Love Finds You in Charm, Ohio

by Annalisa Daughety

  “Well, you can hardly blame her.” He stopped the buggy in front of the house.

  Mary and Katie came running out toward them. “Noah, Noah,” Katie called. “Will you take us fishin’?”

  He grinned down at her. “Not today, but maybe soon.”

  The little girls scrambled off, chasing each other to the back of the house.

  He looked at Emma. “Did you tell them about our fishing trip?”

  “They wanted to know what I was doing with that big stick, so I told them about it. They were especially interested about how the fish eat the worms.” She shook her head. “But they are girls after my own heart. Neither of them even wrinkled a nose.”

  “Maybe we can take them fishing soon, then. That would probably be an entertaining day.”

  She nodded. “That it would.” She motioned toward the house. “I guess I should get inside. Thanks for the ride.”

  He grinned. “Anytime. I enjoyed being your knight today.”

  She climbed down from the buggy and watched him drive off. She never tired of talking to Noah. He was different from anyone she’d ever met. And she especially liked the way he always seemed to understand where she was coming from. She felt like she could share anything with him, and he would either identify or at least try to understand. For Emma, that alone made him knight-in-shining-armor material.

  As soon as she walked through the door, she was greeted with a pleasant aroma. She followed her nose to the kitchen where Lydia Ann was stirring a savory stew.

  “Mmm. That smells great. And I’m starving.”

  Lydia Ann looked up from the stove. “Did everything go okay at the store this afternoon?”

  “Jah. I sold a quilt and a couple of those paintings.”

  “Uh-oh. No one bought the one hanging closest to the door, did they? I don’t know what you’d stare at all day if someone took your favorite painting.”

  Emma grinned. “Would you be upset if you found out I’d been telling people that one isn’t for sale?”

  Lydia Ann laughed. “Not at all. Maybe it should just be considered part of the store’s décor.” She glanced at Emma. “Did I see Noah’s buggy out front?”

  “He gave me a ride home.”

  “That was nice. I thought about coming back to pick you up myself. It was pretty hot out there today.”

  “I know. It’s at least beginning to cool down now.” Emma washed her hands in the sink and dried them with a towel.

  Lydia Ann began pulling bowls out of the cabinet. “We’re almost ready to eat. Would you go out and call Abby and the twins inside?” Lydia Ann collected silverware from a drawer. “They’re in the backyard playing chase.”

  “Abby is playing chase?” Emma widened her eyes. “She must just be watching them play. Abby doesn’t play chase.”

  Lydia Ann laughed. “I’m telling you. I saw it with my own eyes. Abby was running around the backyard, pretending to be ‘It’ while the girls chased her. Maybe she’s turned into an athlete while you’ve been away from home.”

  Emma grinned. “Somehow that’s doubtful. Probably she just couldn’t resist Mary and Katie.”

  “That’s more likely. They can be pretty irresistible when they team up. I’d say Noah and the tea party is testament to that.” She laughed.

  “Now that is something I would’ve loved to have seen. Maybe next time he’s over, we can suggest it?” Emma was still chuckling when she stepped out the back door. Abby came running around the corner, the two little girls right on her heels. All three of them were laughing.

  Abby looked over her shoulder at Mary and Katie. “One more lap and we’re through,” she called, grinning. She ran to the far edge of the yard, and suddenly she crumpled to the ground.

  For a moment, Emma stared in horror at her sister’s lifeless form then took off running toward her. “Abby, are you okay?” she asked, once she’d reached her sister. She dropped to her knees next to where Abby lay trying to figure out what had happened.

  Mary and Katie knelt down on the other side of Abby and peered at her. “Are you alive?” Mary asked softly, her face close to Abby’s.

  Katie looked at Emma. “Abby fell in a hole,” she said somberly, pointing at the ground. “Abe Troyer brought us a puppy to play with.” She brightened at the memory. “But we let him dig a hole.” She looked sheepishly at Emma. “And we had to give the puppy back.”

  Abby groaned. “Don’t worry, I’ll be fine. I can’t believe I did that. I even knew that hole was there.” She sat up and shook her head.

