Caleb glanced at the clock on the oak mantel as it chimed midnight. Jah. Past time for bed. He pulled change out of his pocket, dropped it into a glass dish next to the clock and listened to it clink on the bottom.
He rubbed his hand across the mantel and looked at his fingers, then at the trail they left in the dust.
He wouldn’t blame Mary if she decided to take an afternoon and read a book or visit with a friend. She deserved the time off. He was gone the whole day. She worked as hard as any woman, cooking and cleaning all day. But a dusty haus was puzzling, and out of character for her.
He whisked a finger across the sideboard, the end tables and the wooden chairs. They were all dusty. He scratched his head. Recently, meals had been lighter and simpler than usual. Now when she cooked a beef roast, she went outside while it cooked. She had burned food before, but he’d thought she was busy with the cleaning and laundry.
He stroked his beard. Something was going on with Mary. He could ask Jacob, but he attended school most of the day.
Was she interested in a bu? Maybe.
He’d never seen her talking to any bu at church. At least not that he’d noticed, but he didn’t watch her every second. Should he ask her? Would she tell him what was going on if he did?
Sarah would know what to do.
Chapter Twenty
On Friday Sarah had the last order for A Little Bit Country restaurant all ready when she pulled the door open.
A weird sadness suddenly rushed through her. She enjoyed Mike’s chatter, and seeing him every week. But that wasn’t it. Nein. She enjoyed working for the restaurant. It gave her a feeling of pride, but if the bishop knew that, he would make her confess. It wasn’t a conceited pride. The recipes for the desserts she’d sold the restaurant belonged to her, and not her daed. She’d always worked under her daed’s shadow. It was the reason she’d written the cookbook—to prove to herself she could do it.
“Mornin’, Mike. Your order’s ready. Has your new pastry chef started?”
“No. Not yet.” He smiled and pulled a sealed envelope out of his pocket and handed it to Sarah. “I’m supposed to wait for an answer. I’ll load the car while you decide on a reply.”
Ach. Maybe they wanted her to keep baking a few more weeks. She unfolded the paper and read. Then sat and read it again. Excitement surged through her. “Tell Mr. Gardner I’ll be in to see him tomorrow.” Her throat tightened. It was a wunderbaar opportunity.
She closed the door behind Mike and stumbled to a chair. This was something she’d never expected. Pastry chef. Their new chef had found another job and wasn’t coming. They were offering the job to her. She needed a job to support herself. If she bought a shop, it might be months, maybe years before she’d break even.
This was perfect...or was it?
She’d have to hire a driver to take her the eighteen miles to work every day. Maybe she could ride with Mike on the days he worked. Or she could rent an apartment in Iowa City. It was a wunderbaar opportunity, but could she leave Kalona? Leave Caleb and his family? She’d hardly ever get to see them.
Tears streamed down her cheeks and sobs heaved her shoulders.
* * *
Caleb knocked on the door and waited. He hunched over against the raw wind and pulled his coat tightly around his neck. As soon as the door opened, the warm air hit his face.
“Come in out of the cold.” Sarah waved toward the table. “Have a seat. I have hot coffee to warm your bones.”
“Nein. Let’s not give the neighbors something to talk about. Why don’t you come with me to Lazy Susan’s café?”
Sarah slipped into her black bonnet and heavy cape, locked her door and hurried to his buggy.
When comfortably seated at the restaurant, she ordered coffee and one of Susan’s cinnamon rolls. “I might as well try the competition.”
Caleb smiled at her selection and ordered the same.
The waitress nodded. “Just take a minute.”
“What brings you to town today? An errand?” Sarah asked. “It’s a cold day to be out and about.”
“I wanted to talk to you about Mary.” He stopped abruptly at the presence of the server. She set the coffee and rolls down.
Caleb took a bite of roll. “They’re not as gut as yours.” He raised his brow. “You’re the best roll maker I know.”
“Danki. I appreciate your loyalty.”
