The Amish Quiltmaker’s Unattached Neighbor (The Amish Quiltmaker #6)

Chapter 21

A da glanced out the front window. Big fluffy snowflakes drifted lazily to the ground and dusted the grass and sagebrush with a fine layer of ice. The first snowfall of the season. The backbreaking outdoor work of plowing, planting, and harvesting was finished for another year. Ada looked forward to many cold winter nights tucked in Enos’s arms, sitting next to the woodstove with thick woolen socks on her feet and a mug of hot cocoa in her hand.

Cathy drove up in her van with a load of passengers. Esther, die kinner , Sadie, and Beth were there to talk about Grossmammi Beulah’s quilt. Mary and Joanna had both given birth last week, so they couldn’t come, but Ada would be seeing them later. She and Tabitha had made both families dinner, and after they thought about quilts and talked about quilts and planned to make more quilts, Cathy was going to drive all of them to Joanna’s and then Mary’s to deliver food to the new mothers.

Most Amish couples were engaged for several months, but Ada and Enos had been given permission to marry immediately after the harvest. The bishop agreed to it because he’d very untactfully told them that neither of them was getting any younger, and if they wanted babies, they would need to start immediately. Ada didn’t mind that the bishop thought she was getting on in years. She got to marry Enos that much sooner.

Once they got engaged, Enos and Ada were published the very next week and married four weeks later. Cathy claimed it was all her doing, though Ada was the one who’d chosen the Bachelor’s Puzzle quilt block and had been stubborn enough to refuse to change it. Esther also claimed responsibility for the marriage since a relationship between Ada and Enos had been her idea first.

Cathy and Esther made Ada a wedding quilt out of Bachelor’s Puzzle blocks, and Ada thought it was beautiful, even though Tabitha said it was a rush job and the stitches were embarrassingly uneven.

Ada’s wedding day was perfectly beautiful, even though everything went wrong. Zeb and John and their families didn’t come, which was sad and a relief at the same time. The bishop arrived late, Mary went into false labor, and Tabitha bawled out Tyson Carruthers for wearing bright yellow trousers and a red bow tie to her son’s wedding. Joanna made little cakes for every table, and they were delicious, but Beth had insisted on decorating each one of them. Her pink flowers had looked like bulbous spiders, and her leaves had melted and made little green trails down each cake. Ada loved them anyway. Beth had proven herself smart and determined and loyal. Ada would never take her for granted again.

Ada wasn’t sure what Enos had been thinking, but a man in love didn’t always think straight. After the wedding dinner, he had Clay and Menno drag his one-man tent into the field behind the Yoders’ house, pile wood on top of it, and light it on fire. The only problem was that it was made of fire-resistant fabric and wouldn’t burn. It did, however, melt and stink up the entire valley with the odor of burnt nylon. Ada smiled to herself. It was still a lovely gesture, symbolizing the end of mistrust, isolation, and camping. Ada promised Enos that she would never camp again, and Enos promised there would never be a reason.

Enos and several other men from the gmayna had finished the addition to the house three days before the wedding. Tabitha had her own bathroom, bedroom, and kitchen. It was the perfect arrangement for everyone. Tabitha didn’t feel like a guest in someone else’s home, and Ada and Enos got some much-needed privacy.

They’d been married less than a month, and Enos was proving to be an even better man than Ada had originally thought. He helped Dat on their farm, joined in on all the hay cutting, potato harvesting, and winter planting he could, and he’d even sent Zeb’s oldest son some money to buy his family a new milk cow. He kept the stove stoked on chilly days, snuggled with Ada when her feet were cold, and kissed her every morning and night without fail. Ada had never been happier in her life, and the joy could only increase with the passage of time.

Tabitha came to the window and stood next to Ada. They watched as Cathy, Esther, and everybody else climbed out of the van. “Why do they have to all come to the front door? Aren’t we all just going to deliver food to the new mothers? Die kinner will make a mess, for sure and certain.”

“They want to spend a few minutes talking about Beth’s quilt block. Two years ago, we schwesteren started a birthday quilt for our grossmammi Beulah for her hundredth birthday. Thank Derr Herr, she’s still alive, because we have yet to finish it. Everyone’s squares are done except for Beth’s, and she keeps changing her mind. Cathy is going to make her decide today so we can finish the quilt before Grossmammi gets too old to enjoy it.”

Tabitha’s eyebrows traveled up her forehead. “I’d say she was too old about two decades ago. When I get to be eighty, I’ll have the gute sense to die so I won’t be a burden on anyone.”

“Grossmammi Beulah isn’t a burden. She’s a blessing to all who know her.”

Tabitha grunted, and Ada sensed a little sorrow in it. “I doubt anyone will say that about me.”

Ada took Tabitha’s hand and squeezed it. “You are a blessing to me. You brought Enos to Colorado so I could fall in love with him.”

Tabitha’s cheeks darkened with a red blush. “Enos brought me to Colorado, kicking and screaming, I might add.”

“Aren’t you froh he did? If not for him, you wouldn’t have seen Zeb’s true colors. You wouldn’t have learned what a gute son Enos is. You wouldn’t have met Cathy Larsen.”

“Ha! Cathy barely tolerates me.”

“ Vell , she barely tolerates any of us, but we fill her life as much as she fills ours. Never underestimate her feelings. They run deep and real. She’s loyal, straightforward, and fun to be with. If she didn’t want to be your friend, she wouldn’t. I’d say she likes you quite a bit.”

The corner of Tabitha’s mouth curled upward. “Well, I don’t like her, but I’ve never met a better quilter. I think I can overlook all the rest.”

