Love Finds You in Charm, Ohio

by Annalisa Daughety

  “S–sorry,” she stammered and tugged on a lock of red hair. Before Emma could say a word, the girl hiccupped and grasped a shelf above her. As she pulled herself up, the shelf slid forward and books spilled all around her. The clattering noise they made as they hit the floor seemed to ricochet around the inside of the makeshift library.

  When silence settled like a blanket on the room, Emma and the girl stared at each other. A dimple appeared in the girl’s cheek for a brief second, but it was enough to set Emma’s mouth to twitching. Suddenly they were both laughing uncontrollably.

  “I’m sorry,” the redhead gasped finally. “You must think I’m crazy.”

  Emma shook her head as her own chuckles stopped. She’d forgotten how good it felt to just let the laughter come. “Sometimes you just have to laugh.”

  The girl nodded, tears still wet on her cheeks. “Have you ever felt like your life was falling apart?”

  Emma reached down to pick up a book to buy time. She considered offering a platitude about God taking care of everything. Instead, she straightened and met the girl’s green-eyed gaze directly. “Unfortunately, yes.”

  The girl motioned toward the shelf and books on the floor. “And then it seems like everything you touch starts falling apart, too?” She swiped at her cheeks with the back of her hand. “That seems to be my life these days.” She rose daintily from the midst of the chaos, careful not to touch anything around her. “I’m Kelly, by the way.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  Kelly

  How mortifying. Not a single person had stepped foot into the bookmobile all day. And, of course, right when Kelly decided to have a tiny nervous breakdown, someone decided they needed a library book. A cry fest right in the middle of a bookmobile—and on her first day on the job—wasn’t exactly what she had planned when she’d gotten out of bed this morning.

  It was all supposed to have been so simple. She’d driven to Millersburg that morning, picked up the bookmobile, and gone on the scheduled route. After an hour or two in each place, she was supposed to move on to her next scheduled stop. Easy, breezy.

  Except for the barrage of text messages she’d gotten from Nick, proclaiming his undying love and pleading for a second chance. And then, she’d received an e-mail from her mother, who said she’d met her very own Adonis and was being wined and dined all over Italy. The phone call from her dad had been the final straw. She should’ve known better than to answer it. He’d offered a flimsy excuse for missing her college graduation. He’d been out of town for work. Most dads would find a way to take a few hours off and watch their only daughter graduate. But not him. Clearly, work came first, as it always had.

  She glared at her iPhone. It had been the bearer of each of those things. They say don’t shoot the messenger, but she was sorely tempted to toss it out of the window on the trip back to Millersburg to pick up her SUV.

  She glanced at the Amish girl, who stood watching her, undoubtedly shell-shocked from witnessing such an emotional outburst. Did Amish people have emotional outbursts? Kelly wasn’t sure.

  The girl wore a long, light blue dress with a matching apron, which nearly reached the floor. Clean, white tennis shoes peeked out from underneath the hem. A white cap covered her head, but Kelly could see the pretty auburn color of her hair. The young woman stepped forward and offered Kelly her hand. “Nice to meet you. I’m Emma Miller,” she said with a faint accent. Pennsylvania Dutch, Kelly thought, but again, she wasn’t certain. Maybe she should’ve picked up an Amish for Dummies book before she came to town.

  Kelly shook Emma’s outstretched hand, surprised at the firm grip. She would’ve expected something softer from this gentle-looking girl.

  Emma pointed at the shelf and books on the ground. “And I believe I understand exactly what you mean about everything you touch falling apart.” She gave a wry smile. “I have that same problem.”

  Kelly seriously doubted it. What kind of turmoil could this girl possibly have? “Well, please feel free to look around. I’ll just stack these up.”

  Emma was at her side in a flash. “I’ll help. It will go much quicker that way.”

  “Thanks.” Kelly was taken aback. She was used to doing things on her own. Her mind drifted back to the day she’d moved out of the dorm. So many boxes, so few hands to help lift them. She’d been jealous of her classmates, who were surrounded by laughing family members, all pitching in to help their respective graduates move on to the next chapter of their lives. But she’d only had Michelle and Michelle’s parents to help.

