An Amish Country Christmas (2 page)

Chapter Two

Mary stopped at the main entry of the carriage shop to catch her breath. Had she ever
hurried up that hill so quickly? One look through the frosted glass in the door, however,
told her this spur-of-the-moment plan was the best one she could have concocted: James
Graber stood in the front room where a new sleigh and courting buggy were parked,
and he was chatting with two of the finest-looking fellows she’d seen in a long while.
And if they were each buying a new rig, well, they had a little jingle in their pockets,
didn’t they? And what fun would they have going straight home, each in his own vehicle,
by himself?

Taking a deep breath, Mary stepped into the shop. As she paused by the door, she wished
she had quizzed her sister more. One of the fellows James was chatting with wore the
traditional Amish broadfall pants, suspenders, and black broad-brimmed hat while his
brother sported a black leather jacket with a jaunty fedora that showed off an English-style
haircut. His red plaid shirt looked anything but Amish. Which one was Nate? Had Martha
learned both of their names, or anything more about them?

Mary’s cheeks flushed when the boys noticed her standing there. She would have to
keep a sharp ear and rely on her smile . . .

James Graber spoke first. “Well, now. Is that warm chocolate I’m getting a whiff of?
Come to bring your brother Noah a treat for his morning break?”

Noah was apprenticed to James—and the carriage maker, bless him, had just offered
her a conversational handle. “Too bad Noah’s in the back room, ain’t so?” she said
as she removed the plastic container from her sack. “Wouldn’t be polite to walk past
you fellows without offering you some of these mocha brownies.”

She lifted the lid and then handed the goodies to the younger, flashier brother. Mary
couldn’t miss the way his dark eyes lit up as she removed her black bonnet, and she
hoped she didn’t trip over her tongue when she talked to him.

“Martha!” he said. “What kind of a Christmas miracle is this, that we just saw you
in the mercantile and now—”

“Don’t think for a minute she brought these goodies to
you
, Bram,” the other young man teased as he stepped over to grab one. He, too, gave
her a dazzling smile and then gestured at the sleigh behind them. “What do you think
of my new ride, Martha? I’ve got a horse hitched outside, just waiting for a pretty
girl to join me on its maiden voyage.”

“Oh, but you’d rather christen my new buggy,
jah
?” Bram chimed in. “I’m thinkin’ you could show me where to buy a string of Christmas
lights to give it some sparkle, Martha. And you’d look a lot prettier riding behind
Felix, my trotter, because once you’re sitting behind Nate’s Clydesdale, nobody’ll
see you for his broad backside!”

Such talk! And all of it aimed to lure her into each brother’s new rig while her sister
was at home choring. This was more fun than she’d had in a long while, but she had
to speak quickly before James spoiled her charade by revealing that she was a twin.
As hot as her face felt, the carriage maker was bound to notice she was up to something.

“How’s a girl to choose?” she mused. Stalling, she ambled over to admire the glossy
black buggy with its upholstery of deep green velvet. Then she stood before the sleigh,
a sleek two-seater fitted out in muted red leather that would withstand winter weather.
“Either way, I’ll look like the Queen of Christmas—”

Her cell phone dinged to signal she had a text message. No doubt in her mind where
it was coming from, either. “Excuse me,” she said demurely. “I’ll let you fellows
finish your business while I make up my mind.”

Mary walked to the corner of the shop, taking the phone from her pocket. Her fingers
quivered as she read Martha’s message. What’s going on? U won’t leave me here, will
u?

Oh, but she was tempted to make these brothers draw straws to decide who would drive
her around Cedar Creek first. Wasn’t it a fine, fun feeling to be the object of their
compliments while they believed she had somehow baked fresh brownies for them in the
past fifteen minutes? But after a lifetime of doing everything, sharing everything
with Martha, Mary couldn’t leave her twin out in the cold—or out in the barn working,
either. Martha was more athletic and outspoken while Mary preferred to spend her time
baking or embroidering, yet most folks couldn’t tell them apart . . . and she suspected
any fellow who might want to ask one of them out hesitated, wondering if he would
ever have time alone with the sister of his choice.

But the Kanagy boys each had a vehicle . . . a perfect way to provide some privacy
while they all had a good time.

