Secretly Smitten

by Colleen Coble, Kristin Billerbeck, Denise Hunter, Diann Hunt

  He thought a moment, then seemed to resign himself to his current situation. “That’s good of you, Anna.” There he went again with that soft, vulnerable voice that knocked her guard right off-kilter.

  “So will you call me when you need help for errands?”

  He sighed. “I will. Thank you.”

  He looked miserable, and a pang of compassion hit her. “Hey, anytime you need to get out or be with people, whatever, let me know. I’ll take you out.” Did she have to say it that way?

  “Thanks.”

  She could tell he thought she was just being nice. Despite her initial reluctance, she decided she would follow through. But once he was better, they would cut ties. Neighbors. That was all they would be.

  “So how did your mom like the yarn you bought her?”

  He hesitated. “I haven’t given it to her yet. Forgot to take it when I went to see her. I’m sure she’ll like it fine.”

  “It’s a worsted weight cotton yarn you bought her. Easy to work with, very durable, just right for knitting dishcloths.”

  He smiled. “You really know your stuff.”

  “I make it my business to know.”

  He nodded.

  “Well, I’d better get home before it gets too late.” She pulled on her coat and fumbled with the buttons.

  “Anna?”

  She turned around to face him. “Yes?”

  “I have a doctor’s appointment tomorrow afternoon, three o’clock. Will that work for you?”

  CHAPTER THREE

  Michael leaned back into his feather pillow on the sofa. Anna had to have some interest in him or she wouldn’t have come down to his house, right? She could have just called. His ankle ached, so he shifted his weight. He wasn’t sure what intrigued him about her. Maybe the way she spent time with those ladies at her shop, teaching them to knit, making them feel as though they mattered. Which they did, but most people went about their business without paying much notice to others. Not Anna.

  He liked that.

  Though he didn’t want to get involved with anyone while he was in Smitten, it didn’t hurt to have a friend. Did it?

  For some reason it intrigued him, too, that she kept her distance, as though she was afraid to get to know him. His mom said Anna had been married to a military man. Maybe she didn’t like men in uniform. A plump of his pillow and a grin. He was always up for a good challenge. Besides, working on her would give him something to do while he had to lie around with a bad ankle.

  He didn’t like her waiting on him, though. Made him feel weak. He fumed a minute. Then a thought hit him. With her tending to his needs, they were sure to get to know one another better. Maybe it wasn’t such a bad thing. One could always use a good friend.

  He reached for a pen and paper. In the meantime, he had a letter to write.

  By the time Anna made it home and got ready for bed, she was exhausted. She sat at her vanity and rubbed the cream on her face that guaranteed youthful-looking skin until she was ninety-five. She shook her head. How did she fall for all those commercials?

  She leaned into the mirror and scrutinized the laugh lines at the edges of her eyes. After a thorough examination, she picked up her jar of cream and said, “You aren’t doing your job.”

  As much as she hated to admit it, mirrors didn’t lie. The naked truth lay in the creases on her face. She screwed the lid back on the jar and with a sigh walked over to her bed and pulled back the covers.

  “What is the matter with you, Anna Thomas? There’s more to life than worrying about wrinkles.”

  The wind had picked up outside and gusts of snow pelted the windowpane. Airy, wafer-like flakes floated toward the ground. Frost glistened on the window. Anna reached for her Bible, read in the books of James and Psalms, then talked to the Lord about her day, her love for him, her concern for her loved ones. When she finished, she clicked off her light and snuggled deep beneath her warm comforter, all soft and billowy.

  She had so much for which to be thankful. Her girls were safe in their homes. Two of them were seriously in love, one to go. She hoped they would know a love like her mother and father had shared. So many happy years together. Regret filled Anna as she thought about her own marriage and how she had failed. No one else had ever made her feel that way about it; still, she did. Why couldn’t she have made it work?