Caleb stirred cream into his coffee, the spoon clinking against the glass cup a little too much. He noticed her eyes darting from his cup to meet his gaze.
“Is there something wrong, Caleb?” She sat back in the chair.
“I wanted to ask you something about Mary.”
“Mary?” A tone of surprise tinged her voice.
“When you helped her can tomatoes this summer, did she say anything about a special bu she might have liked?”
“A bu?” She gasped. “Why do you ask that?”
“Mary has been acting strangely lately.”
“What do you mean?” She took a sip of coffee, looking over the rim of the cup at him.
“Clothes aren’t getting washed when they need it. The living room is dusty. Last night’s supper was burnt, and she left Jacob alone in the house.”
“Mary doesn’t say much to me about anything, unfortunately.”
“You must have talked about something during canning.”
“We talked and said it would only be two years and she would be attending singings. I asked if she was excited about that, and she said jah.”
“So, she was talking about boys.”
“Don’t jump to conclusions. I asked if she liked a special bu. She said nein.”
“But that was a few months ago. She could like one now,” he insisted.
“Have you talked to her?”
“Nein.” He picked up a spoon and stirred his coffee again.
“Tell her what you’ve noticed and ask if there is a problem.” Sarah tapped the table with her fingertips. “Go home. Sit her down and talk with her.”
“Maybe I’ll give her a little longer and try to keep a better eye on her.”
Sarah raised a brow. “She’s a young woman. Maybe she bought a romance novel and lost track of time reading. Without a woman around to give her advice, maybe she’s searching for answers on how to act around buwe.”
He leaned back, took a deep breath and exhaled. “You’re probably right. She’s normally a responsible girl. I know it must be hard when she doesn’t have an older sister or a mamm to tell her things.”
“Mary is sensible. Just talk to her.” Sarah reached across the table and patted his arm. “And now that we have settled your problem, I have some good news to tell you. A Little Bit Country restaurant has offered me the job of pastry chef, and I’m going to take it.”
His heart nearly stopped. He drew in a deep breath. His body wouldn’t move. It was as if he were a frozen snowman. Her penetrating gaze thawed his shock. “Did I hear right? They offered you a job as a pastry chef.”
“Jah.” She gave a nervous laugh. “I can start whenever I want. I was hoping you could take me to Iowa City to find an apartment, and help me move.”
He wanted to shout nein! from the top of a barn. But how could he? If he demanded she stay, what could he offer her? Neither of them wanted to change to the other’s Order. Tears threatened his vision, but he lowered his chin and blinked them back. His heart was ripping in two. He swiped a hand through his beard. “Jah. I can do that. I’ll miss you.”
His chest hurt so badly, he could hardly speak. She was like his right hand. Nein. Not just his hand. Sarah was part of his soul, and she was ripping it apart.
“Have you started to pack?” he stammered.
She nodded.
“I’ll take you home and come back tomorrow morning at eight with a car and driver to take you to
Iowa City.” He laid his money on the table and stood.
She chattered about her new job all the way back to her haus. He dropped her off and headed Snowball home in a slow trot that allowed him to decide how to tell Jacob the news. It would crush Jacob’s heart to lose Sarah from his life. The knot tightened in Caleb’s abdomen as he tried to decide how to come to terms with Sarah’s decision.
He worried Mary was sneaking out with some bu. He didn’t want to lose her. Not yet.
Instead, he was losing Sarah.
* * *
The Amish taxi pulled into Sarah’s driveway on time. She grabbed her bag and darted out the door, adrenaline and excitement fueling her feet.
They arrived at the restaurant at 9:00 a.m. The old Victorian building was going to be a wunderbaar place to work. At least, it helped ease her aching heart to tell herself that. Remembering where Mr. Gardner’s office was from her last visit, she started in that direction.
“I’ll wait at a table,” Caleb called as he headed that way.
Mr. Gardner’s secretary escorted Sarah into his office and closed the door. He motioned toward the furniture. “Sarah, I’m so glad you decided to join us.”
