by Sarah Price
Mary held her breath.
“Nee, not at all,” Bethany replied quickly. “Kum help us.”
Mary breathed a sigh of relief.
When Bethany led John into the kitchen, Mary couldn’t help but notice the way her daughter’s face glowed. Her eyes brightened and a hint of a smile touched her lips. There was a happiness about Bethany that Mary hadn’t seen before.
“John Esh!” Mary greeted him with a cheerful smile. “Have you come to help us bake cookies?”
He pursed his lips and assessed the table. It was covered with bowls and flour and baking sheets. “Well, I have been known to help my maem with her cookies.” Leaning over, he lowered his voice as if to tell them a big secret. “Why do you think people love them so much? It’s my secret touch.” He winked at Bethany.
Mary laughed. “I know that is not true.”
“So, what can I do to help?”
Bethany fetched another knife and handed it to him. “You can help spread the icing on the cookies.”
“Icing. Got it.” He walked over to the sink and washed his hands. Bethany stood by his side and handed him a dish towel when he finished. When he set it on the counter, his eyes met hers and he smiled. “Show me how?”
“I thought you were the master cookie baker at your maem’s?” she teased.
“Oh. Well.” He made a face. “Maybe I exaggerated a little bit.”
“Well, it’s rather simple.” She walked over to the table and picked up one of the sugar cookies. Dipping her knife into the bowl of icing, she slid it across the top of the cookie. “See? Easy.”
He picked up a cookie and began to ice it. “So I understand you’ll be preparing for the Christmas Eve supper at my maem’s on Saturday?”
Mary gave him a curious look. She hadn’t told Edna that. How had John heard? “Ja, that’s our plan.”
“Mayhaps I could stop by later. I have an errand in town, and if you’d like, I could pick up your food to bring back home so you don’t have to worry about it on Tuesday?”
For a second, Mary almost refused his offer. Among her, Abram, and Bethany, they could certainly manage transporting their contributions to the supper. But then she realized that John wasn’t really asking about that. He was asking something else.
“Oh, well, I suppose that would be greatly appreciated.” She focused on rolling her peanut butter dough into small balls. “But I would insist that you’d stay for supper, then.”
John finished icing his second cookie. “Supper, eh? Well, that would be greatly appreciated.” He leaned over and nudged Bethany’s arm with his shoulder. “Your maem’s smart. She knows that if I took the food home on an empty stomach, I’d probably eat it.”
Bethany gave a small laugh.
“Whoops! Hold on a minute,” John said. “Come here, Bethany.”
Confused, Bethany frowned. “What?”
Mary watched as he placed his hands upon Bethany’s shoulders and turned her toward him. His blue eyes studied her daughter’s face.
“What is it?” Bethany asked, her cheeks turning pink.
“You’ve done it again.”
She blinked. “Done what?”
He reached up and touched the tip of her nose. “Icing.” He turned his finger around so she could see it. “You seem to have a knack for always getting things on your face!”
Her blush deepened.
“Good thing I’m always around to wipe it off!” He laughed and popped his finger into his mouth to eat the icing.
“Good thing, indeed,” she managed to say.
Mary smiled to herself. She liked watching the interplay between her daughter and this kind man. And she suspected that she’d be seeing much more of it in the days and weeks and possibly even years ahead.
Chapter Forty-Nine
On Friday, Bethany woke up and could hardly believe that today was the last day she’d be working for Edna Esh. The past few weeks had flown by for Bethany, and now that they were almost over, she knew that she would miss helping her mother’s friend.
But the one thing she wouldn’t miss was having to ride home with Jonas in the afternoons.
“Your last day working,” her mother said when Bethany went downstairs for breakfast.
“Ja, it is.”
“Are you sad about it?”
Bethany was sad, but she suspected not for the same reasons her mother thought. “I am, but Edna mentioned something about helping her again in the spring. A more permanent situation.”
Her mother raised an eyebrow. “Oh ja? That would be nice.”
