“I used to live in Bonduel, but my family moved away nine years ago.”
The front door of the house opened, and Anna Helmuth, looking older but as radiant and delighted as ever, bounded down the porch steps like a sixty-year-old. She wore a bright red sweater and a hunter green dress. With her white
kapp
and equally-as-white hair, she looked as festive as a Christmas ornament. Everything about Anna felt as warm and inviting as Christmastime. Her blue eyes twinkled merrily, and the lines on her face looked as if she hadn't frowned a day in her life.
Anna threw out her hands and squealed as if Katie were one of her own grandchildren. “Katie Rose Gingerich, all grown up. I was thrilled when your
mamm
wrote and asked if you could stay over Christmas.”
Christmas. Katie would be away from home for Christmas, trying to snag a boy who probably wouldn't even like her. She couldn't think of anything more depressing. Unwanted tears pooled in her eyes.
Anna wrapped her short arms tightly around Katie's waist. “Is everything all right, dear?”
Titus frowned. “Was it the goat? I'm sorry if it was the goat. I can take her back to the barn.”
Katie blinked away the tears. Titus and Anna didn't need to hear how worried she was about getting a husbandâor not getting one. “
Nae
.
Nae
. I am just missing home, I suppose.” She sniffed and wiped her eyes. “It's silly. I've only been gone a few hours.”
“It's not silly,” Titus said. “Everybody misses home. I cried like a baby the last time we went camping.”
Anna's eyes danced. “I thought you liked to camp, Titus.”
“I do.” He raised his index finger. “But I nearly chopped my finger off with my hatchet.”
“That would make anybody cry,” Katie said, grateful Titus had taken the attention off of her. It was childish of her to cry, anyway. Who cried over a humiliation that hadn't even happened yet?
A fluffy white dog wearing a red doggy sweater bounced down the porch steps. Beth bleated loudly, and the dog jumped out of its skin and yelped as if it had been stuck with a pin. Whining as if it had lost a fight, it ran back up the porch steps and into the safety of the house.
“Now, Beth,” Anna scolded with a twinkle in her eye, “I'm afraid being the special Christmas goat has gone to your head. You know how upset Sparky gets when you talk like that. Please try to have some consideration for her feelings.”
“
Maa,
” Bethlehem said, with a blank stare as if Anna's lecture had no effect on her whatsoever.
Anna wrapped a grandmotherly arm around Katie and looked at Titus. “Katie will be staying with us for four weeks. I know you'll make her feel welcome.”
Titus's toothpick traveled up and down as he nodded eagerly. “I hope you like goats.”
Katie felt her face get warm, though she couldn't figure out exactly why. Maybe it was the way Titus looked at her, or the embarrassment she'd feel if Titus knew why she was staying with the Helmuths. “Your goat seems very nice.”
Anna nodded as if she was extremely satisfied with that answer. “We've already got four gallons of goat's milk.
Cum,
let's get you into the house. My feet are freezing.”
Katie looked down and realized that Anna wore only stockings, and they were now soaking wet. “Oh dear, Anna. Your stockings.”
Anna tiptoed along the sidewalk. “I didn't have time to put on my boots. I can't even bend over to put on my boots. It's a
gute
thing stockings dry so fast. Felty will be so glad to see you.”
Titus followed them up the steps. Anna opened the front door. “Your clothes are wonderful heavy,” Titus said, setting the suitcase just inside the door. He still had one hand attached to the goat, which stood on the porch. “I guess I haven't carried a girl's suitcase before. But I'm not complaining.” He blushed and smiled sheepishly. “It's been an honor to carry your suitcase. I'll gladly do it anytime. I didn't mean to offend you about the heaviness of your suitcase. It wasn't heavy at all.”
Katie giggled. She'd never met someone so eager to please. “No need to worry.” She lifted her travel bag. “I have all my clothes in here. This suitcase is full of gadgets.”
“Gadgets?” Felty Helmuth, with eyes as twinkly as Anna's, sat in a recliner in the great room. He pulled the lever on his chair, and it catapulted him to his feet. “I love gadgets. What did you bring?”
Katie grabbed the suitcase handle to lift it onto the table. Titus, still holding on to the goat, nudged her hand aside, leaned over, and lifted the suitcase for her. This meant that Beth had to come into the kitchen with him. Her hooves clomped on the wood floor as she stepped into the house.
Whining and carrying on, Sparky jumped from her perch on the rug in the great room and tore down the hall, out of sight.
“Now, Titus,” Anna said, “you're going to give Sparky a conniption. The special Christmas goat cannot come into the house.”
“Sorry, Mammi.” Titus looked at Katie like a little kid who wanted some candy. “Can I see the gadgets sometime?”
