The Amish Baker's Rival

by Marie E. Bast

  “I went to Davenport and worked a few months in a small factory. But those Englischers did a lot of drinking after work so I didn’t have any real friends. It wasn’t quite what I expected. I had a small apartment in an old house, but I had to share a bathroom.” He paused and kicked at a stick on the ground. “It was lonely. I wanted to go back home, but my bruder said Daed was still angry. I ran into a cousin. He said his daed needed help and asked me to come and live with them. They farm in a small Plain community by Des Moines. They knew I was shunned, but their bishop reduced my punishment time from twelve to nine months and took me in. I repented, and he performed the rite of restoration. It’s been a year, so Bishop Yoder accepted me back into our community.”

  “So why did you come back here?” She held back the real question she wanted to ask. Was it worth giving up our love?

  “I missed Mamm and Daed and my bruders. I’m back in the furniture business with my family. It’s a fine living.” He nodded toward Noah. “You introduced him to his family. Are you gut friends with him?”

  “I know him. His store is right across the street from Sweet Delights.” She could hear a defensive sound in her voice.

  “He’s Englisch, Mary. Stay away from him.”

  She snorted. “Jah, this advice comes from the man who left me standing at the altar so he could run after the Englisch ways.”

  He shrugged. “He’s Englisch and you don’t want to leave your faith. I know, it’s not worth it.”

  She stared at him. “I don’t need you telling me what I should do. You gave up that right. Remember?”

  Seth nodded. “You’re right. I did, but Noah’s mamm and my daed were bruder and schwester. So your friend and I are cousins, and I’m not going to let him hurt you.”

  Mary turned on her heel, stomped to the table, grabbed her bag, the box of pans and headed to her buggy. Seth had his nerve talking to her like that. She tossed the box on the seat, flopped down and shook the reins. Did he think he still had the right to tell her what to do? Maybe he thought they’d just pick up where they’d left off?

  She urged King into a fast trot and braced herself when the buggy swayed with the increased speed. The horse no doubt felt her tension in the reins.

  Gritting her teeth, Mary tossed her ex-fiancé out of her head as her thoughts fluttered back to Noah and the confusion on his face as he learned about his family. He looked hurt, and her heart went out to him.

  After she turned onto the highway, a cool breeze blew across her face and pulled her attention to the fields of corn swaying and rustling as their green stalks poked and pushed each other. She relaxed against the seat. She could never leave her Amish faith like Seth had. It was clear, too, that he never said he missed her.

  Back in town, she unhitched King, carried her clanking pans into Sweet Delights and set them on the sink.

  Amanda hurried through the kitchen doorway. “Gut, you’re back. We’re busy. How was your day?”

  “Not as gut as Noah Miller’s day. His food was a success. Everyone loved it and gathered around his table. He brought fresh salads and sandwiches made with his homemade breads.”

  “Jah, but our customers still stop in here for what they like best from Sweet Delights, right?” Amanda reasoned.

  “You’re not helping me feel better. I’m going to practice my apple pie and forget about Noah Miller.”

  Amanda stammered, “That reminds me, the bishop stopped by while you were gone.”

  Mary’s feet froze to the spot. “What did he say?”

  Her friend kept her chin down as she loaded a tray with cupcakes and cookies. “He said he’d talk to you later.” She hesitated. “But his demeanor seemed serious.” She gave Mary a quick glance before she scooped up more cookies and placed them on the tray. “On the other hand,” she chuckled, “he always has a serious demeanor.”

  Mary blotted her forehead with her sleeve then pulled a bag of apples from the refrigerator. “He’ll stop back if he has something to tell me.” She peeled a couple of apples. “Amanda, did you know that Seth is back in town?”

  The kitchen went silent as Amanda stood still. “How did you find out Seth is back?”

  “So you did know.”

  “I’m sorry. I wasn’t sure if he would stay or not, and I didn’t want you to be hurt more by gossip if he wasn’t back for gut.”

  “It would have been nice to know instead of getting blindsided.”

