The Trespasser (Amish Country Brides) Read online

  The Trespasser

  Amish Country Brides

  Jennifer Spredemann

  © 2019

  Copyright 2019 by Jennifer Spredemann, J.E.B. Spredemann

  All rights reserved. No part of this work/book may be copied, transmitted, or stored in any form or by any means, except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without prior written consent from the authors/publisher.

  All incidents and characters in this book are completely fictional and derived by the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual incidents and persons living or dead are purely coincidental.

  Published in Indiana by Blessed Publishing.

  www.jenniferspredemann.com

  All Scripture quotations are taken from the King James Version of the Holy Bible.

  Cover design by iCreate Designs ©

  ISBN: 978-1-940492-41-4

  10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

  Table Of Contents

  BOOKS by JENNIFER SPREDEMANN

  BOOKS by J.E.B. SPREDEMANN

  Unofficial Glossary of Pennsylvania Dutch Words

  Author’s Note

  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

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  EPILOGUE

  Thank You Readers

  DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

  BOOKS by JENNIFER SPREDEMANN

  Learning to Love – Saul’s Story (Sequel to Chloe’s Revelation)

  AMISH BY ACCIDENT TRILOGY

  Amish by Accident

  Englisch on Purpose (Prequel to Amish by Accident)

  Christmas in Paradise (Sequel to Amish by Accident) (co-authored with Brandi Gabriel)

  AMISH SECRETS SERIES

  An Unforgivable Secret - Amish Secrets 1

  A Secret Encounter - Amish Secrets 2

  A Secret of the Heart - Amish Secrets 3

  An Undeniable Secret - Amish Secrets 4

  A Secret Sacrifice - Amish Secrets 5 (co-authored with Brandi Gabriel)

  A Secret of the Soul - Amish Secrets 6

  A Secret Christmas – Amish Secrets 2.5 (co-authored with Brandi Gabriel)

  AMISH BIBLE ROMANCES

  An Amish Reward

  An Amish Deception

  An Amish Honor

  An Amish Blessing

  An Amish Betrayal

  NOVELETTES

  Cindy’s Story – An Amish Fairly Tale Novelette 1

  Rosabelle’s Story – An Amish Fairly Tale Novelette 2

  OTHER

  Love Impossible

  Unlikely Santa

  The Trespasser (Amish Country Brides)

  COMING 2020 (Lord Willing)

  The Heartbreaker (Amish Country Brides)

  The Charmer (Amish Country Brides)

  The Drifter (Amish Country Brides)

  Sequel to Unlikely Santa (title to be determined)

  BOOKS by J.E.B. SPREDEMANN

  AMISH GIRLS SERIES

  Joanna’s Struggle

  Danika’s Journey

  Chloe’s Revelation

  Susanna’s Surprise

  Annie’s Decision

  Abigail’s Triumph

  Brooke’s Quest

  Leah’s Legacy

  A Christmas of Mercy – Amish Girls Holiday

  Unofficial Glossary of Pennsylvania Dutch Words

  Ab im kopp – Off in the head, crazy

  Ach – Oh

  Aldi – Girlfriend

  Bann – Shunning

  Boppli/Bopplin – Baby/Babies

  Bruder – Brother

  Daed/Dat – Dad

  Dawdi – Grandfather

  Dawdi Haus – A small house intended to house parents or grandparents

  Denki – Thanks

  Der Herr – The Lord

  Dochder – Daughter

  Dummkopp – Dummy

  Englischer – A non-Amish person

  Fraa – Wife

  G’may – Members of an Amish fellowship

  Gott – God

  Grossdochder – Granddaughter

  Mammi – Grandmother

  Gut – Good

  Jah – Yes

  Kapp – Amish head covering

  Kinner – Children

  Mamm – Mom

  Mammi – Grandmother

  Mei fraa – My wife

  Ordnung – Rules of the Amish community

  Rumspringa – Running around period for Amish youth

  Schatzi – Sweetheart

  Schweschder(n) – Sister(s)

  Sehr gut – Very good

  Wunderbaar – Wonderful

  Author’s Note

  The Amish/Mennonite people and their communities differ one from another. There are, in fact, no two Amish communities exactly alike. It is this premise on which this book is written. I have taken cautious steps to assure the authenticity of Amish practices and customs. Old Order Amish and New Order Amish may be portrayed in this work of fiction and may differ from some communities. Although the book may be set in a certain locality, the practices featured in the book may not necessarily reflect that particular district’s beliefs or culture. This book is purely fictional and built around a fictional community, even though you may see similarities to real-life people, practices, and occurrences.

  We, as Englischers, can learn a lot from the Plain People and their simple way of life. Their hard work, close-knit family life, and concern for others are to be applauded. As the Lord wills, may this special culture continue to be respected and remain so for many centuries to come, and may the light of God’s salvation reach their hearts.

