An Amish Cookie Club Courtship

by Sarah Price

Fortunately, this year, she wasn’t working the Amish Aid table that the different Amish church districts always had at the town’s annual event in May. Instead, Wilma, Verna, and Mary had volunteered to man the table, which freed Edna to deal with her own guests. Elmer had convinced her that she simply couldn’t do it all. It was more than enough that Edna helped bake the hundreds of cookies sold at the annual festival to raise money for the Amish communities in LaGrange County.

  “You’ll be busy next week, then,” Ella Mae said, her tone sounding like a question even though she stated it as a fact.

  And how, Edna thought. She remembered that, the previous year, they had also made baby blankets to sell. Fortunately, some of the other Amish women in Shipshewana were providing those for the event this year. Edna couldn’t imagine how worn out she’d have been if she’d overextended herself by committing to crochet blankets, too.

  “Ja, indeed,” she admitted. “Between the demand for cookies at the store and MayFest, I imagine your maem will have her hands full, too. I know Verna will be helping her with the baking, while Mary will come here.”

  “Oh?”

  Edna nodded. “Ja. Because of the distance between all our homes, it’s inconvenient for Mary sometimes, I’m sure,” she confided. “I think she likes to come here for an excuse to visit Bethany.” And who could blame her? Mary’s only child was as delightful as they came. Edna couldn’t help but count her blessings to have such a wonderful daughter-in-law.

  Ella Mae made a noise, as if agreeing with Edna, but said nothing more.

  Edna knew Ella Mae was familiar with Bethany—they’d known each other their entire lives. Though they weren’t friends, they ran into each other often enough. Why, just a few months earlier, before the holiday season, they’d gathered at Wilma’s house to make quilts for charity. Bethany was younger than Wilma’s daughters and was now married to John. Edna wondered if that might bother Ella Mae, who clearly had no prospects of having a special friend any time soon.

  From what her sons had told her, both Rachel and Ella Mae had developed reputations for being difficult and quarrelsome, two characteristics that would certainly not bring them many interested callers. Edna hadn’t expressed her opinions out loud, but she feared that Wilma’s daughters might wind up as old spinsters or, in the best-case scenario, as second wives to widowers with children.

  Like Myrna, Edna thought. Verna’s daughter had also been known for having an assertive and troublesome personality. Her mother had fretted about her daughter’s prospects. And yet now she was married and a new mother.

  Sometimes it just took getting to know a person—to really know a person—to uncover the good qualities that God graced every creature with.

  Suddenly, it dawned on Edna that this was the first time she’d truly interacted with either of Wilma’s daughters as individuals. Usually Ella Mae and Rachel were joined at the hip, and that seemed to be when they tended to argue and their competitive natures were on full display. Today, however, with Rachel having left early, Edna had been able to spend some time alone with Ella Mae. And, to Edna’s surprise, she realized that the young woman seemed much less combative and far friendlier. Perhaps the problem with these two young women wasn’t their personalities after all. Perhaps being together for so long had created a familiarity that read as irritability to outsiders.

  And it dawned on Edna that Jeremiah might just be the perfect person for this surprisingly insightful young woman.

  “You know, Ella Mae,” she said, “mayhaps you could come help Mary, Bethany, and me with the baking next week. Do you think you might be free? I’m sure Bethany would enjoy having someone her own age here for company; she’s so shy, you know.”

  Her request was met with surprise. “Me?”

  Edna nodded. “Rachel could help your mother and Verna with their baking. I’d hate to have your maem think I was stealing both of you away.”

  Ella Mae gave a little laugh, but it was an uncomfortable one.

  Studying the young woman, Edna suspected she knew the cause of her discomfort. “You appear reluctant. Do you already have plans?”

  “Oh, that’s not it at all!” She walked to the table and sat down next to Edna. Averting her eyes, she wrung her hands in her lap. “It’s just . . . well . . . I—”

  “Spit it out, Ella Mae,” Edna coaxed gently.

  Her chest heaved as she took a deep breath and raised her eyes to meet Edna’s. “I’m not used to doing things without my schwester.”