  Amanda turned toward Mary. “Did you talk to him?”

  “He came up to me and warned me about being friendly with the Englischer Noah Miller. Of all people, him, the one who left me at the altar for the Englisch life. Now he has left that life and come back.”

  “Are you still in liebe with Seth?”

  “Nein.” The truth was she and Seth had always been friends. But she could never trust him again with her heart. She could never trust an Englischer or any man ever again with her heart.

  * * *

  After his family returned to the barn raising, Noah helped clean tables then hurried and placed his empty pans in a carton and set them in his vehicle. He needed to get back to town. He’d seen the way Mary eyed his deli food when he handed it out, the same way she had at the fire station bake sale. He could see the hurt in her eyes, and he wanted to explain to her. She probably thought he was trying to steal her customers.

  And after meeting his family and his conversation with Aent Judith, he felt empty, like the last swallow of coffee had been sipped from the cup. He headed to the kitchen to find grandma. He stepped inside the house, glanced around the room of women and found her at the sink. “Grandma, I’m leaving now.”

  She whirled around, charged toward him and laid her damp hands on his shoulders. “Danki for coming and be sure to come back. And bring your sisters.” Tears glistened in her eyes and rolled down her cheeks. She gave his shoulders a shake, then released him.

  He nodded. “Sure.” He cleared the frog from his throat and hurried to his SUV.

  The four miles back to town went slowly at first, with several horses and buggies in front of him on the gravel road making their way home. After turning onto the highway, he made better time. Noah parked behind the store, dropped off his pans in the kitchen and stuck his head in the office to tell Jenny he was back.

  “Noah, before you leave, I want to introduce you to your new assistant manager, Jean Dwyer.” Jenny gestured to a woman sitting with her in the office. “She’ll start on Monday.”

  “It’s nice to meet you,” Noah said with a quick nod. “I just have to run across the street to Sweet Delights for a minute, then I’ll be back. If you have time, I’d like to show you around?”

  “Yes, thanks, that would be great,” she responded. “That way I’ll know the ropes when I come in on Monday.”

  Noah jogged across the street to Sweet Delights, his pulse racing; he thumped the door open with sweaty palms, giving the bell a hard shaking.

  Mary startled from filling the coffee maker, turned, and met his gaze. “Hallo, Noah.”

  “Mary, I wanted to explain about taking all the food out to my grandpa’s farm.”

  She waved a hand. “You don’t owe me an explanation. They are your grosseldre and you had every right to do so. I’m sure they appreciated it.”

  “You’re not just saying that?”

  A grin plucked at the corners of her mouth before it stretched into a full grin. “As you Englisch say, you knocked it out of the park.”

  At first, her words startled Noah, and he wasn’t sure how to take it. He blew out a long breath. “Thanks for understanding.” He nodded. “See you later.” As the door closed behind him, his heart rate began to slow to normal.

  As he crossed the street and thought about his grandparents, a weird notion pulled Noah in two different directions: one toward his Amish family and one toward the Englisch world.

/>   He’d grown up in the Englisch world whether firmly planted in it or not, but that’s where he was comfortable. Yet his family was Amish.

  So which one was he? Amish or Englisch?

  Chapter Six

  Mary gazed out the bakery window into a fiery-red sun rising over the horizon. The breeze pushed the clouds into a race across the sky and set her feet in motion to get to work. She grabbed a set of tongs and helped Amanda unload the pastry cart into the display case. “I can’t believe we’re running so late this morning.”

  Amanda cackled. “That’s what we get for sipping coffee and eating our own rolls.”

  Mary watched two women stroll by the window carrying cups and bags from Noah’s store, followed by three men who were usually her morning customers. She stomped back to the kitchen and grabbed a stack of empty pans off the cart, banging them as she set them on the sink.

  Amanda jumped at the noise. “Is something wrong?”

  “If I leave early today, can you close the bakery?”

  “Of course. What’s going on?”

