An Amish Country Christmas Read Online Free Page A

sides of the road, the snow-covered pastures
     sparkled and tall evergreens and cedars swayed in the breeze. When they came within
     sight of his uncle’s orchard, Bram slowed down. Rows and rows of apple trees covered
     the hillside, with their lower branches supported by stout wooden braces. “Can’t say
     I’ve ever come in from this direction,” he remarked. “Uncle Abe’s orchard looks to
     be doing well.”
    “What with his preaching duties taking up so much time, he hires a bunch of us young
     folks to do his picking in the fall,” Mary replied. “Does so much business, he’s gone
     from a roadside stand to a building with sale tables. Sells the honey from his bees
     and lets local folks bring in their pumpkins, squash, and what-not to sell there,
     too.”
    “Gee, Felix.” As the horse turned to enter the long lane, Bram took in the old white
     house with its fieldstone foundation. Smoke curled out of the chimney and the horses
     in the barnyard came to the fence to watch them approach, their ears pricked forward.
    “Why am I not surprised to see Uncle Abe out here, like he’s waitin’ for us?” Bram
     remarked. “Stayin’ out of the aunt’s way while she’s cookin’, no doubt.”
    Mary’s soft laughter and pink cheeks teased at him. How her eyes sparkled with anticipation
     . . . promises and secrets to share with him later.
    “Seems you boys picked up a lot more than new rigs today,” Uncle Abe remarked as he
     came through the barnyard gate. As he held his broad-brimmed hat in a gust of wind,
     his beard rippled over his dark blue barn coat. “Not sure who’s driving Mary and who’s
     with Martha, but then, life’s got its little mysteries, ain’t so? How are you, girls?”
    “We’re gut , denki ,” Mary replied as she daintily stepped down.
    “ Jah , mighty glad your nephews came into town,” Martha added. “Merry Christmas to you,
     Preacher Abe.”
    “And pass the same along to your families.” Uncle Abe looked a little heavier than
     last time Bram had seen him, and his bushy hair had gone from gray to white, but he
     seemed genuinely pleased to see them. “Guess I should warn you that your aunt’s in
     a stew, figuring you should’ve been here for dinner this noon. I reminded her that
     we were young once, too—about a hundred years ago.”
    “Not every day you run across the likes of the Coblentz twins,” Bram said as he shook
     his uncle’s gloved hand. “What do you think of these rigs? Seems to me James Graber
     did a fine job on them.”
    Uncle Abe stroked Felix’s shoulder before he circled the buggy, nodding, and then
     gave his attention to Nate’s sleigh. “Nobody builds a better ride than our James.
     Seems you young bucks have outdone yourself with these horses, too. Auctioneering
     and training must suit you, that you’re doing so well.”
    “Bram found us these geldings while he was working a couple of sales,” Nate remarked
     with a nod. “And then I made quick work of training them to pull our rigs.”
    Bram was thoroughly enjoying this chat, but when the kitchen door opened and his aunt
     stepped onto the side porch, he knew it was time to stop stalling. “Merry Christmas
     to you, Aunt Beulah Mae!” he called over to her.
    “ Jah , late as it’s getting, I was wondering if Christmas might be here and gone before
     you boys showed up,” came her reply. “But I see now who might’ve led your gut intentions astray. Mary and Martha are known for distracting the fellows around here.
     Mary bakes me a lot of cookies, though.”
    “ Jah , we’ve found that out.” Bram chuckled, exchanging a knowing smile with the young
     woman at his side.
    “Get yourselves inside now, before you catch your death in this cold wind,” Aunt Beulah
     Mae instructed. “I’ll put on water for some cocoa and we can visit.”
    “Can’t argue with that,” Abe said, waving the four of them toward the house. “Or at
     least we’d better not.”
    Bram