Lillian had begun to creep into his thoughts a lot lately, and he wondered if he would be able to contain his emotions much longer without bursting forth with the truth to the next person he spoke to. He was bubbling with new energy that was powered by his long-standing crush on the baker of sweet confections that made his mouth water as much as it did when he thought about kissing her.
****
Hiram sat at the kitchen table, feeling guilty over every bite he sank his teeth into of the delicious pumpkin muffin Miss Stoltzfus had brought over the night before—for Seth—not for him. He’d noticed the blush that heated her cheeks at the mention of his son, and he hadn’t missed the look of disappointment on Seth’s face when he learned she’d stopped by the haus while he was gone.
He’d selfishly expected Seth to take care of things when Lizzie ran off. But the man knew that it was his fault just as much as the fact that Seth was nearly thirty years old without a fraa or kinner of his own. Why hadn’t he seen it before now the way his son longed for Miss Stoltzfus? Had he really been so wrapped up in the needs of his own farm that he would deny another one of his kinner the happiness they deserved? He had to do something—but what?
Hiram said a silent prayer, asking Gott to forgive him for being so selfish with his kinner, and to help him find a way to help Seth. When he was finished, Seth entered the kitchen and peeked in the pink box from the bakery. He sat down across from his daed, cup of kaffi in one hand, the muffin in the other. Hiram watched his son look at the muffin with a hazy, far-off look in his eyes, and wondered if he was going to eat it, or stare at it the entire morning.
Hiram cleared his throat. “I thought we could ride out to the Das Dutchman Essenhaus for your birthday tomorrow.”
Seth put the muffin down. “What about Lizzie? She would be heartbroken if we didn’t come to her haus. Since she’s unable to get around, I thought it would be nice if we went over there. Abby promised to bake me a cake!”
Hiram smiled. “Well if my granddochder is making a cake, how can we go anywhere else?”
He silently thanked Gott for the little girl he’d known nothing about until five years ago when his own dochder had returned home. He only wished his Marian was still alive to see the grandkinner grow up. He watched Seth savoring his muffin, realizing he’d allowed his own loneliness over his fraa’s death to interfere with raising his kinner. He’d driven Lizzie away after tearing her apart from Jacob, and now he’d done the same thing to Seth. It was his fault Seth was a single man, and he aimed to remedy that.
“Could you run an errand for me today and run the new harnesses over to Efram Stoltzfus? I figured since you have to help Jacob finish the fencing you could stop by there first since he’s right across the road from your schweschder’s haus.”
Seth’s heart raced at the possibility of running into Lillian when he dropped off the buggy harnesses for her daed. But then he realized she might not be there, but at her bakery instead. Perhaps it would give him the opportunity to settle his bill.
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CHAPTER 4
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Lillian swung the broom one more time, trying to encourage her chickens from the bare trees. They had begun nesting in the trees since she hadn’t taken the time to clip their wings last week, and they were way overdue for the task. Behind her, she heard a buggy approaching, but she didn’t have time to stop what she was doing to socialize with whoever was paying a visit—especially since whoever it was would be there to see her daed.
Swinging the broom in a wider arc, she smacked the branches just below the nesting chickens, but they wouldn’t budge.
“That’s no way to get a chicken out of a tree,” a voice behind her said with a chuckle.
Without turning around, she realized she recognized the voice as belonging to Seth. What was he doing here? She took another swing with the broom, ignoring his mocking laughter.
Before she realized, he was behind her and grabbed the broom from her.
“Give that back!”
He smiled and looked toward the chickens, his cheeks turning pink. “Why are you wasting your time bothering them? They look comfortable up there.”
Lillian turned toward him, hands on her hips.
“They’re up there because I got too busy at the bakery last week and didn’t have time to clip their wings. They just discovered they can fly, and if I don’t get them down and get their wings clipped I will lose the eggs, and I need them for my baking.”
He laughed more heartily. She’d never remembered hearing him laugh before. He had a nice laugh—even though he was laughing at her.
“If you want to get them down, sprinkle some feed in the grass. When they’re distracted, you can grab onto them.”
Why hadn’t she thought of that? He must think her a fool to let a couple of chickens get the better of her. And why was he suddenly talking to her?
She looked at him as though it was the first time she was seeing him—really seeing him. His skin still held a little color from a summer in the sun, and she could see the strength of his muscles beneath his shirt that he had long-since grown out of. The shadow of whiskers on his chin defined his chiseled jaw, his cheekbones prominent above the dimples that deepened when he smiled. His hazel eyes were kind, his dark blonde hair wind-blown to the side after his hat blew to the ground.
He picked up his hat, his gaze set on her. “I’d be more than happy to help you clip the wings if you get some feed from the barn to bring them down out of the tree.”
Lillian stepped away from him without saying a word, and was back in no time at all with a scoopful of chicken feed. Seth watched her as she scattered the feed along the grass, thinking how beautiful she looked against the cold, November sun. Why hadn’t he noticed before now just how truly beautiful she was? She stirred in him a desire to break away from his daed’s farm and begin a familye of his own—with Lillian. But would she have him?
