“Do you like it?” He hadn’t moved, his eyes glued to her movements.
“It’s beautiful.” She twirled the ring with trembling fingers.
He pushed away from the door jam and padded toward her. “I’ve had it for a while. I know you have your mom’s ring, but I wanted to give you a ring. I wanted you to have your own.”
John entered the stall, and Peri sidestepped, allowing him room. He loosened the knot. “I’ve planned a whole fancy night out on Mt. Washington for tonight. I made the reservations two weeks ago, but I can’t wait any longer.”
John freed the ribbon and dropped to one knee.
“Independence Jane Davenport. I love you. I love your courage and determination. I love how you love your aunts and your students. I’m so proud that you passed your CPA exam and have six clients already.”
He clasped the hand holding the ring. “If you want to change your mind and move to the big city, I’m down with that. But I’m glad you decided to stay in Mars.” He caressed her fingers. The ribbon dangled. “I know that being friends with a pilot was a big deal for you, and that was good. Right? Dating one has been even a bigger deal. But we’ve done that pretty successfully, wouldn’t you say?” He raised his brows.
She nodded.
He licked his lips. “Then what about the next level? Marry me, Penn.”
A marriage proposal. In her stable. To the man she loved.
Her heart squeezed and flipped and swelled till it stole every word from her throat. She found the tiny scar on his cheek and watched emotions play across his face. Pictures of him darted through her mind, winning her confidence as a friend, wooing her with slow, gentle steps over the past few months, entrusting her with secrets, forgiven and forgotten.
She kissed his scar. His skin, soft and warm, freshly shaved, smelled like spice and...a future. She lingered there, inhaling his scent, trailed her mouth down his strong jaw and pressed her lips against his.
He hauled her onto his knee, gathering her into his arms.
A squeak announced someone else wanted to join their party. They drew apart. Two heads peeking in the doorway, Jancie in her bright purple parka and Winnie in her hot pink one. Fake fur framed their shining faces.
“She said, ‘yes!’ She said, ‘yes!’“ Both of them clapped and skipped into the barn.
John loosened his arms around Penn. “Nope.” He shook his head. “She didn’t.”
Both mouths dropped open, jostling the fur at their chins. “What? Penny? You didn’t say ‘yes?’“
Penn tightened her arms around him, digging her fingers into the black hair skimming the top of his jacket collar. “Didn’t I say, ‘yes?’“
“No. You left me hanging. You’ve left me here hanging, kneeling in humiliation—”
“Yes. Of course, yes.” She spread her left hand in front of his chest to accept the ring. He obliged, slipping it over her finger, and clamped his mouth on hers again.
“She said, ‘yes’.“ The aunts jumped up and down, and Peri stomped his feet behind them. “Oh, we’ve got a wedding to plan.”
“And babies!”
Penn jerked her head toward the aunts. “What?”
John laughed. “We’ll take it slow. A level at a time. Sound good?”
“Sounds great.” And somewhere around the region of her heart something shifted and settled and swelled so that she could barely breathe. She had Abby again. She had her aunts back. She had John.
Gifts from God.
She should contemplate those gifts right now, but she had other things to do like watching her ring sparkle and kissing John.
Yes, definitely. Kissing John.
Recipes
Celebration Cookies
1 cup butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
¾ cup packed brown sugar
2 cups plain flour
¾ cup white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
2 cups old fashioned oatmeal
1 teaspoon baking soda, dissolved in 1 teaspoon water
12 ounces semisweet, mini chocolate chips
Cream butter and sugars with electric mixer. Add eggs one at a time. Beat well. Add dissolved baking soda and vanilla. Mix well. Add flour and salt. Stir in oatmeal and chocolate chips.
Drop dough by teaspoon onto ungreased cookie sheet or baking stone. Bake at 375 degrees for 8 to 12 minutes. Cool on wire racks.
