Noah's Ark, page 12
“At least she knows she has us on her side.”
Dwayne tightened his lips across his teeth, showing his continued frustration. “We talked a few times, and she was very open about her past. Her problems started early. She’s been through a lot, and her mother was never a good one to give her direction.”
“Not everyone has good parents. Thankfully Jesus has given us grace and the opportunity to change things through faith.”
“You’re so right.” Dwayne hooked his thumbs through the belt loops of his uniform. “Jillian seemed to like church.”
Noah smiled and nodded. “I think so.”
“Like you said, the four of us will have to get together.” Dwayne looked at Noah with expectation.
“Sounds good.” Noah had run out of things to say, and he suddenly felt awkward. “Emily and Jillian get along great, so we might even hang out for a whole day.”
“After this thing with Brad is settled,” Dwayne reminded him.
“That goes without saying.” Noah took a step toward the door. “I have a few farm calls to make, then I want to get back to the clinic.”
“At least you get to see Emily every day.”
“True,” Noah agreed, “but I’m not sure she’s all that happy about it.”
“She might not realize it, but I think she’s very happy to see you. I can see it on her face.”
On that note, Noah chuckled and waved good-bye to his buddy. He was glad to have a Christian friend he could talk to.
❧
After she dropped off the bills at the post office, Emily stopped at a deli and grabbed a sandwich to take back to work with her. She couldn’t take Kingston inside, and she wasn’t about to leave him in the car.
Between the constantly ringing phone and the paperwork that needed filing, Emily stayed busy, and the afternoon flew. When Noah returned, she glanced up at the clock. It was almost closing time already.
She handed him his messages then turned back to her computer. He didn’t move away from the counter, so she glanced up at him, only to catch him staring back at her. Suddenly he seemed flustered.
“Did you need something?” she asked.
“Um. . .oh, no, I just. . .” He chewed his bottom lip as he flipped through the messages. “If you’re done for the day, why don’t you go on home? I don’t have any more appointments today.”
“Are you sure?”
He nodded. “Positive. In fact, I think I might leave in a few minutes. I’m pretty booked tomorrow.”
“Okay,” she said as she slowly reached for her handbag beneath the counter. “I got the bills in the mail today.”
Noah smiled through a groan. “Maybe you should plan to stay late for a few days—that is, if you don’t have to be somewhere.”
“I don’t think it’ll be too bad,” she said.
“I should have been firm about it from the beginning. I guess I was so busy with my clients’ needs that I neglected my business.”
“It’ll be fine,” Emily assured him. “If they balk, I’ll do what I can to work it out.” She glanced down then looked back up at him, feeling a little bit embarrassed. “Of course, that’s only if you trust me enough to let me handle it. I didn’t mean to be presumptuous.”
“I do trust you, Emily.” His look said more, but she couldn’t hold his gaze too long without feeling an uncomfortable flutter inside.
“C’mon, Kingston,” she said as she leaned over toward the dog. “Ready to go home?”
His ears perked up as he scrambled to his feet. Kingston’s legs were long, and they seemed to tangle every time he lay down. The dog was so comical she had to smile.
“How’s he been?” Noah asked. “Giving you any trouble?”
“No, not at all.” Emily tucked her hair behind her ear with one hand and snapped the leash on Kinston’s collar with the other. “In fact, I’ll be sad when Mr. Zimmerman comes back and takes him away.”
“I feel like you’re safe as long as he’s with you,” Noah said.
“Yeah, me, too.”
She felt Noah’s gaze as she and Kingston walked toward the door. After one last good-bye wave, she guided the dog toward her car and got in. All the way to the farm, she alternated between praying and talking to Kingston, who listened with rapt attention.
The next morning, Emily and Kingston arrived at the clinic a half hour early. She wanted to get all her daily work done before the bills she’d sent arrived at Noah’s clients’ houses.
