A Gift of Grace (10 page)

“
Ya
, that’s right.” He patted the counter. “You’ll sit here and answer the phone, take orders, file invoices, balance the ledger, and keep the books.”

Jessica shrugged. “Shouldn’t be too hard. I worked in my dad’s office over the summer and school vacations.”

“Oh, that’s
gut
. You’ve had some experience with administrative work.” Daniel nodded toward the chair, gesturing for her to sit.

He then explained the job to her, pointing out the phone, ledgers, order forms, and receipt books. Jessica knew she was capable of the job, since she’d served as administrative assistant to her father over school breaks, and she enjoyed the work. Dad had also let her dabble in the accounting, so she should be comfortable taking care of the ledger for the furniture store.

Her thoughts moved to her friends back home in Virginia. Jessica pushed those thoughts away and fingered her phone stuck in her jean pocket. She wondered why her best friend, Morgan, or her boyfriend, Brian, hadn’t called to check on her. She’d given them Trisha’s cellular phone number before she left for Lancaster County. Now that Jessica had a phone, her friends could call her any time. She assumed they would’ve gotten her number from Trisha. However, they hadn’t called once. She wondered if they missed her.

“Does this job sound
gut
to you?” he asked, yanking her from her thoughts.

“Yeah,” Jessica said. “I can handle it.”

“
Gut
.” He nodded. “We open in thirty minutes. I’m going to check in the back, and you call me if you need anything.”

“I’m sure I’ll be just fine.” Jessica opened the ledger and thumbed through it. The accounting system was basic and easy to understand. Grabbing a calculator, she ran through the last receipts, making sure they reconciled.

“Another Englisher,” a voice behind her said. “I’m still out-numbered but at least I’m not alone anymore.”

Glancing over her shoulder, Jessica spotted a young man clad in a gray T-shirt, jeans, and work boots. His dark brown hair was cut short, accentuating his bright, Caribbean blue eyes.

“Jake Miller.” He extended his hand.

She stared into his eyes and swallowed a gasp. She shook his warm hand, and her cheeks heated while her mind drew a blank. What was her name?

“You must be Jessica Bedford,” Jake said.

“Right!” she said, a little too loudly. What a dunce. How could she forget her own name?

Glancing down, Jessica spotted her hand still clasping his. She yanked her hand back, and her cheeks felt like they were going to spontaneously combust.

“So, you’re from Virginia?” Jake leaned on the desk.

“That’s right. Virginia Beach.” She settled back in the chair and wished her cheeks would cool down. She imagined her embarrassment ran a deep pink from her neck to her nose.

“Virginia Beach.” He grinned. “I was there once with my folks for a church retreat. It’s a nice place. I love that ocean-front. We rented bikes and rode from Rudee Inlet to the north end. It was fun.”

“I like it there. I sure miss the beach.” Glancing at the ceiling, she found strange, round glass light fixtures that hummed and emitted heat. “What’s with the lights?” she asked, pointing toward the ceiling.

“They run on gas.”

“Are they bright enough for intricate woodworking?” she asked.

He shrugged. “Yeah. Sometimes we use portable kerosene lamps if we need better lighting. We make do.”

“What about air conditioning? It’s pretty warm in here. I bet it gets really hot back there with all of the tools and compressors.”

“We have fans that run through power inverters.” He stood up straight and crossed his arms across his wide chest.

Man, he was handsome.

She pushed the thought away and glanced toward the walls finding no light switches, just like at Rebecca’s house. “So there’s no electricity in this building at all?”

“Nope.” Jake grinned. “This is true Amish.”

Jessica cinched her eyebrows with confusion. “Then how do the tools work? I heard air compressors and everything in there.”

“The air compressors run off diesel generators. We use some electric tools, but the same diesel that powers the compressor also powers the generators.” He gestured toward the shop. “So, there’s still no electric bill.”

She tilted her head while considering the process. “But isn’t diesel like super expensive right now?”

He shrugged. “It depends on how you look at it. Utility costs are rising too.”

“Hmm.” She nodded. “That’s very true. I guess everything is expensive these days.” She contemplated the power inverter and thought of her iPod. She’d recently bought a charger for it. Maybe she could charge it here.

