Todd parked his car and noticed a light glowing from the interior of the building. Good. Someone’s inside.
After Todd entered the place, he was surprised when the owners, Antonio and Teresa Carboni, greeted him with a smile.
“You probably don’t remember me. I’m Todd Collins. I’m a food critic, and I write a column for the local newspaper.
Antonio put his arm around his wife’s shoulder and gave it a squeeze. “So what brings you here today, Mr. Collins? You know we are now closed, don’t you?”
“Yes, I read about it in the paper. Your last day was yesterday.” Todd looked down at his shoes. “I actually wanted to come by last evening, but didn’t make it, so I hoped I could catch you here today.” He looked up again, barely able to make eye contact with the Carbonis. “I—I need to know something. Was the reason you closed this establishment because of the negative review I wrote about your restaurant a while back? Did it affect your business at all?”
Smiling, Antonio patted him on the shoulder. “Business has slacked off, but it’s probably our fault for not putting more money into the place to fix things up and hire a more experienced cook. And actually, son, in some ways your article did us a favor.”
Todd scratched his head. “Really? How so?”
“Seeing how business was slacking off, and being too tired to keep pursuing it, Teresa and I decided to do what we’ve wanted to do for a good while now. In hindsight, we should have done it sooner, because it was getting to be a little much for the two of us to keep the restaurant going. That was most likely the reason you found some negative things about our place.”
“I’m sorry about the article I wrote, but as a food critic, I have to be honest and write the truth, which at times, is not easy to do.”
“No need to explain.” Antonio went on to tell Todd a few things he didn’t know. With nothing but the clothes on their backs, and a little bit of money they’d saved, Antonio’s parents came to the United States to start up a family-owned restaurant many years ago. “They built this business through perseverance and hard work, and they worked here until they died.” Antonio spread his arms out and pointed to the inside of the building. “Growing up, this place was more like home to me than where we actually lived.
“When my parents died, their wish was for me, their only child, to take over the business. They’d prepared me from a young age when I began helping out.” Antonio grinned at Teresa, still standing by his side. “I was lucky to marry a woman who stood by me and helped to keep this place going.”
“Sounds like it was a lot of hard work.”
“Sure was.”
Todd listened to more of Mr. Carboni’s story, although he wasn’t sure why the man was telling him all of this.
“This restaurant my mama and papa started has been a labor of love, but it’s getting too much for us now.” The wrinkles in Antonio’s forehead deepened. “My wife and I are in our late sixties, and we’re exhausted working day and night to keep this place going.”
She nodded. “My husband is right about that. Truth is, we’ve never been on a real vacation or taken much time off just to relax. It hasn’t been easy to make this decision, but we’ve both decided we’re ready to move on and spend time with our children and grandchildren.”
“I’m sure your parents would be proud of you for keeping this restaurant going all these years.” Todd was surprised when he noticed tears in Antonio’s eyes, and his own eyes started to water. “Thanks for sharing your story with me.” Todd felt better after hearing the facts and all the reasons behind the restaurant’s closure. “Well, I’m sure you folks have lots to do, so I’ll be on my way. I wish you both nothing but the best.” Todd shook Antonio’s hand, and when he turned to Teresa, she gave him a hug.
On the way home, Todd thought about the Carbonis and began to question his own life. Do I want to continue in this profession any longer? Do I want to risk possibly hurting more establishments with my negative critiques and causing hardships on the owners or their families? He didn’t know any of these owners personally or the problems they might be facing, but he wouldn’t be able to live with himself if more places closed because of his opinion in an article he’d written.
Todd gripped the steering wheel with a sense of conviction. Maybe it’s time for me to make a career change.
New Philadelphia
Bill grabbed his son, Brent, in a hug. “It’s sure good to see you, Son.”
“Same here, Dad. We shouldn’t wait so long to get together.”
“I know … I know.” Bill led the way to the living room, and they both took seats after Brent returned from putting his suitcase in the spare bedroom. “So tell me how things are going with you these days. Are you still seeing Donna?”
Brent shook his head. “We broke up three months ago.”
