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White Christmas in Webster County

By Laura V. Hilton

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Chapter 1


“Would you kiss me?”
Mercy Lapp’s feet stumbled to a halt. She looked up from the list she’d been perusing and into a pair of beautiful, twinkling blue eyes. They belonged to a clean-shaven Amish man who held out a pair of false teeth, on clearance from a Halloween display. They were brown, crooked and ugly. He moved them closer to her.
Her stomach lurched. “Ewww. Nein!”
He chuckled. Then glanced around.
She followed his gaze. They were alone in the aisle. She turned her attention back to him, surprised to find him falling to his knees in front of her, his hands together as if in prayer, the package holding the teeth between the tips of his fingers.
“Have mercy!” His lips were pouted in an exaggerated kiss pose.
She blinked. None of the Amish men she knew back home acted like this. So bold. So… Tempting.
“Please. I’ll never get kissed by a pretty girl if I have teeth like these.” He held one hand higher and wiggled the teeth.
She wrinkled her nose. “Enough already, jah?” She tried to look away from those yucky teeth and got distracted by a dimple in his cheeks.
He reached forward and fingered the hem of her dress—a bold move—then gazed up at her with an inquisitive expression as she stepped away. “An Amish-style dress. Pink. Camouflage. You aren’t from around here, are you?”
Mercy’s face heated. “Uh. Nein. But… well, I just got here. I took a job listed in The Budget for a mother’s helper and I haven’t had time to make new dresses. And Shanna, the woman I’m staying with, just laughed and said it’d probably be a gut thing to add some color around here anyway. I’m from Shipshewana.” Her words tumbled out in a rush.
He slowly straightened. She had to stare up at him to see his face. “Shipshewana. Really? Me, too. I’m here visiting my brother, Abram.” He licked his lips as he returned the unopened package of false teeth to the display of clearance items. “I’m Abner Hilty.”
She scanned him. Abner Hilty? She hadn’t lived in his district but vaguely remembered him and his twin brother from various frolics. She didn’t think she would’ve recognized him if he hadn’t introduced himself. He’d filled out. Broader shoulders than she recalled. She eyed his upper arms. She couldn’t tell under his casual stance and the shirtsleeves about his muscles. Not that she should think about such things.
“I see a spark of recognition in your pretty hazel eyes.” He leaned closer, studying her. “And… you look familiar. I’ve seen you before…”
Mercy opened her mouth, but he shook his head.
“Don’t tell me. I’ve got it. It’s… Mary? Martha? Marianna?” He shuddered. “Nein, not her. Miriam? Melinda…Melissa… Um. Mercy. Mercy…Mercy! Jah?”
“I’m impressed.” She smiled, flattered, even though he had to run through a list of names before he guessed hers.
Abner chuckled again. “Don’t be. Your eyes lit up when I said it.”
“Still impressed. You got the right initial on the first try.” Mercy backed up a step. “I need to buy the items Shanna needs and go to the grocery store. Matthew brought me into town while he ran a few other errands and he’s not going to want to wait.”
“Happy Thanksgiving, Mercy. Maybe I’ll see you around.”
She doubted it. An unexpected flicker of disappointment shot through her. She squashed it. She wasn’t here for a relationship. “Maybe.” She looked down at her list again. Mainly it was supplies to make homemade laundry soap. Borax, Fels-Naptha or Ivory bar soap, Arm and Hammer Super Washing Soda…
Abner’s fingers grazed hers. Sparks shot up her arm. She jerked away in surprise.
“Hey. I mean it. McDonalds sometime. I’ll treat you to a…a pumpkin spice milkshake, if it’s still available. If not, then an eggnog one.”
That evoked mixed feelings. She and Paul used to get the pumpkin spice milkshakes… But never the eggnog. Paul didn’t care for it. She did.
She nodded. “Jah. Jah. Fine.” She’d like the eggnog treat, but she’d recently settled into her new job and doubted she’d have the free time.
“You want a firm date? I see doubt in your eyes. Very expressive, they are. How about Friday? I’ll pick you up. Give me directions.”
She forced a smile and backed up another step. “Maybe some other time. Danki though.” She took a deep breath, moved to the side and hurried down the aisle.
“I’d liebe to see you again.”
“I have to clear it with Matthew and Shanna.” Not that she would. She was here to escape the memories. Not relive them. She waved and turned at the end shelf. “See you.”
***
Abner watched her go with the unfamiliar sensation that his heart just disappeared around the corner with her. He looked back at the discarded teeth on the shelf beside some plastic ghost thing. “Not my best pick up line, jah?”
The teeth didn’t answer. But then, he would’ve run screaming from the store if they had.
He hadn’t had time to think of a better line. Picking up girls wasn’t something he did on a regular basis. But when he saw the pretty blond walking down the aisle, he had to say something—anything—to get her attention. It was like a fancy neon light flashed Here she is. She’s the one.
Maybe he should’ve taken notes when he watched his friends or brothers ask a girl out.
He swallowed an unwelcomed lump and turned away from the clearance items. His brother’s new bride, Katie, had sent him in here for one thing and one thing only, and he had gotten sidetracked. She wanted a couple of pumpkin-pie-scented candles for the dining room table. Not that they were needed. She and her mamm had been baking up a storm since Abner’s arrival. The haus already smelled mouth-watering delicious, with an abundance of apple pies, pumpkin pies, mincemeat pies, and who knew what else. Katie’s biological sister and brother and their significant others, as well as Abner, would be joining Katie’s family for Thanksgiving.
