Amish Romance: Faith's Story: Three Book Box Set Read online

  Faith’s Story

  A Hollybrook Amish Romance

  Brenda Maxfield

  Contents

  Personal Word from the Author

  The Adoption

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Changing Her Mind

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Home at Last

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Continue Reading…

  Thank you for Reading

  More Hollybrook Amish Romances for You

  About the Author

  Personal Word from the Author

  Dearest Readers,

  Thank you so much for reading one of my books! Your kinds words and loving readership make my day. As a thank you, I would like to give you a simple gift of my two favorite Amish recipes and keep you up-to-date with new releases and special offers.

  Click Here To Get Your Free Recipes

  Copyright © 2017 by Tica House Publishing LLC

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  The Adoption

  Faith’s Story Book One

  Chapter One

  And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name, receiveth me.

  Matthew 18:5 (KJV)

  Faith Baldwin stared at her reflection. She pulled a make-up remover cloth from its packet and smeared it across her eyes, removing eye liner and mascara. Then she folded it in half and rubbed off her blush. She rested her hands in her lap and gazed at herself again. Better.

  She gathered her brunette hair tightly back and looped a rubber band around it into a smooth ponytail. Then she pinned her bangs to the side with bobby pins. She squinted at herself, imagining an Amish kapp on her head.

  Yes. It would look right sitting there.

  A loud banging on the door startled her out of her musings.

  “Faith! Open up!” called her sister, Penny. “Let me in. Come on.”

  Faith scrambled up from her vanity and opened the door. Penny breezed by her and flopped on the bed. “What are you doing?” Penny scrutinized her sister with narrowed eyes. “What’s with the plain look?”

  Faith shrugged. “I don’t know what you mean.”

  “You do, too.” Penny jumped off the bed and inspected the dirty make-up wipe lying on the vanity. “Did your skin break out again or something?”

  “No.” Faith sighed. “What do you want, Penny?”

  Penny’s face lit up. “I need a ride to the mall. There’s a huge sale at Arielle’s, and there are at least two pairs of shoes with my name on them.”

  “I don’t want to go to the mall. Get a ride from Mom.”

  “She’s busy. She told me to ask you.” Penny pursed her lips into an adorable pout.

  “But I don’t want to go.”

  “Geez, you’re selfish. Come on. I’ll buy you a smoothie.”

  “And I don’t want a smoothie.”

  Penny plopped back down on the bed. “Look. Two more months. That’s it, and you’ll never have to drive me anywhere again.” She whistled softly. “Lord, I can’t wait until I get my license.” She jumped up. “In the meantime, you’re stuck with me, big sister. Mom says so. Put your face back on, and let’s go.”

  Faith stuffed down her irritation. Two more months, indeed. If she survived them. “Fine. But I’m not staying. I’ll drop you off and then pick you up later.”

  Penny paused by the door. “Put on your face, would you? You can’t be seen in public like that.”

  Faith suppressed her retort. “I’m fine, Penny.”

  But Penny remained in the bedroom. And then with a swift kick, she slammed the door shut, trapping them both inside the room. She dragged Faith to the bed and shoved her onto the mattress.

  Faith gaped at her. “Penny! What gives? I thought you wanted to go.”

  Penny stuck her face close to her sister’s. “You’re doing it again, aren’t you?”

  “Doing what? I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “Yes, you do. You’re pretending to be Amish, aren’t you? Again. Honestly Faith, what is wrong with you?”

  Faith’s shoulders slumped. “There’s nothing wrong with me.”

  “Oh, but there is.”

  “I am Amish, and you know it.”

  Penny shook her head and gave her sister a pitying look. “Hardly.”

  Faith stood and raised her chin. “It doesn’t matter what you think, anyway.” She grabbed her purse from the bed. “Let’s go.”

  Penny groaned. “You’re torturing yourself,” she said, although not without kindness. “And you just keep torturing yourself. Give it up, will you?”

  Faith swallowed and looked into her sister’s concerned face. “I can’t. I simply can’t.”

  “This won’t end well.”

  “You don’t know that.”

  Penny shook her head. “Yes, I do. And so do you, if you’re honest. You’re sad, Faith. Seriously sad.”

  Faith ignored her and left the room. Penny scrambled behind her, not about to give up her free ride to the mall.

  Ten minutes later, Faith pulled into the parking lot at Summerset Mall. Penny opened the door and looked back over her shoulder. “Change your mind, why don’t you? Come in with me. The sale is huge, and we can find something for both of us.”

  Faith shook her head. “No. But have fun. When do you want me to come back for you?”

  “Give me a couple hours, then call, okay?”

  “Okay.”

