Free A Little Bit of Charm by Mary Ellis Page B

selling door-to-door candy. Hot and tired, she walked back to her car feeling as though she’d accomplished nothing. But as she drove back to Russell Springs she knew she couldn’t give up. She would return to Casey County tomorrow and every day thereafter until she had knocked on every door. Too much was at stake—the healthy future of every Amish and Mennonite child in the area.

    Jake watched the new tour guide lift her hand and wave at the departing bus. Seeing her smile allowed him to relax for the first time that day. He’d been waiting for Rachel to finish the tour with a mixture of anxiety and anticipation.
    â€œHi, Rachel,” he called as the bus pulled from the parking lot with a blast of diesel exhaust.
    She turned slowly and smiled upon recognition. “Hi, Jake. I did it! I gave my first tour and it went pretty well. That is, after a rocky start.” A blush darkened her cheeks.
    When he reached her side they walked up the gravel path toward the stable office. “What kind of a rocky start? Did someone give you a hard time?”
    â€œOh, no. Everyone was very sweet, but when I got to the first stop, I drew a total blank. I completely forgot everything I learned from the manual.” Her blue eyes widened. “Please don’t think I didn’t study. I practically memorized the entire notebook.”
    â€œI believe you.” He nodded agreement with more energy than necessary. “The first time I announced events at a horse show, I forgot half the stuff I was supposed to say. And I pronounced everyone’s name wrong—even folks I’d known most of my life.”
    â€œThanks for telling me that.” Rachel’s braid danced across her shoulders as she moved. “I was tempted to push the panic button.”
    Jake scratched his jawline. “What panic button?”
    â€œThe red button on the walkie-talkie that sends messages.” She held her balled fist up to her lips. “Help, come get me! I’m surrounded by tourists and don’t know what to say!”
    Laughing louder than he should, Jake kicked a stone down the path. “One of us would have come running. We don’t allow guests to maul employees on their first day at Twelve Elms.” He glanced at her from the corner of his eye.
    â€œWhat a great place to work!” She threw her arms out, palms skyward.
    â€œI take it the information in the manual finally came back to you?”
    â€œNope. I had to beg people to ask questions to trigger my memory, but by the second stop I had caught my stride, and by the last I was able to relax and enjoy myself.” She kicked the same stone another dozen feet. “How has your day gone so far?”
    He shrugged and sighed. “I’ve not been astride a horse all morning. I’ve been holed up in the office on the computer doing e-mails, posting to our blog, and updating our Facebook status, while the horses under my care grow fat and lazy.”
    â€œI don’t know what all that means, but I presume it’s a waste of time compared to your equestrian work?”
    She mispronounced the word “equestrian,” but he thought it sounded so charming he wouldn’t correct her in a million years. “It’s time-consuming but too soon to tell if it’s a time waste. Businesses need a strong presence on the Internet if they want new customers to find them. We can’t grow our business if we stay locked in the twentieth century.” Jake bit his tongue. Would his comments offend a woman who wore bonnets and drove a buggy?
    â€œI get it. If they write to you electronically, you need to make time to write back. And writing letters whether on paper or a computer takes time.” Her braid swung so invitingly he yearned to catch it between his fingers. Unfortunately, they had reached the entrance to the stable office.
    â€œI’m starved. Want to grab some lunch with me in the break room?” He