Spring Is in the Air

by Amy Clipston

  She’s here!

  He smiled as he made his way toward her. She was pouring seeds into a canvas bag. She stopped working and pushed back an errant tendril of golden hair that had fallen out from beneath her prayer covering. She turned, and when her gaze entangled with his, her pretty pink lips turned up. Her beautiful face seemed to glow.

  “Hi, Chris,” she said as he climbed the porch steps. “Wie geht’s?”

  “I’m great. How are you?”

  “Gut.” She gestured toward the garden. “Earl Smucker was able to bring his father’s plow over. Clara brought the seeds, so we’re going to start planting as soon as he’s done. I’m just putting them in canvas bags to get them ready. It’s supposed to rain tonight, so it’s the perfect time.”

  “Fantastic.” He rubbed his hands together. “Can I help you?”

  “Ya.” She gestured to the chair beside her, and then she handed him a canvas bag and a bag full of seed packets. “You can empty these packets into that bag.”

  “Okay.”

  They worked in silence for several minutes, and he couldn’t keep his eyes from finding their way over to her. He took in her attractive face—her high cheekbones, her gorgeous honey-brown eyes, and her long, slender neck. Did she have any idea how pretty she was?

  “How was your day?”

  Her question caught him off guard for a moment, but he quickly recovered. “Gut. I got all my work done early so I could come help. How about yours?”

  “The same.” She kept her eyes focused on the packets of seeds. “I helped mei mamm with the cleaning, and then I made a casserole to bring for supper.” She looked up at him. “Do you like taco casserole?”

  “I’m sure I do.”

  “You’re sure you do?” Her brow furrowed. “Does that mean you’ve never had it?”

  He shook his head. “I haven’t, but I like tacos.”

  “Oh, gut. I hope you can stay for supper and try it.” She returned to her work.

  “I’d love to.”

  “Great. Did you build cabinets today?”

  “No, but I finished sanding some. I have to stain them tomorrow.”

  “What do they look like?” She looked up, and her eyes sparkled.

  He shrugged. “Well, they’re oak cabinets. They’re going in the kitchen of one of our Englisher clients.”

  “They sound nice.” She ripped open another packet of seeds and dumped them into her bag. “How long have you been building cabinets?”

  “All my life. Mei dat took over the business from mei daadi, and then he taught mei bruder and me how to build them. I think I started sanding when I was around four. What does your dat do?”

  “He’s a dairy farmer.”

  “That’s hard work.”

  “Ya, it is. There’s always something to do on a farm.”

  They worked in silence for a few more minutes, and his thoughts wandered back to Sunday and the sad expression on her face when she left Emma’s house. If he asked her what was wrong, would she feel comfortable enough to tell him?

  “Has everything been okay?” he asked.

  “What?” She pushed one tie from her prayer covering behind her shoulder as her brow pinched once again.

  “You looked upset on Sunday when you walked out to your horse and buggy. I hope everything is okay.”

  She studied him for a moment as her eyes widened and then went back to normal size. He’d crossed a line, and he longed to take back the comment. Now she’d never trust him.

  “I’m fine. Danki for asking.” To his surprise, her expression was kind. Perhaps he hadn’t missed his chance to build a friendship with her.

  “Gut. I know we just met, but if you ever need someone to talk to, I’m available.”

  She smiled. “I appreciate that.”

  “You two are getting a lot done.”

  Chris looked up at Mandy, who was standing on the steps with Ephraim. He glanced at Katie Ann as her smile faded and her pretty face clouded. Could Mandy and Ephraim be the source of her sadness? But Ephraim was her brother. Why would he upset her?

  Mandy pointed to Katie Ann’s canvas bag. “Which seeds are we going to plant first?”

  “I’m starting with lettuce seeds,” Katie Ann explained. “I have a book on gardening, and it recommended planting lettuce this time of year.”

  “Oh.” Mandy nodded. “I hadn’t thought to research what to plant first.” She looked up at Ephraim. “We should have picked up a book on gardening when we were out shopping the other day.”

  “You’re right.” Ephraim nodded. “I hadn’t thought about it.”