Bethany nodded. She didn’t mention that it was John who had brought up the subject of creating a more permanent situation. She wasn’t certain what he had meant by that, but she definitely liked the idea of being around the Esh farm again, even if she had to deal with Jonas from time to time.
“Well, be certain to say hello to Edna, Verna, and Wilma today,” Mary said, a forlorn tone to her voice. “Oh, how I wish I could go along with you. I so miss our cookie club days.”
Bethany paused and looked at her mother.
“What?”
She shrugged. “Nothing, really. I just always thought you didn’t like calling it a ‘Cookie Club.’ That’s the first time I’ve heard you mention it so casually.”
Her mother wore a blank expression, and then she gave a little laugh. “I did, didn’t I? I reckon the name’s stuck on me after all!”
As luck would have it, Jonas showed up to fetch her later that morning. Wrapping her shawl around her shoulders, Bethany hurried outside and got into the buggy.
“Gut martiye,” he said.
“Danke, Jonas. You, too.”
“Did I tell you the story about when I went hunting with Jeremiah near Blue Springs?” Jonas asked as he drove her to his mother’s house. “The six-point buck that I bagged?”
Bethany stared out the window, shutting her eyes. He’d told her the story at least twice already, and frankly, she hadn’t liked it either of those times. Bragging about killing a beautiful animal didn’t sit well with her. But she’d learned that it was sometimes better to let him talk. Time passed faster that way, and the more he talked, the less she had to.
“Mayhaps,” she said. “But tell it again.”
She barely listened to him as she stared out the window. Later that afternoon, she’d return home and then attend the children’s pageant at school. With no work tomorrow, Bethany could truly begin to enjoy the Christmas season.
And she needed the time to figure out what to make for John for Christmas. She knew that she wanted to give him something special, but she just didn’t know what. Even though she now had a little extra spending money, buying something from a store felt far too impersonal. And yet, she didn’t have time to make him something so grand as a blanket or quilt.
She hadn’t yet come up with any one idea that jumped out as the perfect gift for him. He’d already given her so many! He’d taken her to the lake in the snowy moonlight. He’d driven her to see the lights on the Englischers’ houses. And he’d helped her to stop feeling shy and quiet in front of strangers . . . or at least in front of him.
What gift could she give him that summed up everything he’d done for her?
Fortunately, Jonas didn’t realize that she wasn’t paying any attention, and by the time he’d finished his story, he was pulling into his parents’ driveway.
Inside the house, Bethany hung up her shawl and hurried over to get started by washing the dishes in the sink. Over the past few weeks, she’d developed a little routine with Edna. As soon as Bethany arrived, she cleaned up any pots and pans that Edna had already used. After she dried them and put them away, she’d set the tables. Then, together, they’d finish cooking whatever needed to be warmed up before the guests came.
“Oh, Bethany! There you are!” Edna hustled into the kitchen, a big box in her hands. “I normally have everything ready for when Verna and Wilma arrive so that it’s really just a matter of mixing the ingredients
. Could you help me measure out the flour?”
Together, they measured the dry ingredients so that everything was already on the table. Bethany suspected that Edna didn’t really need Verna and Wilma’s help to make cookies for the worship services on Sunday. In fact, knowing Edna, she could’ve made cookies blindfolded, or even in her sleep.
“You sure do enjoy having your friends over.” It was an observation more than a question.
Edna smiled and nodded. “I do. Although I have missed your maem.”
“Ja, she said the same thing this morning.”
“Well, she’ll be healed up soon enough, ja?”
“First week after the New Year, I believe, is when the cast comes off.” Bethany couldn’t imagine having to wear that big, clunky thing on her leg for six weeks. She made a mental note to always check stepladders before she stepped on them. “Although it hasn’t really stopped her much.”
Edna agreed. “That’s right. Look at how she managed to get us all to make knot quilts the other weekend. She’s a good-hearted woman, your maem.”