  Penny got out and shut the door. With a quick wave, she was gone. Faith blew out her breath and gazed after her. Someone in the car behind tooted the horn impatiently, and Faith put her car back in gear and drove off. Maybe she shouldn’t go home. Maybe she should go to the park or something. A jog would clear her head. She glanced down at her flip flops and decided jogging wasn’t going to happen.

  Her phone buzzed. Probably Cassie. Eleven-thirty. Yes, definitely Cassie. During the summer, that was her friend’s wake-up time. Faith grinned. The girl was completely predictable. The phone buzzed again. She’d promised her mother two years earlier to never answer the phone while driving, and except for a couple times, she’d kept her promise. Now, she pulled over into a gas station and took her phone from her purse.

  “Cassie?”

  “Hey, girl. What’s up?”

  “Just took Penny to the mall. What are you doing?”

  “Not a whole lot. Don’t have to go in to work until five tonight. Wanna come by?”

  “Sure.”

  “You don’t have plans with Seth?”

  At the mention of her boyfriend, Faith smiled. “No. He’s already at work.”

  “Then see you in a few.”

  Faith disconnected the call and turned the car around. She could be at Cassie’s in under fifteen minutes.

  Faith sat on Cassie’s b
ed with her knees pulled up under her chin and her arms around her legs. Cassie pulled on a baggy T-shirt and sank down on the end of her mattress.

  “Did you just get up or something?” Cassie asked.

  “Been up for hours. Unlike you.” Faith picked up a pillow and threw it at her.

  “Hey! Knock it off.” But Cassie was giggling. “You look like you just got out of the shower.”

  Faith shrugged.

  Cassie pulled a brush through her own tangled blond hair. “You’re lucky your hair is straight.”

  “I’m leaving,” Faith said.

  Cassie stopped brushing her hair. “What? What do you mean? Now?”

  “You know what I mean.”

  “Indiana?”

  Faith nodded, a lump forming in her throat. Her eyes filled with tears, and she blinked rapidly, trying to get rid of them.

  “You’re going to try, then.”

  Faith nodded again.

  “Then I’m coming with you.”

  “No! You can’t. You have a job.”

  “So do you.”

  “I told my boss I needed a month off.”

  “And he agreed?”

  “Yes.”

  Cassie sighed and tossed her brush down on the mattress. “You can’t do this alone.”

  “Yes, I can. I am.”

  “Do your parents know?”

  “I’m telling them today.” Faith leaned back against the headboard. “They won’t be surprised.”

  “Will they be mad?”

  Faith blew out her breath. Her throat actually hurt, and it pinched her words, making them sound thin and unnatural. “They’re the ones who told me about my birth mother.”

  “That doesn’t mean they won’t be mad.”

  “Not mad. Maybe sad.”

  “And Seth? What does he think?”

  Faith rubbed the front of her neck. A shiver passed through her. “I haven’t told him yet.”

  Cassie’s mouth dropped open. “What? You mean he doesn’t know?”

  “He knows my birth mother is Amish.”

  “But he doesn’t know you’re trying to find her?”

  Faith shook her head.

  “Oh, wow.” Cassie went silent.

  Faith could hear a low buzz coming from the air conditioner. She tried to breathe normally, but it seemed that her lungs weren’t functioning properly. She saw the look on her best friend’s face. She saw the doubt. And the fear.

  “Have you told Penny?”

  “No. But she won’t be surprised, either. She’s probably already guessed.”

  “Is she wanting to find her birth parents, too?”

  Faith tipped her head. “I don’t think so. She’s never said.”

  “How do you expect to find an Amish woman named … what is it?”

  “Nancy.”

  “How do you expect to find an Amish woman named Nancy in the state of Indiana who just happens to be your mother? Do you even have a plan?”

  “I’m going to Northern Indiana first. I do know some things. Enough to get started. But I’m going to the northern Amish communities first.”

  “Good grief, Faith. Are you going to wear a sign or something? Looking for my mother named Nancy?”

  Faith scowled, irritated. “No reason to be rude.”

  Cassie reached over and grabbed Faith’s leg. “I’m not being rude. I’m being realistic. This is never going to work. You can’t even search online. They don’t use computers, you know.”

  “I know that. I’m not a complete imbecile,” Faith snapped. Why had she even brought it up? She should have texted Cassie from the road.

  “I know you’re not an imbecile!” Cassie’s voice was exasperated. “You’re perfectly intelligent. I’m aware.” She looked into Faith’s eyes. “I’m worried.”

  “I know. There’s no need.”

  “What if you don’t find her?”

  “Then, I don’t find her.” Faith had already pondered that possibility many times. But if she didn’t try, she would never know.

  “You’re going to stick out something awful.”

  “I know.”

  “What is it they call us? English people?”

  “Englischers. Or fancy people.”

  “Fancy?” Cassie laughed. “That’s weird.”

  Faith didn’t respond. She supposed that they were fancy compared to those who lived such a simple lifestyle. She’d done her research. She wasn’t totally unprepared.