“Gut mornin’. Jah, I’m ready.” She sat but held her back straight so it hardly touched the red brocade chair. Her hands rubbed the rich texture of the fabric. It looked too fancy to sit on.
He reclined behind his mahogany desk in his high-backed brown leather chair. “We had many compliments on your desserts. When the pastry chef decided he didn’t want to move from Florida to Iowa, you were the first person that came to mind.”
“Danki, Mr. Gardner.” Her heart fluttered from the flattery.
After they settled on her salary, and her days off, they discussed her starting date. “I’m looking for an apartment in Iowa City, and as soon as I find one, I’ll move. Meanwhile, can I work from home and have Mike pick the baked goods up? I’m hoping it won’t take more than two or three weeks.”
“That’ll work.” He stood. “I’ll introduce you to Chef Randy. He’ll show you around the kitchen. He has heard of you through the Amish tourism books and has tried your desserts. He’s a big fan of yours and is very excited to work with you.”
“Danki, Mr. Gardner. I’m excited about this opportunity.”
But if she were truly excited about the job, then why didn’t her heart agree?
* * *
Caleb was hoping it would take several visits to Iowa City before Sarah found an apartment. Instead, she found the perfect apartment about a mile from the restaurant. It was small but move-in ready. She’d have to store most of her furniture, but it wouldn’t require much care if she worked late hours.
“I’ll let you know when I’m packed. Could you ask Ezra’s friend with the truck if he could help me move?”
“Of course.”
“I have another favor. Could you keep King and my buggy at your place for a while? At least until I see how this job and living in Iowa City are going to work out? Mary can use the buggy, and King is a wunderbaar, gentle horse.”
“Glad to do it. You’ll need to come out and say goodbye to the kinner before you leave town.”
“I’ll do that when I drive the buggy out.”
The memories of the gut times he’d had with Sarah came flooding back. His heart felt swollen and ready to burst out of his chest at the thought of never seeing her again. At least not often. He forced the lump in his throat away.
Her warm smile stayed with him all the way home. When he entered the haus, he checked on his kinner. They were both in their rooms. He sat in his rocker for a long while, staring around the room at Martha’s Bible, her fabric scraps in the corner and her quilts.
He went to the pantry and pulled out the cardboard box he saved to carry Mary’s canned goods and jellies to market. He packed all of Martha’s things from around the house into the box and set it in storage.
As he climbed the stairs to his bedroom, several steps squeaked under his weight. He’d been so busy helping Sarah lately, he’d neglected his own home’s repairs.
Caleb sighed. With her gone, he’d have plenty of time on his hands for repairs. But his heart wouldn’t be the same without Sarah in his life.
Chapter Twenty-One
Her hands shaking, Sarah slowly slipped the harness on King and tightened the girth. “This is the last time I’ll hitch you, at least for a while. I have to work and take care of myself.” She rubbed his ears and mane, then glanced into his large brown eyes. He shook his head, snorted as if he understood and nervously paced the ground.
She slipped her handkerchief out of her bag, wiped away tears and blew her nose. “We best get on our way to Caleb’s farm.”
She climbed into the buggy and tapped the reins against King’s back. The harness pulled taut as the buggy jerked to a start.
Sarah glanced up. Gott, I can’t believe that I’m on a totally different road for my life. I have no idea where You’re leading me, but I’m going to miss Caleb, Jacob and Mary. She gasped for a breath of air, then continued. The agony is ripping my heart in two, but I must trust that You have placed me on the right path.
When King pulled into the driveway, Jacob and Caleb ran out of the haus to meet her. Mary followed at a slower pace. Sarah smiled as Mary approached. Slow was better than not at all. Caleb helped her down. Jacob hugged her.
“Mary made us hot tea and rolls to share as your last sit-down with us. I’ll unhitch King and put him in the barn.”
“I’m going to miss you. Don’t go,” Jacob sobbed.
“Jacob, we talked about this.” Caleb’s stern face tossed him a warning.
