“It was kind of Mr. Troyer to give you a tour of their barn.”
As Miranda drove toward home, she recalled how Heidi’s husband had been so patient, answering the children’s questions about all the animals they had on the farm. One thing that had really impressed Miranda was when Lyle glanced lovingly back at his wife, and how Heidi smiled at him, watching as he and the children ventured toward the barn.
Miranda blew a breath from her lips. I remember when Trent used to look at me that way. When did it all go wrong?
Before returning home, Miranda wanted to make a stop, so she pulled into the local market in Berlin. “Hey kids, how about we go in here and get some things to make toasted cheese sandwiches for our lunch?”
“Sounds good,” Debbie and Kevin said in unison.
“We’ll need to make it quick, though. We have to get home and let Blondie out.”
Blondie was their poodle, and she got the name because of her light-colored, curly fur. Blondie was a friendly, good-tempered dog. The kids loved her, and she’d become an important part of the family.
After picking out some different cheeses, fresh bread, and a bag of potato chips, they returned to the minivan, and Miranda drove the three miles to their home.
When she pulled into the driveway, she spotted Trent’s shiny red truck parked by the garage. Her husband stood in the backyard, throwing a stick for Blondie to fetch.
“Dad’s here!” Debbie yelled, quickly getting out of the van after it came to a halt.
Kevin was close behind her, and they both ran to greet their father.
Miranda got the bags of groceries out of the back and headed toward the house. Like a faithful friend, the poodle ran up to greet her.
“Hey there, Blondie. Did you miss us?” Miranda smiled as the dog raised up on her hind legs and tried to sniff inside the bags. “Don’t worry. I got something for you too.”
As if the dog understood, Blondie gave an approving bark.
After chatting with their dad a few minutes, the kids called to Blondie and continued the game of fetch.
Miranda stopped as Trent approached. He wore a light beige shirt and a pair of darker beige, stylish slacks. While some people might think her husband was average looking, to her, no other man was as handsome as Trent. The first two buttons of his shirt were open, revealing dark curly chest hairs that matched his thick eyebrows. Miranda’s face grew warm, as she willed her eyes to rise up and meet his gaze. Even with all the problems between them, she still remembered, and longed for, the way things had been before he’d begun seeing another woman. Of course, Trent denied having had an affair. He insisted the relationship hadn’t gone that far before he’d broken things off. But Miranda lost faith in him and wasn’t convinced he was telling the truth.
“Nice of you to stop by when we weren’t home.” Miranda couldn’t keep the sarcasm out of her tone. “Why are you here anyway? I thought you were scheduled to work today.”
“I did work this morning, but I got off at noon. Oh, by the way, I didn’t know you weren’t going to be home.”
“Don’t you remember?” Miranda sighed heavily. “We were at the cooking class I told you about when I called to see if you could take the kids.” Trent never remembers anything I tell him.
“Oh, yeah, right, I forgot.”
Big surprise. “So, why did you stop by?”
“I want to get some of the music CDs I left here when you kicked me out.” Trent shifted from one foot to the other. “I have a CD player, but no music to play in it.”
“Oh, I see.” Miranda’s body temperature rose, and it wasn’t from the heat. “Then I guess it wasn’t because you wanted to see the kids.”
“Now don’t try to make something out of nothing, Miranda.” Trent kept his voice lowered. “Figured when I got here, I’d spend a little time with Debbie and Kevin.” He reached out and took one of the grocery sacks.
Miranda didn’t want to argue, especially in front of the children, so she invited Trent to stay for lunch. That would allow him some time with the kids.
“Thanks for the offer, but I’ll have to take a rain check.” Trent looked toward the children, who were still playing with the dog. “I had a busy morning at the dealership. In fact, I sold three cars. So I’m tired and want to get home and relax. If it’s okay with you, I’ll pick out some CDs and be on my way.”
“Sure, take whatever you want.” She waved her hand to shoo him on.
