Love Finds You in Charm, Ohio

by Annalisa Daughety

  “Wow. That’s a big place.” Emma could see that the business encompassed several buildings. He nodded. “It seems even larger on the inside. And there’s a place inside called Carpenters Café, where you can have lunch or just a root beer float.”

  Emma smiled. “Why am I getting a feeling ice cream is one of your favorite things?”

  He shrugged. “I guess you pick up on the important stuff.” He glanced at the twins. “Who wants to go inside and have some ice cream?”

  Both girls excitedly agreed, and they headed into the cool building. While the twins were looking through the clear glass at the ice cream flavors, Emma and Noah found a small table where they could see the girls.

  “So do you enjoy your work?” Emma asked as Noah pulled her chair out for her.

  He grinned at her. “Very much. I was fortunate to work alongside Levi for a while.” He shook his head. “It’s not the same without him.” He sat down across from her.

  The sadness in his voice was evident. “I’m sorry.” She wondered if Levi had realized when he was alive what an impact he was having on those around him.

  She glanced out the huge windows. May was a beautiful time of year. The sky was clear and the sun was out. Emma sighed. On a day such as this, it was easy to forget her troubles. She closed her eyes, picturing miles of blue water.

  “Penny for your thoughts?” Noah brought her out of her daydream.

  “This is the kind of day that makes me want to see the ocean. To hear the waves crashing all around.”

  “The ocean? Have you been there?”

  She shook her head. “Only in my dreams.”

  His grin grew wider. “Someday you will.”

  The last thing she needed was encouragement in her silly ideas. Just ask Abby.

  In a few minutes the twins came to the table followed by a young waitress bearing a tray with a scoop of bubblegum ice cream in one dish and a scoop of chocolate in the other. She took their orders for root beer floats and headed off.

  “I picked bubblegum,” Katie said. “But Mary wanted chocolate.” “But I’m going to eat part of hers and she’s going to eat part of mine,” Mary explained to them. “That’s what we always do.”

  After they finished their ice cream, the four of them headed back out into the sunlight, contented and full. The twins walked in front chattering to each other.

  “Well, is this enough sightseeing for today?” Noah asked as they strolled slowly toward Lydia Ann’s store at the other end of town.

  “I think so, especially with the extra ice cream treat. This has been nice.” Her mouth turned upward in a smile. “Thank you for taking the time to show me around.”

  “It has been my pleasure. I hope you find what you’re looking for in Charm.”

  She bristled. “I’m not looking for anything here. I’m just helping out a family member who needs me.” Her words came out sharper than she intended. Why hadn’t she just kept her mouth shut? Abby always chided her for speaking without thinking.

  “I don’t mean to offend you, but I see the look in your eyes. You’re running from something.” She opened her mouth to protest, but he cut her off. “I know you don’t know me very well. And you may think it inappropriate for a near stranger to speak this way to you. But I’ve been there.” He regarded her with serious green eyes. “If you decide you need someone to talk to about things, I’ll be glad to listen.”

  Emma wrinkled her forehead and shook her head. “I’m fine.” She pushed open the door to the quilt shop and ushered the twins inside. “Thanks again for the tour.”

  He tipped his hat to her. “I suspect I’ll see you again soon.”

  She turned and watched as he walked away. He didn’t have the right to question her reasons for being here. Even if he thought he might understand. Lost in thought, she walked toward the counter.

  “Whoa. Someone has a color to her cheeks,” Lydia Ann said as Emma reached the counter. “Is that just from the sunshine… or something else?” She peered at her cousin.

  Emma shook her head. “Oh, it’s nothing.” Nothing she wanted to talk about anyway. “It was a nice tour. I think Charm is a neat town.” She smiled. “Now, what did I miss while I was gone?”

  Lydia Ann looked at her for a long moment as if she were still trying to read Emma’s expression.

  “Really,” Emma insisted, “we had a fine time. There’s nothing more to say.” There was no need to tell Lydia Ann how disconcerting it was that Noah had been able to read her so well. Months had gone by at home with her feeling downright depressed, and no one had noticed. Not Jacob, not Abby. Although, based on the conversation she’d had with Dat before coming to visit Charm, she suspected her father might’ve picked up that something wasn’t right.

