what do we do?”
“The hardest thing of all in a survival situation. Stay put.”
Her eyes grew wide. “When you say survival situation, are you telling me that we are in serious trouble?”
There was a long silence. “Ja. We are.”
I have once again taken you to Maine in the winter. I’m sorry. I promise a warmer time of the year to explore the beauty of New Covenant in my next book. Summer or spring? I haven’t decided yet. I hope you enjoyed visiting some of the characters from my previous North Country Amish series. I’m always happy to let people catch up on the characters they wanted to know more about. There will be eight books in all set in Maine. I should be able to populate a small Amish community by then. If not, I can always keep going. That’s the joy of my God-given gift. New ideas always pop into my head.
Blessings to you and yours,
Patricia Davids
For thou hast been a strength to the poor,
a strength to the needy in his distress,
a refuge from the storm, a shadow from the
heat, when the blast of the terrible ones
is as a storm against the wall.
—Isaiah 25:4
This book is dedicated to all the men and women who work in neonatal intensive care units across the country. You care for the least of God’s children. May you know abundant peace and joy in your work.
Contents
Note to Readers
Dear Reader
That couldn’t be Gemma Lapp.
Jesse Crump turned in his seat to get a better look at the Amish woman on the sidewalk waiting to cross the street. She was wearing a black Amish traveling bonnet and a long dark gray cloak. She was pulling a black wheeled suitcase behind her. He couldn’t get a good look at her face. His driver and coworker, Dale Kaufman, pulled ahead when the light changed, and Jesse lost sight of her. There was nothing outward to suggest it was Gemma other than the Amish clothing but something about her, perhaps her small stature, reminded him strongly of the woman he wished he could forget.
“What’s the matter?” Dale asked, noticing Jesse staring behind them. “Is something wrong with the load?” He slowed the pickup and trailer carrying two large garden sheds.
Jesse turned around to stare straight ahead. “I thought I saw someone I knew.”
“That Amish woman waiting to cross the street?”
Dale knew Gemma. Jesse hoped he had gotten a better look. “Ja, did you see who it was?”
“I saw she was Amish by her clothing, but I couldn’t