“Sorry to hear it. What went wrong?”
“Our relationship wasn’t going anywhere, even though Donna dropped hints about us getting married.” Brent tapped his foot. “I wasn’t in love with her, Dad. Also, I want kids, and Donna made it clear that she doesn’t.”
“All I can say is, she doesn’t know what she’s missing.”
Brent’s expression was pensive. “Yeah.”
“You know, Son, even though it may have been hard to end the relationship with Donna, love is important in a marriage, as is a shared desire to have a family. So you probably made the right decision.”
“Thanks, Dad. I appreciate your support.” Brent shifted on his chair. “Now tell me what’s new with you.”
“Well, I told you about the cooking classes I’ve been taking.”
“Right. I’m glad you’re learning new things and getting out so you can meet some new people.”
“Same here. It’s been a blast.” Bill snapped his fingers. “Say, I have an idea. I’d like to take you over to the Troyers’ so you can meet my cooking teacher. How about we drive over to Walnut Creek sometime tomorrow for a short visit?”
“Fine by me. In fact, I’m lookin’ forward to it.”
“Are you hungry for lunch yet?” Bill asked.
“Yes, I’m actually starving.” Brent rubbed his stomach, and they both laughed when it gave a loud growl.
“Good. I kinda thought you might be after the drive down here, so I’m going to make something I learned in one of the classes.” Bill headed for the kitchen, with Brent on his heels. “It’s called Chicken in a Crumb Basket, and I’m positive you’re gonna like it.”
Chapter 34
Walnut Creek
Heidi hummed as she put a batch of pumpkin cookies in the oven. They were one of her favorites, especially when she added raisins and walnuts to the spicy dough. These cookies were good any time of the year, but even more so this close to Thanksgiving.
Heidi looked forward to spending the holiday with her parents. She could hardly wait to tell them she and Lyle had decided to become foster parents. Heidi felt sure Mom and Dad would support their decision. She’d been tempted to tell them over the phone but decided it would be better to share the good news in person.
Heidi set the timer, then poured herself a cup of green tea. She was about to sit down when a knock sounded on the front door. I wonder if it’s Lance delivering another package. He’d brought one up to the house yesterday, but it was something Lyle had sent for. Heidi was waiting for the supplements she’d ordered from an Amish-owned health food store in Indiana and hadn’t been able to find locally. Perhaps that package had finally arrived.
When Heidi opened the front door, she was surprised to find Kendra on the porch, holding her baby.
Heidi smiled. “Well, this is a pleasant surprise. It’s good to see you again, Kendra. Please, come in.”
“Are you sure? If you’re busy …”
“No, not at all. Just baking some pumpkin cookies.”
Kendra lifted her head and sniffed. “I can tell. They smell delicious.”
“Let’s go to the kitchen. You can sample some from the firs
t batch as soon as they’re out of the oven.” Heidi took Kendra’s jacket and hung it on a wall peg; then she led the way to the kitchen. “How is little Heidi doing?”
“Fine. She’s a real good baby. Would you like to hold her?”
Before Heidi could respond, the timer went off. “I’d love to hold her, as soon as I take the cookies out and get another batch put in.”
“If you’d like to hold her now, I can take care of the cookies.” Kendra chuckled. “Thanks to you, I’ve had a little baking experience.”
“True.” Heidi grabbed two pot holders. “I’ll get the cookies out, then you can take over.”
While Kendra dropped the cookie dough onto the baking sheet, she paused to glance at Heidi. She seemed more relaxed than usual, looking content as she held the baby. What a shame she couldn’t have children. Motherhood would come naturally to Heidi.
As Kendra continued to take cookies in and out of the oven, they visited about a variety of things.
“Lyle and I have decided to become foster parents.” Heidi stroked the baby’s head. “We filled out the paperwork yesterday to begin the process. We’ll also have to complete a home study, which will be conducted by an assigned licensing specialist.”
Kendra smiled. “That’s good news. You’ll both make good parents.”
Heidi lowered her gaze. “The easy part will be caring for a child, but it’ll be hard to say goodbye when it’s time for the child to go.”
