Chapter 13
YOU’RE UP brIGHT AND EARLY this morning,” Luellen commented when she entered the kitchen and found Emma bent over the oven, removing a pan full of what appeared to be cupcakes.
Emma smiled as she placed the pan on a cooling rack.
“I got up an hour ago so I could make some chocolate cupcakes to take on our fishing trip and wanted to make sure they had plenty of time to cool before Ivan picks me and Grandpa up.” Turning to face Luellen, Emma added, “I used a recipe I found in your recipe box. I hope that was okay.”
“Of course it is.” Luellen squeezed Emma’s shoulder. “I’m proud of you for taking the initiative to try something on your own. That’s a good indication that you’re feeling more aagenehm with baking.”
“I’m not sure how comfortable I am, but I do plan to try harder, and maybe one of these days, I’ll be able to cook well enough to at least get by.”
Arf! Arf!
Luellen cringed. There goes that puppy again. No doubt after a night of being cooped up in the utility room, she needs to go out.
“I’ll take care of Fawn,” Emma was quick to say.
“When I come back inside, I’ll help you get breakfast started so we can be done eating before Ivan arrives.
” She started for the other room but swiveled back around.
“Are you sure you don’t want to join us at the pond today?
It’s a beautiful day, and I was thinking that you might enjoy a little fishing trip too, Grandma. ”
Luellen shook her head. “I appreciate the offer, but I’m not as interested in fishing as my husband is, and there are lots of things for me to do here.
” She didn’t admit it, but the other reason Luellen chose not to go was because her back was bothering her again.
Still no new mattress, she thought. I wonder what could be taking so long for that delivery.
“Come on, little Fawn.” Emma bent down and picked up the pup. “It’s time for you to go outside for a bit.”
She opened the back door and stepped onto the porch, feeling the vibration of the puppy’s little tail against her arm.
“I know. I know. I just wanna get you somewhere away from the nice green lawn that Grandpa mowed yesterday.”
Holding firmly to Fawn, Emma went down the stairs and headed for a patch of dirt toward the back of the garden shed. The puppy had behaved well about doing her business there, so Emma set her down.
While Fawn sniffed around, searching for a good spot, Emma eyed the dandelions, already popping up from the grass along the side of the house. It didn’t take long for the persistent little plants to make their appearance after the lawn had been mowed.
As the morning wind carried hints of freshly mowed grass, Emma’s mind strayed to the fishing excursion and the cupcakes she had made for the occasion.
She regretted not tasting the batter in the bowl, but it was an afterthought, and Emma hadn’t considered it until the bowl was already soaking in the sink.
Maybe I’ll try a cupcake before I leave just to make sure, Emma thought. Ivan won’t be here for a while yet, so I might have time to start again if they don’t taste good enough.
After a few minutes, she looked over her shoulder at Fawn and saw that the dog was done with her business.
“Come here, Fawn,” she called. “You can chase me around the front yard for a bit.” Emma clapped her hands, and within seconds, the pup came running and barking, her ears perked up and tail wagging.
Fawn trailed closely at Emma’s heels, having no trouble keeping up with her as they rounded the garden shed.
A few times around the yard left Emma panting for breath.
I’m out of shape, she told herself, gulping down a few more breaths.
No thanks to all the lessons I’ve been having, keeping me mostly in the house.
This fishing trip is a blessing. I need to spend more time outdoors doing things that exercise my body.
When a horse and buggy pulled into the yard, the pup stopped barking, ran over to Emma, and nestled her little body against Emma’s leg.
Emma recognized the horse and buggy and was a smidgen flustered when Ivan clambered out of his carriage after bringing his rig to the hitching rail and securing his horse.
He’s here early. Maybe Ivan’s clock wasn’t working this morning, Emma reasoned.
She remembered distinctly that Ivan had told her last Sunday that he’d come by for her and Grandpa sometime between eight and nine this morning.
Shortly before Emma came outside with Fawn, the clock in the kitchen had said seven o’clock.
After gathering up the puppy and giving her a good scratch behind the ears, Emma made her way over to where Ivan was securing his horse. “I’m surprised to see you so early,” she said. “I didn’t think you would be here for another hour or two.”
Ivan rubbed his brows. “Didn’t your grandfather tell you I was coming for breakfast?”
She gave a slight headshake.
Ivan leaned against the wooden rail. “Your grandpa came by the harness shop earlier this week, and while he was there, he invited me to join the three of you for breakfast this morning.”
