A Season of Love

by Amy Clipston

  “I bet that was fun,” Amanda said before eating another cookie.

  “It was,” Katie said. “Lizzie Anne and Lindsay cleaned, and I took care of the kinner. I even did some baking, which you know is my favorite pastime. It was fun.”

  “How was Rebecca doing?” Jake asked.

  “She’s doing well,” Katie said. “She’s anxious to get out of bed, but she knows that the best thing she can do is rest.”

  “I can’t imagine how difficult it is, but I’m glad she’s doing fine,” Amanda said.

  “I know. I am too. I was worried for a while.” Katie handed Jake and each of her cousins an apple slice.

  “Thanks,” Jake said, taking the slice. “How’s your brother Samuel doing?”

  Katie’s eyes widened with surprise. Does he know Samuel is engaged to Lizzie Anne? “He’s fine. Why do you ask?”

  Amanda turned to Ruthie and asked about another couple in their youth group. They launched into a conversation about a couple Katie didn’t know well.

  Jake shrugged in response to Katie’s question. “I haven’t seen him much lately.” He popped the apple slice into his mouth.

  Katie studied her napkin and considered telling Jake and her cousins the news she’d heard.

  “Katie?” he asked. “Is something bothering you?”

  Katie placed her knife on the napkin next to the apple slices and considered her answer. She studied Jake’s concerned expression and felt the urge to be honest.

  Since her cousins seemed to be occupied with their own conversation, Katie felt comfortable telling Jake the news about her brother and Lizzie Anne. “Samuel proposed to Lizzie Anne Friday night,” she said softly so her cousins wouldn’t hear her spoil the secret.

  Jake looked stunned. “He did?”

  “Ya.” Katie nodded. “They want to get married this season. I heard him talking to my parents last night. They’re considering December.”

  “Oh.” Jake nodded slowly. “That’s pretty quick, don’t you think?”

  “It’s very quick,” Katie said, still keeping her voice soft. “I don’t understand what the rush is. Lizzie Anne is only eighteen, and he’s twenty-one. I said that to him, and he was very defensive.” She lifted her cup of water and took a sip.

  “I imagine he didn’t like that too much,” Jake said. “Is he building a house for her?”

  “They’re going to move into the apartment my parents have attached to our haus,” Katie said, handing him another apple slice. “My grandparents on mei mamm’s side lived there a long time ago. Eventually Samuel is going to build a haus on our property for them, but who knows how long that will take. Why do they have to get married now? Why can’t they wait a year and build the haus first?” She paused when she realized she was committing a sin. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t be judging them. You must think I’m terrible.”

  His smile was sympathetic. “No, I don’t. I actually had the same thoughts you did.”

  “You did?” she asked with surprise.

  “Yes, I did.” He ate the apple slice. “It seems a little hasty, but I guess love can be like that.”

  Katie shrugged. “I guess so, but I really can’t relate. I guess Lindsay and Matthew are next.”

  Jake looked surprised. “Did Matthew finally ask her to be his girlfriend?” he asked Katie.

  “Yes,” she said. “I’m happy for them both, but I can’t really relate, you know?”

  He looked sympathetic. “I know the feeling all too well.”

  “You do?” she asked.

  He nodded. “I’ve never been good at relationships.”

  “I’ve never had one.” She attempted to be positive and smiled. “I guess it will happen when it’s meant to, right?”

  “Of course it will. You can’t rush love. I found that out the hard way.”

  Katie studied his frown and wondered if he was talking about Jessica. She glanced at her cousins who were still discussing their youth group friends. “How long have you been working at the furniture store?” she asked.

  “A very long time,” he said. “I started working there over the summer when I was around eleven.”

  “Really?” Katie asked. “You were very young.”

  He nodded while chewing a cookie. “I was very young, but I was determined to be a carpenter like my grandfather. I started working in his shop with him when I was around five. It’s what I’ve always wanted to do.”

  “I know the feeling.” Katie sipped some water. “I always wanted to work in this bakery like mei mammi. There’s no other place I’d rather be.”