  But once she tried to put weight on her hurt ankle, it was obvious that she wasn’t okay. Emma helped Abby into the kitchen, followed by the chattering twins.

  “Oh, dear,” Lydia Ann exclaimed. “What happened?”

  Emma, assisted by Katie, told the story of Abby and the hole.

  “Noah has been meaning to come fill that hole for the past several weeks. I think that puppy would’ve dug up the whole yard if we’d have let him.” She took ice cubes from a tray and wrapped them up in a hand towel. “Here, let’s try this.”

  Abby winced as the cold ice was applied to her swollen ankle.

  “Do you want to go to the doctor?” Lydia Ann sounded worried. “I can take you if you need to.”

  “Are you kidding? Do you know how many times I’ve sprained my ankle?” Abby grimaced. “I am the world’s biggest klutz.”

  “She does this sometimes when it’s her turn to do dishes.” Emma teased, but she was pretty sure the ankle was worse than her sister was letting on.

  Abby propped her ankle up on a chair while they ate bowls of delicious stew.

  The little girls babbled on about the day the puppy dug the hole and their hopes of going fishing soon with Noah. Emma was glad for their constant chatter, because the adults at the table were much less talkative. She looked around. Lydia Ann barely picked at her food. Worry was etched on her pretty face. She must realize Abby’s rapidly swelling ankle wasn’t just a simple sprain. And after her injury, Abby was subdued.

  Emma was lost in her own thoughts. She’d meant what she said to Noah. Something was going on with Abby. She looked over at her sister. Something besides just a sore ankle.

  Lydia Ann rose to begin clearing the table.

  “Leave it. I’ll take care of the dishes,” Emma said. “You go ahead and get the girls ready for bed.”

  “Thanks.” She went to attend to the twins.

  Emma helped Abby into the living room, settling her onto the couch. “Here’s a pillow to prop your foot on.”

  Abby raised her foot to allow Emma to slide the pillow underneath it.

  “Keep the ice on it,” Emma said. “Do you need anything before I go into the kitchen?”

  Abby shook her head. “I’ll be fine.”

  Emma perched on the arm of the couch and looked at Abby’s swollen, purple ankle. “This looks pretty bad, Abby. How will you get home?” Emma looked at her sister. “You can’t possibly ride the bus with your foot like that.”

  “Yes, I can,” Abby said. “Besides, I’m not leaving until day after tomorrow. It will be fine then.” She furrowed her brow. “I’ve worked with my ankle swollen like this plenty of times. Remember that time last winter when I tried to ice skate?” She adjusted the ice on her injury. “And that time I fell when we were running down the hill to the pond?”

  “I know. But working in the quilt shop is not like the bus. The bus is crowded and smelly and there is no place to put your leg up.”

  “I’ll be fine,” Abby insisted. “And besides, I don’t have a choice. I have to go back to work in a few days.”

  After another glance at Abby’s ankle, Emma was pretty sure riding the bus wasn’t an option. She kept her thoughts to herself as she went to do the dishes. She would go to the quilt store and use the phone. She looked at the clock. If she hurried, she might be able to catch Dat at the furniture store where he worked. The only way to convince Abby she wasn’t able to ride the bus back home was to tell thei
r parents about the injury. She hurried to get the dishes dry and then raced to tell Lydia Ann where she was going.

  Chapter Thirty-three

  Abby

  The aching in her ankle told Abby she’d experienced more just a typical sprain. She didn’t think it was broken or anything, but she was certain it was the worst sprain she’d ever experienced. Lydia Ann had expertly wrapped it in an Ace bandage, which had helped some, but Abby had a suspicion she was in for a long night.

  She shifted on the bed and her ice pack fell off of her foot. She groaned. Just when she’d finally gotten settled.

  There was a tap at the door, and Emma stuck her head inside.

  “How are you feeling?” Emma asked, putting the ice pack where it belonged. “Does it hurt?”

  Abby grimaced. “Not too bad. It aches, though. And you should’ve seen me trying to get down the hallway and into bed.” She peered at her sister. “Where were you anyway? I could’ve used some help.”