By midafternoon the calls had begun to trickle in, but none of them were bad. So far, all they wanted to know was if they could still continue using Noah’s services before they’d paid in full. Emily assured them that they could, and she reminded them to read the entire message at the top of their bill. “We just wanted to make sure we were in agreement on your outstanding balance,” she said.
Occasionally she caught Noah standing nearby, listening as she spoke to clients. After she hung up, he always gave her a thumbs-up and a heartwarming grin.
The next several weeks were busy for both Noah and Emily. The floodwaters had continued to recede, and he spent quite a bit of his time helping the farmers clean up the mess then moving their animals back. Soon Emily was up to her elbows in accounts receivable payments. Her hunch had proven to be correct—people didn’t mind paying their bills; they just weren’t sure what they owed, and they needed a nudge.
❧
As Noah’s account grew, he saw what a valuable asset Emily was to his business. Back home, his father had always talked about how important the right front office help could be. Now he understood that. He’d never expected Jillian to do more than schedule appointments and greet clients when they came in for their appointments—and she was very good at that. However, Emily gave his office a more professional atmosphere, without making it seem stuffy. She was the perfect balance for his office.
“Noah.”
He glanced up at the sound of his name. “Everything okay?”
Emily tilted her head and slowly moved it side to side. “Mrs. Anderson’s cat fell out of a tree, and she thinks something’s wrong with her.”
“Bring her on back.”
“I would, but we can’t catch her.”
Noah frowned. “Didn’t she bring her in a cat carrier?”
“No, she had her in a box. As soon as she put the box on the floor, Muffin hopped out and ran.”
“Let me see if I can catch her,” Noah said as he put down the manual he’d been reading. “I’ve told Mrs. Anderson she really needs to invest in a carrier for Muffin. Poor kitty is scared half to death every time she comes here.”
“Can you blame her?” Emily asked. “The only time Muffin ever goes out, she comes here and gets a shot. I’d be scared, too.”
“Good point.”
❧
Emily led the way back out to the reception room. As soon as Emily opened the door, she spotted Mrs. Anderson leaning over the reception counter, looking panic-stricken.
“Th–that beast is going to eat my little Muffin.” She pointed. “Get her away from him.”
When Emily rounded the corner and saw Kingston cuddling with the tiny cat, she smiled. “He won’t hurt her, Mrs. Anderson. I think he’s protecting her.”
Noah came up from behind. “Great Danes are known as gentle giants,” he explained. “They get along with other species quite well.”
“B–but he’s so big.” Mrs. Anderson’s eyes were still wide, and her face was drained of color. “He could hurt her.”
“Kingston wouldn’t want to hurt her.” Noah bent over and picked up the cat then lifted her to his face so he could look her in the eye. “Did you make a new friend, Muffin?” He glanced up at Mrs. Anderson. “She seems fine, but I’ll check her out anyway.”
The cat’s meow elicited a worried look from her owner. “I can’t believe you let such a big dog run loose in here like that.”
Emily smiled as she gently took Mrs. Anderson by the arm and led her around the counter, over to Kingston. “Look at that sweet face. He’s a very friendly dog. Would you like to pet him?”
The older woman pondered that and frowned. “What if he doesn’t like me?”
As if on cue, Kingston stood up and licked Mrs. Anderson’s hand. She pulled back and giggled.
“See? He’s very nice.”
Mrs. Anderson carefully extended her hand for another lick, and she giggled again. Then she ran her hand over his head. “He does seem to be a friendly dog.”
“He’s very protective,” Noah explained. “Dogs can sense fear in other animals, and since Muffin was afraid when she came in here, he wanted to look after her.”
Mrs. Anderson’s eyes glistened as she looked at Emily. “That’s so sweet.”
Emily felt ready to burst with pride, even though Kingston wasn’t officially her dog. He was the sweetest animal she’d ever been around.
“Ready to go in for your checkup, Muffin?” Noah asked. He turned to her owner. “Would you like to come back with us?”