  Lydia Ann finally looked satisfied. “You didn’t miss much. You have a letter from Abby, though.”

  Emma grinned. “Checking up on me again.” She shook her head. “You’ve got to hand it to her. When my sister sets her mind to something, she usually gets her way.”

  Lydia Ann laughed. “True. Things have always had a way of working out for Abby.”

  Emma eagerly tore into the letter, suddenly anxious to hear what was going on back home.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Abby

  Abby watched as Jacob divided the kids up into two teams. He always tried to make the teams even so neither side would have an easy victory. That was one of the things that she admired about him—one more of the many reasons she was so sure he would be the perfect match for Emma.

  She glanced down at the colorful quilt she was relaxing on. It was right here on this very spot, maybe even on this very quilt, that she had developed her plan to make sure Emma and Jacob both realized they belonged together.

  She sifted through the reasons again—they both loved children. Emma was an elementary school teacher, and it was the perfect job for her. She was full of energy and loved to play games and read stories to her students. And Jacob was the same way. Watching him, surrounded by kids of all ages, organizing them into teams, showed how patient he was with children. She, on the other hand, preferred selling quilts and souvenirs to the English tourists that came to town. And Emma and Jacob were both athletic. Given the choice, both of them would rather be outdoors than inside. Even as little girls, Abby had always preferred dolls and coloring, but Emma would play volleyball or kickball with the boys until mamm made her quit. Abby grinned, thinking about the time Emma had tried to convince mamm to let her wear pants so she could climb trees better.

  “Thomas, go see if David wants to play.” Jacob called to her brother. Jacob’s hair seemed to be even curlier than normal in the early-summer heat. She imagined Jacob and Emma, standing together. With Jacob’s fair hair and skin, and Emma’s dark hair and eyes, even their coloring complemented each other. Not like herself. When she and Jacob went places together, people probably assumed they were brother and sister.

  Thomas interrupted her thoughts as he came running over.

  “David can’t play because he let the dog eat half of his mamm’s pot roast and now he’s in big trouble.” Thomas gave her a grin. “Come on, Abby. We just need one more player to make the teams even. Puh-lee-z?” he begged, giving the word three syllables. “Even Sarah is playing.”

  Abby looked at the crowd of players who stood waiting for her decision. Jacob had divided them up as evenly as he could, given the disparity of ages and sizes of the players. The youngest were nine-year-old Ike Bellar and Abby’s sister Sarah, whose ninth birthday was right around the corner. Jacob was the oldest player, followed by Ike’s brothers, eighteen-year-old Jonah and fifteen-year-old Josiah.

  “I wish Emma were here.” Abby rose from the quilt she had placed on the ground in anticipation of watching the volleyball game. “I’m awful at this and every one of you knows it.”

  Thomas laughed. “Yeah, you are, but Emma isn’t here so you have to play.”

  “Stand right here.” Jacob pointed to a spot right beside hi
m. “You remember how to play, right? If the ball comes your way, you can just tap it in the air and I’ll hit it over.” He grinned at her.” Or you can pound it over the net yourself.”

  Abby took her place, trying to ignore the flutters in her stomach. Anything athletic made her so nervous. She hated looking foolish in front of others. The first few balls went to other players and she was grateful. Maybe no one would hit it to her since they all knew how bad of a player she was. She would probably miss the ball, even if it were hit right to her. As the game went on, she relaxed slightly. So far, all she had to do was move out of the way and let the players on either side of her hit the ball. Jacob was especially good about stepping in to hit any balls that came in her direction. She noticed that even Sarah was able to hit it up high enough for the taller ones to tap over the net. She must take after Emma.

  Abby was in the middle row when one of the Bellar boys from the other team served the ball. It flew through the air, aiming for her. It seemed like it was drawn to her like a magnet. Her eyes widened, but she didn’t move. Her legs felt like they were made of concrete.

