Kate

by Janice Thompson

  “What, honey?”

  “Well, Michael is out there, and he’s going to be competing against me,” she explained. “So I don’t really want him to see what I’m up to.”

  “Oh, I see!” Aunt Molly giggled. “So this is a covert operation, then?”

  “Covert operation?” Kate looked at her, confused.

  “Top secret mission,” Aunt Molly explained. “Is that what this is?”

  “Oh yes!” Kate and Sydney spoke together.

  “We don’t want anyone to know anything!” Sydney explained.

  “Excellent idea.” Aunt Molly nodded. “And I’ve got just the pair of skis for you. I used to ski a little, myself. These were mine from years ago. And I’ve even got an extra pair for you, Kate. They’re not the new, expensive kind, but they will do for a beginner.”

  “Oh no!” Kate argued. “I don’t ski, Aunt Mol. Seriously. Not ever. And I don’t want to start!”

  “Hmm. Well, we’ll see about that.” Aunt Molly snapped the leg off a gingerbread man and popped it into her mouth. “We will just see about that.” Biscuit stood at her side whimpering until she finally gave him a tiny piece of the cookie. “Go away, goofy dog! You’re going to eat me out of house and home!”

  Kate looked at Sydney, hoping to convince her. “I don’t mind if you go, of course. You need the practice. I don’t. And maybe I can go with you tomorrow. Today I need to stay here and research cheese making for my essay paper.”

  Sydney rolled her eyes. “C’mon. Are you serious? You want me to believe you’d rather work on a school paper than hang out on the slopes?”

  “You don’t understand.” A lump rose up in Kate’s throat. “I have to get the best grade in the class because…” She didn’t finish the sentence. No telling what Sydney and Aunt Molly would say if they knew the truth.

  “Tell me, Kate.” Sydney took another bite of a gingerbread man. “Why do you have to have the best one in your class? Why is it so important?”

  “Because…” She shook her head. “Never mind. It’s no big deal.”

  “Must be,” Aunt Molly said, her eyes narrowing a bit. “Or you wouldn’t have brought it up. Go ahead and tell us, Kate. Confession is good for the soul.”

  “Oh, okay.” She bit her lip, trying to decide where to start. Surely Aunt Molly would understand. “There’s this boy in my science class,” Kate said, finally. “His name is Phillip. He’s the smartest person I know.”

  “Smarter than you?” Sydney’s eyes widened. “Impossible!”

  Kate shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe. But we’re always competing to see who gets the best grades. Kind of like you and Michael are going to do on the ski slopes. Lately, Phillip has been, well…” Her voice trailed off and she sighed.

  “He’s been getting better grades than you?” Aunt Molly asked.

  “Yes, but that’s not all.” A lump rose in Kate’s throat as she remembered the things Phillip had said. “He made fun of my last science project. I did a great job on it, and the teacher really liked it, but…”

  “Oh honey. I’m sorry he hurt your feelings.” Aunt Molly shook her head.

  “I don’t like to be made fun of.”

  “No one does,” Aunt Molly explained with a sympathetic look on her face.

  “He doesn’t sound like a very nice guy,” Sydney said.

  “He’s not. He even told me…” Kate felt the anger return as she thought about him laughing at her. “He even told me that I would never be a professor like my dad…because I’m a girl.”

  “Ah.” Aunt Molly nodded and handed her another cookie. “So, you’re going to try to prove him wrong by being better than him at something.”

  “M–maybe.” She shrugged and bit off the gingerbread man’s head. The yummy, warm cookie slowly dissolved in her mouth.

  “Kate.” Aunt Molly reached over and placed her hand gently on Kate’s. “It’s not wrong to want to be the best you can be. But in this case, I question your motives. You’ve got to examine your heart, honey.”

  “Examine my heart?” Kate swallowed a nibble of the cookie and took a drink of the hot apple cider. “What do you mean?”

  “I mean, you need to start by forgiving Phillip for what he said.”

  “Oh.” Kate sighed and took another sip of the cider. “I never thought about that.”

  “Holding a grudge isn’t a good thing. Besides, the Bible says the Lord will only forgive us to the extent that we forgive others.”

