Peach Cobbler Mystery

by Naomi Miller

  Freida smiled as she dished out large helpings of the cobbler into two bowls. “I will be right back.”

  She went through the swinging doors, but came back into the kitchen in less than a minute with Bella in tow. “Come on, Bella, there's no one out there right now. Take a break. I'll help you listen for customers.”

  Pushing Bella towards one of the padded stools, Freida placed a bowl in front of her. “Here. Have some appeditlich peach cobbler. You need to get off your feet for a minute or two anyway.”

  “Umm. Yummy peaches. You know, I used to think women didn't really get cravings; they just wanted attention. But now I know that cravings are real.”

  Katie smothered a laugh as Freida nodded, her mouth full of cobbler.

  Bella, seemingly oblivious to Katie's amusement, went on, her tone very serious. “That book the doctor gave me says women crave food that have nutrients that they need, like iron or potassium.” She looked down at the full bowl in front of her, scooping up a large spoon full of the thick cobbler.

  “I haven't figured out what nutrients are in peach cobbler that makes my body crave it, but I crave it. All the time.” Bella took a large bite of the cobbler. “Oh, we forgot the vanilla ice cream!”

  “Jah, you did.” Katie smiled, then walked back over to the cooler to pull out the container of ice cream. She added a scoop to each of the two dishes. “I wonder if you are both needing something in the peaches. . . or perhaps it's the milk in the ice cream.”

  “I crave ice cream a lot, too. But even when we don't have ice cream, I crave peach cobbler. I think it must be something in the peaches.” Freida remarked.

  Katie noticed Bella nodding her head in agreement. “And fish. . . I crave fish almost every day. I looked it up and it could be the iodine. The only other way people usually get iodine is in table salt. . . and most people use sea salt now. It doesn't have iodine.”

  Katie just watched as Bella talked, surprised to hear so much from her. Usually she was not so talkative.

  “Mrs. Mueller bought a big round box of iodized salt and she keeps a salt shaker filled with it on the table just for me.”

  “That is very considerate of her.” Katie replied, thinking of the Mrs. Mueller she had known for years. The person she was now did not fit the memories she had of the woman she had known for most of her life.

  “We use iodized salt now, too.” Freida said. “So I get plenty of iodine. I do enjoy fish, but I don't crave it all that much.”

  Watching her get up to carry her dish to the sink, Katie thought perhaps Bella looked more than a little uncomfortable.

  “Bella, how are you feeling?” She watched the young woman struggle to get back on the stool, then give up after a minute and lean against the counter.

  “When did you say your due date is?”

  Bella looked up toward the ceiling with an expression that reminded Katie of one that she had seen on Freida's face when she was doing difficult mathematics.

  “Well, I think it is still a month or so away. I may never know for sure when the doctor counts everything in weeks. Why?”

  “I wonder that you should still be working.”

  “For sure and for certain you should be on your feet less.” Freida added quickly. “I have until September, but to hear Thomas, you would think I am going to give birth any moment.” She laughed as she scooped up another bite of cobbler.

  Bella waved a hand dismissively. “I think I still have plenty of time until I need to stop working.”

  “Plenty of time! No, you don't!” Freida almost shouted.

  “Freida, hush. Don't scare away our customers.” Katie looked over at Bella. “Freida has a point though. It sounds to me like you don't have much time at all. Besides which, are you not going to take some time off to rest and get ready for your baby's arrival?”

  “Nah, I feel fine.” Bella looked down at her large, round belly, a curious expression on her face. “I don't need to take a lot of time off until after the baby comes.”

  Freida laughed. “If you had a husband like my Thomas, I am sure he would have something different to say about it.”

  At the gasp Bella let out, Katie looked at her freind, surprised that Freida would go so far.

  But Freida had clearly already realized her mistake. A deep shade of red was rapidly spreading from her ears to her nose.

  “Bella. . .”

  But Bella held up a hand. “It's fine, Freida. I'm good. You're good. It's all good.”

  “No, please.” Freida took Bella's hand in hers. “My mouth gets me into trouble all the time. Just ask Katie.” She shook her head, looking down at the floor between them. “I had no right. . .”

  Bella interrupted her. “Really, Freida, I'm fine.”

  But Freida insisted. “Can you ever forgive me?”

  Bella let out a breath and finally looked up at Freida. “Of course I can, Freida. I really mean it. It may not seem like it, but I am fine.” She squeezed Freida's hand and then smiled.

  When she let go, Freida pulled Bella into a hug. Katie looked back and forth between the two women, breathing a sigh of relief. And then she was stifling a laugh, as she realized how funny the picture in front of her was, with the two women's tummies pushing them apart.

  Determined not to ruin the moment, Katie turned her attention to her work. She was already a bit behind schedule anyway. While Freida and Bella hugged, and then started chatting about boplin and quilts and clothes, she rolled out dough for sugar cookies.

  Freida told Bella about the bassinet Thomas had made and the wunderbaar quilt she and her mamm had made for the bopli already. And when she spoke of all the different colors they had used, Bella spoke up.

