“Kelly understands the human heart and writes about it with beauty and resonance.” —Beth Wiseman An Amish homecoming . . .   Disgrace drove Stephen Lambert from Ice Mountain, but honor drives him back to his Amish home. After rescuing a pregnant young woman from a burning house, the rugged firefighter knows the remote Amish mountain community is the only place Ella Nichols will be safe. Abandoned by the father of her child, the brave  Englischer  beauty needs him like no one before. Determined to protect her, Stephen claims the unborn babe as his own—and prepares to return to the town, and the family, that once falsely accused him . . .   From the moment she is caught from peril by Stephen’s strong arms, Ella feels sheltered, nurtured. How else could she agree to sequester herself on Ice Mountain, among the Plain folk there, but for the promise of Stephen’s loving protection? But as she steps deeper into his world and discovers his haunting secrets, Ella longs to heal the heart of the man who has captured hers forever . . .   “Delivers a sense of escape from today’s hustle and bustle into a gentler and simpler world.”  —Publishers Weekly   “Long creates storylines that captivate her readers.” — RT Book Reviews   “Long’s writing style is smooth and engaging, her characters true to the period yet timeless in their hopes and flaws and personal battles.” —USAToday.com Kelly Long  is the author of the acclaimed Amish Patch of Heaven series and has been a finalist for the coveted Carol Award from the American Christian Fiction Writers. Her novel  Lily's Wedding Quilt  was a Goodreads Favorite Book of the Year in 2011. Born and raised in the mountains of Northern Pennsylvania, she’s been married for 28 years. Please visit her on Facebook: Fans of Kelly Long. An Amish Match On Ice Mountain By Kelly Long KENSINGTON PUBLISHING CORP. Copyright © 2018 Kelly Long All rights reserved. ISBN: 978-1-4201-4127-6 CHAPTER 1 Stephen Lambert lay on his back in the inky darkness and tried to block out the raucous sounds coming from the next room. The guys were entertaining a bunch of girls from town, and there was plenty of loud music and laughter. Great, Stephen thought. How am I ever going to get any sleep with all that commotion going on in the break room? The girls were probably from the local bawdy house, and the party was a world away from anything he'd ever known growing up in the little Amish community of Ice Mountain. He turned on his side and grabbed his pillow, ramming it over his head. He knew it was wrong, but he was infinitely grateful when the alarm bell rang, clanging against any forthcoming sounds he might have heard. He swung his legs over the side of the cot, pulled up his suspenders, and slid on his waterproof boots. He ran down the hallway, falling into line with the other firefighters until they reached the engine room. Stephen was number seven, and he methodically pulled on the heavy coat and plastic hat, tightened the chin strap, and turned toward the truck, only to bump into Mike, the chief. Mike was a different man when he wasn't romancing some local girl, Stephen thought. This Mike barked concise orders and soon had everyone on the engine in proper position, including the station's wolf dog, Midnight. Coudersport was a small but bustling logging and coal town deep in the mountains of Pennsylvania. Because the town had grown up practically overnight, a lot of the local structures were not built well, and even some of the nicer buildings could become a fireman's nightmare. The fire engine, Old Betsy, roared down the main street of town, following the dark plume of smoke that rose against the moonlit sky. Their destination was a boardinghouse on the wrong side of town — a neighborhood where the poor congregated, sometimes living on the streets despite the cold. The boardinghouse had gone up like kindling, and the false front of the building had already half collapsed, spewing flames out into the late spring air. Stephen began to pray automatically; maybe it was something to do with being Amish, but it was natural for him to beg Gott for mercy for his crew friends and those inside. The engine roared to a stop, and Mike began to shout at onlookers to get out of the way. Stephen saw Midnight take up his post, prowling the perimeter of the building, looking for anyone in need. Other crew members were running out the hoses while Stephen and two other men took up ladders and tried to find a viable position. It was strange, but after a few fires, Stephen had begun to be able to separate sounds in his head — the cries of onlookers versus the screams of those inside. And now he heard it. A frantic female cry for help, coming from the second floor. His praying escalated as he grabbed the longer of the two metal ladders and moved toward the heat. Joe, Stephen's big friend, shook his helmeted head. "Too risky, Steve. That whole false front is goin' to go any second!" "I'll be down fas