Joshua's Choice: Amish Romance (Seven Amish Bachelors Book 3) Read online

  Joshua’s Choice

  Seven Amish Bachelors Book 3 (Amish Romance)

  Samantha Price

  Print ISBN 978-1976371868

  Copyright © 2017 by Samantha Price

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  This is a work of fiction. Any names or characters, businesses or places, events or incidents, are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

  Contents

  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

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

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  About the Author

  Chapter 1

  Joshua Fuller, the third son of Obadiah and Ivy Fuller, knew many girls liked him. He often noticed the girls at community events and meetings huddled in groups whispering about him and sneaking glances his way. He’d taken many girls out on buggy rides, but had never taken the same girl twice. Lately, though, he hadn’t asked any girls out and there was but one reason for that.

  His gaze swept around the crowd, and as usual, his eyes settled on that one reason, that one girl. Her name was Adeline Miller. She wasn't the prettiest in the group, but neither was she the plainest. There was something about her quiet and gentle nature that had reached out and taken hold of his heart. A few minutes ago, she had become his new sister-in-law since his older brother had just married Adeline’s older sister, Lucy.

  His mother didn't like Adeline's family, but Levi had unknowingly paved the way for him to marry Adeline when he married Lucy. At seventeen years of age, Adeline was a little young to be married, but if she agreed and both sets of parents agreed too, there wouldn't be a problem.

  He looked over at Lucy and Levi chatting happily at the wedding breakfast table and then saw the parents of the bride and groom at a nearby table. The fathers were talking comfortably and eating away at the delicious foods. The mothers looked a bit stiff, but they were chatting politely with one another—that was a positive sign and better than them ignoring one another as they would’ve done at one time. They weren't friends, but maybe one day they could be. Shared grosskinner had a way of softening hard hearts.

  He looked back at Adeline, hoping no young men had noticed her. He smiled when he saw she was still surrounded by girls. He loved her name too, Adeline. He could imagine them walking in the woods, and her playfully running away and then hiding behind a tree, and he would whisper her name in the wind. Adeline. Adeline, where are you? Then, a few moments later, she would tap him on the shoulder and cause him to jump. A soft chuckle escaped Joshua’s lips over his heart-warming daydreams.

  "What are you laughing at?" a deep male voice inquired.

  Joshua swung around to see his next-in-line younger brother, Jacob. "Nothing."

  "It must be something. A serious young man like you doesn't laugh at nothing."

  Joshua gave him a playful shove. "Get out of here. Who are you calling a serious young man?"

  Jacob grinned widely. "Well that's what you are, aren't you?"

  "About as serious as you."

  Jacob looked over at the girls. "Maybe you were smiling at that group of people over there.”

  “Nee!” Joshua snapped.

  Jacob wasn’t easily fooled. “Is that right?”

  Joshua frowned at him.

  Jacob continued to stare at the girls. “Let me guess... Which one of them takes your fancy?"

  "None of them do," Joshua said, hoping his brother wouldn't notice his treasured Adeline.

  "There's Mary Lou, but you wouldn't like her because she used to date Isaac, so she’s out. You said before you’d never date her, I remember that. Then there are some girls who are too young for you... But wait, then there's Nella."

  "Cut it out, and stop being rude." Nella had made no secret about liking Joshua and Jacob would've known that.

  "Nella is quite attractive. I can see the two of you getting hitched. I reckon we'll be at Nella’s folks’ in about four months and you'll be pledging your lifelong love to her."

  Joshua shook his head. "You've got it wrong."

  "Have I?” His lips twitched. “Hmm, then. Let's see. What about Becky?"

  He looked over at Becky. She was often standing by herself and didn't have many friends. "Wrong again. Although there's nothing wrong with Becky."

  "Who said there was anything wrong with her?"

  "Not me," Joshua said.

  "Me either. And it would be convenient since her brother and Timothy are best friends.”

  “I’ve got a good idea,” Joshua said.

  “What’s that?” Jacob asked.

  “Why don’t you go harass somebody else?"

  One side of Jacob’s lips lifted into a crooked smile. "I've already done that and now it’s your turn."

  Joshua rolled his eyes and then shook his head. "I can believe that." Joshua looked back at Lucy and Levi, and then rubbed his neck. "It seems funny that two of our brieder are now married."

  "There's nothing funny about it."

  "You want to get married someday, don't you?" Joshua asked Jacob.

  "Maybe, and maybe not."

  Joshua stepped back in shock. That was not the answer he was expecting. "Don't you want to have a family someday?"

  "Maybe and maybe not," Jacob repeated smugly.

  "Why do you have to joke all the time? Why can't you just give a straight answer?"

  "Because I don't know at this stage. Okay, I’ll be serious. If you must know, I'm trying to find a woman who's the right fit for me. I can't think of anything worse than making the wrong choice and being stuck for fifty years with a shrew or someone who bores me to tears. And what if I like someone and that only lasts a few years and then turns sour?" He shook his head. "The whole idea of marriage scares me." Jacob stared at his older brother. “There. Is that serious enough for you?”