  “But wait, Freida. Do you not know if you're having a boy or a girl? The doctor told me months ago that I was having a girl.”

  “Well, we are not seeing a regular doctor, Bella. Thomas and I want to have our baby at home. A midwife from the community will deliver it. And she does not have that sort of equipment.”

  “Oh.” When Bella answered, Katie wondered if she was imagining that Freida actually looked a little disappointed. “Is that safe?” Bella looked concerned.

  “Jah, Amish mamms have been having their boplin at home for hundreds of years. The only time they go to the hospital is if there is a problem during delivery, or when there are special circumstances.” Freida looked mostly calm as she spoke. “And everything looks to be fine with the bopli. The midwife doesn't expect any problems.”

  “You are much braver than me. I want to be surrounded by doctors and nurses who know just what to do. Especially since I have no idea what to expect.”

  “What do you mean?” Katie asked.

  “Well, I've read the books, but otherwise I don't know what happens. I've never seen anything being born. Not even puppies or kittens. All I know is what the books say about it.” She looked down at the floor with her next words. “And to me, it all sounds very complicated and dangerous.”

  “Oh Bella, the whole thing is completely natural. There's nothing scary about it. You should talk to our midwife.” Freida took Bella's hands in hers. “She can answer any questions you have and explain the whole process to you. She would probably even offer to take you with her on a delivery, so you could experience it for yourself. I would have asked her if I had known, but you have been so quiet about everything. We haven't wanted to ask you anything about. . . well, anything.” Freida reached over to pat Bella's arm.

  “I don't know if I want to watch someone else giving birth. It sounds much too personal.” Bella shook her head. “But maybe she could answer a few questions I have.”

  “Sure. I will go by and see her on my way home. Before I go, is there anything else you want to talk about. . . with us?” Freida looked hopeful, but whatever it was that had made Bella open up even a little was gone.

  “I'd better get back out front. I need to check the supplies. A customer might come in soon.” And before anything else could be said, she hurried
through the swinging doors.

  “Well, I guess we're not going to learn anything about it today.” Freida shrugged, looking resigned. Then she smiled, “I'd love to take some peach cobbler with me. I might get another craving later on.”

  Katie laughed. “Allrecht. I'll fix you a take-out box, to have later, just in case.”

  “Danki, Katie. What would I do without you!”

  After Freida had said her goodbyes and left with her box of peach cobbler, Katie hurried to check her list to see what else needed to be done for the day.

  Before she had even finished looking it over, the back door opened. When Travis walked in, Katie was thankful she had continued to work while Frieda was visiting; otherwise, she would never get done on time.

  “Hiya, Katie-girl.” Travis came over for a quick kiss before walking over to the clipboard on the wall next to the cooler. Checking it, he whistled. “Whew! People sure love your baking. I'll take one load, then come back for the rest. I don't see how you keep up with all these orders. You're amazing!” He winked at her, then headed into the cooler to pick up the boxes ready for delivery.

  Katie blushed at his compliments, thankful that there was no one in the kitchen to witness her embarrassment. But secretly, she loved it whenever Travis complimented her.

  — THREE —

  Katie woke early Saturday morning. She bounced out of bed and rushed to the window to open her bright yellow curtains. There were hints of light creeping over the low hills in the distance and the bright promise of a beautiful day lifted her spirits even higher.

  She stood at the window and prayed silently for several minutes before padding down the hall to the upstairs bathroom, laughing quietly when she discovered she had to wait for her turn. Even working at a bakery, she was usually not up before her bruders, who had the farm to tend to.

  Once her hair had been brushed and pinned back, she moved back to her room and dressed in one of her plain, sturdy dresses, then pulled out several things for later.

  Travis had asked her last weekend if they could spend this afternoon and evening together. She was looking forward to it and she planned to change into nice, clean clothes after work.

  When she had mentioned it to Mrs. O'Neal, her boss had smiled, telling Katie that she might consider taking time off more often to be with her fella.

  Katie had only nodded. She had not yet been able to give voice to her thoughts on spending even more time with Travis, but she hoped to find the time to speak with him about it soon.

  Looking at the small clock on her wall, she realized he would be picking her up soon so she put her change of clothes in a small bag and hurried to get downstairs.

  Since she was taking off at noon, Katie wanted to arrive early so she would have plenty of time to get all the baking done that was needed today. She hoped to be finished with the baking around eleven, but it would take her close to an hour afterward to clean and straighten the kitchen area to make certain it was prepped for Monday morning.

  Travis had already said he would be done by noon, and she wanted to be ready for their adventure. He had told her it might be pretty late when he brought her back home, but he hadn't been specific about any of his plans and Katie was more than a bit curious about them.

  What sort of plans would he make. . . she wondered. And why would he not tell me anything about them?

  She whispered a short prayer while she pulled her shoes on and went out the back door and down the steps to the gravel drive.

  Dear Gott, I know that I can trust Travis, but this is still all so new. . . so please guide him in his plans. Keep us both safe and help us to follow your leading . . and to be a blessing to others we might meet today.

  * * *

  Travis woke early, excited about spending most of the day with Katie. Aside from a few hours at the cafe, he would be spending the whole day with her.

