The Amish Christmas Matchmaker

She’ll find him a wife for Christmas...

Which of these Indiana Amish Brides is next?

With her wedding business thriving, Annie Kauffmann could never leave her beloved Amish community. So when handsome Amish cowboy Levi Lapp tries to convince her father to move the family to Texas, she must put a stop to it. If Annie finds Levi a wife, he might forget his dream of moving...but can she keep from falling for him herself?

VANNETTA CHAPMAN has published over one hundred articles in Christian family magazines, receiving over two dozen awards from Romance Writers of America chapter groups. She discovered her love for the Amish while researching her grandfather’s birthplace of Albion, Pennsylvania. Her first novel, A Simple Amish Christmas, quickly became a bestseller. Chapman lives in the Texas Hill Country with her husband.

Also By Vannetta Chapman

Indiana Amish Brides

A Widow’s Hope

Amish Christmas Memories

A Perfect Amish Match

The Amish Christmas Matchmaker

Discover more at millsandboon.co.uk.

The Amish Christmas Matchmaker

Vannetta Chapman

www.millsandboon.co.uk

ISBN: 978-1-474-09750-5

THE AMISH CHRISTMAS MATCHMAKER

© 2019 Vannetta Chapman

Published in Great Britain 2019

by Mills & Boon, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF

All rights reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. This edition is published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, locations and incidents are purely fictional and bear no relationship to any real life individuals, living or dead, or to any actual places, business establishments, locations, events or incidents. Any resemblance is entirely coincidental.

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Who wants an Amish cowboy?

Annie liked a challenge. She thrived in tough situations. Tossing her kapp strings behind her shoulders, she plastered on what she hoped was her prettiest smile. “All right. You agree to date a couple of my friends...not at the same time, mind you.”

“Of course not,” Levi agreed.

“And in return, I won’t try and stop you from talking to my family about moving to Texas.”

“So now you’re a matchmaker?”

“Think of me as a concerned bystander.”

“All right. It’s a deal.” He held out his hand. “But you have to shake on it.”

But, just possibly, she’d found a way to keep her life firmly rooted in Goshen, because she had the perfect woman in mind for Levi Lapp and this person would never consider moving away.

All Annie had to do was see to it that the two of them fell in love. It would mean she’d have to live around Levi the rest of her life...but at least she wouldn’t have to do so in Texas.

Dear Reader,

Have you ever cherished a dream in your heart—something that was so important to you that you viewed everything else through the lens of what you hoped would happen? A dream can be a wonderful thing. But what about when our dreams blind us to the path in front of us? What happens when the things we are convinced should happen, don’t?

Annie Kauffmann believes she is happy helping other people’s dreams come true. She’s a nurturer, a hard worker and a kind person. She’s settled for a far different dream than she once had—when she believed that she would find true love, marry a kind man and raise a family. Now she’s convinced that while God grants those things for other people, for her, life has taken a different path. She focuses on her work, on making others happy, on finding financial security.

Levi Lapp is pursuing the dream that he has held close since he was a young child when life was simple and good, before he learned that not everyone could be trusted. Before he had his heart broken not by romantic love but by those adults who were supposed to guide him into adulthood. He longs to find his way back to a time when he still held hope and optimism about the future, and he’s convinced the way to do that is to go back to the physical place where he experienced the happiest years of his youth.

Annie and Levi are so busy pursuing what they are sure will make them happy, that they almost miss the blessings God has laid out for them.

I hope you enjoyed reading this book. I welcome comments and letters at vannettachapman@gmail.com.

May we continue to always give thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ (Ephesians 5:20).

Blessings,

Vannetta

Delight thyself also in the Lord:

and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.

—Psalm 37:4

Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

There is none other commandment greater.

—Mark 12:31

This book is dedicated to Bob, my very own cowboy.

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

About the Author

Booklist

Title Page

Copyright

Note to Readers

Introduction

Dear Reader

Bible Verse

Dedication

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Epilogue

Extract

About the Publisher

Chapter One

Annie Kauffmann thought she’d just experienced a perfect day—business had gone well, the fall weather was exquisite and each member of her family was happy and healthy. She leaned her bicycle against the tree in the front yard and ran up the porch steps. Her mother was sitting in a rocker, knitting a baby blanket for her next grandchild. She had twelve and counting. If her mother was sitting, she was knitting—blankets, sweaters, caps and mittens.

