The Divine Secrets of the Whoopie Pie Sisters: The Complete Trilogy

by Sarah Price

  Another rap at the window pane and she knew that he was still outside.

  She lifted the shade and peered out through the open window. “Manny?” she whispered as loud as she could.

  “Sadie?” Manny called up to her. “Are you all right?”

  “I’m fine, Manny,” she replied, half hoping that Leah would hear and interrupt their conversation. Just seeing him standing down there, his face looking up with such desperation, made her feel weak. He believed, she reminded herself. She didn’t want to remember but she knew better than to forget. He believed!

  “When can I come see you? Leah says you aren’t up for visitors.”

  She shut her eyes and leaned her head against the window. “Nee, I’m not. Besides,” she found the strength to say. “I’m not so certain I’d want to visit with you, Manny.”

  Upon hearing her words, he looked crestfallen. “Sadie?”

  “I thought you knew me, Manny,” she said, not caring if Leah overheard. “But you made a choice that proved to me how wrong I was.”

  “I don’t understand you.”

  Sadie sighed. “I know what you thought, Manny. I know what Lydia did and I know why you never came to check on me after the storm. You believed her.”

  She thought she saw him swallow. He was as nervous as she was. With just cause, she thought, aware that she took no satisfaction with this knowledge.

  “I…I…”

  There was nothing he could say to make the situation right. Sadie fought the urge to have pity on him until she remembered that he had shown none to her. “The aftermath, Manny. There’s always an aftermath to every storm. Don’t you see that? You should have known me better than to believe something so awful. But you didn’t.”

  He hung his head. “Your words are true Sadie. I can’t say I‘m sorry enough. I can only ask that you forgive me.”

  Sadie heard the bedroom door open. There was no need to look over her shoulder. She knew it was Leah. Ignoring her sister, Sadie kept her attention focused on Manny. “Forgive? Isn’t that the ways of our culture? To forgive? If we don’t, we will not receive God’s blessings.” She felt a hand on her shoulder. Leah’s touch gave her strength to continue. “Ja vell, you can take comfort knowing that I forgave you days ago Manny.”

  He brightened at her words. “You did?”

  “Ja, I did. But you need to know that, while I forgave you, I haven’t forgotten. Those are two separate things.”

  He looked confused. “I…I don’t understand. You haven’t forgotten?”

  “Nee. I haven’t forgotten the hurt.” The pain in her chest disappeared, even if only for the moment. She felt an inner strength that she never felt before. For once, she realized in a defining moment, she was standing up for herself. “You didn’t have enough faith in me, Manny. You ran when I needed you most. I shall never forget that, Manny.”

  His mouth hung open and shame covered his face like a dark shadow.

  Sadie found the strength to smile at him. “My heart tells me that I cannot marry someone who would ever think I’m capable of such an immoral act…capable of such deceit! I simply cannot spend my life wondering if it will happen again.” Her hand lingered on the shade and she gave a slight shake of her head. “Goodbye, Manny.”

  The shade dropped from her hand and the room was cloaked in darkness once again. Leah’s hands tightened on her shoulders and Sadie let her embrace her. Her sister’s strong arms held her, comforting her as Sadie silently cried into her shoulder. She didn’t know what hurt more: the pain of saying goodbye to Manny or the discomfort of knowing that she had just learned one of life’s hardest lessons.

  “Disappointment stings, Sadie,” Leah whispered into her ear. “But it’s the turning point for you, my sweet girl. It makes us stronger. It’s a divine secret that no one ever thinks to tell you.”

  Sadie found a way to laugh through her tears. “A divine secret?”

  Leah pressed her hands to Sadie’s cheeks and stared into her face. “Ja, a divine secret all right. At least, a divine secret of the whoopie pie sisters!”

  They both laughed as they hugged each other, knowing that, this, too, would pass. After everything they had survived, the storms of nature and the storms of life, they would survive as a family, one way or the other.

  Epilogue

  The outside wall wasn’t yet painted and the men still needed to hang the sign over the porch. But Leah didn’t care. She stood in the parking lot, staring at the building. A large planter with red mums, a gift from the Mennonite church on the other side of Main Street, stood on the porch. Overhead, pretty copper wind chimes hung from a hook, the metallic music ringing ever so slightly in the breeze.

  Rebuilding Whoopie Pie Place hadn’t taken that long. Merv’s leadership certainly shone through when she gave him the go-ahead for the rebuilding of the store. By the weekend, he had a team of four men working on the demolition and, by the following weekend, twelve men came together to work on the restructuring. Leah was humbled by the generosity of the men in the g’may. She was especially grateful to see Abe join in.

  The previous week, when Abe stopped by, he took Leah aside and told her the story about Lydia’s confrontation with the bishop concerning Tobias. Leah managed to keep a straight face and shake her head, sharing in the wonder of Lydia’s behavior, all the while seething inside. She remembered the day of the tornado, seeing Lydia leaving on the bicycle just before the storm hit. Of course, she thought. Lydia had overheard them talking in the barn. She had been eavesdropping and heard everything

  When Abe told her about the bishop’s reaction, she sighed a breath of relief. Whether he believed her or not, his concern was on the spreading of gossip, especially lies, and the evil that such disruptive behavior caused. Hopefully, Leah thought, Lydia would finally learned her lesson about lying. But it was a fleeting thought for she had too much on her plate to focus on Lydia and her problems. After all, she reasoned, Lydia had made her own bed and now it was time for her to lie in it.

