by Sarah Price
John reached down and picked up the package. He held it in his hands as if it were the most precious thing in the world. Handing it to her, he whispered, “Go on. Open it.”
Mary saw that Bethany’s hands shook as she removed the ribbon and slid her finger along the seam of the brown paper. John helped to hold the package as she carefully lifted the top. Mary craned her neck, trying to see what was inside, but all she could see was white paper.
Bethany tried to hide her smile.
“What is it?” Mary whispered to Wilma.
“I can’t see.”
“Well? What is it?” Edna called out, her eyes wide and bright.
John started to reach into the box. “I hope you don’t mind, Mary, but I bought your dochder a new coat.” He withdrew the black coat and laid it across Bethany’s shoulders. “To replace that shawl on cold winter days and nights.”
“Wish us luck trying to get her to wear it,” Abram said.
John stood behind Bethany, his hand lingering on her shoulder. “Mayhaps I’m the one who will need luck, Abram. You see, there’s more,” he said, his expression sobering as he looked at his mother. “We’re getting married.” He paused. “On January fourteenth.”
Mary felt her heart skip a beat. January fourteenth was just three weeks away!
Abram’s eyes widened. “Married? But she’s too—”
Mary nudged him with her elbow. “Hush now, Abram,” she whispered.
Edna, however, brightened, and she clapped her hands together. “Oh, blessed news!”
Wilma nudged Verna. “I told you so.”
“You told me nothing.”
“Did so.”
John nodded, his hand still resting on Bethany’s shoulder. “Daed and I already picked out the spot in the back where we’ll build an addition to the haus,” John said, mostly to Bethany but so everyone could hear. “Weather permitting, we’ll begin working on it after the wedding and it should be finished before long.”
“A dawdihaus?” Mary gasped. She hadn’t thought about the possibility of John building something for them. Bethany wouldn’t be living with Edna exactly after all! She’d have her own house.
“And, if Mary and Abram will have us, we’d like to live at their place until it’s ready. Say springtime?”
Mary could hardly believe her ears. Nothing would have pleased her more. She suspected that John and Bethany could’ve lived at Edna’s haus—it was certainly big enough. Shifting her gaze from John to Bethany, Mary saw that her daughter was smiling at her. Clearly John had suggested this arrangement to benefit both her and Bethany.
“I reckon we could arrange that,” Abram said. “Would be right nice to have another man around the haus.”
“Ja, but just until I can build something small for us to get started, and then, later, we’ll move into the big haus.”
Edna wagged her finger at them. “Don’t think that means you’ll be getting rid of us,” she teased. “I don’t mind moving to the smaller haus, but I plan on being around to help with lots of bopplin!”
Bethany’s cheeks turned bright red, and Mary felt her own drain of color.
“First things first,” John said, clearly sensing his fiancée’s discomfort.
Jonas and Jeremiah walked inside, with Rachel and Ella Mae following.
“What ho! What’s going on here?” Jonas took one look at his brother standing beside Bethany and he broke into a grin. “Well now! Didn’t see that coming!”
“And here we thought he was courting that old maedel Bessie!” Jeremiah said.
Mary couldn’t help but laugh with the rest of her friends. It was definitely turning into a very merry Christmas indeed!
Epilogue
Bethany knelt in the dirt, her bare toes tucked into the soil, as she weeded her garden. She loved spending her afternoons there, plucking the little green intruders that popped up overnight and tending to her tomato plants. A rabbit had eaten all of the lettuce she’d planted, and while John had put wire fencing around it, Bethany hadn’t yet had time to replant it.
Two months ago, they’d moved to the dawdihaus at the end of April, coinciding with the return of the tourist season. And while Bethany helped Edna with the baking, her mother had offered her help with serving and cleaning. Edna had been thrilled for the help and company, while Bethany was just happy to see her mother on a regular basis during the week.
“Looking mighty gut,” John called out as he crossed the yard toward the garden.
She sat back on her heels and covered her eyes. The sun was setting behind him as he approached. “We’ll have plenty of tomatoes for sauces and salads, that’s for sure!”
“Mayhaps Jonas can make you a roadside stand for selling your vegetables,” John said as he opened the gate and walked over to her. “He’s really gotten good with making things ever since he started that job with the builder.”
Bethany brightened at the suggestion. “What a wunderbarr idea!” She wouldn’t even mind having to talk to strangers, not if it was about the food she grew. “Do you think he would?”
“I reckon it’s worth asking. And Jeremiah could help him on Saturday when he’s off from the auction haus.” Reaching out his hand, he helped her to her feet. His hand brushed against her belly, and he let it linger. “How’s the boppli doing?”
“Kicking away,” she laughed.
He held his hand there as if trying to feel the baby move. Bethany knew the moment he felt something, for his face lit up.
“Such a miracle,” he whispered.
