by Tricia Goyer
“So you’ve decided to make Pinecraft home?” Disappointment was clear in Thomas’s voice. He leaned forward and picked up a handful of sand, letting it fall through his fingers.
“I mean, if there were other reasons to go back I’d consider it.” She looked at him, attempting to focus on this moment, on Thomas, the best she could. “I like it up north too. It’s not that I didn’t enjoy living there. It’s just that everyone who’s important to me is here. If there were a reason to return. If I were to marry and…well, that could change things.” The words were out before Lovina knew why, and wondered if she’d been too forward. “Ja, I’ve learned one never knows what tomorrow will bring, that’s all.”
Heat rose to her cheeks. Had she really just implied to this man—one she hardly knew—that if she met someone special she’d return up north? Lovina pressed her lips together, reminding herself that it really didn’t matter. Thomas would go back north soon himself, and that would be the end of that. And by tomorrow, hopefully, she’d know more details about the warehouse. Then it wouldn’t matter if she never won a bachelor’s heart. At least she’d have something meaningful to pour her time into.
“Have you ever been to Somerset, Pennsylvania?” Thomas asked.
“No, but I’ve read about it in The Budget.”
“Oh, I’m sure The Budget can’t fully describe it. That’s where our farm—my farm—is. It’s a small community. We actually have a meetinghouse, like here in Pinecraft. There are rolling hills and winding dirt roads. No matter the season the drive is always pretty.” Thomas’s eyes brightened as he spoke of the place, and she wondered if that was the look she got in her eyes when she talked about her pie shop.
“It sounds like a lovely place.”
“It is, especially in the summer. Nothing like this hot muggy air. My sister is a schoolteacher, but she will only be working one more year.”
A seagull swooped down, but noticing they had nothing interesting on their blanket, it flew away.
“So she’s getting married?”
Thomas nodded. “Ja, although it’s not published yet.” Then, noticing the seagulls, he pulled out a paper bag with lunch. “Some for us and some for the birds.” He smiled and handed her a sandwich, muffin, and bottle of water. She thanked him and took a drink.
Lovina tilted her head and eyed him. Instead of looking at her, as he’d been doing all day, he was tossing pieces of bread crust to the sea gulls. His mood changed, and she wondered why. He’d been so eager to talk before, and now he was hesitant.
She took a big bite from her sandwich and eyed the muffin. Her guess was that his Aunt Vera had made them. Her blueberry streusel muffins were always requested at special gatherings. Lovina knew that having her family in town was good enough reason to bake.
“I hear that you taught school for two years,” he said, trying to sound casual.
Her sandwich was halfway to her mouth when he spoke. A rush of emotion ran over her, and suddenly her stomach turned, feeling sick. Is that what this was all about? Was he interested in her because their community needed a schoolteacher?
Thomas glanced at her and frowned. “Are you all right? Your face…it just turned very red. It’s not too much sun, is it?”
“Sun?” She glanced overhead and then shook her head. “It might be. I don’t know. It is warm out here.” She took another bite of her sandwich, but what had tasted delicious before now tasted like cardboard in her mouth.
“So did you teach school?” Thomas asked again.
“Oh, ja, in a one-room schoolhouse where we lived in Walnut Creek.”
Thomas dug his bare toes into the sand. “Did you like it?”
Lovina shrugged. “It was fine. Nothing I’d want to do again. Unless I had to.” She thought again about telling him about the warehouse, about her pie shop and her plans to remodel, but where the words had spilled out with Noah yesterday, today they balled up in the center of her throat.
“Teaching school takes a special person,” he added. Then he finished off his sandwich and turned to her. Uncertainty still filled his face. “Are you sure you don’t need to cool off? We can walk to the edge of the water.”
“Ja, I’d like that.”
They walked to the water and walked side by side for a while. Once, when a wave came in fast, splashing upon her legs, Lovina rushed out of the way and found herself crashing into Thomas. He caught her, keeping her from tumbling to the ground. He held her arms longer than she expected him to.
He helped her steady herself. “You all right?”
She nodded. “Ja.”
His gaze moved from her eyes to her lips and for a moment she wondered if he was going to kiss her. Her heartbeat quickened, but she smiled awkwardly and pulled away. Then, as they continued down the beach, they walked closer than before and every now and then their fingers brushed each other’s.
Lovina sighed as she took in the scent of the ocean, the roar of the waves, and the feeling of the sun on her skin. She couldn’t think of a more romantic setting or a more beautiful day. It was a moment she never expected to experience, not really. So why was there a sense of anxiousness in her gut?
She should be relishing the moment, but more than anything she wanted to leave. She wanted to go back and peer in the windows of the old, dirty warehouse. She wanted to see the look on Noah Yoder’s face when she told him they were going to have a project to work on together. A big one.
Because no matter how romantic Thomas was trying to make this day, Lovina’s mind was on another place and another person.
But it’s only business, she scolded herself as they walked. Just because Noah can see my vision for a pie shop doesn’t mean we have a future together.