  “When do you leave?”

  “Tomorrow,”

  Cassie’s brown eyes went huge. “Tomorrow?”

  “Yes.”

  “Then you better get to Seth’s.”

  “I told you, he’s working.”

  “So what? They give breaks.”

  Faith glanced at her phone. They did give breaks, and she knew Seth was due for one in the next hour or so. She slid off the bed. “You’re right. I better go.”

  “You promise to call me every day?”

  “If I can.”

  “What do you mean, if you can? Just because Amish don’t have phones, doesn’t mean you can’t have one.” She gaped at Faith. “Are you taking yours?” Her voice was heavy with censure.

  “Yes, of course I am. Honestly, Cassie. Give me some credit.”

  Cassie lowered her voice. “Actually, I give you a lot of credit. I think you’re amazing to even try this. I’m not sure I would.”

  Faith looked her friend in the eye. “That’s because you already know who you are.”

  Faith parked in the lot of Beeber’s Burgers and sat in her car. She could see Seth through the large front windows. He was bustling behind the counter, taking orders, filling drinks, working the cash register. If he looked through the window, he’d see her, but he didn’t look. He was too busy. He’d been working at Beeber’s for two years, using every dollar he earned for college classes. He was nearly finished with his associate’s degree at the local community college, and then he was transferring to State.

  Seth was hard-working, considerate, handsome, and had plans for his life. The perfect boyfriend. And the perfect parent pleaser. Faith considered herself lucky. She liked him. Had liked him for over two years. She watched his easy movements as he helped customers. He had a quick smile, one that easily reached his eyes. It was a ready smile that he shared with everyone he met. She wondered that he didn’t go into politics or something. He was the kind of guy that everyone liked and trusted.

  And he loved her.

  He’d told her so many times. And she’d answered him in kind. But sometimes … sometimes, she wondered. Sometimes, she felt fake. Like she was putting on a persona or wasn’t being truthful. She bit her lips until they hurt. It was the same old thing. The same old thing as always. This hollow empty heavy feeling in the very core of her being. A place that was so deep and so private that she couldn’t find words for it. But it called out to her. In the quiet moments before she fell asleep. In the strange sensations of emptiness when she awoke.

  And when she murmured “I love you” to Seth.

  It nagged at her. Disturbed her. Haunted her. Oh, she knew she was lucky. Of course, she was lucky. Blessed, even. She had two wonderful parents who doted on her. They’d raised her with love and consistency and discipline. They were good parents. The best.

  So, why couldn’t she ever, ever fill the hole in the middle of her heart? Why was nothing ever enough? And why, ever since her mom had told her about her Amish birth mother, did her mind continually visualize herself as Amish? Did a birth mother make her Amish? She doubted it. Amish wasn’t a race. It didn’t affect the color of her skin. Or the color of her eyes.

  She wasn’t Amish any more than Penny was.

  But she was. She was.

  Faith hit her steering wheel with her open palm. This had to stop. This pathetic agonizing emptiness. She wiped at the sudden tears that rolled down her cheeks. It was going to stop. It was. She was going to find her birth mother.

  And then what? Would
it all be better then?

  Her chest tightened. Yes. Yes, it would.

  It would all be better then.

  She glanced through the restaurant window and saw Seth take off his hat. He was about to go for a break. She needed to move. Quickly, she sprang from the car and ran inside the burger joint.

  “Seth!” she called.

  Chapter Two

  Seth turned and saw her. His face lit up. “Faith! Perfect timing. I’m about to go on my break. Come on.” He gestured to her. “You want some fries or a burger?”

  She shook her head. She couldn’t fathom eating a bite of anything. Her nerves were strung taut, and she just wanted to get this conversation over with. Seth slipped into one of the booths and patted the spot on the upholstered bench next to him. She sat down.

  He put his arm around her and gave her a squeeze. “I’d kiss you,” he whispered in her ear. “But my boss is watching.”

  She gazed to the counter and sure enough, the middle-aged woman who ran the place was watching them. Faith raised her hand in greeting, and the woman waved back and then went about her business.

  “What brings you out so early?” Seth asked. A lock of brown hair tumbled over his forehead in such an appealing way, that Faith automatically reached up and brushed it aside for him.

  He caught her hand and brought it to his lips, kissing it. “She’s not looking.”

  Faith laughed.

  “This is a nice surprise,” he said. “How about you come by during all of my breaks?”

  “I work, too,” she said.

  “Yes. I forgot. So how’s the dog grooming business?”

  Faith was the receptionist at a posh dog grooming business. Despite its ridiculous name of Doggy Do’s, it was a bit pretentious for her taste. However, she adored being around all the dogs. Many of them recognized her now, and barked and wagged their tails with excitement when their owners brought them in.