Love leads them to a lifetime of commitment where the dreams they have held onto for so long start to come true.
Popular and eligible, Logan De Witt must convince the women in town that he is engaged to be married. A quiet, simple ceremony is what he has in mind for his wedding day, but when the date and time of his bride’s arrival is published in the newspaper, the whole town joins in the celebration proving to Logan and his new wife their sincere friendship and support. Added to the excitement of Logan’s marriage is the question of what the congregation should do with the unexpected donation of an orchard.
Karen Millerson is counting the days until her long-distance engagement comes to an end and she may travel to Oswell City to marry Logan. More than anything, she wants to share in his life as a help and support, but keeping a house and finding her place in the community requires much more work than she ever expected.
Learn, laugh, and love with Karen and Logan as they start a new marriage and work together ministering to the citizens of their small town.
“I think I’ll take a look at this now.” Karen held up
her gift.
Logan smiled, so she unwrapped the box. No writing on
the outside indicated the contents. Karen opened the box and pulled out a small
glass container oval in shape with a liquid inside.
“Read it.” Logan turned the glass bottle around.
“Song of the Spring.” A whiff of flowers reached her
nose. “You bought me perfume.”
“I didn’t exactly buy this gift either. You remember
me writing to you about an elderly woman named Mrs. Akerman?”
“I do.”
“She gave me this bottle of perfume and told me to
give it to my new wife. She’s so happy for me to get married. Her husband fought
in the Civil War and never came home. Watching me prepare for marriage brings
back her old memories. She needs a reason to recall them. I’m happy to help her
remember because it helps her heal. Do you remember reading the name of the Akerman
orchard in one of my letters?”
“They were Dutch words that said something about
orchards and love.” Karen set the perfume on a nearby stand.
“You’re right. Orchards of Love. Fruit trees bloom in
the spring. Getting married is teaching my heart how to sing a whole new song.
I love you, Karen, and I pray that what is blossoming now at the beginning of
our life together will reap a rich harvest of love in the years to come.”
Karen’s eyes misted over, but she blinked the moisture
away so it wouldn’t prevent her from memorizing how Logan looked at this
moment. Preacher and poet, he’d spoken a beautiful prophecy over their
tomorrows. She picked up the bottle and spritzed a bit onto her wrist. The
floral fragrance filled the
room.
Logan reached for her scented wrist and kissed her
hand. Memories from Christmas night a year ago flooded her mind. Seated before
a cozy fire and talking about building a life together, this night had much in
common with that one. Even the late hour noted on the grandfather clock was
similar. For two years in a row, the best gift Christmas gave her arrived after
every other celebration had ended.
About the Author
Michelle De Bruin lives in Iowa with her husband and two teenage sons. She has a bachelor’s degree in Religion with a Christian Ministry emphasis, and in Music. Michelle is the spiritual services provider for an organization that offers services for people with mental and physical disabilities. She has been a member of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) since 2015. Michelle writes inspirational historical romance about people who live in rural communities. Characters that bring to life the delights of farm and small-town living, whispers of Dutch heritage, and Christian faith make Michelle’s stories distinct. A romantic at heart, Michelle is always on the lookout for glimpses of God’s love through the window of a good story.
Her first book, Hope for Tomorrow, released in 2018. The sequel, Promise for Tomorrow, released November 2019. The third book in the series, Dreaming of Tomorrow, releases November 2020.
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Nice to meet you, Michelle! I enjoyed reading the excerpt and the series sounds like delightful reads that I will enjoy! Thanks for sharing, good luck with the tour and have a great weekend!
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