“Hey,” she asked. “I have the power cord for my iPod. Would it be all right if charge through the power inverter here?”

He shrugged. “Sure. Why not?” He held out his hand. “I’ll do it for you back in my work area.”

“Cool.” She fished the iPod and cord from her purse and handed it to him. “Thanks.” Her gaze moved to the doorway, where Mr. Yoder stood. His stern expression gave her the same uneasy feeling as Daniel’s cold comments earlier.

“Jake. There you are,” Mr. Yoder said. “Can you come back here when you get a moment? I have a question for you on that wishing well you’re building.”

“Be right there.” Jake held up a finger and turned back to Jessica. “Duty calls. I just wanted to introduce myself. Maybe we can go to lunch sometime. There’s a great pizza place down the road that I like to eat at.”

Was he asking her out? Jake was handsome, but she’d just met him. It seemed a bit forward. Jessica almost told him she wasn’t interested in going to lunch or going anywhere with him, since she had a boyfriend.

However, Jake had a truck, which meant she could charge her phone in it. She’d stuck her phone charger in her purse just in case she had the opportunity to use it.

“Pizza?” Jessica asked. “That sounds good.”

He winked when he stood. “Just yell if you have any questions. I used to work the front before my grandpa actually let me work with wood. I know it can get confusing sometimes.”

“Thanks.” She watched him go, and her eyes admired his broad shoulders. He sure was handsome, but she had a boyfriend.

Sighing, Jessica pulled out her phone and studied the display. No calls. No messages. She lifted it and punched up Brian’s number. Before she hit Send, the shrill ring of the store phone rang out.

Placing her cell phone on the counter, Jessica lifted the receiver to her ear. “Kauffman and Yoder. May I help you?”

The customer spoke and Jessica leaned back in her chair. Her first day in the store had officially begun.

[Return to Table of Contents]

H
ow’s that pie coming?” a voice asked.

Lindsay turned to find Sarah Troyer, Uncle Daniel’s youngest sister, leaning over her shoulder. “It’s going great, thanks.” She pushed the pan over so Sarah could see the Schnitz Pie she was creating.

“
Wunderbar
. You like to bake?” Sarah smiled, and her eyes twinkled in the light of the kerosene lamps. She was clad in a dark purple caped dress covered by a black apron with a prayer
Kapp
hiding her honey blonde hair.

“Love it.” Lindsay smiled while cutting slits in the crust. “Me and my mom used to bake all the time. Lemon meringue pie is my favorite.”

“You’ll have to bake one for me.” Sarah’s smile faded, and she wiped her forehead.

“You okay?” Lindsay touched Sarah’s arm.

“
Ya
.” Sarah’s smile reappeared. “I’m just feeling hot and tired.”

Lindsay lifted her eyebrows in question.

“I’m expecting my first baby.” She lowered herself onto a stool in front of a fan plugged into a power inverter. She moved her hand back and forth in an attempt to cool her face. “Pretty soon my little one will be in there playing.” She nodded to the small room off the kitchen where Beth Anne’s and Kathryn’s youngest children were playing. “We take turns throughout the day to watch them. We also take them outside to play on the playground. If you ever want a break, you can take them outside too.”

“Congratulations on your baby. That’s wonderful news! I love babies. I used to babysit for the little girls who lived across the street from us in Virginia.” Lindsay rubbed Sarah’s arm. “Congratulations. I guess I should say
wunderbar
,
ya
?” She giggled at her clumsy attempt at Pennsylvania Dutch.

“
Ya
.” Sarah chortled. “
Danki
. Peter and I are very happy. We’re blessed with this baby.”

Glancing around the kitchen she noted how different it was than the kitchen in Virginia. The walls were plain white, and keeping with their tradition, there was no electricity. The lights were gas-powered as were the row of ovens.

Rebecca had explained that the bulk of the baking for the day was done in the early morning in order to keep the heat to a minimum. Five fans ran through the power inverters and gave a gentle breeze. However, the kitchen was warm.

