Marie E. Bast - The Amish Baker

Sarah made the last loaf of bread and set it to rise. She grabbed a wet cloth and tidied up her work area. After pushing the utensils to the side, she scooted to the pantry and lugged enough ingredients to the table for six dozen sugar cookies.

Jacob would arrive soon, and she didn’t have time to talk or show him what to do. She barely had enough time to get ready to open.

What had she gotten herself into by accepting Caleb’s offer for the small bu to help...and on a Saturday? Sarah hurried to the front and unlocked the door for Jacob but left the sign on the window turned to Closed.

She’d dirtied almost every pan in the bakery, so maybe Jacob could wash dishes. When he finished with that, they’d figure it out. She’d been meaning to hire extra help but hadn’t had time to advertise or interview.

She glanced at the dirty pans in the sink. It would save time if she had clean cookie sheets. She could fetch the spares she’d stored on the top shelf of the built-in cupboard. They were reserved for large orders, like a wedding, but an emergency should warrant the hassle it took to get them down.

Sarah opened the cupboard doors, pulled the step stool over and climbed up. She wasn’t quite tall enough for her fingers to touch the shelf next to the ceiling. She stretched. Almost there...but not quite.

Sarah braced a hand on the cupboard and rose to her tiptoes. The pans remained a couple of inches from her grasp. If she stood on the stool’s back support, it would give her the boost she needed. She stepped onto the vinyl-covered back and reached for the pans. The stool rocked this way and that way. She flung her arms out, trying to grab hold of the shelf, but missed. She reached for the cupboard door to steady her footing. The stool wiggled, toppled to the right and tossed her straight into a pair of waiting arms and a hard chest.

Arms flailing, she screamed and clutched at his shirt. Her heart galloped against her ribs while she tried to calm down. She gulped a breath.

He dipped his head and his beard tickled her face. Sarah peered up into sage-green eyes and a beaming smile that reached all the way to the corners of his eyes. For once, her brain and tongue failed her simultaneously.

“You could have gotten hurt.” Caleb raised his brow, as if waiting for her reply.

A heavy sigh escaped her lips. “ Danki. You can put me down now.” His nearness had created a wild thumping in her chest. When her feet touched the floor, she drew a deep breath and glanced up into his face.

His eyes locked with hers. “Can I trust you to stay on your feet this time?”

She nodded and pulled away from his gaze, trying to calm her runaway heart and snag back her fraying nerves. “Of course. Danki for your concern and your help.”

Stepping back to regain her composure, she straightened her dress. Then she placed her hands on her prayer kapp to make sure it was still secure. She moved it slightly and felt confident of its placement.

Sarah relaxed her shoulders. “Hannah asked for the day off, which has left me to do all the baking, including an extra order for an Englisch woman.” She turned to Jacob. “What I’d really appreciate right now, if you don’t mind, is for you to wash some cookie sheets.”

“We’ll hang our hats and Jacob will get started.” Caleb motioned to Jacob and pointed to the rack by the back door.

Jacob stared at the heap of pans in the sink. Then plunked his hat on a hook, rolled up his sleeves and went to work. Sarah grabbed a towel from the drawer, wrapped it around Jacob’s waist and tied it. “This will help protect your clothing.”

Caleb raised an eyebrow in a questioning look. “I have some errands to run later. I’ll wait out front for a little while to see if you have anything you need me to do, like reaching for something.”

“ Danki for the thought, but I won’t be getting on the stool again.”

“I didn’t mean just that. I could carry a heavy flour sack and refill the bin.” The look on his face appeared to be dead serious, except his twitching lips betrayed a suppressed grin.

She flashed him a wry smile. “ Danki , but we’re good for now.”

Sarah stole a peek at his back as Caleb returned to the front of the bakery. She touched her hand to her heart and blew out a long breath. How was she ever going to get through the day with him only a few feet away? She clutched the rolling pin to steady her hands.

After she finished the baking, she loaded the cart with cooled pastries, pushed it to the front and transferred them to the display case. Her cheeks warmed as she sensed Caleb’s eyes following her every move. “Would you like a cup of coffee and a roll?”

While he ate and read the Amish newspaper, The Budget , she continued her morning preparations. When the first customers arrived, Caleb threw his cup away and left to run his errands.

Sarah peered through the doorway at Jacob washing pans and a lump wedged in her throat. It was nice of him to help, even if it was his daed ’s idea. The pan he was scrubbing looked shiny and clean. He was a hard worker and eager to please. “Customers have come in, so I’ll be out front most of the time.”

Jacob nodded. “Okay.”

While she waited on customers, Jacob pushed the cart out front with sheets of cooled cookies and rolls to replenish the display case. He wiped off the tables, greeted the customers and took dirty dishes to the kitchen without her asking.

When the noontime crowd had disappeared, Sarah was famished. “Now is our slow period, Jacob. How about a peanut butter sandwich and cookie?”

“Okay.”

Sarah laid the sandwiches and cookies on plates while Jacob poured himself a glass of milk. They sat at a table by the window and ate in silence as they watched people walk by. She’d often wondered what it would have been like to have a kind . At night she sometimes dreamed about one, then woke drenched in tears. Jacob seemed like the perfect little bu . He was helpful, sweet and friendly to her customers. It had only been one day but he had already burrowed into her heart, and she didn’t want to let him go. Ever.

She swallowed hard. That was a selfish thing to think. Forgive me, Lord.

“ Danki , Jacob, for spending the day. You are a gut worker, and I really appreciate your help. In fact, I was so busy that I couldn’t have done it without you.”

“I’ll come back next Saturday.”

“You don’t have to do that. I’m sure one day’s worth of work is enough to pay for the walnut bears.”

The doorbell jingled.

“But I want to help you.” He glanced up at her, his eyes stealing her heart.

She scooted her chair back so she could go wait on the customer. “I can’t ask your daed to bring you to town again. That would be an imposition. He must be busy and probably needs you at home.”

“Please let me help?”

Caleb stepped closer to the table. “You want to what?”

Sarah jerked her head around, surprised to hear Caleb’s voice.

“I want to work at the bakery another day to pay my obligation.”

“Okay, I’ll bring you to Kalona next Saturday.”

“Caleb, I hate to ask you to do that. Jacob was here all morning and worked hard. It’s unfair to ask him to come another day.”

He looked at Jacob and then at Sarah. “This is the most enthusiastic I’ve seen him in a year. I have some business in town, so it’s no imposition.”

She mulled over his offer for a minute. “ Danki , Caleb.”

Jacob flashed her a smile, grabbed his hat and followed his daed out the door.

Her heart thrived on the small bu and already ached for him. Saturday, she’d get to see them both again.