Christmas Cakes and Kisses

by Anne Hagan

  Morgan shook her head and then chuckled.

  “It’s really not funny...” Hannah started to say.

  “No, I know. I wasn’t really laughing, not about all of that anyway. I was just thinking, if we were men, would he be acting this way? I mean, look how he was with the chef.”

  “You think he’d be different with male students?” Hannah asked.

  “I know it.”

  “I guess I hadn’t thought of it like that.”

  “The Amish are a very male...dominated uh, culture, right?

  “Order? Yes, that’s true.”

  “So, I’m seeing him a little bit differently than you’re seeing him.”

  Hannah leaned across the little table and whispered, “Dana called him an asshole when she heard him on the phone the other day.”

  “Oh yeah! She gets it too. I knew I liked her!”

  They both leaned back in their chairs, quiet, thinking for a couple of minutes. Hannah sipped her tea slowly while she thought. She tilted her head and seemed to study Morgan’s face.

  “What?” the other woman asked as she swiped around her mouth self-consciously.

  “What do you know about men? English...normal men, not Amish men.”

  Morgan snorted. “You’re asking me?”

  “I’m being serious.”

  “Okay. Sorry. Why are you asking that?”

  “He wants this cake to appeal to Barnwell’s clients.”

  Morgan interrupted, “Who won’t even be at the cake auction.”

  “Some might be. Some of the sponsors will be there. They might be clients of Barnwell’s. Chances are, they’re mostly men.”

  “I bet most of the volunteers are women though,” Morgan said.

  Hannah nodded in agreement. “But their families are invited. From what Sandy said, it’s a pretty big deal. There might be more men there than we think.”

  “True, but how does it help us?”

  “I say we give them a cake that follows the theme more closely than Mr. West might like but that has a lot of appeal to men.”

  “And if he doesn’t go for it? We have to show him designs later this week.”

  Hannah’s face fell.

  Morgan couldn’t help herself. “Tell you what, leave it all to me. I’ll work up something we can talk about in class on Thursday and show to the chef and I’ll deal with West about it. He seems to like me better anyway.”

  Chapter 9

  Tuesday Afternoon, November 10th

  Zanesville Technical College and Culinary Institute

  “Two things make delicious cake,” Chef Tomas was saying, “great batter and great flavors. You must have them both. Doing batter well will come easily to all of you here. Producing great flavors, consistently, will take practice.”

  Hannah glanced at Morgan and smiled. She loved working with flavoring. People lined up on Saturday mornings to get her cupcakes as they came out of the kitchen. For fall, she had been making caramel apple, carrot and spice, red velvet and, just the past week, rum raisin. It had been a huge hit with the men in town. Marco Rossi, Dana’s dad, had suggested it. She was skeptical at first but she couldn’t argue with the results.

  She nudged Morgan with her foot to get her attention like Sandy had always done to her. When the other woman looked, she pointed down to her notepad on the table and scribbled ‘rum raisin’.

  Morgan gave her a quizzical look.

  “Trust me,” Hannah mouthed.

  “The guys just ate them up,” she was whispering to Morgan, at the break.

  “Really? Well there we go then. We have a flavor; we need a design.”

  Sandy sidled up to them. “What are you all whispering and plotting over here?” she asked, smiling.

  “Oh, you know,” Hannah answered, “plotting to have the best cake of them all.” She said it with as much feeling as she could muster. Sandy brought that out in her.

  “Is that right? Well, don’t go aiming too high there missy,” Sandy shot back. “You might just have to settle for second!”

  Hannah laughed as Sandy sashayed away.

  “She seems like fun,” Morgan said. “I feel bad now that I haven’t gotten to know people in the class a little better, sometimes.”

  “Don’t,” Hannah told her. “It was hard for me when I left the Amish. I was very shy. Dana and Mel called me ‘backward’. I still feel that way sometimes.”

  “How did you even meet them?”

  “It’s a really long story.”

