“Have you seen the section of the craft fair inside the empty shop?”
“Nee.” Holly looked two doors down from the pharmacy and saw clean windows where there had been murky ones. How much work had her people and the Englisch put into this event? “I was going to head that way now.” She took a bite of her pie as she waved to Fannie. “Bye,” she mumbled around the crispy shell and gooey filling. It did not disappoint. She licked her lips as she continued down the sidewalk. When she passed the pharmacy entrance, her sister’s over-the-top Christmas decorations were in the display windows, and someone was playing with the train set. Brandon was working in the pharmacy along with their backup tech, Sandy. Holly hoped they had enough staffing for the increased foot traffic the craft fair was generating, but Brandon and Lyle insisted she take the day off, walk around, and enjoy it.
“Hey there, Sis.” A slender arm snaked inside the crook of her elbow, and Ivy grinned, holding her own pie wrapped in tinfoil. “What do you think of all this?”
“It’s just amazing.” When her mom was planning the craft marketplace, Holly had hoped it could earn some money to go toward another health fair, but this was beyond what she’d imagined. The community had sacrificed so much during this busy time of year in order to help her. She couldn’t remember a time that she had felt so empowered and supported.
“Come on.” Ivy tugged at Holly’s arm. “I’ll show you what we have set up in the empty store. I was able to talk the building’s owner into letting us use it today for free.”
Holly let her sister lead her along the downtown street. They waved at the vendors, all women they had known personally for most of their lives. Another family friend handed each sister a cup of steaming hot coffee as they passed. Englisch shoppers mingled with Amish to look at the various goods and foods.
A large rectangular yellow vehicle caught Holly’s attention as it parked across the way. “Is that a field trip bus?” Holly’s question seemed silly the moment the bus doors opened and a line of elementary-aged children began streaming out. “Do public schools still have class this time of year?”
“One of the districts is in session until the twenty-third this year.” Ivy shrugged. “Don’t know why. I appealed to some schoolteacher friends that Mamm and I occasionally clean for. They were able to convince their school to let them take their classes to our market, a ‘multicultural’ activity, I believe. Lots of the children will get a good opportunity to purchase a special Christmas surprise for their mom or dad.”
What a treat for the children and for this benefit. “Have I told you lately, Ivy, that you’re brilliant?”
“No, but you don’t have to. I’m fully aware.” Ivy tilted her chin and stuck out the tip of her tongue, making the silly face she’d made since childhood. “Now, come on and let’s go inside. It’s cold out here away from the heaters.”
Holly chuckled. For someone so passionate about all things Christmas, Ivy had quite a dislike of cold weather. When Ivy opened the door, bells jingled in the entrance of the usually empty shop. Lines of tables filled the center of the building. One section was fashioned into a toy shop, with Amish faceless dolls, wooden trains and buggies, rocking horses, red wagons, and several other items that Holly would have to inspect closer to see. Another area had assorted wall decorations and signs, some Christmas themed and some meant for any time of the year. Gorgeous, vibrantly colored quilts hung on the walls.
“Wow,” Holly whispered. “Who would’ve thought the normally drab building could be transformed into this?”
“I know.” Ivy’s beautiful eyes glimmered. “You deserve all the effort it took to put this together, Holly. I’m going to help Mamm with her sign booth. Red called yesterday. You remember him?” Ivy’s mouth curved into that telltale sign of teasing. “Our baby brother said he was trying to be here for the market, but it could be as late as Christmas Eve. Come see us in a bit. But for now I think I see someone who wants to talk to you.” Ivy nodded at something behind Holly.
Holly turned. Josh Smucker…standing right behind her. She jumped a bit in surprise.
“Sorry.” He put a hand on her arm to steady her. “Didn’t mean to sneak up on you.” His cheeks reddened a bit.
“You sure about that?” Holly grinned at him.
“I’m sure, because if I’d done it on purpose, I’d have come better prepared for you throwing that hot drink in your hand all over me. Although it’s not the worst thing I’ve had on me today. I do work with chickens after all.”
“How are your babies?”
“Not babies anymore. I’ve heard this variety may lay their first eggs by the end of January, although they will be too small to sell at first. I think it’s safe to say that the birds are big enough to survive this winter with minimal effort on my part. We have their coop winterized and an outdoor area for them to stretch their legs, supervised of course.”
“Of course. Congrats, Papa.”
Josh laughed. “I think you are the one who deserves to hear ‘congrats.’ This looks like a success already, and there’s still most of the day left for people to shop.”
“Ya, I have to say I’m a little surprised that this many people are volunteering their time.”
“You shouldn’t be.” Josh’s lips formed a handsome smile.
Warmth spread through her, and she knew it wasn’t just because of the cozy displays, heated room, or large crowd. It was love. Love for her community accepting her for who she was, including her health-care mission. She was willing to push cultural boundaries to get her message across: health care is vital and important, even for the Amish. But it was quite a wonderful gift to have support and be appreciated. And if she was truly accepted in this regard, was Ivy right about the community being open to her continuing her work and possibly having a husband and family of her own?