“Tie Beth to one of the porch railings,” Felty said, “then come and have a look.”
With a spring in his step, Titus was out and back in two shakes of a goat's tail.
Katie opened her suitcase, and the four of them gathered around it as if it were a treasure chest. Katie pointed to the box containing one of her favorite gadgets. “This is an apple peeler, corer, and slicer.” She pulled it out of the box. “You stick the apple here and turn this crank, and it peels, slices, and cores the apple for you. It saves hours if you make a lot of apple pie.”
“That's a handy invention,” Felty said, taking it from her and turning it over in his hand.
“This is a garlic press for fresh garlic,” Katie said, pointing to her treasures, “and this is a pomegranate de-seeder. Here is a digital thermometer for candy and cheese-making and a meat grinder to make sausage.” She rummaged through the suitcase. “I also brought a pasta maker, a lemon zester, and my maple rolling pin. I hope it's all right I brought all this. I . . . I thought I'd need it. . . .” To impress Adam.
Anna slid an arm around her. “Of course, dear. Never underestimate the power of a good kitchen gadget.”
“Do you know how to use all of these?” Titus said.
Katie nodded.
“You must be a genius,” he said, admiration evident in his eyes. She didn't deserve it, but it made her feel strangely warm and tingly. No one at home ever said such things to her.
But would Adam agree with Titus and save her from becoming an old maid?
She glanced at the bird clock on the wall. She wouldn't have much time to wonder. “I'd better get to work. He'll be here in less than two hours.”
Titus suddenly looked concerned. His toothpick drooped on his lip. “Who'll be here?”
“Adam Wengerd,” Anna said, when Katie didn't answer. “Katie is making him dinner.”
Katie couldn't have answered. She'd been rendered speechless by the thought of the boy she hoped would fall madly in love with her chocolate chip cookies.
She really didn't want to be an old maid.
C
HAPTER
3
T
itus chewed on his toothpick. Why was Adam Wengerd coming to Huckleberry Hill? Adam and Katie must be cousins. That was the only explanation for it. Titus thought about some of the cousins he hadn't seen for a while. Max and Mary. Gideon and Aaron. If they came to town, for sure and certain he'd be up to see them in a heartbeat. With other relatives, like Norman Coblenz and Aunt Esther, he might take his time. Adam and Katie must be very close.
Titus vaguely remembered Katie from when she lived in Bonduel. They hadn't gone to the same school or been in the same district, and he hadn't known that Katie and Adam were cousins, and that had to be his excuse, because Titus couldn't fathom why he hadn't fallen in love with Katie Rose Gingerich nine years ago. Not that he was in love with her now or anything, but he surely would have fallen nine years ago. Katie had the silkiest chocolate-brown eyes he'd ever seen and the silkiest chocolate-brown hair. Not to mention she smelled like chocolate.
He probably shouldn't mention to her that chocolate was his favorite thing ever. She might get suspicious.
But that wasn't the reason he would have fallen in love with her nine years ago. In the fifteen short minutes he'd known her, she'd been kind and sweet and didn't think she was better than other people. She'd helped him catch Bethlehem, and she hadn't even gotten annoyed when she fell. Titus was sort of growing attached to Bethlehem, and he appreciated that Katie was nice to his goat.
Of course, that would have been nine years ago. Now he didn't know whether he would fall in love with her or not. “What are you going to make for dinner?” Titus asked.
Katie's eyes nearly popped out of her head, and that would have been very bad. “What am I going to make for dinner?”
Titus clamped his mouth shut. He hadn't meant to upset her. He always seemed to say the wrong thing.
Katie glanced at the clock again. “I'm so sorry, Anna, but do we have time to go to the store?”
“I can go to the store, if you need me to,” Titus said, feeling sorry for how pale Katie looked all of a sudden.
Katie sighed as if she'd been holding her breath for a long time. “Oh, Titus. Would you?”
Mammi didn't seem the least bit ruffled by Katie's sudden panic. “Why don't we see what we've got in the fridge? And I've got a whole cellar full of maple syrup, huckleberry jelly, and green beans. We should be able to come up with something.”
Katie nodded. “Okay. That is a
gute
idea. I'm sorry to be so difficult, but I want to make a
gute
impression.”
“Of course you do, dear,” Mammi said, patting Katie on the arm.
She must be wonderful excited to see her cousin.
Mammi's fridge was crammed full of bottles. Titus moved in for a better look. Three bottles of ketchup, at least that many of mustard, salad dressing, mayonnaise, Tabasco sauce, horseradish. Titus couldn't see anything but condiments and a bag of carrots. If Katie couldn't come up with an idea, maybe he could help. He was very
gute
with ketchup.
