was preparing to turn in the direction of Das Dutchman when Mama Regina tapped him on the shoulder. “I need to go home for a minute, Will.”
“How come?”
“I forgot my pocketbook.”
“Can’t you go to supper without it? I’m hungry.”
“My money’s in the pocketbook, and I’ll need it to pay for our meal.”
Will glanced over his shoulder. “I figured Papa Mark would pay for our meal.”
Papa Mark’s face turned red as a radish. “Well, uh…your mamm insisted that she pay for supper, so I…uh…left my money at home.”
“It’s no big deal,” Will said. “I’ll take care of the check.”
“No, you can’t do that!” Mama Regina’s voice rose. “It wouldn’t be right for you to pay for your own birthday supper.”
Will looked over at Karen, figuring she might offer to pay for the meal, but she stared straight ahead with a placid look on her face.
“How about this: I’ll pay for our meals, and you can pay me back after we get home.”
“No way!” his folks said in unison.
“Our place isn’t that far from here, and it won’t take long for your mamm to get her purse,” Papa Mark insisted.
Will grunted. “Oh, all right.” His folks could be pretty determined when they made up their minds about something. Clucking to his horse and giving the left rein a little tug, Will turned in the direction of home.
When they reached the house, Will stopped the horse close to the porch so Mama Regina wouldn’t have far to walk. Then he climbed down from the buggy and went around to the passenger’s side to help her out.
“Would you mind going in after my purse?” she asked, making no move to leave her seat. “I think I left it on the kitchen counter.”
“Jah, sure.” Will figured he’d probably be quicker than she would, anyway, and he was eager to get to the restaurant.
He took the porch steps two at a time. When he opened the door and moved toward the kitchen, several people jumped out of the shadows. “Surprise! Happy birthday, Will!” they shouted.
C HAPTER 8
W ill jumped back and bumped the wall with his elbow. “Yeow!”
Someone lit a gas lantern, flooding the room with light. There stood several of Will’s friends: David Graber with his girlfriend, Amelia; Norman Yutzy with his girlfriend, Emma Sue; and Harley Kauffman with his wife, Luanne.
Karen, Mama Regina, and Papa Mark entered the house, wearing smiles that stretched from ear to ear.
“No wonder you wanted me to come inside and get your purse,” Will said to Mama Regina.
She grinned. “Karen and I have been working on this little surprise for a couple of weeks.”
Will looked over at Karen. “So we’re not going out to supper?”
She shook her head. “Not tonight, anyway. Everyone brought food, so we’ll eat supper here. Then we’ll have cake and ice cream.” She leaned closer to Will. “I hope you’re not disappointed.”
“He’d better not be,” David said. “It wasn’t easy to keep this secret.”
“That’s right. Finding a place to hide our horses and buggies was no small task,” Norman said with a chuckle.
“Where did you put them?” Will asked.
“Left ’em over at Aaron Chupp’s place, and then we walked over here.”
“We were glad it wasn’t raining,” Luanne put in.
Will scratched his head. “So you snuck over here while we were at the Yoders’ place picking up Karen?”
“That’s correct,” Harley said with a nod. “We had it timed just right, too.”
“I guess you did.”
“Let’s go into the living room where we can sit and visit awhile before we set out the food,” Mama Regina suggested.
Will had just taken a seat on the sofa next to Karen when a knock sounded on the front door.
“I wonder who that could be,” Papa Mark said with a sly smile. He looked over at Will and winked. “Why don’t you answer
“How come?”
“I forgot my pocketbook.”
“Can’t you go to supper without it? I’m hungry.”
“My money’s in the pocketbook, and I’ll need it to pay for our meal.”
Will glanced over his shoulder. “I figured Papa Mark would pay for our meal.”
Papa Mark’s face turned red as a radish. “Well, uh…your mamm insisted that she pay for supper, so I…uh…left my money at home.”
“It’s no big deal,” Will said. “I’ll take care of the check.”
“No, you can’t do that!” Mama Regina’s voice rose. “It wouldn’t be right for you to pay for your own birthday supper.”
Will looked over at Karen, figuring she might offer to pay for the meal, but she stared straight ahead with a placid look on her face.
“How about this: I’ll pay for our meals, and you can pay me back after we get home.”
“No way!” his folks said in unison.
“Our place isn’t that far from here, and it won’t take long for your mamm to get her purse,” Papa Mark insisted.
Will grunted. “Oh, all right.” His folks could be pretty determined when they made up their minds about something. Clucking to his horse and giving the left rein a little tug, Will turned in the direction of home.
When they reached the house, Will stopped the horse close to the porch so Mama Regina wouldn’t have far to walk. Then he climbed down from the buggy and went around to the passenger’s side to help her out.
“Would you mind going in after my purse?” she asked, making no move to leave her seat. “I think I left it on the kitchen counter.”
“Jah, sure.” Will figured he’d probably be quicker than she would, anyway, and he was eager to get to the restaurant.
He took the porch steps two at a time. When he opened the door and moved toward the kitchen, several people jumped out of the shadows. “Surprise! Happy birthday, Will!” they shouted.
C HAPTER 8
W ill jumped back and bumped the wall with his elbow. “Yeow!”
Someone lit a gas lantern, flooding the room with light. There stood several of Will’s friends: David Graber with his girlfriend, Amelia; Norman Yutzy with his girlfriend, Emma Sue; and Harley Kauffman with his wife, Luanne.
Karen, Mama Regina, and Papa Mark entered the house, wearing smiles that stretched from ear to ear.
“No wonder you wanted me to come inside and get your purse,” Will said to Mama Regina.
She grinned. “Karen and I have been working on this little surprise for a couple of weeks.”
Will looked over at Karen. “So we’re not going out to supper?”
She shook her head. “Not tonight, anyway. Everyone brought food, so we’ll eat supper here. Then we’ll have cake and ice cream.” She leaned closer to Will. “I hope you’re not disappointed.”
“He’d better not be,” David said. “It wasn’t easy to keep this secret.”
“That’s right. Finding a place to hide our horses and buggies was no small task,” Norman said with a chuckle.
“Where did you put them?” Will asked.
“Left ’em over at Aaron Chupp’s place, and then we walked over here.”
“We were glad it wasn’t raining,” Luanne put in.
Will scratched his head. “So you snuck over here while we were at the Yoders’ place picking up Karen?”
“That’s correct,” Harley said with a nod. “We had it timed just right, too.”
“I guess you did.”
“Let’s go into the living room where we can sit and visit awhile before we set out the food,” Mama Regina suggested.
Will had just taken a seat on the sofa next to Karen when a knock sounded on the front door.
“I wonder who that could be,” Papa Mark said with a sly smile. He looked over at Will and winked. “Why don’t you answer
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