A Kauffman Amish Christmas Collection (30 page)

“I was going to ask you what you were planning for
supper,” she said, leaning across the table just slightly as if to share a secret. “Do you like Hamburg goulash?”

“Ach,”
he said, fingering his beard. “I’d have to count that as one of my most favorite meals.”

“Gut
!” She grinned. “Why don’t you grab your coat, and we’ll head out to my parents’ house. I made a special dessert too.”

“Sounds
appeditlich.”
He turned to Susie, who was still in the doorway, twisting one of the ties from her prayer covering in her little finger. “Grab your cloak, Susie. We’re going to dinner at Irene’s.”

“Oh,” Irene said quickly. She leaned toward him and lowered her voice. “I thought maybe Susie could stay here with Sadie so that you and my
dat
could talk about the shop.”

“See,
Dat,”
Susie exclaimed, stomping into the room. “She doesn’t like me!”

“Susan.” Caleb stood. He gestured for her to calm down while working to keep his voice composed. “We just talked about this. Remember your manners.” He turned to Irene. “I’d rather not have dinner without my
dochder.”

Irene bristled. “Oh. I thought you might like to discuss the buggy business without the interruption of a
kind.”

“I don’t see my
dochder
as an interruption.” He walked over to Susie and placed a hand on her shoulder.

Irene looked stunned. “But don’t you want to discuss working at my
daed’s
shop?”

Caleb shook his head. “If she’s not welcome, then I’ll politely turn down your supper invitation.” He glanced down at Susie, and she smiled. Her eyes were so full of love that his heart felt as if it would melt.

Popping up, Irene crossed to the door and snatched her cloak from the peg on the wall. “I suppose I’ll see you later.” Scowling, she pulled on her cloak. “Please tell Sadie I said
gut nacht.”

“I will,” Caleb said, gently squeezing Susie’s shoulder.

Irene rushed through the door, which slammed behind her.

“Dat
!” Susie beamed up at him. “You didn’t want to go without me?”

He shook his head. “How could I go without you? You’re
mei liewe
. We’re in this together, remember?”

She wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him.
“Ich liebe dich.”

“I love you too,” he said. “But you must remember not to talk back to adults, Susie. You can get your point across without being rude.”

She grinned up at him. “Like you did.”

He chuckled and rubbed her shoulder.
“Ya
, I guess I did.”

She headed for the door. “I’m going to go tell Janie!”

“Susie!” He hoped to stop her from telling the family about his conversation with Irene, but she was gone. He heard her shoes clunking up the stairs to the bedrooms.

Stepping over to the window, Caleb glanced out at the sky, seeing snowflakes floating down to the porch railing and dotting the rock driveway.

“Did I hear a door slam?” Sadie asked behind him.

“Ya,”
he said, facing her quizzical stare. “Irene left.”

Sadie stepped through the doorway. “Didn’t she invite you for supper?”

He nodded. “She did.”

“And what happened?” Her eyes searched his face.

“I declined her invitation.”

“Why would you do that?” She stepped toward him. “I don’t understand. Irene is young and attractive, and her father has a successful carriage shop. You don’t need to invest in a new business.” She gestured with her hands. “You could simply work for him, and you and Irene could get to know each other better.”

He frowned, running his hand through his hair. Would his sister ever stop her interfering? “I’m going for a walk.” He gripped the doorknob and wrenched the back door open with a squeak.

“Caleb?” Sadie called after him.

Stepping out onto the porch, the cold, moist air seeped through his shirt and into his skin. He took a deep, cleansing breath and walked over to the railing. Closing his eyes, he let the cool snowflakes kiss his warm cheeks while breathing out the frustration boiling in his soul.

He knew that allowing his sister’s interference to upset him wouldn’t help the situation. He remembered clearly how she tried to run his life when he lived with his parents. She was interested in all of Caleb’s comings and goings, suggesting how he should spend his social life and even giving her unsolicited opinions of his friends. While he loved his sister, she was a hopeless meddler.

Opening his eyes, he stared up at the sky, wondering how he would handle her when he moved back. How could he keep the lines of communication open with his sister without losing his temper?

