Christmas Cakes and Kisses Page 2

  Mel, seemingly oblivious to most of the exchange, sketched a wave at Morgan and called to Beth, “Come on, shake a leg. The sooner we get there the sooner we can get you qualified for the series next season and get on out to the farm.”

  “It’s nice to meet you Morgan,” Dana said as she nodded toward her.

  Turning to Mel and Beth, she called out, “Please be careful. I’ll see you both later.” With that, she maneuvered the stroller around Morgan’s car, along the driveway and out to the sidewalk.

  Hannah held the door open and then directed Morgan to the kitchen table where the packet and her class binder lay. Morgan did appear to have brought anything with her.

  As the brunette passed by, Hannah sized her up. Morgan was taller by at least a couple of inches but, far thinner, almost gaunt.

  “Can I get you something to drink?”

  “No thanks,” Morgan said. “Don’t go to any trouble on my account.”

  “I was going to make myself some tea so it wouldn’t be any trouble at all.”

  “Okay then. I’ll take a tea.” She cracked a half smile.

  Hannah put the pot on the stove and then reached for a box of of chocolate, chocolate chip cookies she’d brought home from the bakery on Saturday, after closing. They were Dana’s downfall. She put a half dozen on a plate and set it on the table.

  “Those look good,” Morgan said. “Where did you get those? In Zanesville?”

  “Help yourself. I uh, made them...at the bakery across the street.”

  Morgan’s eyebrows rose. “There’s a bakery in this little town? Bet it’s Amish, isn’t it? No, wait,” she corrected herself. “You work there so it must be Mennonite.”

  “No. It’s just a bakery, behind the general store.” She took a seat at the table opposite Morgan. “The tea water will be a few minutes.”

  “We should probably get started then,” Morgan said.

  They both stared at each other. Hannah wasn’t sure where to begin and Morgan wasn’t volunteering anything.

  Finally, Hannah pulled the packet toward her. “Have you thought at all about the theme,” she started to say.

  Morgan spoke at the same time, “You’re probably wondering about me, aren’t you? About what I can do.” She dropped her head and shook it. “Chef was pretty clear about who the strong bakers are.”

  Hannah nodded. “I guess we ought to talk about what you’ve done and what you can do...what I can do too.”

  “Have you made a tiered cake or a big sculpted cake like this thing is calling for?” Morgan asked.

  “Yeah...sort of. I’ve made lots of cakes. I’m pretty good at the baking part. Tiers are just layering cakes. You?”

  “I was in a culinary program in high school. I made cakes there...not many. I prefer cooking over baking,” The other young woman admitted. “Probably not nearly as many as you since you work in a bakery.”

  Hannah thought about correcting her but she stopped herself. Instead, she said, “I can do a lot of the actual baking part of the project with your help.”

  “Sure.”

  “Besides, we have five weeks to come up with a design and practice in and out of class. We’re both going to get better at cake baking in that time.” Her tone was hopeful.

  “What do you need to get better at?” Morgan asked.

  “Lots of things. Sculpting, for one. There wasn’t a lot of call for that where...where I come from.”

  “Oh? Where’s that?”

  The tea kettle started to whistle softly as the water neared boiling temperature. Hannah got up to fetch a couple of cups. She saw Morgan reach for a cookie as she turned for the cupboard beside the sink. “I used to be Amish,” she said softly.

  “Hmm?” Morgan asked, around a mouthful of the gooey cookie.

  “Amish. I used to be Amish.”

  “You left the Amish? Like on that TV show?”

  Hannah shook her head. “Nothing like on that TV show, but yes. I left.”

  “Wow...so, okay, I thought I noticed a little bit of an accent in your English.”

  The strawberry blond blushed. “We spoke only the German at home.”

  The kettle began to whistle more in earnest. Hannah reached over to shut the gas off then she dropped a tea bag into each cup and filled them with water.

  After placing one in front of Morgan and resuming her seat, she stirred sugar into her own cup. “Anyway,” she began again, “I was never much of an artist. I’ve worked on sculpting only a little. I’ve been teaching myself to work with fondant and food paints and such.”