  Joshua smiled, thinking his brother was joking again, but then he saw from his face that Jacob was serious. "You’re really scared?"

  "And you should be too. You can be attracted to a girl because she's pretty, but have you noticed how women—some of these women right here in the community have doubled and tripled their size after only a year or two of marriage?"

  "That's probably only after they’ve had children. If a woman’s given you a child you can’t complain about her figure. Anyway, you don't just marry a woman because of her looks.” Joshua was trying to make Jacob see sense. He knew his brother was seen as handsome because he was popular with the girls, but he didn’t have to be so vain about it. Jacob's problem might be that he seemed to be trying to find a woman who was as good looking as he. Not only that, he seemed to require some guarantee she’d stay that way. “And have you ever looked in the mirror lately? You’re not exactly a prize yourself."

  Jacob gave him a shove. "I reckon I'm all right. All the girls seem to think s
o, too. I could walk up to any one of them, ask them out, and there won’t be one of them says, 'No.'"

  Joshua scoffed. "I doubt it."

  "Okay, see that group of girls over there? I'll ask each one of them out over the next two weeks and if one of them says no, I'll do all your chores for a whole year."

  Joshua looked over the group his brother was referring to. Adeline was in that group. Joshua jumped in front of him blocking his view. "No don't!"

  Jacob took a step to the side and studied the girls once more. "Why not?"

  "All right you win. I like one of the girls. There, satisfied?"

  "Not entirely. You're still holding out on me. Which one is she?"

  "I’m joking! I just don’t think it’s a good idea. It’s stupid." Joshua spoke with all the authority he could, using his best older-brother voice.

  Jacob carefully studied his face. "I think you do like one of them, going by your worried face and flushed cheeks.” Jacob then pointed his finger at Joshua’s lips. “And your trembling bottom lip.”

  Joshua swiped at his brother’s hand and Jacob pulled it out of his way just in time. “Cut it out! I don’t have a trembling anything.”

  Jacob stepped past his brother and closer to the girls. “Let me see which one I think you’d fancy."

  "Don't you have anything better to do with your time?"

  "We’re at a wedding, what else is there to do other than socialize?" Jacob breathed in, fixed a smile on his face, and started walking toward the group of girls.

  Joshua quickly put his foot out and tripped him up. Jacob nearly fell over but managed to catch his footing.

  He narrowed his eyes at Joshua. "What was that for?"

  Joshua shook his head. "I told you not to."

  "Look, we settled this years ago. You’re not the boss of me."

  "Hmm. I remember that day and as I recall we settled that I am the boss of you."

  Jacob huffed. "Just give me her name and I'll strike her off my list. I won’t compete with you. Whoever she is, you can have her."

  “Really?”

  “Yeah, there’s none here that appeals to me enough to choose one, so I’m willing to keep away.”

  “Denke, Jacob.”

  Jacob laughed. "You've got it bad."

  "It's Adeline, and if you so much as talk to her, or tell anyone I like her, you'll live to regret it."

  Jacob raised his eyebrows. "Adeline, Lucy's younger sister, Adeline Miller?"

  "Jah, that’s the one. There's only one Adeline."

  Jacob looked over at her, then turned back to Joshua and put a hand on his shoulder. "There's no need to rob the cradle. There's plenty of girls your own age to choose from."

  "She's seventeen.”

  Jacob looked over at Adeline. "I reckon she’s only fifteen if she’s a day.”

  “I overheard Lucy telling someone she’s seventeen."

  “What is it about her that has you so worked up?"

  What could Joshua say? He thought she was delightful. Every time she smiled, her eyes sparkled. When she giggled it was like the sweet music of a thousand angels singing. She walked—no glided—with the grace of a swan moving along a still and tranquil lake. There was no way he could tell his brother any of that. "She appeals to me."

  "I figured that, but why?"

  Joshua looked over at Adeline once more. She was a sweet flower who stood out above all the others, but he wouldn't expect his arrogant and conceited brother to understand the subtleties of anything to do with love. Joshua hoped that Adeline might one day return those feelings. And he was yet to know how to approach her; that’s why he was holding back and observing her from afar. He couldn't just ask her on a buggy ride because he’d risk her saying no. He had to get closer to her and hope she would fall in love with him.

  "I said, 'Why?'" Jacob repeated.

  Joshua turned back to see a stupid lop-sided grin on Jacob’s face. "I can't say, I just find her appealing."

  "Each to his own, I suppose," Jacob said.

  "You would've dated all the single girls in the community about now, wouldn't you?" Joshua asked.

  “Jah, I'll have to go visiting soon and see what talent's in the other communities."