  “I see.” Edna had suspected as much.

  Clearly the two young women, together since before birth, had spent their entire lives operating as one person. Wherever one went, so did the other. And when they were together, they often forgot that other people were around. Perhaps that was why they constantly bickered. They were so comfortable in each other’s presence that they hadn’t learned how to behave apart.

  “I think it will be good for you to do something without Rachel,” Edna said, taking the time to choose her words carefully. “I often find that being apart from my friends is what keeps us so close.”

  “And I’m not so keen on bicycling alone,” Ella Mae added. “Those fast cars frighten me.”

  Edna raised an eyebrow. She wouldn’t have thought that anything could frighten either of the Schwartz daughters. “That’s easy enough. I’ll have one of the boys take you home.”

  Ella Mae stiffened. “One of the boys?”

  “Say”—Edna hesitated, watching Ella Mae’s reaction—“Jeremiah? I’m sure he wouldn’t mind.” Of course, she didn’t know if he would mind. After all, he worked in town these days, so he’d have to make two trips to Shipshewana in order to take the young woman home. But, unlike Jonas, Jeremiah was not one to argue with his mother.

  Ella Mae pressed her lips together. “Well, if it’s Jeremiah, that would be fine, then.”

  And with that, Edna felt a momentary thrill. Oh, wouldn’t that be something, she thought. Ella Mae and Jeremiah! They just needed some time alone to get to know each other without Jonas’s disruptive chiding and Rachel getting in the way.

  RACHEL

  CHAPTER 14

  Why on earth had her mother insisted that she fetch the leftover cookies at Yoders’ Store? She’d just been there the day before and had seen only one or two remaining on the shelf.

  Rachel pedaled her bicycle as fast as she could down the road that led toward town. She wanted to get to the store and fetch those cookies—which she doubted would be there anyway!—and head back right away. The last thing she wanted was for Jeremiah to spot her when he was leaving the auction house.

  Why, if he caught sight of her, she just knew that she’d die from humiliation! He’d think she had planned to run into him again, and that wouldn’t look good, not one bit.

  The previous day, he’d driven down the back roads for almost an hour as an uncomfortable silence filled the buggy. He’d asked her a few questions, but she could barely answer, for she was still horrified that he’d seen through her ruse. How had he known she’d come to town on a fake mission to get cheese? How had he suspected that she’d wanted to bump into him? How had he figured out that she’d hoped he would give her a ride home? While she didn’t know the answer, she did know she wouldn’t make that mistake twice.

  When he had finally pulled into her parents’ driveway, he’d tipped his hat at her and smiled as he thanked her for the pleasant company on the ride home.

  Oh! Just the memory of his mocking comment made her feel humiliated all over again. The problem was that she didn’t know if she was upset at Jeremiah or merely at herself for having been so obvious.

  “Rachel Esh! That’s twice in two days,” David Yoder said when she entered the store. “To what do we owe this honor?”

  Rachel glanced toward the cookie display. Bethany Esh had made it for the store, her neat handwriting on the sign boldly promoting the Amish Cookie Club. “Maem sent me for the leftover cookies.”

  David shrugged his shoulders and l
ifted his hands in the air. “Then I’m afraid you wasted a trip. There weren’t any unsold cookies this week.” He grinned at her. “Why! Those cookies practically fly off the shelf, it seems. I’ve even had people ask about doing mail order.”

  “Oh ja?” Rachel glanced around the store, barely listening to David. Heaven help her if Jeremiah walked through that door. She knew she’d just die on the spot.

  “Not a bad idea, if I do say so myself. Speak to your maem about it, would you now? We could take the orders here and ship them out once a week.”

  “Sure. I’ll tell her to bake more cookies for next week.”

  David gave her a quizzical look. “Nee, that’s not what I said, Rachel.”

  “Huh?” With a little shake of her head, she turned toward him. “I’m sorry, then. What did you say?”

  He laughed and waved his hand at her. “Never you mind. I can see you’re”—he paused as if seeking the right word—“somewhere else.”

