“What’s that?” Will asked.
“Am I invited to your wedding?”
“Yes!” Will and Karen said in unison.
Frank clasped Will’s hand. “I’ll have to head home with Megan and the girls tomorrow, but I promise to stay in touch, and we’ll be back for your wedding in December.”
Karen smiled at Frank. “We’d like to have your family join us for Christmas, too, wouldn’t we, Will?”
Will nodded. “Maybe by then I’ll be well enough so we can go outside and build that snowman we never got to make sixteen years ago.”
“I think my girls would enjoy that, too.” Frank grinned like a boy given a new toy on Christmas morning.
As Mama Regina, Papa Mark, and Pop moved away from Will’s bed, Will reached for Karen’s hand. “Even though I had some doubts about being your husband, I know I could never be truly happy without you in my life.”
She gave his fingers a gentle squeeze. “I wouldn’t be happy without you either.”
EPILOGUE
Ready or not, here we come!” Pop shouted as he and Kim raced across the yard with arms full of snowballs and a honey-colored cocker spaniel puppy nipping at their heels.
Will smiled as he thought about the Christmas present he’d given his half sisters earlier today. The girls had named the puppy Shadow because it liked to follow them.
“No snowball fight yet,” Carrie squealed. “Mommy and I aren’t ready.”
“How about you, Will?” Pop called. “Are you and Karen ready to make a few snowballs?”
Will looked at Karen, who stood by his side, red faced and full of smiles. “Would you rather watch from the sidelines, or would you like to take part in the fight that’s about to begin?”
She pulled the collar of her coat around her neck and shivered. “I got cold enough building our snowman, so I think I’ll watch the snowball fight from the porch where it’s warmer.”
“Guess I’ll sit this one out, too,” Will said.
Whoosh!—a snowball flew across the yard and hit Will’s arm. “We’d better get out of the line of fire before I change my mind and start making a few schneeballe.”
“If you’d like to join the fun, I’ll stay on the porch and cheer you on,” Karen said.
Will shook his head. “No way, I’d rather be with my schee fraa.”
The color in Karen’s cheeks deepened when he called her his pretty wife. He loved the way she blushed so easily. Will took her hand and led her over to the porch.
“I can’t believe we’ve been married a whole week already,” he said as a surge of joy swept over him. He envisioned how sweet and beautiful Karen had looked on their wedding day as they’d stood before the bishop and repeated their vows. It had been a wonderful day, and having Pop and the rest of his family there to share it with them had made it especially memorable.
“I’m glad we were able to postpone our wedding by one week so you could have more time to heal. I’m pleased your daed and his family could be here for the wedding and stay through Christmas, too.”
“Jah, it made the day even more special.” Will nuzzled the back of Karen’s neck with his cold nose. “Is being married to me all you’d hoped it would be?”
She shivered. “It’s all that and more, but if you keep doing things to make me feel colder, I’m going to drag you into the yard and douse your face with snow.”
He chuckled. “Is that a challenge?”
She shrugged. “Take it however you like.”
Will was about to respond when Mama Regina and Papa Mark joined them on the porch.
“I’ve got some hot chocolate heating on the stove,” Mama Regina said. “Whenever everyone’s ready for a break from all this merriment, we can have some of Karen’s White Christmas Pie to go with it.”
Will smacked his lips. “That sounds good to me. Should I see if I can get our snowball throwers to stop so we can go inside?”
Papa Mark shook his head. “We’re not ready to go in just yet.”
“How come?”
“Your daed and I have a surprise for you.” He pointed to the horse and buggy coming down the lane. “And here it is now.”
As the rig drew closer, Will realized it was Nathan’s. A shiny black horse trotted behind the buggy.
“That’s enough with the snowballs,” Pop shouted to Megan and the girls. “Will’s Christmas present has arrived!”
Will looked over at Papa Mark then back at Pop, who was heading for the porch. “My Christmas present?”
Pop nodded, and a wide smile spread across his face. “I figured you’d be needing a new horse to replace the one you lost in your buggy accident, so Mark went with me to pick it out a few days ago.” His smile widened as Nathan untied the horse. “Aaron Chupp agreed to keep the horse in his barn until Nathan brought him over here today.”
“It’s another trotter,” Nathan said as he led the horse closer to the house.
“So what do you think?” Pop asked. “Do you like the horse we chose?”
Will nodded. “He’s real nice. Thank you, both, so much.”
“You’re welcome.”
Will reached out and touched the horse, letting his fingers glide through its silky mane. “I hope I have better luck with this one than I had with my other two.”
“You know what they say about the third time around,” Nathan said with a chuckle.
Will rubbed the horse’s muzzle. “Any idea what I should name this one?”
