by Tricia Goyer
“Still up?” Mem’s voice caused Lovina to jump. Mem looked around the corner and Lovina had a hard time reading the expression on her face. Was that worry? Resignation?
“Ja. Just finishing up a few things before heading to bed.”
Mem entered the kitchen and pulled up the chair next to Lovina. “Is that your excuse?”
“Excuse?”
“When I was your age I was infatuated with a young man, and I had a hard time sleeping too.”
Lovina folded the teal blue napkin and placed it in the pile. “It’s more than infatuation, Mem.” Yet she couldn’t even say it then. Couldn’t say the word love.
Mem let out a sigh. “Lovina, it seems you always have to do things the hard way. Noah seems to be a nice man, I’ll admit that now, but marrying him will not give you an easy life. And this pie shop…do you see how much time it’s consuming already? And not just your time, but everybody’s. It’s a lot for a young woman to take on. You can sell it now and get ahead. I’m sure there’s an older Amish woman who would like such a venture. It’s still not too late.”
Pained emotion rose in Lovina’s throat, but she swallowed it down. “Do you think I’m making the wrong choice?”
“It’s not that you’re doing anything wrong…but I learned growing up that it isn’t right for a woman to run a business. Besides…” Mem pursed her lips. “Now that you are building a relationship with Noah you no longer have need of a backup plan.”
Lovina gasped. She placed a hand over her heart, wishing it didn’t sting so. “It’s not a backup plan, Mem. This is my dream. And Noah is becoming part of that dream.”
“So it seems.” Mem rubbed her eyes, as if the weariness of this conversation was becoming too much for her. “But if we had stayed in Ohio you would have been married by now, and I wouldn’t have to worry so much about this shop. About you…”
And about our whole life savings, Lovina knew her mem wanted to say.
“But God brought us to Pinecraft for a reason,” Lovina said. “I’m using my God-given talent. I’m building connections between families and friends.”
“It’s just pie,” Mem muttered under her breath, rising.
That comment stung her heart more than any ever had, and Lovina closed her eyes. It may just have been pie to Mem, but to her it meant everything. Didn’t it?
“Maybe so. But maybe God put the pie shop on my heart to bring Noah and me together. Maybe it’s His plans I’m chasing, not only my own.”
Mem took two steps toward the hall and then looked back over her shoulder. “It seems a bit prideful to think that God has unique plans for you, don’t you think? You’re not the only daughter in this family, Lovina. And you’re not God’s only child. He loves you—He does. Just like I love you. But you must think of more than yourself. You must realize how much this dream is costing all of us. Daughter, would you take time to think of that?”
Anna walked with heavy steps to her bedroom. The lantern light was still on, but John was fast asleep. Her heart felt heavy from the words she’d just said. Not because she didn’t believe them. She did. She was honestly worried that Lovina was getting in over her head.
If she had to choose, she’d settle for Lovina falling in love with Noah. John seemed to think the young man had changed. She’d take that any day over her daughter chaining herself—her future—to a pie shop. But Anna knew she didn’t have a choice. Would anyone ever listen to what she thought?
Anna pulled back the covers, preparing to climb into bed, when an envelope on her nightstand caught her eye. It was a letter from Regina. Someone must have collected the mail and placed it there. Without hesitation Anna opened it, looking forward to some bright news that would take away the dour feeling after her conversation with Lovina.
Dear Anna,
Greetings in the name of our Lord. Isn’t it wonderful that we have a God we can trust completely with our lives? How hard for all those who do not have Jesus to turn to for wisdom and strength!
I’ve read your recent note about Lovina’s pie shop with interest. But I was especially intrigued by this young man you mentioned. I remember years ago when the accident happened. An accident like that is hard to forget. But when I was talking to Abe about it I learned what happened in more recent years. It seems Noah Yoder rebuilt the owner’s gift shop from the ground up, even though he didn’t have to, since the community already built a new one. Abe seems to think the young man has a gut reputation now. I thought that might settle your heart. I know how you worry about these things, dear friend.