  CHAPTER ONE

  Kayla Johnson squinted to see through the windshield as her wipers attempted to keep up with the torrential downpour assaulting her vehicle. But even with the wipers at full speed, that proved to be a challenge. She wasn’t even sure where she and Bailey were exactly, but they’d crossed the state line from Kentucky into Indiana about an hour ago, or so it seemed. She distinctly remembered the ‘Welcome to Indiana’ sign just as they’d crossed the bridge over the gigantic Ohio River.

  Perhaps she should pull over somewhere and wait out the storm. She couldn’t tell if she was even going the right way, since her GPS had lost its signal several miles back. She figured it was due to the storm raging outside. How long would this last? Now she understood when people mentioned the storms in the Midwest. This was downright terrifying.

  As if on cue, a streak of lightning touched down just off to the left. Not even five seconds later, thunder shook her car. A shiver raced up her spine.

  “I’m scared, Mommy,” Bailey whimpered from her booster seat in the backseat.

  Me too. “It’s okay, baby. Mommy’s going to pull off up here.” She’d hoped to find a motel or a fast food restaurant, but who knew how far she was from one. The last town had several, but she’d spotted them before the sky began dumping buckets of water. She hadn’t expected this. If she’d known this was coming, she would have reserved a hotel room in the last town, and she and her five-year-old daughter would be safe and sound, curled up under the covers watching a family-frien
dly movie.

  She flipped on her signal and maneuvered onto the next street. Great, no lines to even mark the road? She must be out in the middle of nowhere. The vehicle crawled at a snail’s pace as she struggled to see the road ahead of her. It seemed to be at least a couple of inches deep in water. They really needed to get out of this. Was that a little store up ahead? She couldn’t be sure since there were no lights on, but they were probably closed. ‘Yoder’s Country Market’ the sign on the small white building read. Yoder. Wasn’t that an Amish name? As she pulled into the drive, she discovered a chain-link fence surrounding the parking lot. Definitely closed.

  She sighed.

  “I need to go to the bathroom,” Bailey whined.

  “Okay. I think there might be a house down this driveway. We’ll stop and ask to use their restroom.” She drove along what appeared to be a fenced pasture. Or was it a small pond? It was difficult to tell with all the water everywhere.

  Her cell phone began vibrating. No doubt another storm warning. She briefly glanced at it. Flash flood warning. Great. Perhaps the residents would allow her and Bailey to stay a while. She hoped so, because being out in this weather set her nerves on edge.

  She pulled up to a large white two-story house. Should she just stop in front, or find a place to park out of the rain? She opted for the latter when she noticed a couple of structures independent of the house. A barn and another outbuilding of some sort. She slowly crept up to the smaller structure, hoping there was an empty spot large enough to house her vehicle.

  Thunder rumbled overhead once again.

  “Please, Mommy! I gotta go!”

  “Okay, baby.” As soon as she pulled under the outbuilding’s roof, she could see clearly enough to park. She spotted a hitching post. This must be where they park the buggies. Except, there were no buggies present. Perhaps they were in the massive barn. Hopefully, the owners wouldn’t mind her parking her car there.

  Kayla opened the door, then went to release Bailey from her booster seat. “Do you think you can wait for Mommy to find the umbrella? It’s just in my suitcase.”

  “I think so. But please hurry!” Bailey slid out of the car, then bounced up and down.

  “I will.” She quickly popped the trunk open and rifled through her clothing. She grabbed a comfortable change of clothes for each of them, just in case they were allowed to stay a while. “Okay. You ready to make a run for the door?”

  “Yep.”

  “One. Two. Three.” With the clothing tucked under her arm, she held the umbrella in one hand and Bailey’s hand in the other, then made a mad dash for the front door.

  “Whew!” She glanced down at her jeans near her ankles. They were completely soaked. It was a good thing she’d thought to grab extra outfits for the two of them. It would take a while for her tennis shoes to dry, however.

  She knocked on the door loudly so it would be heard over the pounding rain. Didn’t it ever let up? It seemed not.

  No answer. She knocked again, harder this time.

  “Mommy!” Bailey bounced.

  “Okay, okay. I don’t think anyone’s home. I don’t feel right just going inside.”

  “Maybe no one lives here anymore or they’re on vacation like us.” Bailey turned the knob, and the door opened. She rushed inside before Kayla could stop her.

  “Bailey!”

  “I have to go potty!”

  Kayla gingerly stepped into the house and looked around the dark room. Indeed, it appeared empty. “Hello? Is anybody home?”

  No answer.

  “My daughter needs to use the restroom,” she called out, stepping further inside. “Hello!”

  Silence answered back. No one was home.

  “Okay, we’ll quickly find the bathroom, then we’ll leave.” She felt for a light switch but found none. Oh, yeah. Amish. No electricity.

  A flash of lightning illuminated what appeared to be the living area, revealing sparse furniture covered in white sheets. It was as though the occupants had moved. But why would they leave the door unlocked?

  “Where will we go?” Bailey’s frightened voice commanded her attention once again.

