The Days of Redemption (29 page)
Read The Days of Redemption Online
Authors: Shelley Shepard Gray
A Sneak Peek of Shelley Shepard Gray's Next Book,
Ray of Light
An exciting preview of
Ray of Light
, Book 2, in Shelley Shepard Gray's The Days of Redemption series
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I
T HADN'T BEEN EASY,
but Lovina Keim had gotten her way. This time, she was going to be the person to read aloud her grandson's letter. Holding the letter carefully on her lap, she adjusted her glasses and waited for her twin granddaughters, husband, and daughter-in-law to get settled. Actually, she was drawing out the moment. It was nice to feel like the focal point of the family once again. Too often she felt like as much of an add-on as her
dawdi haus
was.
But, as usual, her granddaughter Viola was anything but patient. “Mommi, open the envelope. We're all here and sitting quietly.”
“Patience, Viola. I'll get to it in my own time. After all, none of us makes you rush to share Edward's letters.”
“That's because she doesn't share them,” Viola's twin, Elsie, said. Crossing her legs primly, Viola glared at her sister. “Ed's letters are far different. He's my fiancé, you know.”
“I believe we all know that, dear,” Marie said dryly.
Standing behind her rocking chair, Lovina's husband, Aaron, leaned over and pushed the kerosene lantern on the table closer to her. “You'd best read Roman's letter before this whole family dissolves into another heated discussion.”
Her husband had a point. Over the last few months, almost any topic seemed to ignite tempers. With a sigh, Lovina carefully opened the envelope, smoothed out Roman's note, and began reading. “Dear Family, Greetings from Pinecraft!”
Elsie chuckled. “He sounds like he's an advertisement.”
“Indeed,” Lovina said with a small smile. Clearing her throat, she continued. “Now that I've been in Florida for three days, I'm beginning to get into a routine. Every morning, I sip coffee on the patio and look out on the ocean. I never get tired of watching the waves crash along the shoreline and can only imagine what it must be like to get used to such a sight.”
Marie sighed. “Being at the beach sounds
wunderbaar
.”
“You should go soon, Mamm,” Viola said. “I mean, you should go when Daed gets better . . .”
“Perhaps.”
Not wanting to think about Peter's problems, Lovina rattled the pages a bit to claim everyone's attention again. “Next door, another woman starts her morning the same way as me. She seems to be about my age. She's Amish, too, and quite pretty. I hear she's a mother and a widow, but I don't know if that's true or not. But whatever the reason, I can't help but be curious about her . . . but so far, I've had no reason to speak to her. But maybe one day soon.”
Just as Lovina paused for a breath, the room erupted into excited chatter.
As Elsie and Viola discussed who this mystery woman might be, Lovina found her gaze straying to her husband and then felt her stomach drop. Aaron was looking out into the distance with such a heartbreaking expression, she knew he could only be thinking of one thing: his first wife and child.
Little by little, the other occupants noticed, too.
“Dawdi, what is wrong?” Viola asked.
Lovina was just about to tell her nosy granddaughter that not everything was her concern when Aaron slowly stood up.
“I'm all right, child. Roman's note simply made me think of something that happened long ago.”
“What was that?”
Aaron looked Lovina's way, shrugged, then said, “It got me thinking about the time I buried my first wife and son.”
As Marie, Viola, and Elsie watched him leave the room, Lovina felt her world tilt. She and Aaron had agreed never to talk of that. Tears started to fall on her cheeks as she thought of his heartbroken expression. Even after all this time, it seemed that Aaron still carried a torch for his first, beautiful, perfect wife.
When they all heard the back door close, Viola gripped Elsie's hand. “Dawdi was married before? And had a child? Mamm, did you know about this?”
Even in the dimly lit room, Lovina saw that Marie was rattled.
“Nee.”
Elsie shook her head in wonder, staring at her grandmother. “I assume you knew about this. First we find that you grew up English, then that Daed is secretly drinking. Now we find out that Dawdi has been married before. How many secrets does this family have?”
