The Courtship Plan Read online

  Dedication

  To James. I love you.

  Contents

  Cover

  Title Page

  Dedication

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Epilogue

  Discussion Questions

  Acknowledgments

  Glossary

  About the Author

  Acclaim for Kathleen Fuller

  Other Books by Kathleen Fuller

  Copyright

  Prologue

  Birch Creek, Ohio

  Where is he?

  Charity Raber checked the clock on the wall of Diener’s Diner and huffed. Ten minutes late. He’s going to stand me up. I just know it.

  She closed her eyes and drew in a deep breath. Now wasn’t the time to panic. Just because she’d been stood up before—more than once, by more than one guy—didn’t mean she would be today.

  Be positive! Be confident! She’d repeated those two phrases this morning as she chose her most positive and confident outfit—a light-green short-sleeved dress that matched her eyes and a pristine white kapp reserved for church service only. Not only was she dressed for success, she was ready for it.

  After a second or two, she opened her eyes and stared at the empty seat opposite her. She didn’t feel positive. Or confident. Not even close.

  Desperate to distract her doubt-filled mind, she straightened the silverware on her right. Moved the menu in front of her an inch to the left. Wiped off the drop of condensation sliding down the side of her iced tea glass. All the while she tried to ignore the blend of Amish and English voices surrounding her, hoping no one would notice how long she’d been sitting alone at the booth.

  She fought the urge to glance at the clock again. Folding her hands together, she stared straight ahead at the front door while warm, mid-May sunshine beamed through the window beside her.

  Staring. Straight . . . ahead . . .

  Her gaze flicked to the clock again. Only two minutes had passed? Phooey.

  “Ready to order?”

  She glanced up at Norene Yoder, one of three Amish waitresses working the lunch shift. Charity had interviewed for a waitress job at Diener’s a month ago. By then she’d lived in Birch Creek for nearly a year, and her savings were almost depleted. She wasn’t hired here or at the other two jobs she’d applied for—counter help at Yoder’s Bakery and a clerk at the fabric store in Barton. “I’m sorry,” each employer said after the interview. “I don’t think you’d be a good fit.” What did that even mean?

  Norene was hired less than a week after she’d moved to Birch Creek in April. Charity was still looking for employment. Double phooey. Life was so easy for some people.

  “Did you hear me?” Norene asked.

  “I heard you,” Charity muttered, her gaze aimed at the front door. “And no, I’m not ready to order yet.” No reason to elaborate further. Her business wasn’t Norene’s business.

  “Still waiting on yer friend?”

  “I’m waiting on my date.”

  Norene arched a pale-blond, perfectly shaped eyebrow, her silver eyes alight with curiosity. “You have a date? We live across the hall from each other and you never said a word.”

  Norene was one of the prettiest women Charity had ever seen, and she’d seen plenty since her arrival in Birch Creek. The town ebbed and flowed with single women from all over the country who had answered the same newspaper advertisement stating that Birch Creek was jam-packed with eligible bachelors. She couldn’t recall the exact wording, but it was clear from the text that single men in this community were yearning for single women . . . and Charity was yearning for a husband.

  Soon after she stepped off the bus from Cherry Springs, she realized the ad was misleading, in her case anyway. There were plenty of single men in the community, mostly from the same family. But—a big but—very few were ready for or even wanted marriage. Regardless, a few marriages had occurred, so Charity still held out hope that one day she would find the man of her dreams.

  And then Norene showed up. Charity couldn’t get a man to look at her twice, but every available man in the community noticed Norene.

  “Who is he?” Norene pressed.

  Charity frowned. Talk about nosy. Then again, Norene would get her answer anyway when he showed up. If he showed up. Perishing the thought, she smiled. “My date,” she said with a touch of triumph, “is Jesse Bontrager.”

  Norene snickered. “Nee.”

  “Ya.” Charity emphasized with a terse nod.

  “Jesse’s going out with you?”