He glanced toward the driveway, and his thoughts turned
to Irene. He’d hoped that Susie was wrong when she’d proclaimed Irene’s dislike for her. However, Irene’s facial expressions and her blatant disregard for Susie’s feelings were apparent. He’d never understand how someone could disregard a child the way that Irene did. Even if Caleb had wanted to discuss business with Hezekiah Wagler, he would’ve done it in front of Susie. She was old enough to be quiet while the adults were having a serious conversation.

He turned back toward the pasture. If he cut across the pasture and continued about a half mile, he would wind up on Naomi’s road. He wondered if she was home. And if so, would she want to visit with him? He hadn’t seen her since Wednesday, and he missed her. He wondered if she missed him too.

Caleb snickered to himself. He sounded like a lovesick teenage boy.

“Dat
?” Susie’s voice sounded behind him.

He faced her and swallowed a shiver. “Susie?” he asked with a smile.

She jammed a hand on her little hip. “You know you’re going to catch a cold,
ya
?”

He nodded.
“Ya
. I know.”

She smiled. “Janie says you’re a
wunderbaar gut dat
for what you said to Irene Wagler.”

He grinned. “I’m
froh
she approves.”

“I like Naomi more than I like Irene,” she said.

“Ya
, I know,” he said. “I can’t blame you.”

“Are you going to come inside or do I need to get you your coat?” She frowned, and her face reminded him of Barbara’s when she disapproved of something Caleb had done.

“I’ll be in shortly,” he said, rubbing his arms.

She gave him a confused expression, shrugged, and closed the door.

He looked back up at the sky and prayed for strength and help for dealing with both his sister and the uncertainties of the upcoming move from Ohio to Pennsylvania.

I
t’s a regular blizzard out here,” Naomi commented, climbing from Lilly’s buggy. She helped her siblings out of the back and then grabbed her bag of gifts. “Lizzie Anne and Levina, grab those platters of cookies and carry them in please. Sylvia, please take the bag with the gifts for the
kinner.”

“I can’t believe the snow.” Lilly tented her hand over her eyes to block the raging flurries. “I don’t know how we’re going to find our way home.”

Stepping on the sidewalk, Sylvia slipped and then righted herself. “Maybe we’ll have to stay the night.”

Naomi chuckled. “I don’t think Sadie has enough room for all of us.”

Naomi, her younger siblings, and Lilly made their way up the steps to the porch. A buggy bounced up the drive, leaving tracks revealing its path, and Naomi spotted her parents and Elam emerging from the buggy into the snow. Elam stowed her parents’ horse and Lilly’s horse, and her parents began their trek through the blowing snow to the stairs. Naomi waited for her parents while Lilly and Naomi’s siblings disappeared into the house, carrying the food and gifts.

“Naomi, you should go inside,” Titus said on his way up the stairs. Moving past her, he held the door open. “Go on. You’ll catch a cold.”

“Danki, Dat,”
Naomi said with a smile. She gestured for her mother to go in first. “After you,
Mamm.”

“Danki.”
Her mother smiled as she stepped into the foyer. “I assume the
kinner
brought in the food and gifts?”

“
Ya.”
Naomi followed Irma into the family room and then helped her remove her cloak.

They hung their cloaks on the pegs on the wall, jamming them on top of the pile and then stepped into the family room, clogged with people talking and laughing. Irma disappeared into the crowd, shaking hands and greeting friends while smiling.

Naomi scanned the group, her stomach fluttering as she searched for one certain face: Caleb’s.

“Naomi!” A little voice yelled as a hand pulled on the skirt of her frock.
“Frehlicher Grischtdaag
!”

Naomi glanced down into Susie’s smiling face. “Oh, Susie.” She hugged the little girl.
“Frehlicher Grischtdaag
to you too! I have something for you.” She perused the crowd, looking for one of her siblings and her bag of gifts.

“I have something for you!” Taking her hand, Susie yanked Naomi toward the far side of the family room. “I’ll have to find my gifts.”

They crossed the family room, and Naomi glanced through another doorway into a smaller sitting room, where she spotted Caleb standing with Timothy Kauffman and Hezekiah Wagler. The three men were talking and laughing while holding mugs, which she assumed were full of Robert’s famous hot cider.

Susie dug through a large shopping bag and then pulled out a small doll. “This is for you.”

