Eden giggled and tossed it playfully at him.
Jesse looked at the spray of splattered snowball on his shoulder. “I’m going to pretend you didn’t do that!”
Eden bent down and scooped up another handful of snow. “I’m going to keep throwing them until you promise me you won’t break Ruby’s heart.”
Jesse was getting a little impatient with her. “I don’t have a problem promising you that because I have no intention of breaking her heart. The biggest problem I have is asking her to the Christmas Skate. I tried to go over to see her, but she rejected my visit. Priscilla told me she blames me for the accident. Please tell me her ankle is going to be alright.”
Eden couldn’t resist tossing the snowball at Jesse. “She will be, but the doctor told her to stay off the ankle for a couple of days. She will be able to skate on it Saturday.”
Jesse pulled off his hat and smacked it against his leg to dust off the snow. “I can’t wait to ask her until the last minute!”
“I’m afraid you have no other choice.”
Jesse sighed. “What if she rejects my offer?”
Eden smiled at her bruder’s furrowed brow.
“She will say yes. Consider yourself lucky she still likes you even after the accident.”
“I knew she blamed me!” Jesse said.
Eden shook her head. “Nee. She just needs time to heal. Give her that time and ask her when you see her Saturday afternoon when she goes to Goose Pond to test out her ankle before the Christmas party.”
“What if she gets another offer before then?”
Eden was almost enjoying watching her bruder worry so much over Ruby. She knew it would make his feelings for her stronger, and it was important that her friend get the best from Jesse.
“If she does, she won’t accept. She wants you to escort her.”
Jesse let out a whoop, dropping the shovel and scooping up a handful of snow. “It’s payback time!”
Eden squealed, reaching down to grab a fistful of snow and tossed it at her bruder. His snowball smacked her in the arm, spraying snow everywhere. She threw hers as hard as she could. It went sailing into the air and knocked his hat off his head. He laughed, falling to the ground in defeat.
“You win!”
Eden dusted the ice and snow off her mittens, smiling over her victory.
“I always do!”
****
Gabriel pulled the sleigh up to Goose Pond with Eden tucked in the quilts next to him. He’d hurried through his evening chores to make it on time to pick her up. He was tired from a full day of work at the gingerbread haus, but he was too eager to see her to cancel their date. He’d spent the entire day replacing glass in the window panes, and having to do the task without gloves had left his fingers a little stiff. Thankfully, he was able to keep the reins slack in his hands since his horses were well-trained. They knew where they were going, and Gabriel was thankful for the sturdy team.
Gabriel hopped out of the sleigh and reached under the seat, pulling out a Mason jar with a raffia bow tied around the neck. He handed it to Eden.
She examined it in the dark. “A jar of molasses?”
“Jah. You seem disappointed,” he said nervously.
“Nee, I’m not disappointed in the least. Just curious what this is all leading up to.”
She set the jar on the seat beside her and took Gabriel’s hand in assistance. Once her feet were on the ground, he pulled her into his arms and pressed his cold lips to hers with a quick kiss.
“You will have to wait until the surprise is ready.”
Eden kissed him again. “Are you making me something?”
He pecked her cheek. “Something like that.”
Eden had begun knitting him a scarf, but she had a feeling it would pale in comparison to whatever he was up to. He’d involved the entire community of menner, she knew, but she hadn’t been able to get any more information than that from her inquiries.
“I’m making something for you too!” she said.
Gabriel picked her up and twirled her around, her feet dangling, but she didn’t care because his lips were pressed to hers.
“I can hardly wait,” he said excitedly.
He set her down, but she remained in his arms.
“For your gift or mine?” she asked.
“Both!” he said as he picked her up and twirled her again.
Eden had to wonder what it was that had him so excited. Was he going to propose to her already? No, that couldn’t be it. It was something he was making, and it was gnawing at her curiosity almost to the point of complete unrest.
