“But why is it over? Amos isn’t the only boy in the world.”
Ada shook her head. “It’s over. Who would I make the cookies for? I’m a terrible baker anyway. No one likes my cookies.”
Mamm rose, her list in her hand. “That isn’t true.” She gave Ada a hug. “Everyone loves your cookies. Why else would you sell so many at the store? You keep baking, and you’ll find your beau.” She squeezed Ada’s shoulders once more. “I have to go talk to your Dat about tomorrow, but don’t let anything I’ve said in the past keep you from the life the Good Lord has for you.”
As Mamm left, Rose put her cup down. “You are a wonderful baker. Amos is a fool, and you know it. You liked the gingerbread cookies, didn’t you?”
Ada took the batch of brownies out of the oven and slid the next trays of cookies in. She never wanted to think about gingerbread cookies again.
Rose stood between Ada and the bowl of cookie dough. “He hurt you badly, I know that. But it wasn’t your fault. Amos was wrong.”
Ada pushed past her sister and started rolling out more sugar cookie dough. “He wasn’t completely wrong. You know I’m . . . I’m fat and clumsy. No man will ever love me.”
“Now you’re the one who is wrong. I know for a fact that there is at least one man who likes you. He might even love you.”
“Who?”
“Matthias.”
Ada sighed. She missed Matthias. Missed talking to him and eating lunch with him. She hadn’t realized how much she looked forward to him coming to work each morning because she was too focused on Amos. She had been so blind.
“I think our friendship is over. We used to talk about all kinds of things, but ever since—”
“Ever since he tried to warn you about Amos and you got angry with him, things haven’t been the same between you. But on Saturday the two of you seemed to be getting along.”
Ada pressed the star-shaped cookie cutter into the dough.
She looked at Rose. “He was as friendly as ever, but, well, something was missing. Do you think he could forgive me for being so mean to him?”
“There’s only one way to find out. You need to ask him.”
Ada turned back to the cookie dough. “I don’t know how I can do that. He must hate me for how I treated him.”
Rose stirred her coffee, the spoon clinking gently against the side of the cup.
“That’s why I thought you should continue the Great Cookie Campaign. But this time, don’t let Amos and Vernon know about the cookies. Make them only for Matthias.”
As she transferred the stars to the cookie sheet, Ada thought about Rose’s suggestion. She glanced at the recipe card she had placed in her holder last week, in preparation for baking the jam thumbprint cookies. She had never wanted to be too bold when it came to making cookies for Amos, but Matthias was different. He would appreciate the gift, and it might even help to mend the broken place in their friendship. Her eyes grew wet when she thought about it. She had caused that rift, but could she fix it?
Later that morning, after breakfast was over, Ada started mixing the dough for the thumbprint cookies. Since she hadn’t planned to make them, she hadn’t had time earlier this morning, but Rose offered to open the store by herself. Ada hummed a Christmas hymn as she mixed the dough.
She had just put the first cookie sheet in the oven when someone knocked at the kitchen door. Matthias was waving at her through the window as she went to open it.
“Aren’t you supposed to be at work?” she asked him. His smile encouraged her. Perhaps they were still friends, after all.
“I was going to ask you the same question.” He pulled his gloves off as he walked in. “When I saw you weren’t at the store this morning, I thought you might be ill. Rose sent me over to see how you were feeling.”
Ada poured a cup of coffee for him and set it on the table. “Rose knows I’m not sick. I got behind on my baking this morning.”
Matthias poured some cream in his coffee. “I wanted to talk to you and apologize for how I’ve been acting.”
“You don’t need to apologize.” Ada sat across the table from him. “I’m the one who was so kerfuffled that I treated you badly. I’m sorry.”
He grinned. “Does this mean we’re friends again?”
A warm feeling started in Ada’s middle and spread. She smiled at him. “I hope so. I’ve missed talking with you.”
The timer dinged, and Ada jumped up. “Sorry. I have to take care of these cookies right away.”
She took the cookie sheets out of the oven as Matthias came to look over her shoulder.
“Is this a new kind?”
Ada nodded, carefully pressing her thumb into the middle of each cookie while they were still hot. Then she spooned a bit of raspberry jam into each indentation and returned them to the oven.
“Thumbprint cookies?” Matthias asked. “They are my favorite.”
“I think every cookie is your favorite,” Ada said. She paused. How much should she say? Silently, she passed him her grandmother’s recipe card.
“‘My Ben’s favorite,’” Matthias read. “Who is Ben?”
“Dawdi Ben, my grandfather.” Ada moved another tray of the cookies to her cooling rack. “These will be ready to eat in a few minutes.”
“As delicious as they look, I don’t want to eat the cookies you plan to sell.”
“These aren’t going to the store. I made them for you.”
“You mean for Amos, Vernon, and me?”
Ada shook her head, her face growing hot. “Just for you. They are your Christmas present.”
When she dared to look at him, he was smiling. “That is the best present ever.”
Matthias walked across the drive to the workshop, ready for