  Joshua shook his head. "You're just ridiculous. What will Mamm say if you choose a girl in some far-flung community? You know what she's like about not having any girls and wanting us to marry so she can have someone who’s like a dochder to her."

  Jacob looked over at Lucy and Levi, and then moved closer to Joshua and whispered, "We both know Mamm wasn’t overjoyed when Isaac married Hazel and she wasn't happy about Lucy either. I don't see her jumping for joy if you and Adeline get together."

  Jacob wasn’t telling Joshua something he didn’t already know. He was well aware his mother wasn’t happy with their two oldest brothers’ choices in wives, but as much as he loved his mother, no one was going to have a say in who his wife was going to be. "We're talking about you, not me."

  "I'm just looking out for you. If I don't, who will?" Jacob asked.

  Joshua frowned. "I'm old enough to look out for myself. I'm just trying to protect you from our mudder. If you look in another community, you’re going to find a woman there. If you stay here, you’ll eventually come across someone suitable; I’m sure of it.”

  "The point I was trying to make was she mightn’t like it, but I can't live my life around what the woman does and doesn't like. I'm a grown man. If I fall in love with a girl from another community Mamm will just have to accept that."

  "So, you are looking for that one special love?"

  "I'm looking for it, but I don't expect to find it. I'm looking for love … I need to find a girl I'm so in love with that if she ends up eating herself stupid and looking like a fat old cow after we marry, I won't care."

  Joshua shook his head in disgust. "I'm sure Gott has something good in store for you, Jacob."

  "What do you mean by that?"

  "Maybe you need to be taught a lesson. You talk about women like they’re not people. They are tender-hearted beings that we must protect and look after."

  Jacob’s face soured. "You've gone soft. You must be truly in love."

  "Don't make a joke of everything, Jacob. Love is a serious thing and choosing a fraa is too. She will become part of you, and you will become part of her. The two of you shall become one in Gott's sight."

  Jacob roared with laughter and slapped Joshua on the back. "It sounds like you’ve been to too many weddings."

  "I'm hoping the next one will be mine."

  Jacob gave a gruff sound from the back of his throat. "I'm off to find the most attractive girl that I can drive home tonight, and trust me, she won't say no to this face." Jacob gave Joshua a wink.

  Joshua couldn't believe his brother's arrogant words and he hoped he’d learn his lesson sooner rather than later. Jacob was a good-looking man, but with his awareness of those looks, pride had crept into his heart.

  Pushing his brother’s words out of his mind, Joshua looked back at Adeline. She caught his eye, and then quickly looked away. He was sure he saw a gentle blush color her cheeks before she turned aside. What would he do if Adeline rejected him? He wouldn’t be able to bear it. He had to figure out a way for her to get to know him in a slow and natural way. It had to help that her sister had just married his brother.

  Chapter 2

  Adeline turned away as quick as she could when she saw Joshua Fuller staring at her—again. The only thing she could do was turn her back because she didn't want him to see her beet-red cheeks that were burning.

  Her younger sister, Catherine, and she were wedding attendants for their oldest sister, Lucy's wedding. It was exciting to have the first wedding in the family and Catherine and she had spent the last few weeks helping Lucy sew all the wedding dresses and the suits for Levi and his two friends.

  As Adeline had sewed, she’d imagined what it would be like when her wedding day came. Who would she marry? Now the only man she had on he
r mind was Joshua. She hadn’t given him any thought until she noticed him during the wedding preparations, and he’d come to her attention because he kept looking at her. Little by little, he began to grow on her. Adeline wondered what Joshua saw in her, and whether he would rule her out as a potential wife for being too young. Or did he plan to wait until she was older before he made a move? She was ready to get married right now. That was what she wanted and then she'd be a young mudder and grow with her kinner. She considered she was equally as mature as Lucy. Adeline had always felt older than her years.

  “There he is,” she heard one of the girls whisper to another of the girls in her group.

  She looked over to see that it was Mary Lou speaking. Quickly, Mary Lou fixed a smile on her face and start walking. In Adeline’s heart, she knew she was heading to talk to Joshua. Upset by the thought of the more experienced woman talking to the man she liked, Adeline walked away. When she’d taken a few steps, she turned around to find out she’d been right.

  As Mary Lou talked with Joshua, Adeline studied Joshua's face to see if she could find some hint of whether he liked Mary Lou. She knew from her older sister that Mary Lou liked Joshua and she’d been asking about him. There must've been something about the Fuller boys that Mary Lou liked, given her history with them. All of them were handsome, that was for certain. Mary Lou was older than Joshua, but from the way she was talking with him, it didn't bother her in the slightest.

  The other person who stood in the way of Adeline and Joshua’s happiness was Nella. Nella had asked Lucy for help in pairing her with Joshua. It seemed everybody wanted to marry Joshua.

  Adeline heaved a sigh and walked over to sit next to her newly married sister, sitting happily at the wedding table with her new husband.