Mrs. Anderson looked over at Kingston and pointed. “Can he come with us?”
Emily turned to Noah, who nodded. “Sure, if that would make you feel better.”
“I think it’ll make Muffin feel better,” Mrs. Anderson replied. As Noah, Muffin, Mrs. Anderson, and Kingston went back to the examining room, Emily heard the woman chattering. “Do you think I should get a dog for Muffin? How much do they eat? Where can I find a dog like this one?”
Emily smiled as she tried to imagine Mrs. Anderson having a dog the size of Kingston. Surely Noah would talk her out of it.
Fifteen minutes later the door opened and out walked Kingston, followed by Muffin. Emily could tell that Kingston was annoyed by the look on his face, but he didn’t growl or snap. Instead, he headed straight for his bed behind the reception counter. Muffin plopped her little self down beside him. Kingston gave her a lick across the face, which got her motor purring. Within seconds Muffin’s eyes closed and Kingston rested his chin on his front paw.
Mrs. Anderson still hadn’t come out, and this concerned Emily. She waited a few minutes before she finally got up and went toward the examining room, where she heard Noah’s voice. So she hunkered behind the wall and listened.
“I really don’t think you need a dog the size of Kingston,” Noah said. “In fact, getting a dog isn’t the answer.”
“But I’ve never seen her so happy,” Mrs. Anderson argued.
“How much time do you spend with her?”
“As much as I can, but I still have things to do. Last time I came home from my bowling league, she’d shredded the curtains in the guest room.”
“We can clip her nails,” Noah said.
“I really want to get her a dog—”
Suddenly a sharp crashing sound jolted Emily from her perch behind the wall. She took off running toward the reception area to see what it was.
Thirteen
“Uh-oh.”
Emily stood at the door and surveyed the scene before her. Muffin was sprawled in the middle of a pile of dirt on the floor, with shards of a ceramic pot that had hung from the ceiling scattered over the floor, green leaves peeking out from beneath her. Kingston stood about five feet away, looking back and forth between Muffin and Emily, as though wondering what to do next.
“What happened?” Mrs. Anderson’s voice was shrill with panic. “What did that beast do to my little Muffin?”
Noah came up right behind them. “Looks like Muffin decided to go for a ride on my plant.” He squatted down beside the cat and stroked her fur. “She seems to be okay.”
“My sweet little Muffin.” Mrs. Anderson pointed at Kingston. “I’m sure it’s his fault.”
With a crooked grin, Noah stood up and planted his hands on his hips. “Still want to get her a dog?”
Muffin finally stood and shook the dirt off her fur, her ears cocked back in annoyance. Mrs. Anderson stepped back. “She’s so dirty. Do something.”
Emily spoke up. “I can give her a quick bath before you leave.”
“She hates baths,” Mrs. Anderson said.
“We have the right equipment.” Noah lifted Muffin and handed her to Emily, who took her to the examining room with the deep sink. “It won’t take her long,” he added. “She’s fast.”
Fifteen minutes later, Mrs. Anderson and a much cleaner Muffin were out the door. The remains of the pot, plant, and dirt had been swept up and disposed of. Emily was glad Noah had kept extra T-shirts in the supply closet because after Muffin’s bath, she was a muddy mess.
Noah laughed. “I’m sort of glad that happened. I was concerned about her getting Muffin a dog, since she can barely care for the cat. I don’t think we have to worry about that now.”
Emily looked at Noah and felt her heart flutter. “There’s definitely a silver lining to this.”
His smile faded as he gazed at her. “I don’t know what I would have done without you, Emily.”
She opened her mouth to speak, but it was impossible with her heart pounding so hard she could hear it echoing in her head. Instead, she forced a smile and nodded.
“Would you like a soda?” Noah asked. “I filled the fridge with a variety.”
“Sounds good,” she managed to squeak. A soda was just the thing for her parched mouth.