“Gut day?” she asked.

“Ya.” Annie sank into a rocker, smoothing her apron over her dress and sinking back with a sigh. “I confirmed two more weddings.”

“Your catering business is growing.”

“It is. The gut thing about these is one is for December...”

“Not many winter weddings, so you must be speaking of Widow Schwartz.”

“The same. The other is for later this month.”

“You had an opening this month?”

“Ya, since you know... Jesse’s was cancelled.”

“Real shame that Emma changed her mind. I believe she’ll regret that.”

“Maybe not though, Mamm. Maybe not.”

Annie was suddenly aware of voices in the house—her father and another man. She peeked out over the porch railing, wondering whose buggy she had missed, but there wasn’t one there.

“Who is Dat talking to?”

“I believe his name is Levi.”

“Levi King?”

“Nein. Levi Lapp.”

“I don’t know a Levi Lapp.”

“He’s new here.”

“New?”

“Arrived yesterday.”

“Did he walk?”

“I imagine he rode a bus to town, but he walked here today to see your dat.”

“Who does he know in Goshen?”

“He’s staying with Simon King.”

“Is he related to Old Simon?”

“I’m not sure.”

Now Annie’s curiosity was thoroughly piqued. “I think I need a glass of lemonade. Can I get you anything?”

Mamm smiled, not fooled for a minute. “Of course, dear. I would love that.”

Annie stepped into the coolness of the house. Though it was September, the temperatures had remained warm, and the cool living room was a relief after her bike ride from town. Her father and Levi Lapp were in the kitchen, which would work perfectly. She straightened her apron, made sure her kapp wasn’t askew and walked into the kitchen as if she had no idea she was interrupting.

She aimed for a casual stride but stumbled when she spied the man in a cowboy hat. A cowboy hat? She shook her head as if that would clear up what she was seeing.

“Annie. I’m glad you’re home. I want you to meet Levi... Levi Lapp.”

“Hello.”

Levi tipped the cowboy hat, revealing blond hair that curled at his collar. “Howdy, ma’am.”

Howdy, ma’am?

Had she fallen asleep and landed in a Western? “I’m Annie.”

“It’s nice to meet you.”

“And you, as well. I was just fetching two glasses of lemonade. Don’t let me interrupt...”

“Levi’s from Pennsylvania—the Lancaster Plain community.”

“Ya? I imagine it’s cooler there.” She didn’t care about the weather in Pennsylvania, but she couldn’t exactly ask about the hat.

“It was cooler when I left. Now Texas, where I plan to go, is still much warmer. They have days in the eighties right through November.”

“Texas?” Annie had pulled two glasses from the cabinet. At the mention of Texas she turned toward Levi, holding the glasses and trying to remember what she was going to do with them.

He wasn’t ugly exactly, only odd looking because of the hat. He seemed to be tall and on the thin side, had a healthy tan and broad shoulders. His blue eyes twinkled as if he understood her confusion and was enjoying it.

Annie raised her chin a fraction higher. “I wasn’t aware there were Plain communities in Texas.”

“Oh, ya. There’s one in Beeville, which has been there nearly twenty years. Only a few families, though.”

“And you’re going there?” It was really none of her business. She placed the glasses on the counter and walked over to the propane-powered refrigerator. Removing the pitcher of lemonade, she held it up, but her dat waved her away, and Levi didn’t seem to notice. A dreamy expression had come over his face. It was as if he’d been transported to another place. She’d seen that look before—usually on a man who was smitten with a girl.

“Not to Beeville, to Stephenville.”

“But you said...”

“There’s no community there now, but there was. It’s where I grew up.”

“You should hear the stories he tells, Annie.” Her dat leaned back and crossed his arms. “Rolling hills, space for a family to grow, cattle and horses...”

Now she was noticing the starry look in her dat’s eyes. She’d seen that before. The last time, it was because he was dreaming of moving to a pig farm in Missouri that he’d read about in The Budget.

So that’s what this was.

Another one of his daydreams.

Nothing to worry about there. This Levi fellow would probably be gone by the end of the week.

“Gut people too,” Levi added. “Texans are quite friendly toward Plain folk.”

Her dat thumped the table. “Sounds wunderbaar. Just what I’ve been thinking of.”

