A Wedding at the Orange Blossom Inn by Shelley Shepard Gray

“That is why I want you to be more cautious.”
    â€œBut Ben understands me.”
    â€œHow can he understand you? He doesn’t even know you.” With a sigh, she added, “Tricia, all I’m saying is that a girl can sometimes get carried away by romance when she needs to keep a clear head.”
    â€œA clear head,” she echoed, her voice flat.
    â€œJah.” Feeling a little defensive, Beverly lifted her chin. She was well aware that she hadn’t just dispensed the greatest advice ever given, but she was doing her best. She didn’t have much experience counseling younger women.
    â€œAunt Beverly, did you say all this to Penny when she fell in love a couple of months ago?”
    â€œOf course not.”
    â€œDid you warn Michael to keep a clear head?”
    â€œ Nee , I did not.” She’d learned her lesson about interfering when Michael was recuperating from surgery at the inn. When she’d tried to tell Penny to keep her distance because she was an employee, Michael had not been shy about telling Beverly what he thought about her becoming involved in their business. Now she did her best to stay out of her guests’ lives.
    â€œHmm. Well, what about Zack Kaufmann and Leona? They just got married. From what I heard, their romance happened rather fast.”
    â€œThat was different,” she said quickly.
    â€œWhy?”
    â€œBecause they were different,” she snapped, knowing she wasn’t making a lick of sense. But what she really meant was that none of those people were Tricia.
    â€œIt sure sounds like you think they’re more deserving of love and a good relationship than I am. Or do you just think I’m not deserving of love at all?”
    â€œOf course I don’t think that.”
    â€œIt sure sounds like it to me. It sounds like you aren’t taking me seriously at all,” Tricia countered. Then, to Beverly’s dismay, her bottom lip quivered. “I trusted you, Aunt Beverly. I can’t believe you just said all that!” she exclaimed before running out of the room.
    Sitting alone again, Beverly glared at the phone. Oh, that Eric. He’d been so right. She should have prayed before broaching this subject with her niece. And she should have waited. Yes,she really should have prayed a whole lot more and waited until the right time.
    It seemed she still had much to learn about curbing her tongue and keeping her opinions to herself. Perhaps she should take some time to remember what she’d told Eric, as well. Tricia’s future was in the Lord’s hands. Not Tricia’s.
    And definitely not Beverly’s.

Chapter 10
    H i, Emma,” Penny Knoxx called out from the front of the Quilting Haus as Emma rushed down the sidewalk lining Bahia Vista two weeks later. The Quilting Haus was one of Emma’s favorite places to visit whenever she had an hour or two to spare, though today she only had twenty minutes before she needed to pick up William and her girls from Pinecraft Elementary.
    â€œHello, Penny.” Penny Knoxx, formerly Penny Troyer, looked as pretty as a summer’s day. A few of her blond curls had escaped the confines of their pins and framed her rosy cheeks, and her cornflower-blue dress made her eyes look even brighter than usual. “How are you? I haven’t seen you out and about much lately.”
    Penny blushed prettily. “Michael and I have been pretty busy getting our house in order.”
    â€œHow is it coming along?” Emma asked. “Do you need any help with curtains or such?”
    â€œ Danke , but I am hoping to do everything myself.”
    â€œYou sure?”
    â€œ Jah . Michael hasn’t had a real haus to live in for several years, you know. I think he is having fun watching me make our haus a real home.”
    â€œI can understand that.” Emma remembered her newlywed days well. Every little thing she and Sanford had done had felt like an