Love Finds You in Charm, Ohio

by Annalisa Daughety

  “What? Did you ask me something?”

  Lydia Ann shook her head. “No. But you looked like you were going to be sick. Is everything okay?”

  She didn’t want to tell them her mind was on Noah. Honestly, she didn’t even want to admit that to herself. “Jah. I think I just ate too fast.” She managed a weak smile. “I’m so glad to be back, Lydia Ann.”

  “And I’m glad for you to be here. Katie and Mary were so wound up when I told them we were having company, they could hardly sleep last night.” She laughed. “Of course, now they are all excited about the Woolly Worm Derby, so they may have forgotten about you two.”

  “Woolly Worm Derby?” Abby laughed.

  Lydia Ann nodded. “One of the highlights of Charm Days. The younger children enter woolly worms to compete. The girls aren’t quite old enough to enter, but they’ll be there to watch. So will most people in town.”

  “When does that take place?” Emma asked.

  “This afternoon. If you’ll come by the shop, I’ll go with you. We can meet up with Susanna and the girls there.”

  Abby jumped up as they began to clear the dishes. “Emma, why don’t you change into a different dress? That one is well worn.”

  “Is that your way of saying ‘old’?” Emma asked.

  Abby grinned. “Maybe.”

  Emma came out of the bedroom a few moments later in a gray dress and matching apron. “Is this better?”

  Abby looked her up and down. “Don’t you have anything… brighter?”

  “Who are you and what have you done with my sister? You’ve been trying to steer me away from bright colors my whole life.”

  Abby hung her head. “I didn’t mean for you to wear a hot pink dress. Just that another color might be more becoming.”

  “For your information, I think this one is fine. And I didn’t bring anything else.”

  “I thought you might say that.”

  “What?”

  Abby sighed. “Emma, you’ve been wearing nothing but gray for the past few weeks. And truthfully, it worries me.”

  “Since when do you keep track of what I wear?” Emma asked, surprised. She hadn’t noticed it at the time. But she guessed she had been in a rut lately.

  “I have something for you.” Abby hauled her own suitcase to the bedroom and opened it up. She pulled out a deep plum-colored dress and held it up.

  Emma knew instinctively the color would go well with her skin tone. “What’s that?”

  “I made it for you. I saw the material over the summer and started working on it while I was waiting on my ankle to heal. Try it on.”

  Reaching out her hands, Emma took the dress from her sister. Her eyes filled with tears. “You didn’t have to do that, Abby.”

  “I know I didn’t have to. I wanted to.” She shrugged. “As soon as I saw the color, I knew it would be perfect for you.” She grinned. “And it isn’t too flashy. So I figured it would make both of us happy.”

  “Danki. That was so sweet of you.” Emma was touched by her sister’s thoughtfulness. Abby had always been the better seamstress of the two, and Emma was elated at the thought of having a dress without the many imperfections her own creations always seemed to have.

  With another smile, Abby left Emma to put on her new dress.

  Chapter Fifty

  Emma

  Emma and Abby stepped into the quilt shop later that afternoon. The throng of customers had thinned some, but it was still busy.

  “I want you to look at these paintings,” Emma said. “I think they’re so beautiful.” She motioned for Abby to follow her over to the collection of paintings that hung on the wall. “I can never decide which one is my favorite. And it looks like there are some new ones to choose from.”

  “Those are wonderful. The artist is quite talented. Hey, look.” Abby pointed to a painting that depicted two Amish women walking into the Charm General Store. “That girl looks like you.”

  Emma peered closer at the woman. Her face wasn’t visible, but something about the way she stood in the doorway did seem familiar. “She’s even carrying the same color backpack I do.” Emma smiled. “I suppose all we Amish girls look the same from a distance.”

  A squeal came from the front of the store.

  Emma turned to see Kelly barreling down on her.

  “Emma!” Kelly said loudly. “It’s so great to see you,” she said, pulling Emma into a tight hug. “When did you get to town?”

  “Just before lunch.” She grinned. “You look great. Very happy.”