Yield: Approximately 6-7 dozen cookies
Cinnamon Rolls
Dough
2 pints milk
4 ½ cups plain flour
½ olive oil
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ cup sugar
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 package dry yeast
2 teaspoons salt
Filling
1 cup melted butter
1 cup sugar
1/8 cup cinnamon
Icing
1 cup powdered sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla
1-2 tablespoons *milk
(more or less to make icing consistency)
*try using coffee, orange juice, or other liquids to change the flavor of the icing
Heat the milk, oil, and sugar in saucepan over medium heat. Do not boil. Allow to cool to lukewarm. Dissolve yeast in milk for 1 minute. Stir in 4 cups of flour until just combined. Cover and set aside in warm place for 1 hour.
To the mixture, add baking powder, baking soda, salt, and remaining flour. Combine thoroughly. Refrigerate dough for at least 1 hour.
Remove half the dough from bowl. On a floured baking surface, roll the dough into a large rectangle.
Pour1/2 cup of melted butter on top of the dough. Spread butter evenly.
Sprinkle ½ cup of sugar and half of the cinnamon over the butter.
Starting with the short edge, roll the dough slowly and tightly. Pinch the end to seam together. Cut 1-inch slices with a sharp knife. Place the slices onto sprayed pans. Repeat with remaining dough.
Cover slices and let rise for 20 minutes.
Bake at 375 degrees for 13 to 17 minutes or until golden brown.
Mix the icing ingredients until desired consistency. Pour icing over hot rolls.
Yield: approximately 30 rolls
Yeast Rolls
2 cups warm water
¼ cup olive oil
2 packages dry yeast
1 egg, beaten
½ cup sugar
3 cups whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons salt
3 ½ to 4 cups plain flour
Dissolve yeast in warm water for five minutes in large mixing bowl. Add sugar, salt, olive oil, and egg. Mix well. Add about half the flour and mix well. Gradually add remaining flour and knead until dough is smooth and elastic (about 8 minutes).*
Cover and allow to rise till doubled in size. Punch down and form into rolls. Place into muffin tins. Allow to rise again.
Bake at 375 degrees for 12-15 minutes or until rolls are golden brown.
*At this point, the dough can be covered and refrigerated overnight to rise. Let come to room temperature and punch down before shaping into rolls.
Yield: at least 30 rolls
Chocolate Cake
12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided
1 cup light sour cream
1 package chocolate cake mix
½ cup applesauce
¾ cup chocolate milk mix (like Ovaltine)
½ cup water
4 eggs
1 8-ounce tub frozen whipped topping
Mix cake mix, chocolate milk mix, eggs, sour cream, applesauce, and water with electric mixer until well blended. Stir in 1/3 cup chocolate chips. Pour batter into 2 9-inch round pans prepared with cooking spray.
Bake at 350 degrees 30 to 35 minutes until center springs when touched. Cool in pan for 10 minutes. Cool completely on wire racks.
Microwave frozen whipped topping and remaining chocolate chips for 1 minute. Stir, then microwave in 30-second
increments and stir in between until chocolate is melted. Blend well. Let stand 15 minutes to thicken.
Frost layers with chocolate mixture. Store in refrigerator.
Scrolls
1 can refrigerated crescent rolls
Shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Italian seasoning or assorted spices and garlic (basil, rosemary, thyme, oregano)
Separate rolls into four rectangles. (If perforations to make the triangles separate, seal them back together with a fork.) Generously sprinkle cheese on top of the rectangles. Generously sprinkle the seasoning or spices on top of the cheese.
Roll up the rectangles beginning with the short side. With a sharp knife, cut the rectangle rolls into four spiral pieces. Lay the spirals, cut side up, on a greased, baking sheet or a baking stone.
Bake at 400 degrees for 10 or 12 minutes or until the tops are golden brown.
Red-Ribbon Pecan Pie
½ cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup white sugar3 eggs
1 cup dark corn syrup
2 cups chopped pecans
½ teaspoon salt
1 pie shell
Mix butter, sugar, syrup, salt and vanilla. Beat in eggs. Fold in pecans. Pour into either 2 regular pie shells or 1 deep dish pie shell.
Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until the center is almost set.
*This recipe won second place at the St. Richard’s church picnic in Gibsonia, Pennsylvania, in 2001. Thank you to Auline Toler for this recipe.
Thank you
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Where Faith is the Cornerstone of Love™
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Mars with Venus Rising Page 27