  “I’m tired of seeing Noah’s deli cups go by the windows. I’m going to order a cappuccino and latte machine. Sweet Delights has to serve those fancy coffee beverages that women liebe. We are losing too much business.”

  She had to hand it to Noah, though. He knew what the public liked. Nein, it wasn’t jealousy. It was a matter of learning how to compete with an Englisch store right across the street. But she’d learn.

  After the rush of Thursday’s lunch crowd, Mary retreated to the office and pulled out brochures of cappuccino and latte makers. She read each one and noticed the different features that each offered. Since she’d only had one cappuccino, it was hard to pick.

  At 2:00 p.m., Mary hitched King to the buggy, but first there was one stop to make before the supply store.

  She needed $1,000 to pay for the cappuccino and latte maker. It was expensive, but surely her stiefmutter would see the need. If Sarah didn’t have the money, Mary could sell something, but what? The only thing she had of value was the quilt in her cedar chest that her mamm had made her before she died of cancer.

  Tears clouded her eyes. Mary grabbed a handkerchief from her bag, blotted her tears and blew her nose. Nein, she couldn’t sell the quilt Mamm had hand stitched it, each day growing paler as the quilt grew lovelier. She had very few things left that Mamm had made.

  The quilt would easily bring $800.

  Nein, Mary would ask Sarah for the money. She’d understand.

  When they reached the farm, King slowed, turned into the driveway without coaxing and headed for the barn. Jah, this horse never missed a feeding. She didn’t unhitch him but hung a bucket of oats on the barn door and hurried to the haus.

  When she entered the kitchen, Sarah stood at the table making pastry.

  “You’re home early dear.”

  Mary slung her bag on a chair. “Mamm, we have to buy an espresso machine for the bakery. We can’t compete with Noah’s store unless we expand the menu, and those fancy drinks are favorites of everyone.”

  Sarah gave the dough two more passes with the rolling pin and placed the piecrust in a pan. She scrubbed her hands together over the wastebasket to remove the flour and bits of dough, then rinsed them under the faucet and dried.

  Mary watched her stiefmutter and knew she was taking her time thinking about the answer.

  “Mary, a gut commercial espresso machine would cost more than a thousand dollars. I’m sorry, but we just don’t have that kind of money. Your daed wants to get the twins’ hospital bill paid before we buy anything else.”

  A child’s scream rose from the corner of the kitchen and drew Mary’s attention to the chaos. Michael Paul had his wooden barn set up and the twins, Lena and Liza, were doing their best to aggravate him by hitting his animals.

  “Mamm,” Michael Paul pouted, “tell the twins to quit knocking my cows over.”

  “In a minute, Michael, I will put them down for a nap.”

  “Mamm,” Mary pressed, “if we don’t expand the menu, the bakery will be driven out of business.”

  Sarah stepped beside Mary and patted her shoulder. “You need to work on the recipe that’ll win the contest next month. Are you even sure Sweet Delights needs an expanded menu?”

  Mary scowled. “What do you mean?”

  “Our bakery has faithful, local customers and we have a lot of tourist business. Yes, revenue may drop, has dropped, but maybe we need to create new recipes and try that first. Many of Iowa City’s bakeries have fancy cupcakes in the windows, pies with lattice work or braiding around the edges and flavored drizzles over the tops.”

  Mary placed a hand on the back of a chair to steady herself. “So you think that my baking is causing us to lose customers?”

  “Nein, I didn’t say that. I noticed a cooking magazine in the doctor’s office the other day, and I’ve been meaning to talk to you about it. I also went into Noah’s store yesterday.”

  “You did what?” Mary gasped.

  “Sweetheart, if we want to compete, our product has to be better.” Sarah walked to the counter and took the metal lid off a cake plate. There sat a dozen mini cupcakes with paper holders stamped with Noah’s store logo. Each cupcake was a different flavor and piled high with swirled frosting and some with syrupy drizzle.

  “Did you and Daed try Noah’s cupcakes?” Mary’s voice cracked, disbelief choking her words.