  Emma hesitated for a moment and then sat carefully on the bed. “I went to the quilt store.” She met Abby’s gaze. “Now, don’t be upset. I called Dat.”

  Abby started to sit up, but Emma motioned for her to stay in a reclined position. “What? You shouldn’t have done that. I don’t want them to worry.” She shot her sister a disgusted look. She would be fine by the time she was supposed to catch the bus. Wouldn’t she?

  Emma sighed. “Your ankle is in no shape for you to travel on a crowded bus. You’re still going to need to have your foot elevated, even the day after tomorrow.”

  “What did Dat say?” Abby was also curious if Emma had heard any news from home. Mainly, she was interested to know if there was any news of Jacob, but of course, she couldn’t admit that to her sister.

  “He’s sending a van to pick you up.”

  “What?” Abby started to sit up again then collapsed back onto the pillows in frustration. “I don’t want them to go to any trouble. You know I hate to have a fuss made over me.”

  Emma gave her a tiny smile. “No fuss. Just a van that will come to the house and pick you up. And you’ll be able to lounge in an entire row of seats with your foot propped up.” Emma leaned toward her sister with wide eyes. “And there’ll be air conditioning,” she said in a singsong voice. “And I’ll bet you’ll drive through for a milkshake.”

  Abby hit the bed with her hands. “Fine.” She grinned. “But there’d better be a milkshake or you’ll be in trouble.”

  “I promise. I’ll pull the driver aside when he gets here and make the request.” She grinned and then her face grew serious. “Actually, Abby. I wanted to talk to you.” She picked up a pillow and hugged it to her. “I need to ask you something.”

  Uh-oh. This sounded important. She knew all the things that had been weighing on Emma’s mind lately. And she wasn’t sure she was ready to deal with the possibilities. “Well, maybe you should wait until I feel better. You know, until my ankle heals,” Abby said. “Or until you get back home.”

  Emma shook her head. “I can see that you’d rather postpone this discussion. But I really think we need to get some stuff out in the open.” She looked pointedly at Abby. “I’ve felt like something wasn’t right between us ever since you arrived.” Emma paused. “I’ve been thinking about it, and I’m pretty sure I know what it is.”

  Abby was startled. Had Emma figured it out? Did she know Abby had feelings for Jacob? She swallowed hard. “What’s that?”

  “You’re upset with me, aren’t you? Or maybe even angry because you’ve finally realized I’m never going to marry Jacob. Is that it?”

  Abby froze. The desire to tell her sister the truth about her own feelings for Jacob pushed to the surface, but she still wasn’t sure if she could share the news.

  “I guess there’s just something I don’t understand,” Emma said. “Why do you always insist that Jacob and I are perfect together? Maybe if I can understand your reasoning, I can better explain to you how I feel.”

  “Okay.” Abby paused, sorting her thoughts. “Even when we were young, I could tell that you wanted more. That we might not be enough to keep you. That you might leave as soon as you were old enough.” Abby shifted in bed, careful not to disturb the ice pack. “And I couldn’t bear the thought of you being separated from us. Not just physically, you know, but cut off. And I was so afraid that would happen.” Her eyes filled with tears. “So I looked around to find something that would keep you with us. And one day, while I was watching you and Jacob choose teams for volleyball, it hit me.”

  “What hit you? The ball?” Emma teased.

  Abby smiled at her sister, grateful that she always knew when to lighten the mood. “Not that day, at least.” She shook her head. “What hit me was that Jacob was the answer I’d been looking for all along. What more could you want than a man like him? Even if we weren’t enough, how could he not be?” She sighed. “He’s always thought of me as a little sister, but he was so nice to me anyway. I just thought it would be wonderful to have him in the family and if you married him I would get both things—you would stay and be happy and he would be part of our family.”

  “If this were a fairy tale, that would be great,” Emma said. “But it isn’t. I mean, I do have love for Jacob, but it is definitely a brotherly kind of love. We never had the romantic love that a man and woman should have if they plan to get married.” She shook her head. “And you heard how Lydia Ann talked about her marriage to Levi. That’s what I want.”

