With Winter's First Frost Read online

  ACCLAIM FOR KELLY IRVIN

  “Kelly Irvin’s Through the Autumn Air is a poignant journey of friendship and second chances that will illustrate for readers that God blesses us with a true love for all seasons.”

  —AMY CLIPSTON, BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF ROOM ON THE PORCH SWING

  “Irvin’s fun story is simple (like Mary Katherine, who finds ‘every day is a blessing and an adventure’) but very satisfying.”

  —PUBLISHERS WEEKLY ON THROUGH THE AUTUMN AIR

  “This second entry (after Upon a Spring Breeze) in Irvin’s seasonal series diverges from the typical Amish coming-of-age tale with its focus on more mature protagonists who acutely feel their sense of loss. Fans of the genre seeking a broader variety of stories may find this new offering from a Carol Award winner more relatable than the usual fare.”

  —LIBRARY JOURNAL ON BENEATH THE SUMMER SUN

  “Jennie’s story will speak to any woman who has dealt with the horror of abuse and the emotional aftermath it carries, as well as readers who have questioned how God can allow such terrible things to happen. The choice Jennie makes to take a chance on love again and to open her heart to God after all she has suffered is brave and hopeful, leaving readers on an uplifting note.”

  —RT BOOK REVIEWS, 4-STAR REVIEW OF BENEATH THE SUMMER SUN

  “A moving and compelling tale about the power of grace and forgiveness that reminds us how we become strongest in our most broken moments.”

  —LIBRARY JOURNAL ON UPON A SPRING BREEZE

  “Irvin’s novel is an engaging story about despair, postnatal depression, God’s grace, and second chances.”

  —CBA CHRISTIAN MARKET ON UPON A SPRING BREEZE

  “A warm-hearted novel that is more than a romance, with lovable characters, including two innocent children caught in the red tape of government and two people willing to risk breaking both the Englisch and Amish law to help in whatever way they can. There are subplots that focus on the struggles of undocumented immigrants.”

  —RT BOOK REVIEWS, 4-STAR REVIEW OF THE SADDLE MAKER’S SON

  “Irvin has given her audience a continuation of The Beekeeper’s Son with complicated young characters who must define themselves.”

  —RT BOOK REVIEWS, 4-STAR REVIEW OF THE BISHOP’S SON

  “Once I started reading The Bishop’s Son, it was difficult for me to put it down! This story of struggle, faith, and hope will draw you in to the final page . . . I have read countless stories of Amish men or women doubting their faith. I have never read a storyline quite like this one though. It was narrated with such heart. I was full invested in Jesse’s struggle. No doubt, what Jesse felt is often what modern-day Amish men and women must feel when they are at a crossroads in their faith. The story was brilliantly told and the struggle felt very real.”

  —DESTINATION AMISH

  “Something new and delightful in the Amish fiction genre, this story is set in the barren, dusty landscape of Bee County, TX . . . Irvin writes with great insight into the range and depth of human emotion. Her characters are believable and well developed, and her storytelling skills are superb. Recommend to readers who are looking for something a little different in Amish fiction.”

  —CBA RETAILERS + RESOURCES FOR THE BEEKEEPER’S SON

  “The Beekeeper’s Son is so well crafted. Each character is richly layered. I found myself deeply invested in the lives of both the King and Lantz families. I struggled as they struggled, laughed as they laughed—and even cried as they cried . . . This is one of the best novels I have read in the last six months. It’s a refreshing read and worth every penny. The Beekeeper’s Son is a keeper for your bookshelf!”

  —DESTINATION AMISH

  “Kelly Irvin’s The Beekeeper’s Son is a beautiful story of faith, hope, and second chances. Her characters are so real that they feel like old friends. Once you open the book, you won’t put it down until you’ve reached the last page.”

  —AMY CLIPSTON, BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF A GIFT OF GRACE

  “The Beekeeper’s Son is a perfect depiction of how God makes all things beautiful in His way. Rich with vivid descriptions and characters you can immediately relate to, Kelly Irvin’s book is a must-read for Amish fans.”

  —RUTH REID, BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF A MIRACLE OF HOPE

  “Kelly Irvin writes a moving tale that is sure to delight all fans of Amish fiction. Highly recommended.”

  —KATHLEEN FULLER, AUTHOR OF THE HEARTS OF MIDDLEFIELD AND MIDDLEFIELD FAMILY NOVELS

  OTHER BOOKS BY KELLY IRVIN

  EVERY AMISH SEASON NOVELS

  Upon a Spring Breeze

  Beneath the Summer Sun

  Through the Autumn Air

  THE AMISH OF BEE COUNTY NOVELS

  The Beekeeper’s Son

  The Bishop’s Son

  The Saddle Maker’s Son

  NOVELLAS BY KELLY IRVIN

  A Christmas Visitor in An Amish Christmas Gift

  Sweeter than Honey in An Amish Market

  One Sweet Kiss in An Amish Summer

  Snow Angels in An Amish Christmas Love

  The Midwife’s Dream in An Amish Heirloom

  ROMANTIC SUSPENSE

  Tell Her No Lies

  Over the Line (available June 2019)

  ZONDERVAN

  With Winter’s First Frost

  Copyright © 2019 by Kelly Irvin

  Requests for information should be addressed to:

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

  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

  Names: Irvin, Kelly, author.

