An Amish Country Christmas (13 page)

Mary turned toward their guests as the four of them hung their wraps on pegs behind
the door. “Welcome back to Coblentz chaos,” she remarked wryly. “See what you’ve missed,
not having younger kids at home?”

“Nothing we can’t handle,” Bram answered.

“We can always hitch them up to Clyde and send them off on a ride—without the sleigh,”
Nate teased.

“
Jah
! I wanna do that!” Jacob crowed. He came over to gaze up at the Kanagy brothers with
a hopeful expression on his face. “I could stand on the snow saucer and off I’d go!
Lickety-split, wherever I wanted!”

And wouldn’t
that
be a sight, that huge Clydesdale hauling a kid on a snow disc? Mary was glad everyone
was laughing . . . and that Noah had backed away from the touchy subject of the broken
wheel, too. While Mary spooned the biscuit batter over the bubbling stew to make dumplings,
Martha brought some salads out of the fridge and then checked the sideboard.

“We’ve got about half our birthday cake left,” she said as she removed the lid of
its pan. “And Mamma made a pumpkin roll, I see. It’s a
gut
thing we came back for supper!”

After they all sat down and bowed for a silent prayer, Mary was pleased that the conversation
seemed so relaxed. Nate and Bram dipped beef stew and dumplings into their soup bowls
and then filled their plates with scalloped corn, fruit-filled green gelatin, stewed
tomatoes and other dishes that were ordinary yet made more special because the Kanagys
were eating with them. When Bram glanced at Mary, she felt her cheeks heat up.

I could get used to seeing this fellow across my table
. But it was best not to let on, so soon after she and Martha had met these fun-loving
brothers. Better to let Dat lead the conversation with them, as their parents seemed
sincerely pleased that the boys were back for a second visit.

“And what-all did you do while you were out and around?” he asked Nate as he sopped
up beef gravy with his slice of bread. “Seeing your fine new sleigh puts me in a mind
to have James refurbish the old one out in our shed. Been a while since I took out
across snowy pastures just for the fun of it.”

“I’ve already gotten a lot of
gut
out of it,
jah
,” Nate replied with a shy smile at Martha. He exchanged a glance with Bram that made
Mary’s heart skitter, and then looked at Dat again. “Do you know anything about a
piece of land for sale out on Double E, about fifteen minutes from here? Looks like
they’re taking sealed bids on it.”

Dat’s eyebrows rose as he thought about which property that might be. Or was he reading
between Nate’s lines, as to why he was interested in that farm? “I seem to recall
folks saying the owner’s widow couldn’t make the payments, and then her heirs haggled
over the place for a few years after she passed away. None of them made a go of it,
and none of them live there, but that’s the last I can recall about it.”

“That would explain why the buildings aren’t in very
gut
shape. The next big storm might take the barns down, from what I could see.” Nate
spooned more stewed tomatoes onto his plate and took another slice of bread.

“It was a hobby farm,” Dat continued as details came back to him. “And when folks
don’t know much about making
gut
use of the land—and when nobody lives there for a long while—a place goes downhill
mighty quick.”

“Probably critters in the house by now.” Bram helped himself to more scalloped corn,
keeping his expression and voice low-key.

Mary shuddered at the thought of walking in on snakes or raccoons . . . all the more
reason to knock the buildings down and start fresh. It was difficult to rid an old
place of animals once they’d eaten holes in the walls, and it wouldn’t do to have
such intruders scurrying across the attic or inside the walls—especially if they were
to have paying guests! She met Martha’s gaze and then noticed the speculative expression
on their mother’s face.

“You boys looking to buy a place?” Mamma asked.

Oh, but
that
hammered the nail, didn’t it? Their mother didn’t dilly-dally around when it came
to getting information. Mary took another slice of bread and passed the basket to
the kids, noting the looks on Nate and Bram’s faces. It told a lot about a fellow
when he was faced with a question he hadn’t figured on answering yet.

Nate leveled his gaze on Mamma. “If Bram and I are ever to support families, we’ve
got to find property. And what with land not coming up for sale very often—”

“Not to mention gettin’ so pricey that a fella can hardly afford a farm on his own,”
Bram added in a low voice.

