“Yowl!” Chloe’s Siamese cat, Gigabyte, wove in and around my ankles as I put the last touches on my master piece, a three layered chocolate torte. I found the recipe online. It’s amazing how many recipes that you can find on the Internet. I was amazed what you could find on the Internet in general, and to think I knew nothing about it a few months ago.
Chloe Humphrey was my roommate and as soon as she gets home from work at the college, we were going to my parents’ Amish farm for dinner.
The door opened. “I’m home,” Chloe called.
“In the kitchen,” I said.
Chloe walked in the kitchen. She looked so smart and sophisticated in her tailored blouse and charcoal pants. Her sleek red hair hung to her shoulders. “What is that? I’m not eating that.” She pointed at the cake.
Chloe was always afraid of getting fat. She could gain a thousand pounds, and my brother Timothy wouldn’t notice. He was that much in love with her.
After Chloe changed her clothes into jeans and T-shirt, we loaded her car and drove to my parents’. I held tightly to the cake plate on my lap.
Chloe smiled at me. “Don’t worry. They are always happy to see you.”
She knew when I needed her encouragement.
The car turned up our long driveway, and I saw the familiar white farmhouse and large dairy barn in back. Outside the house my entire family, my parents, siblings—including Timothy, who also left the Amish—and my grandfather on his braces stood. They waved. Even though I left them, there they all were waiting to greet me. I was so afraid they wouldn’t love me anymore, but I realized they still loved me.
My grossdaddi opened my car door and gawked at the cake. “What is that?”
Careful not to drop the cake, I got out of the car. “A torte.”
Mamm frowned. “Becky, I told you not to bring anything. I said I would make dinner.”
I held up the heavy plate. “It’s just a cake.” I noticed that Timothy was standing next to Chloe now.
Grossdaddi yanked on his long white beard. “That is not just a cake. It’s a chocolate mountain.”
“I want a big slice,” my younger brother Thomas said.
Daed scowled. “After you eat all of your dinner that includes the green beans.”
Thomas folded his arms. “I hate green beans.”
Three-year-old Naomi wrapped herself around my leg and smiled sweetly up at me.
Ruth who was only four years my junior scowled. “I made dessert today, Becky. I made a cobbler. You can’t come here with your Englisch food and expect us to eat it.”
“Ruth, that is enough,” Daed said.
My teenaged sister spun around and stalked back to the house. I wished we were close like we used to be.
Grossdaddi rubbed his hands together. “I, for one, never say no to two desserts. It’s why Gott gave us two hands, right Thomas?”
“Right,” my brother crowed and raced for the house.
Mamm shook her head. “Let’s go inside before the cake melts.”
Inside my mother’s large kitchen, the table was set for a roast beef dinner. Even though it was Tuesday night, each meal time was treated as if it was special. Grossdaddi and Daed sat on the chairs on either end of the table and rest of us sat on backless benches on either side. Naomi wiggled her way in between Chloe and Timothy, and they smiled at each other.
We bowed our head’s, and as Daed said the blessing, I was content. I had my life, but I still had my family too.
Amanda is giving away one (1) copy of A PLAIN SCANDAL. Contest open to US residents only and ends February 22. Leave a comment to be included in the giveaway. Book will be shipped directly from the author.
You can read more about Becky in A Plain Scandal, the second book in the “Appleseed Creek” mystery series. The first book in the series is A Plain Death.
Meet the author
Amanda Flower, an Agatha-nominated mystery author, started her writing career in elementary school when she read a story she wrote to her sixth grade class and had the class in stitches with her description of being stuck on the top of a Ferris wheel. She knew at that moment she’d found her calling of making people laugh with her words. Her debut mystery, Maid of Murder, was an Agatha Award Nominee for Best First Novel. Amanda is an academic librarian for a small college near Cleveland. She also writes mysteries as Isabella Alan.
Visit Amanda at her website, Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads and Killer Characters.
Books are available at retail and online booksellers.
I can’t enter the contest but I recommend this and Amanda’s other series. Fun reads! Lots of food!
This is a fantastic series so far!! I can’t wait to read this one!!
I enjoy Amanda’s writing and I like her India Hayes series. I’ve read so many positive things about the Appleseed Creek mysteries. Sounds great!
I’d love to read this. All you seem to hear about now is how the Amish turn their backs on those who leave. This sounds like a refreshing change – and what I hope is closer to the truth!
I’d love to win a copy of this book. Believe it or not, the Amish Country is a big vacation destination for the Chassidish Jewish Community. The German spoken by the Amish and the Yiddish spoken by the Chassidim is very close. LOL
NoraAdrienne(at)gmail(dot)com
They sound so good! Will have to put them on my reading list
This sounds so good. Would love to win.
nlb1050(at)yahoo(dot)com
thanks for the chance to read thiw wonderful story
I’d also like to win this one. It sounds like a great series….
afarage(at)earthlink(dot)net
Amanda Flower is such a fab author. Always feel like I’m right there in the story with the characters.
Please enter my name for this giveaway. Always interested in new Amish based series.
Amanda’s books are amazing! I can’t wait to read this one too!
The first book in the series is a great read. I have been looking forward to this one.
lynettek51(at)yahoo(dot)com
I look forward to reading this!
Would love to have a copy of this book — sounds very interesting. Please enter me in the giveaway. Thank you.
Thanks for the opportunity…looking forward to reading this one.
Looks like there’s a market for Amish backdrop stories. I’d like to learn more about their practices while I’m being entertained. Please put me in the draw. judydee22002@yahoo.com
MMMM!! Chocolate torte–is there lots more food descriptions in the book? Amish food is sooooo good. I would like to try this mystery series.
I would love to win A Plain Scandal!
Wonderful writing, in a few lines we’re knee deep in family love and dysfunction! Would love to read this one.
The family sounds dead-on, I can’t wait to find out what the scandal might be. Thanks for the giveaway.
Sounds like a good book. Will add this to my TBR pile. elisanabby at gmail dot com
I want to check this series out. I live close to the heart of Pennsylvania Amish country so I think its a must read for me. Thanks for the giveaway! 🙂
scouts579(at)aol(dot)com
I would love to read more about Becky’s Amish family.
Thanks Amanda and Becky for inviting us to dinner.
contest is closed.