Get ready to ride! Mary tapped out with her thumbs. Then she dropped her phone into
her coat pocket and turned toward the front counter, where the brothers were collecting
their receipts from James. Her heart played hopscotch when Bram turned to flash her
a wink as he took another mocha brownie from the plate. She had to admit Martha was
right: traditional Nate was more her sister’s type, while Mary had taken an instant
shine to wavy-haired Bram in his rakish fedora and black leather jacket. Here was
a fellow still enjoying his
rumspringa
, who wanted to help her make the most of her running-around years, as well. Seemed
the least she could do was to show him a good time before he had to head for home.

“Why don’t both of you hitch up?” Mary suggested. “I know where to find those lights
you want, Bram. All of us can have a real
gut
time while you’re here in Willow Ridge.”

“Glad I took your suggestion and got the harness with the sleigh bells, James,” Nate
remarked as he grinned at her. “Clyde’s going to step lively for sure and for certain,
with that extra jingle and a girl riding along.”

“We’ll see about that,” Mary replied. Did she sound too brazen, suggesting she would
keep both Kanagy boys company? She gave James a pointed look when he seemed ready
to say something about her twin sister.

The carriage maker took the last brownie and raised it in salute. “Stop by any time
with treats,” he said. “And wish your family a merry Christmas for me.”

“I’ll do that.” Mary slipped on her bonnet, grabbed the container, and preceded the
brothers out the wide back door Bram was holding open for her. “Give my best to your
parents and sister, too.”

The brisk winter air invigorated her as she watched Nate and Bram guide their new
rigs from the shop and then hitch them to the horses waiting at the rail. The snow
sparkled with sun diamonds and chickadees chirped in the evergreens. Had there ever
been a shinier December day? A finer chance to get acquainted with these out-of-town
fellows who wanted to spend their time with her? Their choice of horses said a lot
about them, too, and this seemed a safe topic of conversation that wouldn’t give away
her surprise.

Mary approached slowly as Nate fastened a glossy black harness to his Clydesdale.
What would Martha say? She’s the one who knows horses.
“This fellow must stand at least, um—eighteen hands,” she remarked as she stroked
the majestic horse’s neck. “And such a docile boy, too.
Gut
thing, considering the size of those hooves!”

“Nineteen hands,” Nate remarked approvingly. He buckled the band that was covered
with brass sleigh bells. “
Jah
, Clyde’s my first Clydesdale, and I’m sold on the breed now. Got him when that big
brewery in St. Louis retired some of their show stock. Guess he’s been on some television
commercials.”

Mary’s eyes widened. It wasn’t every day that Plain folks acquired draft horses with
such a pedigree. She turned toward Bram then, who was murmuring to the glossy bay
he’d hitched to his courting buggy. Its black mane and tale shimmered when the horse
shifted in place, showing its readiness to be out on the road. “Used to be a race
horse, did he?” she asked. “Felix has some mighty fine lines.”

“He does, at that,” Bram replied. “Found him at one of the auctions I was working
over by Kansas City. But I have to give Nate the credit for training him to haul buggies.”

Mary blinked. “You’re
that
Kanagy?” she blurted as she gazed at Nate. “I know lots of men who won’t let anybody
else break their draft horses.”

Nate’s cheeks colored, and he seemed tongue-tied. Mary sensed she shouldn’t slight
his younger brother by giving him all the attention, however. “And you work at auctions,
Bram?”

He bowed slightly, tipping his fedora. “I’ll have you know I’m a licensed auctioneer,
Martha. Hopin’ to have my own sale barn and business someday. And since I’m such a
natural at sellin’ folks on things, you can’t help but ride in
my
rig now, ain’t so?”

Mary blushed and stepped forward so he could help her up into his new buggy. “That’s
not to say your brother’s to be left out in the cold, though,” she teased. “Let’s
all of us head down this road for a quick tour of Cedar Creek. I think you’ll like
what you see.”

Nate laughed good-naturedly as he sprang into the seat of his sleigh. “Sounds better
than heading to Aunt Beulah Mae’s. No need for her and Uncle Abe to know we’ve arrived
just yet, or they’ll be wanting us to spend the rest of the day there.”

