A Sister's Wish (19 page)

Now it was close to eleven, and she felt deliciously tired but hopeful. She was leaning against Simon's side in the three-season room, watching the stars sparkle through the glass.

“This was a wonderful night, Simon,” she said.

“
Jah
. The best.”

“Jeremy is kind of funny. I liked getting to know him.”

He chuckled. “Yeah, he is. It was strange being around him but good, too. I never would have thought he'd turn out so well. I can't believe he works for a trucking company and has even made deliveries to Kinsinger's. He's been so close for years and I didn't even know it.”

“The timing wasn't right. But it is now,” she reassured him. “I wish he would have stayed the night here.”

“I told him he could spend the night at my place, too. But he wanted to stay in a hotel nearby.”

“One step at a time,” she said softly.

“Jah.”

He paused, then added, “I'm so glad he's okay. I know Tess was surprised. She'd always thought that he'd gone down a terrible path.”

“I'm glad he turned himself around,” she said softly. “Just like you.”

Simon shifted so they faced each other. “I've spent so many years wishing I was better. Wishing I could erase my past. Over and over, I wished I had been stronger when I was young. Strong enough to overcome all those temptations. When I saw you again, I wanted you so much, but didn't know if I could ever be the man you needed me to be.”

His words hurt. She hated that he had spent so many years filled with regrets. More than that, she wished he'd seen her for who she was. She wished he'd seen the person she'd always been.

She was just Amelia.

Just a girl who wanted a full life. Simply a girl who wanted to one day have a home of her own that was filled with a husband and children. The woman who had always yearned for a peaceful place to live and a quiet place to gaze at the stars and dare to dream about things that were almost in her grasp.

“I used to wish for you, Simon,” she said at last.

His gaze held hers as his hands reached up to cradle her face. Like always, he held her carefully, almost reverently, like he was afraid he might hurt her. It was sweet, though she was looking forward to the day when he knew she was just as strong and tough as he was.

“And now?”

She shrugged. “To be honest, I don't know.”

He blinked. “You don't? How come?”

“Now that I have you, I have everything I've ever wanted.”

He leaned close, kissed her cheek, then moved to brush his lips against the line of her jaw. “Surely, you want more than me, Amy.”

Perhaps she did. Perhaps she wanted a life with him and to carry his children and to sit with him in a room just like this when they were old.

But that would be her secret for now.

For now, being in Simon's arms? Knowing he loved her?

It was better than anything she could have ever wished for. It seemed her mother had been right, all those years ago.

If one was loved, one had the world.

N
o matter how much Amelia had tried to make it so, Thanksgiving dinner was turning out to be far from perfect, Simon reflected as he looked around him.

The dining room table at the Kinsinger house was filled to the brim with eleven people crammed around it. More food than even eleven could eat was crammed either on the table or on two different sideboards.

And then there were the animals. For some reason, both the bulldog and the goat were in the room.

The whole arrangement was loud and boisterous. Some would even call it chaotic. There was nothing to do but lean back and relax.

Jeremy, on the other hand, was beginning to look alarmed. Leaning toward him, he said, “Don't you think you should do something, Simon? That goat is about to eat the sweet potato casserole.”

Since he'd been watching Oscar make two attempts to pull the ham off the sideboard, Simon figured the sweet potatoes were the least of the problems. But since Jeremy probably had a point, he looked to where his brother was gesturing. Sure enough, the
little goat was staring at that casserole like it was the grand prize at the fair. “Princess does look like she's going to get her way,” he mused. “If I was a betting man, I'd wager she's going to get that dish before the dog eats the ham.”

“You're not concerned? Amelia is starting to look agitated.”

Worried, Simon glanced her way, then relaxed again. “She's okay. I'd know if she wasn't.”

“You sure? She looks a little annoyed.”

“She's looked like that for the last two days, I'm afraid.” Smiling at the memory, he added, “You should have seen her yesterday. She was fairly covered in flour when I stopped by. Blamed it all on Levi, she did.”

“That flour mishap wasn't my fault,” Levi interjected from across the long, very crowded table. “I had no idea there was a hole in that sack.”

“Did you even check?” Rebecca asked as she picked up Oscar and held him on her lap. The dog didn't care for that and grunted and squirmed. More than a little bit of drool slipped from his open mouth . . . right onto Darla's little sister Maisie's plate.

“Ew! Oscar ruined the stuffing!” she called out.

“You're fine,” one of her twin brothers called out.

“Am not. Patsy, do something.”

Patsy groaned. “I can't. I'm guarding my food against a goat, which shouldn't be here in the first place.”

“She's not hurting anything,” Amelia called out.

“Yet,” Lukas muttered under his breath.

While the others laughed and started passing around serving dishes again, Jeremy leaned toward Simon. “This is crazy.”

Simon couldn't resist grinning. “
Jah,
it is.”

“Do you think you'll ever get used to it?”

Looking around him, Simon took it all in. Siblings were arguing. Animals misbehaving. It was loud and unruly and laced with so much care and affection and love that it almost took his breath away.

He was surrounded by both of his siblings and many of his closest friends in the world. And in the middle of it all was Amelia, who was now smiling at him with warmth in her eyes.

