Amish Christmas Joy

178 Pages·2013·0.79 MB·English

by  Davids Patricia

Instant Father

One minute, Caleb Mast is an oil-rig roughneck who answers to no one but
himself. The next, he’s the father of a special-needs child he never knew existed.
What kind of home can a man like him—without faith or community—provide
for an eight-year-old girl? For little Joy’s sake, Caleb returns to the Amish
community he left behind years ago. His daughter bonds with Amish
schoolteacher Leah Belier, and Caleb feels hopeful for once. But Leah blames
Caleb for dashing long-ago dreams and can’t bear to trust him. With Christmas
weeks away, one special girl just may bring two hearts—and an entire
community—together.

Brides of Amish Country: Finding true love in the land of the Plain People.
Leah laid a protective hand on Joy’s head.

“Patience and kindness are the keys to raising a special child,” she told Caleb.
“All children are gifts from God, but we believe a child such as Joy is one of His
most cherished gifts.”

Caleb’s hands dropped to his sides. He looked…defeated. “I know what the
Amish believe. That’s why I’m here. The only reason I’m here.”

She didn’t understand. He tipped his head slightly. “The prodigal son has
returned. You don’t look happy to see me.”

She wasn’t. She didn’t care if he knew it. He had changed a great deal in the past
nine years. The wild, handsome Amish boy she had known had matured into a
tall, rugged-looking man with a muscular frame and deeply tanned skin. He wore
his dark hair cut short in the Englisch way, not in the bowl-cut style the men of
her community wore.

Leah realized he was studying her, too. Watching her with hard, piercing gray
eyes that gave away little of what he was thinking.
PATRICIA DAVIDS
After thirty-five years as a nurse, Pat has hung up her stethoscope to become a
full-time writer. She enjoys spending her new free time visiting her
grandchildren, doing some long-overdue yard work and traveling to research her
story locations. She resides in Wichita, Kansas. Pat always enjoys hearing from
her readers. You can visit her on the web at www.patriciadavids.com.
Amish Christmas Joy

Patricia Davids

www.millsandboon.co.uk
Whosoever shall receive one of such children in my name, receiveth me:
and whosoever shall receive me, receiveth not me, but him that sent me.

—Mark 9:37
This book is lovingly dedicated to the parents
of special-needs children everywhere.
Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Dear Reader
Questions for Discussion

Excerpt
Chapter One

L
oud pounding pulled Caleb Mast out of the first good night’s sleep he’d had in
a month. He squinted at the clock on his bedside table. Who was beating on his
door at three-forty in the morning?
Staggering out of bed, he made his way through his condo. After four weeks
on an oil platform in the Gulf, he was ready for some downtime. He’d stayed
twice as long as his normal rotation to cover for an injured crewmate. The
twelve-to thirteen-hour shifts seven days a week were tough. Lousy weather and
a shorthanded crew made the extra two weeks a killer. All he wanted was to
crawl back in bed.
If some of his crewmates were looking to celebrate on their first night in,
they could have fun without him. He didn’t do the party scene. Not since... He
dismissed the thought without finishing it. He didn’t look back. The pounding
resumed.
He yanked open the front door. “If this building isn’t on fire you’re in
trouble. What?”
A woman stood on his doorstep. She had a little girl beside her. Thunder
rumbled in the distance. A fine mist was falling, scenting the air with rain and
making a shimmering halo around the streetlamp across the roadway. A yellow
hatchback with a dented door sat parked beneath it.
The woman pushed back her frizzy blond hair. “You’re a hard man to find,
Caleb.”
The voice belonged to a bad memory from his past. “Valerie?”
She gave a halfhearted smile. “You remember my name. That’s something.”
Was she kidding? He had turned his life upside down, cut bone-deep family
ties and moved halfway across the country with Valerie Perry. A year later, she
left him a goodbye note with no forwarding address and an empty bank account.
Now, after nearly nine years, she was back. Why?
There were dark circles under her eyes and a droop to her full lips. She was
thin as a rail. Her once-thick brown hair was bleached a brittle white-blond. It
made her look cheap. Even at this hour, she wore heavy eye makeup. She licked
her dry, cracked lips.
He folded his arms over his chest. “What do you want?”
“You could pretend you’re happy to see me.”