The Courtship Basket (27 page)

“
M
AMM
,” R
ACHEL CALLED FROM THE KITCHEN
. “H
AVE YOU
seen
Mammi
's lace tablecloth?”

Mamm
poked her head into the doorway. “I'm not sure. You should ask Emily. I think she used it one night when Veronica came over for supper.”

“Oh, that's right.” Rachel stepped out to the porch, where Emily was hanging laundry. The hot July air hit Rachel like a wall as she walked over to her sister. “Have you seen
Mammi
's lace tablecloth?”

Emily pinned a pair of their father's trousers to the line. “I think I washed it and put it back in
Mamm
's closet.” She fished another pair of trousers from the large wicker laundry basket. “What do you need it for?”

“Mike and John are coming over for supper tonight, and I want to make the kitchen look nice.”

Emily grinned. “Things are going well with Mike,
ya
?”

“
Ya
.” Rachel fingered her black apron as heat stained her cheeks. “It's going really well. I'm so
froh
he started coming to youth group meetings. We're getting to know each other better.”

“
Gut
.” Emily pinned the trousers to the line. “Check
Mamm
's closet for the tablecloth. After I finish hanging out the clothes, we can talk to make sure we've planned everything we need for supper.”

“
Danki
.” Rachel gave a sigh of relief. Emily was a much better cook than she was. “I'll need your help.”

Rachel walked back into the house and found her mother sweeping the family room. “Em said I should look in your closet for the tablecloth. Is it okay if look there?”

“Sure,”
Mamm
said, leaning the broom against the wall. “I'll come with you.”

Once there, Rachel peeked in the closet but didn't see the tablecloth stacked with the towels and sheets. “It's not in here.” Rachel looked toward the far end of the room and saw the chest. “Could it possibly be in your hope chest?”

Mamm
hesitated and then shrugged. “I don't remember putting it back in there, but I might have another tablecloth in there that you can use.”

“That would be great.”

“I'll check for you.”
Mamm
fished around in the top drawer of her dresser and then pulled out the brass key. She bent over the hope chest, turned the key, and the lock clicked.

Rachel stood by
Mamm
as she opened the chest, and she breathed in the sweet aroma of cedar.
Mamm
sifted through the linens, a quilt, and a few small boxes, then lifted a small wooden box at the bottom of the chest and placed it on the edge of a nearby chair. As she continued searching through the hope chest, the wooden box fell to the floor and a stack of envelopes spilled out.

Rachel picked up the envelopes and realized they were letters. They were addressed to her mother, and the slanted penmanship looked like her father's handwriting.

She pulled out the top envelope, took out the letter, and unfolded it.

Dear Mattie,

I know you're upset with me. It seems that no matter what I say, it's the wrong thing. I hope you know I care about you.

Please come home. We're married now, and we need to build a life together. We can't work things out if you continue to stay at your parents'
haus
.

“Here you go,”
Mamm
said. “This isn't the tablecloth Emily used recently, but it did belong to your
mammi
.”

Rachel looked up and found
Mamm
standing in front of her, holding a white lace tablecloth. She held up the letter and envelope as questions and confusion crowded her mind. “What is this?”

Mamm
tilted her head with question as she climbed over the boxes and moved toward her. “What are you reading?”

“It's a letter
Dat
wrote to you a long time ago.” She held up the box. “This is a box of letters addressed to you from
Dat
. Why did
Dat
write to you and ask you to come home? Why were you living with
Mammi
and
Daadi
when you were already married to
Dat
? Does this have something to do with the rocky start you said you had with
Dat
when he sent you meals in the basket?”

“Please give me that.”
Mamm
took the letter and envelope out of Rachel's hands. She folded the letter, placed it in the envelope, and looked around for the small box. When she found it, she put the letter inside and closed the lid. “It's not important. That was a long time ago.” She set the box back in the hope chest and locked it.

As Rachel watched
Mamm
slip the key into her pocket, her mind still raced with questions about the letter she'd found. That letter didn't make any sense. Her parents always seemed to enjoy a happy marriage, so why would
Mamm
move out and leave
Dat
alone?

“We'd better start cooking,”
Mamm
said, and she turned and walked out of the bedroom.

Rachel pushed the questions about the letter out of her mind as she followed her mother to the kitchen. Her heart felt as if it would burst with excitement as she thought about her special dinner
tonight with Mike. The days of needing the basket to help them along in their courtship were over.

She was so thankful God had led her into Mike's and John's life, and she couldn't wait to see what the future held for all of them.