“Oh, I see. That was nice of him.” Emma wondered if her grandmother knew about the invitation. If so, why hadn’t she said anything?
“Who’s your little friend, Emma?” Ivan pointed to Fawn and reached out to pet the top of the pup’s head. “I didn’t know your grandparents had a puppy.”
“They didn’t until Grandpa found this cute little pup by the side of the road and brought her home. He’s tried to find her owner, but no one has come forward to claim the hund.” Emma couldn’t hold back a broad smile. “I’m the one who mostly takes care of her, so it almost feels like she’s mine.”
“Well, she’s sure a cute little thing. Does she have a naame?”
“Jah. Grandpa named her ‘Fawn,’ because she has big brown eyes like a baby deer.”
“Makes sense. That was a good choice.” Ivan gestured toward the house. “Not to invite myself in, but shall we go inside in case your grandma has breakfast waiting for us?”
When they entered the house, Emma peeked into the living room. Upon seeing her grandfather holding the newspaper as he sat in his favorite chair, she suggested that Ivan join him while she helped her grandmother get breakfast on the table.
Ivan obliged and went right on in.
When Emma entered the kitchen, she rushed over to the stove where Grandma stood, pouring pancake batter onto a hot griddle. “Did you know that Grandpa had invited Ivan to join us for breakfast?” Emma questioned, speaking quietly so her voice wouldn’t carry over to the room across the hall.
“Not until a few minutes ago,” Grandma replied. “When you went out to take care of the hund, my dear husband informed me that Ivan would be joining us.”
“I hope you’re okay with it,” Emma was quick to say.
“It was a surprise to me when Ivan showed up early and stated that Grandpa had stopped by the harness shop earlier this week and invited him to come early today to eat breakfast with us.” Her words rushed together.
She wondered why her grandfather had kept Ivan’s breakfast invitation a secret, or had he just forgotten to mention it previously?
“It’s all right,” Grandma said, as if sensing Emma’s concerns. “I made enough buttermilk pancake mix to have plenty of flapjacks for all of us. Fortunately, during his last trip to the store, your grandfather brought home more baking ingredients for me to stash away.”
“Okay, good to know it isn’t an issue.” Emma tugged at the neckline of her dress. “What would you like me to do in order to help?”
“You can set the table and get out the maple syrup and apple butter. You can also fill our glasses with milk and check on the sausage links I have warming in the oven.”
“Sure, I can do all of that.” Emma peeked in the oven and scurried off to the cupboard to fetch the plates and glasses and put them on the table.
Next came the silverware, apple butter, and syrup, as well as a slab of creamy, fresh-churned butter. Lastly, she poured milk into each glass at the table.
When Grandma had a good-sized stack of pancakes on a platter, she took out the sausage and asked Emma to let the men know that breakfast was ready.
When Emma called Ivan and her grandfather to the table, Ivan followed Marlin to the kitchen. Once they were seated, all heads bowed for silent prayer.
After they began eating breakfast, Ivan commented on how tasty the pancakes were and asked if Emma had made them.
“No,” she said with a quick shake of her head. “Grandma did all the cooking this morning, but I made some chocolate cupcakes earlier to take on our fishing trip.”
Ivan smacked his lips. “Yum. I can’t wait to try one. Chocolate is one of my favorite flavors.”
“Mine too,” said Emma, as she passed Ivan the sausage.
Turning his head, Ivan heard faint whining coming from the room adjacent to the kitchen. “Sounds like the pup I met when I first got here isn’t happy about something.”
“She wants in the kitchen,” Luellen spoke up. “But if we let her, she’ll just sit and beg. Besides, the hund’s been shedding a lot, and I don’t think any of us want to be eating fur-coated pancakes.”
Ivan chuckled as he cut into the sausage. “She’s sure a cute little thing. I’d be happy to have a dog like Fawn.”
“You want to take her off our hands?” Emma’s grandma asked in a most serious tone.
Before Ivan could form a response, Emma blurted, “No way! Fawn is my dog.” A flush of pink crept across Emma’s cheeks. “Well, she’s mine to care for while I’m living here.”
“Jah, that’s true,” Grandpa interjected. “I don’t want to let go of little Fawn either.”
The thought of Emma going back to her home in Shipshewana caused Ivan’s shoulders to curl forward.
He would miss her, but what could he do to stop Emma from going?
And who was to say how she felt about leaving Arthur at the end of summer?
Maybe Emma was eager to return home, although Ivan hoped that wasn’t the case.