Just as endless as the sand on this seashore were God’s plans for her—plans for her future. But no matter what Lovina’s heart told her, there was no guarantee how many of those plans included Noah Yoder.
Her heart sunk a little at that thought and a piece of seaweed snagged on her toes. She kicked it off and then continued on. And beside her Thomas Chupp kept pace.
Blueberry Streusel Muffins
½ cup sugar
½ cup butter, softened
1 egg, beaten
2⅓ cups flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1½ cups blueberries, fresh or frozen
Streusel
½ cup sugar
½ cup flour
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ cup butter
Preheat oven to 350°. Cream sugar and butter. Add egg and mix well. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Add to creamed mixture, alternating with milk. Stir in vanilla. Gently fold in blueberries. Fill 12 paper-lined muffin cups. For streusel, combine sugar, flour, and cinnamon in a small bowl. Cut in butter until crumbly. Sprinkle over muffins and bake 25-30 minutes.
Fourteen
A happy memory never wears out.
AMISH PROVERB
In all their years of marriage Anna had only seen John use the cell phone a handful of times—mostly when he had to make calls concerning their house sale in Ohio. The cell phone was for emergencies only, and that was why it was so shocking when he made two calls before nine o’clock in the morning. One to Jason Schlabach at the bank and the second to Roy Yoder. John had set up a meeting with Jason, but he’d spent more time on the phone with Roy. Anna didn’t like it one bit—any of it. But John hadn’t asked for her opinion.
Anna poured herself a cup of coffee, adding two scoops of sugar and plenty of cream. The aroma of tomato soup simmering on the stove filled the kitchen. She’d picked up some tomatoes at the store a few days ago and knew she had to use them before they went bad. Tomato soup sounded like a gut lunch, but at moments like these she missed her garden back home. She also missed the days when John would discuss major decisions with her. What had gotten into him? Why had he agreed so readily to Lovina’s plan without
discussing it with her? He’d barely said a thing last night when they’d gotten home. He’d turned in early and risen early too. And then he’d called Roy, discussing with the man more details than he’d even discussed with her.
She took a sip of the coffee and it burned her tongue. If she hadn’t been such a dutiful wife she would have said something to her husband. The held-in words burned her tongue too, but in a different way.
Even though she could only hear one side of the conversation earlier she’d learned that Roy’s nephew Noah was working outside the village that day. She also paid close attention to her husband’s small talk, knowing that he had a deeper purpose for his questions. John wasn’t one to talk just for the sake of talking, and it was clear he was trying to find out as much as he could about Noah Yoder and the teenage boys who worked with him.
By the time John hung up Anna could tell he was satisfied, but that made her feel only slightly better. She’d tossed and turned all night, worried about so many things. If Lovina dedicated her life to this pie shop, she’d never settle down and get married. And what type of example would that be for her younger sisters? And what if Lovina did set it up and then realized it was too much work, or she wanted to get married instead? What would that do for their investment?
Anna sighed heavily and wished she could visit Regina. Life seemed easier when her best friend was just down the road. Maybe because she didn’t have to carry her burdens all on her own.
One consolation was that the purchase of the building wasn’t done yet. No official offer had been made to the seller. No papers had been signed. They hadn’t gone so far that they couldn’t back down.
Her other consolation was that Lovina was on a date with Thomas Chupp at this very moment. Would it be wrong to pray that a spark of romance would start today and that Lovina would come home having second thoughts about the pie shop?
Anna said a short, silent prayer for that very thing and then opened her box of stationary. Even if she couldn’t chat with Regina over coffee, Anna knew she could pour out her heart to her friend. Regina knew her better than anyone. Regina would listen to the heart behind her words and not judge. Anna needed someone who could carry this burden with her, even if her friend was so far away.
Dear, dear Regina,
I promised myself when I sat down to write this letter that I wasn’t going to allow myself to ask if you’ve heard any news of a vacation. I wasn’t going to ask if you were coming down our way anytime soon. I was instead going to tell you about the weather and the visitors who’ve come to town first, but then I remembered that it was you I was writing to and you’d expect nothing less from me.
Please, dear friend, let me know as soon as you are able if you’ll be visiting Pinecraft for the season. I’m praying Abe will be excited about the idea. I want nothing more than to see your smiling face. I always look forward to letters from you, but far better is talking face-to-face.
Fall should be on the way, but you’d never know it from the weather. It’s just hot here. Hot and humid. But by the time the first Pioneer Trails bus drives into town the weather will be perfect. I’m counting down the days until we don’t have to turn the air conditioning on first thing in the morning. And I’m counting down the days until I see old friends climbing down off the bus.
This afternoon there was a notice on our door stating that the Offender Work Program is coming up to clean up the park. I’m glad I don’t live as close to the park as some. I never liked the idea of becoming too friendly or too trusting with those who’ve had run-ins with the law. You know John. He’s always been quick to forgive and forget. But you just can’t be too cautious, I’m thinking.
Last night when John and I were walking by Phillippi Creek there were two men launching an airboat. I chuckled to myself, trying to picture such a thing back in Walnut Creek. A boat like that is sure to stir up the gators. (I suppose you won’t find them in Walnut Creek either.)