  “W–wait. What do you mean?” Kate stared at her aunt, stunned. “You mean God won’t forgive me if I don’t forgive Phillip?”

  “Well, Ephesians 4:32 says we should be compassionate and understanding toward others, forgiving one another quickly as God forgives us.”

  “Whoa.” Sydney and Kate both spoke at the same time.

  “Forgive quickly? But that’s hard to do.” Kate drew in a deep breath as she thought about it. “Sometimes it takes awhile to forgive, doesn’t it?”

  “Sometimes. But here’s the problem with holding a grudge,” Aunt Molly said. “It might start out small—like competing over whose essay is best. Then before you know it, a grudge can turn into revenge. Anger. And that’s never good. So, it’s better to put out that spark before it becomes a raging fire.”

  “Wow.” Kate thought about her aunt’s words as she continued to nibble on the cookie. It was all starting to make sense.

  “Think of it like this.” Aunt Molly appeared to be deep in thought for a moment. “Let’s use what’s going on at the creamery to illustrate. Imagine you’re a little mouse and you see what looks like a beautiful piece of cheese. You run over to it and grab it, then…snap! You’re caught in a mousetrap.”

  Kate nodded, “I see what you mean.”

  “Unforgiveness is a trap,” Aunt Molly explained. “And as soon as you’re caught in it, you’re in trouble. So, let go. Forgive. It’s always the best choice.”

  Kate stared at the fireplace, listening to the crackling and popping sounds the fire made. “I never thought about that before, Aunt Molly. I guess I have been holding a grudge but didn’t realize it. Will God forgive me for that?”

  “Of course He will! But you have to pray about it. And then—while you’re at it—pray for Phillip too,” her aunt said. “And you never know…you two might end up being friends when all is said and done.”

  “I can’t imagine that.” How could she ever be a friend to such a mean person?

  “I know it seems impossible now, but trust me when I say it is possible.” After a wink, Aunt Molly added, “Ask me how I know.”

  “How do you know?” Kate asked, nibbling on her cookie.

  “Because your Uncle Ollie and I met when we were competing against each other in a square-dancing competition. We were both mighty good, though maybe I shouldn’t say that.”

  “Oh, wow!” Kate giggled. “So, who won? You or Uncle Ollie?”

  “In the long run, we both won,” Aunt Molly explained with a sly grin. “Though it certainly didn’t seem like it at the time. In the second round of the competition, my partner hurt his leg. And Ollie’s partner got sick. So, we ended up competing together…as a team.” She giggled. “And the rest is history!”

  Sydney’s eyes sparkled. “You fell in love on the dance floor? He danced his way into your heart?”

  “Well, not that first day, but it didn’t take long.” Aunt Molly winked. “Ollie Oliver is a godly man and a great dancer. What a charmer!” Her cheeks turned pink, and she giggled.

  Sydney sighed. “That’s so sweet!” She grinned at Kate. “So maybe you and Phillip will fall in love and get married someday!”

  Kate shook her head. “No way! But maybe we will end up as friends like Aunt Molly said. I just never thought about it before.”

  Sydney nodded. “And who knows? Maybe I’ll even learn to like Michael.” She shrugged. “It’s possible.”

  “I hope so,” Aunt Molly said. “That would be nice. He’s such a great boy.”

/>   “Hmm.” Kate wrinkled her nose. “I guess we need to give him the benefit of the doubt, even though he didn’t make a very good first impression.”

  “I still plan to beat him in the skiing competition,” Sydney said. “And I do need to practice. But I’ll make you a deal, Kate. Today I’ll go back to the creamery with you one last time. But tomorrow, you have to come skiing with me. Promise?”

  Kate paused. She didn’t know if she should promise such a thing or not. After all, she’d never skied before. “I—I guess so,” she said, finally. “But for now, let’s get back to cheese making!”

  Sydney made another face then shuddered. “I sure hope there aren’t any rats this time.”

  “Surely not,” Aunt Molly said. “But if you do happen to see one, just remember that story I told you about the mousetrap. It’s better to forgive than hold a grudge.”

  “It’s better to forgive than hold a grudge,” Kate agreed. Then, with a happy heart, she looped her arm through Sydney’s and they headed back to the creamery.