She looked into Josh’s deep-brown eyes, marveling at the light that shone behind them. Was she willing to open herself up to a relationship after all? Her heart raced at the thought.
* * *
Brandon handed the prescription bag to the Amish teenager in front of him. “Glad Julie could fit you in while you were in town today for the market. An ear infection can be really painful if left untreated. This should clear it up though, and quickly. You’ll be feeling much better by Christmas. Take one tablet twice a day for ten days, and remember to keep taking it even if you feel better.”
“Thank you so much, Doc.”
“You can just call me Brandon. I put the charge on your parents’ tab. Don’t worry. It’s only a few dollars. Remember, you can call or stop by the pharmacy if you have any questions or need anything else. We’ll be closed only on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.”
“Thanks again.” The young man walked away from the counter, clutching the bag with the antibiotic that would ease the pain in his ear. He waved at Julie as she and Nacho entered the store and walked toward the prescription counter. She smiled at her patient as he passed and then at Brandon.
“Hey there, Dr. Greene.” She leaned against the counter. Nacho sat, his big pink tongue lolling in a doggy smile.
“Ha. Yes, everyone keeps making that joke even though I don’t know any more today than I did two weeks ago before I officially got my license.”
“Well, we are all excited for you. I brought you some food. You know, again.” She waved a brown paper bag in the air. “Figured you wouldn’t get to close for lunch with all the increased foot traffic from the craft market.”
“Yeah, I was planning to work through lunch and just eat a protein bar. It’s already midday, and we close in only a few more hours anyway.” His stomach growled at the mention of food. “Thank you. You didn’t have to bring me anything. I know it’s a workday for you too.”
“I’m on break and stretching our legs.” She rubbed Nacho on the top of his head. “Plus, I’m taking advantage of the limited time
I have to bring you meals.”
Brandon laughed. “Surely you have someone better to feed.”
She shrugged. “Eh, not really, no. Other than my Amish friends, my boss, your father, and this big fella.” She scratched the yellow Lab behind an ear. “I pretty much just hang out with myself here in town. Sometimes I make trips to visit friends on my days off. Not that I mind living in Raysburg. Still, I’ll miss our chats when you leave town. Your dad seems to be doing better, and now that you have your license, I imagine you have another job lined up.”
“Well, no. I did have an offer from BB Drugs, but I ended up declining it.” He cleaned up a few stray pens from around the register and placed them in their cup.
Jules angled her head. “Wasn’t that your whole goal? Get done, move away, make money?”
“I thought it was.” Brandon raised a shoulder. “I assumed I’d be working in Philadelphia with my girlfriend by the New Year. But that wasn’t the right fit for me, and neither was she. We ended things last month. And I’m staying here at Greene’s for as long as my dad needs a pharmacist to run the place. I couldn’t see trusting it to anyone else.”
“I’m sorry. About the breakup, not about your staying.” She paused, looking unsure of what to say. “I went through a bad breakup right before I moved out here. That’s hard.”
“It’s okay. Some relationships don’t work out, and that’s just part of life.”
“Oh, agreed. Also I heard about what your relief pharmacist did, and I’m sorry to hear about that too. How horrible.”
“Yeah, that was rough, but thankfully it’s all squared away, and we can put it in the past. The pharmacy board sided with us, as I knew they would after we had the evidence we needed. They dropped all charges against us, and they are filing charges against Todd for false claims and sabotage.”
“The dropped charges against Greene’s is a huge relief for everyone.”
“Absolutely.” Brandon drew a deep breath and rubbed his chest as he released it. “Wholeheartedly.” Brandon glanced behind him at his workstation. “I’d offer for you to come behind the counter and have a seat with me as we eat lunch, but that’s not technically legal. And I need to stay in the pharmacy so we can keep it open.”
“Oh really? So you are worried about my trustworthiness around the important medications…many of which I prescribed?”
“Obviously.” Brandon winked at her. “Of course there’s always the option of you getting registered as a tech so you can come back and hang out with me. And your beast of course. First doggy pharmacy tech in the state. But that could take a while, so why don’t we go to dinner tonight?”
Jules narrowed her eyes at him. “That was a pretty smooth transition, Brandon Greene.”
“I do try. But in all seriousness I like talking to you and hanging out with you. You helped sell Raysburg to me as a place I can actually enjoy. It doesn’t have to be a serious date or anything. Just sustenance and conversation.”
“That would be wonderful.”
“Fall on your knees! O hear the angel voices! O night divine, O night when Christ was born!”
Joshua lifted his voice to join the other carolers. All of them were assembled on a small hill overlooking the frozen pond. Golden evening light shimmered on the snow as the sun moved toward the horizon. About fifty people, both singles and some of their families, were gathered either on or around the icy pond. He liked this Amish tradition of gathering on a pond to skate, and Ivy’s plan to have carolers here on Christmas Eve made it even better.
“O night, O holy night, O night divine!”
They wrapped up the song, the harmonies ringing like bells across the hard surface of the frozen water. Fresh snow had fallen the night before, but some men had cleared it from the pond and smoothed the surface before the evening’s events in preparation for ice-skating. The bonfire, which was just getting started when they began singing, was now burning brightly.