She covered his hand with her own, staring up at him. She’d never known that such joy was possible. Living in the small two-bedroom dawdihaus on the farm brought her endless peace.
“Let’s go inside,” she said. “I made some fresh meadow tea and baked you some sugar cookies.”
He lifted her hand and brushed his lips against her fingers. Together they walked out of the garden, pausing to shut the gate behind them. As they headed into the house, the clock that hung in their entrance room played a gentle melody and the sun set behind the roof of the barn, another day ended on the Esh farm.
Recipes from the Amish Cookie Club
BETHANY’S GINGERBREAD COOKIES
1 cup unsalted butter
1 cup dark molasses
1 cup brown sugar
½ cup water
1 large egg
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
6 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon cloves
1 teaspoon baking soda
Cream the butter, molasses, and brown sugar in a large bowl until smooth.
Mix in water, egg, and vanilla.
Combine the flour, spices, and baking soda in a separate bowl.
Combine the dry mix with the butter and sugar mix.
Put in refrigerator to cool for 2–3 hours.
Preheat oven to 350° F and line several baking sheets with parchment paper.
When ready to bake: drop the dough (about one healthy tablespoon each) onto the cookie sheets and flatten using the bottom of a large glass or coffee mug. Alternatively, roll out into ⅓-inch dough and cut shapes.
Bake for 10–12 minutes or until golden brown.
Makes approximately 4 dozen cookies.
AMISH STARRY NIGHT CHRISTMAS COOKIES
½ cup walnuts
½ cup almonds
2½ cups unsalted butter
2½ cups brown sugar
3 large eggs
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon sea salt
4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
6 cups rolled oats
1 cup raisins
1 cup white chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350° F and line several baking sheets with parchment paper.
Coarsely chop the walnuts and almonds and set aside.
> Cream the butter and sugar in a large bowl until smooth.
Mix the eggs, honey, vanilla, and salt together until smooth.
Combine with the butter and sugar. Beat until creamy.
Slowly work in the flour and oats.
Add the raisins, white chocolate chips, and nuts into the dough and mix well.
Shape dough into large balls (approximately 1½ inches in circumference) and put on the cookie sheets and flatten using the bottom of a large glass or coffee mug.
Bake for 12–15 minutes or until golden brown.
Makes approximately 3 dozen cookies.
AMISH MOLASSES NUT COOKIES
1 cup almonds
1 cup unsalted butter
2 cups white sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup dark molasses
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons ginger
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup buttermilk
Preheat oven to 350º F and line several baking sheets with parchment paper.
Coarsely chop the almonds.
Cream the butter and sugar in a large bowl until smooth.
Mix in the eggs, molasses, and vanilla.
Combine the flour, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and baking soda in a separate bowl.
Combine the dry mix with the butter and sugar mix.
Slowly add the buttermilk.
Beat until creamy.
Add the nuts into the dough and mix well.
Drop the dough (approximately one healthy tablespoon) onto the cookie sheets and flatten using the bottom of a large glass or coffee mug.
Bake for 12–15 minutes or until brown.
Makes approximately 4 dozen cookies.
Read on for an excerpt from Sarah Price’s next heartwarming Amish romance,
AN AMISH COOKIE CLUB COURTSHIP,
coming soon!
Edna braced herself for what she knew was inevitable: another desperate plea from her friend Wilma.
It was Wednesday morning, and just as she did every week, Edna had invited her three best friends over to bake a batch of cookies for Yoders’ Store in Shipshewana. Ever since the previous year, they’d been baking cookies for the store to sell, a way to raise money for Amish Aid in their respective church districts. But, even more importantly, it was another chance for the four Amish women to spend time together and socialize.
They also still managed to find time to meet every other Friday to make cookies for their congregations to enjoy during the fellowship hour following their biweekly worship service. Over the years, the four women had developed quite the reputation for baking cookies—a favorite among young and old alike. They had even become known as the Amish Cookie Club, a nickname that didn’t sit so well with Edna but had stuck just the same.
Edna supposed it didn’t matter what people called them. The most important thing was that the four childhood friends made time to get together and support each other, something that was easier to do now that all of their children were grown and, in some cases, married.
With the cookies baking in Edna’s large commercial oven, the sweet scent of cinnamon wafting through the kitchen, the four women sat in the back room, keeping their hands busy crocheting (or, in Verna and Wilma’s case, knitting) while they visited. This part of the day was even sweeter than the cookies they baked.
Four months had passed since Edna’s son John had married her friend Mary’s Bethany. Four long, peaceful months filled with a new sense of energy in her house. Despite living in the small dawdihaus, John and Bethany often spent their evenings visiting her parents who now lived alone. While Edna missed having her son at her kitchen table every morning and evening, she found herself thoroughly enjoying the company of his young wife during the day. They often spent their mornings together, baking and cooking or sitting by the wood-burning stove in the back room, crocheting blankets. Indeed, this past winter had proven to be the most joyful one that Edna could remember in many years . . . for Bethany had brought a new sense of calm to the farm and refreshing female companionship to Edna’s life.