  Katie Ann pointed toward the field, remembering the plan Mandy laid out at their first meeting. “We want the lettuce planted in that section over there.”

  “That’s right,” Mandy said.

  Ephraim nodded at Chris. “It’s gut to see you. I’m glad you could come back today.”

  “I am too.” Chris held up his canvas bag. “I’m helping Katie Ann get the seeds ready.”

  Mandy turned to Ephraim. “Why don’t we ask everyone to come over here to help with the seeds? We don’t want to run out of daylight.”

  “Ya. Let’s go tell them.” Ephraim took her hand in his as they walked down the steps and toward the group of young folks standing by the barn, watching the plow.

  Chris was certain he heard Katie Ann sigh, and he opened his mouth to ask her what was wrong. Changing his mind, he closed his mouth. He’d already told her he was happy to listen if she wanted to talk. If she felt the urge to share her feelings with him, he had to allow her to do it when she was ready.

  As he continued to empty seed packets into his bag, Chris was certain of one thing: something was bothering Katie Ann, and he was determined to find out what it was so he could help her.

  CHAPTER 3

  What kind of kichlin do you want to bake?” Katie Ann asked Mandy as they stood at the counter in her kitchen Friday morning.

  “Hmm.” Mandy tapped her chin as she turned a page in Mamm’s favorite cookbook. “How about cinnamon roll kichlin?”

  “Ooh! My favorite!” Katie Ann clapped her hands and smiled as happiness bubbled up inside her.

  For the first time in a while, she felt as if she had her best friend back. When she invited Mandy over to bake, she at first thought she would refuse. Instead, Mandy sounded just as eager to spend time with Katie Ann as Katie Ann was to spend time with her. Maybe they could get their relationship back to where it used to be, when they would spend hours together baking and talking. Mandy had always been like the sister Katie Ann never had.

  Katie Ann crossed the floor to the pantry. “I’ll get the ingredients. You read the list to me.”

  “Let’s see,” Mandy said. She called out each ingredient—eggs, butter, vanilla, sugar—and Katie Ann brought them to the counter.

  As Katie Ann began assembling the ingredients in a bowl, Mandy stared out the window and fingered the ties on her prayer covering.

  “Are you going to help?” Katie Ann asked as she cracked an egg.

  “What?” Mandy spun toward her, and her cheeks flushed bright red. “I’m sorry. I was looking to see if Ephraim was outside.”

  Katie Ann swallowed a retort. “He’s probably in the barn with mei dat.”

  “Oh.” Mandy gave a little smile. “Do you think I could go visit him?”

  Katie Ann stilled. “You want to go see him now? Aren’t you going to help me?”

  Mandy shrugged as her smile widened. “Only one of us can mix the ingredients, right?” She pointed toward the back door. “I’ll only be a minute.”

  Before Katie Ann could respond, Mandy slipped into the mudroom, and the sound of the storm door clicking shut came behind her.

  Anger, sharp and swift, sliced through her. Today was supposed to be their day, but Mandy had chosen Ephraim over her once again. Furious tears stung her eyes as she mixed the batter with an aggressive strength. Once again she felt invisible and insignificant, instead of like Mandy
’s best friend. While she was working hard to rebuild their friendship, Mandy didn’t seem to make any effort.

  Pushing away her self-pity, Katie Ann began preparing the dough. She peered out the window above the sink and spotted Mandy and Ephraim talking outside the barn. Ephraim looked mesmerized as Mandy spoke to him. When she finished talking, they both laughed, and their smiles were nearly as brilliant as the morning sunlight.

  Envy wrapped around Katie Ann like an itchy blanket as she watched Ephraim take Katie Ann’s hand in his and then steer her toward the house. Would Katie Ann ever find a man who would care for her the way her brother cared for Mandy?

  She’d dated two young men from her youth group in the past, and neither of them had looked at her the way Ephraim looked at Mandy. Her relationships had been insignificant and short, lasting barely two months each. What did it feel like to have a man pay attention to your every word and hold your hand as you walked together? She’d never known that feeling. Would she ever be blessed with a relationship like that?