“Please don’t go!”
“Jacob, help me unhitch King while the women go inside.”
Sarah caught the jerk in Mary’s head as she looked at her daed. He’d called her a woman.
Mary led the way into the haus. “Living in Iowa City will be wunderbaar. Are you excited?” She banged the teakettle as she poured the hot water into the teapot, then set the basket of loose tea in the pot to steep.
“Jah, excited and nervous. I’ll have no close Plain friends there. You can use King and my buggy.”
“Really? Danki. Can I visit you sometime and stay a few days?”
“Jah, that would be fine, if your daed says you can.”
Caleb and Jacob banged the door as they entered. They took their coats and hats off and placed them on hooks.
Jacob sat on a chair, his head down, lips poked out in a pout.
Mary set the plate of rolls she’d made on the table and poured the tea. “It’s ready.”
Sarah sat next to Jacob, but he still wasn’t in a talking mood. She took one of the rolls and munched a corner. “Mmm. This is delicious.”
“Danki. Caramel-pecan, Mamm’s favorite.”
“Your mamm must have been a very gut baker.”
“Jah. She had many talents. So do you, Sarah. You’re going to work at a fancy restaurant as a pastry chef.”
“Think you’ll like living in the city?” Jacob asked between bites and sniffles.
“Maybe, but I’ll miss the country, and all of you, very much.”
Sarah finished her tea and brushed a crumb from her skirt. She glanced at the clock and stood. “My driver should be here any minute. I don’t want to make him wait.”
“I’ll go check.” Caleb walked to the window and looked out. “He’s here. I could go with and see that you make it okay.”
“Nein, Caleb. That would be harder for me. The driver is taking me back to Kalona to get the last of my luggage and run a couple of errands before we leave for Iowa City.”
They walked out to the SUV, and each one gave her a hug. “Danki for your liebe and friendship, and for your wunderbaar cooking, Mary.” She climbed into the Ford and buckled her seat belt.
As the vehic
le pulled away, she waved. Sarah gazed out the far window of the vehicle so Caleb wouldn’t see her face. As soon as they were out of the driveway, she pulled out her handkerchief and wiped the tears from her cheeks.
* * *
Caleb’s chest tightened. You’re a fool, Caleb Brenneman. You should have asked her to marry you. Now it’s too late. She’s excited about her new job as a pastry chef. You can’t burst her dream.
He walked to the barn and cleaned his workbench and tools. He trudged back to the haus and closed the door against the cold, brisk wind. Maybe a hot cup of coffee would soothe the knot in his throat.
Caleb hung his hat and coat on a peg and took a whiff of an unpleasant odor that permeated the air. “Mary, you burned dinner again, didn’t you?”
She turned away from the stove. “Sorry, Daed. I only stepped outside for a minute.”
“What’s gotten into you, Mary?”
“Nothing.”
“Daed, can we go see Sarah?” Jacob pouted.
“Sit and eat. We’ll talk about it later.”
“There are only chicken and vegetables to eat. Mary burned the potatoes.”
They clasped hands and Caleb said the prayer. He examined the potatoes. A little scorched where they touched the pan, but still eatable.
“Yuck. These potatoes taste terrible. They make my tongue taste awful.” Jacob gulped a drink of water.
“Why don’t we go see Sarah in Iowa City tomorrow?” Mary took a bite of potatoes and ate them. She wrinkled her nose and shook her face at Jacob. “They don’t taste so bad. You’re such a boppli.”
“Didn’t think you liked Sarah. You just want to go to Iowa City.” Caleb pointed his fork at Mary.
“I want to see Sarah and eat one of her cookies,” Jacob chimed in.
“I want to see where she lives,” Mary added.
Caleb dropped his fork, the metal clinking as it hit the glass plate. “You’ve never cared about Sarah. Why the change of heart?”
“That’s not true. She made me a birthday cake and helped me can vegetables all summer. She showed me how to cook several dishes. Why wouldn’t I like her?”
The Amish Baker Page 17
