voices in Pennsylvania Dutch before sharing a quick kiss. Once Rebecca and Lindsay had disappeared up the stairs to the bakery, the van backed out of the parking lot and headed back down to the main road.
After turning onto Route 340, a one-story building with a sign declaring Kauffman & Yoder Amish Furniture came into view, about a mile from the large Kauffman farm.
“This is the store,” Daniel said as the driver maneuvered into the parking lot.
“Kauffman and Yoder?” she asked.
The driver parked at the back of the store.
“My father built it with his best friend, Elmer Yoder, before I was born,” Daniel said. “They’d grown up together and always dreamed of having a business. They both are master carpenters.”
“Oh.” Grabbing her purse, she climbed from the van.
Daniel thanked the driver, and the van motored back to the main road.
Glancing across the parking lot, Jessica spotted a late-model four-door Chevrolet pickup truck.
“Who owns the truck?” she asked Daniel while he sauntered back to her. “Is that another driver?”
“No, it’s Jake Miller,” he said. “Elmer’s grandson.”
“How come he gets a truck while the rest of you have to pay a driver?” She followed him to the back door of the shop.
“He’s not Amish.” He held the door open for her.
She stared at him. “How can that be?”
“Was your mother Amish?” he retorted, his gaze almost accusing.
“No.” She padded through the door.
“Being Amish is our heritage. It’s a very serious commitment to a way of life. It’s not like picking out your shoes.” Daniel stepped in and closed the door behind him. His tone had an edge to it, making her wonder where the resentment had come from. Was he going to hold a grudge against her due to the jewelry and makeup?
“Let me introduce you around,” he said, gesturing into the building.
Jessica scanned the large shop, seeing several men building furniture. All wore the Plain clothes. She spotted beautifully designed dining room sets, bedroom suites, entertainment centers, hutches, end tables, desks, and coffee tables. She took in the craftsmanship and silently marveled at their talent. The pieces were works of art, not just furniture.
Hammers banged, saw blades whirled, and air compressors hummed. The sweet scent of wood and stain filled her nostrils.
A wave of grief washed over her. Dad would’ve loved seeing the shop and talking with the men. He’d enjoyed working with wood in his spare time. He had an elaborate woodshop set up in the garage with a sea of complicated tools.
Jessica had spent many weekends in the workshop behind the house chatting and watching Dad build furniture. They would talk for hours. He’d share stories of traveling around Europe and Africa and his exciting adventures. She loved listening to his stories, which were the inspiration for her dreams of world travels.
She’d give anything to talk to him again.
Why, oh, why did her parents have to die?
With tears threatening, she suppressed thoughts of her father and plastered a smile on her face while the men came over to meet her.
“This is my niece, Jessica,” Daniel said, introducing her.
He rattled off the names of the men, and Jessica tried to commit their names to her memory. She met Daniel’s brother-in-law Peter and his brother Timothy. She shook their hands and continued to smile. A man with weather-beaten skin in Plain clothes approached, and she immediately noticed that his eyes were the same blue as Daniel’s.
“This is my father, Eli Kauffman,” Daniel said. “ Dat , this is Jessica. I don’t think you had a chance to meet her the other night. It was a little bit chaotic at the house.”
“It’s very nice to meet you.” Eli shook her hand.
“Thank you,” she said. “It’s nice to meet you, too, Mr. Kauffman.”
Another older man approached. “Welcome to our shop. I’m Milton Yoder.”
“Thank you, Mr. Yoder.” She shook his hand.
“Let’s take you up
After turning onto Route 340, a one-story building with a sign declaring Kauffman & Yoder Amish Furniture came into view, about a mile from the large Kauffman farm.
“This is the store,” Daniel said as the driver maneuvered into the parking lot.
“Kauffman and Yoder?” she asked.
The driver parked at the back of the store.
“My father built it with his best friend, Elmer Yoder, before I was born,” Daniel said. “They’d grown up together and always dreamed of having a business. They both are master carpenters.”
“Oh.” Grabbing her purse, she climbed from the van.
Daniel thanked the driver, and the van motored back to the main road.
Glancing across the parking lot, Jessica spotted a late-model four-door Chevrolet pickup truck.
“Who owns the truck?” she asked Daniel while he sauntered back to her. “Is that another driver?”
“No, it’s Jake Miller,” he said. “Elmer’s grandson.”
“How come he gets a truck while the rest of you have to pay a driver?” She followed him to the back door of the shop.
“He’s not Amish.” He held the door open for her.
She stared at him. “How can that be?”
“Was your mother Amish?” he retorted, his gaze almost accusing.
“No.” She padded through the door.
“Being Amish is our heritage. It’s a very serious commitment to a way of life. It’s not like picking out your shoes.” Daniel stepped in and closed the door behind him. His tone had an edge to it, making her wonder where the resentment had come from. Was he going to hold a grudge against her due to the jewelry and makeup?
“Let me introduce you around,” he said, gesturing into the building.
Jessica scanned the large shop, seeing several men building furniture. All wore the Plain clothes. She spotted beautifully designed dining room sets, bedroom suites, entertainment centers, hutches, end tables, desks, and coffee tables. She took in the craftsmanship and silently marveled at their talent. The pieces were works of art, not just furniture.
Hammers banged, saw blades whirled, and air compressors hummed. The sweet scent of wood and stain filled her nostrils.
A wave of grief washed over her. Dad would’ve loved seeing the shop and talking with the men. He’d enjoyed working with wood in his spare time. He had an elaborate woodshop set up in the garage with a sea of complicated tools.
Jessica had spent many weekends in the workshop behind the house chatting and watching Dad build furniture. They would talk for hours. He’d share stories of traveling around Europe and Africa and his exciting adventures. She loved listening to his stories, which were the inspiration for her dreams of world travels.
She’d give anything to talk to him again.
Why, oh, why did her parents have to die?
With tears threatening, she suppressed thoughts of her father and plastered a smile on her face while the men came over to meet her.
“This is my niece, Jessica,” Daniel said, introducing her.
He rattled off the names of the men, and Jessica tried to commit their names to her memory. She met Daniel’s brother-in-law Peter and his brother Timothy. She shook their hands and continued to smile. A man with weather-beaten skin in Plain clothes approached, and she immediately noticed that his eyes were the same blue as Daniel’s.
“This is my father, Eli Kauffman,” Daniel said. “ Dat , this is Jessica. I don’t think you had a chance to meet her the other night. It was a little bit chaotic at the house.”
“It’s very nice to meet you.” Eli shook her hand.
“Thank you,” she said. “It’s nice to meet you, too, Mr. Kauffman.”
Another older man approached. “Welcome to our shop. I’m Milton Yoder.”
“Thank you, Mr. Yoder.” She shook his hand.
“Let’s take you up
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