A Little Bit of Charm Read Online Free Page A

was in Blue Grass country. And she had no one to take care of but herself.

    The next morning Rachel was unpacked and waiting in the kitchen when Sarah and Isaac returned from the barn. Sarah made introductions, even though Rachel had met Isaac Stoll twice before. He was a man of few words. He grunted a welcum , ate his toast and cinnamon oatmeal, drank two cups of coffee, and then headed out the door.
    â€œDon’t worry about him. He doesn’t say much even to folks he’s known his whole life. After we finish I’ll give you a tour. Free ofcharge,” Sarah added with a wink. She then divided the remaining oatmeal between two bowls as though leftovers were unheard of.
    After consuming as much as she could of her second portion, Rachel discreetly scraped the remaining cereal into the trash while Sarah filled a sink with suds for dishes. The tour of the chicken farm lasted longer and smelled worse than Rachel had expected. However, the size of the humane operation, with birds free to scratch around in grass and dirt and coming and going by ramps to their nesting boxes, was quite impressive. The Stolls had several barns with huge, fenced outdoor pens.
    â€œOur eggs and hens are finally fetching a decent price now that we’re certified organic. We grow our own feed with no pesticide or herbicide residue on our crops. No tight cages where a poor bird spends its whole life unable to turn around or get any sunshine. Who would want to stand on wire mesh all day? Our way creates a challenge to keep the farm clean, but that’s why we move the flocks around between pens. We can clean up properly and let the grass recover in certain areas.” Pausing, she crossed her arms and gazed over a particularly active flock of chickens. “Have you ever seen prettier or happier birds?”
    Rachel laughed. “No, cousin, I have not.” She decided not to mention that her favorite view of a chicken involved celery, onions, and dumplings.
    â€œIsaac and I have built quite a business for ourselves. I’m not saying that to brag, but merely to express sheer surprise over our good fortune.” Sarah went to a chicken pen, opened the gate, and motioned for Rachel to follow her. “Step lively now, before they stage the great escape. You must come with me if you want to see inside. And don’t worry. We use highly efficient fans. It’s not hot at all in our barns.”
    Heat wasn’t high on Rachel’s list of fears. It seemed that half the hens were eyeing her slyly from one of their tiny eyes, as thoughshe were a fox come to steal their eggs or babies. But because she knew of Sarah’s vocation before arriving in Charm, Rachel bravely marched into the pen and closed the gate behind her.
    â€œThat’s better. At first we concentrated on selling cage-free eggs.” Sarah resumed her narrative. “We built up a customer base at local stores. Many people who truly like eggs are willing to pay extra for the superior taste of organic. Plus our browns are higher in omega-3 and folic acid, and they have less saturated fat. Nothing bad is hidden in our yolks, ready to do a person bodily harm in old age, except maybe a little cholesterol.”
    Rachel gingerly moved through the flock, careful where she stepped to avoid scat. Midway to the barn she noticed the birds opening a path for Sarah, like the Red Sea parting for the Israelites, but then they closed ranks behind her. Again, several pairs of eyes contained an evil glint. Rachel hurried to stay on Sarah’s heels to prevent separation from her source of safety. “I love omelets and fried egg sandwiches,” she said, eager to make conversation. “And I’ve been known to take deviled eggs to potluck socials many a time.”
    Sarah turned on her heel, causing Rachel to smack into her. “Do you mix sweet pickle relish and horseradish in with your egg yolks?”
    â€œOf course,” she said, grateful their