“Abe and Beulah Mae Nissley?” she asked. “I bake for Mrs. Nissley’s Kitchen—cookies
and bars, mostly, while Beulah Mae keeps up with the pies and running her restaurant.
She’s closed for a few days over Christmas—”

“With nothin’ better to do than entertain her two nephews from Willow Ridge,” Bram
said as he clapped the reins lightly on Felix’s back. “I’m for goin’ wherever you
can think of, Martha. Plenty of time to park our butts in Beulah Mae’s kitchen, ain’t
so, Nate?”

“You’ve got that right, little brother. Here we go!”

Grinning with her secret plan—hoping she didn’t blow it—Mary gestured for Bram to
turn right. Was it too soon to dream of spending more time in this rig beside her
handsome driver? Sure, there were a good many miles and several hours’ travel between
Cedar Creek and Willow Ridge, but that matter of geography didn’t seem to bother these
Kanagy brothers. And she couldn’t wait until Martha—and the rest of her family at
home—heard whom she and her sister had latched onto. Since there was no other traffic
on the road, Nate pulled his sleigh into the lane beside Bram’s buggy to keep up with
the conversation.

“Seems like a nice place, Cedar Creek,” Bram said as he looked around. “Well-kept
farms hereabouts, and lots of folks seem to have businesses, as well.”

“Those are Matt Lambright’s sheep,” she replied, pointing toward the pasture they
were passing. “His
dat
runs the mercantile, and his aunt Abby runs her sewing shop upstairs. And farther
down this hill, Rudy Ropp has a dairy farm. One of his boys runs a machine repair
business while the other son’s gotten into raising cage-free chickens—”

“And what does your
dat
do, Martha?” Nate called over.

Mary leaned forward, tickled that he was beside them rather than behind. “Dat and
my brother Owen are carpenters—”

“You’re
that
Coblentz?” Bram exclaimed. “Why, everybody knows Amos Coblentz as one of the finest
master carpenters in northern Missouri. He’s built stables and barns for a lot of
breeders, Amish and English alike.” He turned toward his brother then. “Didn’t Amos
put up the bishop’s big barn?”

“
Jah
, even though we’ve got the Brenneman boys’ carpentry shop right there in Willow Ridge.
Guess we’d best behave ourselves with his daughter,” Nate added playfully. Then he
sat taller, gazing intently ahead of them as they started down the first hill.

When Bram, too, leaned forward to stare, Mary could barely contain her laughter. Sure
enough, her sister was standing at the roadside, waving wildly at them as she chomped
her gum. With her bonnet off, Martha’s auburn hair shone in the sunshine, beneath
her kapp. It was time to come clean, and Mary was glad that both of these boys were
in high spirits, more likely to laugh at the little trick she and her twin had pulled
than get angry.

“Your eyes aren’t fooling you,” Mary said as Bram slowed the buggy at the end of their
lane. “
This
is Martha, the one you met in the mercantile—”

“
Jah
! I didn’t want to leave Mary out of the fun I thought the four of us might have,
so I called her from the store,” Martha explained with a hearty laugh. “We do everything
together, you see.”

Mary scampered down from the buggy and slung her arm around Martha’s shoulders. “So
that explains the miracle of the warm brownies, ain’t so? Martha’s finished her choring
now, so if you boys still want some company while you break in your new rigs, we’d
be happy to help out.”

Nate and Bram had pulled their sleigh and buggy to the shoulder of the road and fastened
their reins. The brothers hopped down to assess the situation, both of them studying
eyes . . . noses . . . hair . . . lips. Any details they could find that would set
the twins apart. Mary noticed that her sister had stopped chewing her gum, to confound
the boys even more.

“Holy Moses,” Nate murmured. “Not a shade of difference between them.”

“Double trouble,” Bram agreed, but then he laughed. “I think we’re up for it, though,
Nate. Still beats spendin’ the rest of this fine day with the aunt and uncle—”

“Beulah Mae and Preacher Abe,” Mary remarked to her sister.

“No! Well, see there?” Martha replied with a jovial shrug. “You don’t know a stranger
when you go from one Plain town to the next. Bound to find folks you’ve met before,
and plenty you’re kin to.”

“Whether you want to be or not,” Mary added.