Unfortunately, all of that was about to change.
MayFest was rapidly approaching—just a few weeks away. And that meant the unofficial start to the summer tourist season in Shipshewana. With the return of the tourists, Edna’s business serving meals to the Englische would start up once again. And, of course, that also meant it was time for Wilma to try pawning off her twin daughters as helpers for Edna.
“Rachel and Ella Mae are both eager to help you,” Wilma said as she sat in the rocking chair, knitting a lap blanket. She rocked back and forth, a sweet, angelic look on her cherubic face. “Why, just the other day, Ella Mae asked when they could start!”
Edna caught Verna’s eye and noticed that her friend choked back a laugh.
“What?” Wilma asked.
“I bet she did just that.”
Wilma scowled in Verna’s direction. “I’m telling you, she did!”
“I’m sure.”
“Bah!” Waving her hand at Verna, Wilma redirected her attention to Edna. “And I know how busy you are. Surely you need help.”
It was Mary, however, who quickly interjected. “But Bethany is part of the family now,” she reminded Wilma, peering at her friend over the rim of her round eyeglasses. “And she will be helping Edna.”
“Oh, fiddle-faddle!” Wilma scoffed. “It doesn’t take a doctor to see she’s pregnant, and with her being so fragile—”
Mary frowned. “She’s not fragile!”
Verna raised her eyebrows. “She’s pregnant?”
“—she’ll be too tired to help out Edna.”
Edna sighed and shook her head. “Clearly the cat’s out of the bag now.”
“Why didn’t anyone tell me?” a bewildered Verna asked, looking from Mary to Edna. “I’m always the last to know anything anymore!”
“We were going to tell you soon,” Mary said in an attempt to soothe Verna.
“Hmph!”
“Besides—” Wilma pursed her lips, adopting an air of innocent superiority. “I’d be surprised if John let her work much longer anyway, seeing how protective he is of her.”
Edna clucked her tongue and was about to refute Wilma’s claim, but Mary, who sat beside her, placed a hand on Edna’s knee. “He is just a little bit overprotective,” she whispered gently.
Edna gasped. Coming from Mary, Bethany’s own mother—the queen of overprotection!—that was certainly rich!
“I heard that!” Wilma lit up, pointing in Mary’s direction. “Even her own maem agrees!”
Inwardly, Edna groaned. She couldn’t—simply couldn’t!—have Wilma’s daughters helping her with the Englische customers. Why! They’d merely bicker and argue with each other the entire time, for sure and certain!
“Besides, it’s not fair,” Wilma added, puffing out her chest and putting on a face. “All three of you have married off your kinner and now have grandbabies on the way, but not me!”
Verna rolled her eyes. “You have plenty of grandbabies from your older dochders!”
“And sohn, too!” Mary chimed in.
“Bah!”
But Edna couldn’t get past what Wilma had just said. Something wasn’t making sense. And then it dawned on her. “Wait a minute, Wilma.” She leaned forward in her chair and stared pointedly at her friend. “Who, exactly, are you intending your dochders to marry if they are helping me serving Englische tourists? Their Englische sons?”
A silence fell over the room.
After a brief hesitation, Wilma raised one eyebrow, arching it in a perfectly inverted V. “Well, you do have two sohns, you know.”
With wide eyes, Edna stared at Wilma. If Mary had a feather in her hand and brushed it against Edna’s arm, she’d have surely fallen over! She had to repeat Wilma’s words—not just once but twice!—to realize that she
had, indeed, heard her friend correctly. And then, she noticed that neither Verna nor Mary said one word.
Slowly, Edna turned her head and stared at Mary. “Did you know about this?”
Mary licked her upper lip and averted her eyes.
Edna shifted her gaze to Verna. “You?”
“I . . . uh . . . well . . .” she stammered, but then she, too, looked away.
“Land’s sake!” Edna exclaimed at last. “I see exactly what’s been going on!” She dropped her crocheting onto her lap. “The three of you have been scheming behind my back!”
“I wouldn’t exactly call it ‘scheming,’” Mary mumbled.
“Hush now!” Edna pressed her lips together. “Scheming is exactly what it is. No amount of confectioner’s sugar will sweeten this bitter cookie!”
Verna looked as if she might laugh.
“I’m simply shocked,” Edna said at last. Both Mary and Verna knew how difficult Wilma’s two daughters could be. Why on earth would either of them think, for even one minute, that Jeremiah or Jonas would be a good match for Rachel or Ella Mae? In fact, Edna couldn’t imagine anyone being a good match for those two quarrelsome girls! “If you wanted your dochders here to learn how to suppress their opinions or work as part of a team, well, that I could understand, but to try to marry them off to my boys?”