Bethany knew that to be true. And she certainly hoped that, one day, she might be viewed as the same sort of person: kind, compassionate, good-hearted, and giving. Perhaps she might even have her own children one day to pass those traits on to.
“Well, everything’s set here.” Edna surveyed the kitchen table and appeared satisfied. “Let’s set those tables, and then, if you don’t mind, you might run out to the chicken coop for me? Feed those hens and collect their eggs.”
Bethany knew she’d miss working for Edna with her hustle and bustle and focus on getting things done. As she’d told her mother the other day, she had learned so much from Edna over the past few weeks. She’d never met anyone who could get more done in a single day. And, despite all she’d learned, Bethany knew that Edna surely had more to share.
Perhaps she would be able to return in the spring . . . just as John had mentioned to her the other week.
Chapter Fifty
Edna could hardly believe that it was Friday at last.
“Well, Edna, you survived the busy season,” Elmer said to her as he sipped his coffee. “I wasn’t so certain you’d make it—”
“Elmer!”
“—but you sure did. Came through with flying colors, thanks to that Bethany Ropp, I reckon.”
She gave him one of her looks. “You thought I wouldn’t be able to handle it?”
Elmer laughed and moved over to the stove so that he could pour himself a mug of coffee. “Well, I knew you’d survive, but I wasn’t certain if we would.”
She tossed a dishcloth at him.
He grabbed it and, still laughing, set it on the counter. “So how does it feel?”
The truth was that she felt fabulous. After paying for food and Bethany’s help, she’d earned over five hundred dollars a week. That money would go a long way toward helping the family over the next few months. But she didn’t say this, for fear of hurting Elmer’s feelings. He was, after all, the provider for the family.
“I feel tired, that’s what I feel!”
“Mayhaps you shouldn’t attend the school pageant this afternoon, then.”
Her eyes widened. She’d no sooner miss the holiday pageant than she’d miss a worship service! “Why, Elmer! You know that the kinner would be sorely disappointed if I didn’t bring them cookies.” She made a face at him. “And I wouldn’t feel like it was the holidays if I missed it.”
He chuckled. “I know, I know. I’m just teasing you some.”
A noise caught his attention from outside the window. “Well, sounds like your cookie club has arrived.” He glanced at the clock. “And that’s my cue to get back to work.”
He disappeared out the door just in time to bump into the women. Edna could hear their voices exchanging greetings, and then the door opened and Wilma practically burst into the room.
“We’ve a surprise for you!” Wilma exclaimed as she walked into Edna’s kitchen. She dropped her large black bag just inside the door and wandered around the room, her eyes wide and her mouth open as she stared at the red ribbons strung from one corner to another. “Land’s sake! How many Christmas cards did you receive?”
Edna watched as Wilma took in the sight of the holiday cards she had strung from the ribbons. Besides the white candles she set on the kitchen window frame, the holiday cards were the only indication that December was a special month in the Esh household.
“That’s what happens when two large families join together,” she said to Wilma. She didn’t display the cards to make anyone feel bad, but she didn’t see any sense in just stacking them in a basket. Besides, all of those cards made the room appear festive and that put her in such a good mood each year.
Verna stood in the doorway, shaking off her shawl. She, too, seemed dumbfounded by the multiple ribbons and Christmas cards. “Every year I say that I’m going to do this,” she said as she hung up her shawl, “and every year I forget!”
Laughing, Edna gestured toward the table. “Then go home today and do it!”
“It does look joyously charming, doesn’t it?”
Wilma snorted at Verna. “Collects a lot of dust, I bet.” As if to prove her point, she sneezed.
“Oh, Wilma!” Verna swatted at her friend’s arm. “Don’t be such a holiday grump!”
“So, what’s my surprise?” Edna asked, hoping to change the subject before they got into a disagreement.
“Elmer is fetching it now.”
“Oh?” She walked over to the doorway, and upon seeing Mary, Edna cried out. “What a wunderbarr gut surprise!”
Elmer helped Mary into the house, even though Mary protested that she could manage on her own and didn’t need to lean upon him.
