Amish Sweethearts (46 page)

Zane snuck on through and collapsed beside Lila, throwing his arm over her middle. She took off her glove and pulled the jasper stone from her coat pocket. “Do you want this back?” she whispered.

“Of course not,” he said. “Keep it.”

She slid it back into her pocket. “I’m going to stitch two stones to my crazy quilt,” she said. “And finish it.”

He rolled closer to her, their heads side by side, her eyes on the sky above. She wished they could stay in the field forever. But they had seven months to get through and then another spell until they could be sure exactly what their future held.

Knowing her future held Zane was enough though—for now.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

M
any, many people are involved in every story I write. For this one, my biggest thanks goes to my husband, Peter, who recently retired from the Army Reserve after a thirty-year career. In many ways he inspired this story, and he was my go-to person for all things military and medical (any mistakes are mine), along with supporting me through the writing process. Our four children—Kaleb, Taylor, Hana, and Thao—also encouraged me.

There are many other soldiers and military family members who have inspired me through the last thirty years, including Larrie Noble (Col., retired); Joyce Clarkson-Veilleux (LTC, retired); Diane and Chuck Cumiskey (Col.); Marilyn and Jim Weisenburg; and Dr. John McGraw (Col., retired) and his sweet wife, Ann, who is a reader and thinker extraordinaire. My sincere gratitude goes to all of you.

My sincere thanks goes to Marietta Couch for her friendship, insights, and encouragement, and for sharing her Amish experiences with me. I’m also grateful to Laurie Snyder for generously giving me feedback in the early stages of this story,
to Melanie Dobson for helping later in the process, and to my agent, Chip MacGregor, for taking a chance on me thirteen years ago and continuing through the years to believe in my ability to tell a story.

Last, but certainly not least, all of the good people at Bethany House Publishers have my gratitude for all they do on behalf of my books, from helping to shape the story to the cover design to marketing to sales. This is the sixth book my editor, Karen Schurrer, has guided me through, and each time we come to “the end” it feels like a miracle. Thank you!

Leslie Gould
is the coauthor, with Mindy Starns Clark, of the #1 CBA bestseller
The Amish Midwife
, a 2012 Christy Award winner; CBA bestseller
Courting Cate
, first in the C
OURTSHIPS
OF
L
ANCASTER
C
OUNTY
series; and
Beyond the Blue
, winner of the Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice for Best Inspirational Novel, 2006. She holds an MFA in creative writing and lives in Portland, Oregon, with her husband and four children.