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Informationen zum Autor Award-winning author Laurel Blount writes captivating romances full of grit and grace—with characters who’ll walk right off the page and into your heart. She lives on a farm in Georgia with her husband, their four fabulous kids, and an assortment of ridiculously spoiled animals. Klappentext "Since witnessing the murder of her beloved parents, Miriam Hochstedler suffers from paralyzing anxiety and a deep-seated fear of the Englisch. Unwilling to venture beyond her family's Tennessee farm, she forms a close bond with a badly injured gelding. Like Miriam herself, the traumatized animal seems unlikely to recover--until skilled horse whisperer Reuben Brenneman arrives. A survivor of an abusive childhood, Reuben understands fear better than most. He'll do whatever it takes to help a terrified animal, but his compassion doesn't extend to the church that turned a blind eye to his family's suffering. Once he finishes this job, he'll return to the Englisch world, putting his Amish heritage behind him forever. As Miriam works alongside Reuben, battling the horse's fear--and her own--an unexpected friendship blooms and deepens into romance. But the Amish faith that sustains her inspires only distrust in Reuben, and the Englisch world he's chosen has already broken her heart once. Falling in love was easy. But staying together will take all the courage they have."--Provided by publisher. Leseprobe There's a point in every long winter when it seems spring will never come. For Miriam Hochstedler, that moment came on the first Sunday in March-yet another cold, winter-brown day. It was visiting Sunday, which meant her older sister, Emma, and her brother-in-law, Sam, had come to have lunch at the family farm. Their company and the hot beef-vegetable soup and fresh sourdough rolls Miriam and her sister-in-law Naomi had prepared should have brightened the dreary afternoon right up. Somehow those familiar comforts hadn't done the trick. Not today. Setting her empty teacup in the sink, Miriam tugged aside the kitchen curtain. She gazed over the bedraggled farmyard, listening absently to the happy voices behind her. Her brother Joseph and Sam were nowhere in sight. The two men had gone outside half an hour ago, most likely to Joseph's woodshop. They'd not be doing any work, of course, not today, and the shop-a converted dairy barn-would be uncomfortably chilly, but Miriam didn't blame them for slipping away. She wished she could slip away herself. As soon as the dishes were washed, Emma and Naomi had settled at the freshly scrubbed table to chat. Since both women were well along in their first pregnancies, it was natural the conversation turned in that direction. They'd been talking babies nonstop for almost an hour, laughing and planning over a pot of peppermint tea. Miriam was happy for them, she truly was, but every word they spoke pricked her heart like a forgotten pin. The year and a half since her parents' deaths had been hard for them all, but now everyone in the family was looking forward to better days. Everyone except her. "Miriam," Emma called from the table. "I meant to tell you. I picked up the material from Yoder's for the baby's quilt. I forgot it today, but I'll bring it next time." "That's all right," Miriam reassured her. "Plenty of time yet, and crib quilts don't take long. Have you decided what pattern you'd like?" "I want you to decide," Emma said. "This baby will be nearly as much yours as mine, after all." "That's a wonderful idea," Naomi agreed quickly. "Miriam, you pick the pattern for mine, too. Whatever you make will be beautiful, and like Emma says, you're going to be a favorite aent to these little ones. It'll be special for them to have a quilt you planned out all on your own." Miriam forced a smile. "All right. I'll do my very best. Naomi's first, and then yours, E...
