her way home. She hoped to relax for a few hours away from the inn, but Beth had asked if they could spend the time at the inn instead.
An hour later, Beth showed up with a basket of sewing projects, and Lydia Plank.
“As soon as you told me about Micah, I decided reinforcements were in order,” Beth said.
“I hope you don’t mind?” Lydia asked.
“Definitely not,” Frannie said with a smile. “The more the merrier.”
Pulling out a pretty tin from her basket, Beth said, “I’ve got both peanut butter and chocolate chip cookies.”
Frannie winked at Lydia. “You’ve been baking, Beth?”
“Definitely not! My mamm made these this morning. Today was one of her better days.”
“Praise God,” Frannie said with a smile. “Those cookies look wunderbaar! I’ll brew some coffee.”
Soon she, Lydia, and Beth were sitting and eating cookies, moping and pretending to sew. Finally, Frannie looked at her two best friends and grimaced. “We’re quite a sight, aren’t we? All we’re doing is getting fat and creating frown lines.”
“Not too fat. I’ve only eaten three cookies,” Lydia said.
“Five. You’ve eaten five,” Beth countered.
Lydia frowned. “Truly?”
“I’m sure,” Beth replied. “I know because I’ve only picked up a new cookie when you have.”
Lydia slumped. “Next time, don’t count cookies.”
“Don’t feel bad. I would’ve eaten more if you two hadn’t been here,” Frannie admitted.
“I ate two before I saw you both,” Beth confessed. “They’re good. And no matter what people say, chocolate does help make you feel better.”
“I’m not about to argue with that.” Frannie sewed a perfect line, then continued. “If we’ve been in worse moods, I’m not sure when.” Afraid to talk about what was really on her mind, she said, “There has been much going on lately. Perhaps we’re all exhausted.”
“There has been a lot going on,” Lydia said around yet another bite of cookie. “Walker and I can’t seem to figure out what we are going to do with the rest of our lives . . . and my mamm is pressuring me to figure it out quick.”
Beth rolled her eyes. “Mothers.”
Frannie felt a momentary pinch in her heart—the same thing that always happened whenever she contemplated how much she missed her own mother. “At least you have a man in your life, Lydia.”
“Frannie, you and I might as well admit what has us so shaken up,” Beth said. “We’re grumpy because we’re brokenhearted over two men we shouldn’t have ever thought twice about.” She picked up another cookie, stared at it, and then set it back on the plate. Curving her arms about her stomach, she said, “I never should have eaten so many. Do you two feel sick?”
“Only a little,” Lydia admitted.
“I don’t,” Frannie said. “At least, not yet.” She grabbed another cookie. Maybe that’s what she should be doing—eating cookies until she only thought about a squeamish stomach . . . not a broken heart. It would hurt far less.
Beth picked up a piece of lint from her fabric. “We are smart girls. We should have known better than to get involved with men we have nothing in common with. No good could have come from it. But maybe we were just tired of all the same prospects . . . Is that what happened with you, Lydia?”
“I don’t think so.” After a moment, she said quietly, “It just happened that one day I knew Walker was the man who could make me happy.”
Lydia made love sound so easy, Frannie thought. But it wasn’t easy at all. After all, Micah should have been the perfect man for her—they were part of the same community, and had many of the same values.
But instead of making her feel happy and secure, Micah had only made her feel doubtful and troubled. And sometimes . . . even annoyed!
Now, Luke, on the other hand, he did make her feel excited and happy. But he was a policeman! Furthermore, he left for Cincinnati without even telling her a final goodbye!
How could something so wrong feel so right? It made no sense. How could falling in love be the wrong choice? She bit the inside of her cheek to distract herself from the burning ache in her chest.
“I tried to fall in love with Micah,” Frannie admitted over the lump in her throat. “But I just couldn’t do it.”
Beth nibbled her bottom lip. Her eyes sparkled with unshed tears, and Frannie suspected she harbored a painful heartache of her own.
Diplomatically, Beth said, “Micah is a good man. That is true. But he wasn’t ever