With real sweets tempting the senses, why did she want to add food-scented candles? Women baffled him. He, Abram, and his father-in-law, Mose, had enough trouble staying out of the treats. With three days to go, their stomachs would be on perpetual rumble.
Katie and her mamm had gone to the store to start grocery shopping for supplies needed for Thanksgiving dinner. Big bags of flour and sugar were on the list, as they had more baking to do before Thursday. More! Why’d they need more? But then again, that’d be more gut food for him to eat.
His stomach growled at the thought.
Mose and Abram were busy with something on the farm, so Abner was recruited to take the women to the store. And sent, alone, for the candles.
He found the display and picked out two, then headed for the checkout line, and tried to ignore the prominently displayed shelves of candy bars.
Mercy was three people ahead of him. She had a few soap making supplies on the counter. Abner recognized them from the times Mamm had made soap. Mercy paid the Englisch clerk, carried her purchases out of the store, then disappeared around the corner. Gone… without a chance to talk to her more. He’d wanted to find out how he could contact her.
Now… she was gone.
Wait. He smiled.
Didn’t Mercy say she was going to the grocery store?
***
Mercy studied the list Shanna had given her. She wasn’t familiar with this particular store. After all, it was the first time she’d been there. But most stores had a layout generally the same. Mamm always shopped the perimeter of the store for meats and cheeses and the few vegetables they didn’t raise in their garden. It looked like Shanna did pretty much the same thing. No meat on the shopping list since Matthew raised a few chickens, turkeys, hogs, and beef cattle. But she did have walnuts, cranberries, carrots and celery as well as bags of apples and oranges written down. She’d start there.
She bagged up several scoops of mixed nuts, still in the shell, tied it shut, then added them to the cart. They weren’t exactly on Shanna’s list, but Mercy’s family always had nuts in the middle of the table as a centerpiece. And after dinner they sat around, cracking nuts, drinking hot cocoa, and—
“So, we meet again?” A male voice intruded.
She looked away from the cart. Her gaze traveled up his broad chest and then trailed past a firm chin, grin, and finally met a pair of familiar blue eyes. Abner? An unfamiliar flutter filled her stomach. She swallowed. Was he following her?
Abner winked and held out a ragged piece of paper. “Shopping. I got part of a list from my sister-in-law, Katie.” He pushed his cart up beside hers. “Those nuts look gut.” He glanced down at his paper. “Not on the list though. She has… ‘some ingredients for saltwater taffy.’ What does that mean? How do women shop like this?” He scratched his head.
Mercy giggled. Mamm wrote her list the same way. It felt good to laugh. It’d been a long time since… She frowned. “Salt, butter, flavoring, food color, sugar, cornstarch, light corn syrup—”
“How do I know which of those are included in ‘some?’” He shrugged his shoulders.
“Go ask her, since you got part of the list from her. She’s here, jah?”
Abner nodded. “She’s here. But…”
“The other option is to get them all and put back what she doesn’t want.”
He wrinkled his nose. “Involves backtracking. I’ll ask. Better yet, I’ll just give the list back to her and follow you around.”
Mercy blinked. “Me? Why?” Though it made sense that a man who’d already asked her to kiss him and invited her on a date within five minutes of meeting her might also be forward enough to follow her around a store. For a second, she basked in the flattery, but then mentally put up a wall of defense. She had no right to enjoy his company. Not when…
“Why not? You’re pretty, single, and I like you. I’d feel weird following my sister-in-law and her mamm around. Besides, they already know there’s a girl involved.” He pointed to a couple of Amish women staring at them from a couple of rows over. “Come meet them.”
“What? Why?” Mercy picked up a bag of celery, hoping to distance herself. Then winced. Celery. Weddings. Something that wouldn’t be happening for her. Not this fall. Not ever. Her eyes burned. Still, Abner’s warmth beside her and his teasing deep voice above her brought back memories. The chance of this feeling lasting? She shook her head.
“Katie’s really shy. I think she’d like to have a chance to know her future sister-in-law before we marry.”
Mercy’s mouth dropped open. She stared up at him as the celery slipped from her hand and hit the floor. His eyes widened as if he just realized what he said. A dull red crept up his neck.
He bent and picked the celery up. “Come on.” His hand grasped her elbow. Sparks flared as he tugged her toward the two women. “Katie and Ruthie, this is Mercy.” He handed the torn part of the list back to Katie. “Mercy, this is my sister-in-law and her mamm, Ruthie. I want to invite Mercy to the taffy pull.” He indicated the grocery list.
“Sure, and you’re invited, Mercy.” Katie’s face turned a bright pink. Her smile faded, and something that resembled sympathy appeared as she studied Mercy. “Abram’s not the only one who moves a relationship along at a dizzying speed. Four months ago, I didn’t even know him. And now we’re married. Hang on for the ride, Mercy.”
Four months? Married? Mercy reared back. “Actually, this is scaring me. And I see Matthew.” Not really, but he would be arriving soon. “Nice meeting you.” She managed what she hoped was a polite smile and tried to keep from racing to her cart to finish the shopping at a mad dash.
Abner Hilty. Scary. Very scary.
But… good looking. Out-going. And apparently interested.
She glanced back at him.
He’d turned and walked away, as if her public rejection meant nothing.
Disappointment ate at her.
Maybe he wasn’t interested after all. Maybe he was just… scary.
Either way, she’d be keeping her distance.
Any other girl would be running into his arms. But her heart couldn’t take being pulled around like taffy.

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