delicious. The sticky-sweet raisins had cooked to the perfect consistency and texture. The crust held up nicely, soft and moist on the bottom, flaky and golden on the top.
Not that it mattered. It was just a pie.
Once Moses cleaned his plate, he stood slowly, as if he were toting a full jug of water on his head. “Denki, Mammi, for the wonderful meal.”
“Will we see you next Tuesday?” Anna asked.
Moses made his way around the table and planted a kiss on his mammi’s forehead. “Jah, of course. But I will come on Thursday to help Lia stack the limbs from the peach trees. I pruned in March and still haven’t cleared them away.”
Anna smiled as if she thought Moses’s coming an extra day this week was a very good idea. Lia guessed that Anna saw the certainty of a happy wedding in the near future. Lia saw it as another demonstration of Moses’s kindness. Stacking limbs was a muscle-numbing, back-aching chore. She would be glad for his help.
“Lia, walk out with Moses,” Anna said. “The sunset over the hill will be beautiful tonight.”
Moses cocked an eyebrow. “The sun won’t set for another three hours yet.”
Anna merely patted his arm as if he were a small child who needed guidance. “Better than being an hour late for it. Dawdi and I will do the dishes, never you mind about that.”
Amused and pretending not to be suspicious of Anna’s motives, Lia nodded cheerfully and stood.
Moses put a hand on his stomach as if protecting it from getting bumped while he opened the door and motioned for Lia to go first. They walked toward the barn as Moses looked faithfully to the west.
“Nope, no sunset.” He chuckled. “I hope you’re not offended, but I got milk to weigh and cheese to test. I won’t have time to wait for the beautiful sunset.”
“I’ve got chickens to feed and tomato plants to look after. I will be annoyed if you stay to look.”
He threw his head back and laughed. “Have you ever considered that you might hurt my feelings with your plain-spokenness?”
“Are your feelings hurt?” she asked, with a tease in her voice.
“Not yet, but you never know when something you say will put me in my place right quick.”
Lia folded her arms around her waist and gave him a teasing smile. “I’ll keep trying to do just that.”
He suddenly stopped walking and turned to study her face. He looked at her for several seconds without speaking. She stared right back, a mixture of discomfort and pleasure stirring around inside her. What was he looking for?
“The color of your dress makes your eyes pop out of your head,” he said quietly.
“Sounds painful.” Why did she have to choose this moment to make a joke?
He slid his hands into his pockets and shifted his gaze to the ground.
Lia took a step closer. “Denki for what you did for me at supper. You don’t know how grateful—”
“Nae, thank you, for sparing Mammi’s feelings. She only wants to make people happy, and food is one of the ways she shows love. She frets about her cooking like she frets over her grandchildren.”
“Of course. I understand. To a woman, a good meal is an offering of love. She puts part of herself into the recipe.”
“I have a request,” Moses said. “Will you make another pie on Thursday?”
Lia felt herself blush although she wasn’t sure why. “Jah, I can.”
“It’s just that, well, I think your pie was gute. What I mean is, from what I could tell . . .” He kicked the dirt at his feet. “I’ll bet it was an extra-tasty pie, but I couldn’t be sure because those meatballs seared my tongue, and I think all my taste buds are dead.”
Lia sighed through her laughter. “Oh! I am so sorry. Very sorry. It could have been me.”
“Better me than you, is that what you are saying?”
“Only so you understand that I am very, very grateful.”
She felt his gaze intensify as they stood staring at each other. Without warning, he leaned forward, planted a swift kiss on her lips, and
Not that it mattered. It was just a pie.
Once Moses cleaned his plate, he stood slowly, as if he were toting a full jug of water on his head. “Denki, Mammi, for the wonderful meal.”
“Will we see you next Tuesday?” Anna asked.
Moses made his way around the table and planted a kiss on his mammi’s forehead. “Jah, of course. But I will come on Thursday to help Lia stack the limbs from the peach trees. I pruned in March and still haven’t cleared them away.”
Anna smiled as if she thought Moses’s coming an extra day this week was a very good idea. Lia guessed that Anna saw the certainty of a happy wedding in the near future. Lia saw it as another demonstration of Moses’s kindness. Stacking limbs was a muscle-numbing, back-aching chore. She would be glad for his help.
“Lia, walk out with Moses,” Anna said. “The sunset over the hill will be beautiful tonight.”
Moses cocked an eyebrow. “The sun won’t set for another three hours yet.”
Anna merely patted his arm as if he were a small child who needed guidance. “Better than being an hour late for it. Dawdi and I will do the dishes, never you mind about that.”
Amused and pretending not to be suspicious of Anna’s motives, Lia nodded cheerfully and stood.
Moses put a hand on his stomach as if protecting it from getting bumped while he opened the door and motioned for Lia to go first. They walked toward the barn as Moses looked faithfully to the west.
“Nope, no sunset.” He chuckled. “I hope you’re not offended, but I got milk to weigh and cheese to test. I won’t have time to wait for the beautiful sunset.”
“I’ve got chickens to feed and tomato plants to look after. I will be annoyed if you stay to look.”
He threw his head back and laughed. “Have you ever considered that you might hurt my feelings with your plain-spokenness?”
“Are your feelings hurt?” she asked, with a tease in her voice.
“Not yet, but you never know when something you say will put me in my place right quick.”
Lia folded her arms around her waist and gave him a teasing smile. “I’ll keep trying to do just that.”
He suddenly stopped walking and turned to study her face. He looked at her for several seconds without speaking. She stared right back, a mixture of discomfort and pleasure stirring around inside her. What was he looking for?
“The color of your dress makes your eyes pop out of your head,” he said quietly.
“Sounds painful.” Why did she have to choose this moment to make a joke?
He slid his hands into his pockets and shifted his gaze to the ground.
Lia took a step closer. “Denki for what you did for me at supper. You don’t know how grateful—”
“Nae, thank you, for sparing Mammi’s feelings. She only wants to make people happy, and food is one of the ways she shows love. She frets about her cooking like she frets over her grandchildren.”
“Of course. I understand. To a woman, a good meal is an offering of love. She puts part of herself into the recipe.”
“I have a request,” Moses said. “Will you make another pie on Thursday?”
Lia felt herself blush although she wasn’t sure why. “Jah, I can.”
“It’s just that, well, I think your pie was gute. What I mean is, from what I could tell . . .” He kicked the dirt at his feet. “I’ll bet it was an extra-tasty pie, but I couldn’t be sure because those meatballs seared my tongue, and I think all my taste buds are dead.”
Lia sighed through her laughter. “Oh! I am so sorry. Very sorry. It could have been me.”
“Better me than you, is that what you are saying?”
“Only so you understand that I am very, very grateful.”
She felt his gaze intensify as they stood staring at each other. Without warning, he leaned forward, planted a swift kiss on her lips, and
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