Chapter Eight
Gabriel had just finished pounding in the last nail of the final slat of the porch floor when he heard a truck pull up to the back of the haus. Once the railings were put in place, the porch would be finished. He stood and made a quick observance of his work. Gabriel and his friends had made a lot of progress in less time than he’d planned on. Thankfully the weather had not slowed them down.
“This looks like a whole new house! I can’t believe how much you’ve gotten done.”
Turning around, Gabriel met the approval of Mr. Winters, who stood admiring his efforts to revive the gingerbread haus. The look on the mann’s face gave Gabriel an instant confidence boost. He’d been unsure of his decision to fix up the old haus, but the look on Mr. Winter’s face said it all. One quick look at his friends around him who continued to work hard, and Gabriel felt a gratefulness that could only come from the strong bonds of a community working together.
Extending a hand to Gabriel, Mr. Winters smiled in awe of the transformation. “I can’t believe this is the same house! You’ve done an amazing job of fixing it up!”
“Danki, Mr. Winters. I’m glad you approve. I pray that it will pass inspection to prevent the demolition.”
Mr. Winters pulled an envelope from his jacket pocket and handed it to Gabriel. “I’d say it’s fine just the way it is, but I can see you have plenty more you intend to do to the house. It is clear that the house no longer poses a threat of danger to the community. I’ve signed the deed over to you. I’ll make sure the inspector knows they can come out and release the demolition. Good luck, Son.”
He shook Gabriel’s hand once more before turning to leave.
****
Gabriel carefully wrapped the bag of gumdrops he’d gotten from Fork’s General Store and tied a bow of raffia the way his mamm had shown him how to do. It was the final clue to give to Eden before the unveiling of the gingerbread haus. He decided he couldn’t wait any longer, whether it was finished or not. He was going to wait until Christmas to show her, but he hoped it would give him leverage to ensure he would escort her to the skate party on Saturday. Not that he felt he needed the leverage, but as a woman, she always had the option to turn him down.
Then a terrifying thought entered his mind. What if she turned down his proposal? Was he really ready to propose to her so soon? He’d loved her for what seemed his entire life, and he’d known just as long that he wanted her for his fraa. But that didn’t stop him from feeling unsure of her answer. After the time they’d spent this past week and the kisses they’d shared, he was confident she was his, but his daed had always taught him never to be that sure of anything because Gott always had His plans too. Gabriel had prayed about his decisions regarding Eden and the gingerbread haus to the point that he was fairly confident that it was also part of Gott’s plan for the two of them. All he needed was reassurance from Eden to confirm his plans for their future.
After packing clean lap-quilts into the sleigh, Gabriel and the box of gumdrops were ready to meet their fate. Snow fell in wet clumps, and he suddenly wished he’d brought an umbrella for Eden. Was it possible the old black one was in the back? The last thing he wanted was for her to think he was inconsiderate. A lot was dependent on the outcome of this date, and he wanted everything to be perfect. It wasn’t an absolute requirement, but Gabriel hoped for the perfect setting to establish his place in Eden�
��s heart once and for all. He’d managed to muster up the courage to be bold enough to ask her, and he prayed she would accept not only his proposal to escort her to the Christmas Skate Party, but eventually his proposal of marriage as well.
****
Eden opened the old black umbrella and held it over her head as Gabriel shook the reins to set the sleigh in motion. Grateful he’d found the umbrella in the back, he was ready to spend a romantic evening with Eden, and didn’t want the wet snow to dampen the mood.
All too soon, the sleigh came to a halt in front of Goose Pond near the fireplace, and Gabriel pulled his arm from around Eden to tie up the reins. Ducking his hand under the seat, he pulled out the box accented with a pine branch and holly neatly tucked beneath the raffia bow and handed it to her. He reveled in the delightful glow that lit up her face at the sight of the gift.
“It’s the final clue before your Christmas gift,” he said.