“Look, Miranda, I’m trying to be cordial. Quite frankly, when I realized you weren’t home, I could have just gone in the house, got the CDs, and left. But I hung around, hoping you and the kids would be home soon. That’s why I came out here with Blondie. Figured I’d mess with her a bit while I waited for you.”
“Well if you’d paid attention, you would have remembered that I said the cooking class would be over at noon.”
“Okay, I admit, I forgot.” Trent rubbed the bridge of his nose.
“By the way,” she added, “the next cooking class is in two weeks, and I have to work that Saturday. So can you take the kids?”
“I’m scheduled to work, too, but I’ll see if I can switch with someone.”
“Thanks.”
Miranda and Trent entered their ranch-style house. While she put the groceries away, he went to the living room to get what he’d come for.
Debbie and Kevin came running into the kitchen. “Where’s Daddy?” Kevin asked.
Miranda nodded toward the living room. The children hurried in to be with their father. Those poor kids miss their dad so much. I’ll never understand that man. If he hadn’t messed up, he could still be living here.
Blondie, who’d been left outside, whined and scratched at the door.
“Did they forget about you?” Miranda held the door open as Blondie pranced in. The cute dog stayed with her in the kitchen, sitting patiently and wagging her pom-tipped tail.
“What do ya say now?” Miranda held her hand out, hiding a surprise.
“Woof! Woof!” Blondie rose up in a begging position, reaching her front paws up as high as she could.
“Good girl.” Miranda rewarded her with a chewy bone.
She watched the pretty poodle go over to her doggie bed, spin in a circle, and lie down with the bone. Shortly thereafter, Trent, holding a few CDs in his hand, entered the kitchen, with both kids trailing behind.
“Can’t you please stay, Daddy?” Debbie held onto her father’s arm.
“Sorry, honey. Some other time. I want to go back to my apartment and put up my feet.” Trent patted the top of Debbie’s head.
Kevin stood silently, not saying a word, but his look of disappointment said it all.
Sugarcreek, Ohio
“Why are we stoppin’ here?” Jeremy asked when Darren pulled his rig into the parking lot of a restaurant in Sugarcreek.
“We’re going to stop for lunch.” Darren glanced in the mirror at his son sitting in the back seat, wearing a scowl. “I’m hungry and figured you would be too.”
“Yeah, okay. Guess I could eat something. That dumb fruit salad I had to make during the cooking class didn’t fill my stomach. Especially when I had to share it with you.”
Darren chuckled. “You wouldn’t have eaten it in front of me, would ya?”
“Naw, I was only kidding.”
“Are you feeling better about taking the class now that you know you’re not the only boy?”
“I guess so, but the other guys are just little kids. I don’t have much in common with Randy or Kevin.”
“That’s okay. You don’t have to become best buds. It’s just kind of nice to know there are three boys in the class, which evens things out, since there are three girls.”
“Four, if you count the little girl who lives with Heidi.”
“True.” Darren opened the door on his side of the vehicle. “Let’s go inside the restaurant and see what’s on the menu.”
They had no more than stepped into the restaurant when Darren spotted E
llen and her daughter, Becky, sitting at a table near the window. He thought about how the two of them had hurried out the door after class ended today, preventing him from telling Ellen what he thought about her not giving Becky a chance to learn on her own. It was probably for the best, though. No point creating a problem—especially when they’d be seeing each other again at the next cooking class.
Ellen glanced up from perusing her menu and was surprised to see Darren Keller enter the restaurant with his son. When Darren looked her way, she offered a casual wave. He nodded in her direction, before following the hostess to a table. Ellen turned back to Becky. “Did you enjoy the cooking class today?”
Becky lifted her shoulders briefly. “It was okay, but I didn’t like two of the boys who were there.”
“Which two?”
“Kevin and Jeremy.”
“How come?”
“Well, Kevin kept doing things to irritate that girl, Kassidy, and Jeremy kicked me under the table a few times.”
“I’m sure he didn’t kick you on purpose.” Ellen glanced across the room, where Darren and Jeremy sat. They were too far away to hear what Becky had said, especially since she’d spoken so quietly.
