by Amy Clipston
ACCLAIM FOR AMY CLIPSTON
“Clipston brings this engaging series to an end with two emotional family reunions, a prodigal son parable, a sweet but hard-won romance and a happy ending for characters readers have grown to love. Once again, she gives us all we could possibly want from a talented storyteller.”
—RT BOOK REVIEWS, 4½ STARS, TOP
PICK! ON A SIMPLE PRAYER
“. . . will leave readers craving more.”
—RT BOOK REVIEWS, 4½ STARS, TOP
PICK! ON A MOTHER’S SECRET
“Clipston’s series starter has a compelling drama involving faith, family and romance . . . [an] absorbing series.”
—RT BOOK REVIEWS, 4½ STARS, TOP
PICK! ON A HOPEFUL HEART
“Authentic characters, delectable recipes and faith abound in Clipston’s second Kauffman Amish Bakery story.”
—RT BOOK REVIEWS, 4 STARS ON A PROMISE OF HOPE
“. . . an entertaining story of Amish life, loss, love and family.”
—RT BOOK REVIEWS, 4 STARS ON A PLACE OF PEACE
“This fifth and final installment in the ‘Kauffman Amish Bakery’ series is sure to please fans who have waited for Katie’s story.”
—LIBRARY JOURNAL ON A SEASON OF LOVE
“[The Kauffman Amish Bakery] series’ wide popularity is sure to attract readers to this novella, and they won’t be disappointed by the excellent writing and the story’s wholesome goodness.”
—LIBRARY JOURNAL ON A PLAIN AND SIMPLE CHRISTMAS
“[A Plain and Simple Christmas] is inspiring and a perfect fit for the holiday season.”
—RT BOOK REVIEWS, 4 STARS
ALSO BY AMY CLIPSTON
THE HEARTS OF THE
LANCASTER GRAND
HOTEL SERIES
A Hopeful Heart
A Mother’s Secret
A Dream of Home
A Simple Prayer
THE KAUFFMAN AMISH
BAKERY SERIES
A Gift of Grace
A Place of Peace
A Promise of Hope
A Life of Joy
A Season of Love
YOUNG ADULT
Roadside Assistance
Reckless Heart
Destination Unknown
Miles from Nowhere
NOVELLAS
A Plain and Simple Christmas
Naomi’s Gift
A Spoonful of Love included
in An Amish Kitchen
A Son for Always included
in An Amish Cradle
Love Birds included in
An Amish Market (available February 2016)
NONFICTION
A Gift of Love
ZONDERVAN
The Forgotten Recipe
Copyright © 2015 by Amy Clipston
ePub Edition © October 2015: ISBN 978-0-310-34273-1
Requests for information should be addressed to:
Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49546
Clipston, Amy.
The forgotten recipe / Amy Clipston.
pages ; cm
ISBN 978-0-310-34199-4 (trade paper)
I. Title.
PS3603.L58F67 2015
813'.6--dc23
2015023696
ISBN: 978-0-310-341994
All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com
Any Internet addresses (websites, blogs, etc.) and telephone numbers in this book are offered as a resource. They are not intended in any way to be or imply an endorsement by Zondervan, nor does Zondervan vouch for the content of these sites and numbers for the life of this book.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any other—except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior permission of the publisher.
Publisher’s Note: This novel is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. All characters are fictional, and any similarity to people living or dead is purely coincidental.
15 16 17 18 19 20 21/ RRD / 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
CONTENTS
GLOSSARY
AMISH HEIRLOOM FAMILY TREES
A NOTE TO THE READER
PROLOGUE
CHAPTER 1
CHAPTER 2
CHAPTER 3
CHAPTER 4
CHAPTER 5
CHAPTER 6
CHAPTER 7
CHAPTER 8
CHAPTER 9
CHAPTER 10
CHAPTER 11
CHAPTER 12
CHAPTER 13
CHAPTER 14
CHAPTER 15
CHAPTER 16
CHAPTER 17
CHAPTER 18
CHAPTER 19
CHAPTER 20
CHAPTER 21
CHAPTER 22
CHAPTER 23
EPILOGUE
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
In loving memory of my father,
Ludwig “Bob” Goebelbecker,
who taught me how to skip stones at Schroon Lake, New York
GLOSSARY
ach: oh
aenti: aunt
appeditlich: delicious
Ausbund: Amish hymnal
bedauerlich: sad
boppli: baby
brieder: brothers
brot: bread
bruder: brother
bruderskinner: nieces/nephews
bu: boy
buwe: boys
daadi: granddad
daadihaus: grandfather’s house
daed: father
danki: thank you
dat: dad
Dietsch: Pennsylvania Dutch, the Amish language (a German dialect)
dochder: daughter
dochdern: daughters
Dummle!: Hurry!
