“But the only way we found out was when the pulley gave way and all the clean laundry fell into the barnyard.”
Rose dried the next two plates in silence. Then she said, “This plan is a good one. It won’t backfire. The worst that can happen is that Amos still doesn’t notice you.”
Ada wrung out the dishcloth in the sink, then pulled the plug, letting the soapy water drain away. Rose was wrong. The worst that could happen would be if Amos laughed at her. But maybe Rose was right, and no one would know she was trying to attract his attention.
“All right. Tell me how it would work.”
Rose grinned and leaned her elbows on the kitchen counter.
“After this week, we have three weeks before Christmas is here. Choose four of your favorite cookie recipes. Special ones that you don’t usually make for the store. Then bake a different recipe each week between now and Christmas and save the best one for Christmas Eve. You know Vernon and that new boy will appreciate the cookies, too.”
“I suppose that sounds like it might work.”
Rose grabbed her hand. “I know it will. Let’s think about which recipes you can make.”
“I have to get these pies out of the oven first and make pumpkin ones for our dinner tomorrow.” Ada opened the oven door. The pecan pies that had been baking during breakfast were done perfectly. She set them on top of the stove.
“We can talk while you work.” Rose opened the far drawer and rummaged through it until she found a scrap of paper and a pencil.
Ada took her mixing bowl out of the cupboard and opened the refrigerator door to find the rest of the pureed pumpkin she had made for pies.
“What kinds of cookies do you suggest?” she asked as she grabbed the bowl of eggs, too.
“Remember when you made molasses crinkles last summer? Those were good.”
“They were good, weren’t they?” Ada cracked the first egg into the mixing bowl. “And I haven’t made oatmeal chocolate chip cookies for a long time. Most of the customers at the store would rather have oatmeal raisin.”
“Wonderful! We have two already.” Rose wrote them down on the paper. “What else?”
As Ada whisked the eggs in the bowl, she thought through all the cookie recipes she had in her file.
“Everyone likes decorated cookies. In the recipe cards that Grossmutti gave me, there is a recipe for icing flavored with anise and I’ve been wanting to try it on gingerbread cookies. I think they would look very pretty with blue sugar sprinkles.”
Rose added to her list. “We only need one more. Something special for Christmas Eve.”
Ada set the timer as she thought. “It should be something very special, shouldn’t it?”
“Maybe a heart-shaped cookie. He’d be sure to get the message then.”
Her stomach a bit queasy at the thought, Ada shook her head. “I don’t want to be so obvious.”
Rose laughed. “I suppose that is too much. You don’t have to worry about that, not with the delicious cookies you make. You know that they say the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.”
Ada checked the pies she had taken out of the oven. She had glazed the pecan halves before placing them in a swirling pattern on top of the pies, and they glowed in the early morning light. Mrs. Cunningham would be pleased with such beautiful pies to serve her guests. If anything would get Amos to notice her, it would be her baking. She couldn’t do any less than go into this project wholeheartedly.
She pulled her recipe box close and started thumbing through the cookie section. “Here are those almond crescents Mamm likes so well.”
“Those are good, but you want something that shows how much you love Amos, don’t you?”
“But I don’t love him. At least, not yet.” Ada pulled a recipe card out. She hadn’t noticed this one from Grossmutti before.
“What is that?” Rose peered over her shoulder and read the note Grossmutti had written across the top of the card. “‘Thumbprint Cookies. My Ben’s Favorite.’”
Ada’s eyes grew misty as Rose’s voice brought back the memory of her grandparents. They had been so close, even after years together. Their marriage was the kind Ada wanted, with a man who loved her through all the ups and downs of life.
“This is the one,” she said. “I’ll make them with red jam in the thumbprint. They’ll look wonderful for Christmas Eve.”
And maybe, she thought, they will become Amos’s favorite cookie, too.
CHAPTER TWO
While Matthias milked the cow on Thanksgiving morning, he considered the day ahead.
His three sisters and their families were coming to spend the day, but he had no idea how they would all fit into the house. Mamm was determined that the family should all be together if possible, and Matthias knew it was to help fill the empty spot Dat had left behind. But this first Thanksgiving without him wasn’t going to be fixed by crowding the family into their tiny kitchen and front room. His oldest sister, Sally, had volunteered their big, welcoming house for the gathering, but Mamm had refused.
Taking the milk into the kitchen, Matthias drew a deep breath. Mamm had been up and working even before Matthias this morning, and the kitchen was filled with scents of the good things to come. He peeled off his gloves, closing his eyes as he waited for his steamed-over glasses to clear. Turkey. Potatoes. Onions and sage. Bread dough rising. When he opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was Mamm’s face, pink from the oven’s heat and smiling as she washed a mixing bowl.
“Breakfast is ready for you,” she said. “Leave the milk on the porch, and I’ll take care of it later.”
“When did you have time to fix breakfast?” Matthias asked as he sat in his chair.
“It was no trouble.”
Mamm was right. It had been no trouble. She set a bowl of cold cereal in front