  “Mary, his baking is delicious. Now he has started to make Amish spoonbread, friendship bread, and whoopee pies in all kinds of flavors. He uses glazes and flavored drizzles over cakes and cookies. They are attractive desserts.”

  Pulling a chair away from the kitchen table, Mary plopped down. “Mamm, we are Amish. We have never made our desserts look fancy. What will the bishop think?”

  “It’s only different colored frosting. What can he say?” Sarah sat across from Mary. “While I was looking at Noah’s pastries and candy, I overheard two women talking. They said his hazelnut toffee and truffles won a contest in Iowa City.”

  Sarah’s words dug sharply under Mary’s skin. “I—I didn’t know he was that gut.” Her stomach did a flip. “I thought, or maybe I was hoping, it was his cheap prices that were bringing in the customers.”

  Sarah raised a brow. “He has sandwich cookies with faces made out of chocolate chips and candy acorn noses. Some kinner were squealing and saying how much they loved them.” She grabbed a cookie from the jar and some chocolate chips, sat back at the table and showed Mary a simple design. “The customers don’t want a plain sugar cookie or a plain gingerbread man.”

  “Mamm, the way you’re talking, we need to rethink our whole baking strategy, too.”

  “We’ll work on the decorations. We’ll get together with Hannah, my former assistant. She is very clever and a wunderbaar baker.” Sarah patted Mary’s arm, then went back to her pie and dumped the bowl of cherries she had pitted into the shell.

  After pouring a cup of coffee, Mary sipped the hot brew, thoughts spinning in all directions. Hard to believe Noah had that kind of talent. Funny, she hadn’t noticed that on her one whirlwind tour through his store on opening day. He clearly kept changing his sale items to keep his customers interested, inquisitive and coming back. So, Mr. Englischer, you think you can outsmart and outbake us...me.

  Mary’s heart fluttered when an image of the handsome Noah Miller breezed through her mind. He was sure a cute cookie, but she was going to crumble that big ego of his.

  She pushed her chair back, grabbed her bag and headed for the stairs. Mary closed her bedroom door and opened her cedar chest. She picked up the double-wedding-ring quilt that her real mamm had made. Caressing a hand across the quilting and over her favorite pastel colors, she hugged it to her chest. Tears blurred her vision.

  Rolling the folded quilt tightly, she tied it with a ribbon and st
uffed it in her bag. Mary hurried downstairs and out the kitchen door while Sarah’s back was turned. She jumped in the buggy and headed to the consignment shop in Kalona.

  * * *

  Early Monday morning, Noah walked into the office and watched Jenny stare intently at the computer screen. “Hope there’s not a problem.”

  She glanced his way before returning her gaze to the monitor. “No, just trying to catch up. I’m going to start interviewing applicants in a little while for my replacement, but Emily needs to get registered for school today. She’s at Sweet Delights. Would you mind taking her to sign up? It’ll be a good test for your new assistant Jean to see how she manages without your watchful eye.”

  Noah quirked an eyebrow at his sister, “I’ve trained her well, she’ll do fine.”

  He ran across the street and opened the bakery door to the mingling aromas of cinnamon coffee and caramel topping of some kind. His eyes roamed aver the full tables and chairs to Emily sitting at a table with an older couple.

  As he walked to the counter, his gaze swept across the new espresso machine. He stopped short when he saw the display case and the expanded assortment of sweets, whoopee pies, red velvet cookies and fruit-filled cookie snaps. He could barely resist trying one.

  Mary looked up as he approached. “Mornin’, Noah.”

  “Good morning, Mary. I see you decided to add cappuccino and lattes to your menu.”

  She smiled. “Afraid of the competition?”

  “No, not from you.” He held eye contract for a second before she looked away. If she would have stared at him a second longer with those blue eyes, he would have bought all her cookies. Feud or not, she was sure cute.

  The doorbell jingled and Mary glanced at the customer. Her shoulders squared and the smile vanished from her face. Noah turned to see who had created such a reaction in her. A twinge of jealousy stung his heart. Seth.