Before Kendra could respond, a knock sounded on the front door.
“That could be our mailman,” Heidi said. “Would you mind answering it for me?”
“No problem.” Kendra left the room. When she opened the front door, and saw two men on the porch, her mouth dropped open. “Brent Coleman?”
“Kendra Perkins?” His brows lifted as he took a step forward. “What are you doing here?” He glanced at the other man, as if looking for answers, then looked back at Kendra.
“I’m here visiting my friend, Heidi. Why are you here?”
The older man spoke before Brent could respond. “I’m Bill Mason, one of Heidi’s students, and Brent is my son. I assume you two must know each other?”
“Yes, we do.” Brent motioned to Kendra. “We went to high school together. I was a senior when she was a sophomore.”
Kendra swallowed hard. Back then she had a crush on Brent, but he never seemed to notice her. She was surprised he remembered her at all. After graduation Brent had gone off to college, and she hadn’t seen him again until now. He was tall and muscular, with dark curly hair and vivid blue eyes. Brent was still as handsome as he was in high school, but more mature looking. It was hard not to stare at him.
“Is Heidi expecting you?” she asked.
Bill shook his head. “We just dropped by, hoping to find her at home so my son could meet her.”
“Yeah, Dad’s told me all about the cooking classes he’s taking, and he was excited to introduce me to the woman who’s taught him how to make some new recipes he can try out on his hunting buddies. I got to taste one of them for lunch yesterday, and it was exceptional.”
Kendra smiled. “Heidi’s a wonderful teacher. I took her first set of cooking classes—that’s how we met.” Remembering her manners, she swung the door open wide. “Come inside. Heidi’s in the kitchen with my baby.”
As the men stepped into the entryway, Brent paused beside Kendra. “You’re married?”
Kendra shook her head. “No. It’s a long story.” Lifting her chin, in an attempt to look confident, she hurried toward the kitchen.
“Well, this is a surprise,” Heidi smiled up at Bill when he and Brent entered the room.
“I would have called first but didn’t know how often you check for phone messages.” Bill gestured to his son. “This is Brent. He’s here for the weekend, and I wanted him to meet you.”
Heidi stood, handed the baby to Kendra, and shook Brent’s hand. “I’m glad you could drop by. I’ve enjoyed having your father in my class.”
“Not as much as I’ve enjoyed being here.” Bill chuckled. “My cooking was one-dimensional before I signed up for your class, and I’m looking forward to trying even more new recipes in the future. But I want you to know I made the Chicken in a Crumb Basket for Brent yesterday for lunch.”
“It was sure good.” Brent rubbed his stomach.
“Well, I’m pleased to know that. Would you both like to try out some pumpkin cookies, fresh from the oven?” Heidi gestured to the ones Kendra had previously placed in a canister.
Bill licked his lips. “I won’t turn down a cookie or two. How about you, Son?” He turned to look at Brent, who stood staring at Kendra.
When Brent didn’t answer, Bill bumped his arm. “Do you want a cookie?”
“Uh, sure. Sounds good.” Brent shuffled his feet.
Bill sensed his son’s unease. He was fairly sure it had something to do with Kendra—especially since he couldn’t seem to take his eyes off her.
“The baby’s asleep. Would you mind if I make a bed for her on the couch?” Kendra asked Heidi.
Heidi shook her head. “Of course not. Why don’t we all go into the living room so we can visit? I’ll bring a tray of cookies and some hot coffee.”
Bill didn’t have to be asked twice. He headed for the living room, barely glancing over his shoulder to see if Brent followed. At first, Brent held back, but then he ambled in behind Bill and took a seat in the chair nearest the couch.
Kendra came in behind them with the baby and settled the sleeping child on one end of the couch. She smiled at Brent. “I’ll sit here to make sure my little girl doesn’t roll off; although it’s doubtful, since she hasn’t rolled over by herself yet.”
Bill watched with interest as his son’s gaze went from Kendra to the baby. “She’s a cute little thing. What’s her name?”