Thinking of her other secrets, the ones she hoped and prayed were buried so deep that they'd never be let out, Lovina shrugged. “Too many to count, it seems.” Wearily, she stood up. “I better go see how Aaron is doing.”
No one seemed to notice that Roman's letter floated to the floor, only half read.
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Roman Keim wasn't actually stalking the woman staying in the condominium next door. He just couldn't seem to stop watching her whenever he could.
She just happened to enjoy the morning sunrises as much as he did. As the sun continued to rise, he sipped his coffee, wiggled his toes on the sand, and watched Amanda Yoder slip through the white wooden gate that separated the condo properties from the public beach, and walk down the path to the water.
Today she wore a tangerine-colored dress that set off her blond hair, prim white kapp, and lightly tanned skin. As she walked along in her bare feet he was captivated. Her steps looked light and smooth. Happy. Not what you'd expect for a widow and single mother.
Actually, she looked like her own ray of sunlight, and he felt himself unable to look away when she tossed down a towel, spread it smooth, then sat right down on it, all while holding a cup of coffee in her right hand.
He was trying to think how he'd ever get the courage to talk to her when his cousin Beth stepped out the glass sliding door. “May I join you, Roman? Or are you attempting to find a few moments of peace and quiet?” she asked with a wry smile. “I know we can all get to be a bit overwhelming sometimes.”
“Not at all,” he said, thinking what a nice change of pace his uncle Aden's family was compared to his own family's exhausting problems. “Of course I'd like your company, and I'm verra happy to be on vacation with you all.” He leaned over and pulled another chair closer. “Come sit down.”
“Danke.”
She, too, was sipping coffee, and to his delight, had brought out a thermal carafe. After topping off his cup, she sat beside him and followed his gaze. “Ah, I see you've found Amanda Yoder. Again.”
He was embarrassed that his interest was so transparent. “I can't help it if she enjoys the sunrises as much as I do.”
“You know, I met her yesterday when Lindy and I were out.”
Surprised, he glanced her way. “You did?”
“Uh-huh. My Lindy and her daughter seemed to get along.”
Roman struggled to not show his dismay. “So she is married.”
“No . . . no, she's not. She's widowed. It seems the rumors we heard about her were true.”
“That's too bad,” he murmured, trying to do the right thing and think of her lossâand not his interest. “She's a young woman.”
“Indeed. Only twenty-five.” Cradling her cup, she said, “I don't know the whole story, but she did say that her husband's death was a difficult thing. I guess he lingered for months in pain.”
Roman inwardly winced. Her story made his family's troubles seem insignificant in comparison. “Did it happen recently?” he asked before he could remind himself that he shouldn't care.
“I don't know that answer, but I'm guessing no. She doesn't seem to be mourning.” Looking at him with a new gleam in her eye, she added, “Actually, Amanda seems like one of the most restful women I've ever come across.”
Restful
. Now, that was an unusual descriptor. He fancied it. “Hmm.”
Before he knew what was happening, Beth stood up and grabbed his empty left hand. “Come on. Let me introduce you.”
“Beth,
nee
. I was merely curious.”
“If you're only curious about her, then it won't hurt you to say hello.” “Butâ” “Roman Keim, didn't I hear you say that you wanted to experience something new this week?”
“
Jah
, but I was thinking about surfing . . .”
“Meeting a new woman counts, I believe.”
Because she had a point, he let himself be dragged across the gated patio, through the gate, and down the five steps to the sand.
As she heard the hubbub behind her, Amanda turned and watched them approach, her eyes brightening when she recognized Beth.
His mouth went dry. Amanda was even prettier up close.
With effort, he forced his expression to remain impassive.
It would never do for her to know how captivated he was by her. At least . . . not yet.
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This book is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents, and dialogue are drawn from the author's imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
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DAYBREAK
.
Copyright © 2013 by Shelley Shepard Gray. Excerpt from
Ray of Light
© 2013 by Shelley Shepard Gray. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.
FIRST EDITION
ISBN 978-0-06-220440-0
EPub Edition © FEBRUARY 2013 ISBN: 9780062204417
13 14 15 16 17Â Â Â Â
OV/RRD
    10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
To Tom. Because of you, I can be me.
