Seth had taught Kish to glue the checkerboard squares to his exacting specifications and to add the felt feet to the bottom of the board box. Jesse was helping with the staining. All that was really left for him to do was to carve the chess pieces, his favorite part of the process.
Now that everyone was trained and doing their part, the process had definitely speeded up and there didn’t seem to be any drop in quality.
Which was a gut thing, because he’d taken a leap of faith and accepted that late order for four additional boards.
He truly missed the lunchtime chess games with Phoebe. But to help him fill his orders she now accompanied him back out to the workshop as soon as they finished their meal, and she spent an hour or so working on lining the drawers and adding felt to the bottoms of the individual chess pieces. And in the afternoon when she brought him his cookie snack, she spent a little time cutting sections of velvet and stacking them neatly on an empty shelf she’d cleared for just that purpose.
On Saturday afternoon, Homer Gerber delivered the church wagon containing the benches and songbooks. Seth showed him where to park the wagon and they, along with Levi and Daniel, unhitched the draft team and gave the animals feed and a good grooming.
While the men were occupied with that Bernice Gerber, who’d followed behind in her buggy to give Homer a ride home, arrived.
Phoebe bustled out to greet her. “Kum in out of the cold,” she invited. “I have some hot cocoa on the stove for us to enjoy.”
“That sounds wonderful gut,” Bernice said as she climbed down. Then she reached back inside and fetched something from the floor of her buggy. “And I brought you just the thing to go with that cocoa—a big batch of chocolate chip peanut butter cookies.”
As the woman took off her coat and entered the kitchen, she looked around with a broad smile. “Ach, Phoebe, what a wonderful gut job you are doing here. This is beginning to look the way it did when Reba was still alive.”
“Danke. But I haven’t done much.”
“Let’s have none of that false modesty.” Edna’s voice held a note of exasperation. “You’ve added warmth to this home, and I don’t mean the kind you get from the stove.”
Phoebe didn’t know how to respond to that so she avoided saying anything at all, instead pouring up the cups of cocoa while Edna and Bernice chatted about some community news.
Later, when the menfolk trooped in, Phoebe brewed some coffee and gave everyone their choice of that or the rewarmed hot cocoa.
Once he’d finished his coffee, Homer stood. “Danke for the coffee but we’ll be going now. I know you’re busy getting everything ready.”
Once they’d seen the Gerbers off, Phoebe turned to Jesse. “I thought I’d make some paper snowflakes to hang around the wall like we did your birthday cards. Would you like to help me?”
Jesse nodded enthusiastically.
“Gut. I’ll go get my supplies. You can get the scissors from the sewing basket.”
When Phoebe returned to the kitchen, Jesse was seated at the table, waiting for her. “Have you made paper snowflakes before?” she asked the boy.
“Jah. Teacher Constance showed us how to make them last year.” Then he frowned. “I’m not sure I remember exactly how to fold the paper, though.”
“I’ll show you.” She handed him a piece of paper while she took another. Then she walked him step by step through how to square it off and then how to make the folds. Once they had the folded triangle she picked up her scissors. “Now comes the fun. We create our own patterns by making cuts on the edges.”
“I remember this part.” And Jesse began snipping at the snowflake-to-be, cutting out triangles, slashes, half circles and shapes that had no definition.
Taking her cue from him, Phoebe decided to just have fun with it. When they unfolded their creations, Phoebe gave a pleased exclamation. “These are wunderbaar!” she said as she smoothed them out. Then she picked up another sheet of paper. “What do you say we make the next ones a little smaller so we can have some variety?”
Between the two of them they made a dozen snowflakes of various patterns and sizes. They’d just finished taping them to the string when Seth stepped back inside the house.
“You’re just in time,” Phoebe said by way of greeting.
He gave her a wary look. “In time for what?”
She held up part of their handmade decoration. “We need to hang this snowflake garland.”
His expression cleared. “Of course. Where do you want to hang it?”
“I think in the living room over the open doorway would be best.” She turned to Jesse. “What do you think?”
“I agree.” His expression was thoughtful, as if he’d given the question careful consideration.
Seth was already moving toward the basement stairs. “Let me grab my hammer and some small finishing nails and I’ll be right back.”
When he returned he quickly hammered in a nail on either side of the doorway, then handed the hammer to Jesse as he turned to Phoebe. “Give me one end of the string and I’ll tie it off.”
Phoebe stepped forward with the hand holding the string outstretched. But in the process of Seth reaching for the garland he grabbed her hand as well.
Phoebe froze as her gaze flew to his. The warm tingly sensation where his hand touched hers made her pulse jump, sent the heat to her face.
Confused, she pulled her hand back and tried to gather her thoughts.
Then she realized Seth was watching her, a puzzled look on his face. Whatever it was she’d felt, he obviously hadn’t experienced it himself.
She gave him as serene a smile as she could muster and handed the other end of the string to Jesse. “Here. I think the two of you can finish this up without me. I need to get started on supper.”
And with that she made her exit.
As Seth watched Phoebe leave the room the word escape came to mind. Was it because she’d also felt that little spark when he’d accidentally grabbed her hand? It had certainly been disconcerting, but only because it was so unexpected. Surely it hadn’t meant anything more than a reaction to surprise or static electricity.
Had she read more into it than that? And for a moment, had he?