Did she know that ketchup and carrots made a
gute
appetizer?
Mammi opened the freezer for good measure. Peas, corn, a bag of something icy, another bag of something icier, and an actual bag of ice.
A deep line appeared between Mammi's eyebrows as she and Katie stared at the contents of the freezer. “You could make green bean and corn casserole with ketchup sauce.”
“I love that one,” Felty said.
Katie slid her arm around Mammi's shoulder and planted a kiss on her cheek. “You are so kind, Anna.” She poked at one of the icy packages in the freezer. “Is this chicken?”
“
Jah,
” Mammi said. “But it's been sitting in the freezer for almost a year.”
Katie smiled a tentative, hopeful smile. Titus thought it was the prettiest thing he'd ever seen next to her chocolate-brown eyes. “I won't tell if you won't.”
“Tell what?” Mammi said.
Katie's smile grew in strength. “Do you have shortening?”
“I eat it on my toast every morning,” Dawdi said.
“Instead of butter?” Katie said.
Dawdi shrugged. “They taste the same to me.”
Katie glanced once again at the clock. “I might have time. . . .”
“I'll help you any way I can,” Mammi said.
“What do you want me to do?” Titus chimed in. He'd do anything to keep that smile on Katie's face.
Katie's gaze was as soft and mushy as chocolate pudding. “You want to help?”
“Of course. I'm
gute
at celery. I once chopped ten pounds for my cousin's wedding.”
Katie's eyes pooled with moisture before she looked away and swiped her hand across her face.
A lump grew in his throat, and he couldn't swallow. He was always saying the wrong thing. “I don't have to chop celery if you don't want me to.”
She reached out and touched his arm. “I don't mind. I'm just missing home, I guess.” She picked up her small travel bag, pulled out a light pink apron, and put it on. On the bib of the apron were three embroidered hearts, one red, one pink, and one purple. “I think I'll make chicken potpies. Do you . . . do you think that's good enough?”
“I love chicken potpies,” was all Titus could think to say. His arm was still tingling from where she had touched him, and he felt a little dizzy in the head, as if his brother Ben had smacked him in the head with a two-by-fourâwhich had actually happened once.
Titus slipped outside and quickly put Bethlehem in the barn, then he sprinted back to the house to help Katie with dinner. She needed him. He didn't want to spend an extra minute lollygagging in the snow.
He carried a bag of flour from the cellar for Katie's piecrust, and she smiled at him as if he'd done something really important. She wasn't mad at him for the celery remark, because she asked him to chop the celery and the carrots and didn't boss him around or tell him he was doing it the wrong way.
Katie worked with sure purpose, rolling out the dough while Mammi sprinkled flour and measured the peas. Katie obviously wanted to impress Adam Wengerd. They must be very close cousins.
Katie kept glancing at the clock, but it seemed like she dreaded the passage of time rather than anticipated it. Once the pies were in the oven, Titus washed dishes while Kate dried and Dawdi swept the floor.
Titus had just drained the sink and wiped his hands as a knock came at the door. Katie stiffened beside him and turned as pale as that apron she had on. She really must have been anxious to see her cousin. Titus felt sort of sorry for her. Maybe Adam was a cousin like Norman. Norman had once told Titus that Titus's brains must have fallen out of his ear as a baby. It sort of put a damper on their relationship.
Mammi and Dawdi smiled as if they were very excited about Adam's visit, but they made no move to answer the door, and Katie looked to be in no condition to answer it, either. Titus glanced down at his hands, wrinkly from being submerged in the water so long. Norman would make fun of him for wrinkly hands. What would Adam say?
It didn't matter, because Katie needed help, and Titus was the one to give it, wrinkles or no wrinkles. He glanced at Katie and flashed a reassuring smile. Adam was a nice person. He wouldn't be anything like Norman.
Adam stood on the porch, a smile stretched across those brilliant white teeth. “Titus Helmuth,” Adam said, “
Wie gehts?
” Without waiting for an answer, he strolled into the room as if the house were his. “So, where is the girl I've been waiting for?”
Katie didn't even smile. She stood behind the counter as if she was afraid to come out from its protection.
Titus was pretty sure she was going to faint.
And he was pretty sure Adam's eyes were going to fall out of his head. “My
mamm
said you had turned out well, Katie, but I told her I wouldn't commit to anything until I saw for myself.”
Katie still didn't move a muscle, though Titus might have seen her lip twitch slightly. Mammi and Dawdi stood silently as if they were watching one of their grandchildren perform in a school program.
Couldn't Mammi and Dawdi see how upset Katie was? Somebody had to do something to help her feel more at ease with her cousin. “Would you like to see my Christmas goat, Adam?” Titus said. “It's in the barn.”