There were no fancy mixers or gadgets on the long counter. Their tools were plain pans and ordinary knives and cutlery.

Out front was a long counter covered in baked goods for sale. While the cash register ran on batteries, a push-button phone hung on the wall with a very long coiled cord.

A section of the store out front sold Amish mementos, such as books, postcards, key chains, candles, drawings, paintings, and country crafts.

The sweet smells of icing and cookies tickled Lindsay’s senses and took her back in time to lazy Saturdays when she baked with her mother.

Sarah lifted a glass of water and took a long drink. “I guess this is very different from your life in Virginia, yes?”

“Yes, it’s different.” Lindsay opened the gas-powered oven and slipped the pie onto the rack. She closed it again and set the timer for ten minutes.

“Rebecca is a wonderful woman,” Sarah said. “She’s a very caring and supportive wife to my brother.”

Lindsay picked up a glass of tea. “She is wonderful. We’re lucky to have her.”

“I bet you miss your friends back home, though,” Sarah said with a frown. “This is a very hard time for you.”

“Yeah.” Lindsay nodded. “We’re having a hard time. My sister is really unhappy. She really misses our friends.” Lindsay ran her fingers over the cool condensation on her glass.

“Don’t you miss your friends too?”

“I do. Very much. But I’ll make new friends. I bet Aunt Rebecca will let me go back to Virginia Beach to visit my friends.”

“I’m sure she will.” Sarah took another long drink.

Lindsay stepped over to the counter toward Rebecca. “Should I make another Schnitz Pie or start on some cookies? Or should I make some of those Fastnacht donuts?”

“How about some cookies?” Rebecca asked, crossing the kitchen. “Is everything going okay?”

“Going great.” Lindsay gestured toward the oven. “I just put my sixth Schnitz Pie in the oven.”

“
Wunderbar!
” Rebecca clapped. “Let’s start on cookies. How about some peanut butter cookies? We’re running low on the cookie rack out front.”

Lindsay helped Rebecca mix up the cookies, combining the shortening, peanut butter, brown and white sugar, and eggs.

“So, how do you like the bakery so far?” Rebecca asked, rolling the mixed batter into balls.

“I’m having fun learning these cool new recipes.” She wished she could’ve talked to her mom about the recipes she was learning. She wondered if her mom had ever missed the Amish foods she used to make when she was a girl.

While Lindsay rolled the dough into small balls, her thoughts moved to Trisha. She was surprised Trisha hadn’t tried to call her at the bakery, but maybe she’d already spoken with Jessica.

“I’m glad because we like having you.” Rebecca loaded the balls onto the baking sheet. “Elizabeth and my sisters-in-law already told me they enjoy having you here.”

Lindsay smiled. “Thank you. They’ve made me feel very welcome.” She grew thoughtful. Would she rather be with Trisha or with Aunt Rebecca? She wasn’t sure, but she liked being with Aunt Rebecca. When she was with her, she felt closer to her mother somehow.

“I think you’ll like these cookies.” Rebecca slipped the baking sheet into the oven. “They’re delicious and one of our biggest sellers.”

“I think I want to stay here,” Lindsay said before she could stop the words from escaping her mouth. “I want to be here, not with Trisha.”

Rebecca stopped, and her smile faded. “What did you say?”

Lindsay hesitated, hoping she hadn’t said something wrong. “I just said I want to stay here,” she whispered.

“You mean that?” Rebecca asked.

“Yes, I do.” Lindsay wiped her hands on her apron. “Aunt Trisha promised Jessica she’d get a lawyer to try to contest Mom and Dad’s will and get custody of us.”

“Oh?” her aunt asked, looking pained.

Guilt washed over Lindsay.
Good going. I said too much
.

“But I think this is where Jessica and I are supposed to be.” Lindsay sucked in a breath. “I miss my friends, but this is starting to feel like home.”

“Come here.” Rebecca opened her arms, and Lindsay walked into her hug. Her aunt rubbed her back. “You have no idea how good it feels to hear you say that. Having you here feels natural. I think your mother knew I’d love you like you were my own daughter. I just wish Jessica could see how much love I have to give you girls.”

