An Amish Second Christmas

by Shelley Shepard Gray

  This was the day that would decide Rachel’s future. Would her business be a success? And if it were, would she have the courage to ask Joseph to stay on as her business partner? If he did, could that partnership blossom into something more? So many questions. So much pressure!

  Rachel arranged and rearranged the rosemary topiaries along a wooden counter at the front of her aenti Ruby’s booth. She turned a pot around so that the bow on the green and red plaid ribbon faced the aisle. Ruby shook her head. “You’ve been at it for twenty minutes. They’re going to either sell or not sell. Fiddling around with them won’t make a difference.”

  “Aenti Ruby, I’m just so nervous! What if no one buys anything?”

  Joseph leaned his hip against the counter and gave a reassuring smile. “You did your best. That’s all that matters. No matter what happens, you can feel good about that.”

  “I wish it were that easy.” Rachel glanced at the clock. “The doors open in five minutes.”

  Ruby put her hands on her hips. “Joseph’s right. Don’t judge yourself on how much you sell. Judge yourself on the effort you put in.” She scanned the row of handmade Amish dolls, quilted potholders, and crocheted Christmas ornaments on the shelves behind the counter. “My stuff doesn’t always sell. But I always manage in the end.” Ruby had a creative knack for making ends meet since her husband died.

  “You’re good at everything, Aenti Ruby. Gardening is the one thing I’m good at, and I really want to be successful with it.... ” Rachel felt a catch in her throat and she glanced over at Joseph. There was another thing that she wanted to work out even more than her business.

  Ruby straightened a box of crocheted snowflakes she had made to hang on the Englishers’ Christmas trees. “You two have had fun working together, ain’t so?”

  Rachel nodded and glanced at Joseph again. He winked. “Ya,” they said in unison, and laughed.

  “I’m glad you found each other.” She wiped a spot from the counter with her sleeve and nodded. “It’s gut, ya?”

  Rachel and Joseph broke eye contact. Joseph fidgeted and Rachel cleared her throat. “Joseph and I aren’t together.”

  Ruby’s green eyes flicked to Rachel. Her brows drew together. “I thought . . . ” She studied Rachel for a moment, then shook her head. “Sorry. You two just seem so natural together. Honest mistake, ya?”

  Rachel didn’t answer. What could she say to that?

  Cold air blew down the aisle and the sound of eager voices filled the long, rectangular room. “They’re here!” Rachel shouted. She was so relieved to change the subject that the words came out louder than she meant.

  An elderly woman with a candy cane pin and matching candy cane earrings made a beeline for the rosemary. She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. “Mmmm. So lovely. They call it the herb of remembrance, don’t they?”

  “Ya.” Rachel grinned. Things were off to a good start.

  The old woman straightened her back, leaned on her cane, and smiled a soft, wistful smile. Her face looked as pale and delicate as crumpled tissue paper. “It always brings back memories, doesn’t it?” She ran a finger over the tiny, needle-like leaves. “My mother’s garden, the meals I cooked my late husband, so many things . . . ” She sighed but kept smiling. “How nice it is to be young.” She motioned to Rachel and Joseph with a soft, shaky hand. “You two are still making your memories, not just reliving them.”

  Rachel cut her eyes to Joseph. How she wished she and Joseph could make memories after today! He met her gaze and raised his eyebrows. Rachel wondered what he was thinking.

  “I’ll take five,” the elderly woman said as she pulled twenty-dollar bills from her wallet. “One for each of my grandchildren. They’re grown now and you never know what to get them.” She picked up one of the pots and inhaled again. “This will be perfect.”

  A group of young women stopped at the booth as Rachel zipped the twenties into her money pouch. They asked a few questions about the Amish, gushed over the rosemary topiaries, and bought one apiece. Joseph sank onto a stool, laced his fingers behind his head, and leaned back. “They sell themselves.”

  Joseph was right. The rosemary flew off the shelves and it sold out before lunch.

  “I can’t believe it!” Rachel said as she watched a man in a red sweater walk away with the last potted plant. “I never dreamed we’d do this well!”