Lillian giggled as she watched Seth calling to the chickens, trying to coax them from the branches of the tree. When he finally got the last one down, he picked up the pair of cutting shears from the tree stump where Lillian had left them. He picked up one of the hens without effort and began clipping her wings.
Lillian picked up another hen, set her on the tree stump, and held her hand out to Seth for the cutting shears.
“I know you didn’t come all the way over here to clip my chicken’s wings.”
Seth’s face heated. “I don’t mind helping. But I did bring your daed’s new harnesses. My daed finished them early and asked if I’d bring them over since I was going to my schweschder’s haus across the road from you.”
“Denki. He’s in the barn. I’m sure he will be froh to have them early.”
Seth paused. “Are you sure I can’t help you finish up with the chickens?”
She smiled at him warmly. “These are the last of them. I can finish quickly and then I have to gather the eggs and get to the bakery. I’m a little behind in getting my bread orders in the oven.”
Seth ignored her and held out the wing of the hen she was holding in place, and he began to snip the edge of the wing.
Lillian wondered why he continued to help despite her polite protest, but she welcomed the help. It would help her get to the bakery that much sooner. And she had to admit having Seth talk to her was a lot nicer than having him ignore her.
Seth looked up at her as she shivered from a cold gust of wind. He pulled off his jacket and draped it across her shoulders before she realized what he was doing.
She looked into his kind eyes. “Denki. I left my jacket in the haus. I didn’t think it would take me this long to take care of my hens. And I certainly didn’t think it was going to be this cold today.”
Seth looked up at the gray clouds rolling in.
“Looks like we might get our first snow of the season.”
As if cued by Gott, Lillian watched in awe as snowflakes began to float down from the heavens.
<
br /> Seth stood back and admired Lillian as she twirled in the sea of snowflakes. They melted on his warm cheeks, as he thought that this was the most time he’d ever spent with her—and he was actually talking to her without stammering. Maybe he could ask her to take a buggy ride with him. Maybe not yet, but hopefully soon.
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CHAPTER 5
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Lillian walked toward the barn with Seth’s coat, but she couldn’t help lifting the collar to her face. She breathed in the smell of fresh mowed hay, smoked wood and homemade peppermint soap. She could get lost in that smell if she wasn’t careful—lost in the thought of a man who might never be hers.
Seth looked up at Lillian as she entered the barn, her cheeks pink from the cold air that blew in alongside her. She held out his coat to him with downcast eyes, and he wondered if her sudden shyness was due to her daed, who stood only a few feet away from them.
“Denki for letting me use your coat. I hope you weren’t too cold.”
“Nee, I was warm in the barn. Do you need a ride to the bakery? I know it’s just up the road, but I’m heading out now and could drop you off on my way. It’s getting pretty cold with the snow blowing.”
Lillian lowered her gaze again. “Denki, but I enjoy the walk. It gives me energy to start my day.”
Seth watched her walk away, then waved goodbye to Efram. As he stepped toward the opening of the barn, he pulled up his collar against the wind that would assail him when he made his exit. As the collar brushed his cheek, he smelled sugar and cinnamon with a hint of lavender soap—the same scents he’d enjoyed while being near Lillian when they clipped the chicken’s wings. He felt a renewed sense of hope as he reflected on their time together. Although it was short, it amazed him that he could so easily converse with her. She was easy on the eyes and easy to get along with, and she smelled heavenly.
****
The scent of peppermint lingered in Lillian’s memory as she milled about the kitchen of her bakery. while she packaged the last of the whoopie pies, she looked out at the long line of customers waiting for them, and felt a sense of relief at her decision to spend the morning baking a half dozen batches more than she usually did. It was her busy season, and if she couldn’t stay on top of the demand, she would be swimming in late orders like she did her first season.
Pushing aside thoughts of Seth, Lillian served a constant stream of customers until closing time. She hadn’t even had time to sit down for more than five minutes before packs of English customers entered her bakery looking for a taste of Amish culture. In the winter months, the majority of her customers consisted of Englischers, because it was easier for them to get to her than some of her regular Amish customers across Elkhart County. Though some were only a few miles away, navigating a buggy in the winter was difficult and often too dangerous, so most of the community contained their driving for necessities only, and usually kept to the back roads.
Lillian put the last of the baking utensils into the large, stainless steel sink when she heard the bells chime on the door. She chided herself for forgetting to lock the door and place the Closed sign in the window. She had nothing else to sell. Walking out to the lobby, her heart caught in her throat at the sight of Seth standing patiently with his hat in his hands. It wasn’t his usual day to come into the bakery, but she was delighted at seeing him twice in one day.
Seth looked into her eyes and smiled. “When I saw you earlier, I was so distracted by helping you with the chickens that I forgot to settle my bill for the order you dropped off with my daed yesterday.”
If the truth be told, he was too distracted by her nearness to think about paying her what he owed.