  Abby was quiet. Maybe it was time to confess. “There was a time awhile back where I would’ve been upset to hear you say that.” She took a deep breath. “But the truth is, now it makes me sort of relieved.”

  “Relieved?” Emma looked puzzled. “Why is that?”

  Abby nervously rubbed the quilt edge between her thumb and forefinger. “I think I have romantic feelings for him,” she whispered then closed her eyes. Even if Emma didn’t have feelings for him, it didn’t mean she would be supportive of Abby’s.

  “You do?” Emma squeaked. “Oh, Abby, that’s wonderful.” Her bouncing knocked the ice pack off of Abby’s foot.

  “No, it isn’t. It’s awful. What if he just sees me like some kid sister? I’ve always just been someone he has to watch out for.”

  “Looking back, he’s always seemed pleased to look out for you, wouldn’t you say?”

  Abby shrugged. “Maybe.”

  Emma patted Abby’s arm. “I’m glad you told me. Jacob would be crazy if he didn’t return your feelings.” She grinned. “Now, try to get some rest.”

  Somehow, having the truth off of her chest even made Abby’s ankle feel better. And, although she knew Jacob’s feelings for her remained to be seen, she couldn’t shake the giddy feeling growing inside her. Sprain or no, she couldn’t wait to get home to see Jacob.

  Chapter Thirty-four

  Kelly

  “You’re kidding,” Kelly said into her phone. She tried to concentrate on the road between Millersburg and Charm rather than on the words Michelle was saying. “Are you sure?”

  “I’m telling you. I’ve heard from several people and they all have pretty much the same story. Nick was out at a club Saturday night with some blonde girl. They were supposedly all over each other. And she was, like, nineteen or something.” Michelle let out a snort. “Which is light years older than his emotional maturity level.”

  “But you don’t have any real proof that he was cheating. Maybe they were just hanging out.”

  “Okay, I’m done.” Michelle’s angry voice flared through the phone. “I’m not holding your hand through this again. Stop making excuses for him.”

  Kelly was silent. She knew Michelle was right. But that didn’t make things any easier.

  Michelle continued, “I’m sorry. It just upsets me to see you let him get away with the same stuff over and over. But it’s your life.” She paused. “I’ll call you tomorrow.”

  Kelly told her friend good-bye and ended the call. It was just as well Michelle di
dn’t want to talk to her right now. She was about to enter the land of spotty cell service.

  She sighed. It was probably a bad sign that Michelle’s news hadn’t come as a surprise. At all. She still felt inclined to give Nick the chance to explain himself. Although, she knew him well enough to know exactly what he would say. That the two of them hadn’t “officially” been re-established as a couple. So he really was free to hang out with whomever he wanted and it didn’t constitute cheating. Yes, that would be exactly the line of defense he would use.

  Kelly thought about the things she’d experienced so far this summer. She’d wanted to come to Charm to rid herself of the turmoil she’d been going through. And she’d somewhat found a way to do that. She’d finally accepted that her parents weren’t going to change. Even though it might not be the ideal situation, she’d made her peace. She knew that they both loved her the best way they knew how. And that had to be enough.

  The time she’d spent at the bookmobile had allowed her the chance to have a trial run at her future career. And she was enjoying it so much. Especially when she could recommend a book to someone and they’d come back later and tell her how much they’d enjoyed it. Or when she got to introduce children to some of her favorite children’s literature. She finally felt good about her upcoming graduate work. She was on the right path.

  She pulled into the driveway at the inn and climbed out of the SUV. Aunt Irene’s older model green Honda Accord wagon was parked in its normal spot, underneath a giant oak tree. Just as Kelly reached the porch, she heard her aunt calling from around back.

  “Kelly? Is that you?”

  “I’ll be right there.” She hurried around the side of the house to the backyard. Aunt Irene sat alone at one of the outdoor tables, a wide-brimmed sun hat on top of her head. The older lady grinned as Kelly approached.

  “Did you have a good day, dear?” Aunt Irene asked, once Kelly had taken a seat at the table.

  She nodded. “I did. Thanks again for helping me get the position with the bookmobile.” She looked around. “Although I’m pretty sure I could’ve stayed busy here even without it.”