After he left the reception area, Emily took a seat behind the counter and buried her face in her hands. She really needed to focus on what she was there for and stop harboring romantic thoughts about Noah. Neither of them needed a relationship—not Noah who was still trying to build his business and certainly not her, since she needed to figure out what she wanted before getting involved with a man.
He came back and handed her a can of Dr. Pepper. “How did you know this was what I’d want?”
Noah grinned. “Mel said he has to keep them in stock when you visit.”
For the remainder of the day, Emily fielded calls that continued to straggle in about the bills. Then the mail came. A whole sack of it.
“Hang on to the bag, and I’ll pick it up tomorrow,” the mail carrier said.
“Thanks, Charlie.”
After Charlie left, Emily started the task of opening each envelope and clipping each check to the bill. Noah wasn’t in, so she entered the information in each client’s file then prepared the deposit for Noah to drop off on his way home. Until now he’d made enough money to pay the bills and salaries from clients who paid at the time of service, but now there would be more, which would enable him to expand and hire additional assistants.
He finally arrived about fifteen minutes before she was due to leave. His eyes widened when he saw the deposit.
“Whoa.” He picked up the stack and shook his head. “That’s double the normal deposit. I see it, but I almost don’t believe it.”
“Believe it,” she said. “All we had to do was ask.”
“To be honest, I’ve never been good at collecting money people owed me.” He plopped down in one of the chairs in the waiting room and stretched out his legs. “One of the guys I shared a house with in college once borrowed money to fix his car engine. I assumed he’d pay me back as soon as he got his next check, but the weeks went by, and he didn’t hand over a dime.”
“Why didn’t you just ask him for it?”
“So much time had passed, and I couldn’t find a way to do it.”
“So how did you get your money back?” Emily asked.
“I didn’t. He moved out at the end of the semester and left his furniture for the rest of us. I guess he figured that was his payment.” Noah shrugged. “I knew he’d struggled with money all his life, and he went to school on student loans. It’s especially hard for me to ask people for money that I know they don’t have.”
Emily liked that about Noah—his generous spirit. However, she also knew that some people would see it and take advantage of him if he didn’t make an effort to collect.
Noah stood up and pointed to the deposit. “I’m grateful for all your hard work in getting this, Emily.”
“I figure since I’m here anyway, I might as well earn my paycheck.”
❧
Noah was definitely indebted to Emily. Not only had she boosted his income, she’d managed to soothe nervous clients and patients when he felt frazzled. Emily wasn’t just an employee; she was a valuable asset to his clinic. But he had to remind himself that he couldn’t expect her to stick around much longer. She had her own dreams and aspirations, which certainly didn’t include being a receptionist in a country vet clinic.
“Have you decided what to do about school?” he asked.
She averted her gaze. “Not really.”
“Just remember, you can stay here as long as you want.” He now knew that he wanted her forever, but he didn’t want to confuse her even more.
When she turned back to face him, her eyes glistened with tears. Had he said something wrong?
“No pressure, okay?”
Emily swallowed hard and nodded. “I just feel like—I don’t know—like I should know more about what I want out of life.”
Noah bridged the gap between them and rested his elbows on the counter. The close proximity brought a sizzle to his nerves. “I know how difficult it can be. The only reason I knew what I wanted was that I loved hanging out in my dad’s clinic ever since I can remember.” He chuckled. “However, my favorite animals were the ones he hardly ever saw, which is why I’m here with the chickens, goats, and pigs.”
Kingston stood up and audibly yawned. Emily laughed. “And Great Danes, right?”
Noah walked over to Kingston and rubbed behind his ears. “Absolutely. Great Danes and whatever else walks, flies, or slithers through that door.”
Emily shuddered. “Thankfully I haven’t seen much slithering since I’ve been here.”
“Just wait,” Noah said with a grin. “If you’re here long enough, you’ll see some slithering.”
The instant those words were out of his mouth, he regretted saying them. He shouldn’t have quantified her time with him—even with such a subtle reference to the future.