Naomi held the doll up and examined it. The tiny, cloth doll wore a blue dress, black apron, and black winter bonnet, and held a little sign that said “Friends.” Tears filled Naomi’s eyes as she looked at Susie. “It’s
schee.”

Susie beamed. “I got it for you because you’re
mei freind.”

“It’s perfect.” Leaning down, Naomi engulfed Susie into a hug and squeezed her tight.

When she stood, she felt someone’s stare focused on her. Glancing over, she spotted Caleb watching her. He nodded and smiled, and she returned the gesture before turning back to Susie.

“Now, I hope you don’t think this is
gegisch
, but I got you something too.” Naomi put the doll into the pocket of her apron and then reached into her bag and pulled out the quilt she’d shown Susie during the quilting bee. “This is for you.”

“For me?” Susie gasped as she hugged the quilt to her chest. “I love this so much! I will sleep with it on my bed every night.
Danki
, Naomi.”

“Gern gschehne
. That’s not all.” Naomi then pulled out a flat box. “This was my favorite game when I was your age.” She held her breath, hoping Susie would like it.

“Scrabble!” Susie’s green eyes rounded with excitement as she draped the quilt over her arm. “Oh, Naomi!
Danki
!” She hugged Naomi again, and Naomi chuckled. “Will you play with me?”

“Of course,” Naomi said. “I think it’s too crowded to play here now, but I promise we’ll get in at least one game before you and your
dat
head back to Ohio.”

Susie examined the box. “Then you’ll play more when we get back, right?”

“Ya,”
Naomi said. “If you bring it each time you visit, we’ll play it. I don’t think my game at home has all of the pieces anymore.” She gripped the handles of her shopping bag, wondering when to give Caleb his special gift.

“Not when we visit.” Susie looked up. “I mean when we move here.”

Naomi gasped. “What did you say?”

Susie grinned. “We’re moving here. My
dat
said he found a house.”

Stunned, Naomi was speechless. She looked toward Caleb and found him nodding while listening to Hezekiah. Her heart filled with warmth and hope of a possible future with Caleb and Susie. Maybe they could be a family? Was this what Lizzie Anne had been talking about with her verse about waiting for the Lord and putting hope in Him? Was it God’s time for her like Lilly had said?

She glanced back at Susie. “Are you certain?”

Susie nodded.
“Ya
. I heard my
Aenti
Sadie say something about
Dat
working for Irene’s
daed.”
She frowned. “I hope that isn’t true. Irene doesn’t like me. She doesn’t smile at me. She invited my
dat
over for supper and said I wasn’t invited. She’s not very nice.”

Naomi swallowed a groan as her hopes evaporated. Caleb’s plans included Irene, not Naomi. “Oh,” she said, her voice barely a whisper over the conversations floating around them.

“Irene is always smiling around my
dat,”
Susie continued, looking disgusted. “She always wants to be with him alone. She acts nice around him, but she’s not really nice at all.”

Speechless, Naomi listened as her frown deepened.

“She acts like I don’t exist,” Susie said, gripping the box and the quilt in her arms. “She doesn’t even want me in the room with her and my dat.” She glowered. “My
dat
says I have to respect adults and use my manners, but I don’t want to use my manners around her.” Her expression softened. “But you’re always so nice to me. You’re
mei freind
and I could never be friends with Irene. I know it’s not Christian to say that, but it’s the truth.”

Naomi nodded again. She couldn’t form the words to express the emotions that were weighing down on her shoulders. She felt her spirit wilting, like a thirsty flower in desperate need of water.

“I want my
dat
to be with you, not Irene. I don’t understand why he even talks to her. Irene would never bake with me or quilt with me. She would never even play a game with me.” Susie placed the flat box and the quilt on the bench next to her and began to open the box. “Can we play now?”

“I don’t think that would be a
gut
idea,” Naomi said, hoping her anxiety didn’t show on her face. “There are too many people here, and I’m afraid the pieces will get lost.”

“Oh.” Susie looked disappointed. “I can’t wait to play. Maybe we can go up to my room.” She nodded toward the sitting room behind them. “Or maybe my
dat’s
room on the coffee table? We could spread the game out and play.”