Cathy, Esther, and the rest of them tromped into the house, each shrugging off their coats and scarves and piling them on one of the easy chairs next to the front door. “Okay,” Cathy said, “we’re not planning to be here very long. We’ve got just enough time to help Beth pick out a quilt block.”

Beth plopped herself on the love seat and pulled a small notepad out of her apron pocket. “I was going to do Grandmother’s Flower Garden, but it just started to feel overwhelming. It has too many sides and corners, and I’m not good at matching corners.”

Winnie and Junior immediately found Tabitha. “Aendi Tabby, can we have a cookie?”

Tabitha propped her fist on her hip and glared at Esther. “Don’t you teach your children their manners? It’s rude to ask for something to eat at a stranger’s house.”

Winnie gave Tabitha that wide-eyed innocent look that could melt even the hardest heart. “But, Aendi Tabby, you’re not a stranger. We love you.”

Tabitha puckered her lips as if she’d just swallowed a whole lemon. “You can sweet-talk me all you want, but you need to learn your manners.” She took Junior’s hand. “What kind of cookie do you both want? I have chocolate chip and molasses crinkles.”

“What is mole-has-is kinkles?” Junior said.

Tabitha led the children toward the kitchen. “I’ll let you have a taste of both. Ada made them, so they’re not as chewy as mine, but you’re children so you’re not picky.”

Esther grinned at Ada and set Benny on his feet. He toddled to the kitchen behind Tabitha. Tabitha didn’t seem to mind at all. Sadie sat next to Beth, and Cathy, Esther, and Ada sat on the couch. Esther pulled a quilting book from her canvas bag. “I found five very easy patterns. Any of them would be a piece of cake.”

Cathy pulled a protein bar from her purse, along with a pair of scissors. She cut the top off the package and dropped the scissors in her purse. “Before we rush into anything, let us remember that any quilt block we choose has consequences. I don’t want to doom Beth to suffering a bear attack or living in a log cabin for the rest of her life.”

“Now, Cathy,” Esther scolded. “Remember how anxious you were about Ada’s quilt block? Look what a wunderbarr man she has now.”

Cathy tilted her head as if to hear Esther better. “So you admit everything that happened to Ada was because of that quilt block she chose?”

Esther shook her head. “That is not what I meant. I’m just saying that God makes everything turn out all right in the end.”

Cathy rolled that around in her head for a few seconds. “I can’t argue with that. God does have a way of turning our afflictions to our gain. But let’s not tempt fate.”

“We don’t believe in fate.”

Cathy was unconvinced. “I’d rather not find out you’re wrong.”

Esther opened her book and pointed to one of the photos. “How about this one? It’s called Ohio Star.”

“No doubt about it, Beth will move to Ohio,” Cathy said.

Esther sighed, doing a gute job of keeping her patience. “There is also Maple Leaf. Isn’t it beautiful?”

Cathy took a bite of her protein bar. “Even worse. She’ll move to Canada.”

“Churn Dash is easy.”

“That’s the worst one. Beth will marry one of those Swartzentruber Amish, and you’ll never see her again.”

Ada drew her brows together. “What does Churn Dash have to do with the Swartzentrubers?”

“The Swartzentrubers are the most conservative Amish sect,” Cathy said. “I imagine they still churn their own butter, and they don’t believe in indoor plumbing. I could never marry a man who renounces indoor plumbing. It’s the most important thing, next to love.”

Esther smiled sweetly, though Ada could feel the tension building. “All right then, what about the Economy Block.”

“She’ll marry a politician.”

Ada smiled at Cathy’s irrational reasoning. If nothing else, she cared very deeply about Beth. Maybe Ada could put Esther out of her misery. “What about the easiest pattern of all? The Nine Patch.”

Cathy mulled that suggestion over for a second. “The Nine Patch is very plain, very simple, and very safe. I can’t find anything wrong with it.” She pulled out her cell phone and tapped the screen.

“Well, hooray for that,” Esther said.

Beth shrugged. “That sounds like a wonderful- gute idea. I’ve been so busy making cheese and running the household that I barely have time to breathe, let alone quilt.”

“You should be able to finish your squares quickly,” Ada said. “Then we can sew it together and quilt it and give it to Grossmammi for Christmas.”

Esther closed her book. “That’s a lovely idea. Fast, easy, and beautiful.” She glanced at Cathy and paused. Cathy was riveted to her phone. “It’s all settled then. Have Ada help you pick some fabric, and I can come and help you cut it out.”

Cathy sucked in a breath. “Wait! We’ll have to choose another one. The number nine is bad luck in Japan.”

Esther glared at Cathy. “The Amish don’t believe in luck.”

Cathy fished in her purse, pulled out a sucker, and handed it to Beth, as if to lend her some comfort at this difficult time. “That’s too bad, because if you choose that quilt block, Beth will have a whole wagonful of bad luck.” There was no talking Cathy out of anything once she got it in her head.

Sadie’s eyes widened. “Cathy is right. Just this morning, Beth had a string of bad luck. Maybe we should reconsider.”

Beth went pale, jabbed Sadie in the ribs, and popped the bright red sucker into her mouth. Did Beth believe in bad luck? She wasn’t saying. Suddenly she yanked the sucker from her mouth. “Yuck, hot cinnamon.”

Cathy took the sucker from Beth’s hand and examined it. “I didn’t buy any cinnamon ones. It’s most definitely bad luck. I hate to say I told you so.”

“It’s your favorite thing to say,” Esther whined.

Cathy zipped her purse shut. “I wash my hands of the whole thing. Beth has made her choice. Now all of you will have to live with it. The only thing I can say is good luck.”