hungry

kaffee: coffee

kapp: white hat worn by Amish women

kinn/kinner: child/children

kumme: come

lieb: love

maedel: girl/young woman

mamm: mom

mann: Amish man

mei: my

morgen: morning

mudder/mutter: mother

nee: no

nix: nothing

onkel: uncle

perfekt: perfect

schee: pretty/handsome

schwesters: sisters

sehr: very

seltsam: weird

sohn: son

vatter: father

ya: yes

yer: your

yerself: yourself

CHAPTER 1

Plink. Plink.

Grace Miller smiled and slipped out of her bed, still fully dressed even though it was past midnight. She snuck downstairs in her bare feet, opened the kitchen door, and went outside. The balmy night greeted her, and so did Joel King. The moon shone bright in the sky, and by its silvery light she could see his handsome face as he smiled at her. She hurried toward his outstretched hand. He took hers, and they walked to the farthest corner of her backyard.

Before she could take a breath, he pulled her into his arms and kissed her. What was that for? she asked, her lips tingling.

I have to give you a reason for kissing you? He brushed the back of his hand across her cheek.

"Nee," she said with a soft smile. They had been dating for almost a year, in secret. So secret that no one knew, not even her sisters. Faith of course had no idea, since she had married Silas Graber two years ago and moved to her own house nearby. But Patience and Charity, who were sixteen and fifteen and nosy as they could be, could have found out. She and Joel made sure to be careful, and she liked having something all to herself. Growing up with three sisters, she’d had to share a lot.

He slipped his hands into his pockets and took a step back, which made her concerned. Joel? She moved closer to him. Did I say something wrong?

He shook his head and smiled. In the moonlight she couldn’t discern colors, but Joel’s dark-blue eyes, reddish-brown hair, and tanned skin, gained from his work as a lumberjack, were engraved in her mind. At twenty-five he was three years older than she was. He smiled that cute crooked smile of his, the one that had caught her attention last year when they played volleyball after a summer Sunday singing. They had accidentally crashed into each other, and when Joel turned around and said sorry and smiled, Grace was smitten. Turned out Joel had been too.

He took his hands out of his pockets and clasped hers. It felt warm. Safe. Secure. Right. I just . . . I need to talk to you about something. Actually, I need to ask you, not just talk. He let go of her hands and ran his fingers through his hair. I, uh . . .

She touched his cheek. Whatever it is, you can tell me. I love you, Joel. I don’t want you to think you can’t tell me something.

He reached for her hand and kissed her palm, then took her tenderly in his arms. I love you too, Gracie. That’s why I want to marry you.

It wasn’t a complete surprise that he’d proposed. Still, she was stunned. She’d known she would marry Joel King shortly after they started dating. But now that he’d said the words, she was at a loss. I . . . I . . .

Say yes, Grace. He drew her closer to him. Say you’ll be my wife.

Her heart swelled with joy as she nodded. Of course I will. I can’t wait to marry you, Joel.

He kissed her again, this time lingering, his kiss a promise of their future together. When they parted, he said, I have to get going. We have a big clearing job in Ashtabula, and I have to be ready in a couple hours. He chuckled. Not that I’ll be able to get any sleep after this.

Me either. She smiled.

We need to figure out a wedding date. The sooner the better, I think.

"I’ll have to talk to mei parents."

He nodded. "I don’t care who knows we’re engaged.