“That was wonderful, everyone!” Ivy clapped her mitten-clad hands together. “Merry Christmas! Go enjoy it.” She waved at everyone as their group started to disperse.
Roy, another caroler, clapped Joshua’s shoulder. “Glad you could come and sing with us this year, Joshua.”
“Ya, it was good to come make some music.” Despite the practices being tinged with disappointment, Joshua had enjoyed it. He would miss the social time that singing with this group brought, although it wasn’t really feasible for him to continue commuting this far without the opportunity to court Holly.
As the other singers dispersed, Joshua went toward the fire and spotted a familiar face looking right at him.
“Hallo.” Holly smiled, her hands in black mittens clasped in front of her. She had on a black wool coat and scarf, with her black bonnet for warmth. Her nose and cheeks were slightly pink from the cold, which Joshua found adorable. “The singing was lovely.”
“Glad you enjoyed the carols.” Joshua found it difficult and slightly painful to keep seeing her, knowing she’d never be available for a relationship, but it was worth the pain to be near her. How could he justify continuing to see her now that they had cleared the pharmacy’s name and he had finished his commitment of caroling?
“Would you”—she looked down at her mittens, seeming as if she was nervous—“want to, uh, take a walk?”
“Sure. Mind if we walk toward that warm fire, though? I hear there are s’mores to be had.”
“Ya, that would be wonderful. But first I need to, um, talk with you before we get surrounded by people.”
Joshua could feel himself frowning at her, but he couldn’t seem to relax his face. What could she need to say? Was she going to tell him that she couldn’t remain friends with him either? Surely that couldn’t be it. Nevertheless, he nodded. “Okay, how about that bridge over the frozen stream?”
Without responding to his question, she headed that way. They walked through the snow, and with each step Joshua felt more nervous. What was going on that she needed to talk in private?
Once she reached the middle of the footbridge, she stopped and turned toward him. “I’ve been thinking a lot about my life and my Daed over the past few weeks.” She cleared her throat. “You would have liked him. He was pretty passionate about dairy cows—the way you are about your chickens—treating them right even if it required more work. But more than that, he was passionate about my Mamm. They were so in love.” She looked out over the landscape, lips upturned and shaking her head at what he assumed was some memory. “Every year at this time he would keep a sprig of plastic mistletoe in his pocket so he could hold it over her head and get extra kisses throughout the day. She would roll her eyes, but she always gave in.”
Joshua offered a small smile, knowing it had to be painful to talk about her father. “Sounds a bit like my parents. They used to embarrass me so badly when I was younger.” They leaned against the handrail, overlooking what in warmer months was a little tributary feeding into the lake. The sun was setting through the bare trees of the hills. Was this what she’d wanted, to simply talk to a friend about the heartaches she still carried? “I’m sorry for your loss, Holly.”
“Oh, uh, no, what I mean is they embraced their life together, even in the simple day-to-day things. As sad as it is that he died too young, it would have been worse if he’d never truly lived. And he lived each day with my Mamm to the fullest. And…I…I want that too.”
His breath caught in his throat. Was she really saying what he thought she was?
She pushed against the handrail and stood straight. “I know I’ve put you through a lot. I’ve confused you and hurt your feelings on multiple occasions. And maybe I’m jumping way ahead, but it’s how my mind works.”
“You aren’t willing to take a first step down a path if you’ll have to stop and backtrack. I get that. It’s a bit challenging but definitely admirable.”
“I’m glad you feel that way because I’ve been thinking about the bishop, and it seems that if we talked to him with humility and respect, he would rethink his stance. It might take a bit of patience and listening as he preaches his advice, but I want to try if you’ll still have me.” She looked up at him, and he could see all the nervousness and vulnerability displayed in her clear blue eyes. “Am I assuming too much?”
His insides were jumping for joy. “Absolutely not.”
“Good. Because I’m in love with you.”
Was this real? His heart leaped. “Best Christmas ever.” He cupped her face with his hand, cherishing the feel of her soft, warm cheeks. He bent and captured her lips with his. Time seemed to both slow and speed up, and when they parted, their breaths were short and fast, visible in the chilly air.
“I’m in love with you too, Holly. But I think I’ve been pretty obvious about that.”
“Ya,” she whispered. “But it’s good to hear it out loud.”
He laughed, and the tension inside him disappeared. It was as if a fire were burning inside his heart, warming him more than any bonfire could. He removed one of her mittens and drew her hand to his lips. “If you think your bishop will listen, I believe you. Is it possible that next year we could have a Christmas wedding?”
“Wow, you move fast.” But she was smiling, staring at the hand he’d kissed, which was still close to his lips.
He supposed it was unusual to leap into marriage talk so soon, even for people raised as they were. And he was sure he had a goofy-looking smile on his face as he asked the question. But he had never been considered smooth, and it wasn’t as if he was going to start fooling her now. She apparently liked him for who he was.
The Christmas Remedy Page 17