Stepping back, Lindsay sniffed and wiped her eyes. “I think she’ll figure that out. Dad always said she was stubborn.”

Rebecca touched Lindsay’s arm. “She’s just like your
mamm
. Grace was never satisfied with our simple life, so she had to go out in the world and figure things out on her own.”

“Did you miss her?” Lindsay asked.

“All the time.” Her aunt smiled. “But if she hadn’t left, I wouldn’t have you and your sister to love.” While humming, Rebecca wiped her hands on her apron and then continued rolling cookies.

Lindsay grabbed some dough and began to help her. Glancing at her watch, she realized it was after eleven. The morning had flown by at lightning speed.

She smiled while rolling out more dough.
Time flies when you’re having fun
.
If only Mom could see me now
. She frowned as grief slammed through her.

Oh, how she missed her parents. She continued to roll the dough and hoped she was making her mother proud.

Rebecca stepped through the doorway from the kitchen to the front counter of the bakery. Her gaze moved to the racks of pastries, jellies, postcards, key chains, dolls, books, and other souvenirs that the tourists loved to buy. She’d watched her mother-in-law’s store grow from a small bakery to favorite tourist stop during her fifteen-year marriage to Daniel.

Elizabeth handed an English customer a bag and thanked her for coming to the bakery. She then turned to Rebecca and heaved a loud sigh. “Busy day, no? I think I’ve served twenty or so folks already, and it’s only one o’clock.”

“
Ya
. Busy.” Rebecca leaned on the counter. “You going to eat your lunch now?”

“You can.” Her mother-in-law gestured around the store. “It’s quiet at the moment. You go and then I’ll go.” Her eyes studied Rebecca. “
Was iss letz?
”

“Nothing’s wrong.” Rebecca folded her arms across her apron. “Everything is fine. Lindsay’s chatting and baking with Sarah.”

“
Ya
, but something is
letz
.” Elizabeth stepped toward her. “I can see it in your eyes.”

Rebecca sighed and glanced toward the large glass windows at the front of the store. “I was wondering how Jessica’s day was going. I’m worried about her.”

“Oh, Jessica will be just fine. She just needs time to adjust to our ways.”

“She was really upset last night. She was angry with me when I wouldn’t let her walk up to try to meet some of the kids her age. She stomped outside before we had devotional time. Lindsay and I found her crying by the pasture fence. I told her that I understand her grief because I lost my
mamm
. She cried in my arms, but she never really spoke to me.”

Rebecca absently wiped some crumbs from the counter into her hand. “I’m afraid I won’t be able to get through to her. I want to be a good guardian for her. I feel like God is giving me a chance to finally be a
mamm
and I want to be the best
mamm
I can be for these girls. I don’t want to let Him or them down.”

“Oh, Rebecca,” Elizabeth said with a smile. “You’ll do fine. You have to be sensitive to how she’s feeling and give her some time to adjust. This is a rough time for her. You need to just be patient and have faith that she’ll accept our ways and open her heart to you.” She placed her hand on Rebecca’s arm. “You’re loving and sweet. She’ll open up to you and consider you her
mamm
soon enough.”

Rebecca nodded even though Elizabeth made the situation sound much easier than it really was.

“What is it? You don’t look convinced,” her mother-in-law said, pulling her hand back.

Rebecca glanced toward the doorway to make sure Lindsay wasn’t close enough to hear. “Daniel has been supportive, but he seemed to get frustrated with Jessica earlier,” she whispered.

Her mother-in-law frowned. “What do you mean?”

“Jessica came downstairs this morning, wearing a lot of jewelry and makeup. Daniel made her take off the jewelry and some of the makeup before they left. He didn’t raise his voice, but he seemed annoyed.”

Elizabeth smiled. “Well, Jessica is just getting used to the rules. She’s a teenager. Sometimes they have their own ideas about things. Remember the Scripture—‘Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation.’ The girls will adjust. Just be sure to listen with an open heart and be patient.”

Rebecca nodded while she straightened a few boxes of assorted pastries. She hoped Jessica’s day was going well and that both of the girls would enjoy their jobs.