Christmas is a time for new beginnings. But when a dutiful Amish woman’s life is turned upside down, she may have to risk her heart to get everything she’s always wanted in this charming Pleasant Valley novel. Since her mother’s death, Naomi Esch has been devoted to caring for her father and siblings, sacrificing any hope of finding love or having a home of her own. Still, working at the local bakery and expanding her beekeeping business give Naomi a satisfying sense of purpose. Then, in the weeks before Christmas, her father announces his plans to remarry. He and his new wife need the house for themselves, leaving Naomi in need of a plan. But opportunities soon come her way. A friend finds Naomi a place to stay, and widower Nathan King offers his sprawling farmland to Naomi to continue her business—on the condition that she helps take care of his children. The setup is so perfect that the community assumes a wedding will inevitably follow. But Naomi has vowed never to marry without love. And to Nathan she’s merely convenient help. Now, for those in Pleasant Valley, uniting these two stubborn souls may take a Christmas miracle. Praise for the novels of Marta Perry “What a joy it is to read Marta Perry's novels!...Everything a reader could want—strong, well-defined characters; beautiful, realistic settings; and a thought-provoking plot. Readers of Amish fiction will surely be waiting anxiously for her next book.”—Shelley Shepard Gray, New York Times bestselling author of the Sisters of the Heart series “A born storyteller, Marta Perry skillfully weaves the past and present in a heart-stirring tale of love and forgiveness.”—Susan Meissner, author of As Bright as Heaven “Sure to appeal to fans of Beverly Lewis.”— Library Journal “Perry carefully balances the traditional life of the Amish with the contemporary world in an accessible, intriguing fashion.”— Publishers Weekly (starred review) “Perry crafts characters with compassion, yet with insecurities that make them relatable.”— RT Book Reviews “[Perry] has once again captured my heart with the gentle wisdom and heartfelt faith of the Amish community.”—Fresh Fiction A lifetime spent in rural Pennsylvania and her own Pennsylvania Dutch roots led Marta Perry to write about the Plain People who add to the rich heritage of her home state. She is the author of more than fifty inspirational romance novels, including the Pleasant Valley series and the Keepers of the Promise trilogy. She lives with her husband in a century-old farmhouse. Chapter One Naomi Esch froze in her seat at the family table, unable to stop staring at her father. Daadi had just tossed what felt like a lightning bolt into the middle of her thirtieth birthday celebration. Around her, she could feel her siblings and their spouses stuck in equally unbelieving attitudes. "Ach, what is wrong with all of you?" Daadi's eyes narrowed, his beard seeming to bristle as he glared at his offspring. "This is a reason to celebrate, ain't so?" Lovina, her brother Elijah's wife, was the first to recover, her calm face showing little of what she felt. "We wish you and Betty much happiness." She bounced Amos, her two-year-old, on her lap, hushing him. "Wilkom, Betty." Betty Shutz, a round dumpling of a woman with a pair of shrewd brown eyes, nodded and smiled, but the glance she sent toward Naomi was cautious. Isaiah, the youngest and most impetuous, said what everyone was thinking. "But what about Naomi? If you and Betty are marrying, what is Naomi to do?" The question roused Naomi from her frozen state. What was she supposed to do, after fifteen years spent raising her siblings, tending the house and garden and her beehives, and taking care of Daadi? Daadi's gaze shifted, maybe a bit uneasily. "Naomi is a gut daughter, none better. No one would deny that. But newlyweds want to have time alone together, ja? So we . . . I was thinking Naomi would move in with Elijah and Lovina. They are both busy with the dry-goods store and two young kinder besides. It would be a big help to you, ja?" Elijah and Lovina exchanged glances, and then Lovina smiled at Naomi. "Nothing would please us more than to have Naomi with us, but that is for her to say, ain't so?" "Denke, Lovina." Naomi found that her stiff lips could move, after all. "But what about my beehives?" Odd, that her thoughts had flown so quickly to her bees in the face of this shock. Or maybe not so odd. The beehives were the only thing she could call truly hers. "I've already talked to Dick Holder about the hives, and he'll be happy to give Naomi a gut price for them." Daad spoke as if it were all settled, her life completely changed in a few short minutes. "I will not sell the hives." Naomi could hardly believe that strong tone was coming out of her mouth. Everyone else looked equally surprised. Maybe they'd never heard such firmness from her. Daad's eyebrows drew down as he stared at her. "Komm, Naomi, don't be stubborn. It is the sensible thin