The Amish Marketplace Collection by Amy Clipston

Author:Amy Clipston
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Zondervan
Published: 2021-11-09T00:00:00+00:00

2

When they reached the barn, Bethany’s legs wobbled as she and Anthony walked down the narrow aisle together. The congregation sang a slow hymn as the attendants made their way to four matching cane chairs that sat at the front of the barn. Once there, Bethany stood facing Anthony and folded her hands in front of her. She held her breath, waiting for Salina and Will to join them. Then the bride and groom made their way down the aisle, and everyone sat in unison as the wedding service began.

Bethany did her best to focus on the ceremony, but she couldn’t stop her mind from wandering as Onkel Lamar spoke. She glanced beside her and silently marveled at how mature and beautiful Salina looked. She peered over at Will and found him gazing at her cousin with a look in his eyes that could only be love.

She turned back to Onkel Lamar as he lectured concerning the apostle Paul’s instructions for marriage included in 1 Corinthians and Ephesians. She couldn’t help imagining what it would feel like to sit up in front of this congregation for her own wedding. Would she ever have the chance to be a bride, a wife, a mother? Would she ever meet a man who took her seriously and wanted to spend the rest of his life with her?

She glanced over toward the married women’s section of the congregation and found Christiana resting her hands on her abdomen. Although Leanna was a widow, she still sat with the other married women, right next to Christiana. Bethany smiled as she imagined Christiana holding her first child.

Then an unexpected pang of sadness hit her. After the wedding, Salina would join Christiana and Leanna in the married section of the congregation, and Bethany would be left to find someone else to sit with among the unmarried women. She imagined herself sitting with Phoebe, Christiana’s younger sister. Although she loved her younger cousin, she would still miss being with her favorite cousins during the service.

She knew more than just their seating arrangements at church would have to change soon. When Christiana had her baby, she would most likely stop running her Bake Shop at the marketplace. That would mean Bethany wouldn’t see her Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. Jeff would probably build Christiana a stand at their house for her to sell baked goods when her baby was older. And when Salina had her first child, she, too, would close her booth at the market—if she didn’t close it sooner to help Will run his restaurant.

Bethany felt her emotions reel as she contemplated losing her close relationships with her cousins. She would miss them desperately!

Her gaze moved to Leanna, and she felt a glimmer of hope. At least she would still have Leanna at the market.

Pushing her selfish worries away, she looked over toward the unmarried men’s section. As Micah studied his lap, Bethany tried to imagine what it would be like to date him. Could a man like Micah

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