“What's a Christmas goat?”
Katie forced a smile, which came out more like a grimace. At least she was able to find her voice. “It's . . . it's a special Helmuth Christmas tradition.”
Adam patted Titus on the shoulder. “Maybe later, kid. It's cold, and I'm hungry.”
Kid?
Had Adam forgotten that he and Titus were the same age? Titus chewed on his toothpick. Didn't Adam remember all those games of softball at recess? Didn't he notice that Titus was a good four inches taller than him?
Adam sniffed the air. “Mamm says you're a fine cook, Katie. It smells
gute
enough to eat.”
Katie's fingers were clenched so tightly together, Titus feared her circulation would be cut off. “
Denki
. I made chicken potpie.”
“And snickerdoodles,” Titus volunteered. He loved snickerdoodles.
Adam puckered his whole face until he looked like a shriveled apple. “
Ach.
I hate chicken potpie.”
Katie seemed to wither like a flower in the heat. “I'm sorry.”
Oh,
sis yuscht
. If Adam turned out to be like Titus's cousin Norman, poor Katie didn't stand a chance. “I love chicken potpies,” Titus said. “Can I eat yours?”
For the first time since Adam had come in, he seemed to sense Katie's discomfort. He smiled at her. “I'm just teasing. I can tolerate chicken potpies as long as they don't have carrots. I hate cooked carrots.”
It was Titus's turn to wither. If only he hadn't been such a
gute
chopper....
Katie glanced at Titus with a look of sympathy in her eyes. He stood up straighter and winked at her. He didn't want her to think he was upset. Something told him it would only make her more nervous.
“Katie has made chicken potpies for dinner,” Dawdi said. “I have a box of Bran Flakes in the cupboard if you'd rather eat those. They'll keep you regular.”
Adam glanced around the room and gave Dawdi an awkward laugh. “I suppose I could pick out the carrots. I do that all the time at home.”
Adam stuck out his hand toward Titus. Titus figured Adam wanted him to take it. He did. Adam's handshake was firm and determined. “Nice to see you again, Titus. Tell that Christmas goat hello for me.” He chuckled, and Titus got the very unchristian impression that Adam was trying to get rid of him.
Titus felt his face get warm. He had overstayed his welcome. Adam and Katie wanted to catch up with each other without Titus's interference. He slowly backed up toward the hook that held his coat and the Viking beanie Mammi had made for him. “I suppose I'll be going, then.”
“But, Titus,” Katie said, fingering the ties of her apron, “you can't go. I made one for you.”
Warmth twisted up Titus's spine like a strand of chocolate-flavored licorice. Katie had been in a hurry with dinner, but she had still found the time to make him a potpieâprobably his favorite food in the world.
Adam squinted and pressed his lips together. “
Ach, vell.
I had hoped it could just be Katie and me. I mean, so we can get to know each other better.”
Didn't they know each other well enough already? Titus was pretty close to all his cousins. Even the ones who lived far away. Pretty close to all of them but Norman, and Norman had once told him he was dumber than a post.
Adam smiled like a tomcat. “Do you think you could all find somewhere else to go, and let me and Katie be alone? We've only got a month.”
Dawdi's beard twitched slightly. “I always enjoy eating my dinner in the bedroom.”
“Do you, Felty?” Anna said. “I never knew.”
Titus didn't want to be in the way, but Katie looked positively terrified, as if being alone with her cousin was worse than being alone with a roomful of goats. He swallowed hard. Adam wasn't going to like it. “I'd better stay. Who else will eat your leftover carrots?”
Katie's gaze flew to his face, and she smiled. “
Jah
. Titus should eat all the leftover carrots. We don't want them to go to waste.”
* * *
Adam did most of the talking during dinner, speaking as if he were applying for a job while the rest of them ate. He sat between Titus and Katie and across from Mammi and Dawdi. Titus's grandparents stared at Adam as if they weren't quite sure what to do with him. It was the way Titus's
mamm
looked at him when he tried to fold laundry.
“I like hunting,” Adam said, “but I don't like fishing. I shot a four-point buck in October. My
dat
wanted to mount its head in our kitchen, but my
mamm
said she didn't want a dead animal looking down on her while she ate. I said if she didn't like it looking down on her, then she shouldn't look up.”
“I suppose that would solve the problem,” Mammi said.
Titus glanced at Katie. She had relaxed enough that her knuckles were no longer white around her fork, but she was still staring faithfully at her plate. Titus might have thought she was studying the pattern if not for the fact that the plates were plain white. She certainly wasn't very comfortable with her cousin. Titus again wished he could think of something that would help her not be so homesick.