  “I don’t know, baby. Maybe…let’s just find the bathroom so you don’t pee your pants.” She released a sigh of relief. If nobody was home, if the house was unoccupied, perhaps hunkering down here for an evening might be an option. But still, it wasn’t her home. And how would she feel if a stranger occupied her place of residence in her absence? Not that she currently had a place of residence.

  She walked through the darkened home. Thankfully, it wasn’t pitch black. There should be a lantern somewhere, shouldn’t there be? Perhaps not, if the owners no longer occupied the place. She scolded herself for not thinking to grab the flashlight out of the glove compartment. Of course, she hadn’t expected to find a dark empty house. She’d run back out to get it if buckets of water weren’t dumping from the sky.

  She felt her way into the main living area until her eyes adjusted. Another flash of lightning revealed a kitchen off to one side. As she walked further inside the home, a quick perusal indicated a bedroom stood off to the other side, along a short hallway that led to stairs. Perhaps the bathroom adjoined the bedroom. She peered inside the empty room. No, it didn’t appear to.

  “I found it!” Bailey hollered.

  A door slammed shut. Whew! At least now she didn’t have to worry about Bailey having an accident.

  Once her eyes adjusted a little more, she spotted a lone lantern on a small table. Oh, good, a book of matches sat next to it. She quickly removed the hurricane glass, turned up the wick, then swiped a match to light it. A soft glow dispelled the darkness.

  Fortunately, she’d come from a family of campers, so she was familiar with lighting lanterns, setting up tents, chopping wood, kindling a campfire, and other outdoor skills. Sadness filled her as she thought of Mom and Dad and all the wonderful times they’d spent camping. They’d passed away much too early. Did anyone survive cancer these days? It seemed not.

  She briefly toured the lower level of the home with the lantern in hand, noting a few bedrooms. Two of them had lone beds in them, one covered by a quilt and the other with a plain comforter. Would the owners mind if she and Bailey occupied the rooms for a night? Since there seemed to be no one around to ask, she’d have to take a chance. What other choice did they have?

  Thunder roared outside once again along with pounding rain. It appeared they wouldn’t be going anywhere anytime soon. Not with all the flash flood warnings and lightning strikes. It just wasn’t safe. Or smart.

  Had Someone up above provided this shelter from the storm? It was possible, she supposed, but definitely not probable. The Man Upstairs didn’t care about her or Bailey, she’d been certain of that since she first discovered her pregnancy. And then she’d lost both parents.

  No, it certainly wasn’t God. Finding this place had been pure luck, plain and simple.

  CHAPTER TWO

  Silas Miller dashed for the shelter of the barn. He hated to take Strider out in this weather, but he needed to check the Yoders’ gutters to make sure they were free of debris. It was times like this he was thankful his Amish community allowed enclosed buggies. The nearby Swiss Amish district, nicknamed the Swissies by local Plain folks, only utilized open-top carriages. He couldn’t imagine weathering this menacing storm with a simple umbrella as protection. At least he was protected from the elements.

  He quickly harnessed Strider, moved him between the traces, making sure to guide them into their proper places, and then pulled the leather reins into the buggy’s cab. Fortunately, his horse loved the rain. Unfortunately, Strider did not love thunder and lightning.

  Strider whinnied, excited to be leaving his barn stall, no doubt. He might have a change of mind once they got out onto the road and encountered a loud crash of thunder like the one several minutes ago. Maybe Der Herr would have mercy on poor Strider and hold off the lightning until they arrived at the Yoders’. He’d pray
for that.

  “Come on, boy. We won’t be out too long, but it’ll be enough to invigorate you.” He gave the lines a gentle shake, urging Strider to begin their three-mile journey.

  It seemed like the rain had let up a tiny bit, but it still poured. He just hoped the driver of the car up ahead spotted him and slowed down. This road was quite narrow and, in some places, had no room to pull off to the side. He double checked to make sure his blinking lights were on. He pulled to the right as much as possible to allow the car to pass.

  He sighed in relief once it did. Hopefully, no one else was crazy enough to be out in this weather. He wouldn’t be either, but he’d promised Dan Yoder that he’d look after his place after their family had moved back to Pennsylvania. Dan, the minister of their district, had talked about selling the place on more than one occasion, but for whatever reason, it had yet to go up for sale. And for that, Silas was happy. He’d dreamed about having his own acreage, complete with a large barn, and a small store in the front, since he’d been finished with school. The Yoders’ property would be the perfect place, but he was in no position finance-wise to buy it. Nowhere near, actually. But he had been saving his money. And praying that the house wouldn’t sell to anyone else.

  As he neared the two-mile mark, he noticed something up ahead. Ach, the creek had swollen considerably.

  “Do you think we can do it, Strider?”

  The horse lifted his head as though in agreement.

  “Okay, but we’ll have to be careful.”

  He approached the water cautiously and urged Strider along. “Come on, boy. You can do this.” He slapped the reins a little firmer. “Let’s go!”

  The horse waded through the water adequately, but the buggy still weighed him down. Silas encouraged the horse again and glanced out the side flap. The water reached the middle of his buggy’s wheel. If it were any higher, Strider wouldn’t be able to pull through.