  “I’m glad to finally meet someone from Charm,” Kelly said once they had restored order to the pile of books. “I’ve only been in town for a week, but I haven’t really met anyone local yet.” With the exception of a few guests at the One Charming Inn, she’d only had Aunt Irene to talk to.

  Emma looked sheepish. “Oh, I’m not from Charm. I’m just staying here for the summer.” She brightened. “I arrived last week as well.”

  “Cool.” Kelly smiled. “Guess we’re both newcomers then.” She sighed.

  “Um,” Emma started, “I don’t mean to be rude, but you have black streaks running down your face.”

  Kelly groaned. “This stupid mascara is supposed to be waterproof.” She grabbed her red bag from where it sat on the counter and began digging through it. She finally came up with a compact and looked at herself in the mirror. Not only did she have mascara smeared down her face, but her eyes were also red and puffy. She sank to the floor again. “I have to apologize for the way I look.” She began trying to wipe the smears away. “It’s been a bad day.” She looked up at Emma. “Oh, who am I kidding? It’s been a bad year.”

  Emma flashed a tentative smile. “I heard you crying. Are you okay?”

  Kelly took a deep breath. “No, but I will be. Someday. At least that’s what they tell me.”

  “They?” asked Emma.

  “You know.” Kelly shrugged. “All of those well-meaning people who say that they understand how I feel or who say they’ve been where I am.”

  “And, exactly where is that?”

  Kelly grimaced. “If I only knew.” She glanced up at Emma’s serious expression. Great. She’d freaked out the Amish girl. “Don’t worry about me, though. Really.”

  Emma bit her lip. “So, what brought you to Charm?”

  Kelly explained about Aunt Irene and the inn. She left out the philandering boyfriend and abandoning parents. No need to delve into those stories.

  “It’s nice that you’re helping your aunt. I’m sure she appreciates it.”

  “Yeah. It’s nice to be able to help her. She doesn’t have any kids of her own, so when my gram mentioned it, I jumped at the chance.” She pulled at her tank top strap. It wasn’t revealing or anything, but next to Emma, she felt very underdressed. “Plus, I’m saving money for graduate school.”

  “Oh? What are you going to study?”

  “Believe it or not, library science.” Kelly gestured around the bookmobile. “So this is sort of a practice run, so to speak.”

  “I see.” Emma gave a slow smile. “I think it would be fun to work among books all day.” She looked wistful. “And to go to college.” The last part was said with such sadness, Kelly felt a tinge of embarrassment. From the little she knew from Aunt Irene, most Amish young people only went to school through the eighth grade. After that, they joined the workforce and were trained for their specific jobs.

  “I guess.”

  The twangy sound of Rascal Flatts made both girls jump. Kelly pulled her cell phone out of her pocket. “Sorry. Text message.” She pushed a button to read the message. “Grrr.” She rolled her eyes.

  Emma looked at her with interest. “Is everything okay?”

  “Actually, no.” She held up her phone. “He makes me want to scream.”

  “Must be boyfriend troubles.”

  “Ex-boyfriend, actually. But trouble with a capital T.” Kelly sank down onto a stepstool and put her head in her hands.

&n
bsp; “My sister says that emotional outbursts aren’t good. But I think when you hold things inside for too long, it could make you feel even worse.” Emma plopped down onto the bookmobile floor. “Why don’t you tell me your troubles?”

  Kelly managed a tiny smile. “You sure you want to hear?” She was surprised by how happy she was to have some company. And there was something about Emma that she immediately liked. It was kind of like freshman year, when she’d met Michelle for the first time. Some people you just instinctively know would be good friends.

  Emma nodded. “I’m a great listener.”

  The door to the bookmobile burst open. A little boy who looked to be about five years old entered with a young Amish woman. Kelly jumped up to greet them.

  The woman pointed at the child. “Do you have any books for a new reader?”

  “The children’s books are in this section,” she said, pointing to three shelves filled with brightly colored books.