“—we brothers have to stick together, have to jump in when we find a place that’ll
work for us,” Nate continued in a quiet, confident voice. “It’s not likely that an
acreage will be on the market in Willow Ridge any time soon.”

“Nor here in Cedar Creek,” their
dat
added matter-of-factly. “I wish you boys all the best, if that’s what you’d like
to do.”

“If it’s God’s will that you have it, then the Lord will guide you toward making the
best bid,” Mamma affirmed with a nod. “Do your homework on the real estate details.
Pray on it. And we’ll put in a
gut
word for you, too, while we’re praying.”

Bram’s face took on a glow as he looked at their mother. “
Denki
for that help, Mrs. Coblentz. Means a lot to have you backin’ us.”

Mary tingled inside, suddenly so excited she had to
move
. As she went to the counter for their desserts, she could practically taste the breads
and treats she’d bake when their bed and breakfast was up and running. It seemed a
longtime dream was about to leap out of her imagination and into reality, right down
the road from home!

Too soon to be counting on that
, her thoughts warned, but her heart spoke in a different tone. ‘
Ask and you shall receive. Knock and the door shall be opened . . .’

And if
she
didn’t believe that someday the door to an inn would open, then who else would make
her and Martha’s dream come true?

Chapter Thirteen

Bram tucked Mary’s gloved hand into the bend of his elbow as the four of them headed
to the stable to hitch Clyde to the sleigh. Snowflakes danced in the light from their
lantern, just as his thoughts were whirling happily. “Hate to eat and run,” he said,
“but if we’re to make an educated bid on that farm, we’ve got to set some wheels in
motion.”

“I’m thinking they already are,” Martha replied. “I didn’t want to say anything at
supper that might back you fellows into a corner where you didn’t want to be—”

“But it’s obvious Mamma and Dat think you’re on the right track,” Mary said. “We’ll
be thinking of you, hoping the pieces fall into place.”

As he stepped inside the dark barn, Bram pulled Mary close and kissed her. “We’ll
do our best,” he murmured into her ear. She smelled sweet and clean, and he knew he’d
be replaying today’s conversations in his mind all week, as inspiration for the enormous
project he and Nate were about to take on.

“How about getting together for New Year’s Eve?” Nate suggested. He had an arm around
Martha, too, and as she hung the lantern on a hook, its glow lit their faces . . .
their intentions. “By then, we should have an idea whether we’re in the running for
that farm, or if we have to keep looking.”

The twins exchanged a happy glance. “
Jah
, that would be fun!” Martha said.

“What a fine way to start a new year, with the four of us together, ain’t so? You
can catch us up on what’s happened with the land auction then, too.” When Mary stood
on tiptoe to kiss his cheek, Bram knew it was too late to back down—not that he wanted
to. He wasn’t sure how his attitude, his whole world, had changed in the course of
the past few hours, but he suddenly longed to give this pretty young woman everything
her heart desired.

He and Nate hitched the sleigh to Clyde and then lit the sleigh’s lanterns and the
Slow Moving Vehicle sign for their night drive home. As they headed from the lane
onto the road, they waved at the two girls who stood on the front porch in the glow
of their lantern. Bram memorized the moment, cherishing the energy and excitement
of the kisses they blew.

Beside him, Nate settled into the seat and urged the horse into a trot. “Well, little
brother, did we just bite off more than we can chew? Will we be sorry we got those
girls involved—got their hopes up so high?”

Bram let out a short laugh. “Well, my hopes are flyin’ right up there with theirs.
It’s Dat we’ve got to convince now,” he said. “We’ll be askin’ him to plunk down a
lot of money based on a place we saw by happenstance, with sisters we’ve only known
a couple of days.”

“
Jah
, the situation’s a stretch for both of us, considering how I walked out on them Christmas
morning,” Nate remarked. “But I think Mary and Martha are onto something, wanting
to run an inn. There’s no place like that between Cedar Creek and Willow Ridge, and
the two of them together have got the gumption to make it work. But for me . . . it’s
got to be Martha.”

“Hah! You don’t think I’m lettin’ you have another chance at Mary, do you?” Bram blurted.
As a gust of wind whipped around them, he pulled the blanket higher, already missing
the warmth his date had created when she’d cuddled with him beneath it. “The big question
is, if we don’t get that farm . . . will the twins stick with us while we hunt for
another place? Do you suppose Amos Coblentz will really put up a double house with
extra rooms in the middle, and maybe help us with the barns, too?”

