Love Finds You in Charm, Ohio

by Annalisa Daughety

  “You do?” she asked.

  “I left Charm for a while a few years ago. I went and lived with a childhood friend who’d left the faith.”

  She looked at him with wide eyes. “Where did you live?”

  “Cleveland. And it wasn’t all bad. I traveled some. Tried to fit in.” He looked over at her. “But it didn’t change who I was. I still knew right from wrong.” He shook his head. “It was just stupid. I tried to be someone I’m not. It didn’t work out very well.”

  “But you came back.”

  He grimaced. “I had to go through some pretty awful stuff before I decided to come back.” He met her gaze. “Someday I’ll tell you the whole sordid story.” He motioned toward the town. “It’s getting dark and I should get you home.” He grinned. “Besides, if we get to Lydia Ann’s soon, we’ll be able to see the twins before they go to bed.”

  “You care a lot about them, don’t you?”

  He nodded. “I intend to make sure they always know what a great man their dat was. Plus, they’re so funny.”

  For a moment, the only sound was the clip-clop of the horse’s hooves. Emma looked at Noah’s profile. “Thanks for the ride.”

  He gave her a sideways grin as he prompted the horse to trot. “Tell you what. How about we go fishing soon? Maybe Saturday afternoon? That’ll give me the chance to see your hook-baiting skills.”

  “Sounds like fun.” Emma’s mouth turned upward in a smile. “As long as you’re prepared for the possibility of being out fished.”

  He laughed. “I can take it.”

  Emma leaned against the seat and enjoyed the wind against her face. She was already looking forward to Saturday.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Abby

  “Excuse me, ma’am.” Abby tapped the elegant, blonde Englisher gently on the shoulder. “Is this your child?” She nodded toward the young girl beside her. “She said she is looking for her mother.”

  “Oh, my goodness.” The blonde reached for the child’s hand. “Caitlin, I told you to stay right here while I looked at these quilts. Why did you run off?”

  The little girl wiped a tear from her cheek. “I was bored, Mommy. You told me to stay here, but there’s nothing to do.” She pulled her hand from her mother’s. “And I wanted to do something.” Her voice rose to a howl. “I’m tired of being here. I want some ice cream.” Then, taking her voice to a new decibel, she yelled, “Ice cream, ice cream, Mommy. You promised.”

  Abby stifled the urge to cover her ears. It had been this way all day. Irritable children, rude customers. It seemed like some days were just so much worse than others. Must have been a full moon last night. She could barely wait to put the CLOSED sign on the door and head for the peaceful confines of her home. Even doing her chores would be a relief after this day.

  The woman looked at Abby apologetically. “Sorry. She’s had to spend most of the day in and out of quilt and antique stores.”

  Caitlin began running up and down the aisle, pulling random objects from the shelf and knocking them to the ground.

  “Caitlin Marie Chandler. Stop that right now. Mommy is not going to get you any ice cream.”

  Abby knew an empty threat when she heard one. The woman’s attention was already on a blue and yellow quilt. Caitlin continued her run through the store. Objects fell to the floor with a smack. Abby rounded the corner, thinking she would cut the child off, but the little girl was too fast. She stuck her tongue out at Abby as she rushed past. Abby sighed. She knew when she was beat. The woman finally made her selection and checked out. Abby watched as she grabbed Caitlin’s hand and led the grumbling child out the door.

  She was relieved when it was time to lock up, even though there was quite a bit of cleaning to do, thanks to the tantrum. She bustled about, cleaning the aisles. Finally. She straightened her light blue dress and tried to tuck a few wayward strands of blonde hair into her kapp. It was no use. This day had left her feeling as if she’d been through a tornado.

  Both tourists and locals were strolling down the sidewalk as Abby stepped out into the warm, summer air. She took a deep breath and turned toward home. Now that the days were longer, she had plenty of daylight left to walk the short distance.

  “Hey, Abby!”

  She recognized the voice and glanced over her shoulder at Jacob, who was walking up behind her. “Hi, Jacob.”

  “Rough day?” His sympathetic voice soothed her frayed nerves. “You look like you could use a ride home.”