A
S ALWAYS
, I'
M THANKFUL FOR MY LOVING FAMILY, INCLUDING
my mother, Lola Goebelbecker; my husband, Joe; and my sons, Zac and Matt. I'm blessed to have such an awesome and amazing family that puts up with me when I'm stressed out on a book deadline. Special thanks to Matt, aka Mr. Thesaurus, for helping me find synonyms. I couldn't ask for a more adorable wordsmith!

I'm more grateful than words can express to Janet Pecorella and my mother for proofreading for me. I truly appreciate the time you take out of your busy lives to help me polish my books. Special thanks to my Amish friends who patiently answer my endless stream of questions. Thank you also to Stacey Barbalace for her research assistance. Thank you also to Jessica Miller, RN, for her medical research in this book.

Thank you to my wonderful church family at Morning Star Lutheran in Matthews, North Carolina, for your encouragement, prayers, love, and friendship. You all mean so much to my family and me.

To my agent, Sue Brower—I can't thank you enough for your guidance, advice, and friendship. You are a tremendous blessing in my life.

Thank you to my amazing editor, Becky Philpott, for your friendship and guidance. Love you, girl!

I'm grateful to Jean Bloom, who helped me polish and refine the story. Thank you also for connecting the dots between my
books. You're a blessing! I also would like to thank Kristen Golden for tirelessly working to promote my books. I'm grateful to each and every person at HarperCollins Christian Publishing who helped make this book a reality.

Thank you to the Bakery Bunch, my awesome Street Team! I appreciate your friendship, loyalty, and willingness to help promote my books. Special thanks to Jamie Mendoza! I'm so grateful for your expertise and guidance with marketing and promotion.

To my readers—thank you for choosing my novels. My books are a blessing in my life for many reasons, including the special friendships I've formed with my readers. Thank you for your e-mail messages, Facebook notes, and letters.

Thank you most of all to God—for giving me the inspiration and the words to glorify You. I'm grateful and humbled You've chosen this path for me.

Special thanks to Cathy and Dennis Zimmermann for their hospitality and research assistance in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.

Cathy & Dennis Zimmermann, Innkeepers
The Creekside Inn
44 Leacock Road—PO Box 435
Paradise, PA 17562
Toll Free: (866) 604-2574
Local Phone: (717) 687-0333

The author and publisher gratefully acknowledge the following resource used to research information for this book:

C. Richard Beam,
Revised Pennsylvania German Dictionary
(Lancaster: Brookshire Publications, Inc., 1991).

1. Rachel is devastated when her boyfriend breaks up with her to date her best friend. Have you faced a difficult loss? What Bible verses helped you? Share this with the group.
   
2. Mike is afraid of opening his heart to Rachel at the beginning of the book. By the end of the story, he realizes he's ready to love her and also accept help from others outside of his family. What do you think caused him to change his point of view on love throughout the story?
   
3. The basket Rachel finds in the attic is inscribed with 2 Corinthians 1:7: “And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort.” What does this verse mean to you?
   
4. Rachel pours herself into teaching as a way to deal with breaking up with her boyfriend and losing her best friend. Think of a time when you felt hurt or betrayed. Where did you find strength? What Bible verses would help with this?
   
5. Rachel misinterprets Mike's conversation with his cousin at the shop, and she turns her back on Mike instead of having an honest conversation with him. In the end, it's painful when Rachel learns the truth and tries to explain her behavior to Mike. Have you ever found yourself in a similar situation? If so, how did it turn out? Share this with the group.
   
6. At the beginning of the book, Raymond is in kidney failure and on dialysis, but he is too weak to undergo a kidney transplant. What are your feelings about organ donation? Have you known someone who was an organ donor or recipient? Share this with the group.
   
7. Rachel feels God is giving her a second chance when she falls in love with Mike. Have you ever experienced a second chance? What was it?
   
8. Which character can you identify with the most? Which character seemed to carry the most emotional stake in the story? Was it Rachel, Mike, John, or someone else?
   
9. What role did the basket play in Rachel and Mike's relationship? Can you relate the basket to an object that was pivotal in a relationship you've experienced in your life?
   
10. What did you know about the Amish before reading this book? What did you learn?
    

A
MY
C
LIPSTON IS THE AWARD-WINNING AND BESTSELLING
author of more than a dozen novels, including the Kauffman Amish Bakery series and the Hearts of the Lancaster Grand Hotel series. Her novels have hit multiple bestseller lists including CBD, CBA, and ECPA. Amy holds a degree in communication from Virginia Wesleyan College and works full time for the City of Charlotte, North Carolina. Amy lives in North Carolina with her husband, two sons, and three spoiled rotten cats.

Visit her website:
amyclipston.com
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