  “You can do it, Abby,” Thomas hollered.

  She raised her arms up, preparing to strike. This was it. She should have known that, eventually, the ball would come her way. She closed her eyes tightly as the ball came closer. It thwacked hard against her forehead with a loud smacking sound. Pain seared through her, and she stumbled backward. Abby hit the ground with a thud so hard it knocked the breath right out of her.

  She heard the gasps from the other players. “Oh, no.” Sarah’s soft voice seemed to come from far away. “Should I go get Dat?”

  Abby hated to be the center of attention. She tried to sit up so she could stop Sarah from telling their parents, but it was too painful. She dropped back down and closed her eyes tightly, willing the pain to subside. When she finally opened her eyes, Jacob’s bright green eyes stared back. His brows were knitted together as he peered at her. His face was inches from hers. She closed her eyes again quickly.

  “Maybe you need to give her that mouth-to-mouth recesssa… recess… recess thing like the paramedics showed us at school,” Ike Bellar shouted.

  Abby could feel the blood rushing to her face. She jerked her eyes open to meet Jacob’s again. Could she be more embarrassed?

  Jacob’s mouth quirked slightly in a half smile. “No, Ike. I think she’s breathing okay.” He turned to the group hovering around her. “Maybe everyone needs to back away and give her some air, all right?”

  Abby tried to decide the best way to remove herself from this situation without becoming the laughingstock of her family and friends. She knew better than to attempt playing volleyball.

  Jacob leaned toward her again, and she could feel his breath on her face. “Just wait a couple of minutes and let me clear everyone out. Then you’ll be able to get up in peace.” He turned to Thomas and Sarah, who wore matching worried looks on their faces. “She’s fine. It just knocked the breath out of her.” He glanced at the rest of the group. “Why don’t we all take a water break while Abby gets her breath back?”

  She watched from her prone position as everyone but Jacob, Sarah, and Thomas went to get some water. Jacob reached for her hands and pulled her up to a sitting position.

  “I’m fine,” Abby said to her younger siblings. “Really. Jacob’s right, it just knocked the breath out of me.” She took Jacob’s hand, and he helped her to stand. “It’s just so embarrassing to be such a klutz.”

  “You’re not a klutz,” Jacob reassured her. “You just missed the ball. Next time, keep your hands and arms closer together.”

  “You’ve told me that all my life,” Abby grumbled. “There won’t be a next time. Sports are not my thing. And everyone here knows it.”

  Jacob grinned at her. “Yeah, I remember when we were kids and you tried to play.” He turned to Sarah. “I’ve been picking her up off the ground since before you were born, Sarah. Every time she played, it ended like this.”

  “No more volleyball?” Ike asked as the rest of the players bounded over.

  “I think I’ll just sit and watch if that’s okay.” Abby settled back down on her quilt to watch the uneven teams finish the game.

  “Drink this.” Jacob held out a glass of water. “It will make you feel all better. That and the fact that you’re officially exempt from playing.” He grinned. “Did you take that ball to the head so you’d have an excuse to leave the game?” he teased.

  She took a sip of water. “You caught me,” she said with a smile. She motioned to her still stinging forehead. “All these years, I haven’t really been klutzy, just trying to get out of playing sports.”

  He laughed. “Yeah, right.”

  “I’ll bet you’re wishing Emma was here. She could’ve helped lead your team to victory.” Abby wanted to make sure her sister stayed in the forefront of his mind. In fact, she considered it her own personal duty to make sure he didn’t forget about her.

  Jacob shrugged. “She is a good player.” He knelt down beside her. “Are you sure you’re okay?” he asked.

  She nodded. “I’ll be fine. Go play.”

  He grinned and jogged off to join the game.

  Abby held the cool water glass to her stinging head and watched as Jacob aced a serve. Her sister was a blessed girl.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Emma

  “Did Noah show you any of the bookmobile stops?” Lydia Ann asked as they tidied up from a rush of afternoon tourists.

  “No.” Emma’s sprits rose at the thought of library books. “Please tell me where it will be, though. I’ve always loved to read.”