  “I haven’t worked a lot with those things either,” Morgan admitted, “but I’ve always been a decent artist. I think I’ll pick that stuff up pretty fast.”

  They were silent for several long seconds, looking at each other. Hannah stirred her tea absently as she thought about the theme. She figured it was up to her to take the lead.

  “I do some birthday cakes in the shop,” she said. “People like to put photographs on them. There’s a way to do those in an edible print that looks all right. Maybe we could cover the cake in photos of the Barnwell employees and their families or the employees doing things they like...fun things.”

  Morgan shrugged. “I guess. I mean, what do we really know about the company? Maybe they only have a couple of employees or something.”

  Hannah admitted, “I hadn’t thought of that.”

  As she took out her cell phone, Morgan said, “Guess we should look them up first.”

  “You won’t get any reception in here,” Hannah told her. “Not down in this valley we’re in.”

  “What’s the wi-fi password?”

  Hannah shrugged. “I honestly don’t know. I don’t use it.”

  “Oh, Amish...right.”

  “No, no. It’s not that,” Hannah said, waving a hand. “I have a phone too and I text. It’s...there’s just no time for much else with work and school and all.”

  “Is there a computer here we can use?”

  “Upstairs in Mel’s den or outside in Dana’s writing shack.”

  Morgan gave her an odd look but then she stood and said, “Upstairs is probably closer.”

  “THEY’RE AN ADVERTISING company,” Morgan said.

  “Oh.”

  “Yeah. That’s what I thought too. This Garrett guy we’re supposed to consult with probably already knows exactly what he wants on this cake or what design he wants.”

  Hannah started to nod but then stopped. We might want to come up with a few ideas anyway. Maybe he’ll expect that.”

  “Good point.” Morgan shut Mel’s computer down and got up from the desk chair. “Mel was the one loading the bike in the truck, right?”

  “Yes.”

  “I hope she doesn’t get mad we were up here. She probably doesn’t like anyone touching her stuff.”

  “Whatever gave you that idea?”

  “Just an impression I got. She looks sort of mean.”

  Hannah giggled. “She’s the Sheriff, so she can look mean sometimes, but I know better. She was just annoyed because Beth had them running so late. They were supposed to leave a couple of hours ago.”

  “You live with the Sheriff?” Morgan looked shocked at the thought.

  “Yes. Is that a problem?”

  Morgan shrank back a little, away from Hannah but otherwise avoided the question.

  Chapter 4

  Dana rolled the stroller back up the driveway. She was lost in thought about a conversation she’d just had with her mother as she pulled Jef out and folded it up. Boo bounced at the end of the leash and started to tangle herself around Jef, bringing Dana out of her reverie.

  She took Boo off the leash and ordered her up to the porch then she picked Jef up with one arm, hoisted the stroller with the other hand and walked up herself. She stowed the stroller in the corner of the side porch, up under the eave, where they usually kept it, then opened the door.

  Boo bounded inside and ran right to Hannah and Morgan who were sitting
at the kitchen table with papers spread everywhere. Hannah was facing the door. Morgan turned around to look too just as Jef managed his way over the low step of the threshold and started toddling toward Hannah too calling ‘Mama, mama!’.

  Morgan’s eyes grew wide again as Hannah scooped him up and kissed his cheek, avoiding the sticky remnants of the lollipop that were noticeable on his lips from their detour by the store to chat with Dana’s Mama.

  “Who did you go see?” Hannah asked him then quirked an eyebrow at Dana.

  “Mama and my dad were up at the store working on a freezer that’s got issues. We stopped in. He only had one,” Dana added.

  “So,” Morgan began, recovering, “he’s your son?”

  “Yes; I adopted him. His mother was a good friend of mine who is no longer with us.”

  Morgan didn’t seem to know what to say and, at first, just nodded.

  “I’ll take him, and we’ll go upstairs, if you want,” Dana said to Hannah. “I intended for us to walk a bit more, but Boo wasn’t cooperating on the leash. It was hard to deal with her and push the stroller too.”