  “Thanks. I am.” She linked arms with Emma. “And I have so much to tell you.”

  Emma motioned at Abby. “You remember my sister, Abby.”

  “Of course. She’s the reason I’m here this weekend.” Kelly smiled in Abby’s direction. “It’s nice to see you again.”

  “Likewise.” Abby returned Kelly’s smile. “I’m going to go see if Lydia Ann needs some help. You two catch up.”

  Emma followed Kelly outside the shop. “Do you want to walk through town or just sit here?” Emma asked, pointing at a bench outside of the shop.

  “Let’s sit.”

  “Okay. Now, tell me what’s got you looking so giddy.” Emma smiled at her friend.

  “First of all, I love my classes. Library science was the right decision for me.”

  “That’s great. I know you were worried about that decision.”

  “Yep. But not anymore. And…I have a date next weekend with a new guy. His name is Jason.” Her green eyes sparkled.

  “Oh? Is he in one of your classes?”

  “No. I actually met him at church.” She grinned widely.

  Emma knew how much courage it had taken Kelly to go back to church. She’d describe it in one of her letters by saying she’d felt like she wasn’t good enough to attend. But after a few weeks, Kelly wrote again, saying she’d been amazed at the outpouring of love and support from the congregation. “That’s great.”

  “And I know…just because he goes to church with me doesn’t mean he’s perfect or anything. But we’ve slowly gotten to know one another, and I think he’s pretty great.”

  “That’s wonderful. I’m so happy for you.”

  “I just feel like I’ve been given such a wonderful second chance. Aunt Irene calls to check in on me often, and I’ve made a lot of friends within the church singles’ group. It might sound silly, but it’s like I finally have the stability I’ve looked for my whole life.”

  “That doesn’t sound silly at all.”

  “It all started with me meeting you, you know. Seeing you live your spiritual convictions on a daily basis. It was a real eye-opener for me.”

  “I’m far from perfect. As you well know.”

  “Are you still dwelling on that?”

  Emma glanced down at the sidewalk and felt her face grow hot. She pointed about three feet away. “Right there. It was right on that spot where things fell apart.”

  Kelly didn’t look where she was pointing but kept her green eyes locked on Emma’s face. “I take this to mean you haven’t talked to Noah?”

  Emma shook her head. “More like he hasn’t talked to me. I kept thinking he would contact me, but he never did.”

  Kelly narrowed her eyes. “But maybe he was thinking the same thing. That you would contact him if you wanted to speak to him.”

  “He missed my going-away dinner. And I’m sure they told him at Keim that someone stopped by to see him. It wouldn’t take a detective for him to figure out it was probably me.”

  Kelly was quiet. “Do you think you’ll see him this weekend?”

  “I don’t even know if he’s in town. And I hate to ask Lydia Ann. I don’t want anyone to know how much it hurts.”

  “I certainly understand that.” She patted Emma on the arm. “But maybe you could just casually ask. Lydia Ann knows how close you and Noah had gotten. She might have even talked to him.”

  “No. I’ll just keep an eye out for him. I already have a little speec
h prepared.”

  Kelly grinned. “I’m sure you do.”

  Abby and Lydia Ann stepped out onto the sidewalk. “Are you two ready for the Woolly Worm Derby?” Lydia Ann asked.

  Kelly and Emma stood.

  “We’re ready,” Kelly said. “Too bad we’re too old to enter our own woolly worms. I’m pretty sure we could take the trophy.”

  They set off toward the festival, following the sounds of laughter. Emma felt lighter than she had in weeks.

  “Just be glad the weather is nice. It rained a couple of years ago, and it was miserable,” Lydia Ann said as they approached the crowd.

  “Of course it was miserable. Can you imagine a whole crowd of woolly worms having a bad hair day?” Kelly joked quietly to Emma.