  “I...I’d like to hear it some time.” She stared at Hannah until the other girl blushed and looked at her feet.

  “See what I mean,” Hannah said. “I’m still shy.”

  “I think it’s sweet,” Morgan whispered to her. She screwed up her own courage then and asked, “Would you like to go out sometime, maybe? For coffee or lunch...or, I don’t know...”

  Hannah gave her a slight smile. “I’d like that yes, but...”

  “Never mind; I didn’t mean to put you on the spot.”

  “No. You didn’t. I was just going to say, I don’t have a lot of time with the shop...work, school and Jef and all. Sunday is pretty much it these days and a lot of the time, when I have Jef, we go out to the farm like we did this past Sunday.”

  “What do you mean, ‘when you have Jef’?”

  “Sometimes the Hershberger’s, his mother’s parents, take him for the day or overnight.”

  “Oh. Well, I have to work too and...and this.” She waved a hand in the air indicating the school. Would you want to, maybe, get together and do something next Sunday? The restaurant will be closed for a private party. I don’t have to be there.”

  Hannah raised her head up, thinking. “Mel and Dana will be out of town that day. It’s their anniversary, so, unless the Hershberger’s will take Jef...”

  “Bring him,” Morgan said.

  For the rest of the class, the two women kept eying each other as they worked on cake batter techniques.

  Near the end of class, Chef Tomas called it a night a bit early. “I trust everyone has at least spoken to their sponsor. Clean up your stations and then you may spend the rest of our time talking with each other about your projects.”

  The two women worked quickly to clean up and put away their cooking implements then they stood nervously next to each other.

  “So, have you been thinking about a design for the past few hours,” Hannah asked, avoiding the real questions in her mind.

  Morgan nodded. “I’ll have some sketches by class on Thursday.” She drew in a breath. “Hannah there’s something I have...you should...”

  A horn blared loudly and repeatedly as the emergency lights over the classroom door flashed. A loud, mechanical voice intoned, “Fire detected. Please evacuate the building immediately. Do no use the elevators. Proceed to the nearest exit using the stairs. Fire detected. Please evacuate the building...”

  “Everyone out the door and down the stairwell to the right,” the chef called out in as loud a voice as he could muster. “We’ll meet outside by the sign board.”

  The students quickly gathered their belongings and headed toward the door.

  Outside, with students still pouring out of the building and fire trucks rolling toward it, it was chaos. At the signboard, the chef, the last one of their group to exit, took a quick head count. Satisfied everyone was accounted for, he told them to disperse so they would not be in the way of the fire fighters now dismounting and entering the building.

  “There’s no smoke, Chef,” someone called from the back of their knot of students.

  “It was probably just something from the welding shop or one of the other trade shops that set off the alarms. The school will take all precautions. I’ll see you all back here on Thursday unless you receive a call advising you otherwise.”

  Some of her classmates headed for the parking garage. Other students were walking toward it as well. Hannah realized Morgan was among the throng going that direction. She’d lost her in a
ll of the confusion. She called after her but Morgan didn’t even turn.

  Chapter 10

  Later Tuesday Evening

  Morelville, Ohio

  “Morgan? It’s Hannah.”

  “Hi,” the other woman said, softly.

  “Is everything okay?”

  “Um, yeah, fine. Why?” She was whispering now.

  A look of concern crossed Hannah’s face. “You started to tell me something in class when the fire alarm went off and then you just left.”

  “Oh.”

  When Morgan said nothing else, Hannah asked, “What were you trying to tell me?”

  “It’s...it’s nothing. Nothing important. It can wait until class on Thursday. I’d rather wait and talk to you in person, anyway. And, don’t worry, I’ll come up with a couple of design ideas.”

  “Okay then,” Hannah whispered back. She caught herself and went back to her normal tone. “See you Thursday.”

  “Bye,” Morgan whispered and then she hung up.

  Mel passed through the kitchen as Hannah hung up the phone and took note of the look on her face. “Everything okay?”

  “I don’t really know. That was Morgan. She says so but I’m not so sure.”