  The child began eagerly pulling books from the shelf and handing them to the woman.

  Kelly walked over to where Emma had risen from her spot on the floor. “Maybe things are finally going to get busy around here.”

  “At least that will keep your mind off of things.” Emma smiled.

  “Right. At least until the next text message. If I were smart, I’d just turn the thing off.” She gave Emma a sheepish grin. “But it’s hard to do. Listen, there’s only one person staying at the inn right now, so Aunt Irene won’t need my help tonight. Any chance you might like to meet me at the Homestead?” The restaurant was one of the few places in town to get a meal. In one of the travel guides she’d found at the inn, Kelly had read good reviews of the food and service.

  “I’ve never been there.” Emma paused. “Let me check with my cousin first. I need to make sure she didn’t have anything planned.”

  “Okay. How about this? I’ll be in the parking lot of the Homestead around five. If you’re able to make it, just meet me there. Otherwise, I can just eat by myself.” Kelly really hoped Emma could make it. She’d never been one of those people who was comfortable eating alone.

  “That sounds good. And I’m sure Lydia Ann won’t mind. I just need to run it by her first.” Emma smiled.

  “Hope to see you at five then.” Kelly watched as Emma stepped out of the bookmobile and set off down the street.

  Who would’ve thought that she’d make friends with an Amish girl? Kelly was thrilled to have potential plans, no matter who they were with. And Emma seemed nice. Different from anyone she’d known before, but that was probably a good thing. After all, hadn’t Kelly come to Charm for a change of pace?

  Chapter Sixteen

  Emma

  The surprise was written all over Lydia Ann’s face. “An English girl?” she’d asked. “What could you possibly have to talk to her about?”

  “Ach, Lydia Ann. You sound like Abby. Kelly is new in town, just like me,” Emma had said as they gathered the little girls’ toys and prepared things for the trip back to Lydia Ann’s house.

  “Okay.” Lydia Ann had shrugged. “I guess I do have some friends who are Englishers. But they’re older.”

  Emma wasn’t sure what that had to do with anything. But she’d finally convinced Lydia Ann that she’d be fine. She wasn’t running off to live among the English or anything. Just meeting what seemed to be a sad, lonely girl at a restaurant.

  She was happy to walk to the Homestead, since it was a nice evening. The sun was still out, and the warm breeze seemed to carry Emma along. Besides, it wasn’t too far from Lydia Ann’s shop. Emma planned on asking Kelly to give her a ride home.

  She passed the Charm General Store and remembered Noah telling her about their ice cream. She smiled in spite of herself. He’d certainly gotten under her skin.

  “Hey!” Kelly was sitting on a wooden bench in front of the restaurant. She rose as Emma walked near. “I’m glad you were able to come. I wish I were one of those people who didn’t feel stupid eating out alone, but I’ve never been able to do that.”

  Emma laughed. “I don’t blame you. Although, every now and then, I think that might be kind of peaceful.”

  They made their way inside. There were several people seated at tables, likely tourists from the assortment of states represented on the license plates in the parking lot. Even so, the place wasn’t too crowded, and Emma spotted a number of empty tables. The young Amish hostess showed them to a table for two near a window and handed them menus.

  “Did your afternoon get busier after I left?” Emma inquired after a few minutes of silence as they looked at the menus. She’d already decided on the fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and green beans. Her mouth watered at the thought.

  “Not too much. A few more people.” Kelly twisted her red hair into a bun and secured it with a ponytail holder she’d had on her wrist. “Maybe people have to get used to the new schedule or something.”

  “Maybe. And I realized after I left that I didn’t even check out a book. Next time the bookmobile is in town I will.” Emma grinned.

  “I’m so sorry.” Kelly groaned. “It’s my fault for distracting you with my dramatics.”

  The waitress came over and took their orders. She left steaming rolls and apple butter on the table. “Yummy.” Kelly plucked a roll from the basket and put a heaping serving of apple butter on it. “This may be the best thing I’ve ever put in my mouth,” she said after she took a bite.

