The Teacher's Bride Read online

  ACCLAIM FOR KATHLEEN FULLER

  “Kathleen Fuller’s The Teacher’s Bride is a heartwarming story of unexpected romance woven with fun and engaging characters who come to life on every page. Once you open the book, you won’t put it down until you’ve reached the end.”

  —AMY CLIPSTON, BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF A SEAT BY THE HEARTH

  “Kathy Fuller’s characters leap off the page with subtle power as she uses both wit and wisdom to entertain! Refreshingly honest and charming, Kathy’s writing reflects a master’s touch when it comes to intricate plotting and a satisfying and inspirational ending full of good cheer!”

  —KELLY LONG, NATIONAL BESTSELLING AUTHOR, ON THE TEACHER’S BRIDE

  “Kathleen Fuller is a master storyteller and fans will absolutely fall in love with Ruby and Christian in The Teacher’s Bride.”

  —RUTH REID, BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF A MIRACLE OF HOPE

  “The Teacher’s Bride features characters who know what it’s like to be different, to not fit in. What they don’t know is that’s what makes them so loveable. Kathleen Fuller has written a sweet, oftentimes humorous, romance that reminds readers that the perfect match might be right in front of their noses. She handles the difficult topic of depression with a deft touch. Readers of Amish fiction won’t want to miss this delightful story.”

  —KELLY IRVIN, BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF THE EVERY AMISH SEASON SERIES

  “Kathleen Fuller is a talented and a gifted author, and she doesn’t disappoint in The Teacher’s Bride. The story will captivate you from the first page to the last with Ruby, Christian, and engaging characters. You’ll laugh, gasp, and wonder what will happen next. You won’t want to miss reading this heartwarming Amish story of mishaps, faith, love, forgiveness, and friendship.”

  —MOLLY JEBBER, SPEAKER AND AWARD-WINNING AUTHOR OF GRACE’S FORGIVENESS AND THE AMISH KEEPSAKE POCKET QUILT SERIES

  “Enthusiasts of Fuller’s sweet Amish romances will savor this new anthology.”

  —LIBRARY JOURNAL ON AN AMISH FAMILY

  “These four sweet stories are full of hope and promise along with misunderstandings and reconciliation. True love does prevail, but not without prayer, introspection, and humility. A must-read for fans of Amish romance.”

  —RT BOOK REVIEWS, 4 STARS, ON AN AMISH FAMILY

  “The incredibly engaging Amish Letters series continues with a third story of perseverance and devotion, making it difficult to put down . . . Fuller skillfully knits together the lives within a changing, faithful community that has suffered its share of challenges.”

  —RT BOOK REVIEWS, 4 1/2 STARS, ON WORDS FROM THE HEART

  “Fuller’s inspirational tale portrays complex characters facing real-world problems and finding love where they least expected or wanted it to be.”

  —BOOKLIST, STARRED REVIEW, ON A RELUCTANT BRIDE

  “Fuller has an amazing capacity for creating damaged characters and giving insights into their brokenness. One of the better voices in the Amish fiction genre.”

  — CBA RETAILERS + RESOURCES ON A RELUCTANT BRIDE

  “This promising series debut from Fuller is edgier than most Amish novels, dealing with difficult and dark issues and featuring well-drawn characters who are tougher than the usual gentle souls found in this genre. Recommended for Amish fiction fans who might like a different flavor.”

  —LIBRARY JOURNAL ON A RELUCTANT BRIDE

  “Sadie and Aden’s love is both sweet and hard-won, and Aden’s patience is touching as he wrestles not only with Sadie’s dilemma, but his own abusive past. Birch Creek is weighed down by the Troyer family’s dark secrets, and readers will be interested to see how secondary characters’ lives unfold as the series co ntinues.”

  —RT BOOK REVIEWS, 4 STARS, ON A RELUCTANT BRIDE

  “Kathleen Fuller’s A Reluctant Bride tells the story of two Amish families whose lives have collided through tragedy. Sadie Schrock’s stoic resolve will touch and inspire Fuller’s fans, as will the story’s concluding triumph of redemption.”