“Mom, do they have pizza here?” Becky asked.
“I don’t think so.” Ellen pointed to the menu. “I’m going to order the baked chicken wrap. You should order something healthy too.”
“Okay I’ll have a wrap.”
“We’ll have pizza soon,” Ellen promised, seeing Becky’s defeated expression. “I know pizza’s your favorite food. Whenever we decide to have it, maybe instead of ordering a pizza, we can make one together. How’s that sound?”
“Okay.”
Ellen felt better when Becky nodded in agreement.
“Mom, when I go to the next cooking class, you can just drop me off at Heidi Troyer’s and come back when it’s done to pick me up.”
Ellen shook her head. “I wouldn’t feel right about that. I’d prefer to stay during the class.” She glanced at Darren again, and was surprised when he left his seat and headed in their direction. Ellen moistened her lips. I wonder what he wants.
Chapter 8
I’m surprised to see you here.” Darren smiled as he stood beside Ellen’s chair. “Do you come to Sugarcreek often?”
“No. I heard about this restaurant and decided to stop for lunch before heading home.” She fiddled with her napkin, nervous all of a sudden. The depth of Darren’s blue eyes seemed to bore right through Ellen as he held her steady gaze. “How about you? Have you and your son eaten here before?”
“Nope. It’s our first time too. Got a recommendation from another fireman who lives in Sugarcreek.” He grinned. “If anyone knows a good place to eat, it’s a guy who puts out fires for a living.”
She chuckled. Darren was not only good looking, but he had a sense of humor, something she’d always appreciated in a man—or anyone else for that matter. As a nurse, she’d learned from observing her patients that laughter and a positive attitude were good medicine.
Darren gestured to the empty chairs at Ellen’s table. “Say, would it be okay if Jeremy and I joined you? It might be nice to get better acquainted.”
Ellen looked at her daughter, wondering how she would feel if Darren and his son sat at their table. When Becky said nothing, Ellen looked back at Darren. “Sure, that’d be fine.”
Darren turned and motioned for his son to come over. Jeremy remained in his seat a few seconds, then got up and tromped across the room. “What’s up, Dad?”
“We’re going to sit here and eat lunch with Ellen and Becky.”
Jeremy’s brows furrowed. “I thought we had our own table.”
“We did, but I decided we should sit over here and visit with Becky and her mother.”
“Okay, whatever.” Jeremy took a seat next to Becky and slouched in his chair.
She gave him a sidelong glance, but didn’t say a word either. Ellen hoped her daughter wasn’t holding a grudge against Jeremy because he’d kicked her under the table.
Darren seated himself in the chair beside Ellen, then glanced over at her menu. “I hear the French dip sandwich is pretty good here.”
“I’ll probably have a salad.” Ellen pushed the menu closer to him. “Do you want to take a closer look?”
“Nope. I know what I want.” He handed the menu to Jeremy. “You’d better make up your mind soon, ’cause a waitress is headed this way.”
“I made up my mind when we were sittin’ at the other table.” Jeremy nodded in that direction. “I’m gonna have a personal-size pizza.”
“I thought they didn’t have pizza here.” Becky looked at Ellen with furrowed brows. “If he gets to have pizza, why can’t I?”
Feeling a headache coming on, Ellen rubbed her forehead. “Okay, Becky, you can have whatever you want. I must have missed seeing pizza listed on the menu.”
After the waitress took their orders, it grew uncomfortably quiet at the table.
“Did you enjoy the cooking class?” Darren asked at the same moment Ellen threw out the same question.
He chuckled. “You go first.”
“Yes, despite the fact that no one knew each other, I thought things went well for the first class.”
“I thought it was a little awkward, though.” Darren glanced at Becky, then back at Ellen. “Hopefully the next ones will go better, and the kids will be more comfortable with each other. Don’t you think so, Jeremy?” He nudged his son’s arm, but all Jeremy did was nod his head.
