I'm so pleased to introduce you to my talented writing friend, Kathy. Kathleen Fuller is the author of over
twenty-five novels. Her latest book,
Letters to Katie, is the third book in the
Middlefield Family series, and releases May 7, 2013. Kathleen lives in Geneva,
OH with her husband and three children. For more information about her books,
visit
www.kathleenfuller.com
I'm sure you'll enjoy her latest book, and if you'd like to download the first three chapters of
Letters to
Katie, click http://nelsonfree.com/LetterstoKatie
Meanwhile, here's an excerpt just to whet your appetite!
Letters to Katie
Chapter 1
“Oh,
Katherine. This is so schee.”
Katherine
Yoder smiled at her best friend, Mary Beth. She’d spent hours working on the
baby quilt, making sure the tiny stitches were as perfect as possible for Mary
Beth’s new baby. “I’m glad you like it.”
“Of course
I do.” Mary Beth touched the soft flannel quilt, running her fingers over the
pale yellow, blue, and peach blocks. Each block had a ragged edge, a new
pattern she hadn’t attempted before. The simple style was well suited for a
baby, and Mary Beth’s was due within a few weeks.
“I love
it.” Mary Beth folded the quilt and placed it on her knees, her expanded belly
barely allowing the space. “Danki for
such a beautiful gift. Although I don’t
see how you have the time, working so many hours at the restaurant.”
All I have is time, Katherine thought.
She pushed the self-pity aside and managed a smile. She didn’t want to ruin the
moment between them with jealousy. Unlike Mary Beth Shetler, Katherine didn’t
have a husband—and soon a child—to take care of. Outside of working at Mary
Yoder’s and helping her parents at home, her only other pursuits were her
sewing and needlework. She was always
busy, yet longed for something different. Something more.
Apparently God had other
plans.
Mary Beth
managed to rise from the chair in her tiny kitchen. Her husband Chris had built
the four-room home behind Mary Beth’s parents’ property. The dwelling resembled
a dawdi haus, and likely would be
used as such once the rest of Mary Beth’s siblings—Johnny, Caleb, Micah, and
Eli—married and left home. But for now, the tidy, cozy home was enough.
And more
than Katherine had.
Mary Beth
placed the quilt on the table. “I’m glad you came over. Since I’ve gotten so
big, I haven’t gotten out much.” Her light blue dress draped over her bulging
belly.
Katherine’s eyes widened. “Are you
sure you’re not having twins?”
“Nee.” Her friend laughed. “But I look
like I am.” With a waddling gait she moved to the cabinet. “Do you want
anything to drink?”
Katherine
shook her head. “I can’t stay too long. I wanted to make sure you got the quilt
before the boppli arrived. I have to
work later today.”
“Maybe just
a few minutes?” Mary Beth went back to the table and sat down. She reached for
Katherine’s hand. “It’s been so long since we talked. ”
“We’ve both
been busy.” She squeezed her friend’s hand. “And you’ll be even busier in a few
weeks.”
“Ya.” A radiant glow appeared on Mary
Beth’s cheeks. “But I don’t want us to drift apart. You’re mei best friend.”
Katherine
released her hand. “And I promise I’ll be the best aenti to your boppli.”
“The baby
has plenty of onkels, that’s for
sure.” Her smile dimmed a little.
Katherine
frowned. “What’s wrong? It’s not the boppli,
is it?”
“Nee.”
“Chris?”
“Chris is fine too. We’re happier
than we’ve ever been.”
“Then what
is it?”
Mary Beth sighed, but she
didn’t reply.
“You know
you can tell me anything. If something’s troubling you, I want to help.”
Her friend
looked at Katherine. “It’s Johnny.”
Katherine’s
heart twisted itself into a knot. She glanced away before steeling her
emotions. “What about Johnny?”
“Are you sure you want to talk
about him?”
“I’ve
accepted that there’s no future for us. What I felt for Johnny was a childhood
crush.”
A crush. The truth was, Katherine
had loved Mary Beth’s twin brother Johnny for as long as she could remember.