As she climbed the steps to the porch, she greeted Edna with a quick embrace. “Oh, how I’ve missed coming here,” she whispered. “In fact, I’ve missed going places, period!”
Wilma grinned. “We thought we’d steal Mary away from the haus for a few hours. She didn’t even know we were coming for her.”
Mary looked nervous. “I’m so glad you did, but I’m afraid Abram won’t like it one bit.”
Edna dismissed Mary’s comment with a wave of her hand. “Nonsense. A broken ankle doesn’t mean you can’t go places. But please sit down. I don’t want you overdoing it.”
“And if I’d known that they were coming, we could’ve brought Bethany with us, instead of sending your son to fetch her.” Mary looked around. “Where is she, anyway?”
“Fetching the chicken eggs, I imagine.” Edna took advantage of the girl’s absence to praise her to Mary. “I’ll surely miss having her around. She’s quiet enough but still good company. And such a hard worker.”
“Well, your loss is my gain.” Mary limped over to the table and pulled out a chair to sit. “I’ve missed having her home.”
Verna glanced at Edna. “Mayhaps someone else will miss Bethany being here,” she said, a mischievous gleam in her eye. “Or have we made any progress with our little project?”
Edna clucked her tongue. “You’re incorrigible.”
Wilma, however, immediately jumped into the conversation. “Well? Are you going to answer her question? I’m dying to know, too.”
Seeing that she wasn’t going to get out of responding, Edna took a deep breath. “I suspect that there might be a special friendship developing, but I can’t be certain.”
Verna clapped her hands. “Oh, joyous news!”
“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves,” Edna cautioned.
“I agree,” Mary said. “Although I will say that he’s been over to the haus a few times.”
The room fell silent, all eyes on Mary.
Stunned at her friend’s announcement, Edna’s mouth opened. So, her suspicions about John’s courting Bethany were correct. “Mary! You need to provide more details.”
Immediately, Mary paled. “Oh, I don’t think I should tell tales out of turn.”
Undeterred, Edna p
ersisted. “When was he there last?”
She looked uncomfortable. “I . . . I guess that would be last night.”
Wilma raised an eyebrow. “You guess or you know?”
“I mean that, ja, he was there. He . . .” She paused and glanced toward the door as if to make certain that Bethany wasn’t about to walk in. “He helped us make cookies for the school pageant today.”
“Why didn’t you tell us?” Verna playfully hit Mary’s arm.
Mary bit her lip. “And—”
“There’s more?” Wilma’s eyes widened.
“—he’s coming to supper on Saturday.”
Edna pressed her hand to her chest. “Land’s sake! I had no idea.”
“Oh, we’ll have a wedding before you know it,” Verna said cheerfully.
Hearing Bethany’s footsteps on the porch, Edna held her finger to her lips. Quickly, she changed the subject just as the young woman entered the house. “I thought that, today, we’d make little Christmas tree–shaped sugar cookies.” She held up the cookie cutter and smiled at the other three women as Bethany walked into the room. “Now, doesn’t that sound like fun?”
Chapter Fifty-One
Mary watched as Bethany helped Edna serve the Englische guests in the house. When Wilma and Verna had started getting ready to leave at eleven, Mary had asked if she might stay a bit longer, and Edna had readily agreed.
During their time together, the women had made their plans for the holiday gathering on Tuesday. Mary could hardly wait to begin cooking on Saturday. It would be such a joyous occasion to have the four families together once again. She was even looking forward to seeing Myrna, although she knew that Verna would certainly talk about nothing but the upcoming baby that was due in the early spring.
“What time does the pageant in your district start?”
Sitting at the table, Mary helped dry some of the dishes. It was the least she could do, even if she wished she could help more. “Three o’clock.”
“Ours, too. We’ll have plenty of time to get there.” Edna peeked over her shoulder at the women still gathered around the tables. “And I might even have enough food left over for Elmer and the boys tonight.”