  She pressed her lips together and glanced down at the white laminate tabletop. Although she wanted to, she couldn’t blame Norene’s skepticism. When Nelson had pulled her aside after church last Sunday and told her Jesse wanted to meet her for a lunch date, she almost keeled over from shock.

  Next to Ezra, Jesse was the most handsome of the eleven Bontrager brothers. Actually, there were only three to compare, since the older ones were married, and other than Ezra, who was already taken, Nelson was the only age-appropriate Bontrager. Nevertheless, tall, wiry, curly-headed Jesse was cute, even if she’d only seen him from afar. But lately the men in Birch Creek seemed to run in the opposite direction whenever she showed up, so she found it hard to believe anyone, including Jesse, was suddenly interested in her.

  But when she asked Nelson to repeat himself, he said the D word again. Date. “He’s too shy to ask,” Nelson said. “So I’m asking for him.”

  Jesse had never struck her as shy. Then again she’d been so enamored with Ezra—and once he was unavailable, she’d set her sights on Nelson—that she hadn’t paid much attention to Jesse. She’d even hoped that Nelson was going to ask her out, making Jesse’s invitation more astonishing.

  She wasn’t disappointed, though. A date was a date. She’d never had one before. And the prospect of a date was what her dwindling hope and diminishing morale needed.

  One date and she could prove herself. One date and she could show everyone she was worthy.

  She lifted her chin. “Ya. I have a date with Jesse. And he’ll be here any second, so we’ll order after he arrives.”

  Norene’s laughter faded. “You’re joking, ya?”

  “You don’t believe me?”

  She shook her head. “Nee one has been able to convince Jesse to date. Believe me, I’ve tried.”

  “I guess you’re not his type then.”

  The last sliver of humor disappeared from Norene’s eyes. “You think you are?”

  “He’s meeting me here. Not you.”

  Norene glanced around the diner. “I don’t see him, and you’ve been waiting for almost twenty minutes.”

  “He’ll be here. You’ll see.” Everyone will.

  She rolled her eyes. “Let me know when you want some food. We’re busy and you’re taking up a table.” She spun around and walked away.

  Phooey. Charity slumped. Ever since Norene had arrived in Birch Creek and moved into the room across the hall from her at Stoll’s Inn, life had been miserable. Okay, her life had been miserable before Norene moved in, but it was simpler to pin her disappointment and aggravation on someone else, and Norene made it easy.

  Why was she interested in Jesse anyway? It wasn’t as if she were lacking male attention, including Nelson’s. Right before he’d talked to her about Jesse, Charity noticed Nelson couldn’t keep his eyes off Norene. And why had she noticed? Because she couldn’t keep her eyes off him.

  Nelson was what, the third—or was it fourth?—Bontrager she’d tried to pursue, some more fervently than others. There was Ezra, who was now with Katharine Miller. Before him was Owen, although he never seemed to get the message and ended up marrying someone else. When Ezra had rejected her, she planned to move on to Nelson. And that didn’t even count the four men she’d targeted as prospects who weren’t Bontragers. Three of them were considerate when they declined her interest, but one wasn’t. He’d called her weird and a pest. He wasn’t the first one to throw those awful adjectives at her.

  That honor was reserved for her mother.

  She’d been the one to give her the ad in the first place, practically shoving Charity on a bus to Birch Creek the next day. At first Charity was glad for the chance to prove she wasn’t seltsam. But after living in Birch Creek for almost a year, she was wondering if Mamm was right, that she was a square peg in a round hole that wouldn’t fit in anywhere or with anyone.

  Her throat burned. Don’t let anyone see you cry.

  Mamm had imparted that nugget of wisdom. More like hit me over the head with it. Mamm wasn’t even her biological mother, but her stepmother who insisted Charity call her mamm since she and her father had married when Charity was eight years old, after her grandmother passed away. Grandmother had never called her seltsam.

  She crossed her arms and looked at the clock again. Almost twenty-five minutes late. There was no reason to be this tardy for a date . . . except one. She caught Norene smirking
at her from behind the front counter.