  Title: With winter’s first frost / Kelly Irvin.

  Description: Grand Rapids, Michigan : Zondervan, [2019] | Series: An every Amish Season novel ; 4

  Epub Edition December 2018 9780310348191

  Identifiers: LCCN 2018032840 | ISBN 9780310348177 (paperback)

  Subjects: LCSH: Amish--Fiction. | GSAFD: Christian fiction. | Love stories.

  Classification: LCC PS3609.R82 W58 2019 | DDC 813/.6--dc23 LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2018032840

  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

  The King James Version (KJV) of the Bible is in the public domain.

  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

  19 20 21 22 23 / LSC / 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

  To Tim, I love growing old with you.

  Here’s to many more years!

  Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will

  sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain

  you and I will rescue you.

  ISAIAH 46:4

  He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set
my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.

  PSALM 40:2 KJV

  GLOSSARY*

  Abrot: ministers’ council held at the beginning of each church service outside the main worship area

  aenti: aunt

  Ausband: Amish hymnal

  bann: a temporary period of excommunication intended to cause a change of heart and end errant behavior in a church member

  bopli(n): baby

  botching: clapping game

  bruder: brother

  daed: father

  danki: thank you

  dawdy haus: grandparents’ house

  dochder: daughter

  eck: married couple’s corner table at wedding reception

  Englischer: English or non-Amish

  Fehla: failure (in this context, sin)

  freind: friend

  fraa: wife

  Gelassenheit: a yielding to God’s will

  Gmay: church district

  Gott: God

  groossdaadi: grandpa

  groossmammi: grandma

  gut: good

  haus: house

  hund: dog

  jah: yes

  kaffi: coffee

  kapp: prayer cap or head covering worn by Amish women

  kind, kinner: child, children

  lieb: love (noun)

  mann: husband

  Meidung: avoidance, shunning

  Mennischt: Mennonite

  mudder: mother

  nee: no

  Ordnung: written and unwritten rules in an Amish district

  Rat: official vote of the Gmay church membership

  rumspringa: period of running around

  schweschder: sister

  suh: son

  wunderbarr: wonderful

  *THE GERMAN DIALECT SPOKEN BY THE AMISH IS NOT A written language and varies depending on the location and origin of the settlement. These spellings are approximations. Most Amish children learn English after they start school. They also learn high German, which is used in their Sunday services.

  JAMESPORT, MISSOURI, FEATURED FAMILIES

  THE KAUFFMANS

  Laura (widow, husband: Eli)

  Children: Luke (deceased), Raymond, Kyle, Abraham, Aaron (wife: Deborah), Victoria, Marilyn, Lena, Ruby (husband: Martin)

  Fifty-two grands, twenty-eight great-grands

  Tamara Eicher (granddaughter, daughter of Ruby and Martin Eicher)

  Hannah Kauffman (great-granddaughter, granddaughter of Aaron and Deborah Kauffman, daughter of Seth and Carrie Kauffman)

  THE STUTZMANS

  Zechariah (widower, wife: Marian)

  Children: Robert (deceased), David (wife: LeeAnn), Ivan (wife: Nadia), Elijah (wife: June), Esther (husband: Joshua), Michelle, Martha (special child, deceased)

  Forty-eight grands, twenty great-grands

  Michael (grandson, son of Elijah and June)

  Robert (grandson, son of Elijah and June)

  Micah (grandson, son of Ivan and Nadia)

  Dillon (grandson, son of Ivan and Nadia)

  Anna (granddaughter, daughter of David and LeeAnn) (husband: Henry)

  Donnie (special child, great-grandson, son of Anna and Henry)

  Ben (grandson, son of Ivan and Nadia) (wife: Rosalie)

  Children: Delia, Samuel, Christopher, Mia, and Mary

  THE TROYERS/GRABERS

  Jennie (Troyer) and Leo Graber

  Children: Matthew, Celia, Micah, Mark, Cynthia, Elizabeth, and Frances

  THE ROPPS/MILLERS

  Mary Katherine (Ropp) and Ezekiel Miller

  Mary Katherine’s children: Thomas Dylan, Dinah, Mary, Elijah,

  Ellen, Josiah, Angus, Beulah, Barbara

  Twenty-nine grands

  Ezekiel’s children: Leah, Carlene, John, and Andrew

  Nine grands

  THE WEAVERS/GRABERS

  Bess (Weaver) and Aidan Graber

  Children: Joshua (father: Caleb Weaver) and Leyla

  Abel and Jessica Danner (five children, grown)

