Amish White Christmas Pie (33 page)

A muscle on the side of Will’s neck twitched. “If you missed me so much, then why’d you leave? You could have at least said good-bye.”

“I wanted to; believe me, I did. But I was afraid if I told you what I planned to do, you’d want to—”

“Regina wanted me to tell you that dinner’s on the table,” Megan said, stepping into the room. She looked over at Will and smiled. “You must be Frank’s son. You look so much like your dad—same red hair and blue eyes.”

Will gave a quick nod.

“This is my wife, Megan,” Frank said.

“Nice to meet you,” Will mumbled.

“It’s nice to meet you, too. I’ve heard a lot about you, Will.”

“We’d better get in there before the food gets cold.” Will stood and rushed out of the room.

“Sorry for interrupting,” Megan said to Frank. “But I figured we should eat since Regina has everything ready.”

“It’s okay. Things are a bit awkward between Will and me right now, and we didn’t get very far in our conversation.” Frank slipped his arm around Megan’s waist. “I’ll try talking to him again after we eat. Maybe he’ll be more willing to listen when his stomach is full.”

A
s Will sat at the table across from Frank, he was thankful Karen sat beside him. He needed her for moral support. It wasn’t easy trying to make conversation with someone he hadn’t seen in almost sixteen years. He and Pop were like two strangers, each not knowing what the other wanted him to say.

Will wished he could blurt out everything that was on his mind, and if he and Pop hadn’t been interrupted when Megan had come into the living room, he probably would have asked some of those questions.

“Do either of you girls like dogs?” Papa Mark asked, smiling across the table at Carrie and Kim.

They both grinned and bobbed their heads.

“We’re hoping we’ll get a puppy for Christmas,” Kim said around a mouthful of mashed potatoes.

“Will has a nice cocker spaniel, and she had a batch of pups several weeks ago,” Papa Mark said. “Maybe he’d be willing to take you out to the barn for a look-see after we’re done eating.”

The girls turned expectant gazes on Will, and their eyes brightened like shiny new pennies when he nodded. “I think you’ll enjoy seeing Sandy’s five squirming hundlin.”

“Who’s Sandy, and what’s a hundlin?” Carrie wanted to know.

“Sandy’s my cocker spaniel. Hundlin is the German-Dutch word for puppies.”

“What’s German-Dutch?” Carrie’s eyebrows furrowed as she tipped her head and stared at Will.

“German Dutch, or Pennsylvania Dutch, as some call it, is the language Amish people speak when they’re not talking English,” Pop said.

“Hmm…” Carrie reached for the plate of pickles then plunked one on her plate and one in her mouth. “Yum! This is good. I love dill pickles!”

“Everything tastes delicious,” Megan said to Mama Regina. “You really outdid yourself on this meal.”

“Thank you. Be sure to save room for dessert.”

Papa Mark nodded enthusiastically. “We’re having White Christmas Pie, and it’s one of the tastiest pies you’ll ever eat.”

“How come we’re havin’ a Christmas pie on Thanksgiving?” Carrie questioned.

“It’s a special pie my grandma used to make,” Mama Regina explained. “She used to fix it on Thanksgiving so we’d be reminded that Christmas was just around the corner.”

Kim’s freckled nose turned up as she looked at the kitchen door and squinted. “Christmas has corners?”

Everyone laughed, including Will. He was actually beginning to relax a bit.

“‘Around the corner’ means it’s coming soon,” Pop explained. He looked at Kim with such affection that it pricked Will’s heart. These two girls had been given the privilege of growing up with their real father. Will had been cheated of that opportunity.

“Do you fix White Christmas Pie again at Christmas?” Megan asked Mama Regina.

“Yes, it’s a family tradition.” Mama Regina looked over at Karen and smiled. “I’m hoping my future daughter-in-law will continue with the tradition after she and Will are married next month.”

“I’d be happy to keep up the tradition,” Karen said, “but I’ll need the recipe for the pie.”

Papa Mark chuckled. “My wife has made that pie so many times I think she knows the recipe by heart.”

Pop scratched the side of his head. “White Christmas Pie. Didn’t you serve that when Will and I spent Christmas with you sixteen years ago?”

Mama Regina nodded.

Pop looked over at Will. “Do you remember that, son?”

Will gave a quick nod. He may have been only six years old at the time, but he remembered eating the pie. He remembered a whole lot more about that particular Christmas, too.

“That was a tough year for Will and me,” Pop said. “Having just lost Will’s mom less than a year before and then struggling to find a job that wouldn’t keep me on the road all the time…” His voice trailed off, and he blinked a couple of times.

The room got deathly quiet. Will hoped Pop wasn’t going to break down and cry.
It’s me who should be crying
, he thought ruefully.
It was me who got left behind. It was me who cried himself to sleep every night for days and days after Pop left. I’m the one who’s spent the last sixteen years wondering why my daed stopped loving me and didn’t want to be with me
.

Pop reached for his glass of water and took a drink; then he looked over at Will again. “Sixteen years is a long time. I’ve really missed you, son.”