Annie didn’t answer that. What was the point? This was the way Dat’s crazy ideas went. By next week he’d have moved on to raising exotic animals or trying a new crop. She loved her dat, loved everything about him, but she’d learned long ago not to worry about his wild ideas. She had a business to run—a thriving wedding-catering business here in Goshen, Indiana. The last thing she needed to concern herself with was pulling up roots and moving to Texas.

Instead, she poured the lemonade into the glasses, smiled at her dat and the Amish cowboy sitting at their table and said, “I’ll leave you two to your discussion, then. It was nice to meet you, Levi.”

“And you.”

He tipped the ridiculous hat again and smiled as if she’d said something witty. Not just a cowboy, but a charming one to boot.

Levi spoke with Alton Kauffmann another fifteen minutes. When his wife, Lily, came in and started making dinner, he knew it was time to go.

She smiled at him as she pulled what looked like the mixings of a ham casserole from the refrigerator. “It’s nice meeting you, Levi. I hope you’ll come visit again.”

“Oh, he will,” Alton said. “The bishop has come up with a work schedule for Levi, since he’s new to the area. He’ll be helping me here two afternoons a week—Wednesdays and Fridays.”

“We’ll expect you to stay for dinner on those days...if you can.”

“Danki. I appreciate that.”

Alton said something about checking on the horses, so Levi let himself out the front door. Annie was sitting in one of the rockers, writing in a journal. She didn’t immediately notice him, and so he was able to study her for a minute.

Young—she couldn’t have been over twenty.

Pretty—not that he was interested. He was here to recruit families to move to Texas, not court a woman.

Focused—she still hadn’t looked up.

Levi cleared his throat. “Pretty place you have here.”

“Ya, it is.” She finally glanced up. “Danki.”

“Reminds me a little of Texas, the way the hills stretch out to the west...”

He could still see it in his mind. He wished he had pictures to show her, but of course being Plain they didn’t usually fool around with cameras, even the ones on cell phones. He had a few Texas magazines that he’d brought with him. He’d have to remember to bring one over the next afternoon when he came to help Alton.

“You were awfully intent on what you were doing there.” He nodded toward her journal.

“Oh. I have a catering business...for Plain weddings. I keep all my notes and calendar in here.”

“That’s interesting. I’ve never met an Amish businesswoman before.”

“Really? You’ve never purchased something from a local bakery?”

“Oh, ya. Sure.”

“Or bought fresh jam?”

“Peach and strawberry.” He moved to the rocking chair beside her, placed the knitting basket that was in it on the porch floor and sat.

“All run by women entrepreneurs I would imagine... Plain women entrepreneurs. You can find them in nearly every bakery and fruit stand—not to mention quilt shops and yarn shops. They are also house cleaners and most of our teachers. Schoolhouses aren’t a business, but you get my point.”

“I do. Obviously, this is a subject you’ve given a lot of thought.”

“I have.”

She raised her chin like she had in the kitchen. It almost made him laugh. She was a spunky one.

“I’ve offended you, and I’m sorry. It wasn’t my intention.”

She considered him a minute and then closed her journal. “It’s possible I’m a little sensitive about the topic, being an entrepreneur myself.”

“So tell me about your business.”

“Not much to tell. I cater weddings.”

“I thought...”

“That the family of the bride cooks the food? Ya. A lot of people think that. But when you consider that most of our weddings have over 400 guests...well, the mothers of the bride and groom have an increasingly difficult time cooking for a gathering of that size.”

“Maybe they could invite less people.”

“And put me out of business? No thank you.” Her tone was serious, but she smiled at his joke. “How did you land in Goshen? We’re a good ways from Lancaster, Pennsylvania.”

Levi didn’t respond immediately because the actual answer was complicated. He certainly didn’t want to go into his family situation with this young woman he’d known less than twenty minutes. And how could he explain how he’d vowed never to return to this area when he was still just a boy? Goshen did not hold good memories for him, but here he was. He decided to go with the simplest, though less complete answer. “My family knows Simon King. He lived with us in Texas, and he’s interested in possibly returning.”

“Mamm mentioned you were staying with Simon. We call him Old Simon because there are two others in the congregation—Tall Simon and Young Simon. Young Simon is older than Tall Simon but younger than Old Simon.” She laughed and then added, “You know how Plain communities are.”

