The Amish Baker Read online

  Jacob let out a silly laugh. “I will have your garden spick-and-span in no time at all.”

  “How about Monday afternoon?”

  Jacob looked at his daed. Caleb nodded. “We’ll come by after lunch.”

  * * *

  On Monday, Jacob hoed between the rows of vegetables, weeded around the tomatoes, and then grabbed the hose and watered the garden. When he finished, he weeded her flowers in the corner of the yard, carried buckets of water and thoroughly drenched each plant.

  Caleb had brought his work gloves. As fast as Sarah could trim the bushes, he gathered the bush clippings and weeds from Jacob’s work into a nice pile. She drew a quick breath at the touch of his hand cupping her elbow. “Let me do that for a while. Your arms and shoulders must be getting tired.”

  Sarah heaved a sigh. “I suppose so. The yard work has gone unattended far too long. Thank you and Jacob for all your help.”

  He nodded. “My pleasure.”

  “Mine, too, Daed. I’m a big help.”

  “Indeed you are,” Sarah assured Jacob.

  Tears threatened to fall at their sweet words, but Sarah choked them back. “It is very nice of you both to help me.” She waited for Caleb to speak and say something like “you need an ehemann,” but he didn’t. It would definitely be a lot easier if she did have an ehemann. But one of her choice. Not chosen for her by the bishop.

  Sarah propped her hands on her hips. “I just have one question. If we work hard together, we should also have fun together. What should we do? Go fishing and take a picnic lunch?”

  Jacob’s eyes grew big. “Jah. Let’s do that.” His gaze drifted to his daed. Caleb slowly let a smile play at the corners of his mouth. “Let’s have our outing on Sunday afternoon.”

  Sarah brightened. It would be nice having the whole afternoon with Caleb and his family. And maybe it would give her an opportunity to talk to Caleb alone and ask him if he would change to Old Order.

  She locked the door behind them. A giddy sensation welled deep in her heart. She didn’t know how she and Caleb would solve their faith difference, but it just had to work out.

  Before the bishop declared her shunned.

  * * *

  Sunday was here in no time. Mary had made plans with friends, but Jacob was up just after dawn. Caleb flooded a patch of ground with water and Jacob sat waiting. Caleb finished the chores and gathered their fishing poles and bucket then wandered over to Jacob, where he was digging up worms. “I can almost taste those fresh fish right now.”

  Jacob smacked his lips. “Me, too. Can Sarah stay for supper?”

  Caleb’s feet stuttered to a stop. “I don’t know, Jacob. It might be too late by the time we get back.” Caleb’s stomach twisted into a knot. He couldn’t tell his sohn that Sarah’s bishop wouldn’t allow that type of behavior from a single woman.

  “Maybe another day.” Jacob grabbed the bucket of worms and carried it to the buggy.

  Caleb stowed their fishing poles on the floor of the buggy. “We should hurry. Sarah will be expecting us.”

  Sarah was ready to go with a picnic basket all packed when they pulled up in their buggy. Jacob held a bowl of cookies while Sarah climbed in and settled on the seat. “Guess what, Sarah?” Without waiting, he rushed on. “Daed and I dug worms this morning, and they are ready to go to work.”

  “Gut. I’m hoping you will show me how to fish. It has been a long time since I last held a pole and cast a hook in the water.”

  Jacob puffed his chest. “I’ll put the worm on your hook and show you how to cast. It’s easy.”

  Caleb nodded. “Jacob is an experienced fisherman. The last time we visited the English River, he caught two bluegills and one catfish to my one bluegill.”

  Jacob removed his hat and twirled it around in his hand like Caleb often did. “I’m the bestest, huh, Daed?”

  “Indeed you are.” Caleb parked the buggy under a tree along the bank of the river. While Sarah spread out the lunch, Caleb and Jacob found just the right spot to throw their lines in the water. They laid out their poles, tackle box and stringer.

  Sarah laid a blanket on the ground and sat the picnic basket on one corner to hold it down when the breeze kicked up. She set the sandwiches, chips and salad in the center with the paper products. “Why don’t you guys have a bite to eat before we start fishing?”

