A Secret Sacrifice (Amish Secrets--Book 5) Read online

  EPILOGUE

  “Oh, no, I think my water may have just broken!” Rosanna carefully lifted her expectant self from the sofa.

  Zach’s eyes widened as he appraised his wife’s condition. She wasn’t panicking, so he shouldn’t either. “What does that mean? How much time do we have?”

  “Judging from how my labor was with Johnny, we might have an hour.” She grimaced. “I’ll go get the hospital bag.”

  “An hour? Okay, let me call Betty. We can drop Johnny off on the way to the hospital. I’m sure he’d be happy to spend some time with Grandma.” He pulled out his cell phone.

  Two hours later he was holding their sweet little girl in his arms. He imagined little Magdalena looked just like her momma when she was that age. What a joy to be able to hold his own flesh and blood.

  “I think she has your eyes,” Rosanna beamed with pride.

  “You think so? I think she looks just like her beautiful momma.” He bent down to meet his wife’s lips, making sure not to smother the precious bundle of joy in his arms.

  Commotion from behind him broke their special moment and he turned to see what was going on. What on earth?

  He curiously eyed the two Amish couples. “Mamm, Dat? Isaac, Mary?” He looked to Rosanna to be sure he wasn’t the only one having the vision.

  His mother stepped forward. “Betty Brooks stopped by. She let us know where you were going and why. We asked Isaac and Mary if they’d like to join us.” She looked at his father, then at Zach and Rosanna and smiled sheepishly. “I think the leaders will forgive us for this one transgression, ain’t so?”

  It had been over a year since they’d last seen their folks, but now here they were. It was a miracle, no doubt. They’d been blessed to have Frank and Betty Brooks as surrogate parents. Living close to them provided the support and love they’d been missing from their Amish families. And since Tommy had been their only son, Zachariah and Rosanna filled a void in their hearts as well.

  <><><>

  Rosanna and Zach both still missed John like crazy. Last week had marked two years since his death. They’d gone to his gravesite and left flowers in his memory. Zach was certain that if John was looking down from Heaven, he’d be pleased with the turn of events.

  Zach smiled as little Johnny sat on the couch carefully holding his newborn sister in his arms. Being a father was a wonderful feeling. He couldn’t help but wonder if John was looking down and smiling too. Only one thing could describe the outcome of their lives – it had all been a result of God’s sovereign grace.

  THE END

  Thanks for reading!

  To find out more about J.E.B. Spredemann, join our email list, or purchase other books, please visit us at www.jebspredemann.com. Our books are available in Paperback, eBook, and Audiobook formats.

  If you’d like to purchase your own copy of The Gospel of John in German, Pennsylvania Dutch, and English, please visit MAP’s website. There are many great testimonies and stories of former Amish, along with fascinating articles to peruse.

  http://www.mapministry.org/map-products/the-gospel-of-john

  To GOD be the glory!

  BOOKS BY J.E.B. SPREDEMANN

  (*J. 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

  NOVELLAS*

  Love Impossible*

  Amish by Accident*

  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

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

  A Christmas of Mercy – Amish Girls Holiday

  Englisch on Purpose (Prequel to Amish by Accident)*

  Christmas in Paradise – (Final book in Amish by Accident trilogy)

  NOVELETTES*

  Cindy’s Story* – An Amish Fairly Tale Novelette 1

  Rosabelle’s Story* – An Amish Fairly Tale Novelette 2

  COMING 2017 (Lord Willing)

  A Secret of the Soul - Amish Secrets 6

  Excerpt from

  Learning to Love – Saul’s Story

  A brief summary of Chloe’s Revelation (Amish Girls Series – Book 3), the prequel to Learning to Love – Saul’s Story…

  Chloe Esh has been the apple of Levi Hostettler’s eye for many years, unbeknownst to her. Timid Levi nearly loses his chance to court Chloe when Saul Brenneman, from a neighboring district, asks to drive Chloe home from a Singing. Chloe falls in love with handsome Saul and the two of them make plans for a future together until Saul discovers Bishop Mast’s daughter, Sarah, is in the family way, allegedly with Saul’s boppli. With a heavy heart, Saul breaks things off with Chloe and she finds love again with Levi Hostettler. Saul Brenneman regretfully agrees to marry Sarah Mast. Thus, the beginning of Learning to Love – Saul’s Story.

  Prologue

  Hot tears streamed down Saul Brenneman's face as he rode his Appaloosa through the shadowy woodland. He could hardly bear to see Chloe's breaking heart, so much like his own. To tell the woman he loved – the woman he'd pledged to spend the rest of his life with – that he must leave her for another, had been a load too heavy to bear. Oh, how he loathed himself on this dreadful night!

  So many thoughts had swirled through his mind; surely there was a way to work this out... Chloe and I could run away together and marry. No, we'd both be shunned and cut off from our families. Maybe Sarah could go to one of those homes for unwed mothers and then give the baby up for adoption. No, Chloe might not even want me after finding out what I’ve done. Perhaps if Chloe were in the family way too... No, then Chloe would surely be shamed in her community. Dummkopp, he chided himself incredulously for that last sinful thought. Truly he was desperate and not thinking clearly. In the end, he'd chosen to take responsibility for his actions and do what was expected of him – the right thing.

  All he knew now is that he must pull himself together, because tomorrow was his wedding day…whether he liked it or not.

  Chapter 1

  Just breathe, Saul told himself.

  As the Vorsinger led out in song, Saul was reminded of their ancestral saints that had gone before their People. It was a last song, a song of death. Slow, mournful. That's precisely how Saul was feeling at this very moment. Like dying. Like running back to Chloe, begging her forgiveness, and carrying her away to some far-away land where they could live happily ever after. Isn’t that how it’s supposed to happen?

  Instead, he sat across from Sarah Mast, the bishop's daughter. He only half-listened to the short sermon the ministers preached about married couples throughout the Bible. This wasn't a normal wedding ceremony by any means. Sarah and her mother hadn't planted any celery in anticipation of it. They didn't invite their many hundreds of friends and family members. They wouldn't go out to the homes of friends and loved ones to collect gifts for their home. In fact, the only thing normal about this wedding was that it was after the harvest – well, the early harvest – barely.

  The sound of Sarah's sniffling seemed to pound in his ears. He didn't dare look up. He, too, brushed away a tear, but his was a tear of frustration. Wasn’t there a logical way out of this mess? His heartbeat quickened by the second. This was really going to happen.

  He'd noticed earlier that Sarah was now showing. Their sinful deed evident for all to see. He sighed. He'd never imagined himself married at seventeen...and expecting a boppli. Heat rose up his neck and he could feel the perspiration bead on his forehead.

  What was supposed to be the happiest day of his life had turned into the most horrific. So many times he'd imagined this day with
Chloe by his side. He would lock eyes with her and they’d silently communicate their love for one another before a vow was even spoken. When the proper time came, he would take her hand and, with all his heart, repeat the vows the bishop spoke. Then he’d take her home and share all the love he’d kept bottled up inside. He'd pictured them blissfully married in their own little farmhouse with kinner galore all around them as a testament of their love. A happy life…a perfect life.

  But now that would never be.