  And that was the moment the bell over the door jingled. Heavy footsteps followed, and Rachel didn’t even have to turn around to know that Jeremiah Esh had just walked into the store.

  “Oh help,” she muttered to herself.

  “Well, well, well.”

  She sensed, rather than saw, Jeremiah walk up behind her.

  “Good afternoon, Rachel,” he said, and then, standing beside her, he nodded toward David. “How’s business this week, David?”

  “Can’t complain, Jeremiah. How was the auction today?”

  He shrugged. “Busy. Typical for this time of year. Slows down a bit in the summer months, but spring is always bustling with activity.” He leaned forward and peered into Rachel’s face. “And how are you today, Rachel?” His arm brushed against hers. “Fancy meeting you here.”

  “My maem sent me.”

  She didn’t have to look at him to know he was suppressing a smile. “For more cheese?”

  “For cookies!” she snapped. As if to make her point, she pointed to the display, but just as suddenly, she remembered it was empty.

  Jeremiah followed her gesture and, unfortunately, must have noticed the same thing. “What cookies?”

  “The leftovers.” She let her shoulders sag. Surely, he wouldn’t believe her. He must think she’d come to the store once again hoping to bump into him. “But—well, you can see—there are none.”

  “It’s a wonder my maem didn’t ask me to fetch them,” he said, a light tone to his voice.

  David Yoder smiled at them, which only irritated Rachel even more.

  “Well, I’ll just let you do your shopping, then.” The sharp edge to her words revealed how she felt. “Have a good day, Jeremiah Esh.”

  She turned around and headed toward the door. Her heart pounded and her palms felt sweaty. What a disastrous encounter! She couldn’t get away from him fast enough.

  “Now hold on there, Rachel Schwartz!”

  She felt his hand on her arm as he stopped her from leaving the store. Turning around, she yanked her arm free.

  “You just stay put right there,” he ordered. “I’ll fetch my things, and then, if you don’t mind—and you shouldn’t—I’ll take you home.” He paused before adding, “Again.”

  “I—I rode my bicycle today,” she snapped. Then, remembering her manners, she added, “But danke for asking.” A pause. “Or, rather, offering.”

  The corner of his mouth lifted. Holding up his hand as if stopping her, he met her eyes and mouthed one word: “Wait.”

  Crossing her arms over her chest, she tapped her shoe against the floor. She didn’t know why she didn’t just turn and walk out the door. No one, except her parents, bossed her around. And yet, something made her wait for him. Perhaps it was the sparkle in his brown eyes or the hint of a smile on his lips. Or maybe it was that her heart was pounding so hard and her head felt light after he’d instructed—no, demanded!—that she wait for him.

  When he returned to the counter, a plastic basket hanging from his arm, she noticed he carried a bunch of fresh vegetables. He must have noticed her staring at the collection of lettuce, carrots, celery, and zucchini. He even carried two bags of potatoes. Clearly, he was shopping for his mother.

  Setting the basket on the counter, he turned toward her. “Normally we grow our own, but our garden isn’t ready yet.”

  “I see.”

  “Do you garden?” he asked as he began pulling out the items and setting them down for David to ring up.

  Rachel gave a noncommittal shrug. “We have a garden. Living close to town, we don’t have much property, so it’s small. Doesn’t take much tending to.” When he didn’t respond, she struggled to find something else to say. “I guess gardening’s all right,” she added at last. “Let’s just say I’m glad we only have a small garden.”

  Jeremiah frowned. “It doesn’t sound like you enjoy it much at all.”

  Sighing, she shut her eyes for a brief moment. In her mind, she could feel the sun beating on her back, the dry soil beneath her feet, the dirt caked under her nails. And the bugs. Worms, grubs, roly poly bugs. She shuddered at the thought. “I admit it’s not one of my favorite things to do. Especially when you can buy fresh produce all year from David Yoder.”

  “Aw, what’s the fun in that?” He made a face. “Nothing like a homemade meal from food all grown on your own land.”

  “Well, I’m okay with either, I suppose,” she said reluctantly. “Just depends on how many other chores I have. Ella Mae likes to garden more than me. I prefer other chores that don’t suit her, so it evens out.”