For years she held out hope for a chance, however small, however remote. She
had clung to that dream as if she were drowning and it was her only lifeline.
But not
anymore.
She sat
straight in the chair, brightened her smile, and said, “What’s going on with
him?”
“He’s been acting. .
.different.”
“What do
you mean?”
“Distant.
Partly because he’s been working so many hours at the buggy shop. Mamm
said she barely sees him except for church service. He leaves early in the
morning and comes home late. But when he is around, he’s quiet.”
“That doesn’t sound like him,”
Katherine said. “Do you think he’s keeping something from your familye?”
Something. . .or someone?
Despite Katherine’s vow not to
care, her heart constricted again at the thought.
“I don’t know.” Mary Beth’s brown
eyes had lost the warmth they’d held moments ago. “He’s becoming like a
stranger to me. To all of us. We’ve drifted apart.” Her smile faded. “Like you
and I have.”
Katherine
shook her head in protest. “You know I’m
always here for you.”
Tears
welled in Mary Beth’s eyes.
Katherine drew back. “I’m so sorry.
I didn’t mean to make you cry.”
“I’m always
crying.” Mary Beth wiped her eyes. “It makes Chris ab im kopp. Hormones, I’m sure.” She sniffed, wiping her eyes. “I’m
glad we’re still best friends.”
Katherine
hugged Mary Beth. “We always will be.”
*****
Johnny Mullet
put his hands on his hips and surveyed his new property. Four acres, a small
house and an even smaller barn. All his.
The sad little farm
didn’t look like much. But by the time he finished fixing everything up, no one
would recognize it. He glanced at the empty pasture on the left side of the
house. Tall grass, green and dense, swayed against a southerly breeze. He planned
to purchase that acreage, too. Expand, and make his horse farm something he
could be proud of.
If only Daed could see. . .
At the thought of his father, the grin faded
from his face.
Hochmut, his father would say.
Pride.
The worst character flaw
any Amish could have.
But was there
something wrong with feeling satisfied after hard work? After a job well done?
This wasn’t about
pride. It was about independence. Making a good living. He’d seen his family
struggle. He didn’t want that for his future. A future that, God willing,
wouldn’t include only him.
With the hazy orange
sun dipping below the horizon, Johnny hopped into his buggy and headed home.
Ten minutes later he pulled up to his parents’ house. He was late for supper.
Again. He quickly put up his horse and hurried into the house, sliding into his
seat just as his father closed his eyes for grace.
After prayer, his
mother passed his father a platter of ham. He speared a slice with his fork,
peering at Johnny as he did. “Late day at work again?”
Johnny picked up a
roll from the basket on the table. He drew in a deep breath. “Nee.”
“Then why are you
late?”
“I bought a farm.”
Silence. Johnny
glanced around the table. Caleb’s mouth dropped open, and Micah’s fork was
poised in mid-air. Even six-year-old Eli gave him a funny look.
“You what?” His
mother’s eyes went wide with shock.
“You know that house
down the road a piece? The one with the barn in the back?”
“You mean that shack?”
Caleb shook his head.
Micah scooped up a
forkful of green beans. “Calling it a shack is a stretch.”
Their father cleared
his throat. The boys ducked their heads and kept eating. He turned to Johnny.
“When did you do this?”
“Signed the paperwork
yesterday.”
“Where did you get the
money?”
He was already tired
of the third degree, but he had expected no less. “Savings. From my job at
Gideon Bender’s.”
“You must have gotten
it for a song,” Caleb added. “Or less than a song. Maybe just a note.” He
chuckled.
“Caleb.” His father
shot him a silencing look before turning to Johnny again. “I wish you had consulted me first.”
“I’m an adult, Daed. I didn’t think I had to.” Seeing
the flash of hurt in his father’s eyes, he added, “Trust me. I know what I’m
doing.”
“I hope so.”
Posts
Last week I attended a conference at Elizabethtown College in Pennsylvania on Amish America: Plain Technology in a Cyber World. The conference was sponsored by The Young Center for Anabaptist and Pietist Studies, which is a center for research and study of the Amish and other Plain groups.