  Ruby smiled. “You did a lot better than I did today. You ought to make a go of it.”

  “They loved your crocheted snowflakes,” Rachel said as she pointed to the half-empty box.

  “Ya, but they loved your rosemary better. They stopped to look at your stuff, then bought a snowflake while they were here.” Ruby watched another shopper stroll by with one of Rachel’s potted plants in his hands. She hesitated a moment, then nodded. “I tell you what, let’s make this a regular thing. I want you to sell your plants here year-round. It’s good business for both of us. You brought a lot of new people to my booth today.”

  “Really, Aenti Ruby?”

  “Really.”

  Joseph jumped to Rachel and wrapped her in a big, enthusiastic hug. “You did it!”

  Rachel leaned her face into his warm, solid chest and smiled. “No, we did it.” She felt as if she might melt from happiness. Everything was perfect. She had proven that she could be independent—with the help of the man she loved. Loved? Had she really thought those words?

  Yes. Yes, she had. Love. That was the way she felt about Joseph. It wasn’t a crush or a passing fancy. This was the man she wanted to spend the rest of her life with. He understood her. He loved what she loved. He made her laugh when no one else could. He made her realize that she could have a second chance at life. Rachel breathed in the smell of him and tightened her arms around his neck.

  “I don’t want this to be good-bye,” she whispered. Rachel hoped he hadn’t heard.

  Joseph pulled away and looked her in the eye. “Let me explain about Chrissy.”

  He had heard her! Rachel cringed. “No. Not today. Today is a perfect day. Let it stay perfect.”

  “You don’t understand.”

  Rachel shook her head. “Please.”

  Joseph looked frustrated but didn’t argue. “There’s nothing left for me to do in the greenhouse, now that we’ve sold all the topiaries. But I’ll come by on second Christmas for a visit, ya?”

  “You will?” Rachel’s face lit up. She couldn’t hide her joy. Even if it would be the last time they would be together.

  Chapter 13

  Joseph hurried home on Christmas Eve. He had not seen Rachel since Saturday, but her whispered words still echoed in his mind. She had said she didn’t want to say good-bye. Joseph checked for oncoming traffic and flicked the reins. He had been thinking a lot over the last few days and he finally had a clear vision for his future. He felt sure of himself for the first time in years. He knew what he wanted and what he needed to do. The realization had been building and building inside his heart until it reached a crescendo. I should have known that I would find what I wanted right here, at home.

  After their success at the farmers market, the last piece had fallen into place. He could have love and the future he wanted. Why had he been so afraid of this decision? Joseph smiled and glanced at the box on the seat beside him. He had picked up Rachel’s present in time to have Christmas Eve dinner with his family and announce his plan.

  That announcement would be the best present he could give Eli—and the best present he could give himself.

  * * *

  After a good, hearty meal, Rachel and her parents gathered around the woodstove and listened to Samuel read the Christmas story in German from the family Bible. The fire crackled and popped behind the stove’s black iron grate as her father recited the familiar story in his deep, gentle voice.

  Rachel picked up the Bible after her father set it down. She slid her hands down the soft, cool leather and opened to the faded names recorded in the front. She wondered about the lives and marr
iages of the men and women who had come before her. Had Jacob and Greta sat beside a fire on a dark, cold night and longed for each other? Had they ever felt alone among other people? Had they ever wished with all their hearts for a future they feared would never come to pass?

  Christmas morning dawned clear and cold. The day passed in quiet simplicity and Rachel felt a peace she did not understand. Even though her heart felt heavy with longing, she appreciated the solemnity of the holiday as they spent the day in prayer and contemplation. In the evening, as the sun sank below the cornfields, they sang Christmas hymns by lantern light.

  Second Christmas was a day for celebrating with friends and family. Rachel awoke before dawn. Her heart leapt into her throat as she threw back the quilt and took a deep breath of frigid winter air. The shock of the early morning chill made her feel alive. In the kitchen, the woodstove would be crackling merrily and her mother would be preparing the last-minute dishes for the daylong feast.