  The ice in her tea was melting, her stomach was turning sour, and Norene was right. Jesse wasn’t coming. Either Nelson had gotten his signals crossed with his brother, or he was playing a joke on her. It didn’t matter which. Both thoughts made her chest squeeze.

  She pulled her wallet out of her purse to leave a five-dollar bill on the table. More than the price of the tea, but she couldn’t stomach facing Norene right now. As her fingertips touched the money, the bell above the diner door rang. She didn’t bother to look up. Why should she? It wasn’t like Jesse would appear for their date at this point. Or ever.

  Despite the reality check, she lifted her eyes. Her whole body stilled, her hand halfway in the air and gripping a ten-dollar bill because it turned out that was the only amount she had with her. Jesse. He came after all.

  He walked a few steps farther into the diner, his gaze darting back and forth as if searching for someone. She stuffed the ten back into her wallet, tossed it into her purse, and put her hands in her lap.

  Then he turned to her . . . and the world stopped. The clock. Her heartbeat. The frustration always lingering around the edges of her emotions. All she could see and comprehend was the handsome man looking straight at her.

  Or was it straight through her?

  He shifted his gaze, did another search of the dining room, then shrugged and opened the glass door.

  Oh nee! He was leaving! “Over here, Jesse!” she screeched.

  The entire diner went silent. All eyes were on her, including Jesse’s. She squirmed. She hadn’t meant to sound that loud. Or that shrill.

  His black brows knit above vibrant blue eyes as he met her gaze. Slowly he pointed to himself.

  “Ya!” She shot from her seat and waved him over again, her hand flapping like a baby bird struggling to fly. “I saved you a seat!” The pitch in her tone jumped an octave. Nope, not weird at all.

  His frown deepened, and for a second she feared he might leave for good this time. Thankfully he walked toward her.

  She sat back down and tried to settle herself. Be cool. Calm. Confident! But when he stopped in front of the booth, she blurted, “Hi, hi, hi!”

  “Uh, hi.” He wasn’t frowning as much now, but he still looked confused.

  “You can sit here.” She wagged her hand toward the seat across the table. “Sit right there.”

  Jesse glanced over his shoulder, then looked at her again. “Sorry, Charity. I’m supposed to meet Nelson for lunch.”

  “Oh nee, nee, nee.” Why was she sounding like a terrified chipmunk? “You’re meeting me!” She pointed to her chest with her thumb. “For lunch. Food. Lunch. With me.”

  He gaped at her.

  “We’re having a lunch date,” she clarified since he didn’t seem to comprehend words. “You. Me. Lunch. Foo—”

  “Food. Got it.” He frowned.

  “Hi, Jesse.” Norene appeared at his side, standing close to him. Too close.

  “We’re not ready to order,” Charity said quickly. “So, shoo.”

  Both Norene and Jesse stared at her.

  “Shoo?” Norene said, her silver irises turning stormy.

  “Geh. Leave.” The last thing she needed was an interloper, especially since Norene had spilled the beans about being interested in Jesse. “Did you understand that?”

  From the way Norene glared at Charity, she certainly did.

  Yikes, I need to apologize. And she would—later. Right now she didn’t want Norene working her charms on Jesse. Why hadn’t he sat down? If he would just sit down, then she could calm down.

  “Hey, Norene.” He turned to her and smiled.

  Charity froze again. She’d never seen his smile up close before. Oh, she’d seen him grin when he hung out with his friends and brothers after church, but that was always from a distance. If only he was smiling at me.

  “I don’t want to interrupt your date, Jesse,” Norene said, inserting herself between him and Charity. “But I wondered if you wouldn’t mind dropping by the inn later, if you have time.”

  Charity’s fists clenched. How much hochmut and nerve did this woman have to literally ask Jesse out in front of her? Dropping by the inn wasn’t necessarily an official date, but Charity had lived there for months. When a single man showed up at the inn, they were there to see one of the single girls staying there. Except me.