Englisher: a non-Amish person
fraa: wife
freind: friend
freinden: friends
froh: happy
gegisch: silly
gern gschehne: you’re welcome
grossdaadi: grandfather
grossdochder: granddaughter
grossdochdern: granddaughters
grossmammi: grandmother
Gude mariye: Good morning
gut: good
Gut nacht: Good night
haus: house
Ich liebe dich: I love you
kaffi: coffee
kapp: prayer covering or cap
kichli: cookie
kichlin: cookies
kind: child
kinner: children
kumm: come
liewe: love, a term of endearment
maed: young women, girls
maedel: young woman
mamm: mom
mammi: grandma
mei: my
mutter: mother
naerfich: nervous
narrisch: crazy
onkel: uncle
Ordnung: The oral tradition of practices required and forbidden in the Amish faith.
schee: pretty
schmaert: smart
schtupp: family room
schweschder: sister
schweschdere: sisters
Was iss letz?: What’s wrong?
willkumm: welcome
Wie geht’s: How do you do? or Good day!
wunderbaar: wonderful
ya: yes
AMISH HEIRLOOM FAMILY TREES
A NOTE TO THE READER
WHILE THIS NOVEL IS SET AGAINST THE REAL BACKDROP OF Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, the characters are fictional. There is no intended resemblance between the characters in this book and any real members of the Amish or Mennonite communities. As with any work of fiction, I’ve taken license in some areas of research as a means of creating the necessary circumstances for my characters. My research was thorough; however, it would be impossible to be completely accurate in details and description because each community differs. Therefore, any inaccuracies in the Amish and Mennonite lifestyles portrayed in this book are completely due to fictional license.
PROLOGUE
JASON HUYARD HAD TO BE DREAMING. THE WHOLE SCENE playing out in front of him was surreal as he stood in the Lapp family’s kitchen doorway and peered into their large family room. People, mostly strangers from other church districts, paraded in and out of the house, seemingly in slow motion. They walked through the family room, shaking hands with other visitors before expressing their condolences to his friend Seth’s mother, Margaret, and his younger sister, Ellie.
Seth’s body lay motionless in the coffin behind his family, and Jason’s stomach twisted and bile rose in his throat as he looked at his best friend.
No, it wasn’t a dream; it was a nightmare, one of the worst nightmares imaginable. It couldn’t be possible that only two days ago he and Seth were talking as they built a shed together for the Lancaster Shed Company. Jason’s world came to a screeching halt when a board broke, causing Seth to fall from the rafters, breaking his neck when he plummeted to the concrete floor.
In an instant, Seth was gone.
If only I hadn’t walked away to grab those bottles of water . . .
Jason tried to push the thought to the back of his mind and moved into the family room to join his family. But he couldn’t take his eyes away from Seth’s mother. She was sobbing in the arms of a woman with graying hair peeking out of her prayer covering. Ellie, standing nearby, wiped tears from her rosy cheeks.
Jason must have told them a dozen times that he longed to go back in time and break Seth’s fall.
It’s my fault Seth is gone and his family is devastated.
Watching them cry was too much for him. The depth of their grief was palpable even from across the large room. Jason’s chest constricted, and he felt as if he couldn’t breathe. The heat in the room closed in on him, stealing the air from his lungs. He had to get out of there before he was sick or passed out.
He turned and weaved through the knot of people on his way back to the kitchen and mudroom, excusing himself whenever he bumped into someone.
“Jay?” his younger brother, Stephen, asked as Jason pushed past him. “Jason. Where are you going?”
“I need some air,” Jason breathed out, pushing on the old, wooden back door, which moaned in protest as it opened.
“Wait,” Stephen called after him.
Jason stepped out onto the wide, covered back porch, and the cool April air hit his face like a wall.
Finally! I can breathe! He moved to the railing and leaned over it. Staring down at the wet grass below, he took long, gasping breaths in an attempt to settle his violent stomach. He was glad no one else was there.
“Jay?” Stephen’s brow furrowed with concern. “You’re as white as a sheet.”
Jason lifted his hat and raked his fingers through his hair. “I’ll be all right. Just give me a minute.”
Stephen pointed toward a group of people talking just inside open barn doors. “I see a couple of guys from work out there. I’m going to talk to them. Do you want to come with me?”
“No, danki.” Jason shook his head. “I’m going to stay here for a few minutes and enjoy the quiet.”
“Okay. I’ll be back in a minute.” Stephen headed down the porch steps and dashed across the yard.
Jason turned and leaned back against the railing, crossing his arms over his chest as the cool wind seeped in through his black jacket. He moved his gaze upward. Puffy gray clouds strangled the sky, and the mist that had threatened all day finally transformed into steady raindrops. The weather was a fitting complement to the hundreds of community members who had journeyed to the Lapp home to say good-bye to Seth.
The back door creaked open, and a choked sob followed. Two women stepped out onto the porch as they supported a third woman, who seemed to be holding on to them with all her strength. They all shared similar facial features and looked to be in their twenties. The woman crying was dressed in black with wisps of blonde hair escaping her prayer covering. Her beautiful face crumpled with anguish and her ice-blue eyes, rimmed with dark circles, were clouded with tears.