Contents
P.S.: Insights, Interviews & More . . .
Till at last the day begins
In the east a-breaking,
In the hedges and the whins
Sleeping birds a-waking
~from “Night and Day” by Robert Louis Stevenson
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Light shines on the godly, and joy on those whose hearts are right.
~Psalm 97:11(KJV)
It hadn't been easy, but Lovina Keim had gotten her way. She was going to be the one to read her grandson's very first letter from Florida aloud.
Holding the envelope carefully on her lap, she adjusted her glasses and waited for her twin granddaughters, husband, and daughter-in-law to get settled. Actually, she was drawing out the moment. It was nice to feel like the focal point of the family once again. Too often she felt like as much of an add-on as her
dawdi haus
.
But, as usual, her granddaughter Viola was anything but patient. “Mommi, open the envelope. We're all here and sitting quietly.” Under her breath, she added, “As you insisted.”
Lovina heard that, of course. But she pretended not to.
Instead, she shook the envelope importantly. “Patience, Viola. I'll get to it in my own time. After all, none of us makes you rush to share Edward's letters.”
“That's because she doesn't share them,” Viola's twin, Elsie, said. “At least none of the good parts.”
Crossing her ankles primly, Viola glared at her sister. “Ed's letters are different. He's my fiancé, you know.”
“I believe we all know that, dear,” Viola's mother, Marie, said behind a smile.
Standing behind her rocking chair, Aaron leaned over and pushed the kerosene lantern on the table closer to Lovina. “You'd best read Roman's letter from Florida before this whole family dissolves into another heated discussion.”
Her husband had a point. Over the last few months, even the most benign topic seemed to ignite tempers. With a sigh, Lovina carefully opened the envelope, smoothed out Roman's note, and began reading. “Dear Family, Greetings from Pinecraft!”
Elsie chuckled. “He sounds like he's an advertisement.”
“Indeed,” Lovina said with a small smile. Clearing her throat, she continued. “Now that I've been here for three days, I'm beginning to get into a routine. Every morning, I sit with one of the cousins and drink coffee on the patio, looking out at the ocean. I never get tired of watching the waves crash along the shoreline and can only imagine what it must be like to get used to such a sight.”
Marie sighed. “Being at the beach sounds
wunderbaar
.”
“You should go soon, Mamm,” Viola said. “I mean, you should go when Daed gets better. . . .”
“Perhaps.”
Not wanting to think about Peter's problems, Lovina rattled the pages a bit to claim everyone's attention again. “Next door, another woman starts her morning the same way as me. She seems to be about my age. She's Amish, too, and has blond hair and blue eyes. She's quite pretty. I hear she's a mother and a widow, but I don't know if that's true or not. But whatever the reason, I can't help but be curious . . . but so far, I've had no reason to speak to her. But maybe one day soon.”
Just as Lovina paused for a breath, the room erupted into excited chatter.
As Elsie and Viola discussed who this mystery woman might be, Lovina found her gaze straying to her husband and then felt her stomach drop. Aaron was looking out into the distance with such a heartbreaking expression, she knew he could only be thinking of one thing: his first wife and child.
Little by little, the other occupants noticed, too.
“Dawdi, what is wrong?” Viola asked.
Lovina was just about to tell her nosy granddaughter that not everything was her concern when Aaron slowly stood up.
“I'm all right, child. Roman's note simply made me think of something that happened long ago.”
“What was that?”
Aaron looked Lovina's way, shrugged, then said, “It got me thinking about the time I buried my first wife and son.”
As Marie, Viola, and Elsie watched him leave the room in shock, Lovina felt her world tilt. She and Aaron had agreed never to talk of that. Tears started to fall on her cheeks as she thought of his heartbroken expression. Even after all this time, it seemed that Aaron still carried a torch for his first, beautiful, perfect wife.
When they all heard the back door close, Viola gripped Elsie's hand. “Grandpa was married before? And had a child? Mamm, did you know about this?”
