his way out.
“C’mon,” she said, offering him a hand. “You better go. It’s just going to get colder.”
Levi stood up and gave her a long, tender hug. He towered over her by almost a foot. Sarah Troyer—or whoever Levi chose as a wife—would be a lucky girl. Levi was handsome, caring, and someday he’d make a great husband and father. For someone . . .
L EVI PULLED AWAY from Danielle, dressed in her blue jeans and long-sleeved white shirt, and helped her put on her navy jacket. He recalled the way Danielle used to dress— before Martha made her clean up her act. It used to make Levi uncomfortable when Danielle showed her midriff in the warmer months, or when she’d worn something overly revealing. They’d still become friends, but Levi was glad that Danielle opted for more conservative clothing over time. But right now, he couldn’t keep from staring at her belly. It seemed so odd that a new life was growing inside of her. They started walking down the aisle of the church toward the back. Levi silently prayed. He thanked God that Danielle was safe and asked the Lord to guide her as she entered this new time in her life. He prayed for the boppli too.
He pulled his coat tighter around him and pushed his hat down firmly on his head as Danielle opened the door and they entered the cold.
“I feel bad that I’m getting into a car with a heater, and you’ll be driving home in the buggy.” Danielle’s breath cloudedin front of her, and Levi wished he was getting into the car with her.
“I’m used to it,” he said as he waited for her to fish her keys from her pocket. There was four years difference in their ages, but at that moment, Danielle had never looked younger to him. She was going to have hard times ahead, but Levi knew that Martha and Arnold would be there for her and the baby. For the hundredth time, he wondered what kind of man Matthew Lapp could be to run out on her.
They’d only taken a few steps from the church when Levi stopped and slowly turned around.
“Levi? What are you doing?” Danielle tugged on the arm of his coat, but Levi kept his eyes on the tiny church as the dim light filtered through the stained glass windows. He felt an overwhelming urge that God was encouraging him to ask again. He resisted, clearer than ever about what he’d be giving up—the Amish life he’d always wanted. But the feeling was not going away; it was only getting stronger. And that meant one thing. God .
As they stood at the steps of the Sangre de Cristo Chapel, Levi turned to Danielle. “I’m going to marry you. And I think we should get married in this church.”
“Levi, we’ve been through all this, and—”
“We should get married in three weeks.” He spoke with as much authority as he could muster up amidst his own heavy reservations.
“No! I’m not marrying you. I can’t be Amish, Levi.”
“I know that. We’ll live Englisch and be a family.” He grabbed her shoulders. “Please, Danielle. I really believe God wants us to get married. I know you feel it too.”
Danielle’s jaw dropped for a moment, and then she clamped it shut. “No. I don’t. I don’t know what I felt. I—I’m just confused. Matthew just ran off and left me. I’m not even over that.” He straightened and her face softened, as if she were aware she might be hurting him. “Look. You’re my best friend, Levi. And what you’re trying to do is admirable. But I will not let you ruin your life like this.”
“Who says it’ll ruin my life?”
“I do!” Danielle slid past him and ran to her car.
Levi let her go, watching as she drove away, but then felt compelled to walk back into the church. He sat in the first pew and started to pray. Levi had been so sure of what God wanted from him.
But then why hadn’t He made it as clear to Danielle?
D ANIELLE STARTED APOLOGIZING the minute she walked into the den where Martha and Arnold were sitting, but stopped abruptly.
“Wow! That’s a big dog!” She
“C’mon,” she said, offering him a hand. “You better go. It’s just going to get colder.”
Levi stood up and gave her a long, tender hug. He towered over her by almost a foot. Sarah Troyer—or whoever Levi chose as a wife—would be a lucky girl. Levi was handsome, caring, and someday he’d make a great husband and father. For someone . . .
L EVI PULLED AWAY from Danielle, dressed in her blue jeans and long-sleeved white shirt, and helped her put on her navy jacket. He recalled the way Danielle used to dress— before Martha made her clean up her act. It used to make Levi uncomfortable when Danielle showed her midriff in the warmer months, or when she’d worn something overly revealing. They’d still become friends, but Levi was glad that Danielle opted for more conservative clothing over time. But right now, he couldn’t keep from staring at her belly. It seemed so odd that a new life was growing inside of her. They started walking down the aisle of the church toward the back. Levi silently prayed. He thanked God that Danielle was safe and asked the Lord to guide her as she entered this new time in her life. He prayed for the boppli too.
He pulled his coat tighter around him and pushed his hat down firmly on his head as Danielle opened the door and they entered the cold.
“I feel bad that I’m getting into a car with a heater, and you’ll be driving home in the buggy.” Danielle’s breath cloudedin front of her, and Levi wished he was getting into the car with her.
“I’m used to it,” he said as he waited for her to fish her keys from her pocket. There was four years difference in their ages, but at that moment, Danielle had never looked younger to him. She was going to have hard times ahead, but Levi knew that Martha and Arnold would be there for her and the baby. For the hundredth time, he wondered what kind of man Matthew Lapp could be to run out on her.
They’d only taken a few steps from the church when Levi stopped and slowly turned around.
“Levi? What are you doing?” Danielle tugged on the arm of his coat, but Levi kept his eyes on the tiny church as the dim light filtered through the stained glass windows. He felt an overwhelming urge that God was encouraging him to ask again. He resisted, clearer than ever about what he’d be giving up—the Amish life he’d always wanted. But the feeling was not going away; it was only getting stronger. And that meant one thing. God .
As they stood at the steps of the Sangre de Cristo Chapel, Levi turned to Danielle. “I’m going to marry you. And I think we should get married in this church.”
“Levi, we’ve been through all this, and—”
“We should get married in three weeks.” He spoke with as much authority as he could muster up amidst his own heavy reservations.
“No! I’m not marrying you. I can’t be Amish, Levi.”
“I know that. We’ll live Englisch and be a family.” He grabbed her shoulders. “Please, Danielle. I really believe God wants us to get married. I know you feel it too.”
Danielle’s jaw dropped for a moment, and then she clamped it shut. “No. I don’t. I don’t know what I felt. I—I’m just confused. Matthew just ran off and left me. I’m not even over that.” He straightened and her face softened, as if she were aware she might be hurting him. “Look. You’re my best friend, Levi. And what you’re trying to do is admirable. But I will not let you ruin your life like this.”
“Who says it’ll ruin my life?”
“I do!” Danielle slid past him and ran to her car.
Levi let her go, watching as she drove away, but then felt compelled to walk back into the church. He sat in the first pew and started to pray. Levi had been so sure of what God wanted from him.
But then why hadn’t He made it as clear to Danielle?
D ANIELLE STARTED APOLOGIZING the minute she walked into the den where Martha and Arnold were sitting, but stopped abruptly.
“Wow! That’s a big dog!” She
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