  “Doesn’t he walk?” Morgan asked.

  Hannah and Dana both tried to answer. Dana stopped talking when she heard Hannah speak up.

  “He does but he’s only just learning. He’s not very fast...or very good at it yet.”

  Morgan half turned in her seat and looked at Dana. “I’m sorry, when I saw you with him, I thought he was your baby.”

  Dana laughed. “I don’t have any children of my own but Jef here is sort of a community effort.”

  Hannah bounced him on her knee and he giggled. “He really is,” she said. “Mel and Dana help the most, of course, since we live here with them but so do Mel’s parents, her sister, Beth who you met, Dana’s parents...” She waved her free hand in the air. “Lots of people.”

  “His biological mother’s parents,” Dana added and Hannah nodded.

  “So,” Morgan said to Dana, her eyes wide with curiosity, “you and Mel are a couple. Is that right?”

  “We’re married, yes. Does that bother you?” Dana was sure she already knew the answer but she threw it out there.

  “No.” She shook her head, “but, can I ask you another question?”

  “Sure.”

  “Is it...I mean, living out here, in a place like this...you guys...does anybody give you a hard time?”

  Hannah chuckled at that.

  “What?” Morgan asked. “What did I say?”

  “Mel’s the county Sheriff, remember?” Hannah said. “Nobody really messes with her.”

  “Oh.”

  “Now that’s probably part of it...maybe even a lot of it,” Dana said, “but that’s not all of it. Our families are accepting or they’re coming around and that’s the biggest part of it. Yes, there are people who don’t approve of our ‘lifestyle’ but Mel and her family have been here for a long time. The people that disagree mostly keep their opinions to themselves.”

  “Can I ask why you’re asking?” Dana fished.

  Morgan took a deep breath. “I don’t tell people this...I really don’t talk to people much at all.”

  Dana nodded and glanced at Hannah. She was listening but Dana could tell she wasn’t picking up on the same vibes as she was.

  “My, uh, mother caught me with another girl when I was 15. I came out as Bi then. She threw me out. I haven’t been home since and now...now I know I’m a lesbian. She doesn’t want anything to do with me. She won’t even talk to me. I...I don’t care. I’ve made it this far on my own.”

  Her voice broke a little but her eyes held Dana’s.

  “I’m so sorry you had to go through that sweetie and at such a young age. Are you okay? You have a place to stay and...?”

  “Yes. I’m fine, thank you,” she said in a rush as she gave Dana a tight-lipped smile.

  Dana glanced at Hannah again. Her eyes were shimmering with tears but she wasn’t about to let them fall. “You have a little more in common with Ms. Hannah here than you might think,” she said to Morgan then. “I’m just going to take the boy and let you two talk.”

  As she walked out of the room carrying Jef, she had another thought. “Morgan,” she said, as I half turned from the doorway, “are you doing anything for dinner?”

  “It’s just me. I cook for myself.”

  “We’re all going out to my in-law’s farm for Sunday dinner. You’re welcome to come.”

  “You’re sure they won’t mind?”

  Hannah waved a hand in the air. “They cook enough to feed the whole village, it seems.”

  “That would be amazing; thank you!”

  Chapter 5

  “I left the Amish because I’m gay,” Hannah admitted before Dana was even out of earshot.

  Morgan stared at her across the little kitchen table. After what seemed like an eternity to Hannah, the other woman asked softly, “Did they make you leave?”

  “No. It was my choice. I left when it came time for me to join the church.”

  “Can you go back if...if you want to?”

  Hannah took a deep breath and let it out. “I could, I suppose, but it would be hard. I’d have to join the church and renounce all of this.”

  “Your son too?”

  She shook her head. “No. He’s Amish. He would be welcome.”

  “Do you ever see your family? I mean, do they talk to you?”

  “Sometimes I see them. They don’t live far from here. They come to the store Dana’s parents own from time to time. She got Boo, her dog, from them.” She took another breath and let it out in a sigh. “I’m rambling.”