  Emma grinned. “You should taste my mamm’s cooking. I enjoy eating out sometimes, but nothing can compare to her meals.” This was the truth. Emma had tried for years to learn to cook like Mamm. Abby could replicate a few of the dishes, but so far, Emma’s didn’t quite have the same touch.

  “Well, my mother considers boiling water to be cooking.” Kelly shook her head. “Let’s just say that I hope I didn’t get my domestic ability from her.” She took another bite of bread. “Although, I’m afraid that I did. I can’t even make toast without burning it.”

  “I’m the same way.”

  Kelly narrowed her eyes.

  “Okay, maybe I can make toast.” Emma grinned. “But I’m certainly not the cook my mamm is—or my sister.”

  “I thought all Amish women were supposed to be fantastic cooks.”

  Emma laughed. “Yes, it seems that way. Except for maybe me.” She shrugged. “My mammi always says it will come to me in time. When Abby and I were small, we’d go stay at her house and she’d try to teach us to make homemade bread.”

  “Mammi?”

  “My mamm’s mother.” Emma grinned. “Bread and dessert are about the only things I cook well.” She grinned. “I just hope by the time I have a family of my own, I’ll have finally learned, otherwise my family will have to live off of rolls and cakes.”

  Kelly’s green eyes clouded over. “So are you about to get married or something?”

  Emma was taken aback. “No. Not at all.” She thought for a moment about Abby’s insistence that she and Jacob would be published in the fall. Why couldn’t her sister leave well enough alone?

  “Oh.” Kelly sighed. “Me neither. In fact, I’m light years away.”

  The waitress appeared at their table with two steaming platters. “Who had the fried chicken?” she asked.

  Emma raised a hand. “I did. Danki,” she said as the heaping plate was placed in front of her. “Your meat loaf looks delicious,” Emma said, eyeing Kelly’s plate as the waitress set it down.

  Emma bowed her head and said a silent prayer for her food. When she opened her eyes, Kelly was watching her curiously. Emma smiled. “Just thanking God for my meal.”

  Kelly nodded. “I figured. It’s nice that you remember to do that.” She looked glum.

  “Well, it has become second nature to me, I guess. I talk to God throughout the day.” Emma shrugged. “So it seems natural for me to thank Him for the blessing of food before I eat it.”

  Kelly gave her a tiny smile. “That’s cool.” She took a bite of meat loaf.
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br />   It had been a long time since Emma had met any new people. In fact, she’d been around most everyone in her community her whole life. And most of them had experienced similar upbringings to hers. She wasn’t sure what to talk to Kelly about. Maybe Lydia Ann was right. Having only their new-in-town status in common might not get them very far, conversation wise. Emma took a bite of her potatoes. Not as delicious as Mamm’s, but very good. “So, where did you grow up?” she finally asked Kelly.

  “Cincinnati. But I’d always wanted to attend Ohio State for college, so I live in Columbus now.” She paused for a drink of water. “My parents met there. I guess that is one reason why I chose the school. I grew up hearing stories about their college days and it sounded so much fun.”

  “And was it?”

  “Yes. And no.” Kelly smiled. “I know how that must sound. The first couple of years were great. I loved finally feeling like I was on my own. And then I started dating Nick. That all went well for a little while.”

  “Nick is your…?” Emma trailed off.

  “Oh. He’s my ex.” She rolled her eyes. “The one I got the text message from while you were in the bookmobile.” She shook her head. “He has been texting me like crazy. Especially once he figured out that I wouldn’t actually answer his phone calls. Since then, it’s been non-stop texts.” She looked quizzically at Emma. “Do you know about texting?”

  Emma grinned. “Believe it or not, there are some Amish people who have cell phones. Of course, it is for business purposes, but still. It is becoming more common to see.” She pushed her green beans around the plate with her fork. “I don’t have one or anything. And I’ve never sent a text message. But I know the concept.”

  “Well, sometimes I wish texting had never been invented. I mean, don’t get me wrong. Sometimes it’s great to be constantly connected.” She picked up her phone from where it was lying on the table. “But the downside is I can’t ever really get away,” she said with disgust.