Nate looked at him from across the seat. “We’ll have to work on that, won’t we?”

 

 

The next morning made Nate a firm believer in the power of prayer. As he and Bram
sat down to breakfast, their parents’ unspoken questions filled the kitchen along
with the aromas of the egg casserole Mamm was taking from the oven. Bacon, coffee,
and cinnamon sticky buns made him think of how it would smell this good every morning,
if he and Bram lived in a bed and breakfast. After they had prayed silently, images
of capable, hard-working Martha gave him the confidence to speak up.

“Well, Bram and I had quite a day in Cedar Creek yesterday,” he began. “On the way
into town, with the Coblentz girls’ buggy in tow, we ran across a farm that’s up for
sale. The sealed bids have to be in by the thirtieth, and we’ve all four made big
plans for the place.”

Before their startled
mamm
and
dat
could start firing questions at them, Bram chimed in with more details. “
Jah
, there’s a hundred and five acres. Plenty of space for the corrals and barns Nate’ll
need for his trainin’ business, along with
gut
road access and space for an auction barn like I’ve been wantin’ to run.”

Mamm’s breath came out in a rush. “That’s a mighty big project for a fellow your age,
Bram,” she replied in a tight voice. “And how do these girls figure in?”

“They’re going to open a bed and breakfast. The house that’s there has to come down,”
Nate explained. “But Martha and Mary have ideas about how they want family living
quarters on either end, with guest rooms and a big space for having church in the
center—”

“And their
dat
has promised to build them houses when they get hitched, so that’ll be a big advantage,
once Nate and I get the land.” Bram’s grin stretched from ear to ear as he heaped
the steaming breakfast casserole onto his plate. “So if it’s all right by you, Dat,
we’ll need to look the place over with the real estate fella in the next day or so
and put in our bid.”

“Well, now.” Their mother set her fork on her plate, staring at them. “This is awfully
sudden, boys. You’ve only just met these girls—and you both came home in a dither
yesterday, after something they did or said.”

Dat leaned back in his chair to gaze at each of them in turn. “While I’ve told you
I’d put up the money when you boys found places you wanted, I’m not sure I want to
throw so much cash at a deal that’s blown up out of nowhere—even if these girls’
dat
is known all over Missouri for his fine carpentry.”

“That’s why we want you to go along with us, to look the place over,” Nate replied.
His heart was pounding so fast he could hardly think, but he couldn’t let these objections
get in his way. Not if he was to start the life he’d always wanted. “Bram and I figure
if we go in together on a place, it’ll save you money in the long run—”

“And we know it’s important to you that we keep the family together as much as possible,”
Bram added. “Especially since it’s not likely we’ll find property here in town. Or
in Cedar Creek, for that matter.”

“Are . . . are you sayin’ you’re ready to get hitched?” Mamm rasped.

Nate felt a smile flickering all over his face even as he tried to control it. “That
wouldn’t have to happen in a hurry,” he hedged. “After all, it’ll take time for Bram
and me to get our businesses established. Even so . . . as I think about it, Martha
reminds me of
you
, Mamm. She prefers to be outdoors—really knows horses, too, and isn’t one bit afraid
of hard work. She’s been taking some business classes to be sure their inn gets off
to a
gut
start.”

“And Mary is a lot like Aunt Miriam,” Bram murmured, catching the spirit of convincing
their doubtful mother. “She’s quite the
gut
cook, and has Miriam’s same energy about her in the kitchen—and she’s patient and
caring with her younger brother and sister, too. Loves kids, Mary does.”

Their mother’s eyes were the size of saucers as she focused intently on her younger
son. “Does this mean you’re joining the church, Abram Daniel Kanagy?”

Bram didn’t miss a beat. “
Jah
, I guess that’s about the size of it. The Coblentz girls have made it clear they
won’t be leavin’ the faith, and that they’re a package deal. They’re a right pretty
package, too.”