  The Big Cheese

  Kate and Sydney walked the three blocks to the creamery with snow falling all around them.

  “Don’t you just love Vermont?” Sydney asked. “It’s so pretty here.” She began to describe the beautiful trees and the crystal-like snowflakes. On and on she went, sounding like a commercial.

  “Mm-hmm. I like it here, but it’s so cold!” Kate shivered.

  “It’s cold in Philly, where you live,” Sydney said. “And in DC, where I live, it gets really cold in the wintertime. So this doesn’t feel any different to me. No, I love the cold weather. And I can’t wait to put on skis and glide down the mountainside. Oh, it’s going to be wonderful! You’re going to love it, Kate. I promise!”

  “If you say so.”

  As the creamery came into view, Sydney groaned. “I can’t believe I offered to come back here. This place is so scary. Do we really have to go back in there?”

  “We do. But maybe we’ll have a better time if we think happy thoughts,” Kate suggested. “We’ll focus on the good things. For example, I’ve been saving my allowance so I can buy different cheeses to take back to my class. You can help me decide what flavors to buy. Should I get Swiss or cheddar? And if I get cheddar, which kind? There are so many, you know.” She went off on a tangent, describing her favorite kinds of cheese.

  “I can’t believe you’re actually going to eat something made there.” Sydney scrunched her nose. “I’d be scared to! Aren’t you worried?”

  “Nah,” Kate said, shaking her head. “And besides, I have the strangest feeling about all of that, Sydney. I’m convinced someone is sabotaging the Hamptons. But, why?”

  “Hmm.” Sydney walked in silence a moment. “Maybe we should put McKenzie or one of the other Camp Club Girls to work, figuring out who their main competitor is. Maybe someone from another creamery is jealous and wants to put the Hamptons out of business.”

  Just before they entered the building, Kate caught a glimpse of someone familiar off in the distance. “Hey, look, Sydney! It’s that boy…Michael! Are you going to tell him that you’re entering the competition?”

  “No way!” Sydney grabbed her arm and whispered. “It’s top secret, remember? I don’t want him to know.”

  They walked inside the store at the front of the creamery, and Kate took a deep breath. “Oh, it smells so deliciously cheesy in here!” She closed her eyes and breathed in and out a few times. “I totally believe this is what heaven it going to smell like.”

  Sydney grunted. “Heaven…smells like cheese? I sure hope not! Doesn’t smell so good to me.” After looking around the empty store, she added, “Look, Kate. Have you noticed? We’re the only ones here. That should tell you something! People are scared to come back.”

  “Or maybe we’re just early.” Kate looked at her smartwatch. “Ooo! I have an email.” She quickly signed online and smiled as she read a note from Bailey that said, Have fun in Vermont! Kate quickly typed back, Having a blast! then pressed the tiny SEND button.

  “I don’t blame people for being scared to come here,” Sydney said.

  Kate looked up from her watch and shrugged. “Well, let’s not think about all that. Since we’re here, let’s sample the cheeses.”

  “I guess so.” Sydney shrugged. “But you can do the sampling. I’ll just watch.”

  They walked around the large glass case, looking inside. “Oh, I love Colby Jack!” Kate reached for her camera and took a picture of the tray filled with chunks of orange-and-white swirled cheese. Then she lifted the clear dome top from the cheese tray and took a piece. With her mouth full, she pointed at the tray next to it. “They have every kind of cheddar imaginable! Yum!” She lifted the top on that tray and took several pieces. “Wow, this is great!” She’d never seen so many different kinds of cheeses…and all the samples were free! But which one should she buy for her classmates?

  “My favorite is the Swiss,” Sydney said, taking a tiny piece. “Mom puts it on my turkey sandwiches.”

  “Ooo, you’re making me hungry.” Kate took a couple of chunks of the Swiss cheese and ate it right away. “Let’s order something to eat.” She pointed at the Cheese-o-Rama Snack Shack in the corner of the room. “Look! It says they make the world’s best grilled-cheese sandwiches, and you can pick the kind of cheese you want. I’m going to ask for the Colby Jack on mine. What about you?”

  “Kate, we just ate breakfast a couple of hours ago,” Sydney said. “And then we ate your aunt’s gingerbread cookies. I don’t need the extra calories. And I still think we should be careful not to eat too much cheese from this place.”