  Rachel’s thoughts stayed on Joseph all morning. She couldn’t wait for him to arrive. If it was their last day together, she would make it the best day they’d ever had. She wouldn’t think of what might come tomorrow—only of the joy she felt in the moment.

  “You need a distraction,” Samuel announced as the clock crept toward noon. “Let’s open presents.”

  Rachel beamed. She couldn’t wait to give her parents the rosemary topiaries she made them. “That’s a great idea.”

  “Joseph will kumm today,” Ada said as her eyes shifted to the window. “I know he will.”

  “Mamm, I know you tried to help.”

  “What?” Ada looked sheepish.

  “The letter.” Rachel shook her head at her mamm, but she had a smile on her face.

  “Ada, did you meddle again?” Samuel asked as he carried a stack of brown paper packages to the coffee table.

  Ada cleared her throat. “For the right reasons this time.”

  Samuel and Rachel laughed. Ada held out a moment before she shook her head and joined the laughter.

  Rachel scooted one of the packages on the coffee table toward her parents. “This one’s from me.”

  Ada ripped the paper, pulled open the cardboard flaps on the box and grinned. “I was hoping I’d get one.”

  “This is wunderbaar!” Samuel said as he picked up one of the rosemary topiaries and turned it in his hands. “I still can’t figure out how you get them to look like little Christmas trees.”

  Rachel beamed. “I can’t tell all my secrets.”

  Samuel laughed and kissed the top of her head. “You can do anything you want to do, ain’t so?”

  Ada’s eyes misted as she held the rosemary to her face and inhaled the scent. She shook her head. “Your daed’s right, Rachel. I’m sorry I didn’t see that earlier.” She pressed the topiary to her chest. “You did it, Rachel. You showed everyone that nothing will ever hold you back.”

  Rachel didn’t know what to say. She had waited years to hear her mother speak those words. Could there ever be a better Christmas gift than her mother’s belief in her?

  The moment stayed with Rachel for a long time. After a warm silence, Ada set down her rosemary topiary, patted her eyes with the corner of her apron, and gave Rachel her gift. Rachel tore open the brown paper wrapping to uncover a new woolen scarf. She pressed the cloth to her face and closed her eyes. “It’s so soft. Like wearing a cloud.”

  Samuel laughed and stood up. “Time to eat again, ya?”

  It was almost lunchtime, and still Joseph hadn’t appeared. Ada noticed Rachel’s expression and patted her shoulder. “Eating will make the wait easier. There’s still plenty of time for him to show up.”

  Her mamm was right. The turkey and dressing, schnitzel, apple Jell-O salad, brown buttered noodles, yeast rolls, and homemade cinnamon applesauce did make everything feel better. Rachel began to butter her third roll when she heard a knock at the door. She froze. “When are Aenti Ruby and the cousins coming over?” Her heart jumped into her throat.

  “Not until suppertime,” Ada said as she stood up.

  Rachel’s heart jumped even higher. “Are we expecting anyone else?”

  Ada hurried for the door. “Not until mid-afternoon.”

  Rachel set down the roll and the butter knife. She tried to appear calm. She could not. When the door swung open and Joseph strode inside with a big cardboard box in his arms, Rachel burst with joy. Her face lit the entire kitchen. “You came!”

  “Of course I did.”

  “Kumm and sit, Joseph,” Ada said as she shooed him toward the kitchen table.

  Joseph grinned and shook his head. “Not until I give Rachel her present. I can’t wait another minute.”

  “My present? What is it? Is it in that box?” Rachel straightened in her chair.

  Joseph brought the box to Rachel and gently lowered it onto her lap. “Careful, now.” The box shifted against her legs and she gasped. Her fingers fumbled as they tore open the cardboard flaps.

  An adorable black piglet stared up at her with huge, wet eyes. He shook his tiny curly tail and snuffled his glistening pink snout. “Joseph! He’s the cutest thing I’ve ever seen!” She reached into the box and pulled out the warm, wriggling piglet. He nuzzled against the curve of her neck and snorted. Rachel laughed. “He’s a heritage breed, isn’t he?”