  Guilt nipped at Katie Ann as she began to flatten the dough. Giving in to jealousy was a sin. Wouldn’t Mamm be disappointed if she heard Katie Ann’s thoughts?

  “I found an assistant,” Mandy sang as she stepped into the kitchen with Ephraim in tow. “Ephraim wants to help me make the filling for the kichlin.”

  “She’s going to teach me how to be an expert baker.” Ephraim kept his eyes focused on Mandy as he grinned down at her.

  Katie Ann felt her lips twist downward. Once again she was a third wheel, the odd person out when her brother and Mandy were together. “Do you want me to leave?” The question leapt from her lips without any forethought.

  “What?” Mandy’s gaze swung to Katie Ann’s as her forehead puckered. “Why would we want you to leave?”

  “If I left, you and Ephraim could bake alone.” Katie Ann gestured between them. “You’d have privacy.”

  Mandy’s mouth worked, but no words escaped.

  “Don’t be gegisch.” Ephraim shook his head as he walked to the sink. “We’ll all work together.”

  “Ya!” Mandy joined Katie Ann at the counter. “It will be fun. What do we do first to start the filling?”

  Katie Ann tried to smile, but her day was ruined. She’d looked forward to baking with Mandy, but instead, she’d wound up serving as their chaperone. Would she ever get her best friend back?

  “Would you like a kichli?” Katie Ann held up a tray of cinnamon swirl cookies as she stepped into Emma’s kitchen the following afternoon.

  “Look at those!” Emma gasped as she reached for one. “Did you make them?”

  “Ya.” Katie Ann shook her head. “Well, more accurately, Mandy, Ephraim, and I made them.”

  Emma held up the cookie. “How fun.”

  Katie Ann swallowed a sarcastic snort.

  Emma took a bite and then groaned as she closed her eyes. “Katie Ann, these are appeditlich. You all did a great job.”

  “Danki.” She set the tray on the counter and then crossed her arms over her chest. Yesterday’s events filtered through her mind. She’d felt like an intruder as Mandy and Ephraim laughed and flirted while they made the cookies. She found herself regretting inviting Mandy over for a “fun day” together. It wasn’t fun for anyone but Mandy and Ephraim.

  “Was iss letz?”

  Katie Ann looked up at Emma’s kind eyes. “What do you mean?”

  “Something is always wrong if appeditlich kichlin are in the room and you’re not smiling.” Emma pointed to the kitchen table. “Let’s sit. Tell me what’s upsetting you.”

  Katie Ann sat down as Emma placed the tray of cookies in the center of the table and then sat down across from her.

  “What’s on your mind?” Emma lifted another cookie from the tray as she put the rest of the first cookie in her mouth.

  Katie Ann ran her fingers over the table as she contemplated her words. “When I invited Mandy over yesterday, I thought we could bake together and that it would be like old times. We used to bake for hours, and we’d talk about everything from the buwe we liked to our favorite books. But now it seems like we can’t spend time together unless we include mei bruder. I want to have time with her, too, you know? I feel like I’m not gut enough to be with her now. She’d rather be with Ephraim than me, and it hurts. I just miss how things used to be.” She longed to erase the whine in her voice, but her frustration was real.

  Emma reached across the table and touched Katie Ann’s hand. “I understand you miss Mandy, but you haven’t lost her. Your relationship has changed, but you still have her as your freind. I know she still cares about you.”

  Katie Ann nodded as her suddenly tight throat trapped her words. Why was she so emotional?

  “You’ve known her since you were seven years old, and that’s a special friendship. Mandy wouldn’t just give that up. Relationships change. That’s just part of growing up. But you’ll always have Mandy in your life. I told you about mei freind Sally. She and I have known each other since first grade, just like you and Mandy. Our friendship has changed over the years, but we’re still close.”

  Emma pointed toward the window. “If she left me a message on my voice mail today, I’d call her back, and we’d pick up where we left off during our previous conversation. She’s still my best freind after all these years.”

  Katie Ann nodded, but doubt filled her mind. How could she and Mandy remain close if Mandy never wanted to really talk to her? It just didn’t make sense. She needed to change the subject before it broke her heart.

