Noah's Ark, page 3
Noah had felt an unexpected zing in his heart when she didn’t hesitate to pitch in with the chickens. Her genuine ease with the animals reminded him of how he’d always been. And it made her beyond attractive. Sometimes when their gazes met, he felt as though she was looking into the windows of his own soul. They had some kind of unspoken connection he’d never experienced with anyone.
The bell on the front door jolted him from his thoughts, so he turned around and glanced at the clock. Whew. It wasn’t too late to start on the neutering before his appointment. He wanted to leave at a decent time so he could check on some of the animals he’d placed in the care of nearby farmers. His schedule had been turned upside down since the flood.
He was about to pull Festus, the Yorkie who’d been patiently waiting for his surgery, from the cage, when he heard a woman’s voice and a little girl’s wail. Noah patted Festus on the head, said, “Be a good boy. I’ll be right back,” and placed him back in the cage.
Jillian had her arms around the little girl, who held tight to a half-grown chicken. “I promise we’ll take good care of her,” the receptionist told her.
“No!” The little girl yanked the chicken away and started sobbing. “You can’t have Pinky.”
Three
Noah assumed the woman next to the child was her mother, so he gestured for her to follow him. Once they were out of hearing distance, he stopped. “Why is Pinky here?”
The woman looked distraught. “We had no idea the baby chick would get so big. Gina wanted a pink Easter chicken, so we got her one.” She swiped at the tear on her cheek. “The chicken isn’t pink anymore, and she’s obviously not a baby, and—I don’t know what to do. We live in town, and we’re not allowed to have farm animals in our apartment. The manager told us to get rid of the chicken, or else.”
Noah groaned. The very thought of animals being sold as Easter presents had always been a sore spot with him.
“So you brought the chicken here for me to find it a home?”
She nodded. “If you can.” After a sniffle, she added, “I heard you like chickens.”
His jaw tightened, so he took a deep breath and slowly let it out. “I think I can find someone who’ll take the chicken, but you need to understand that it’s not okay to buy dyed baby chickens—no matter how much your child wants one.”
“Yes, I know.” She offered a slight smile of apology. “Gina was a very sick little girl, so we’re guilty of spoiling her.”
Although Noah didn’t have children, he had been guilty of spoiling a few of his animals, so he nodded. “I know how that can happen. Let’s go see if we can convince Gina to let go of her little friend.”
When they got back to the reception area, Noah was pleasantly surprised to see that Emily had returned. She sat on one side of Gina, while Jillian sat on the other. They all had their hands on Pinky, who had started clucking in annoyance. Emily looked up at him as she stifled a smile.
“I think she’s lonely,” Emily offered as she turned back to the little girl.
Gina shrugged. “She’s not lonely, ’cuz she has me.”
Emily glanced over Gina at Jillian, who smiled and nodded. “Do you have any friends besides Pinky?”
The little girl frowned for a moment then nodded. “Lacy is my friend, and sometimes I play with Brooke in the next building.”
Emily stroked the chicken then placed her hand on Gina’s shoulder. “I think Pinky would like other chickens to play with.”
Gina didn’t waste any time shaking her head. “She can’t. The manager of our apartment won’t let us have chickens.”
“I have an idea,” Emily said. “Why don’t you bring Pinky to my aunt and uncle’s farm, and she can play with the chickens there?” She glanced up for reassurance from Noah.
He nodded and took the cue to join them. “That’s a great idea. They have a whole barn full of chickens. Pinky will have all kinds of playmates there.”
Everyone in the room held their breath while Gina pondered this idea. Finally she said, “Okay, we can see if Pinky likes any of those chickens. But I don’t want to give her away.”
Noah wasn’t sure exactly what to do next, so he turned to Emily, hopeful that she’d have a suggestion. Once again the room grew quiet.
Finally Emily’s shoulders relaxed. “I understand. Let’s just give Pinky a chance to play with the chickens and see how things go, okay?”
Gina’s face lit up. “Can I watch?”
“Yes, of course you can watch.” Emily turned to Gina’s mother. “Would you like to follow me to the farm?”
“Sure. We’ll be glad to.” The woman extended her hand to her daughter. “Come on, Gina.” She turned back to Emily. “We’ll wait in the car. Take your time.”
After they left, Noah looked relieved. “You just saved me. I had no idea how to handle the little girl.”
“The only reason I knew what to do was because I had to give up a chicken when I was younger.” His heart melted at the look of sympathy on her face. “Oh, I almost forgot. I think I left my cell phone on the counter when I paid for Francine’s medicine.”
Jillian walked over to the reception counter, got the phone, and brought it back to Emily. “Here ya go. I was so busy I didn’t even see it.”
“Thanks,” Emily said as she pocketed the phone. “I guess I better head on out so Pinky can meet her new friends in the barn.”