Dat laughed out loud while Mamm smacked the table with her hand. “Glory to God in
the highest!” she exclaimed. “I don’t want you rushing into anything you’ll regret
for the rest of your lives, but—”

“I believe we’ll visit that place as soon as you boys can set up a time,” Dat insisted.
“Like you’ve said, opportunities for land are as scarce as hen’s teeth. And if your
mother’s this excited about you joining the church, Bram, well, I know better than
to mess
that
up, ain’t so?”

Nate heaved a huge sigh of relief and grinned at his brother. “See there? Nell Coblentz
must be praying for us this very minute. Call that real estate fellow and let’s get
after it! We’ve got a lot to accomplish these next couple of days.”

 

 

When her cell phone vibrated on Wednesday afternoon, Mary wiped the flour from her
hands to grab it out of her apron pocket. The number on the little screen made her
grin. She rushed out onto the porch so Joanna, who was stirring up a batch of brownies,
wouldn’t eavesdrop.

“Bram? I was just thinking about you,” Mary said in a low rush. But then, when
wasn’t
she thinking about him lately? “What’s happening? How’s it going with the farm we
looked at?”

“
Gut
to hear your voice, honey-girl,” he replied, and his words sent a tickle of lightning
up her spine. “We walked around the place this morning with Dat and the real estate
fella, and we just got back from submittin’ our bid. Now we have to wait until the
end of the day on the thirtieth to see how it all comes out.”

Mary saw Martha coming from the chicken house and waved her over excitedly. “So how
many people have put in bids?”

“They don’t tell you that part. Either they’ll call to say our offer was topped by
other ones—”

“I hope that won’t happen,” Mary murmured. “Seems that all Martha and I can talk about
is how we want to set up our B and B.”

“—or, if a few of the offers are close, they’ll ask if we want to increase ours,”
Bram finished. “I’ve got to tell you, though, that when Dat saw the place and we did
some figurin’ to come up with our bid . . . well, it boggled my mind. Even though
there’s not much tillable land, it’s assessed at about two-hundred twenty thousand
dollars.”

Mary closed her eyes. When her sister came up beside her, they stood with their heads
together so Martha could hear the conversation, too. “
Jah
, when we asked Dat about a double house with extra guest rooms, he and Owen figured
something like that, finished off real nice, would cost him a bit more than that even
with donated labor. The cost of the barns and buildings you fellows will want is added
onto that, so
jah
, it’s a huge investment, Bram,” she agreed in a tiny voice. “And it’s not like any
of us are as old as most folks who run the businesses we’re talking about. Martha
just came up to join me.”

“Hi, Martha!”

“Bram! So how did the place look?” Martha asked. “Were your parents okay with it,
or . . .”

“Let’s just say Nate and I took their breath away when we told them what we’d been
up to in Cedar Creek,” he replied with a chuckle. “But Dat likes the land. Agrees
with us that the buildings are better off comin’ down, after these past few years
of snow and rain and animals gettin’ inside.”

“So we’ll have the answer when we see you for New Year’s Eve?” Mary asked.

“That’s the plan.” Bram paused, as though he might have covered the phone with his
hand to talk to Nate. “Um, what would you girls think if we brought you up to Willow
Ridge then? The folks are trying not to let on, but they’re mighty curious about the
girls who’ve got Nate and me so fired up about . . . settling down.”

Mary grabbed Martha’s hand, so giddy she couldn’t speak for a moment. “That seems
only fair, since our folks have met you boys already. Might be the custom for Plain
couples to keep their courtin’ more of a secret—”

“But sometimes it’s best to get everything out in plain sight,” Martha said. “After
all, both families have a lot riding on this, and, well—it’d be
gut
for us to get acquainted with your family and see where you fellows have grown up.
Get things started off on the right foot for all of us.”

Bram let out a sigh that ended in a chuckle. “You girls are the best, you know it?
We’ll fetch you bright and early on Tuesday. I’ll ask Mamm to get you a room ready—”

“Tell her we’ll bring along some bread and pies and cookies,” Mary insisted. “It’s
the least we can do.”

Again Bram let out a little laugh. “She’ll be tickled to hear that. I’d never tell
her this, but you’re way better at bakin’ than she is, Mary. And when Nate mentioned
how Martha is more like her, preferin’ outside work to cookin’, he made some
gut
points with her.”

Mary and her sister laughed. “It sounds like we’re all set, then! We’ll look for you
boys on Tuesday!”