  “I saw a lot of young people working outside when I came in.” Katie Ann forced her lips into a smile. “It looks like the planting is just about done.”

  “Ya.” Emma took a napkin from the holder in the center of the table and began to mop up the crumbs from the cookies she’d eaten. “We’ve had a lot of help. I think word about this project has spread throughout the community.”

  “What a blessing.” Katie Ann’s thoughts turned to Emma’s late husband. “What would Henry say if he were here to see it?”

  Emma’s eyes glistened in the sunshine pouring through her kitchen windows. “He would be honored, just like I am.”

  As if on cue, Hank hopped up on the chair beside Emma and rubbed his head against her arm.

  “Ach.” Emma smiled down at him and scratched his ear. “You always know when I need a hug, don’t you, Hank?”

  Katie Ann laughed as the cat continued to rub Emma’s arm.

  “Katie Ann,” Clara announced as she walked into the kitchen from the mudroom, “I didn’t see you arrive. How long have you been hiding in the kitchen?”

  Katie Ann shrugged as she looked at Emma. “I don’t know. Maybe twenty minutes?”

  “Oh! Did you make these?”

  “Ya. Have one.”

  Clara reached for a cookie, took a bite, and then moaned. “Oh. So gut!”

  “I’m glad you like them.” Katie Ann pointed toward the back of the house. “I was just telling Emma I was surprised to see all the help we have.”

  “Ya. I told one of my cousins, and she invited her whole youth group to come. The planting is almost done. We’re going to start watering now.” Clara finished eating the cookie. “You should take a few of these out to the barn. I bet Wayne and Chris would love them.”

  “Chris is here?” Warmth filled Katie Ann’s chest as her pulse kicked up.

  “Ya. He and Wayne are building the stand out in the barn.” Clara pointed to the tray. “You need to sell these at the stand.”

  Katie Ann stood. “Let’s take this tray of cookies to the barn.”

  Chris hammered another nail into a piece of wood while Wayne cut another piece with a saw. They must have been working for more than an hour now, and he found himself repeatedly checking the doorway to see if Katie Ann had arrived to work in the garden today too. Earlier he’d asked Clara if she’d seen Katie Ann, and Clara told him she wasn’t certain if Katie Ann had planned to come to Emma’s tod
ay. His happy mood deflated like a balloon when he heard that. He’d made plans to start building the stand today, but he’d also hoped to spend some time with Katie Ann.

  He couldn’t seem to get her off his mind. Her pretty smile had floated in the back of his thoughts since he’d talked to her on Tuesday. Had she thought of him too?

  “This is coming together really well,” Wayne said. “I think the maed will be froh with it.”

  “I hope so,” Chris said. Who was he kidding? He wanted to impress only one maedel—

  “Do you need a snack?”

  Chris pushed his sweaty hair off his brow and turned toward the barn doors. His heartbeat quickened when he found Katie Ann smiling at him, holding a tray of cookies. Was he dreaming? Clara stood beside her, holding up two bottles of water.

  “That sounds perfect.” Wayne set the saw on the ground and walked over to the two young women. “Wow. What kind of kichlin are those?”

  “Cinnamon swirl.” Katie Ann kept her eyes focused on Chris as she spoke. “I made them yesterday. I hope you like them.”

  Chris set down his hammer and started toward her. “They sound amazing.”

  Katie Ann lifted her chin as if proud of her creation. She was adorable.

  “Uh-uh,” Clara said as Wayne reached for a cookie. “Wait a minute, Wayne.” She held the bottles in one hand and pulled a small bottle of hand cleaner from the pocket of her apron. “Clean those hands first.”

  Wayne sighed, followed her instructions, and then took a cookie.

  Chris followed suit and cleaned his hands before approaching Katie Ann. “Danki.” He took a cookie from the tray. “These look and smell appeditlich.”

  “I can’t wait for you to taste one.” Her eyes sparkled as he took a bite. “What do you think?”

  “Fantastic.” He shook his head as he leaned back on the barn wall. “You made these?”

  She nodded. “Mei bruder and Mandy helped, so I can’t take all the credit.”

  “I told her she should sell these at the stand.” Clara handed Chris a bottle of water.