  He lifted his cookie. “And you’re a very talented baker.”

  The door to the bakery opened with a squeak, revealing Eli. “All right, you four,” he called. “Lunch hour is over. Let’s get back to work.”

  Katie stood and gathered up their trash. “I’ll take care of this.”

  “Thanks,” he said. “I had a nice time, ladies. Thank you for inviting me to your lunch party.” He picked up his lunch bag. “I’m going to toss this in my truck. I hope your afternoon goes well.”

  “Yours too,” Katie said.

  “Work hard, Jake!” Ruthie said with a laugh. “Mei mammi wants those cabinets done.”

  “Ya,” Amanda agreed with a chuckle.

  Katie walked with her cousins back into the kitchen. Her aunt Kathryn approached as Katie approached her workstation.

  “Can you possibly whip up some cheese cupcakes?” Kathryn asked. “I just got a phone-in order for two dozen. You can make a peach cobbler later, ya?”

  “Of course.” Katie tossed out the trash and placed her lunch bag under her workstation. She smiled while she started collecting the ingredients for the cheese cupcakes. She had enjoyed having lunch with her cousins and Jake and was happy she could count Jake as a new friend.

  Lemon Sponge Pie

  1 lump of butter the size of a quarter

  1¼ cups sugar

  Cream together and then add:

  3 tablespoons of flour

  2 egg yolks

  1 tablespoon of lemon juice

  1 cup milk

  Mix and then add 2 egg whites, beaten stiff. Bake at 450 degrees for 10 minutes and then at 350 degrees for 35 minutes.

  8

  Later that evening, Jake dropped his keys into the small bowl by the front door before kicking off his work boots. He then glanced around the small lower level of his side of the two-family house he rented from his uncle and wondered if this was what was to become of his life. When he’d rented the house six years ago, Jake had believed it would be temporary. He assumed he’d eventually meet someone, get married, and settle down on a few acres in the surrounding area. Those dreams, however, hadn’t become a reality.

  Passing through the small family room, Jake stepped into the kitchen and opened the freezer. Spotting a stack of frozen pizzas, he grabbed one from the top and placed it on the counter. He looked at the instructions and then snickered to himself. He’d made so many of these pizzas he knew the instructions by heart; reading them had just become part of his mundane routine. He flipped the stove dial to preheat the oven to four hundred degrees and retrieved a baking sheet from the drawer under the oven.

  After fetching a can of Coke from the refrigerator, Jake sat on the small sofa in the family room and flipped through a hunting magazine while waiting for the oven to beep. He turned the page, glancing at an article about a man who’d shot a huge buck, and tried to read the words, but his thoughts were still back at the bakery with Katie Kauffman.

  He’d tried all afternoon to keep his thoughts from returning to Katie, but he couldn’t derail his one-track mind, which focused only on her honey-blonde hair, sky-blue eyes, and captivating smile. He’d known Katie all his life, since his grandfather and her grandfather had gone into business together before she was born. She’d always been a sweet girl, offering a kind greeting and small talk whenever their paths crossed. However, something had changed when he’d talked to her today. It
was as if she’d suddenly grown up and blossomed into a beautiful young woman with a kind heart.

  But she’s Amish …

  The thought had echoed in the back of his mind all day. He knew any chance of a relationship with Katie was impossible. Amish were only permitted to date and marry other Amish, unless they wanted to be shunned. He was certain Katie would want to stay with her community, otherwise she wouldn’t have been baptized with her friends.

  Besides, why would she like me?

  The stove beeped, indicating it had reached the required temperature. Jake moved to the stove, unwrapped the pizza, placed it on the baking sheet, and slipped it into the oven.

  After setting the timer, he returned to the sofa and his drink. He popped open the can, which fizzed in response. He sipped the carbonated liquid and stared at the magazine. The words were meaningless while he continued to think of Katie’s pretty smile. He shook his head with disgust as his inner voice chastised him. You’re just setting yourself up for heartache if you continue to think about her!

  The phone rang, causing Jake to jump up and trot back to the kitchen. He grabbed the receiver and held it up to his ear. “Hello?”

