Free An Amish Man of Ice Mountain (The Amish of Ice Mountain Series Book 2) by Kelly Long

could plunge into the black opening revealed by the wood. “Whoa! Let me get the light.”
    “There’s a light?” Priscilla asked, doubt evident in her voice.
    “Yep. Hold the little one’s hand. It’ll only take me a second and . . .” He reached inside the looming blackness and felt for the kerosene lantern and matches. He fumbled with the lantern for a moment; then the flame burned bright and he swung it into the darkness.
    “Mommy! Look—it’s all sparkly. It is a fairy house, made of ice!”
    Joseph watched Priscilla, wanting her to feel his joy in the place, but instead he saw her cross her arms protectively and shiver visibly in the blast of cold air from the mine. He turned back to the entrance and shrugged to himself. Well, it’s not like I believe in fairy tales either . . .

Chapter Eleven
    Priscilla stepped cautiously onto the ice mine’s dirt floor, skirting the large, deep hole near the center of the cave. She allowed her gaze to follow where the play of the lantern light caught on the giant icicles that formed the walls of the mine.
    “I don’t understand,” she said, her voice seeming to echo in the chilly dampness. “It’s spring. This all should be melting, right?” She glanced over to see Joseph wearing a bright smile that took her breath away almost as much as the cold did.
    “You would think that, but actually, the ice is at its fullest in high summer, and this place is bone dry in winter. Scientists have actually come and tried to explain why it happens, but I guess I look at it as an example of Gott’s providing when it’s needed most.”
    She didn’t answer, not wanting to offend him with her doubts about God’s presence here. After all, if He never took care of me, why would He care about a cave filled with ice, no matter how pretty it is?
    “What’s the big hole in the floor, Joseph?” Hollie asked, and Priscilla could tell that her daughter was in awe of the place.
    “Different people have tried to dig over time, down into the ground. They looked for silver, but all they ever found were some old bones and plants frozen in ice.”
    “I want to dig . . . Can we dig, Joseph?” Hollie jumped and Priscilla caught her close, away from the edge.
    “ Nee , little one. The mine is not my people’s. It belongs to someone who lives far away, so we Amisch sort of watch over it. I don’t think digging would be the right thing to do. But now, up on the mountain, you can dig as much as you want. Maybe your mamm will want to start a garden.”
    Priscilla shook her head. She had no idea how long they’d even be staying, yet here he was, speaking so casually about something as lasting as a garden. She opened her mouth to protest, not wanting Hollie to get her hopes up, but Joseph held up a large hand in the play of lantern light.
    “Priscilla, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have spoken about a garden. I was thinking and . . . well, I apologize.”
    “Thank you,” she murmured, ignoring Hollie’s groan and focusing once more on how quickly and easily he sought to make things right by admitting when he was wrong. It was a trait in a man that she’d never seen in everyday life.
    “Well, we’d best head up the mountain. If you’ll both step outside, I’ll put the boards back up.”
    She watched him hold the lantern up with his left hand and she hurried Hollie out, blinking in the bright light of day. Joseph was quick with the wood, despite his injury, and Priscilla struggled to think of something to say, but she didn’t want to plague him with questions.
    Soon they were climbing the earthen track and Priscilla watched as mountain laurel gave way to bright shrubbery, then blueberry bushes, and finally a stand of tall pines. They stepped into a large meadow and she caught her breath, feeling winded not only from the climb but also struggling with a sudden bout of anxiety. The wide spread of grass and wildflowers seemed to question her very presence, as if each blade whispered to a