Will’s face heated up like an oven turned on high. “If you missed me so much, then why’d you leave?”

“I had a delivery to make in Texas, and then I was going to look for another job—one that would keep me closer to home so we wouldn’t have to traipse all over creation in our home on wheels.”

“Too bad you forgot to tell me you were going.”

“I didn’t forget. I left you a note.”

“What note? I never saw any note.”

“I left it on the kitchen counter.”

Will’s eyes narrowed. “No note was found in the kitchen or anywhere else in the house.”

“I’m sure there was a note. I put it there before I left that morning. The night before, I even asked Regina to tell you that I’d be leaving a note for her to read to you.” Pop looked over at Mama Regina. “You must have found the note when you went to the kitchen to fix breakfast.”

Mama Regina shook her head. “I do remember you saying that you planned to leave Will a note, but I found no note after you left, Frank.”

Will’s lips compressed as he folded his arms. “If there had been a note, Mama Regina would have read it to me.”

“Oh, but I’m sure—”

“Forget about the note!” Will stared hard at Pop as his face became hotter. “Why didn’t you come back for me or at least send some letters? Just tell me why!”

“I—I couldn’t, Will. I—”

“Sure you could. It’s not like you weren’t able to read or write.”

Karen reached for Will’s hand under the table and gave his fingers a gentle squeeze. He knew she was trying to calm him down—probably wanted him to drop the subject before it got out of hand. But he didn’t know if he could calm down. Not until he’d said what was on his mind. Not until he got some answers.

Pop’s face turned crimson. “The reason I couldn’t write to you is because—”

“Because you didn’t care! You just dropped me off in Pennsylvania and left me with two people I barely knew.” The anger bubbling in Will’s soul spurred him on to say exactly what was on his mind. “I guess you figured you’d be happier on your own and could make a new life for yourself if I wasn’t around. I guess you cared more about your own happiness than you did mine!”

Will stopped talking long enough to draw in a quick breath. It was then that he noticed the stunned look on Megan’s face. Even Frank’s girls were wide-eyed. Karen looked mortified, and the expressions he saw on Mama Regina’s and Papa Mark’s faces let Will know they were shocked by his outburst and had been deeply hurt by what he’d said.

Will hadn’t meant to hurt his folks. Papa Mark and Mama Regina had been good to him all these years, treating him as if he were their own son. He loved them both and appreciated all they’d done for him. He couldn’t imagine how his life might have been if they hadn’t taken him in. But he was so upset right now that he couldn’t find the words to say he was sorry. And he didn’t want to say anything more to the man who used to be his father. All Will wanted was to be alone. He needed time to think. Needed time to sort out all the thoughts swirling around in his brain like windmill blades spinning in a very strong wind. Will knew if he didn’t leave the room he might say more hurtful things, so he pushed away from the table.

“Where are you going?” asked Papa Mark.

“Outside. I need some fresh air.”

“Please stay, Will. We need to talk things out.” Mama Regina’s voice was pleading.

Will shook his head. “I’ve gotta go.” He grabbed his jacket and cap from the wall peg and rushed outside.

Karen’s hand shook as she reached for her glass of water. She’d been afraid something like this would happen today. Will was just too hurt by what Frank had done to listen to anything the man had to say.

Frank groaned. “Maybe we should go. It’s obvious that Will doesn’t want to hear anything I have to say.” He looked over at Megan. “We shouldn’t have come here today. It was a big mistake.”

“No, no, we’re glad you came. Please stay,” Regina said. “Will just needs a little time to calm down and work things out in his mind. I’m sure he’ll be back soon, and then we can have our dessert and talk things through.”

Karen knew Regina was right; Will needed some time alone. Even so, she wanted to be with him—to comfort him and tell him what she thought about the way things had gone with his father.

“Let me help with the dishes,” Megan said as Regina and Karen began clearing the table.

“I appreciate the offer, but the dishes can be done after we’ve had our dessert.” Regina smiled, although it appeared to be forced. Karen was sure Will’s mother felt as much concern for Will as she did. She also knew from Mark’s and Regina’s expressions when Will had begun spouting off that they’d been hurt by some of the things he’d said. He’d made it seem as if his life had been miserable without his dad. Did Will actually think he would have been happier driving around the countryside with Frank than he had been living with a sweet, caring couple who had loved and nurtured him as if he were their own?

Tears welled in Karen’s eyes.
If Will hadn’t come to live with Mark and Regina, he and I never would have met. I need to talk to Will. I need to know if he’s sorry he joined the Amish church and asked me to marry him
.

Karen motioned to the fluffy white pies sitting on the counter across the room. “Maybe I can coax Will inside if I remind him that you made his favorite dessert.”

Regina shrugged. “It’s worth a try.”

Karen picked up one of the pies and opened the back door. She was relieved when she spotted Will sitting in a wicker chair on the other end of the porch. “Your mamm’s about to serve some of this,” she said, holding the pie out to him.