The Gift of Joy by Kristen McKanagh

Author:Kristen McKanagh [McKanagh, Kristen]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
Published: 2022-04-26T00:00:00+00:00

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Joy let herself into her house through the mudroom after putting up the horse and buggy, her mind entirely on what had just happened with Joshua, and her feet walking on air, because she definitely wasn’t feeling the hard ground. That had not been the way a man would ever, ever kiss a sister. Joshua might not be in love with her, but at least she had got that concern all wrong.

“Joy? Is that you?” Mamm called from the kitchen.

She rounded the corner, only to stumble to a halt at the sight of Hope Kanagy and Mary Hershberger in their kitchen . . . and Mamm’s growing frown of disappointment. All three of them sat at the kitchen table with glasses of lemonade, half-drunk already, which meant they’d been here awhile.

“Did you forget you’d invited Mary and Hope over to bake, Joy?”

Only after Joshua had kissed her so nicely.

“Nae, Mamm,” she said. Then moved to her friends. “I am so sorry. I went into town to get an ingredient we were out of, but it took longer than I thought.”

She held up the brown paper bag Joshua had put the maple syrup in for her. Guilt pinched at her heart. The maple syrup wasn’t a lie. They did need it for the recipe she was going to teach Mary. Hope had learned about the lesson via Joshua telling Aaron and asked to join in. Always having liked the other girl, even more so now that she would be her sister-in-law, Joy was happy to include her.

Still, the maple syrup had been an excuse. She’d deliberately chosen a recipe she was missing an ingredient for that would take her into town so she could drop off the quilt. Mamm didn’t know about the quilts yet. Joy wasn’t entirely sure what she would say, especially now with the engagement and everything.

Best not to rock the boat. After all, technically she wasn’t doing this for the money but to help Ruth out of a tight spot.

Mary’s solemn face relaxed at her explanation. “I would have gone with you.”

“I’ll remember that next time.” Joy set the bag on the counter and started pulling out the other ingredients they’d need. “I thought we’d make a pecan pie. Mamm said I could share her secret ingredient as long as you promise to keep it secret.”

Mamm’s earlier expression eased. “Have fun, you three,” she said, and disappeared outside, no doubt to tend the garden. She was turning the soil over to remove the summer crop residue and weed growth and get ready for fall plantings.

“What’s the secret ingredient?” Mary asked once they were alone.

Joy pulled the maple syrup out of the bag and held it up with a flourish. “I add more than Mamm does, though,” Joy confessed in a conspiratorial whisper. “I always double the best part of the recipe.”

Immediately, Hope whipped out a leatherbound book of what appeared to be blank pages and wrote that down. As soon as she was finished, she slowly lifted her head to find both Mary and Joy watching, curious.

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