“Did you like the class, Jeremy?” Ellen asked.
“It was okay.” Jeremy glanced at Becky, then looked quickly away.
“How about you, Becky? What did you think?” Darren questioned.
“It was all right,” she mumbled without looking at him.
Darren chuckled. “Well, at least our kids think alike where that topic is concerned.”
Ellen smiled. “You mentioned another fireman had recommended this place to eat.” She took a drink of water the waitress had put on the table. “Are you also a fireman?”
“Yeah. It’s what I’ve always wanted to be.” He grabbed his glass of water and took a big swallow. “I tried college after graduating from high school, but only got as far as acquiring my associate’s degree in business management.”
“I see.” Ellen leaned her elbows on the table.
“I knew sitting behind a desk was not for me.” Darren didn’t want to talk about himself anymore. “How about you? What do you do?”
“I’m a nurse in the pediatric ward at the hospital in Millersburg.”
He smiled. “Guess that means you must like kids.”
“I do.” Her face sobered. “It saddens me, though, to see a severely sick or injured child.”
Darren slowly nodded. “It’s hard for me to see kids who have been burned or injured because of a fire. So in some ways our jobs are similar.”
“Yes, I suppose.” Ellen rested her hands beneath her chin.
“Don’t mean to change the subject, but are you planning to come to all the cooking classes with your daughter?”
“Yes, I am.”
Darren came close to voicing his opinion on that subject, but the waitress arrived with their food. Maybe once he’d gotten to know Ellen better he would feel free to interject his thoughts.
Walnut Creek
“Are ya still mad at me for playin’ with the hose?” Randy asked Heidi as she sat in the kitchen with him and Marsha, eating lunch.
She reached over and gave his shoulder a tender squeeze. “No, Randy. You apologized and I forgave you.” Heidi looked at Marsha, her lips covered with peanut butter. “Your sister accepted your apology too.”
“I won’t touch the hose again.” Randy shook his head vigorously. “Promise.”
Heidi smiled. “Sometimes Lyle or I might ask you to turn on the hose, and then it will be okay. I just don’t want you spraying anyone with water.”
“Okay.” He pointed to the
cookie jar on the counter. “Can Marsha and I have a kichli?”
“Yes, but not until you’ve finished your lunch. There are only a few oatmeal cookies left, but you and Marsha can help me make more.”
Marsha grinned, and Randy bobbed his head. It was good to see him becoming more receptive to her. It also pleased Heidi that Randy had used the Pennsylvania Dutch word for cookie. He was beginning to catch on to more Amish words. When he started school this fall, Randy would have an advantage over the other children, since he already knew the English language. It would be easier for him to make friends and communicate with the other children before and after class if he spoke Pennsylvania Dutch. Marsha wouldn’t start school for a few more years, so Heidi would have plenty of time to work with her if she and Lyle were allowed to continue caring for the children.
What a privilege it was to take care of these precious youngsters. And to think, if one of my previous students hadn’t mentioned the need for foster parents, Lyle and I never would have considered such a thing. It still amazed Heidi how the Lord had worked things out on their behalf, as well as the children’s. Despite the disappointment she’d felt over not being able to adopt Kendra’s baby, everything had turned out well.
Seeing that the children had finished their sandwiches, Heidi scooted away from the table and went to get the ingredients to make oatmeal cookies. She set a carton of eggs on the counter and was about to get out the oatmeal, when a knock sounded on the front door.
“I’ll be right back.” She hurried from the room.
When Heidi opened the door, she was surprised to see Denise and Kassidy on the porch.
“Sorry to bother you.” Denise’s tone was apologetic. “My daughter thinks she may have left her cell phone here.”
Kassidy lifted her chin. “I don’t think it, Mom. I know I left it here. I had my phone with me when I was in Heidi’s kitchen.”
“The children and I just finished eating lunch, and I didn’t see any sign of your cell phone in the kitchen. Perhaps you left it somewhere else,” Heidi suggested.
Amish Cooking Class--The Celebration Page 5