  Lydia Ann laughed. “I believe that’s the most excited I’ve seen you today. One of the stops isn’t too far from the shop, at Charm School. You can walk there. I’m not sure which days it will be there, though.”

  Emma smiled. “Great. I think I’ll walk over later this afternoon and see if I can find it. I’d love to have a good book to read.” She sighed.

  Lydia Ann was silent for a long moment. “Are you sure everything went okay with Noah? You’ve been awfully quiet since you went sightseeing. Did he say something to upset you?” Her brown eyes were full of concern. “Because that isn’t like him.”

  Emma shrugged. “Not really. He just…” she trailed off. “He wanted to know what I was running from.”

  Lydia Ann stopped folding a yellow and pink baby quilt and looked at Emma. “Well? I didn’t want to be nosy as soon as you stepped foot in town, but I’m sort of wondering that myself.”

  Emma shook her head. “It isn’t exactly like that.” She sank onto a stool behind the counter. “I guess I’m having a hard time accepting that this is really my life.” She gave a lopsided smile. “That sounds silly, I know. It’s just that I’ve spent my whole life waiting on something to happen to me, you know? And now I find that it’s time for me to grow up and join the church and marry some suitable young man.” She felt the tears welling up in her eyes. “But I’m not ready. I still feel like I haven’t learned who I am yet.”

  Lydia Ann was quiet for long moment. “Your feelings aren’t out of place.” She walked around the counter and grasped Emma’s hand. “I hope you do figure things out. And you’re welcome to stay with me as long as you need while doing so.”

  Emma was relieved. She’d been afraid Lydia Ann would react like Abby and just try and gloss over everything. If there was one thing she didn’t need, it was another person treating her as if she were somehow tarnished because she had questions that needed answering. She knew herself well enough to know that, even if she ignored them, they wouldn’t go away. The doubts would linger, and that was a burden she didn’t want to spend a lifetime bearing.

  “Thanks.” She rose from the wooden stool. “Do you mind if I walk down to see if the bookmobile is there? I’ll be right back.”

  “Sure.” Lydia Ann smiled. “Here, take my library card and check out a couple of books for the twins.” She shuffled through a dra
wer and came up with a plastic card. “They love to have new books to look through.” She gestured around the store. “And now that the rush is over, the rest of the afternoon will probably be slow, so take your time.”

  Card in hand, Emma walked quickly in the direction Lydia Ann had pointed. She hoped the bookmobile would be there today. She had to laugh at herself over how thrilled she was at the prospect of something new to read.

  She’d grown up reading the classics. Little Women had transported her into a world where she’d imagined herself as Jo, the fiery oldest sister. The Secret Garden had made her long for a garden retreat of her own. The Diary of Anne Frank had made her feel as if she could actually see the secret staircase behind which Anne and her family lived. Of course, in recent years, she’d been mesmerized by stories of love—lost and found. Gone with the Wind had delighted her until the end. Even now, she liked to pretend that Rhett and Scarlett had remained happy and together. Jane Austen was one of her favorite authors, and Emma never could decide which kind of man she’d rather meet. Right now, it was a toss-up between Mr. Darcy and Mr. Knightley.

  As soon as she saw the bookmobile, she developed a spring in her step. It was a treat that it happened to be there today. She stopped in her tracks when she heard the sounds coming from inside the bookmobile. Great sobs, the kind that come when a heart is breaking. For a moment, Emma hesitated. Maybe she should come back later. She nervously looked around. Not a soul in sight. She sighed. The proper thing to do would be to leave. She didn’t want to intrude on what was obviously a private moment.

  She thought of Lydia Ann, telling her about the community coming together to support her after her husband’s death. Maybe the right thing to do was to go inside and see if she could be of help. She squared her shoulders and stepped inside.

  An English girl about her age was crumpled in a heap of books, her shoulders shaking. Her long, wavy red hair flowed around her shoulders. She wore denim pants that came right below her knees, a bright green tank top, and flip-flops on her feet. As if sensing that someone had entered, she looked up with red-rimmed eyes.