  “Well…I was just thinking about how tired I am. There must have been a full moon or something last night.” Abby pushed a curl back under her kapp. “A ride home would be great.”

  Jacob escorted her to the buggy and gave her a hand up. “If you aren’t in a hurry, maybe we can go for a drive.” He grinned.

  “I’m in no hurry. In fact it’ll be nice to relax a bit before I get home.” Abby smoothed her apron. “Mamm won’t be worried. Sometimes when I walk home I stop at the park and feed the geese.”

  Jacob smiled. “You won’t be any later than usual, then.”

  “Oh, I don’t mind.” This was a great opportunity to mention her sister. And to remind Jacob that they were perfect for each other. She cleared her throat. “Have you written Emma yet?”

  “Emma?” Jacob glanced at her. “No, why? She hasn’t been gone all that long.” He looked back at the road. “Besides, she hasn’t written me either.” He shrugged. “Anyway, she’s the one who chose to leave.”

  Abby searched her mind for the proper response. Surely, Jacob wasn’t going to just let Emma go without a word. “Well, yes, but you could at least write her and remind her that you’re here.”

  “Abby, she’s known me all my life. She knows I’m here.” Jacob sounded exasperated. “Where else would I go?”

  “Maybe you should go to Charm and visit her.” As soon as the words left Abby’s mouth, she was positive that was the perfect answer. “That’s it! Why don’t you go to Charm?” What better way to convince Emma that they were perfect for each other. Abby could see it all now, Jacob pulling up in front of Lydia Ann’s house, sweeping Emma off her feet. How romantic. He would probably ask Emma to marry him right there. Lost in her daydream, she barely heard Jacob’s answer.

  “Abby, I have a job. Remember? I can’t just pack up and leave. Besides, I don’t really want to go to Charm.” Jacob raised his eyebrows. “So what happened at work today to make you so tired?”

  Abby recounted the story of the missing little girl and her temper tantrum. “And you know the worst part?” She didn’t wait for his answer. “The mother didn’t even realize she was gone.” Abby shook her head. “How can you not miss someone you love?”

  “Come on, Abby,” Jacob chided her. “The child was probably only gone for a few minutes. Besides, it isn’t like she left the store or anything.” He glanced over at her. “Since it’s been such a tough day, how about we grab some ice cream?”

  She considered the chores that were waiting on her at home. Grabbing ice cream in the afternoon was more like something Emma would do. But maybe it was time she learned to be more spontaneous. “Yum. That sounds nice. Let’s do it.”

  Jacob turned the buggy toward the local dairy bar.

  She tried to relax against the seat and forget about her day. Her mind drifted back to her plan to get Jacob and Emma together. After a moment, she decided to try a new tactic. “Jacob?”

  He kept his eyes on the road. “What is it? Did you change your mind about the ice cream?”

  “No. Actually…I was just thinking how exciting it would be for Emma if you showed up unexpectedly and surprised her.” Abby tried to gauge his reaction. “You could stay with your aunt and uncle who live in Sugarcreek. That wouldn’t be a bad drive.”

  “Ah, I get it. You are missing Emma so much that you want me to take you to visit her.” He glanced at her. “Is that it?” He smiled. “Or are you just like that little girl today, so bored here with only me for company that you want to go t
o Charm yourself?”

  “No. Of course not.” Abby shook her head. “I’m not bored.”

  “Good.” He pulled the buggy into the parking lot. “Sit tight,” he said. “A small vanilla cone?” He grinned.

  Every time she came here, she always ordered the same thing. It was thoughtful of him to remember. “Sounds great.” She watched as he placed the order at the window. He turned and gave her a wave as he waited. Abby couldn’t help but smile. Her tense day was a thing of the past.