  —SUZANNE WOODS FISHER, BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF ANNA’S CROSSING

  “Kathleen Fuller’s A Reluctant Bride is a beautiful story of faith, hope, and second chances. Her characters and descriptions are captivating, bringing the story to life with the turn of every page.”

  —AMY CLIPSTON, BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF A SIMPLE PRAYER AND THE KAUFFMAN AMISH BAKERY SERIES

  “The latest offering in the Middlefield Family series is a sweet love story, with perfectly crafted characters. Fuller’s Amish novels are written with the utmost respect for their way of living. Readers are given a glimpse of what it is like to live the simple life.”

  —RT BOOK REVIEWS, 4 STARS, ON LETTERS TO KATIE

  “Fuller’s second Amish series entry is a sweet romance with a strong sense of place that will attract readers of Wanda Brunstetter and Cindy Woodsmall.”

  —LIBRARY JOURNAL ON FAITHFUL TO LAURA

  “Well-drawn characters and a homespun feel will make this Amish romance a sure bet for fans of Beverly Lewis and Jerry S. Eicher.”

  —LIBRARY JOURNAL ON TREASURING EMMA

  “Treasuring Emma is a heartwarming story filled with real-life situations and well-developed characters. I rooted for Emma and Adam until the very last page. Fans of Amish fiction and those seeking an endearing romance will enjoy this love story. Highly recommended.”

  —BETH WISEMAN, BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF HER BROTHER’S KEEPER AND THE DAUGHTERS OF THE PROMISE SERIES

  “Treasuring Emma is a charming, emotionally layered story of the value of friendship in love and discovering the truth of the heart. A true treasure of a read!”

  —KELLY LONG, AUTHOR OF THE PATCH OF HEAVEN SERIES

  OTHER BOOKS BY KATHLEEN FULLER

  THE AMISH LETTERS NOVELS

  Written in Love

  The Promise of a Letter

  Words from the Heart

  THE AMISH OF BIRCH CREEK NOVELS

  A Reluctant Bride

  An Unbroken Heart

  A Love Made New

  THE MIDDLEFIELD AMISH NOVELS

  A Faith of Her Own

  THE MIDDLEFIELD FAMILY NOVELS

  Treasuring Emma

  Faithful to Laura

  Letters to Katie

  THE HEARTS OF MIDDLEFIELD NOVELS

  A Man of His Word

  An Honest Love

  A Hand to Hold

  NOVELLAS INCLUDED IN

  An Amish Christmas—A Miracle for Miriam

  An Amish Gathering—A Place of His Own

  An Amish Love—What the Heart Sees

  An Amish Wedding—A Perfect Match

  An Amish Garden—Flowers for Rachael

  An Amish Second Christmas—A Gift for Anne Marie

  An Amish Cradle—A Heart Full of Love

  An Amish Market—A Bid for Love

  An Amish Harvest—A Quiet Love

  An Amish Home—Building Faith

  An Amish Summer—Lakeside Love

  An Amish Family—Building Trust

  An Amish Family—Surprised by Love

  An Amish Homecoming—What Love Built

  An Amish Heirloom—The Treasured Book

  ZONDERVAN

  The Teacher’s Bride

  Copyright © 2018 by Kathleen Fuller

  Requests for information should be addressed to:

  Zondervan, 3900 Sparks Dr. SE, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49546

  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication

  Names: Fuller, Kathleen, author.

  Title: The teacher’s bride / Kathleen Fuller.

  Description: Grand Rapids, Michigan : Zondervan, [2018] | Series: Amish brides of Birch Creek ; 1

  Epub Edition October 2018 9780310355090


  Identifiers: LCCN 2018029044| ISBN 9780310355076 (trade paper) | ISBN 9780310355090 (epub)

  Subjects: | GSAFD: Love stories.