  Caleb smiled as Jacob hurried to the blanket to sit next to Sarah. That left Caleb sitting on the opposite side, with the food in between them. But the more he brought Jacob to see Sarah, the more attached Jacob became to her. Which meant he needed to approach the subject of Sarah changing to New Order and soon. Of course that would mean he’d have to ask her to marry him. Was he truly prepared to do that?

  Jacob chattered away. “Sarah, if you catch a catfish, you have to be very careful because their fins are sharp. But don’t worry, I’ll help you.”

  “Danki. I would really appreciate that.”

  “We didn’t bring any minnows, only worms and bobbers.” Jacob finished his last bite of sandwich. “I’ll put the worm on the hook for you because it has to be done right or he can slip off and get away.”

  “My, you are very knowledgeable. I’m glad you are here to help me.”

  “Daed, can we fish now?”

  Sarah gestured to the river. “Go ahead while I pack up the rest of our lunch, then I’ll be right there.”

  Caleb opened the bucket of worms, and he and Jacob put the wiggly things on their hooks. Jacob walked down the bank and stepped on a rock by the river, then stepped farther out onto another rock. “Be careful, Jacob. The rocks will be slick.”

  “Jah, I am.” Jacob’s feet wobbled. His hook and line swung back and forth.

  “Jacob, watch the hook,” Caleb yelled as he threw down his pole and ran toward the bu.

  Jacob reached up, grabbed the swinging hook and line, and caught the hook deep in his finger. “Ouch!”

  Caleb grabbed Jacob and whirled him around to the grassy bank as Sarah ran down the slope. “Hold the pole, Sarah, while I grab the tackle box.”

  She dropped to her knees, put one arm around Jacob’s shoulders and held the pole with the other. Caleb cut the fishing line, threw the pole on the ground and carried Jacob up the bank. “Sarah, sit and hold Jacob while I take out the hook.”

  “Nein, Daed.” Jacob screamed. “It hurts too much.”

  * * *

  Sarah’s stomach turned a somersault as she sensed Jacob’s pain from the tensing of his body. She held Jacob protectively and tossed Caleb a warning look.

  Caleb’s voice turned soothing. “Jacob, calm down and listen to me. The hook is all the way in past the barb, so I cannot pull it out the same way it went in. I need to cut off both ends, then push it through your finger. It is a small hook, so it will only go in a little ways. We have talked about this before. Will you be a big bu and let me work? It will only take a minute, and Sarah will help you hold your hand very still.”

  Jacob sniffled and tears rolled down his cheek. “Okay, but hurry.”

  He patted Jacob on the shoulder. “I will.” He looked at Sarah. “Steady his hand.”

  Caleb cleaned the area with antiseptic and dried the finger. He pushed the hook through the pad of Jacob’s finger, guiding it out the side while Jacob only let out a whimper. He cut off the barb and eye, then pulled the shank out with the pliers. Jacob moaned but did not move or cry. Caleb held gauze on Jacob’s finger until the bleeding stopped, then cleaned the area and bandaged the fingertip.

  When Caleb finished, Jacob leaned back against Sarah and sobbed.

  “Jacob, you are a big bu.” Caleb’s voice was soft, yet firm.

  “Caleb, I’ll take care of Jacob while you pack up the buggy.”

  Sarah hugged Jacob close and whispered in his ear. “If you need to cry to release the pain, then you cry. T
hat’s why Gott gave us tears.” She rubbed his back with the palm of her hand until exhaustion tackled his body and pulled him into a restless sleep. Tears filled her eyes and emotion clogged her throat. She was proud of this little man for holding perfectly still as Caleb had pushed the hook through his finger. Not many grown men would have been able to stay perfectly still and not let out a yelp. But this small bu proved to be as strong-willed as a man.

  She blotted her tears and held this sweet little soul, wishing he were hers. It was harder each time she saw Jacob to let him go home without her. Yet she had no choice. She had planned to bring up the subject of their churches with Caleb, but now was not the time. But how could she let this frail bu go home? Would Mary comfort him?

  Jacob tossed his head back and sobbed. “I want my mamm. Are you my mamm?”

