Read Online A Little Bit of Charm by Mary Ellis - Free Book Online

T-shirt that advertised the stable in bright red letters, she walked into the employee break room.
    Everyone turned to look at her. One woman smiled and pointed to a box sitting on the table. “I believe that’s for you if your name is Rachel.”
    â€œThanks,” she said, picking up the box wrapped in blue tissue paper with a big white bow. Inside she found a pair of almost-new riding boots. Jessie had enclosed a card that read, “Good luck and (don’t) break a leg.” Oddly, the word “don’t” had been enclosed in parentheses. Then an entire line of x ’s and o ’s followed Jessie’s signature. Rachel slipped the card into her pocket and the boots onto her feet. She wondered if she would ever understand all of the English expressions, but at least the boots fit perfectly. No sore feet by the end of the day.
    She grinned at the grooms, stable hands, and farm workers who wandered in and out of the room. People nodded and smiled while filling coffee mugs or heating up breakfast pastries. Someone had left a box of donuts on the table, while two huge dispensers provided chilled water. Rachel went over to one and filled her travel mug before stashing it with her tote bag in her new locker. Someone had placed a label identifying “Rachel King” in the little metal window. A wall sign reminded employees to “Clean up after yourself because your mother doesn’t work here.”
    Rachel headed from the break room to the barn of Buster and Bess, grabbing some apples from the basket along the way. She greeted her new equine best friends with gentle strokes and tasty treats. After leading them into the sunshine, she easily hitched the pair to the red tour wagon as Jessie had taught her. Next she wiped down the wagon seats and handrails with sanitizer and paper towels, and then she swept the floor to make sure not a speck of dust remained. Once she had parked the wagon in the designated loading zone, she entered the stable office. Keeley sat alone in the room, spinning around in the swivel chair.
    â€œHi, Rachel,” she sang out.
    â€œGood morning.” Rachel greeted the girl fondly.
    â€œJessie said I should ask you if you wanted me to tag along during your first tour or if you would prefer I just collected money and let you take the bull by the horns solo.” Keeley gave the chair a final spin.
    The child’s multipart question took Rachel a moment to decipher. But once she did, she answered with traditional Amish succinctness: “Solo, thank you.”
    â€œGood to hear. I would hate to miss my game shows on TV.”
    An abstract thought occurred. “Why aren’t you in school today? It’s Wednesday.”
    â€œDad let me stay home because it’s your first day.” Keeley handed over a plastic contraption. “This is a walkie-talkie. I have one inside the house. If anything goes wrong, just press this red button and speak normally into it. Dad or Jake or I will come running.”
    â€œWhat kind of things do you mean?” asked Rachel, inspecting the gadget.
    Keeley gave her chair another spin. “Oh, old people having heart attacks, or if one of the horses breaks a leg in a gopher hole, or if a wheel falls off the wagon.” She glanced at the wall clock, grabbed the cash box, and headed out the door.
    Sarah’s heavy breakfast churned in Rachel’s stomach. “Do those sorts of events happen often?” She followed Keeley down the steps into the late summer sunshine. The cool breeze felt wonderful on her skin.
    â€œNot so far, thank goodness. But Jessie told me to explain the walkie-talkie and what it’s for.” Keeley looked up at her. “Jessie really likes you and hopes you will like giving tours.”
    â€œAnd I, her. I’m sure I’ll enjoy working here.”
    â€œI like you too.” The girl grinned with the exuberance of a twelve-year-old.
    The English directness again