  Classification: LCC PS3606.U553 T43 2018 | DDC 813/.6--dc23 LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2018029044

  All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com

  Any internet addresses (websites, blogs, etc.) and telephone numbers in this book are offered as a resource. They are not intended in any way to be or imply an endorsement by Zondervan, nor does Zondervan vouch for the content of these sites and numbers for the life of this book.

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any other—except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior permission of the publisher.

  Publisher’s Note: This novel is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. All characters are fictional, and any similarity to people living or dead is purely coincidental.

  Printed in the United States of America

  18 19 20 21 22 / LSC / 5 4 3 2 1

  To James. I love you.

  GLOSSARY

  ab im kopp: crazy, crazy in the head

  aenti: aunt

  appeditlich: delicious

  boppli/bopplin: baby/babies

  bruder: brother

  bu/buwe: boy/boys

  daed: father

  danki: thank you

  Dietsch: Amish language

  dochder: daughter

  familye: family

  frau: woman, Mrs.

  geh: go

  grossvatter: grandfather

  gut: good

  gute morgen: good morning

  gute nacht: good night

  haus: house

  Herr: Mr.

  kaffee: coffee

  kapp: white hat worn by Amish women

  kinn/kinner: child/children

  lieb: love

  maedel: girl/young woman

  mamm: mom

  mann: Amish man

  mei: my

  morgen: morning

  mudder: mother

  nee: no

  nix: nothing

  onkel: uncle

  schee: pretty/handsome

  schoolhaus: schoolhouse

  schwester/schwesters: sister/sisters

  sehr: very

  seltsam: weird

  sohn/sohns: son/sons

  vatter: father

  ya: yes

  yer/yers: your/yours

  yerself: yourself

  CONTENTS

  Acclaim for Kathleen Fuller

  Other Books by Kathleen Fuller

  Glossary

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Epilogue

  Acknowledgments

  Discussion Questions

  About the Author

  CHAPTER 1

  I can’t believe she came here without letting us know ahead of time.”

  Ruby Glick paced outside on the front porch. She doubted her older brother, Timothy, and his wife, Patience, realized she could hear their conversation through the screened windows—a conversation about her. Maybe he shouldn’t have told her, in a kind but firm way, to wait outside while he and Patience talked.

  “Timothy,” Patience said, her voice gentle and one hundred percent a reflection of her name. “You’re not making much sense. I don’t understand why you don’t want yer schwester to stay with us.”

  “Favorite schwester” Ruby whispered. And only schwester, but that was a technicality.

  Timothy paused long enough for Ruby to hear a woodpecker drilling in the distance. “Patience, I love Ruby, but she’s a walking disaster. Which means a whole lot of problems for us.”

  Uh-oh. Ruby recognized the firmness in his voice. This was Timothy when he was standing his ground. She chewed on the inside of her lip and brushed away a stray fallen leaf with the toe of her black sneaker. This wasn’t a good sign. Not at all. Not to mention her feelings were a little hurt. Yes, she’d been called a walking disaster before. And yes, it wasn’t far from the truth. But that didn’t mean she liked hearing it spoken behind her back.

  “I can’t believe you mean that, Timothy,” Patience said, sounding surprised.

  Ruby backed away from the window. Maybe she should have written to Timothy before she arrived unannounced on his doorstep ten minutes ago. That would have been the polite thing to do. But since she’d made her decision to come to Birch Creek only yesterday, there wouldn’t have been enough time for him to receive a letter from Lancaster. That, and of course the fact that she couldn’t wait to get here.

  She tugged on her index finger. If Timothy didn’t let her stay here for a while, it would ruin her plan. And her plan was perfect, if she said so herself. Unfortunately, she hadn’t been in Birch Creek very long before her brother hurled a monkey wrench into it.

  She sighed. She didn’t want to trouble anyone, except trouble was her middle name according to her parents, Timothy, and more than a few people back home. But not anymore. She straightened her shoulders as she heard Timothy’s dairy cows lowing in the pasture behind the house. She was different now. As of twelve hours ago, she had turned over a new leaf. Somehow, she would convince her brother that was the truth.