This is going to be a short note since I have so much to do, but I did want to mention something else I learned. I asked a friend about Thomas Chupp. It seems he has a girlfriend and she’s moving to Somerset soon!
Of course Sarah from Sugarcreek didn’t know this when she moved there and took the schoolteacher job. She met Thomas early in the year when she was visiting a cousin from Somerset. It seems that Thomas used his charm to bring in a teacher for their school. Now Sarah is brokenhearted. Everyone is guessing who Thomas’s love might be, but no one knows. Maybe it’s someone he met in Pinecraft?
Oh, and the reason why I have so little time to write is that Abe and I are winterizing the house since we’re planning on coming to Pinecraft for the season! I’ve been so eager to write and tell you!
Abe found a rental and was waiting until my birthday to tell me the surprise. I’ll be hugging your neck soon, friend! I cannot wait to see the girlies and the new pie shop! Anna, I know you’ll be the best tour guide.
Love, Regina
Anna folded the letter and returned it to the envelope. A sinking feeling hit her stomach…and it wasn’t from the pie. Had she been wrong not once, but twice? She’d been so sure that Thomas Chupp was the right fit for Lovina…and so sure that Noah Yoder wasn’t.
She adjusted her sleeping kerchief and turned off the lamp. She’d have to be more open-minded about Noah…and maybe about the pie shop too. Lovina felt certain God had done this for her. He’d helped her find a man to care for and fulfill a dream. Anna hadn’t seen God in that way before, as Someone so intimately concerned with one’s life. But maybe God was. After all, Regina was coming to Pinecraft! Butterflies danced in her stomach to think of it. And if God answered that prayer, maybe He was answering Lovina’s prayers too.
Old-Fashioned Buttermilk Pie
4 eggs
1 cup sugar
1½ cups buttermilk
¼ cup butter, melted
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
whipped cream (optional)
Preheat oven to 400°. In a large bowl, beat eggs and sugar together. Add flour and mix together. Slowly add buttermilk, butter, and vanilla until thoroughly incorporated. Pour into unbaked pie crust. Dust top with ground nutmeg. Place on a baking sheet and bake 20 minutes. Reduce heat to 350° and continue baking for 30-40 minutes, or until pie is set. Serve with whipped cream, if desired.
Twenty-Nine
By perseverance the snail reached the ark.
AMISH PROVERB
Okay, Lovina. Close your eyes.” Noah whispered close to her ear as she stood in front of the door to Me, Myself, and Pie.
It had been two weeks since Noah had declared he wanted to spend his life with her. And that had consumed her thoughts, but not in a happy way. More than once Noah had said he loved her, but why couldn’t she respond the same? What was holding her back?
She took Noah’s hand and squeezed it, closing her eyes. “Can you believe tomorrow’s the opening day?”
“Finally, whew. I thought we’d never get here.” He chuckled.
She reached her hand forward and let him lead her. When she felt herself step onto the concrete floor she paused.
“Okay, go ahead and open them.”
Lovina opened her eyes and looked around. “Oh, Noah,” she sucked in a breath. For the last two days she’d been allowed into the kitchen only as he worked in front. She’d been
led through blindfolded because Noah had wanted the final reveal to be special. And it was.
A new archway had been built, leading from the pie-making station to the kitchen in the back. The countertop waited for the bakers to do their work, and a white picket fence separated the baking area from the customers.
The cash register was set up on the long wooden counter, and Hoosier cupboards held cookbooks and Lovina’s display of Pyrex bowls. Vintage pie plates and antique eggbeaters hung on the wall. An old metal ladder displayed more cookbooks. Seats were clustered near the front door for waiting guests, and the tables and chairs with colorful paint, fresh flowers, and fabric napkins looked so inviting.
“It’s more than I ever dreamed.” She turned to Noah, seeing pride in his eyes. “I can’t wait to thank the guys as well. All three of them have done so much for this shop.”
“Ja.” Noah smiled, but she noticed the brightness in his eyes dim slightly. “And there is another surprise too.” He pointed behind her.