  Chapter Twenty

  Kelly

  A loud noise filled the room and Kelly sat straight up in bed, her heart pounding. Get under the bed, her mind screamed. She flung the bright blue quilt back and jumped out of the bed. As her bare feet hit the cold hardwood floor, reality brought her to her senses. She wasn’t in the city, where gunshots in the night might be possible. She was in the small town of Charm, where they were much less likely. The noise that had so rudely awakened her sounded again. This time, it was easily identified as knocks on the door to her room. But who would knock on her door at—she plucked her cell phone from the nightstand and peered at it—nine a.m. She wasn’t due at the bookmobile today. Surely Aunt Irene hadn’t gotten mixed up and thought she was supposed to be on the way to pick it up. Aunt Irene! What if something was wrong with her? Kelly threw a robe over her shorts and T-shirt and dashed to the door, scuffing her feet into a pair of flip-flops.

  “Aunt Irene?” she asked, as she flung the door open. Instead of her demure, white-haired aunt, she was face-to-chest with a well-developed set of pecs encased in a Hollister T-shirt. Her eyes traveled upward to the amused light blue eyes of Nick Williams.

  “Nick! What are you doing here at the crack of dawn?” She tried to slam the door shut, but he reached out and stopped it

  “Hey,” he said in the slow, sexy way she’d always found irresistible. Especially when he accompanied it with that half-smile where one corner of his mouth quirked up. “I heard you were out here in Timbuktu, and I came to rescue you.”

  “What makes you think I want to be rescued?” It would be better if she didn’t sound so breathless. She swallowed and tried again. “I’m fine. I came here on purpose. I’m helping my aunt. And how did you find my room anyway?”

  He dropped the smile and opted for a serious, steady gaze. Another look once guaranteed to get past her guard. Over the years they’d been dating, she’d seen all of his looks.

  “I have a reservation, if you must know. My room is just down the hall. Once I came upstairs, I did a little exploring. Since this was the only closed door, I took a gamble that you were behind it.” He winked at her. “Must be fate, don’t you think?”

  He had made a reservation here? Ugh. And of course, Aunt Irene wouldn’t recognize his name and think to warn her. She gave him a steely gaze. He had some nerve.

  Nick seemed to sense that he was quickly losing ground. “Listen, can we go somewhere and talk? I mean, seriously? We really need to get the air cleared.” His voice was pleading.

  “Yeah. The air between us was pretty full of someone named Heather the last time I looked,” she answered tartly. “What happened? Did she dump you?”

  “Please?” He extended a hand. “Get dressed and come out for breakfast. I promise, if you hear me out then send me on my way, I’ll never bother you again.”

  “If it’s the only way to get rid of you,” she answered grudgingly, “I’ll go. Now get downstairs and let me get dressed.”

  A brilliant smile lit his face, but he didn’t attempt to touch her. Instead, he turned and strode downstairs.

  She slammed the door behind him, seething. Who did he think he was, showing up like this? She took her time getting ready, making sure her makeup was perfect and every hair was in place. She ruffled through the closet, looking for the perfect outfit. After three tries, she finally settled on a pair of khaki shorts and a blue strappy tank top. She slipped on some brown wedge sandals and looked in the mirror one last time. Not bad. She plopped her sunglasses on top of her head and stuffed her cell phone in her tiny purse. Time to go face the jury.

  Nick had always been hypercritical about the way she looked. Whenever her appearance didn’t meet his standards, he’d let her know. She mentally marshaled her forces. Sending Nick packing should be a pleasure, but she’d tried so many times. He was harder to get rid of than a boomerang. Except when he wanted out. And he certainly was a woman magnet, adding the lure of wealth to the charisma and good looks he possessed. That had always been the problem for Kelly. She knew from the bitter experience of her parents’ marriage that one partner being faithful wasn’t good enough. No matter how faithful. And she refused to live her parents’ life. Nope. The trouble was, Nick had perfected the knack of acting like the sun rose and set with her when it suited his cause. And she would break down and buy into it, only to find out—the hard way—that it was just that. An act. Not today, though. She’d had it. She stepped into the inn’s drawing room, and Nick sprang to his feet.

  “Country air becomes you, Kel,” he said as he opened the door and stood back for her to exit. Instead, she turned to her aunt, who was sipping a cup of coffee and working the puzzle from the paper.

  “I’ll be back soon, Aunt Irene.” She dropped a kiss onto her wrinkled cheek.

  “Take your time, sweetie.” Her aunt glanced up with a smile before returning to her puzzle. “We’ll get to those flowers later this week. Today, you should just enjoy yourself.”