Even in the dimly lit room, Lovina saw that Marie was rattled. “
Nee
.”
Elsie shook her head in wonder, staring at Lovina with accusation in her eyes. “I assume you knew about this. First we find that Mommi was once an
Englischer
, then that Daed is secretly drinking. Now we find out that Dawdi has been married before. How many secrets does this family have?”
Thinking of her other secrets, the ones she hoped and prayed were buried so deep that they'd never be let out, Lovina shrugged. “Too many to count, it seems.” Wearily, she stood up. “I better go see how your grandfather is doing.”
No one seemed to notice that Roman's letter floated to the floor, only half read.
Â
Roman Keim wasn't stalking the woman staying in the condominium next door to him at Siesta Key. He just couldn't seem to stop watching her whenever he could.
It seemed she enjoyed the morning sunrises as much as he did. As the sun continued to rise, he sipped his coffee, wiggled his toes in the sand, and watched Amanda Yoder slip through the white wooden gate that separated the condo properties from the public beach, and walk down the path to the water.
Today she wore an apricot-colored dress that set off her blond hair, prim white
kapp
, and lightly tanned skin. As she walked along in her bare feet he was captivated. Her steps looked light and smooth. Happy. He'd heard that she was a widow. He wondered if it was true.
Actually, she looked like her own ray of sunlight, and he felt himself unable to look away when she tossed down a towel, spread it smooth, then sat right down on it, all while holding a cup of coffee in her right hand.
He was trying to think how he'd ever get the courage to talk to her when his cousin Beth stepped through the open sliding door. “May I join you, Roman? Or are you attempting to find a few moments of peace and quiet?” she asked with a wry smile. “I know we can all get to be a bit overwhelming sometimes.”
“Not at all,” he said, thinking what a nice change of pace his uncle Aden's family was compared to his own family's exhausting problems. “Of course I'd like your company.” He leaned over and pulled another chair closer. “Come sit down.”
“Danke.”
She, too, was sipping coffee and, to his delight, had brought out a thermal carafe. After topping off his cup, she sat beside him and followed his gaze. “Ah, I see you've found Amanda Yoder. Again.”
He was embarrassed that his interest was so transparent. “I can't help it if she enjoys the sunrises as much as I do.”
“You know, I met her yesterday when Lindy and I were out.”
Surprised, he glanced her way. “You did?”
“Uh-huh. My Lindy and her daughter seemed to get along.”
Roman struggled to not show his interest. “So,
is
she married?”
“No . . . No, she's not. She's widowed. It seems the rumors we heard about her were true.”
“That's too bad,” he murmured, trying to do the right thing and think of her lossâand not his interest. “She's a young woman.”
“Indeed. Only twenty-five.” Cradling her cup, Beth leaned back and closed her eyes. “I don't know the whole story, but she did say that her husband's death was a difficult thing. I guess he lingered for months in pain.”
Roman inwardly winced. Her story made his family's troubles seem insignificant in comparison. “Did it happen recently?” he asked before he could remind himself that he shouldn't care.
“I don't know that answer, but I'm guessing no. She doesn't seem to be mourning.” Looking at him with a new gleam in her eye, she added, “Actually, Amanda seems like one of the most restful women I've ever come across.”
Restful
. Now, that was an unusual descriptor. But he fancied it. “Hmm.”
Before he knew what was happening, Beth stood up and grabbed his empty left hand. “Come on. Let me introduce you.”
“Beth,
nee.
I was merely curious.”
“If you're only curious about her, then it won't hurt you to say hello.”
“Butâ”
“Roman Keim, didn't I hear you say that you wanted to experience something new this week?”
“
Jah
, but I was thinking about surfing. . . .”
“Meeting a new woman counts, I believe.”
Because she had a point, he let himself be dragged across the gated patio, through the gate, and down the steps to the sand.
As she heard the hubbub behind her, Amanda turned and watched them approach, her eyes brightening when she recognized Beth.
Roman's mouth went dry. Amanda was even prettier up close.
With effort, he forced his expression to remain impassive.
It would never do for her to know how captivated he was by her. At least . . . not yet.