  While he showered and dressed, he thought about his plans for the day. He knew his plans were pretty simple, but he didn't want to make a lot of fancy plans and spend a lot of money that he couldn't afford. And he knew Katie wouldn't prefer that, either.

  Most of the time, it didn't matter what they did, he just enjoyed spending time with her. And, as much as he enjoyed the time they spent surrounded by friends and family, he liked to occasionally have her all to himself. It will be nice to spend some time with Katie, without family or friends around.

  He thought about how often Bobby or Gwen would tag along with them. . . or Katie would bring along one of her brothers or sisters. We don't get off to ourselves often enough.

  It wasn't that he minded so much having other people around. It was just nice to spend time with Katie. . . with no one else around.

  Whenever they did find time to go off alone, he liked that they would share things about their past. . . and about their future. Travis felt like he was finally getting to know Katie better. In the beginning she had been reluctant to tell him much about her faith and the church and all the things that had made her who she was.

  But during the past few weeks, she had opened up about all of that. Of course, the more she told him, the more Travis fretted over Katie changing her mind about being involved with him. He hated the idea of taking her away from her church, and possibly her family and friends. She had said that her family might be a little unhappy with her if she did not join, but that she would not be shunned so long as she did not join, be baptized, and then leave.

  Knowing how families who were not Amish could be about cutting people out of their lives, Travis felt his worry was completely justified, but Katie continued to reassure him that she had made the right decision. . . one that brought them together as a couple, even if it kept her from being baptized or joining the church that her family belonged to.

  Shaking off the negative feelings, Travis thought about the plans he had made. Plans that included a long drive, then perhaps a movie and a nice supper at one of his and Katie's favorite restaurants. Then they would have the long drive back to Katie's house, where he would likely be invited in to spend time with her, most likely in the living room or the kitchen.

  This was the way of the Amish families in their community. Most often the parents and other siblings went to bed and the courting couple would spend time getting to know one another.

  Most nights the courting consisted of a long drive. Since he wasn't Amish, instead of using a courting buggy, the long drives would be taken in his car.

  Jake Yoder had offered him the use of a horse and courting buggy, but when he mentioned it, Katie said she preferred riding in his car, so that's what they would do. . . especially tonight.

  And usually, on those long drives, they would talk. More and more lately, those talks included discussing plans for the future, which tended to bring his worry to the surface.

  Katie would always calm his fears about her not joining the church. . . although he knew her family still had hopes that she was experiencing what they called rumschpringe, the running around time for their youth, and that she would eventually return to the faith of her parents.

  Thinking about time reminded Travis that Katie wanted to get to work early, so he quickly finished getting dressed and rushed out without taking time for breakfast. Although he was in a hurry to get there, he was always careful to drive slowly, since there were usually buggies on the road, and buggy accidents were something to be avoided at all cost.

  It wasn't long before he was pulling in to the Chupp's driveway. Sure enough, Katie was already outside, watching for him. At her feet was a canvas bag.

  Turning off the motor, Travis hurried around to open the car door for Katie. He enjoyed doing little things for her, like opening doors, helping her with her coat and always putting her first.

  “Good morning, sweetheart. Sorry if I kept you waiting.” After waiting for her to fasten her seatbelt, he leaned in for a quick kiss, before closing the door and coming back around to the other side. Once he was in and had buckled his seatbelt, he started the car and soon t
hey were on their way.

  “You were not late; you were early, but I was up earlier than I planned. With everything going on today, I just couldn't stay in bed, so I got dressed and came out to the porch to watch for you.” Katie blushed prettily. Travis loved seeing the color that reminded him so much of a pink rose filling her cheeks, making her prettier than ever.

  “Is everything still okay with our plan for today?”

  “Jah, I told my parents last night that I had made plans and not to expect me for supper. I could tell they were wanting to ask where I was going, but they said allrecht and no questions were asked.”

  “Good. And you should be ready to leave by noon, right?” Or do you need more time?”

  “Nee, Mrs. O'Neal told me yesterday that there were no more special orders taken, so it should be just a normal day. I'll be waiting for you at noon. Do you need more time? If you do, it's okay. I can find something to do until you're free.”

  “Nope. I have permission to leave early at the cafe. I'll be done by 11am. Then I'll run by the bakery and pick up anything that needs to be delivered. Mrs. O'Neal told me yesterday that there were only three deliveries to be made, and an hour should be more than enough time to take care of them.”

  He looked over at Katie, excited again, thinking of his plans for the day. “Then I'll run back and pick you up and we'll be on our way.”

  “On our way. . . on our way to where? Are you still determined to keep our destination a surprise?” Katie asked, teasing him.

  “Yep, I sure am.” Travis grinned. “Actually, Katie, it's not really anything special. At least most people wouldn't think so. It's just spending the evening with you that makes it special.”

  “I know what you mean. I was thrilled when we began courting, but now, after months of being together and getting to know you better, it's even more special.” That same pretty pink color spread over her cheeks again. “It makes me wonder how people grow tired of one another and, even worse, go in search of other people.”