A Time Of Proving – Alena Mentink

Jonathan darted a glance at Jase. “Don’t believe we’ve met yet.” Jase extended his hand, and hesitantly Jonathan accepted it. “Jase Hoffman. You might have met my parents and brothers.” “Probably not. Haven’t met many people yet.” Jonathan glanced back at Miriam as if pleading for a reprieve. Did he even know how to handle small talk?

Uncomfortable didn’t begin to describe him. “Well, you wouldn’t forget my family if you’d met them. We’re a bit of a mob.” Jase flashed Jonathan one of his trademark smiles. To Miriam’s surprise, Jonathan smiled back—tentatively, but still a smile. “Would you be willing to do some chores in exchange for your supplies?” Miriam asked Jonathan.

“Sadie had her baby last night, and Ephraim is running behind.” Jonathan nodded. “I can do that. Was it a girl or boy?” “Boy. Peter Burkett.” “That’s great. My youngest brother just turned one. Not really a baby anymore. I think it would be fun if Ma . . .” His voice trailed off. “Of course she should have another one,” Jase said. “No boy should have to suffer through being the youngest. He gets picked on something awful, and all his big brothers call him spoiled.”

Jase made a wry face. Jonathan’s smile widened into a full-fledged grin. “Nope, Jacob probably shouldn’t be the youngest forever. It’s one thing for a girl to be spoiled, but a boy’s gotta learn to toughen up.” Miriam had been trying to pull a grin like that out of Jonathan since the day she met him, and she could hardly believe the way his self-imposed shield crumbled in Jase’s presence.

Maybe he, too, had fallen under Jase’s charm. Or more likely, he had sensed that behind Jase’s smile was a heart that truly cared about others. “Jonathan, you can go back into Ephraim and Sadie’s rooms and find Ephraim. He’ll tell you what needs to be done. And, Jase, I’ll get back to your order now.”

Miriam lifted the paper again, determined to do her job well and not let her mind wander this time. Jase cleared his throat. “If it’s no trouble, I think I’ll tag along with Jonathan. Ephraim asked me to build some shelves for the back room, and Pa agreed that I can fit the time in for the project.” He arched one brow at her.

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review. For permission requests, write to [email protected].

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either a result of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. All Scripture references are from the King James Bible. The opinions of the author are not necessarily those of its affiliates/contractors/printers. Author retains all intellectual property rights. Contact author for questions or disputes. Editing by Mountain Peak Edits and Design, Avodah Edits, and Jayna Baas Cover design by Hannah Linder FICTION / Christian / Romance /Historical FICTION / Romance / Historical /America Printed in the United States of America 1kitap1.com/en ALSO BY ALENA MENTINK Settle My Heart HOME TO OSCEOLA SERIES A Bargain to Keep A Choice of Love A Time of Proving 1kitap1.com/en For Caleb.

Because you have a sense of justice, a love for a good fight, and a propensity for trouble, this one’s for you. 1kitap1.com/en “Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.” 1 Thessalonians 5:21 1kitap1.com/en O CHAPTER 1 Omaha, Nebraska April 23, 1880 maha was a disagreeable place in the best of times, but when the city sat half drowned under a torrent of spring rain, Miriam Locklin found it despicable.

Rain poured from the sky and overflowed the gutters lining the store roofs. Water streamed across the boardwalk and transformed the streets into mud pits. And as lightning forked across the sky, a horse reared at one end of the street, making onlookers yell. Sensible people stayed home on an afternoon like this. Only those who had no choice or were crazy ventured out into the deluge. Of course, Miriam was more than a little crazy.

Clutching her paper-wrapped parcel tightly against her chest, she leaped over a puddle that filled a hollow in the boardwalk, then pressed herself against the wall of a store as two men straining beneath the weight of a wooden crate lurched past her. Another man in a black rain slicker bumped into her from behind and growled as if she had purposefully stepped into his private space. Omaha. A town with absolutely no sense of manners. The men with the crate lumbered away, and Miriam dashed on, narrowly avoiding a broken downspout that poured water straight onto the boardwalk.

She should have done her shopping a different day, but her sister Myra’s third birthday was tomorrow, and she could put it off no longer. Nor could she bypass the opportunity to search for a job.

This is a short excerpt from the opening of “” by Unknown, quoted for review and introduction purposes. All rights belong to the copyright holders.

Book Information

• Unique ID: 27351d7cd680d0ca
• File Extension: .pdf
• File Size: 3,709,559 bytes (3.538 MB)
• Title: –
• Author: Unknown
• ISBN: 9798989096725, 9798989096732
• Pages: 301
• Language: English (en)

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• Estimated Reading Time: 501.05 minutes
• Total Words: 100,210
• Total Characters: 547,364
• Average Words per Page: 332.92
• Average Characters per Page: 1818.49

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