An Amish Family Christmas by Shelley Shepard Gray

Julia was young when she got involved with a man who projected one side of his personality to the public and another to her.  She even went so far as to get engaged.  And then she let him take her virginity.  But when she got pregnant, she knew she couldn't marry him.  He was abusive and controlling.  He hit her when she told him she was pregnant.  She knew if she told her parents they would make her marry him.  So she ran...

Avon and Edelweiss allowed me to read this book for review (thank you).  It has been published and you can get a copy now.

She first lived with an elderly couple that ran an old motel.  She cleaned the rooms, they let her stay in one.  And they loved her new baby, Penny.  She stayed as long as she could but they retired and sold the motel so she moved on.

She found a new job, a small house she could afford and she spent a lot of time with Penny.  She didn't socialize or contact her family.  She was still trying to keep her child and herself safe.  Then she locks the door to her house and forgets to take the key.  She's scrambling around trying to find a rock to break a window when her neighbor, Levi comes home and offers to help.

She doesn't want to invite him in but her daughter is taken with his attention and it's easier than standing in his way.  Both Levi and Julia have hurts from the past they need to move past, so it's not an easy romance.  But they do both find themselves attracted to their personalities and kindness.

The romance is slowly moving along and then Penny gets ill.  He takes them to the hospital for treatment and the nurse that fills out the paperwork points out the child has a different name from the mother.  That's when Levi finds out she's not a widow; it's an illegitimate child.  He's staggered.  She's ashamed.  And then when things couldn't get worse, Luther shows up.  He intends to take her home with him and torture her some more.

I didn't like having Luther in the story.  I know these things happen everywhere but I hate stalkers or abusers.  However, the romance between Julie and Levi was sweet and nice and this Christmas time story ends well.  That's what counts to me.