  “Can’t today,” he said, his smile dimming. He was a tall man, and Norene didn’t block him completely from Charity’s view. “I’ve been pretty busy lately. Lot’s of plowing and planting on the farm this time of year.”

  “But you can’t work all day and night,” Charity blabbed. She slid lower in her seat. Why had she said that? Why was she helping Norene? Dear Lord, please shut my mouth! At this rate she’d end up planning their wedding.

  Norene glanced at her with a satisfied smile, then turned back to Jesse. “I won’t take up much of your time. I promise. I’m thinking about buying a horse, and I need some advice.” She lowered her eyes, then glanced up at him through her long, light-brown lashes. “I heard you’re really gut with horses.”

  “You should probably talk to mei bruders about that. They’re the experts.” Jesse sidestepped her and sat down in the booth.

  Charity unfolded her arms and sneered at Norene, but there was very little satisfaction behind it. The date was a disaster already, and that wasn’t all Norene’s fault, even though she was trying to steal Jesse from under her nose. “We need a few minutes to decide what we want,” she snapped. “I’ll let you know when we’re ready for you to serve us.”

  Norene’s mouth tightened. She turned on her heel and headed to the front of the diner.

  “Finally, she’s gone.”

  Jesse rubbed the back of his neck. “What?”

  Oops. She hadn’t meant to say that out loud. Pushing her rudeness and Norene to the side, she attempted the sweetest smile she could and gazed at Jesse. Sigh. She had no idea he was so dreamy up close. His blue short-sleeved shirt matched his eyes so perfectly that she barely noticed what appeared to be fresh mud spots on it, or that his hat was frayed around the brim. The most amazing thing about him was his hair. She’d seen Amish men with curly hair before, but Jesse’s was on another level. He had corkscrew curls, and she wondered if they would spring back in place if she gently tugged on one.

  She gripped her hands together. “Nice day for a date, ya?”

  His work boot thumped against the floor as he stared out the diner window. He didn’t speak for a long time. Long enough for dread to circle her stomach.

  Finally, he turned to her, his blue eyes tense at the corners. “This isn’t a date, Charity. It’s a mistake.”

  * * *

  Jesse’s molars ground together. Bad enough his frazzled nerves hadn’t settled down since this morning when he chased after a runaway horse. The mare ran straight past Zeb and Zeke’s horse farm. Jesse called out to her several times, praying she wouldn’t take off for the open field on the opposite side of the road. Eventually she slowed down so he could catch up to her, and after several minutes of some of the stickiest sweet talk he’d ever uttered, she trusted him enough to guide her back to the farm.

  On the way back to the corral, she stepped in a puddle and kicked some mud on him, probably out of sheer spite. Zeb had taken over from there, leaving Jesse free to help Zeke patch the fence she’d broken through. His twin brothers specialized in rehabbing abused horses, and the ironically named Miss Peach was one of their worst cases.

  Only when Zeke had mentioned his wife, Darla, was making bacon cheeseburgers and waffle fries for lunch did Jesse remember he was supposed to meet Nelson. There was no time to change his dirty shirt so he wet a washcloth and dabbed the spots with water before hurrying to Diener’s. He ended up tardy by almost thirty minutes, and when he didn’t see Nelson, he thought his brother had given up on him.

  Then Charity screeched at him from the other side of the diner, and now here he was sitting across from her, trying to comprehend why she thought they were supposed to have lunch together.

  Wait. Had Nelson set him up with her? That was the only logical explanation.

  In the background he could hear Charity and Norene’s voices, but he was unable to process their chatter. He stared out the window. Why would his brother do this? Jesse had played many a prank on his siblings over the years, and he’d been on the receiving end of a few. But this one took the pie and the cake. Charity Raber was the strangest and, from the way she talked to Norene, rudest woman in Birch Creek—if she was even old enough to be considered a woman. He was only eighteen but she looked like a child. Stick thin with carrot-colored hair and more freckles than he could count in a lifetime, she wasn’t just boyish looking. She was homely.