“I named her after Heidi.” Kendra leaned over and kissed her baby’s forehead. “I call her my precious little Heidi.”
“So where’s the baby’s father?”
I’d like to know that myself, Bill thought, as he waited for Kendra’s answer to Brent’s bold question.
Face turning crimson, she mumbled, “He split as soon as he found out I was pregnant. Said he couldn’t be bothered and didn’t want any kids.”
A vein on the side of Brent’s neck bulged. Bill could almost guess what his son was thinking. He wanted to be a father, but his ex-girlfriend didn’t want kids. Kendra had a child, but the baby’s dad didn’t want anything to do with fatherhood. Some things in life made no sense at all.
Heidi came in carrying a tray with a coffeepot, cookies, and four mugs. She placed it on the coffee table and told everyone to help themselves.
Bill waited to see what Kendra and Brent would do, but when neither of them made a move, he poured himself some coffee, grabbed a napkin, and took three cookies. The mere sight of them made his mouth water. He ate one and wiped his lips with the napkin. “Delicious, Heidi. Course, I wouldn’t have expected otherwise.”
She smiled. “I’m glad you like them.”
“Are you gonna teach us in class how to make cookies like these?” he asked, after slurping some coffee.
Kendra and Brent still hadn’t taken a cookie or poured themselves any coffee. They sat quietly looking at each other.
“I was thinking for next week’s class, I’d teach you all how to make pumpkin whoopie pies,” Heidi responded.
“I’m all for that. Anything with pumpkin in it sounds good to me.” Bill gave her a thumbs-up.
Heidi pointed to the tray of cookies. “Kendra and Brent, don’t you want to try a pumpkin cookie? You especially, Kendra, since you baked most of them.”
“Oh, then if that’s the case, I’d better try a few.” Brent grabbed a cookie and took a bite. “My dad’s right…. This is real tasty.”
Kendra took one, too, nibbling on it as she tucked the baby’s blanket under her little feet.
Bill’s cell phone rang, so he excused himself
and went outside to answer it. He didn’t feel right about taking a call inside an Amish home, where phones were not allowed.
The call was from Bill’s friend Andy asking if Brent made it to his place okay.
“Sure did. He and I are at Heidi Troyer’s right now. I wanted him to meet her.”
“Are you having a good visit with your son?”
“Yeah, but the weekend’s going too fast. Sure wish I could see Brent more often.”
“Maybe you can convince him to move closer.” Andy chuckled. “He could join our hunting party. You did teach him the fine art of hunting, right?”
“No,” Bill mumbled. He felt bad about it now, but in all the times he’d gone hunting when Brent was growing up, he’d never taken the boy hunting or taught him how to shoot a gun or bow and arrow. The kid seemed more interested in sports and hadn’t shown any interest in hunting. Bill wished he could go back and do some things differently, but it was too late.
“Listen, Andy, I should get back inside.”
“You’re outside talking to me?”
“Yeah.”
“How come?”
Bill explained the situation and said he didn’t want to be rude by taking the call in Heidi’s house. “Did you call for any particular reason or just to shoot the breeze?”
“Just wondered if you’re gonna be alone at the cabin on Thanksgiving.”
“Most likely. None of the other guys can make it till the following day.” Bill rubbed his arm as the wind whistled through the trees. The day seemed to have gotten colder, even more so, since he and Brent had arrived at Heidi’s house. “Sure hope it doesn’t snow.”
“You mean now or on Thanksgiving?”
“I meant now, since my son has to drive home tomorrow. But during hunting season—that’s a different story. I’d be eager for some snow.”
“Well, I’ll let you go so you can get back inside where it’s warmer. I’ll miss joining you and the guys at camp this year.”
“Yeah, we’ll miss you, too.”
When Bill entered the house, he was surprised to see Brent sitting on the couch next to Kendra, while Heidi sat in the rocking chair holding Kendra’s baby. Brent and Kendra were engrossed in conversation, and he hated to interrupt, but figured it was time for them to get going, since he’d planned to take Brent out to lunch at his favorite restaurant in Berlin.
Amish Cooking Class--The Blessing Page 23
