The warmth of the Christmas season and a woman’s return home to the charming Amish community of Promise Glen opens the door to a second chance at love. When Leah Beiler pictured returning to Promise Glen, she imagined taking everything she learned from her aunt’s business in Upstate New York and starting up a quaint herbal tea shop of her own. What she didn’t expect was for Josiah Burkhalter to insist on helping her. Josiah might have been her childhood sweetheart but they’ve both changed a lot since then and Leah’s not sure she can trust the man who once broke her heart.   Josiah is determined to make the most of this unexpected second chance. When he hears of Leah’s plans to open her own shop, he resolves to help in any way he can—beginning his gentle campaign to win her back by renovating the small cottage on her family’s farm.   During her time away, Leah looked forward to once again spending the holiday season with her family, especially Second Christmas, December 26th, a time of celebrating with extended family and close neighbors like the Burkhalters. But as Christmas nears, her feelings for Josiah grow more confused, strengthened by their time of working together. Now it will take all the magic of the season for Leah to confront her fears and reach for the love she deserves. Praise for The Second Christmas "Filled with strong relationships and the importance of their Amish beliefs." 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 Marta Perry is the author of more than seventy inspirational romance novels, including the Promise Glen series, the Pleasant Valley series, and the Keepers of the Promise trilogy. Chapter One "The cottage needs some work, but your mamm and I think it will be perfect for you." Her father's comment brought a rueful smile to Leah Stoltz's face. Daad didn't mean that she needed work, but that was true, too. At least she was home in Promise Glen, and she couldn't think of a better place for getting herself back to normal again after the trials of the past year. "I know it will take time and effort to turn it into the herbal business I want," she said, trying to reassure him. "But I have all winter before the spring growing season." The small cottage sat on a wedge of land between Daad's farm and the next one, and it had been a thorn in her father's side for years. It had been owned by someone who lived halfway across the country and seemed happy to let it deteriorate, and the condition had upset Daad's ideas of what an Amish-owned property should look like. Her mother said that for the past year, he'd go out of his way to avoid passing it. Finally the owner consented to sell, and Daad had snapped it up. Then he'd turned around and given it to his eldest daughter, Leah. At least, he was trying to give it to her. They were still arguing about that point. Leah wrapped her jacket more closely against the chill December breeze. "I still say you must let me buy the property from you. After all, I have money from my year of working with Aunt Miriam's business." Leah forced herself to sound pleasant about that fact, but it still rankled. The truth was that her aunt had sold the business out from under her, and even the money Aunt Miriam had forced on her hadn't eased her intense disappointment about losing the business she'd thought would be hers. Or her sorrow that a person who meant so much to her didn't trust her any longer. "Ach, don't be ferhoodled." Daad grasped her arm in his as they walked through the crisp frosty grass toward the cottage door. "What else do your mamm and I work for but to help our kinder? Your bruder Micah will want the farm, that's certain sure. He's a born farmer. As for James . . ." He shook his head, frowning a bit when he thought about her eighteen-year-old brother, who seemed in no hurry to finish his running-around time and settle into having a real job and, of course, a wife. "He'll settle down when the time is right, Daad. You'll see." James was just slow to accept the next step in growing up. He always had been, crawling long after he'd learned to toddle and letting Micah or Leah talk fo