  He was studying her, his eyes taking in her face, but there was a distant look about his expression. She couldn’t help but wonder what he was thinking.

  “Seventeen fifteen,” David Yoder said.

  “Huh?” Jeremiah snapped out of his thoughts. “Oh, ja. Here you are.” He dug into his pocket and fished out a twenty-dollar bill. While David made the change, Jeremiah reached for the three plastic bags of vegetables. “Maem can’t get to town next week. When she’s so busy, I often fetch fresh produce on Saturdays for her.”

  Rachel had suspected as much. Having a son who worked in town definitely had its advantages.

  In silence, they walked outside to his buggy. Rachel watched as he fetched her bicycle and put it into the back, nestled among the groceries. She climbed inside and waited while he untethered the horse from the hitching post and quickly got inside.

  The buggy jiggled under his weight, and she brushed against him.

  Carefully, he picked up the reins and tugged backward, making a kissing noise with his lips. “Come on, girl. Back ’er up.”

  The buggy made a rattling sound as the wheels slowly moved on the pavement. When enough space was available to turn, he loosened his hold on the reins and urged the horse forward.

  Once again, he made the journey at a walk. While Rachel was enjoying his company, she wished he’d at least make the horse trot. It was still warm outside, and with the slow motion of the horse and buggy, the air was stifling inside the buggy. Besides, she preferred to go faster anyway. It was much more exciting.

  “You know,” Jeremiah said as he guided the horse down the road that led to her family’s house. “I’m headed over to Martin Otz’s place right now. Mayhaps you’d like to, you know, ride along.”

  Rachel felt her heart skip a beat. “Martin Otz? I’m not familiar with him.”

  Jeremiah glanced at her. “Nee, I reckon not. He lives north of town and to the east of our church district.” He returned his eyes to the road. “Anyway, there’s a volleyball game there tonight.”

  Inwardly, Rachel groaned. She had never been partial to volleyball. The impact of the volleyball on her hand always hurt so much that she was left with a blazing red mark and throbbing pain. “I—I’d like that.” For a split second, she almost inquired if Ella Mae could come along, too. But then she told herself that if Jeremiah Esh wanted her to accompany him to the volleyball game, he certainly didn’t want her twin sister tagg
ing along.

  “Really? I hadn’t pegged you for a volleyball type of gal,” he said, chuckling under his breath.

  “Oh nee! I love volleyball,” she heard herself say and winced at her own white lie. For the rest of the ride to her parents’ house, she worried and fretted. How on earth would she be able to pull this off tonight?

  ELLA MAE

  CHAPTER 15

  Ella Mae sat on the front porch, folding the laundry their mother had pinned on the line earlier that morning. Normally that was Rachel’s chore, but she hadn’t returned from town yet. The late-April sun had warmed the linens, and when Ella Mae lifted one sheet to her nose, it smelled like a fresh spring morning.

  She was glad winter was finally over and spring had come early. She didn’t mind the cool mornings, but she despised the rainy days that often followed the cold months. This year, they’d been blessed with warm days with plenty of blue skies and sunshine. Even the farmers were rejoicing, for they’d been able to plant hay earlier than usual and there had been just enough rain to help it grow.

  In the distance, the sound of a horse and buggy approaching caught her attention. At first, she didn’t pay any attention to the noise—horses and buggies passed their house frequently—but when it became apparent that the horse had turned down her driveway, she stood up and peered over the clothesline, curious as to who was visiting at such a late hour on Saturday afternoon.

  “Maem? You expecting someone?” she called out.

  Her mother pushed open the screen door and poked out her head. “Tomorrow, Susie and Ivan are stopping by after worship service, but not today.”

  Ella Mae set down the sheet and started down the porch steps. It wasn’t often that someone visited without notifying her parents first, especially on a Saturday before Sunday worship.

  “Oh help,” she whispered as she recognized the horse. “That’s an Esh horse.”

  Wilma flung open the door and stomped onto the porch. “Now why on earth would Edna be coming here at this late hour?” The color drained from her face. “Oh help. I hope no one is sick or injured.”