“I do, and he’s not that old.”

“I’m just surprised he’d be interested in moving at his age.”

“I suppose that since his wife died, he’s a bit lonely. We stayed in contact over the years. When I mentioned that I was raising up a group to start a new community, he was interested.”

“How many families do you need?”

“A dozen is the usual number, with at least one church leader.”

“And that would be Old Simon?”

“It would.”

“How many families do you have so far?”

“There’s myself, Simon and possibly your dat.”

Annie covered her mouth with her hands. It took Levi a minute to realize she was laughing. It irritated him, though he couldn’t have said why.

“What’s so funny?”

“I’m sorry.” She pulled her lips into a straight line, and stared down at her lap, smoothing out her apron with her fingertips. Obviously, she was making a huge effort to rein in her amusement.

“No, tell me.”

“It’s only that Dat...”

“Yes?”

“I hope he hasn’t raised your hopes. Mamm says he likes to dream, that it’s entertainment for him like some people might read a book. It’s harmless enough. We’ve all learned not to take him too seriously in that regard.”

Levi stood and pushed his cowboy hat more firmly on his head, but Annie was now on a roll.

“Once he was going to move us to Canada...there are Amish communities there, you know.”

“I’m aware.”

“Another time, it was a pig farm he was going to purchase, in Missouri, and then there was his idea to raise camels. He checked out a lot of books from the library for that one.”

“I would think you’d show more respect for your dat. It seems that you don’t take what’s important to him very seriously.”

“You’re an expert on my dat now?”

“I can tell when a man has a dream.”

“Like you?”

“Ya, like me.”

Annie stood as well and moved a step closer. She gazed up into his face. She looked at him in the same way his mother often had, and it only served to increase his irritation even more. There were always some who were closed-minded, who couldn’t see the possibilities of a fresh start in a new place.

“I don’t mean to be rude, Levi. However, if you’re counting on my family moving to Texas, you should know that’s not going to happen.”

Instead of contradicting her, he said, “I’m glad I’ll have plenty of time to speak to your family about this.”

“Speak to them?”

“Since I’ll be working here two days a week.”

“You’re going to be working here?”

“It’s nice to meet you, Annie. Perhaps we can continue this conversation tomorrow. Your mamm has invited me to stay for dinner.”

She crossed her arms and scowled at him as he turned and made his way down the porch steps.

Levi gave her a backward wave, but he didn’t look back.

He wanted to. Annie Kauffmann made a pretty picture standing on the front porch with fall leaves pooled at her feet and a cat rubbing against her legs. He didn’t allow himself a last glance, though. He knew all about naysayers, people who said it couldn’t or shouldn’t be done. He’d been stopped by them long enough.

This time, he had a plan.

If things went well, he’d be in Texas by spring.

Chapter Two

Annie managed to avoid Levi on Wednesday when he came to help her father in the fields. They owned a mere eighty acres, but her dat used every bit of it. He adamantly believed in varying the crops, which increased the amount of work but also improved the harvest. The hay wouldn’t be ready to cut for another two months. The sorghum would need to be harvested by the end of October, soybeans after that, and winter wheat had to be planted as well.

There was always work to be done on a farm.

It wasn’t unusual for their bishop to arrange for young Amish men from out of town to find some work, and it was true that her father needed help, but she wasn’t sure Levi Lapp was the kind of help he needed. Like the first day he’d spent time with Levi, her dat spent Wednesday evening asking enthusiastic questions about Texas over dinner.

“Big ranches there?”

“Some are. The King Ranch is bigger than the state of Rhode Island.”

“You don’t say.”

“Many are smaller family places, though. Like we would have.”

Annie and her mamm shared a look, but her mother merely shook her head. They’d been through this before. It was best to let the dream run its course. If this went the way of her dat’s other ideas, he’d move on to something else before the end of the week. So she endured dinner with Levi and tried to simply nod and appear polite. Had he swallowed an entire encyclopedia of Texas trivia? She couldn’t resist commenting when he laughingly told them about the Texas state mammal.

“They have three, actually. The longhorn is the large state mammal. The Mexican free-tailed bat is the flying state mammal. And the nine-banded armadillo is the small state mammal. Those are quite a sight to see. They can run up to thirty miles an hour...”

“Why would they need to run for an hour?”