  Nick held the door of a shiny black Jeep Wrangler and slammed it shut once she’d gotten inside.

  “This is new since I saw you last,” Kelly observed. Nick usually went for smooth sports cars. This rough and tumble vehicle wasn’t his normal style. “Did Heather prefer it to the Corvette?”

  Nick slid behind the wheel and adjusted his sunglasses before responding. “You aren’t going to cut me any slack, are you?” He shook his head sorrowfully. “If you must know, I smashed the Corvette after I celebrated graduation more than I probably should have.”

  “You were in another wreck?” She stared searchingly at him. “Were you hurt?”

  “This is where—if I were still the self-serving old Nick—I’d lay it on thick and make a play for sympathy.” He sent a sardonic smile her way. “But I’ve changed. And, no, I wasn’t hurt badly. I only had a slight concussion. But the car couldn’t be salvaged.”

  “Was—anyone else hurt?” She couldn’t help but think of their own accident, which had left her in months of painful therapy. Her right leg still ached on rainy days.

  “I was alone. And it was a one-car accident. I wrapped it around a tree.”

  “Poor tree,” she said.

  He took one hand from the steering wheel and laid it lightly on hers. “What it did was make me realize I could have gone from this world without you knowing how I feel about you.”

  Kelly feared he could feel her pulse thudding in her wrist. Surely he wasn’t proposing?

  “So, I came to make it up with you.” He grinned in her direction. “I think we should start seeing each other again.”

  She hadn’t realized she was holding her breath until it came out in a whoosh. Back to square one. They’d been “seeing” each other for years.

  He seemed to read her mood. He pulled into an overlook and parked then squeezed her hand before getting out of the Jeep. After opening her door, he led her to a rock and motioned for her to sit. They settled side by side, but she stared into the distance, steeling herself against his magnetism. She so didn’t want to go down this path again.

  “Kel? Come on.” He nudged her shoulder with his. “Look,

  I know I haven’t been fair to you in the past. But I promise that’s all changed. I’m a different man. A near-death experience will do that.”

  “I guess my own near-death experience didn’t quite do it for you, huh?”

  He winced. “Touché.” He lightly grabbed her chin and turned her face toward him. “I’m serious, though. I’m through with all t
hat. My wild oats are sown. I’m ready to settle down.”

  “So, no more Heathers? Or Jennifers? Or Brandys?” She jerked away from his grip and stubbornly gazed across the valley, her fingers tightly laced together. “And I could go on and on.”

  “No more. I give you my word. From now on, you’re my one and only.” He sounded so sincere. And he was saying the very words she longed to hear. And he was so handsome. And funny. And fickle, her treacherous heart reminded her. But when he grabbed her hand and tugged her to her feet, she went willingly.

  “Brought you something.” His whisper tickled her ear. “Close your eyes.”

  “What?” she asked.

  “Hold out your hands and close your eyes and you will get a big surprise,” he said in the singsong voice of childhood. And she did.

  Nick softly pressed his lips to hers in a feathery kiss before dropping a small package into her outstretched hands.

  She opened her eyes slowly. This day had certainly not gone according to plan. She stared at the small blue gift tied with a bright blue bow.

  “Go on, open it,” Nick urged in a husky voice.

  With fingers that trembled slightly, she started to open the box. Leave it to Nick to buy her a gift from Tiffany’s to try and woo her back. She stopped. “I don’t know about this.”

  “I do,” he said, and it sounded like a promise. Or so she told herself. So she opened the box. And drew in a deep breath as she lifted out a platinum chain with a princess cut diamond pendant hanging from it.

  “Is that real?” she asked in a small voice, even though she knew what his answer would be.

  “Totally real,” he assured her in an amused tone. “I knew it would look perfect on you. Here, let me help you put it on.”

  She lifted her heavy curtain of red hair and turned around. The light brush of his hands on her neck and the faint trace of his mint-scented breath were alluring, and she stood with her head bent while he fastened the necklace in place.

  Before she could move, he planted a kiss on her neck then turned her into his arms and kissed her lips. When he pulled away, he grinned. “I’ve missed you.”