  “Calories, schmalories.” Kate shrugged. “Who cares?”

  “I do.” Sydney gave her a stern look. “I have to stay in shape to win that competition next weekend.”

  “You’re already the fastest, strongest, most athletic girl I know!” Kate said. “What else do you want?”

  “I want to win.”

  “Well, I’m not competing, and I’m hungry. Besides, it’s almost lunchtime and we’ll never make it back to the inn in time for Aunt Molly’s food. So, let’s eat!”

  Kate went to the counter and ordered a cheese sandwich with a side of cheese-flavored chips. Mr. Hampton—her aunt’s friend—prepared her sandwich. He looked a little worried.

  As he placed her plate in front of her, Kate whispered, “Mr. Hampton, did my Aunt Molly Oliver call you?”

  “She did.” He gave a hint of a smile.

  “Could I speak with you…alone?” She looked around, hoping not to be overheard, then remembered no one else was in the shop. “I’m working on a paper for school and would love to get some information—straight from the source!”

  “Sure, I’d be happy to help.” His shoulders sagged as he looked around the shop. “Doesn’t look like we’ve got many customers today, anyway.” He sighed. “What a mess this is! We can’t afford to lose customers right now.”

  “I understand.” Kate gave him a sympathetic look. “And I want to help you with that. In my essay I’ll tell everyone how wonderful your cheeses are. That should help your business! But I’ll need your help. Thanks for answering a few questions for me!”

  Just then, a cheerful female voice came over the loudspeaker. “Ladies and gentlemen, the Mad River Creamery will conduct a tour of its facility in exactly ten minutes. The tour is free of charge, and complimentary cheese samples will be given along the way. Join us for the tour of a lifetime.”

  “It’s the tour of a lifetime, all right,” Sydney whispered in Kate’s ear as she drew near. “Complete with rats.”

  “Shh!” Kate ignored her and turned her attention back to Mr. Hampton. “Maybe after the tour you could answer some questions for me? I’ll be sure to give you credit in my paper. And I’ll need to purchase lots of different kinds of cheeses to take back for the kids in my class, so I’ll need help picking those out too.”

  “Of course!” he said with a smile. “I’m always happ
y to help a customer.”

  Just then, a couple more customers came through the door—a woman in a beautiful white fur coat and a man with a sour look. He shook the snow off his leather coat and looked around the shop with a frown.

  “Wow, he doesn’t look happy,” Sydney whispered in Kate’s ear. “Do you think his wife made him come?”

  “I don’t know.” Kate stared at the man, then turned back to her sandwich. “Maybe he heard about the rats and is afraid.”

  “He doesn’t look like the kind of man to be scared of anything. He just looks…mean.” A look of fear came into Sydney’s eyes. “I hope they’re not coming on the tour with us.”

  The woman walked toward them and the man followed closely behind, muttering all the way.

  “Uh-oh.” Kate let out a nervous giggle. “Looks like they’re joining us. Just smile and be friendly. Maybe they’ll turn out to be nice.”

  “Whatever you say,” Sydney whispered.

  Within seconds, Kate and Sydney were tagging along behind Mr. Hampton and the two strangers into the creamery. She couldn’t get rid of the nagging feeling that the man and woman were up to no good. And Sydney made her a little nervous. She wouldn’t stop talking about rats.

  “I can’t believe I’m doing this again!” Sydney whispered. “I still have vermin-phobia after our last tour!”

  “Shh.” Kate turned and gave her a please-be-quiet look.

  The girls walked from room to room, listening as Mr. Hampton explained the process of cheese making. Kate pulled out her video camera and began to film his presentation. In one room, he pointed out something he called curds and whey.

  “Just like Little Miss Muffett,” Kate whispered.

  “What?” Sydney gave her a funny look.

  “‘Little Miss Muffett sat on her tuffet, eating her curds and whey.’” Kate giggled. “Now I know what curds and whey are. I never knew before. Kind of looks like cottage cheese. Kind of chunky and…” Gross was the only word that came to mind, but she didn’t say it.

  “Doesn’t look very appetizing!” Sydney made a terrible face. “It’s enough to scare me away too!”