  Joseph smiled, bent down, and scratched the piglet behind the ears. “Of course he is. I got him from that farm you mentioned. It wasn’t hard to find.”

  “It’s what I’ve always wanted!”

  “I know.”

  Rachel looked up and their eyes met. She saw her joy reflected back at her in his eyes. “Thank you! Thank you so much!”

  Samuel and Ada did not look happy. They exchanged their own looks—and there was no reflected joy. Samuel cleared his throat. He looked reluctant but determined. “Joseph, we appreciate your thoughtfulness. Truly, we do. But that tiny piglet will grow into a huge hog. How will Rachel handle it? She’s shown us that she is capable of a lot, but a hog is taking things a bit far, ya? She’s got her greenhouse to think about.”

  Joseph nodded. His smile faded and he looked very solemn as he locked eyes with Samuel. “Ya. That’s true. Except she won’t have to handle it alone. I’ll be here to help her.”

  Rachel gasped. “You will?”

  Joseph turned his attention to Rachel. “I want to stay here and work with you. You’ll need help making your greenhouse into a full-time business.”

  “For how long?” Rachel held her breath.

  “Forever. I want to marry you, Rachel Miller.”

  “You want to—” The words froze in Rachel’s mouth. She couldn’t speak. This was too gut. This was more than she had ever hoped for. She wanted to shout and sing and leap into Joseph’s arms.

  “Is that a yes?” Joseph asked with a wry smile on his face.

  “Yes! It’s a yes!”

  “Wunderbaar,” her mamm whispered. “Wunderbaar.”

  Her daed nodded. His eyes glistened. “This is gut. Very gut for Rachel.”

  Joseph pulled Rachel to him and held her tight, with the tiny piglet tucked between them. She thought she would melt with joy. Nothing had ever felt so right or so good. Then the piglet squealed and everyone laughed. Joseph eased away, patted the piglet on the head, and slipped into the chair beside Rachel. He wrapped an arm around her and pulled her close to him. She rested her head on his shoulder and let out a sigh of perfect contentment.

  “My only concern is for your daed,” Samuel said after the laughter died down. “What will happen to your family’s farm if you and Rachel stay here to make a living from her greenhouse?”

  Joseph moved his hand to Rachel’s and held it beneath his warm, calloused palm. “I talked to my family on Christmas Eve and told them I wanted to marry Rachel and go into business with her. They think it is wonderful good. You see, my bruder was going to leave the farm to force me to stay. He wanted to stop me from running away to the English and he knew I would neve
r leave if Daed depended on me. Now he can stay and take it over when Daed retires. Even though he’s the older bruder, he is the one who should inherit it. He loves it there.”

  Samuel shook his head and leaned back in his chair. “What a gut turn of events. I’m happy for you—and your bruder.”

  Joseph smiled and squeezed Rachel’s hand.

  Everything had turned out perfectly. Until an uncomfortable thought zipped through Rachel’s mind. There was still a loose end. “What about Chrissy?”

  Joseph shook his head. “Ach, Rachel. I broke up with her the day she came to the greenhouse.”

  “But you didn’t tell me!”

  “I tried. You wouldn’t let me.”

  “I thought you were going to tell me something I didn’t want to hear.”

  Joseph laughed. “It all worked out in the end. That’s what matters.”

  Rachel smiled and stared into Joseph’s eyes. The piglet snuggled against her chest. “Are you happy with the choice you made?”

  “Ya, I am.” Snow began to fall outside the kitchen window. Everything felt bright and beautiful and full of promise. “And I know I will be happy with my choice for the rest of my life.” Perhaps one day, three hundred years from now, their descendants would talk about Joseph and Rachel and the great love they shared—a love that goes on and on, forever, beyond the bounds of history.

  You’ll find more warm-hearted, joyous Amish Christmas

  romance in The Amish Christmas Letters, available now!

  ’Tis the season for sharing ...

  THE AMISH CHRISTMAS LETTERS

  Patricia Davids

  Sarah Price

  Jennifer Beckstrand