  “Jake?” a familiar voice said.

  “Yes, this is he,” Jake said, trying to figure out who the caller was. The voice was female, but who did it belong to? For a split second he hoped it was Katie but he quickly dismissed the thought, knowing it was a silly notion. “Who is this?”

  “You don’t recognize my voice,” she teased. “Has it been that long?”

  “I can tell you how long it’s been once you tell me who you are.” He paused and then it hit him like a ton of bricks. “Jessica? Is that you?”

  “In the flesh,” she said, and then chuckled. “Can you believe it? I finally got up the nerve to call you.”

  “Wow.” He ran his hand through his short, dark hair. “I have to admit I’m a little surprised. How long has it been? Five months?”

  “It’s been almost six actually.” Jessica clicked her tongue. “I’m a lousy friend.”

  “I’m sure you’ve been busy.” He sat on a chair at his small, round table. “How was New York?”

  “I worked fifty to sixty hours per week at the internship,” she said. “It was a whirlwind. I made quite a bit of money, but I didn’t get to enjoy much of the city.”

  “Oh.” He ran his finger over the wood tabletop while he listened. “I bet you got a lot of experience, though.”

  “I did. My résumé will look fantastic, but it was hard work.”

  “Are you back at school now?”

  “Yes, I am,” Jessica said. “I’m pulling eighteen credits this semester. My friend Kim says I like to torture myself. I guess that’s true. I went from a stressful internship to a stressful semester back at school. My life consists of stress and more stress.”

  He shook his head. “Why do you punish yourself, Jess?”

  “I don’t know. That’s something I need to figure out,” she said. “But I want to hear about you. How are you doing, Jake?”

  He shrugged even though she couldn’t see him. “I’m the same as always. You know me. I like things simple. I go to work at the furniture store and then come home. Not much else.”

  “Huh.” She paused for a beat. “I just wanted to tell you I’ve been thinking of you.”

  “You have?” he asked, trying in vain not to sound as surprised as he was.

  “I was going through a box, and I found some photos from when we went to the beach last year with a few of my friends,” she said. “That was fun.”

  He shook his head. Why was she rehashing old memories? We haven’t even spoken in six months, but now she wants to bring up the day they spent at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront more than a year ago? “Jess, I don’t know what you want me to say.”

  “You don’t have to say anything,” Jessica quickly added. “You said it best when I was there last spring — we’re stuck in a holding pattern because neither of us will ever bend. You want to stay in Lancaster and work at the furniture store, and I want to finish college and get a job with a big accounting firm. I know that.”

  “Exactly,” he said.

  “But we’re still friends, right?” she asked.

  “Yes.” He placed his elbow on the table and rested his forehead in the palm of his hand. “We’re friends.”

  “I’d like to see you when I come to visit,” she said.

  “When are you planning to come?”

  “Probably over the holidays,” Jessica said. “I’m super busy with classes and projects, so I won’t have time before then.”

  She made small talk about the weather and her roommate’s boyfriend in New York. When the oven timer finally rang, Jake popped up from the table and moved to the stove.

  “What’s that noise?” Jessica asked.

  “My dinner,” he explained, balancing the phone on his shoulder and pulling the baking sheet from the oven with the help of an oven mitt.

  “What are you having tonight?” she asked.

  “Pizza,” he said as he placed the baking sheet on the stove. “Extra pepperoni.” The warm fragrance of the pizza wafted up to his nose. “Yum.”

  “Gourmet frozen pizza.” She snickered. “Your favorite.”

  “That’s correct.” He retrieved a cutting board and pizza cutter. With the help of a spatula, he slid the pizza onto the board and began to slice it. “Want a piece?” he joked while continuing to balance the phone on his shoulder.

  “No, thanks. I’ll let you go.”

  “All right,” he said, slipping two slices onto a paper plate.

  “It was great talking to you,” Jessica said.

  “You too.” He carried his plate to the table and sat down.

  “I’ll talk to you soon,” she added.

  “Sounds good.”