  It was useless to think about. Joe Thomas had his dreams and ideas, and they hadn’t included Anna for the long haul. His girlfriend—now wife—had proven that. They were living happily in Arizona. Anna’s heart hurt for her girls. Their father had little contact with them. Another ache shadowed her heart. Not because she loved Joe; time had eased that pain. But one thing she did remember was that she never wanted to have that pain again.

  The doorbell rang, interrupting her troubled thoughts. Who would be coming over this late? She lifted the covers and stepped out of her bed. Grabbing her robe and slippers, she walked down the hall and peeked through the peephole in her door. Zoe.

  Anna opened the door. “Are you all right? What are you doing here?”

  Zoe stepped inside, shivered, and stomped the snow from her feet on the rug. “I’m sorry to come so late. I should wait and talk to you about this with my sisters, but I can’t sleep tonight without telling you.”

  “Well, come in, honey, so we can talk about it.” Anna started to take Zoe’s coat, but she refused.

  “Thanks, Mom, but I won’t stay long. I just needed to see you tonight.”

  Anna nodded and led the way to her sofa. Once they settled in, she turned to Zoe. “Now, tell me what’s on your mind.”

  Zoe cleared her throat. “You know that David Hutchins guy that Grandma was engaged to, who they thought had died in the Korean War, then found out he didn’t?”

  Did they really have to have this discussion at nine thirty at night?

  “Yes, yes.” Anna felt impatient with where this could be heading.

  “Well, I talked to him.”

  Anna swallowed hard. “You what?”

  “I wanted to arrange a meeting for him and Grandma. I thought it would be so romantic.”

  “Zoe, you didn’t.”

  “Well, you can’t deny it, Mom. After all these years, to find each other again. But that’s not why I’m here. He told me that he came back to meet up with Grandma, but Aunt Violet showed up in her place. She told him Grandma was married. She also told him that she herself was in love with him.”

  Anna gasped.

  “He didn’t return that love, and Aunt Violet has lived with this secret all these years. He gave her his dog tags to give to Grandma, but Aunt Violet kept them instead and never told Grandma that David hadn’t died. David didn’t think he could come back to Smitten with that past between all of them.”

  “Oh, that’s horrible. But why are you telling me now?” Anna straightened the decorative pillow and plumped it behind her.

  “We were hoping you could tell Grandma. You know, so at least she’d know he was still alive and that he came back for her.”

  “Oh, Zoe, there goes your romantic heart leading your head again. We can’t tell Grandma what Aunt Violet did. Think of how hurt she’d be! I think we’re better off leaving things as they are. It doesn’t hurt Mom not to know. In fact, after all this time, it’s probably better this way.”

  “Tess said you’d say that.” Zoe’s voice and expression revealed her obvious disappointment. “Sometimes confrontation is good when the truth can come out.”

  “Trust me on this,” Anna said, patting her daughter’s hand. “Some secrets are best kept.”

  “It’s good of you to take my insurance claim to my boss. It saved me having to mail the forms, and he was in a hurry to get them,” Michael said.

  “No problem,” Anna said, clicking her turn signal to pull her car into the parking lot of Sugarcreek Ski Resort. Once she shut off the engine, she turned to look at Michael, who sat in the back with his foot propped. “Now, where did you say the office was?”
<
br />   “Oh, Rick is working in the coffee shop today, at the top of the mountain. Just take the ski lift up. He’s expecting you.”

  Anna could sense all the saliva leaving her mouth. The pounding of her heart grew in intensity and her palms started to sweat. Dare she tell Mr. Manly Man she was afraid of heights? She looked at him and decided now was as good a time as any to face her fears head-on. She could do this.

  “You don’t mind, do you?” he asked, looking worried.

  “No?” Somehow the word sounded like a question, even to her. She tried to mean it, but failed.

  “Great.” He grinned, and her insides went soft. “Here it is.” He handed her an envelope. “I’ll walk out with you. Maybe I’ll see some of the guys.”

  Just what she wanted, an audience when she got sick.