  The front door opened, and she swirled around, hopeful. Timothy scowled at her, shoved his hat onto his head, and took off for the barn. Ruby’s shoulders slumped.

  Patience walked out behind him and put her hand on Ruby’s arm. “This isn’t like Timothy.”

  Ruby glanced at her. “When it comes to me, it is.”

  Patience gave her an encouraging smile. “I’ll geh talk to him some more. While I do that, you can put yer things in the spare bedroom.”

  “Are you sure?” Ruby said, brightening. There was hope after all.

  “Positive.” The expression in Patience’s gentle brown eyes grew resolute. “You’re our familye, and you’re staying here in our home. That’s final.”

  Impressed, Ruby grinned. She hadn’t thought Patience would be the kind of wife to go against her husband’s wishes. Ruby didn’t exactly endorse that behavior, but since Timothy was being unreasonable, she was glad Patience saw it her way. She threw her arms around her sister-in-law. “Danki, Patience. I promise I won’t cause any trouble.”

  Patience smiled. “Of course you won’t.” She glanced at the barn and then at Ruby. “Will you keep an eye on the kinner while I geh talk to him? They’re down for their naps, but Tobias might wake up in a few minutes.”

  “Of course.” She opened the screen door, careful to make sure it didn’t slam behind her, and went inside. She loved her nephews and hadn’t seen them for a few months, not since Timothy and his family last visited Lancaster. One of the perks of coming here was that she could spend time with the little boys.

  Ruby took her suitcase upstairs. Timothy’s house wasn’t that big, and she had been here a few times before, although the last time had been three years ago. She started to set the suitcase on the spare room bed but then paused. Should she unpack now? Despite Patience’s assurances, she wasn’t sure if Timothy would relent. Lord, change his mind, please.

  She set the suitcase on the floor, making sure she was quiet. She slipped off her shoes and went into
the hallway. She’d passed Tobias and Luke’s room a few moments earlier. Maybe she should peek in on them. When it came to children, she was confident, and at twenty she’d had plenty of babysitting experience.

  When she looked inside their room, she smiled. Oh, her nephews were so sweet. Luke, of course, was still in a crib, and Tobias lay on a small bed. A wooden baby gate stretched across the threshold, much like the one she and Timothy had when they were young. Of course, Timothy never tried to escape his crib or his bedroom like Ruby had. She was the reason for the baby gate. As their mother had said time and time again, Ruby had been the difficult child.

  She bit her lip and stepped back from the bedroom, not wanting to wake her sleeping nephews. Her heart pinched, but she ignored the familiar feeling, as she had so many times over the years. It wasn’t as if her parents were wrong. Problems did seem to follow her no matter what she did and despite her best intentions. But she was an adult now, and something had to change. Or rather, someone. She had to learn how to be better. To be more acceptable. To be like Timothy and everyone else she knew. And the way to start that transformation was to get married.

  At least that was what Ruby had decided. There was a bit of a glitch, though. Although she was ready to find a husband, the single men in her community weren’t exactly lining up to propose. That also hurt her feelings a bit, but she had somewhat of a reputation back home. Not a salacious one, though. Just the thought of having that type of reputation made her face heat. But she’d been in enough scrapes and caused enough complications that the men stayed far away.

  The lack of matrimonial contenders sparked the idea of coming to Birch Creek. It was a thriving community. It was also full of young men who knew her only as Timothy’s little sister. She fully intended to use their lack of awareness to her advantage.

  She slid down the wall next to the children’s bedroom until she was seated on the floor. Then she pulled her knees to her chest, resting her chin on them. She’d had plenty of time to think on the bus ride here from Lancaster. Plenty of time to puzzle out how she was going to land a husband. Also plenty of time to suspect that this might not be the best way to go about it. But she had never been one to sit back and wait for something to happen. Perhaps that tendency also needed further consideration, but right now she was too excited about her plan. After all, it was the first time she had a plan about anything. If she followed it, she was certain she would have a potential husband candidate by Christmas. Or at least a date. Maybe I should concentrate on that first.