Thank you for asking about John. He seems to be doing better. For so long he’s been so weak—hardly able to catch a breath—but the weather here is helping. We went on two walks yesterday and he’s been dreaming again. That’s always a good sign.
I’m still discouraged by the lack of young men. I fear the health we’ve provided for John will cost the girls greatly. I suppose the Lord knows the ways that are best. I’m trying to trust Him, but at times I fear my daughters are becoming too independent and too focused on things beyond caring for a home.
My only happy news concerning young men is a recent occurrence. As I write this my Lovina is at the beach with Thomas Chupp from Somerset, Pennsylvania. His Aunt Vera is a neighbor of ours down the road a bit. Yesterday Lovina took over some banana sour cream bread, and she must have made some impression because not an hour later he was at our house trying to find her, seeking out a date. I’ve yet to see him, but both Grace and Faith say he is quite handsome. I hope Lovina feels the same.
If you come we’ll have to go to the beach. Even though it is close I have been only a few times. It seems unnatural to just sit and watch the waves roll in and out when there’s always work to be done at home or a neighbor to tend to. I suppose it’s easier for the younger ones to let themselves relax and such. Our generation was never raised that way.
Not that I have to worry much about my girls being idle. Each seems caught up in her own pursuits. Lovina has it on her mind that she wants to open a pie shop. I don’t think she really knows how much work that will be. It’s different from baking pies in one’s own kitchen. Doesn’t the Bible talk about counting the cost before you start a project? I want to remind Lovina about that.
There is a young man who’s stepped up to help her, but I’m hoping his true colors come out before things get too far. I don’t want to see my daughter taken advantage of. I just keep thinking on what my mother always used to say: “Patience is a virtue that carries a lot of wait.” I’m trusting that if I wait all will be revealed. One can’t put on a show for too long, can they?
But even more important is another saying that Mem would often repeat. “A happy memory never wears out.” Even though many miles separate us there are many happy memories that I can replay during moments of loneliness. Hope you’re able to do the same…when you’re not entertaining family! Days like today, with Lovina finally on a date, I can once again hope that more family members will be my future too.
Your dearest friend,
Anna
Lovina rode her bike slowly past Roy Yoder’s house. She’d spent most of the day at the beach with Thomas, and then the driver he’d hired had taken her home. Mem had greeted them at the front gate, and she’d invited Thomas to stay for dinner. Regrettably he’d declined, saying he’d promised his Mem he’d take her to Der Dutchman. Mem must have been planning to invite him for she’d cooked up a large meal—much more than they typically ate for supper on weekdays.
Lovina ate as quickly as she could, helped clean the kitchen, and then headed out on her bicycle. No one questioned where she was going. Everyone knew that the only thing she had on her mind was the warehouse. Everyone except Mem, who neatly turned every thread of conversation back to the Chupp family and what a beautiful place Pennsylvania was.
Yet when Lovina left Dat had given her a knowing look and a message for Noah. One she was all too happy to deliver.
Even though it was nearly seven o’clock in the evening the sun was still high in the sky. Lovina parked her bicycle by the front gate and was preparing to knock on the front door when she heard voices around the back. She walked around the side of the house, noticing how meticulously Roy Yoder tended his flowers. In the back she saw Noah and the teens. It looked as if they’d just finished grilling hot dogs, and the whole back yard smelled like a campfire. The most interesting feature, though, was the large counter that nearly filled the backyard space.
It looked as if it was an antique piece, maybe from a nice, older home. It was just the sort of thing she’d want for her shop. Lovina paused and sucked i
n a breath. Had he…found that for her? She froze in her spot, not knowing what to say or do. It was Mose who saw her first, and he chuckled.
“Well, Noah, remember your idea for surprising Lovina with her new counter? You can throw that idea out the door.”
Noah looked up, his gaze met hers. He had a hot dog in a bun in one hand and a bit of ketchup was tucked in the corner of his lip. He smiled and then quickly wiped at it.
He put the hot dog back on his paper plate and set it on the overturned milk crate he was using for a table. Yet the whole time his eyes stayed fixed on hers as if truly seeing her for the first time.
“Did someone say surprise?” she managed to say.
He stood and walked toward her. “You came too soon.”
Lovina pointed her thumb over her shoulder, pointing out the way she’d just come. “I can leave if you need me to. I mean if you don’t want to hear the big news…” She pretended to turn as if she was going to leave.
“No! Wait.” He took a step toward her. “I do want to know. I do want you to stay. I was just hoping I’d have my surprise cleaned up first.”
Lovina pointed to the long countertop. “Is that for me? Is that what I think it is?”
Noah nodded. He approached and lifted his hands in front of her, making a forward and backward L with his hands, as if framing a shot for her. “Can you picture this counter with four bakers lined up behind it as you enter the pie shop? They call out their greetings as you enter, and you stand mesmerized as you watch them so effortlessly rolling out the pie crusts and fluting the edges.”