  Sarah jerked her head up and looked at Caleb as he approached. His startled eyes locked with hers. She patted Jacob’s head and held it close to her. “Jacob, I am so sorry this happened. I will drive out tomorrow just to see you and spend the whole afternoon taking care of you.”

  Jacob’s sobs quieted and his shoulders slumped in total surrender, trusting her to his care. Apparently he accepted her words as a motherly gesture.

  Caleb lifted Jacob off Sarah’s lap and set him in the buggy while Sarah gathered her picnic basket. After she climbed in, he stowed the basket on the floor by the seat. He tapped the reins on Snowball’s back, and the horse set to work with a jerk of the buggy. “I’ll take Sarah home to the bakery, Jacob. Then I’ll get you home.”

  “Nein. Sarah wants to come home with me. Don’t you?”

  Sarah hesitated. “Is Mary home?”

  Caleb shrugged. “She should be, but she might still be with her friends.”

  “Let’s take Jacob to your house. I can tuck him into bed and sit with him for a while before you take me home.”

  Caleb glanced at Jacob and nodded.

  The few miles to Caleb’s farm seemed like an eternity. While Caleb helped Jacob into bed, Sarah heated a glass of milk for him. She tiptoed into the room and sat in the chair that Caleb had pulled next to the bed. “I’ll stay with him for a while, but Mary has returned home.”

  “Gut. I’ll do chores, then take you home.”

  She nodded but kept her gaze firmly on Jacob. When Caleb left the room, she leaned back in the chair, her pulse pounding with fear. It nearly tore a hole in her heart to see Jacob in pain.

  How could she ever leave this little bu?

  * * *

  On Monday Sarah left the bakery early after instructing Hannah to close. She hitched King, treated him to a slice of apple and patted his nose. “Your legs will get a gut stretching today.”

  Caleb hurried out of the haus when she arrived. “Jacob’s been wondering when you’d get here.”

  “How is he?”

  “I think better than he wants to let on, but his finger looks swollen.”

  “Ach. I’ll take care of that right away. His finger is probably throbbing.”

  Caleb held the door for Sarah as she dashed through. Mary stood at the sink and turned as she entered. “Hullo, Mary.”

  “Hullo.”

  Sarah sprinted up the stairs and tapped lightly on Jacob’s door.

  “Come in,” his tiny voice whispered from the other side.

  She darted in, felt Jacob’s forehead and examined the finger. “No fever, but I’ll wrap some ice in a cloth and get that swelling down.”

  He jerked his hand back. “Will that hurt?”

  “Nein. It will feel much better when the swelling is gone.” She hurried to get the ice and returned in minutes. She propped his hand and gently applied the cold compress.

  Jacob’s eyes looked weary but he smiled. “I like it when you take care of me, Sarah. When I’m better, I’ll help you with your garden.”

  Sarah grinned. Jah, the more time she spent with Jacob, the more she didn’t ever want to leave his side. If the bishop found out about her two trips out here when he’d strictly forbidden it, she would surely be disciplined.

  Chapter Twelve

  The bell on the bakery door rang loudly in late afternoon as Jacob burst through, ran straight to Sarah and gave her a big hug. “Danki for coming to visit me when I hurt my finger.”

  “I was glad to do it. Since this is your first visit since the accident, you may pick out a special treat on me.”

  While Jacob searched the display case, Caleb stepped forward. “Mary’s birthday is Sunday, and I was wondering if you’d make her a cake. Strawberry is her favorite. We’ll have a small gathering for her in the afternoon at about four o’clock. Hannah’s also invited.”

  “Sure, I’d be happy to do that for Mary.”

  “Danki. She won’t be expecting it. Did you hear that, Jacob? It’s a surprise.”

  “Jah. I won’t tell.”

  Caleb pointed to a roll. Sarah pulled the cinnamon swirl out of the case, placed it on a plate and poured his coffee. By then Jacob had selected a Bismarck with powdered sugar on top.

  When Sarah had a minute, she stole away from the counter and sat next to Jacob. He held up his finger. “See my scar?” A little sadness edged his words.

  “Oh my, that is a handsome scar, and you have a great story to tell about getting it.”

  Jacob looked at his finger with a proud glint in his eye.