“How about Pie?” Pop suggested. “After all, it was the recipe for Regina’s White Christmas Pie that brought us together.”
“What kind of name is Pie for a horse, Daddy?” Carrie asked.
“You’re right. It is a silly name.” Pop grinned at Will. “It’s your horse, so you choose a name.”
“How about I call him Pop? That way, whenever I’m with the horse, I’ll think of my daed and be reminded of how much I love him.”
Tears welled in Pop’s eyes, and he gave Will a hug.
“I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’m cold and hungry,” Mama Regina said. “How about we go inside for a piece of Karen’s White Christmas Pie?”
“Sounds good to me,” Megan agreed. “My nose and toes are about to fall off from being out here in all this cold snow.”
Nathan grinned at Will. “I’ll put Pop in the barn, and then I’ll join you.”
“And I’ll put the girls’ puppy away until it’s time for us to go,” Pop said, turning toward the barn.
As the others headed for the house, Will touched Karen’s arm and turned her to face him. When he saw the peaceful look on her face, he felt a sense of joy and hope for the future. He couldn’t imagine what more he could want than having his family together on Christmas Day. He couldn’t conceive of being married to anyone but Karen. And it was all because of a note that had been written on the back of a recipe card.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Wanda E. Brunstetter is a New York Times bestselling author who enjoys writing Amish-themed, as well as historical, novels. Descended from Anabaptists herself, Wanda became deeply interested in the Plain People when she married her husband, Richard, who grew up in a Mennonite church in Pennsylvania. Wanda and her husband now live in Washington State but take every opportunity to visit their Amish friends in various communities across the country, gathering further information about the Amish way of life.
Wanda and her husband have two grown children and six grandchildren. In her spare time, Wanda enjoys photography, ventriloquism, gardening, beachcombing, stamping, and having fun with her family.
In addition to her novels, Wanda has written two Amish cookbooks, two Amish devotionals, several Amish children’s books, as well as numerous novellas, stories, articles, poems, and puppet scripts.
Visit Wanda’s website at www.wandabrunstetter.com.
MAMA REGINA’S NO-PEEK STEW
1½ pounds stew meat, cut fine
1 onion, chopped
6 carrots, diced
/> 2 potatoes, cubed
l teaspoon sugar
1 stalk celery, thickly sliced
2 cups tomato juice
2 teaspoons salt
2½ teaspoons minute tapioca
Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Place all ingredients in an oven-safe casserole dish. Cover tightly. Bake 4 hours.
WILL’S FAVORITE BUTTERMILK PANCAKES
1 cup all-purpose flour
½ cup wheat flour
¾ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons brown sugar
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 eggs
1½ cups buttermilk
1 teaspoon baking soda, added to the buttermilk
In a large bowl, mix dry ingredients. Add oil, eggs, and buttermilk-baking soda mixture. Beat with a wire ship until smooth. Fry pancakes on hot, lightly greased griddle.
MAMA REGINA’S HOT CHOCOLATE
9 cups nonfat powdered milk
1 (16 ounce) box chocolate drink mix
1 (6 ounce) can dry coffee creamer
2 cups powdered sugar
Mix all ingredients well and store in an airtight container. When ready to serve, stir ¼ cup of mix into 1 cup of hot water.
Other Books by Wanda E. Brunstetter
KENTUCKY BROTHERS SERIES
The Journey
The Healing
The Struggle
INDIANA COUSINS SERIES
A Cousin’s Promise
A Cousin’s Prayer
A Cousin’s Challenge
BRIDES OF LEHIGH CANAL SERIES
Kelly’s Chance
Betsy’s Return
Sarah’s Choice
DAUGHTERS OF LANCASTER COUNTY SERIES
The Storekeeper’s Daughter
The Quilter’s Daughter
The Bishop’s Daughter
BRIDES OF LANCASTER COUNTY SERIES
A Merry Heart
Looking for a Miracle
Plain and Fancy
The Hope Chest
SISTERS OF HOLMES COUNTY SERIES
A Sister’s Secret
A Sister’s Test
A Sister’s Hope
BRIDES OF WEBSTER COUNTY SERIES
Going Home
On Her Own
Dear to Me
Allison’s Journey
Amish White Christmas Pie
Lydia’s Charm
The Half-Stitched Amish Quilting Club
NONFICTION
The Simple Life
A Celebration of the Simple Life
Wanda E. Brunstetter’s Amish Friends Cookbook
Wanda E. Brunstetter’s Amish Friends Cookbook, Vol. 2
Wanda E. Brunstetter’s Amish Friends Cookbook: Desserts
CHILDREN’S BOOKS
Double Trouble Series—Mattie & Mark Miller
The Wisdom of Solomon
Rachel Yoder—Always Trouble Somewhere 8-Book Series
Amish White Christmas Pie Page 25