  Emma chuckled at her friend’s offbeat humor. Odd that lately she was the one who needed the reminder to lighten up. “The weather today couldn’t be any better.” She tilted her face to the sky and relished the feeling of the warm sunshine on her skin. She had always enjoyed the crispness of fall, with warm days and cool nights. It really had the makings for a perfect weekend, surrounded by her friends and enjoying life. So why didn’t she feel more peaceful?

  “I see the girls.” Lydia Ann pointed to where her in-laws stood, the two little girls in front of them. Mary and Katie were standing on their tiptoes trying to see what was going on.

  “Oh.” Kelly stopped.

  Emma looked up, startled as she almost ran into her friend. “What’s wrong?” she asked. And then she saw. It was Noah, standing next to Levi’s parents. He’d picked one of the twins up so she could get a better view. His eyes met Emma’s, and she felt her knees almost buckle. Kelly gripped her arm.

  “Are you okay?” Kelly whispered.

  “Jah.” She took a deep breath. “I think so.”

  Noah set the little girl down and walked over to where they stood. He nodded to Kelly and Abby then turned to Emma.

  “I didn’t know if I’d see you again.” His voice was as deep and pleasant as she remembered.

  She froze. The speech she’d prepared collapsed somewhere inside her. All she could think was how she’d missed those eyes, that voice, and the dimple that hadn’t shown itself yet.

  “I came to see you at Keim.”

  He nodded. “I know.” He glanced over his shoulder where the rest of her party stood, watching. “How about we go somewhere and talk? I see a bench behind the crowd that’s unoccupied.” He grinned. “Unless you’d rather see the Woolly Worm Derby.”

  She managed a shaky smile. “I was looking forward to seeing what the fuss is all about.” She met his eyes. “But I’d rather talk. And we’ll still hear the cheers of the crowd.”

  “So we won’t really be missing any of the important woolly worm action, right?”

  She nodded. “And if we do, we can get a play-by-play from the twins later. Their version will probably be as entertaining as actually seeing it for ourselves.”

  “Maybe more.” He guided her away from the crowd.

  She tried to collect her thoughts. How had she planned to start? She’d lain awake many nights, going over and over the first sentence she’d say to him. But no matter how she tried, she couldn’t remember.

  “I should’ve written,” Noah said, once they were settled on a bench in front of a storefront. He shook his head. “I started to time and again but couldn’t find the right words.”

  She took a deep breath. “I know you saw what happened on the sidewalk in front of Lydia Ann’s store. And I know what you thought.”

  He cut her off before she could say another word. “About that. Do you know how I felt when I found out you didn’t want that guy to kiss you? Knowing I just drove off and left you there with him? I should’ve had more faith in you.”

  She sputtered. “How did you know?”

  “I only just found out. Lydia Ann told me a couple of days ago. I think your sister was worried about you, and she and Lydia Ann talked about the situation.”

  That figured, although it was hard to be upset with Abby. She might meddle sometimes, but her heart was always in the right place. “Oh. I wanted to tell you myself. But…” She trailed off.

  “But I didn’t show up at your going-away party. And I wasn’t at work the next day. What must you think of me?”

  She reached out and grabbed his hand. “I understand. After what happened with Miriam, what else could you think?”

  He shook his head. “You and Miriam are nothing alike. I knew you better than to jump to the conclusion I did.” He looked into her eyes. “I’m sorry. I think it was just my own pride that got in the way. The fact is, I found myself jealous of that guy. I thought you’d chosen him, when I’d always hoped you’d choose me.”

  Emma sat upright, stunned. “You did?”

  He reached out and stroked her cheek. “Of course. My life hasn’t been the same since you left.”

  “Mine, either. In fact, it’s been pretty awful. So many times something would happen, good or bad, and I’d wish I could tell you. But I was afraid you didn’t have any desire to see or hear from me again.”

  Noah shook his head. “I always want to see you and hear from you.” He grinned at her. “There’s something I never told you.”

  “What’s that?”

  “You know those paintings in Lydia Ann’s shop?”

  “Jah. I love those. I love the colors the artist uses.” Emma smiled. “Kelly gave me one as a going-away gift. I pull it out and look at it when I’m having a bad day. For some reason, it can always make me feel better.”