  “Did something happen?”

  “Not that I know of. She said she’ll talk to me in class on Thursday. I guess I’ll find out then.”

  Thursday Morning, November 12th

  Hannah’s Bakery, Morelville, Ohio

  HANNAH SPRINKLED FLOUR out on her board and then threw a ball of pie dough into the middle of it. She pressed it out quickly with her fingertips then took her rolling pin to it. She was making short work of getting it the right thickness when the phone rang yet again.

  Faye Crane, Mel’s mother, was manning the counter out front. She called back, “I’ve got it.”

  Hannah heard her answer but no more. She was focused only on the dough.

  The door swung part way open and Faye stuck her head around. “That was the school,” she said.

  Hannah frowned. “They called here?”

  Faye ignored the question and plowed on. “Your classes are canceled for tonight and Saturday night. The fire in the welding shop did some damage to some electrical systems. They’re still working on them.”

  “Okay, thanks.”

  When the door closed, Hannah’s thoughts turned to the cake assignment and to Morgan. She was curious to know what the other woman was trying to tell her and almost as curious about the designs she’d promised.

  Quickly, she laid the crust into a tin, scalloped the edges with her thumbs and then folded the pumpkin filling in. The pies were selling almost as fast as she could bake them. She laid that pie on a tray, then repeated to process three more times. Fifteen minutes later, she slid the tray of pies into the oven, scrubbed her hands and ventured out front to see what was going on in the shop.

  “No school tonight,” Faye said with a grin. “What will you do with yourself?”

  “Unfortunately, it could be a bit of a setback,” Hannah told Faye. “We have that cake project, remember?”

  “Oh, the one you and that Morgan were telling us about on Sunday?”

  “Yes. Our sponsor is...a little difficult. Morgan was working on some designs she was going to show me tonight and then we were going to go over them with Chef Tomas before we showed them to the sponsor.”

  “Guess you’ll have to wait until class on Tuesday night.”

  “That’s just it,” Hannah said, “this guy wanted to see our design ideas this week. Like I said...he’s difficult. I think I better try and get a hold of Morgan. She shouldn’t have to work tonight since we were supposed to have class.”

  “Go ahead and give her a call. I’ll man the fort.”

  “Well, I uh...I only have her number in my cell. It doesn’t, uh, pick up very well in here.” Hannah felt like she was lying to Faye but Faye was oblivious to her discomfort and made a shooing motion toward the door.

  “I’ll only be a couple of minutes,” Hannah called out as she headed outside into the cool, fall air. “I’ve got more pumpkins in the oven.”

  Faye made the shooing motion again.

  OUTSIDE, HANNAH DIALED Morgan’s number and waited. It rang four times and then rolled to her voice mail, catching her off guard. She started to stammer out a message, then stopped and hung up. She wasn’t sure what to say.

  She needn’t have worried as a text from Morgan crossed her screen.

  Morgan: Can’t talk right now but can text.

  Hannah: Okay. Did you hear school is canceled?

  Morgan: Yes

  Hannah: Hate to ask, but did you do any designs?

  Morgan: Yes. Well, one so far

  Morgan: Still working on another one

  Hannah: Okay. Good. What do you think we should do about showing them to Mr. West?

  Morgan: I really want Chef to see them 1st, after you, I mean

  Hannah: Me too.

  Morgan: I’m in no hurry to go back and see that guy

  Hannah nodded to herself. To Morgan, she texted: Okay then. See you in class on Tuesday. She started back toward her shop when her phone buzzed again.

  Morgan: Are we still on for Sunday?

  Hannah smiled and sent back, ‘Yes. If you still want to.’

  Morgan: Where should we go?

  Hannah: I’m not sure. Remember, Jef will be with me.

  Morgan: I heard a commercial on the radio today for that festival of trees. It starts Saturday at the convention center

  Hannah: Already? It’s not even Thanksgiving.