  Sadie stood beside her, her arms wrapped protectively around her chest. She was still healing, both physically and spiritually. Leah had noticed a change in her younger sister, a tendency toward isolation and withdrawal. It bothered Leah but she knew that Sadie would need the time to recover from all that had befallen her.

  “It looks right gut, don’t you think?” Susie said as she walked up behind them.

  Leah glanced over her shoulder and gave Susie an approving smile. “Your husband did a right gut job, Susie. I wonder that he didn’t do more carpentry work before now!”

  The pride in Susie’s face was apparent and Leah excused it this time. “He was a carpenter, remember? Back in Kentucky and over in Ronks.” She paused. “Before he was fired, anyway.”

  “Mayhaps those days are over,” Leah said optimistically. She looked over at Merv as he instructed his team of young men to finish cleaning up the scraps of wood and bent nails that were left at their work area. “Sure does seem like a brand new person,” she observed.

  They stood there, observing the store in silence, each sister lost in her own thoughts. In such a short period of time, they had come so far. Each sister had faced the secrets of their pasts, present, and even future. They had survived the storm of nature as well as storms of life, some of which left battle scars that only time would heal. But the one thing that they knew was that as long as they remained strong and united, sharing their faith and devotion to God, they could survive.

  “I sure do wish Tobias was home to see this,” Sadie said softly.

  Leah nodded her head. “Me, too. Another two weeks and he’ll be here. But,” she smiled as she looked at both of her sisters. “What do you say we go into the store? Together, just the three of us, for the first time?”

  They linked arms as they walked toward the porch of their new store. Leah paused at the door, fiddling in her pocket for the keys that Merv had handed to her earlier. Quickly, she unlocked the front door and pushed it open. She took a step b
ack and gestured for Susie and Sadie to enter before her. Then, when she followed behind them, she shut the door and, with a broad smile on her face, she flipped the sign in the window: OPEN.

  Whoopie Pie Place was officially back in business.

  Recipes

  My interest in recipe boxes began as a young girl. I knew there was "magic" inside those boxes that belonged to my mom and my grandmother Gladys. Because of my love for the contents of these recipe boxes, it was an honor for me to have the opportunity to create my Kitchen Collection to share with each of you. At present, there are five volumes. I am currently working on a couple more, which I am anxious to finish.

  Both Sarah and I agreed that this story would not be complete if we didn't share with you some of the Miller Sister's favorite recipes, especially my personal favorite (and Leah’s): the Chocolate Strawberry Shortcake Whoopie Pies.

  For more recipes such as these, please join me at www.facebook.com/WhoopiePiePam and at https://www.facebook.com/groups/WPPKitchenCollection/.

  Thank you for reading The Divine Secrets of The Whoopie Pie Sisters! We hope you have enjoyed it even more than we enjoyed writing it!

  Chocolate Strawberry Shortcake Whoopie Pies

  Ingredients

  • 1 pkg. (2-layer size) chocolate cake mix

  • 3/4 cup water

  • 1/2 cup oil

  • 3 eggs

  • 1 pkg. (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened

  • 1 jar (7 oz.) JET-PUFFED Marshmallow Creme

  • 1 tub (8 oz.) COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, thawed

  • 3 cups fresh strawberries, sliced

  Instructions

  1. Heat oven to 350ºF.

  2. Beat first 4 ingredients with mixer until well blended. Drop 2 Tbsp. batter, 2 inches apart, into 32 mounds on baking sheets sprayed with cooking spray.

  3. Bake 10 min. or until toothpick inserted in centers comes out almost clean. Cool on baking sheets 3 min. Remove to wire racks; cool completely.

  4. Beat cream cheese and marshmallow creme in large bowl with mixer until well blended. Add COOL WHIP; beat on low speed just until blended.

  5. Spread about 2 Tbsp. COOL WHIP mixture onto bottom side of each of 16 cookies. Top with strawberries and remaining cookies.

  Shoo Fly Pie

  Ingredients

  • 1 cup shortening

  • 1¾cups brown sugar

  • 2 eggs

  • 2 cups flour

  • ½teaspoon salt

  • 3 teaspoons baking powder

  • ½cup whole milk

  • 2 cups corn flakes

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla

  Instructions:

  Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

  After creaming the shortening and sugar together, add the eggs and vanilla. Beat until mixture is light and fluffy.

  In a separate bowl, mix the dry ingredients then sift.

  Add corn flakes to the dry ingredients and mix by hand.

  Add dry ingredients and milk to the cream mixture. Stir until smooth.

  Use a soupspoon or melon ball maker to drop the mixture onto a greased baking sheet. Leave space between each, as they will spread when cooking.

  Bake for 10-12 minutes.