  They climbed out of the car and walked toward the ski lift. Snow had been falling for a couple of hours. The air’s chill had a bite to it. The sun pushed through the gray clouds and managed to wash the slopes to a dazzling white. Still, its warmth did little to help Anna’s shivers. She’d never been on a ski lift in her life. What if she fell off? No, she wouldn’t fall. And she would not look down. No matter what, she would not look down.

  Michael explained to an employee that Anna was taking papers up to the coffee shop. “I’ll see you in a little bit, Anna.” Crutches in place, he hobbled over to talk to another friend.

  The closer she got to the ski lift, the clammier her hands felt, despite the frosty air. Since it was the middle of a school and work day, there weren’t a lot of patrons present. Her heart pounded so hard, a headache started to form.

  Anna followed the signs, then waited for the lift to clutch her into its waiting arms. Once she was on it, she lowered the bar, though her faith teetered as to whether or not it could protect her.

  When the lift edged out of the building, Anna kept her eyes straight forward, swallowing hard against her rising panic. The lift rose higher and higher, causing her stomach to tilt. What had she been thinking? She’d never make it. Her ex-husband’s voice echoed in her head. “You’re weak, Anna. You’ve always been weak. Always will be.”

  Her chin hiked. She was not weak. She was strong. She was courageous. Look at all she’d been through, how far she’d come! The lift took a swing upward, causing her stomach to heave a little. Oh, God, please help me.

  Joe was right. She was weak. She should have told Michael instead of letting her pride get in the way.

  She kept her eyes closed until she felt the lift descend toward the building. To her relief, there were instructions on where to jump off. With one quick leap, she was on solid ground again.

  Shaky steps carried her to the coffee shop on the mountain, where she approached the barista. “Hello, can you help me? I need to see Rick.”

  The young woman looked to be twentysomething, with her dark hair pulled back into a ponytail. “He just left. Went back down the mountain to check on something.”

  Anna’s heart sank. “How can I find him? I don’t know what he looks like.”

  The barista stopped wiping the counter and looked up. “He looks like Dennis Quaid. People tell him that all the time.”

  Dennis Quaid. That narrowed it down a bit.

  “Okay, thanks.” Anna shielded her eyes when she stepped back outside into the sunshine. Standing in position, she waited while the lift scooped her into its embrace once again. A worker clicked the latch on the bar, and once more she seemed to float in midair. The ride down was a bit easier, but her stomach grew more timid as the ride went on. If she could just get her feet on the ground, the nausea would leave.

  A gust of wind stirred the lift on its descent and her stomach rolled. Perspiration lined her palms, but she didn’t dare take off her gloves. Anna told herself she’d be on the ground soon, but it couldn’t be soon enough to please her. The world seemed to spin around her. She prayed one of the most fervent, desperate prayers she had prayed in a long time, and soon she came to the end of her journey.

  Grabbing the envelope, she jumped off the lift and took a moment to steady herself. The uneasiness she felt grew into increasing anger with every step. All of that for nothing. She should have told Michael she couldn’t do it, period. It was none of his business why. He’d probably had a good laugh at her expense, watching her tense, tight body sit rigidly on the lift. Or maybe he hadn’t even noticed her suffering. Probably couldn’t care less.

  She saw him talking to another man nearby and she walked over to him. “Excuse me, could you tell me—” She stopped midsentence when she saw that the man who stood in front of her looked to be Dennis Quaid’s twin. “Wow, it’s true.”

  “Yes, I know, I look like Dennis Quaid,” Rick said with a grin, reaching to shake her hand.

  She was overcome with wanting to tell him how much she enjoyed Soul Surfer.

  “Michael tells me you’ve been a godsend.”

  “He–he did?”

  Michael shuffled on his good leg and cleared his throat.

  “Sure did.” By the grin on Rick’s face and the discomfort on Michael’s, Anna could tell Rick enjoyed the teasing.

  Had Michael really said that about her? Her stomach turned over. Must still be upset from the lift ride.

  Anna gave Rick the envelope, and the three of them talked a few minutes longer before Anna and Michael got back into her car.

  “Why didn’t you tell me you were afraid of heights?” Michael said.

