Amish Love Letters by Shelley Shepard Gray

Author:Shelley Shepard Gray
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Kensington Books
Published: 2023-10-06T00:00:00+00:00

Dear Fannie,

I’m sorry I haven’t responded sooner, but please understand: I’m not marrying anyone any time soon. And I’ve never knowingly indicated that I was interested in a relationship with you. It was sheer coincidence that we were both at Danny’s wedding, and those kisses behind the barn were your idea, not mine.

This sounds harsh, I know. But please don’t call me or write me any more letters.

Thanks.

Eddie

He sealed the letter in an envelope, addressed it, and added a stamp, then took it out to the mailbox. Fannie would be upset, but he’d written the plain truth. He hadn’t given her the least little reason to think he would change his mind, either.

Eddie spent the rest of the evening sitting on the dock, where the gentle lapping of the lake’s waves soothed his soul. It was such a relief that he could face a new week with a clear conscience, knowing he’d spared himself a painful future with the wrong wife. He would be eternally grateful to Preacher Marlin, too, for offering the insight that Fannie might be carrying a baby.

He’d done Fannie Lehman a big favor, too, even if she wouldn’t see it that way. He could only hope she would set her sights on some other guy so he and Fannie could both move on. Because he truly wanted things to work out for Fannie, he said a little prayer about the baby’s father stepping up and taking responsibility—if indeed, there was a baby. He also asked God for guidance about confirming her pregnancy . . . a ticklish subject for a girl caught in the lurch.

Fannie had always been high-strung and had a flare for dramatizing details, however. She might be writing him such urgent letters because she saw marriage as a ticket out of the Lehman home, where—if rumor had it right—Fannie’s parents squabbled constantly.

As the evening’s shadows lengthened, Eddie’s thoughts wandered to Fannie Kurtz. When he went inside to get ready for bed, he reread the two brief notes.

Vera was right: these messages were written in a totally different tone from the mailed letters. But Preacher Marlin’s modest daughter would never declare her love and adoration for him so boldly! And what were the odds that any two girls with the same first name also used the same paper and had penmanship that matched so perfectly? Maybe these notes were from Fannie Lehman as she changed her strategy, hoping to catch him off guard—even if he couldn’t figure out how she’d managed to deliver them.

It was a mystery. And he hoped to solve it soon.

* * *

Very early on Monday morning, Eddie saw Fannie Kurtz closing his mailbox before starting up the road. Had she taken his important letter to Fannie Lehman? Or had she slipped him a note, not planning to get caught at it?

Only partially dressed, he shot out his front door. “Fannie! Fannie, wait—we need to talk!”

She froze, her face flushing pinker than the bands of sunrise on the horizon. She reminded him of a frightened deer, too dazed to dash off to safety yet too frightened to face him.

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