  Amish Bread

  Ingredients

  • 2 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)

  • 2/3 cup white sugar

  • 1 1/2 tablespoons active dry yeast

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt

  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil

  • 6 cups bread flour

  Instructions

  1. In a large bowl, dissolve the sugar in warm water, and then stir in yeast. Allow to proof until yeast resembles a creamy foam.

  2. Mix salt and oil into the yeast. Mix in flour one cup at a time. Knead dough on a lightly floured surface until smooth. Place in a well oiled bowl, and turn dough to coat. Cover with a damp cloth. Allow to rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.

  3. Punch dough down. Knead for a few minutes, and divide in half. Shape into loaves, and place into two well oiled 9x5 inch loaf pans. Allow to rise for 30 minutes, or until dough has risen 1 inch above pans.

  4. Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes.

  Meadow Tea

  from Sarah Price as shared with her by her Amish friends in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania

  Ingredients

  • Fresh mint tea leaves

  • Sugar

  • Water

  Instructions

  1. Boil one gallon of water.

  2. When bubbling, put in a healthy handful of mint tea leaves from garden (about two huge fistful of cuttings).

  3. Take off of the heat and let sit for 7 minutes.

  4. Remove mint tea leaves from water.

  5. Add 1.5 cups of sugar (more or less to suit your taste).

  6. Put pot of water in a sink of cold water (to cool down).

  7. Refrigerate before serving.

  8. Might need to be adjusted to accommodate your needs.

  HINT: Growing mint tea plants in your garden is a wonderful adventure but be careful. Tea can take over your garden. You also need to cut the stalks BEFORE they flower. If they get spindly looking, cut them down and they will grow back. Most tea gardens can get 2-3 batches each season.

  Amish Drop Sugar Cookies

  from Whoopie Pie Pam's Kitchen Collection, Christmas Cookie Exchange

  Ingredients

  • 1½cup sugar

  • 1 cup butter

  • 2 eggs

  • 1 cup sour cream

  • 3¾cup flour

  • 2 teaspoon baking powder

  • 1 teaspoon baking soda

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla

  Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

  2. Mix the sugar and softened butter together until creamy.

  3. Add the eggs and beat well.

  4. Add remaining ingredients and mix together.

  5. Using a teaspoon, drop onto a greased cookie sheet.

  6. Bake for 8-10 minutes.

  Lyrics to Songs

  Written for

  The Divine Secrets of the Whoopie Pie Sisters

  Faithful

  Written by Katie G. and Anthony Vitale

  You’re cold to the core

  Don’t know what I loved you for

  I had faith in you

  You never knew

  My faith is still true

  You can push me away

  But I’m here to stay

  I’m waiting for the day

  My faith shows me the way

  [Chorus]

  Faithful

  I’m faithful

  Faithful

  I’m faithful

  I’m on my knees, begging please

  Begging please

  Faithful

  I’m faithful

  Faithful

  I’m faithful

  Life is rough, my faith is tough

  My faith is tough

  Go ahead push me down, right to the ground

  Push and shove, it’s enough, I’ll still be around

  You take, take, take,

  You can take take take,

  l'll stick around,

  It’s a piece of cake.

  Do your worst, it will never work

  My heart never breaks

  [Chorus]

  I’ll pay any dues

  And I’ll pay any fees

  Take my hand and you will see

  I’ll pay any dues

  And I’ll pay any fees

  Take my hand and you will see

  [Chorus]

  Heaven

  Written by Katie G. and Anthony Vitale

  Available for purchase on iTunes and Amazon

  If I went to heaven, I’ll tell you what I’d miss,

  Your sparkling blue eyes, your ruby red lips.

  If I went to heaven, I’d have diamonds on the floor

  But I wouldn’t have you anymore.

&nbs
p; If I went to heaven, someday by and by,

  If I went to heaven, ooo someday I’ll fly,

  Fly up to heaven, heaven.

  If I went to heaven, the angels would sing.

  It wouldn’t be the same as all the joy that you bring.

  If I went to heaven, the sun would always shine.

  To remind you, you’ll always be mine.

  If I went to heaven, someday by and by

  If I went to heaven, ooo someday I’ll fly

  Fly up to heaven, heaven

  Angels be knocking on my door.

  Angels be knocking on my door.

  Angels be knocking on my door.

  Angels be knocking on my door.

  If I went to heaven there’d be diamonds on the floor

  But I wouldn’t have you any more

  If I went to heaven, someday by and by

  If I went to heaven, ooo someday I’ll fly

  Fly up to heaven, heaven

  If I went to Heaven, I’ll tell you what I’ll miss…

  One More Thing…

  If you enjoyed this book, I’d be very grateful if you’d post a short review on Amazon. Your support really does make a difference. Not only do I read all the reviews in order to see what you liked and how I can improve, but they are also a great source of motivation. When I hear from my readers and fans, it really makes me want to keep writing…just for you.

  If you’d like to leave a review or see a list of my books on Amazon, simply click here. And don’t forget to follow me on Facebook so that you can hear firsthand about new, upcoming releases.