selling door-to-door candy. Hot and tired, she walked back to her car feeling as though sheâd accomplished nothing. But as she drove back to Russell Springs she knew she couldnât give up. She would return to Casey County tomorrow and every day thereafter until she had knocked on every door. Too much was at stakeâthe 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. Heâd been waiting for Rachel to finish the tour with a mixture of anxiety and anticipation.
âHi, Rachel,â he called as the bus pulled from the parking lot with a blast of diesel exhaust.
She turned slowly and smiled upon recognition. âHi, Jake. I did it! I gave my first tour and it went pretty well. That is, after a rocky start.â A blush darkened her cheeks.
When he reached her side they walked up the gravel path toward the stable office. âWhat kind of a rocky start? Did someone give you a hard time?â
âOh, 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.â Her blue eyes widened. âPlease donât think I didnât study. I practically memorized the entire notebook.â
âI believe you.â He nodded agreement with more energy than necessary. âThe first time I announced events at a horse show, I forgot half the stuff I was supposed to say. And I pronounced everyoneâs name wrongâeven folks Iâd known most of my life.â
âThanks for telling me that.â Rachelâs braid danced across her shoulders as she moved. âI was tempted to push the panic button.â
Jake scratched his jawline. âWhat panic button?â
âThe red button on the walkie-talkie that sends messages.â She held her balled fist up to her lips. âHelp, come get me! Iâm surrounded by tourists and donât know what to say!â
Laughing louder than he should, Jake kicked a stone down the path. âOne of us would have come running. We donât allow guests to maul employees on their first day at Twelve Elms.â He glanced at her from the corner of his eye.
âWhat a great place to work!â She threw her arms out, palms skyward.
âI take it the information in the manual finally came back to you?â
âNope. 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.â She kicked the same stone another dozen feet. âHow has your day gone so far?â
He shrugged and sighed. âIâve not been astride a horse all morning. Iâve 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
âI donât know what all that means, but I presume itâs a waste of time compared to your equestrian work?â
She mispronounced the word âequestrian,â but he thought it sounded so charming he wouldnât correct her in a million years. âItâs time-consuming but too soon to tell if itâs a time waste. Businesses need a strong presence on the Internet if they want new customers to find them. We canât grow our business if we stay locked in the twentieth century.â Jake bit his tongue. Would his comments offend a woman who wore bonnets and drove a buggy?
âI 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.â Her braid swung so invitingly he yearned to catch it between his fingers. Unfortunately, they had reached the entrance to the stable office.
âIâm starved. Want to grab some lunch with me in the break room?â He