  “Good-bye,” she said.

  “Bye.” He hung up and then shook his head. After offering a prayer, he bit into the hot pizza.

  That same evening, Katie rolled another pretzel and placed it on a baking sheet. She couldn’t stop the smile that had taken over her lips after the lunch she’d shared with Jake and her cousins. For the first time in months, she felt happy — truly and completely happy. She was filled with excitement thanks to her new friendship with Jake Miller.

  “What are you doing?” Nancy asked, crossing the kitchen.

  “Making pretzels,” Katie said as she rolled more dough.

  “Why are you baking tonight?” Nancy looked confused. “Don’t you do that all day at the bakery?”

  “I don’t make pretzels at the bakery.” Katie placed another unbaked pretzel on the baking sheet. “Want to help?”

  Nancy grinned. “Ya! I love to make pretzels.”

  The back door opened, and Samuel stepped in from caring for the animals. “What are you two doing?”

  “Making pretzels,” Nancy said, rolling more dough. “It was Katie’s idea.”

  “Why are you doing that now?” Samuel asked as he kicked off his work boots. “Isn’t that a Saturday project?”

  Katie shrugged. “I just felt like baking. You know it’s my favorite thing to do.”

  “Are you going to save me one?” Samuel crossed to the stove. “They look gut.”

  “Ya, but I need to take some to work.” Katie arranged another pretzel on the sheet. “It’s a surprise.”

  “A surprise?” Samuel looked intrigued. “And who is going to be surprised?”

  “Jake.” Katie rolled more dough. “And also Ruthie and Amanda.”

  “Jake Miller?” Samuel asked, looking even more intrigued.

  Katie nodded while continuing to shape a pretzel.

  “You’re making pretzels for Jake Miller?” Samuel asked again, his eyes wide with interest.

  “What was that?” their mother inquired as she entered the kitchen from the family room.

  “Katie’s making pretzels to bring to Jake Miller tomorrow,” Samuel repeated.

  “Is t
hat true, Katie?” Sadie asked.

  Katie nodded. “I’m making them for Jake and also for Ruthie and Amanda. The three of us had lunch together today, and we had a really nice time.”

  “Oh.” Sadie stood before her with a confused expression. “I thought you were working at the bakery tomorrow. Are you going to the furniture store?”

  Katie ignored the curious expressions she could see her siblings shooting her. “Jake and Daadi are working at the bakery. They’re building new display cabinets for Mammi. He had lunch with us today, and I wanted to bring him a surprise tomorrow when we eat together. Jake told us he only eats frozen pizza for supper. I thought it would be fun to bring something in for a special lunch-time treat.”

  “Do you like him?” Nancy asked with a big grin.

  “No. I mean, I like him, but he’s mei freind,” Katie said. “We talked today and —”

  “Katie,” Sadie interrupted. “Why would you make him a surprise? He’s a Mennonite bu who works for your daadi. It’s not appropriate.”

  “We’re freinden,” Katie repeated, wishing she’d kept her mouth shut about Jake. She’d never expected this much fuss over homemade pretzels. “We simply had lunch with my cousins and talked on the porch a bit. I made chocolate chip kichlin to share with him, Daadi, Amanda, and Ruthie today, and everyone loved them. I thought it would be nice to bring him, Ruthie, and Amanda a couple of pretzels tomorrow.”

  Grimacing, Sadie shook her head. “Katie, that’s inappropriate. He’s Mennonite.” She leaned forward and lowered her voice. “If your daed heard you were making special goodies for a Mennonite bu, he would be very upset.” She wagged a finger at Katie. “You’re a baptized maedel now. You know better than this.”

  Katie lifted her arms with frustration, causing flour to sprinkle down toward the floor like confetti. “I’m making them for everyone at the bakery, Mamm. Besides, I can’t have freinden who aren’t Amish?”

  Sadie shook her head. “Having freinden is one thing, but having lunch and baking for a Mennonite bu is something completely different.” She pointed toward the pretzels. “You may bake these, but don’t bring them just to Jake. You can share them with everyone at the bakery.”