Eden let out a squeal when she opened the box. She’d heard rumors that Gabriel and her bruders had been busy fixing up the gingerbread haus, but she’d been too afraid to let herself hope for such a thing. Unfortunately for Gabriel, the buzz in the community had nearly spoiled his surprise for her, but she wanted to wait for confirmation from him that the rumors were true. The contents of the box had been the last clue to revealing what she already knew, but she would never dream of spoiling it for Gabriel. She would wait for him to tell her himself.
Leaning in, she placed a gentle kiss on his cheek, but he turned, meeting her lips with his. He swept over her mouth with a loving hunger for her, satisfied she was without a doubt devoted to him.
Chapter Nine
Gabriel filled in the cracks between the bricks of the fireplace with mortar. He’d been lucky that none of them had broken when they’d fallen out. There were a few chips here and there, but Gabriel thought they only added character to the hearth. Eden would appreciate that every brick was original to the haus. The place was not finished, but it was clean and no longer a danger according to Mr. Winters, and that made Gabriel proud.
When the last brick was put into place, Gabriel stood back to observe his work. He intended on putting pine boughs and candles on the mantle to show it off to Eden when he brought her here tomorrow before the skate party. The night before, they’d shared Gabriel’s final gift in front of the outdoor fireplace at Goose Pond, and she’d agreed to allow him to escort her to the party. The gumdrops had tasted sweet, but Eden’s kisses had been sweeter.
For now, he had scrollwork to finish on the porch to preserve the gingerbread look to the haus. He would not be seeing Eden this evening, as he planned on working by lantern light if need-be in order to finish as much of the work as possible before he presented it to her tomorrow afternoon. His friends would only be here a few more hours today, and then they would all leave him to finish on his own.
As far as Gabriel was concerned, he would probably see it as a work-in-progress for a long time, and he knew Eden would also want to add her own touches to the haus as well. Whatever condition it was in at the unveiling tomorrow for Eden, he was satisfied it was a huge improvement over the dilapidated state it had been in only a few days before. He prayed that Eden would approve of the work he’d done, as he’d tried his best to duplicate or preserve things just as they were when it had been a new home so long ago. It was a challenge pulling from his memory the way it had looked even when they were young kinner, but he supposed everything he’d done was a big improvement over being demolished, and he knew Eden would see it the same way.
****
Gabriel felt his heart pounding like a woodpecker on a tree. If his heart raced any faster, he feared it would turn into one long beat. He steered his sleigh up to the front of the gingerbread haus with Eden snuggled close beside him.
“You keep that scarf around your eyes until I get back. I need to light a few lanterns so you can see the surprise I have for you.”
He hadn’t planned on bringing her here so late in the afternoon, but he’d wanted to finish the porch rails before she saw the haus for the first time, and it had taken him longer than he’d planned on.
“It isn’t that dark yet, Gabriel. I’m sure I will be able to see it alright.”
“Nee,” he cautioned. “I want the lanterns to show it off more—sort of give it the look I imagined.”
Eden sat patiently in the sleigh, waiting for him while he lit two lanterns and hung them from either side of the porch near the scrollwork. Then he went inside, lit two lanterns, and placed them on each end of the fireplace mantel, adjusting the pine boughs to fit nicely for a holiday display.
Eden heard the crunch of Gabriel’s boots in the snow and felt his gentle hand clasp hers as he assisted her out of the sleigh.
“No peeking,” he said, as he walked her up the front walk and stood next to her facing the porch.
When he was satisfied she was in the perfect spot to observe the haus in its entirety, he slowly removed the scarf from her eyes.
Eden gasped, smiled, and held her breath for a moment. She was too afraid to hope that what she was seeing was real. She took a cautious step forward, taking in the enchantment of the gingerbread haus illuminated by lamplight. Taking a step up, she placed her hand on the rail of the porch, taking in every detail of the white-washed scrollwork that had been duplicated to the exact way it had looked to her as a young girl. The floor of the porch no longer caving in, she walked across the new boards that had been swept clean of snow and led to the front door that boasted a fresh coat of red paint. A pine wreath with bits of holly tucked in the folds decorated the door, inviting her to go inside.