In short, this moment was everything he'd ever dreamed of having and hadn't been sure he could ever obtain.

“I hope so,” Simon replied at last, his voice thick with emotion.

Jeremy nodded in reply. There was nothing more to be said.

About the author

Meet Shelley Shepard Gray

About the book

Letter from the Author

Questions for Discussion

Monster Cookies

Read on

A Few
Charming
Facts from Shelley Shepard Gray

A Sneak Peek from the Final Book in the Charmed Amish Life Series,
An Amish Family Christmas

P
EOPLE OFTEN ASK
how I started writing. Some believe I've been a writer all my life; others ask if I've always felt I had a story I needed to tell. I'm afraid my reasons couldn't be more different. See, I started writing one day because I didn't have anything to read.

I've always loved to read. I was the girl in the back of the classroom with her nose in a book, the mom who kept a couple of novels in her car to read during soccer practice, the person who made weekly visits to the bookstore and the library.

Back when I taught elementary school, I used to read during my lunch breaks.
One day, when I realized I'd forgotten to bring something to read, I turned on my computer and took a leap of faith. Feeling a little like I was doing something wrong, I typed those first words:
Chapter One
.

I didn't start writing with the intention of publishing a book. Actually, I just wrote for myself.

For the most part, I still write for myself, which is why, I think, I'm able to write so much. I write books that I'd like to read. Books that I would have liked to have in my old teacher's tote bag. I'm always relieved and surprised and so happy when other people want to read my books, too!

Another question I'm often asked is why I choose to write inspirational fiction. Maybe at first glance, it does seem surprising. I'm not the type of person who usually talks about my faith in the line at the grocery store or when I'm out to lunch with friends. For me, my faith has always felt like more of a private thing. I feel that I'm still on my faith journey—still learning and studying God's word.

And that, I think, is why writing inspirational fiction is such a good fit for me. I enjoy writing about characters who happen to be in the middle of their faith journeys, too. They're not perfect, and they don't always make the right decisions. Sometimes they make mistakes, and sometimes they do something they're proud of. They're characters who are a lot like me.

Only God knows what else He has in store for me. He's given me the will and the ability to write stories to glorify Him. He's put many people in my life who are supportive and caring. I feel blessed and thankful . . . and excited to see what will happen next!

Discover great authors, exclusive offers, and more at
hc.com
.

Dear Reader,

It happened again! There I was, happily writing away, when one of my characters decided to be more than I bargained for. Years ago, when I wrote
Autumn's Promise
, it happened with Lilly Allen. It happened with Dorothy in
The Protector
. And just a couple of months ago, it happened with Simon Hochstetler.

When I first plotted this series, I knew I wanted Amelia to fall in love with her older brother's best friend. With that in mind, I figured Simon was going to be a little bit wild. A guy who liked to bend the rules every now and then. I have to admit that I was just as surprised as anyone when I discovered that Simon not only had done some wild things, he also had a very difficult past. He was different than any hero I had written about before. Really different.

The practical part of me thought I should make some changes to his character. Maybe make his past a little less traumatic. Maybe make his appearance a bit more clean-cut, too. But it wasn't possible. For better or worse, Simon was who he was.

Luckily, Amelia, my heroine, was a whole lot more than what she appeared to be, too. She was beautiful and sweet . . . and strong and a bit sarcastic. I thought she was a perfect match for Simon.

These two characters are pretty
special to me. If you have time, let me know what you think of the series and of this book. I love to hear from readers.

The final book in the series will be published in October. It's Levi's story and takes place at Christmas. My heroine, Julia Kemp, is a newcomer to Charm. She has a sweet little girl named Penny and more than a couple of secrets. I can't wait for you to see what happens when Julia and Levi meet!

Until then, I wish you many blessings,Shelley

P.S. If you have time, please tell me what you thought about the book and the cover! You can find me at my website, on Facebook, or on Twitter. You can also write me at the following address: Shelley Shepard Gray; 10663 Loveland Madeira Rd. #167; Loveland, OH 45140.

   
1.
      
The Bible verse I picked for this book came from Genesis. “In thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.” I thought it worked well with both the Kinsinger and the Hochstetler families. Would you agree or disagree?

            
I loved the Amish proverb I found for this book:

            
Life stops when you stop dreaming.

            
Hope ends when you stop believing.

            
Love ends when you stop caring.

            
Friendship ends when you stop sharing.

   
2.
      
I thought it went well with Amelia's and Simon's story line. Does it make you think of any particular instance in your life?

   
3.
      
What are your first impressions of Simon and Amelia?

   
4.
      
What do you think about Lukas's interference in this novel? How might you have reacted to Amelia's relationship with Simon if you were him? What would you have said to him if you were Amelia?

   
5.
      
What do you think about Tess? Do you think she needs to ask Simon for forgiveness? Why or why not?

   
6.
      
What did you think about Amelia's reactions to Simon's past? Was she right? Wrong? Would you have reacted differently?

   
7.
      
How do you see Simon behaving in the future? Do you think he was the right choice for Amelia? What problems, if any, do you imagine they will have to overcome?

   
8.
      
Many of the characters in the novel make sacrifices for the people they love. What sacrifices have you made for someone you love?