  Oh, here it was, the moment of reckoning. Anna backed the car out of her parking space and headed onto the road. “What makes you say that?”

  “It looked like you were going to be sick on the lift. And when you walked up to us, you were white as a sheet. You’re just now starting to get some color back. Are you okay?”

  At that moment, heat infused her cheeks, and she knew she had color. “I’m fine.”

  “I never would’ve asked you to go up there if you’d told me.”

  “It’s no big deal—”

  “Yes, it is a big deal, Anna. We all have things we deal with. That happens to be one of yours.”

  “I thought you’d tell me to face my fears.”

  “I have my own weaknesses. I don’t have the right to jump on yours.”

  Well, she hadn’t seen that coming. This from the egotistical manly-man? Compassion? Understanding weakness? A gentle giant? She’d always admired that in a man.

  Maybe he wasn’t the same as Joe.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  Anna finished her beginners knitting class, then settled in with the established knitters in the room. Business was slow for a Saturday. She had hoped to gain a new following as tourists sauntered through town— especially those who lived in neighboring towns. The influx of tourists had been good for business, but Anna was hoping the new railroad would bring in more shoppers. Her store wasn’t in trouble yet, but quality yarn didn’t come cheap, and she needed the sales to keep the shelves stocked.

  “What’s wrong?” Sally asked, throwing a stitch onto her waiting needle.

  “What do you mean?” Anna asked, embarrassed that her facial expression must have betrayed her private thoughts.

  “You looked upset just now.”

  “Oh, not upset. Just trying to think of ways to bring more interest to the shop. I love this place, but it’s pretty expensive to maintain. It would be nice to bring in some more revenue.”

  No one said anything for a few minutes, then Debbie broke the silence.

  “I was reading an article the other day about a woman who owned a knitting shop, and to do something different she offered spinning classes—” Sally opened her mouth to say something, but Debbie held up her hand. “And she raised her own sheep right behind the shop.”

  Anna had just taken a drink of coffee and choked on it. Sally’s jaw clamped shut.

  “I didn’t say you had to do it; I just said I read an article about it,” Debbie said with a chuckle.

  “But where would I put sheep here in town?” Anna
said.

  “You’d have to move,” Maria, a newcomer to their knitting group, said.

  Anna was already shaking her head. “I can’t afford to move.”

  More silence.

  “I like that idea of spinning classes, though. Just need to figure out where to order wool.” Anna offered a weak smile, trembling slightly within at the idea of something new and different. Still, she needed time to think it over, pray about it, see how the Lord would lead.

  “Well, I think it’s a wonderful idea—” Sally began.

  The bell over the door jangled, and Anna looked up to see rosy-cheeked Tess and Zoe bundled in thick woolens and boots. They brushed the snow from their coats, stomped the snow from their boots, and ventured inside.

  “—sheep or no sheep,” Sally finished.

  “Girls, what a nice surprise,” Anna said, getting up to hug them.

  “We were out doing some Christmas shopping, so we decided to stop in,” Tess said, picking up a sugar cookie and pouring a cup of hot coffee.

  “What’s this about sheep?” Zoe asked, pouring hot apple cider in a cup.

  Sally filled them in on the conversation.

  “Oh, Mom, that’s a great idea,” Tess said, getting caught up in the moment.

  “Well, maybe the spinning part—”

  “No, raising the sheep too! That would be such a novelty for your shop. It would attract kids too, so their mothers could shop for yarn.”

  “It really is a cool idea, Mom. Never heard of anything like that around here, or even in Stowe and some of the other towns,” Zoe added, pulling off her scarf.

  Anna felt this conversation was careening out of control. She didn’t want the hype to get ahead of her and muddy her thoughtful consideration of the matter.

  She raised her hand and said, “Nothing to get excited about at this point. Just the germ of an idea. I need to pray about it and think it through.”

  Zoe sagged into an empty chair. “Give it up, ladies. Once she says she has to pray about it, there’s no talking her into something.”