  “And it is gut to see that it has not hurt your appetite,” she said as she glanced at his clean plate. “Caleb, King needs to have his legs stretched. Maybe I could drive out after I close and pick a few strawberries.”

  “After Jacob and I run a few errands, we will start home. You can pick as many as you want.”

  After locking up and hitching King, Sarah headed the buggy down the road toward Caleb’s farm. The summer breeze twirled the strings of her prayer kapp and rustled the leaves on the cornstalks. The musical sound of King’s hooves clip-clopping on the road, the birds singing and the bees buzzing by made the three-mile trip seem short.

  The soaking rain from the day before still blanketed the ground, giving off an earthy smell. How she loved the country. She hadn’t traveled outside of the Midwest and didn’t want to. She couldn’t imagine leaving all this behind.

  When she met a farmer on a tractor pulling a wagon, she tugged the reins, maneuvering King to the far side of the road in case the vehicle’s noise disturbed the horse. But it didn’t. King was a well-disciplined horse.

  Sarah guided the buggy into Caleb’s barnyard, stopped and looked around as she stepped from her buggy. Caleb’s farm was quiet. She didn’t see Caleb or Jacob. Not even Tiger and her kittens were around to greet her.

  She walked through the strawberry patch, hoping to find at least a few plump red fruits for Mary’s cake. Jah. She pulled one from the plant and popped it in her mouth. Mmm. They would taste wunderbaar in Mary’s birthday cake.

  Ach. She’d forgotten a container for the strawberries. Mary wouldn’t mind if she borrowed one. She strolled to the back porch and knocked on the door.

  No answer.

  She knocked again and listened for footfalls.

  The breeze rustled a nearby field of grain, birds chirped and grasshoppers jumped through the grass, but silence creeped from the haus.

  She turned the doorknob and the door swung open. “Mary. Are you home?”

  Sarah stepped into the kitchen, listened, but the only sound was the ticking of a clock.

  Poking her nose in the cupboards first, she looked around for a container. Only dishes sat on the shelves. She opened the pantry door and found a small empty box that was the right size stacked on top of other containers. She’d return it before Mary even noticed it was missing.

  The tidiness of the haus caught her attention. She surrendered to curiosity and entered the living room. How did a thirteen-year-old girl manage to keep the hou
se so clean and neat with all the other household chores?

  Sarah understood how Mary missed her mamm. She missed hers, as well. A young woman needed a mamm to fuss over her, to help her prepare when she got married and to be there when she had her first boppli.

  She strolled around the living room, looking at Martha’s quilt rack, her mending and her basket of scrap material from quilting. Suddenly an idea popped into her head for a gift to give Mary for her birthday that would remind her every day of her mamm.

  * * *

  On Sunday, after preaching and the noon meal were finished, Sarah climbed into her buggy and flopped on the seat. “I had no idea that Alvin Studer and Bertha Bontrager were getting married until the banns were read today. No wonder I haven’t seen the bishop or Alvin lately.”

  Hannah settled on the seat next to her. “You don’t sound happy. I would think you would be shouting for joy.” Hannah’s voice rose in puzzlement.

  Sarah didn’t want to marry Alvin, but somehow the loss of him hit her hard. She was now envious of him, of what he had. She was happy for them, and imagined Alvin was getting ready right now, as was the custom, to ride around, inviting his family to the wedding.

  “Don’t be silly, Hannah.” But loneliness drained Sarah’s heart until it seemed as hollow as an old dead log. “I’ll stop by the bakery and we can pick up the cake and mints and head out to Caleb’s farm.”

  Sarah trotted King at an easy pace. Hannah held Mary’s birthday cake on her knees and the mints she’d made sat on the seat between them.

  “Don’t hit a bump. I don’t want to spoil your cake.” Hannah shot her a warning look.

  “You must be planning on a big piece. Strawberry is one of your favorites, too.” Sarah tossed her a smile.

  “Not this time. I decided if I were ever going to catch an ehemann, I’d have to lose some weight. I started my diet and have lost ten pounds so far.”

  “Hannah, I’m so proud of you.”

  Hannah smiled proudly as they pulled onto Caleb’s farm.

  Caleb watched the buggy approach, waited and helped them down, then escorted them into the house. “Mary, look who’s here.”