Lovina turned to see Joy hurrying up the walkway with a pile of fabric in hand. She smiled and waved as she entered.
“What’s that?” Lovina asked.
Joy’s cheeks were red and rosy. “Are you ready for this? It’s a gift.”
She placed the pile on the countertop and unfolded the top one. It was a white apron with a quilted pattern on the pocket. Neat stitching on the front read Me, Myself, and Pie.
Lovina clasped her hands together. “Aprons! But that wasn’t in the budget. How did you accomplish that?”
“I didn’t.” Joy giggled. “Elizabeth Beiler from the quilt store did. It was a gift from her and some of her friends. I’m not sure how many hours she spent on this.” Joy’s face glowed. “Elizabeth said it was the least she could do since God had so graciously answered her prayers.”
Lovina took the apron Joy handed her and slipped it on. She tied it and wanted to squeal. “I need to go thank Elizabeth.” She turned to Noah. “You don’t need me around here, do you?”
“The guys are stocking the fridges with the supplies that were delivered just a bit ago. Why don’t you go see your friend, and we can do a walk-through when you get back.”
Lovina turned to Joy. “Can you go with me?”
Joy shook her head. “I wish I could, but I want to go iron these. They need to be perfect for tomorrow.”
Lovina clasped her sister’s shoulders, emotion overwhelming her. “Thank you.” Tears filled her eyes as she remembered her mother’s words. “I hope all of this hasn’t been too much trouble.”
“Trouble?” Joy shook her head, blue eyes widening. “It’s so fun…and I hope it does what Faith believes—brings around all types of bachelors!”
Noah laughed out loud at that one. “Oh, is that the real ploy? Now I know!” he teased.
Lovina softly slugged his arm. “Well, it worked, didn’t it?”
“I think so.” Noah winked at her. “I’m just hoping you’ll want to keep me around awhile.”
Lovina felt heat flush her face, and Joy’s eyes grew wide.
“Well, that did work, didn’t it?” Joy giggled.
Lovina looked to her sister and then to Noah, unsure of what to say. She wanted to open her heart up to him, but every time she thought of it fear held her back. Blowing out a deep breath, Lovina wagged her finger at Noah. “Mr. Yoder, we promised to discuss this after the opening of the shop, remember?”
“How can I forget?” he winked. “And why do you think I’ve been working so hard?”
Lovina grinned. “I’m going to go thank Elizabeth Beiler, and then we’ll be ready for the walkthrough.”
Noah nodded. Lovina could tell that he wanted to say more, but thankfully he held his tongue. Joy would relay this conversation to their sisters as it was, and her sisters were quick to blow every small comment out of proportion.
With a small wave she left the pie shop, thankful for the breeze that blew outside. She was at the quilt shop before she knew it, and still her heart pounded. Tomorrow the store would open. She couldn’t be more excited. But after that…was she really ready to commit to Noah completely?
“Well, there you are! Just the young woman I’ve been hoping to see! I want to thank you,” Elizabeth called out as Lovina entered the quilt shop. Her voice held age and wisdom. Lovina looked around to see if Elizabeth was talking to someone else, but the shop was empty.
“Elizabeth, I came to thank you.” Lovina approached and gave the old woman a hug.
“Oh, but I want to thank you too. I’m excited about your shop. I’m excited about what it’s going to do to spread the Good News.”
“Spread the Good News?” Lovina asked.
“Oh, yes.” Elizabeth patted the stool next to her and Lovina sat. She knew she needed to get back to the pie shop, but she could tell from the older woman’s eyes that Elizabeth had something important to share.
“Have you ever taken time to talk to the Englisch?” Elizabeth asked.
It wasn’t the question Lovina had been expecting.
“I really haven’t thought about doing that before. Almost everyone I know is Amish or Mennonite.”