  Declan and Susie Yoder

  Children: Wayne, Thaddeus, Mattie, Lucy, Kevin, Violet

  Fred and Celeste Schwartz

  Children (all adults): John, Jacob, Amanda, Sandra, Phillip

  CONTENTS

  Acclaim for Kelly Irvin

  Other Books by Kelly Irvin

  Glossary

  Jamesport, Missouri, Featured Families

  One

  Two

  Three

  Four

  Five

  Six

  Seven

  Eight

  Nine

  Ten

  Eleven

  Twelve

  Thirteen

  Fourteen

  Fifteen

  Sixteen

  Seventeen

  Eighteen

  Nineteen

  Twenty

  Twenty-One

  Twenty-Two

  Twenty-Three

  Twenty-Four

  Twenty-Five

  Twenty-Six

  Twenty-Seven

  Twenty-Eight

  Twenty-Nine

  Thirty

  Thirty-One

  Thirty-Two

  Thirty-Three

  Thirty-Four

  Thirty-Five

  Thirty-Six

  Thirty-Seven

  Thirty-Eight

  Thirty-Nine

  Epilogue

  A Note From the Author

  Discussion Questions

  About the Author

  ONE

  FRIENDS WARM A ROOM BETTER THAN ANY FIREPLACE. Laura Kauffman laid the pinking shears on the oak table cluttered with a pile of construction paper in a rainbow of colors, Elmer’s glue, scissors, crayons, pens, pencils, and markers. The sweet aroma of pumpkin-spice cookies fresh from the oven mingled with the scent of burning oak in the fireplace. The chatter of the women around her as they quilted lilted like sweet music.

  She couldn’t sew anymore because of her arthritis, but she could make Christmas cards. A white candle with a yellow flame glued to green paper still needed the Christmas poem inside. Her friend Mary Katherine Miller—the writer among them—would handle that part. Laura’s perfect penmanship had also faded as the disease strengthened its grip on her.

  Even so, at seventy-three she had no complaints. Only the certainty that she was closer to the end than the beginning. Her best friends, once widows like herself, had remarried. She served as the only remaining member of an unofficial club. She had no need to marry, of course. What a silly thought. She chuckled and reached for a piece of paper. Red this time. Bright and happy like this time of year.

  “I cut out my donkey.” Elizabeth Troyer dropped her baby scissors and held up her contribution to the card making. The eight-year-old’s burro seemed to have an extra leg. Never one to sit still too long, she wiggled onto her knees and grabbed the glue stick. “It’s for Mary. So she can go to Bethlehem with Joseph and have baby Jesus.”

  “He has too many legs.” Elizabeth’s sister, Cynthia, scoffed at the ragged animal. “And he’s red. Donkeys aren’t red.”

  “I think he’s quite nice.” Laura smiled over their heads at their mother, Jennie Graber. She shrugged and smiled back, surely used to her daughters’ bickering. “Why don’t you make a big yellow star for the wise men to follow after the baby Jesus is born?”

  They were so like Laura’s four daughters when they were that age. Now they were married and had children—and grandchildren—of their own.

  “What wool are you spinning?” Mary Katherine nudged Laura’s arm. “You’re a million miles away and moving fast.”

  “Like a tortoise on an icy highway.” Chuckling, Laura removed her silver-rimmed glasses and cleaned them with her apron. “I was just thinking about how much I love the Christmas season. Everyone is so cheerful and it smells and tastes so good. I think I’ll make some caramel popcorn balls and gingerbread men for the grands.”

  “All of them?” Mary Katherine snor
ted. “What are there now? Twenty-eight great-grands? That’s a lot of popcorn. You’ll never get the smell out of the dawdy haus!”

  “I like that smell.” The dawdy haus would smell like Christmas. Giving presents to all of them was beyond her means, but she could make a little something and hand it out when she visited on Christmas Day and Second Christmas Day. And it would keep her busy, which would keep her mind off the anniversary. “And it’s not like I don’t have the time.”

  Eli loved Christmas. He loved gingerbread men. He often stole one—or two—before she had a chance to decorate them. She could smell it on his breath when he kissed her with an airy “sorry.” He wasn’t sorry at all. Worse than the children. His death during the night on Christmas Eve eight years ago made the season a strange mixture of bittersweet memories. More sweet than bitter as the years passed and the anguish faded into a well-worn, treasured memory box hidden away in the far corner of her mind. If God willed it, she would see her sweets-loving husband again one day soon.

  Maybe they would make gingerbread cookies in heaven and he’d steal two or three. The kisses would be all the sweeter with son Luke and grandson baby Matthew sharing them too. Her parents and grandparents and aunts and uncles and sisters and brothers and all the other family members who’d gone on before would be present for the great, unending celebration of the New World. If it were God’s will, she could look forward to seeing them all for supper every night and singing every morning.

  At her age she’d find a train station full of folks waiting to meet her at the pearly gates.

  How prideful of her to think she’d be standing at those pearly gates. If and when, Gott, on Your time, not mine.

  Mary Katherine elbowed Laura again. “Was there more to that thought or did you doze off?”

  “I’m old. I have to rest between sentences.”

  “Like I was saying, I love the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas too. I’ve discovered—or maybe rediscovered—how romantic this time of year can be.” Batting her pale eyelashes in pretend coquetry, Mary Katherine stabbed her needle into the burgundy material. Her round cheeks dimpled. “Ezekiel has been sneaking around the back bedroom for a week now doing something he refuses to talk about. There’s strange noises floating down the hallway.”