  Morgan: Yeah. They have to, I guess, since they auction them off a couple off weeks before Christmas

  Hannah: That makes sense then. Did you want to meet at that?

  Morgan: We could then we could see what West’s tree looks like

  Hannah: True. Let’s do that.

  Morgan: 1:00 again?

  Hannah: That’s fine. We’ll meet you there.

  “MORGAN ASKED ME OUT,” Hannah told Dana that evening. “Sunday, after church. Me and Jef.”

  Dana smiled big. “Good! I thought you two might be a good match and I’m glad you’re including Jef too.”

  Hannah didn’t say anything.

  Dana was good at reading faces and years of working private security and special investigations for the customs service had taught her a thing or two about body language. “Something on your mind?”

  “I’m not sure. It’s really just a feeling, I guess.”

  “What sort of feeling?”

  “It’s hard to explain. Maybe it’s nothing. I don’t know...”

  “Try me.”

  Hannah sighed. “I feel like there’s something she’s not telling me. In fact, I know there’s something she wants to tell me but every time she tries...” She trailed off again and stared past Dana at the wall behind the sofa where Dana was sitting, her laptop all but forgotten on her lap.

  “I sort of felt the same way when I met her,” Dana said. “But, you know more about her than I do. If it really makes you uncomfortable, then cancel.”

  “You think I should?”

  “Sweetie, that’s up to you. I’ll tell you this though, I’m a pretty good judge of character and I think Morgan is a good person. She knows all about you. Maybe that will make her a little more comfortable to talk about herself in a more neutral setting.”

  Hannah’s cheeks colored.

  Dana, as usual, didn’t miss a thing. “What doesn’t she know, Hannah?”

  “She thinks I ‘work’ at the bakery.” The younger woman made air quotes. “I didn’t tell her it’s mine.”

  Tilting her head, giving her a quizzical look, Dana asked, “Doesn’t your whole class know? I mean, Sandy’s been down here.”

  “No. I’ve never told any of them. I didn’t even put it on my application. Nobody knows but Sandy.”

  “So, since you’ve withheld something too, I think you ought to give Morgan a chance...give her the benefit of the doubt
.”

  Hannah agreed but, inside, she still felt a little uneasy.

  Chapter 11

  Sunday Afternoon, November 15th

  Muskingum County Convention Center

  Hannah and Jef were a little early. It was only 12:30 when she pulled into the lot outside the convention center. They didn’t linger long at fellowship after the church service; just long enough for her to say her hello’s and get Jef a little something to eat to hold him over.

  The toddler took a cat nap in the car on the way into Zanesville. He didn’t know where they were or what they were doing but he woke smiling and ready to go when she reached into the backseat to unbuckle him out of his car seat.

  He smiled and called out to passersby as she lowered him into his stroller. Several people waved at him in response. She was surprised and a little pleased to see so many people coming to see the display more than a month before Christmas.

  She wondered if she should wait outside for Morgan but she decided against it. There was a little bit of a cold breeze blowing. The last thing she needed was for Jef to catch cold. He was a good baby most of the time but miserable and demanding when he had even the slightest sniffle.

  She paid at the door for herself. He was free and he got a safety sucker to keep him busy, to boot. She moved further inside, wheeled him toward a wall, took off his coat and hat and then unwrapped the treat for him as he watched her closely. The toddler smiled and popped it right into his mouth when she handed it to him.

  She put his things into the catch-all under his seat then took off her own coat and stowed it there too. After that, she stood and watched the people passing for any sign of Morgan. She wasn’t in view.

  Glancing up ahead, she saw signs pointing left for the tree display and right for a TWIG craft bazaar. She hadn’t realized there would be craft items for sale. Her interest piqued, she steered the toddler that way and entered a hall laid out with table after table of handmade wonders both Christmas themed and not.

  She pushed the stroller to the right, toward the furthest row and started down it, being careful not to get too close to anything her sticky fingered son could touch. In the second row, a table full of knives with carved handles caught her eye. She was partial to knives and so was Mel who also enjoyed carved works.