“It’s one of my favorite things about living here in Pinecraft.” The wrinkles around Elizabeth’s eyes grew with her smile. “The good Lord says to go out into the world to spread the Good News. I used to worry and fret about that—fret that I wasn’t going out to all the places around here, telling them about Jesus. I even prayed, ‘Lord, does that mean I need to go into those fancy neighborhoods near the beach?’ ”
Elizabeth smiled and then continued. “Then, as I was thinking about that one day, two women walked in. They had so many jewels on their fingers and neck, but as we talked it was almost as if they envied me. They envied my simpler life. I talked about quilting patterns—one woman was planning to buy a quilt for her mother in a rest home. But I also talked about the hope we Amish and Mennonites have in Jesus, and it was as if the Lord told me I didn’t need to worry about going out into the world. I simply had to love those He brought to me.”
As they talked, two women walked by, peering in the front window of the quilt shop. They wore Englisch clothes, and Lovina could tell they were from out of town. They pointed and smiled as they watched an Amish woman in one of the cottage rentals nearby hanging her laundry on the line.
“And sometimes choosing to love one person is a wonderful first step. It makes it easier to love everyone after that—after you open your heart.”
Loving one person first? Chills ran up Lovina’s arms.
She thought of Noah. He’d worked so hard over the last few months. The old broken pieces of the warehouse had been stripped down, but he’d lovingly built it back up. He’d made everything new, fresh, and bright. Because of Noah, Lovina’s dream ended up being so much more than she ever thought, yet she also knew she was holding back. She hadn’t allowed herself to open her heart. Was that what God was asking her to do? To start by loving the one person He’d brought into her life? And then…would she find it easier to love others too? Love the customers who came into her pie shop?
Lovina had locked herself up tight, fearful of what would happen if she let Noah in completely. But now she had a feeling that God was asking her to do the thing that was hardest of all. To dare to place her heart in the hands of another.
In the months she’d known Elizabeth, the older woman had said things that had inspired Lovina’s own relationship with God. Lovina had changed as she’d watched the pie shop transform, but was that just the beginning? Did God have gut plans for her customers too? Could she serve up a slice of hope along with pie? She’d never really considered that before, but from the peace and joy she saw in Elizabeth’s eyes, she had no doubt it could be so.
Elizabeth pointed to the apron Lovina was wearing. “Do you know Jesus put on an apron? He was the Son of God and yet He wrapped a towel around His waist and kneeled to wash His disciples’ feet. You’re serving up pie, but knowing you there’s going to be a lot of
love served up too. Every day when you put on that apron ask God to show you the one person to extend extra love to.”
Tears rimmed Lovina’s eyes as she pictured that. She nodded. “I will. Starting tomorrow.”
“Oh, no.” Elizabeth wagged a finger at her. “Not starting tomorrow. You’re wearing that apron today, aren’t you? I think you already have someone in mind. Someone you need to love first.”
Lovina nodded. Noah’s smiling face filled her mind. “How did you know?”
Elizabeth tapped her temple. “When you get to be my age you know and see many things…and now I know it’s time for you to go.” She patted Lovina’s arm. “But don’t worry. I’ll see you tomorrow when I come in for my slice of pie.”
It was already past noon by the time Lovina left the quilt shop, and when she got to the pie shop it was empty and locked. She wondered if Noah had gone out to lunch. No, knowing him he’d probably gone home to get something quick to eat.
With quickened steps she walked to Roy Yoder’s house. The sun was high, casting a warm glow over the neighborhood. She started to walk up the sidewalk and then paused. What if she was interrupting his lunch? Maybe she should come back later. She turned back toward the pie shop when she heard the sound of a door opening behind her.
“Lovina…”
She paused at the sound of his voice.
“Everything all right?”
She turned and saw that he was dressed in the familiar homemade jeans and a work shirt. His hair was damp and rumpled, as if he’d been working up a sweat. It clung to his face at his temples, and her heart jumped to her throat as she focused on his blue eyes. She could no longer keep the truth of her love inside her. She glanced down at the apron. He was the one she needed to love first…and love in a different way than she ever had.
“Noah, I don’t want you to say anything. Please…just let me say what I have to say. Then tomorrow—after the opening—we can talk about what it means.”