Lillian smiled shyly, heat rising to her cheeks.
“Denki, but you didn’t need to make an extra trip just to pay your bill. I knew you’d pay it when you came in next week.”
He stepped forward and shoved the money into her hand. His hand seemed to linger on hers, or maybe it was her imagination, but for that few seconds, her blood boiled at his heated touch. She tucked the money into her apron pocket and cast her eyes down to hide her flushed face.
“It was no trouble at all. I was at my schweschder's haus helping Jacob fix their fence. We should be done with it some time tomorrow. And just in time before this snow begins to stick.”
Lillian looked out the large window of the bakery at the snowflakes, temporarily mesmerized by the enchantment of their swirling. Winter would be her favorite season if not for the fact that it was also wedding season in the community. And the wedding invitations were lining up nearly every week for the next five weeks. She’d hoped this would be her year, but another season was upon them, and she would not be making any announcements of her own again.
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CHAPTER 6
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Seth rode past the bakery on his way to Lizzie’s haus, and breathed in the smells of the breads and pastries. Lillian was probably hard at work preparing for the many customers of Englischers, whose cars he noticed parked in the roped-off span of grass that served as a parking lot. His mouth watered at the delectable aroma, and wished he had the nerve to stop in at the noon hour and sample some of the confections. He had a pretty big sweet tooth, but his cravings had recently turned more toward the baker than for the baked goods.
He pulled into Lizzie’s yard, his stomach still growling. His niece, Abby, was at the wood pile gathering a few freshly chopped pieces for the wood stove. She dropped what was in her arms and ran to meet him.
“Gudemariye, Onkel Seth. Happy Birthday!”
He jumped down from the buggy and hugged her.
“Denki, Abby. Is your daed in the barn?”
“Jah, he’s getting the posts ready for the fence work. I’ll let mamm know you’re here.”
Seth gave her another quick hug. “You tell her to stay in the haus where it’s warm. I’ll be in to see her in a few minutes after I let Caleb and your daed know I’m here.”
He watched her bound into the haus, and remembered back when her pigtails would fly when she ran. Now, at fifteen, she wore her hair pinned beneath her kapp, and he realized his bruder-in-law would have to start watching the boys around her soon. He envied Jacob for having a familye—something he feared he may never have. But then his thoughts returned to Lillian. Maybe it was time he asked for that buggy ride. He was thirty years old today, and he wasn’t going to waste another day that he could spend with Lillian. He wanted a familye, and he prayed Lillian did too.
****
Lillian turned over the sign that hung from the bakery door to show that she was closed for the day. She was exhausted, but she still had at least an hour’s worth of dishes to do before she could leave. Feeling overwhelmed, she considered filling the large, stainless steel sink and letting them soak overnight. But tomorrow was Sunday, and the bakery was closed, and she would be getting up early for church. It had already been a long day, and she felt like she’d inhaled at least a pound of flour over the course of the day, and probably an equal amount of powdered sugar.
She entered the kitchen with a sigh, and noticed an unclaimed order sitting on the counter. Searching through her daily tickets, she realized she’d packed one box too many of the whoopie pies she’d baked. Knowing they would not keep until Monday, she wished she’d given them away. But she still could. Seth’s schweschder Lizzie lived across from the bakery, and she could take them there if she left now. Not wanting to interrupt their evening meal, she decided to leave the dishes and take the treat to Lizzie for her kinner. She could come back after a quick visit, and then finish the dishes before going home.
Lillian walked across the busy road holding the box of pies close to guard them against the blowing snow. Her coat was pulled tight, but the wind was determined to get in. Halfway down the long driveway, she wondered if this had been such a gut idea, but she had never really reached out to Lizzie despite the fact they’d been neighbors
for just over five years. They’d mingled at social gatherings, but she wouldn’t classify her as a close friend.
Fear crept into her mind when she noticed Seth’s buggy on the side of the haus, and she hoped he wouldn’t see her visit as presumptuous. It was too late to turn around and go back to the bakery, Lizzie’s dochder, Abby, had already seen her.
Lillian greeted her at the wood pile. “Gut evening, Abby. I had some left over whoopie pies and I thought your mamm would like them for the kinner.”
“Denki. Please kume inside and warm up for a minute before you go back. You look like you’re frozen to the bone.”
Lillian’s heart pounded loudly in her ears. She hoped Seth would be in the barn and not in the haus. She couldn’t turn down an offer of hospitality, but she wasn’t sure she wanted to run into Seth either. The sun was sinking quickly, and she didn’t want to walk the long lane in dim light without a lantern, but her cold toes and fingers won the internal argument.
“Denki. I would like to warm up for a minute, but I have a lot of dishes still waiting for me at the bakery that I must get to before I go home for the day.”
Lillian followed Abby into the warm house, her increasing heart rate already warming her.
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CHAPTER 7
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Abby flung open the oven and sighed dramatically. “My cake is burned! I don’t have time to make another one.”
Amish Winter Wonderland: Book Two Page 2