“It’s all so wunderbaar,” she barely whispered around the lump in her throat.
Gabriel clutched Eden’s hand and opened the front door for her. Her face glowed in the lamplight, a smile lighting her face as she set her gaze upon the fireplace. He handed her a lantern and allowed her explore the rest of the haus while he started the fire. He could hear her laughing and exclaiming awe over every feature while he arranged the logs just right over the grate and set a match to them. Before she returned, the fire had caught and added an amber glow to the cozy sitting room.
Eden approached Gabriel where he waited for her in front of the fire. She threw herself into his arms and pressed her lips to his. “Did you do this for me?”
He chuckled. “Who else would I do this for? I wanted you to have your gingerbread haus this Christmas, but I pray we will both be living here next Christmas!”
Eden looked into his hopeful green eyes. “Are you asking me to marry you?”
“I’ve loved you for as long as I can remember, Eden,” he said. “I bought the gingerbread haus and fixed it up for the only person I would want to live here with. I’d like you to be my fraa.”
“Jah,” she squealed with delight. “I can’t imagine living here with anyone but you either. I love you Gabriel.”
Picking Eden up and swinging her around the room of their gingerbread haus, Gabriel didn’t think he could ever be happier than he was right now.
Chapter Ten
Eden looked out at the lanterns that lined Goose Pond, illuminating her friends as they skated happily together. Ruby was skating with her arm tucked neatly in Jesse’s elbow, while Prissy was cozy in the arms of Eden’s twin bruder, Tobias. When had that happened, and how had she not seen that coming? Eden supposed it was because she had been so busy with Gabriel, she’d missed a lot of things that were happening all around her in the community. Eden couldn’t be happier for Ruby and Jesse, and even for Tobias and Prissy. They looked happy, and that was all that mattered. She couldn’t wait to hear all about everyone’s news, but for now, she was content to enjoy the view from Gabriel’s sleigh.
It was almost magical.
“I almost forgot to give you my gift,” Eden said as she lifted the small box from beside her and handed it to Gabriel.
He looked at her sheepishly and then tore open the brown wrapping. Lifting the flap of th
e cardboard box, Gabriel hesitated when he gazed upon the contents. “It’s a gingerbread haus!”
“Jah, it looks like we both had the same gift in mind, but I have to admit, yours is a lot better.”
Gabriel disagreed. Eden had truly been the one to bless him with the gingerbread haus, her love, and so much more. He pulled her into his arms and whispered in her ear, reminding her how much he loved her. He would have never attempted the project if it hadn’t been for Eden’s love of that old haus. Now the haus and their future belonged to both of them. They would spend a lifetime of love and happiness together in their gingerbread haus.
THE END
2012 Winners of the Christmas Cookie Contest
Each winner received an autographed copy of Amish White Christmas, and a gift card!
If you would like to SUBMIT a recipe for future books, or be the first to know the next book I’m writing, PLEASE follow me on Facebook using the link below, to receive automatic updates on all CONTESTS, book GIVEAWAYS and book releases. http://www.facebook.com/SamanthaBayarr
Amish Gingerbread Men: submitted by Diana Montgomery
3 cups all-purpose flour
½ cup unsalted butter (room temperature)
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup granulated white sugar
¾ teaspoon baking soda
1 large egg
2 teaspoons ground ginger
2/3 cup molasses
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
(non-stick spray)
Frosting:
2 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
½ cup unsalted butter room temperature
1 ½ tablespoons milk or light cream
Amish White Christmas: Three Complete Novellas (Snowflakes on Goose Pond, Snow Angels, The Gingerbread Haus {Amish Christian Romance}) Page 9