Patricia Johns

With a day that started at 3 am because of Ronnie the rooster’s inability to tell time, everyone was tired. Amelia and George explained to their guest about the mixup, and offered him an allergy pill to help with his sniffles and sneezes.

George took him outside with him at chore time.

“You can stand outside while I go into the barn,” George said. “But it’s very beautiful this time of day, and you can watch the cows. There’s nothing more Amish than watching cows.”

It sounded right, at least, and George cast his wife a smile.

Relieved that George was taking Arnold outside for a while, Amelia prepared some oatmeal and eggs for breakfast, and then pulled out Patricia’s newest book that would be going onto the shelves everywhere the very next day. She liked to reread the very pages she’d edited. Somehow, once a book was printed, it felt different, and she brimmed with pride.

Time slipped by. Brigette fell asleep–3 am. being much too early for Brigette to get up, too–and Amelia went back to her reading. Just as she was turning the page, she heard a cough behind her.

She turned to see Arnold standing on his tip toes and peering over her shoulder.

“I’m not finished the page,” Arnold said softly, and he dabbed at his nose with a tissue.

“Oh…” Amelia waited until he nodded, and then she turned the page.

“It’s a very good story, isn’t it?” Arnold said.

“I’d say!” Amelia said. “I edited this book, you know.”

“You did?” Arnold asked. “Do you know the author?”

“I know her very well,” Amelia said. “She’s Canadian. She’s probably knee-deep in snow by now.”

Arnold’s eyes grew wide. “You don’t say! My cousin’s wife is Canadian.”

“Small world,” Amelia murmured.

“So you know how the book ends?” Arnold asked.

“I do, but I won’t spoil it,” Amelia said. “Come on, Arnold. Sit down, and you can keep reading with me if you like.”

Arnold smiled then, and his whole face changed. He was no longer a gruff and grumpy man. He was downright cheery. And that made Amelia cheery.

“Does the Beachy Amish veterinarian end up getting together with the delightful Old Order Amish woman who broke his truck?” Arnold asked.

“Have you ever read a romance novel before?” Amelia asked.

“No.”

“Ah!” Amelia said with a big smile. “You are in for a treat, Arnold. Buckle up!”

---

Amelia had a busy day, and soon she was bustling around getting things done. There were emails to answer to do with her editing work, a video chat with Patricia who wanted to know how everything was going, laundry to wash, Brigette to bathe, and the list went on and on.

Later that afternoon when Brigette went down for a nap, Amelia was looking forward to a little more time with her book. She was in the middle of the story. But when she couldn’t find her book.

“That’s funny,” she murmured. She looked around the sitting room–not there. She looked in the kitchen. Not there. She stood with her hands on her hips, wondering where it might be.

Arnold Frost came through the kitchen. He had a camera in one hand and rubber boots on his feet.

“I’m off to practice my photography!” Arnold said.

“Whatever you do, don’t take pictures of the Amish people,” Amelia warned. “It’s against their religion.”

“What can I take pictures of?” he asked.

“Buggies are fine,” she replied. “And barns. Also cows. There’s nothing more Amish than cows, you know. But mind the bulls. They’re fast, and you always need a fence between you.”

“Thanks for the advice,” Arnold said. “Well, cheerio!”

Arnold went on out the door, and Amelia sighed. Where was her book? Arnold Frost wouldn’t have taken the book would he? No… Of course, he wouldn’t.

“I could just take a quick peek,” she told herself.

She headed upstairs and she opened the door to Arnold’s room. She poked here and there, and then she spotted the book, just peeking out from under Arnold’s bed.

“There it is!” she said, and she scooped it up.

If Arnold wanted to know how the story ended, he was going to have to ask her to borrow the book. BORROW! Sharing books was not something that Amelia did easily.

---

The next morning, Amelia hummed to herself as she swept the kitchen. George had taken Amelia outside to see the cows, and Amelia was enjoying a little bit of quiet by herself. She wasn’t getting a lot of quiet these days–even without TV! The Froggy Amish B&B was a very busy place.

Arnold Frost came into the kitchen and he looked around uncomfortably. He was due to leave that very day.

“Hello, Arnold,” Amelia said. “Can I get you anything?”

“Oh, not really,” he replied. “I’m just nosing around. I’ll be heading out soon.”

And Arnold stood there for a couple of beats, looking awkward. He was lonely, Amelia realized, and her heart gave a little squeeze of sympathy.

“Come have a seat, and I’ll put on some tea,” Amelia said. “We can chat for a few minutes before you go. Can I ask what brought you to the Froggy Amish B&B?”

“It was a trick,” Arnold said. “My brothers thought it would be very funny to book me a stay here.”

“Funny?” Amelia asked, her feeling a little hurt. Their establishment was not a joke. Was it because they were frogs? Or was it because it was Amish? It was not fun to be the butt of a joke.

“Because of my allergies,” Arnold said. “And I needed to use my vacation time, so when they said they’d book the stay for me, I agreed. I… I thought they were being friendly. They were not.”

“Oh, Arnold…” Amelia sighed. “Your brothers sound like the backend of a horse! And that’s all I’ll say about that!”

Arnold chuckled. “Well, the joke is on them, because I’ve had a wonderful time.”

“I’m glad!” Amelia said.

“I just have one tiny request…” Arnold said.

“What’s that?” Amelia asked.

“Can you tell me how the book ends?” he asked. “I never did get to finish it.”

The book they had read together, AMISH SLEIGH BELLS, and then the one she’d taken out of his room. She felt a little badly for that now. Amelia was a wonderful frog, but one of her few faults was an inability to share her books.

But here was a man who didn’t seem to have many friends, whose brothers seemed downright cruel to him, and Amelia’s heart went out to him.

“You can have my copy, Arnold,” Amelia said. “Then you can finish the story. I know how it ends, after all. I did edit it.”

“Can I really?” Arnold asked. “I’ll mail it back to you when I’m done.”

“That would work nicely,” Amelia said, perking up.

Wasn’t it funny how something as simple as a shared book could create a friendship? That was the power of a good story!

---

I hope you enjoy these frog stories, and that you check out the books I write, too! You never know. You might find your next read!

Happy reading!

❤