  “It’s okay. I didn’t mean to...maybe we should just get back to work for now and figure out what we can show this guy that might work for him.

  Hannah smiled in relief.

  “THIS IS MY CLASSMATE, Morgan,” Hannah told the Cranes.

  “This is Faye, Mel’s mom, Hannah said and that’s Jesse, over there, her dad.” As she balanced Jef on her left hip, she pointed with her right hand toward the usually quiet Jesse who actually stood and came forward to shake Morgan’s hand.

  “Classmate, eh? Over there at the tech school?” he asked. He ruffled Jef’s hair but didn’t look at him, preferring to study Morgan instead.

  Morgan nodded. “Yes sir. We’re in the culinary program together.”

  “You can call me Jesse. So, ‘you a baker?”

  Faye snorted in the background.

  Jesse shot his wife a look and then continued, “Hannah here is a fine baker...thinks she needs to know more though. Takin’ that whole class just to get better at baking.”

  “Better at cakes,” Hannah reminded him.

  She looked at Morgan. “It’s the only culinary program anywhere close. It was either that or drive to Columbus five days a week for a baking program. With the ba... With everything going on,” she caught herself, “I just couldn’t work that in too.”

  Jesse went back to his recliner but he wasn’t finished with Hannah. “I was wanting to have a family fun day today. Everyone run off on me.”

  “Now Jesse,” Faye cautioned, “Mel had to work yesterday. Today was the only day she could run Beth out to the qualifiers, Lance is working, Cole is with the scouts and...well, Hannah here has her classmate by.”

  “Lance? Cole?” Morgan questioned.

  “Lance is Beth ‘s stepdad; Cole’s too. He’s Beth’s brother.”

  To Jesse she said, “Mel and Beth will be here in a little bit. What did you need done?”

  Jesse waved a dismissive hand. “Too late now, almost dinner time.”

  Hannah nudged Morgan. “Let’s go see if Faye needs any help. Dana’s not much help in the kitchen.”

  It was Jesse’s turn to snort.

  As they moved away, Hannah told the other woman, “There’s nothing fun about family fun day; trust me.”

  “DINNER WAS AMAZING,” Morgan told Hannah as they walked out to Morgan’s car.

  “Tell Faye.”
<
br />   “Oh, I did. Where did she learn to cook like that?”

  Hannah grinned. “The same way everyone out here learns to cook. From her mama and her mama’s mamma.”

  “See you in class then?” Morgan asked, changing the subject.

  “Well, I need to call that Garrett West tomorrow. Do you want me to call you after I talk to him?”

  “Yeah, I guess you better. Let me give you my number. I’ll be at work though, like I said, so just leave a message.”

  Hannah handed Morgan her cell phone and let the other woman tap her information in. She told her in return, “Remember, no reception out here. I’ll probably call you from our land line so don’t be surprised.”

  “Oh...maybe you better give me that number to put in my cell then.”

  Hannah reeled off the number and Morgan typed it into her own phone. After that, there was an awkward silence between them.

  Morgan put her phone into her pocket and spoke, breaking it. “Thanks for today. It was...nice. Nice talking to you and to Dana and...and nice to sit down with a family like this.”

  Hannah just smiled.

  “Listen,” Morgan went on, “I know I’m not much of a baker. I promise to do everything you say. I won’t let you down.”

  Chapter 6

  “Mr. West? My name is Hannah Yoder. I’m a student in the culinary program at Zanesville Tech.” She smiled into the phone, trying to stifle the nerves that she felt.

  “For heaven’s sake! It’s about time you called.”

  Hannah tipped the phone receiver away from her ear and adjusted the volume down. “Pardon, sir?”

  “I’ve been waiting forever to hear from someone over there. We need to get started on this cake, ASAP!”

  “Baking it?”

  “Of course baking it, so we can get the design just right. What did you think?”

  “We could do a couple of test cakes, on a smaller scale, I suppose, once we agree on a design but we don’t want to start baking the show cake right now,” she said. “It needs to be intact and edible for the display in December.”