The sobs grew louder as her legs seemed to buckled, causing the other two women to grasp her more tightly. Jason started to move across the porch to help them, but they successfully steered her toward a nearby bench and ordered her to sit down. The woman obeyed, and the other two young ladies sat on either side of her, cooing softly while holding her hands.
The door banged open, and a middle-aged couple rushed out and hovered over the three women.
“Veronica?” The older woman addressed the crying woman.
Jason’s eyes widened as he whispered, “Veronica.” Seth’s fiancée! Seth had spoken of her so often that Jason felt as if he knew her.
“Veronica? Please take a deep breath. You need to calm down or you’re going to pass out again.” The woman bent down to meet her eyes. “Do you want to leave?”
Veronica shook her head and dabbed her wet eyes with a tissue. “No, I promised Margaret I would stay.”
“She would understand if you left,” the young woman with light-brown hair said. “You’ve been here all day.”
“Rachel is right,” the one with blonde hair chimed in. “You’ve been here since the crack of dawn, and I heard you pacing last night. You haven’t slept since . . .” Her voice trailed off and she cleared her throat. “Mamm’s right. You’re going to pass out again if you don’t calm down. And you need to sleep.”
“I can’t sleep.” Veronica’s voice was gravelly. “I need to be here. I have to be here for him. I can’t leave him.” Her voice broke, and sobs racked her body anew.
The agony in her eyes fueled his guilt. Why hadn’t he saved Seth? Why wasn’t he there when Seth fell? He could’ve broken his fall or warned him if he’d heard the board start to give way.
Now the blonde was rubbing Veronica’s back. Tears still streamed from Veronica’s eyes, and Jason gripped the railing behind him. He needed to apologize, tell her he was so sorry for her loss. He knew how much Seth loved Veronica. Seth talked about her incessantly. Seth acted as if Veronica was all he ever thought about.
Stephen sidled up to him. “Do you know them?”
“No, but I feel like I do.”
“What do you mean?”
“Stephen, Jason.” Mamm stepped out the door and onto the porch with Dat in tow. “I didn’t realize you were out here.” She turned toward the sound of crying, and a look of compassion crossed her face.
“I needed some air,” Jason said.
“Are you ready to go?” Dat asked.
“Ya,” Stephen said. “Jason looks like he needs to go home and rest.” He patted his brother’s shoulder. “Let’s go.”
His parents walked toward the porch steps, but Jason lingered behind. He turned back to Veronica, who was speaking softly with the women he now assumed were her mother and sisters. He couldn’t stop watching her. He longed to take away her pain. He felt responsible for her suffering.
“Jay?” Stephen asked. “It’s time to go. We’ve been here nearly all afternoon.”
Jason nodded. “I’m coming.”
“No, you’re not, actually. You’re still standing here.” Stephen leaned closer. “Why are you staring at that maedel?”
“She was Seth’s fiancée. They were supposed to be married in the fall.”
“T
hat’s Veronica?” Stephen blew out a breath. “Oh no.”
Veronica’s eyes met Jason’s for a quick moment, and his breath caught. No matter how much he needed to talk to her, he couldn’t do it now, not when her emotions—his emotions—were so raw. He was sure he’d fall apart if he tried to speak. He had to wait until he was strong enough to tell her he felt responsible for Seth’s death, that he would never forgive himself.
“Jason?” Stephen nudged him. “Mamm and Dat are ready.”
He nodded and followed his brother down the squeaky porch steps. When he reached the bottom, he looked over his shoulder one last time and took in the sight of Seth’s beautiful fiancée and her obvious grief. He was going to find a way to talk to her soon, and he would tell her just how sorry he was for not being able to save her future with Seth.
CHAPTER 1
“THE WINDOWS ARE DONE.” VERONICA WIPED HER HANDS on her black apron as she stepped into the kitchen from the mudroom. “They’re actually sparkling in the sunlight.”
“Veronica, I told you. You didn’t have to worry about the windows yet. We’re not having church here until late August.” Mamm shook her head while standing in front of the kitchen sink. Bubbles from the frothy water danced in the warm June sunlight that spilled in through the window above her.
Veronica spotted a smudge on the window and scooped a dishrag from the counter. “Don’t move. I missed that one.” She crossed the room, reached up behind her mother, and rubbed the spot. She smiled when the window pane looked perfect. “There. Now they’re all done.”
Her mother eyed her a moment, and her smile disappeared. Veronica sucked in a breath, preparing herself for the fervent advice her mother had repeated over and over during the two months since she’d lost Seth.
“Veronica.” Mamm wiped her hands on a dish towel and then touched the short sleeve of Veronica’s blue dress. “I know you’re doing all of this cleaning to distract yourself, but you need to slow down. You need to allow yourself time to grieve.”
“I’m fine.” Veronica forced a smile. “I just enjoy helping out around the haus. You know I love to clean.” She hoped she sounded convincing. The truth was, if she allowed herself to slow down, her memories crashed down on her, just like the waves she’d enjoyed at the beach last summer when she and her sisters traveled to the Maryland shore with the girls in youth group.
