An Amish Christmas Quilt by Jennifer Kelly; Beckstrand Charlotte; Long Hubbard Page B

if nothing else, it would validate her confidence in him. Perhaps the evening would be a chance for him and Sol to spend some positive time together. And maybe playing Joseph would help him overcome his apparent jinx when it came to being in front of an audience. He’d be standing on solid ground instead of on a platform in the schoolhouse . . . and he would be showing Sol that dependable men honored their commitments.
    Seth smiled in the darkness. He knew what he would do now—the answer was as clear as Mary’s beautiful green eyes. He had seen an angel. He was sure of it.
    Long into the wee hours, Seth pondered these things in his heart.

C HAPTER 9
    As she walked to the barn with angel Lucy and wise man Sol on Christmas Eve, Mary felt as though hundreds of butterflies fluttered in her stomach. She wore a soft ivory scarf over her head and a loose blue gown tied around her dress—along with a set of long underwear and stretchy little gloves. It was a perfect evening for their living Nativity. The night sky was a canopy of indigo velvet, dotted with diamond stars. A ewe and two lambs stood in a pen to one side of the hay bales, while a black-and-white cow, tethered to a post along with Clarabelle, munched hay from a manger on the other side. Rowdy trotted up to greet them, sniffing their costumes and gazing at them as though he, too, understood the significance of this event.
    Rebecca was making her last-minute preparations, and when she flipped the switch on the light pole, Mary and Lucy let out an “ohh!” The area around the hay bales and pens took on a soft glow, because Rebecca had covered the light with pearlescent fabric to mute the glare.
    â€œAre we ready? I think our Nativity’s going to be a huge success, with such a heavenly little angel and a regal king,” Rebecca said as she grinned at each of the kids. “And how’s our main attraction?”
    Emmanuel, cradled in Mary’s arms, wiggled when Rebecca smiled down at him.
    â€œHe’s been fed and changed, so he’s ready,” Mary replied. She smiled at the little parade walking up the Hooleys’ lane. “And here come our shepherds and the other wise men and angels. Everybody looks really gut , Rebecca. We couldn’t have done this without your help.”
    As Rebecca murmured something in reply, Mary lost track of it. A tall, broad-shouldered man in a flowing brick-red tunic was striding up the lane toward her, and while she couldn’t see his eyes, she sensed Seth was looking right at her . . . just as she was gazing at him. Thank you for this night, Lord, as we celebrate the birth of Your son and the beginning of our new life in Willow Ridge, Mary prayed quickly. Help me be your faithful handmaiden, as the Virgin Mary was so long ago.
    â€œLet’s hope this works the way I envisioned it,” Rebecca said as other folks began to gather from around town.
    Mary turned just in time to see a star-shaped balloon rise into the air, on a long ribbon tied to the light post—and when Rebecca turned on the second lantern, which was aimed skyward, the star glowed and sparkled. Miriam, Ben, Bishop Tom, and the Zook family all let out a delighted oh!
    â€œFolks will be able to see that from quite a ways off!” Tom said. His face shone with boyish wonder as he gazed raptly at the shimmering star above them.
    Rebecca clasped her hands ecstatically, gazing upward with everyone else. “I took the liberty of using some spray glitter and gold sequins,” she explained. “Not very Plain, but maybe folks out driving tonight will see it and stop to visit us.”
    â€œJust like the star guided the wise men to the stable,” Teacher Alberta murmured. Then she looked around at the crowd. “Children, let’s all walk slowly around the animals so they get accustomed to us. When Mary, Joseph, and Emmanuel are in place, we’ll all sing ‘Away in a Manger , ’ while you