  “I’m glad to hear it.” He cleared his throat nervously. “I don’t tell many people this, but I’m the artist.”

  She gasped. “You are?”

  He nodded. “I don’t like to make a big deal out of it. I enjoy painting them so much, and I know Lydia Ann can use all the extra funds she can get.”

  Emma smiled. “I can’t believe you never told me. And neither did Lydia Ann. She’s listened to me go on and on about them all summer.”

  “I begged her not to tell anyone. She just says a local artist did them. I have some in galleries in larger towns, too.”

  “Wow.”

  “But the thing is, ever since you left, it was like all the color went out of my life and my paintings. All the quilt paintings I did were so dull and lifeless I just threw them out.” He took her hand again.

  She thought about her recent penchant for wearing gray. “I know just how you felt.”

  “And then, one day, I was doing a painting of the town of Charm, and I decided to put some people in the scene. Before I knew it, there you were.” His mouth turned upward in a grin. “So from that point on, all of my town scenes have you in them.”

  She chuckled. “Abby noticed it this morning. I thought maybe I just had a common look.”

  He shook his head. “There’s nothing common about you, Emma.”

  She relished the tender look on his face as he said her name. She knew, just as she knew her own name, that she’d finally found the love she’d always hoped to find.

  Epilogue

  The following year

  Kelly

  Kelly opened the passenger door to her SUV and eagerly climbed out.

  “Perfect weather, don’t you think?” she asked.

  Jason Thompson smiled at her. “We couldn’t ask for a better forecast. I think Charm Days will be a rousing success.”

  She grabbed his hand. “I can’t wait for you to meet my friends. And Aunt Irene. She’s been asking me to bring you by for quite some time now.”

  He leaned down and kissed her on the forehead. “You know, any friends of yours are friends of mine.” Jason held the door open to Lydia Ann’s quilt shop and let her walk through first.

  She walked up to the counter where Lydia Ann stood. “Are they here yet?”

  “Any minute.” Lydia Ann smiled. “It’s nice to see you again.”

  “You, too. I’m going to show Jason around,” she said, after sh
e’d introduced them.

  “Check these paintings out. Aren’t they fantastic?”

  Before he could answer, voices filled the small shop. Kelly turned to see Emma and Noah greeting Lydia Ann. She grabbed Jason’s hand. “Come on. Here they are.”

  “Hello,” Kelly called to them.

  Emma grinned and embraced her friend. “I’m so glad you could make it.”

  “I wouldn’t have missed it for the world. How does it feel to be newly married?”

  Noah stepped over, his beard just beginning to fill in. “Pretty wonderful.”

  Emma laughed. “Exactly.”

  “And how is Abby? I thought she’d be here.”

  “Abby is with child. She and Jacob are thrilled. But she’s a little queasy, so they thought it best to stay home this year.” She laughed. “She hated to miss the Woolly Worm Derby this year, though, especially since Katie and Mary are entering.”

  “Well, give her my best when you get back home.” Kelly turned to Jason and pulled him over to her. “And I have someone I’d like you to meet.” She made the introductions.

  “Jason, would you like to walk with me to the derby?” Noah asked. “I imagine these two have some catching up to do.”

  Jason nodded. “Yes.” He leaned down and gave Kelly a quick peck on the cheek. “See you soon?” he asked.

  She nodded. “We’ll be right behind you.”

  Once the men were gone, she turned to Emma. “I’m so happy for you. It seems like things are going very well.”

  Emma nodded. “I’ve never been happier.”

  “You two go on. I’ll catch up soon,” Lydia Ann said from behind the counter.

  They stepped out into the early October sunlight. “It seems that Charm was indeed a charm for me. I found the love of my life here.” Emma linked arms with Kelly. “I never expected to find a man like Noah. And yet, I did.” She shook her head. “I was so nervous that he wouldn’t want to leave his hometown.” She grinned. “But he told me he’d follow me to the ends of the earth if he had to. And of course, we come visit here a lot.”