“Want me to call your uncle and let him know you’re bringing a guest?” Noah offered.
Emily grinned. “That would be nice. Thanks! I’ll give you my cell number, just in case.”
As soon as Emily left, Noah picked up the phone and punched in Mel’s number. It rang five times before the voice mail came on. He left a message and hung up.
“I’ll be in surgery for a little while,” he said. “If Mel calls back, tell him about the chicken.”
Jillian gave him the thumbs-up sign. “Sure thing.”
Festus was so happy to see Noah when he returned to the holding area that he licked all over Noah’s hand and looked up at him, his tongue still hanging out of his mouth. Noah chuckled. “Sorry, little buddy. The things we do for the ladies.”
Festus pulled his tongue into his mouth and cocked his head to one side. After a couple of seconds, he resumed his licking, until the anesthesia kicked in.
After the surgery was over, Noah gently put Festus in the recovery room then went back out to the reception area. “Have you heard from Mel yet?”
Jillian shook her head. “Not yet.”
Noah tried again but to no avail. “Mel needs to carry a cell phone.”
“I’m sure it’ll be fine. After all, it’s only one chicken we’re talking about.”
“Yeah, what’s one more when you have a barn full of them?” Noah picked up the phone again. “I need to let Emily know I couldn’t get hold of Mel.”
❧
The instant Emily made the last turn toward the farm, she saw all the commotion. Aunt Sherry was running around the area by the barn, a pot in one hand and a spoon in the other, banging them together. Uncle Mel stood off to the side, one hand on his hip, the other rubbing the back of his neck.
And chickens were everywhere! Something had obviously happened, and the chickens were loose. She slowed down to try to figure out what to do about the little girl and her mother who’d followed her home.
Suddenly her phone chirped, so she flipped it open and said, “Hello?”
“I couldn’t get in touch with Mel,” Noah said. “I’m sure he won’t mind taking on another chicken.”
“He might not mind, but I’m not so sure about little Gina.” Then she told Noah what she saw.
“Is there any way you can hold them off? I don’t want to scare the child.”
Emily glanced in her rearview mirror and saw Gina’s mother pointing toward the barn. “No, I don’t think so.”
She heard Noah exhale. “Call me back if you need me.”
“I think I can handle this, Noah. I understand that you feel responsible for all the animals in the county, but you need to let go. There are some things out of your control.” The instant those words left her mouth, Emily couldn’t believe she’d said them.
“Um—okay,” he said. “I’ll check with Mel later.”
Emily felt bad about the brashness of her words, but she knew what it was like to worry about something out of her control. “Let me give you a call in a little while—after I find out what’s going on and everything is settled.”
He hesitated for a couple of seconds before he finally said, “Okay.”
She pulled into the driveway with the car behind her still in her line of vision. At least Gina’s mother hadn’t freaked out and given up.
Aunt Sherry ran right over to her the instant she opened her car door. “Francine let the chickens out.”
Emily looked at the barn then back at Aunt Sherry. “How did she do that?”
Her aunt shook her head. “To make a long story short, back when we still had chickens Francine used to follow Mel when he went to the barn to check on them. Since she seemed harmless and she didn’t bother them, we didn’t think anything about it when she wandered into the barn this afternoon.”
“But how did she let the chickens out?”
By this time, Gina and her mother had joined them. Pinky rested in Gina’s arms like a fashion accessory. Emily’s mind instantly went into artist mode and imagined what a great portrait that would make.
Aunt Sherry glanced over at Gina then her mother before settling her gaze on Emily. “Would you like to introduce me to your friends before I go back and help Mel get the chickens back in the barn?”
Emily briefly told her aunt about Pinky. Gina held her chicken out so Aunt Sherry could see her better.
“She looks like a very nice chicken, Gina,” Aunt Sherry said. “If you’d like to go on into the house, there’s some fresh cobbler on the kitchen counter. It should be cool by now.” Aunt Sherry nodded toward Emily. “Why don’t you get them settled at the kitchen table, and I’ll be in there in a few minutes. This won’t take long.”
Emily gestured for Gina and her mother to follow her. They’d gone about twenty feet when Francine the goat joined them.
“Mommy!” Gina shrieked, still holding on to Pinky.
“Francine is a nice goat,” Emily said as she reached for one of Gina’s hands and managed to gently wrest it free from Pinky. She guided the little girl’s fingertips to Francine’s back and slowly stroked the goat. “See? She’s just like any other animal.”
“Will she hurt Pinky?” Gina asked.
Since Emily wasn’t sure about anything anymore, she didn’t want to take a chance. “I’ve never seen her hurt chickens before, but why don’t you hold on to Pinky until my aunt gets all the other chickens rounded up and back in the barn?”
They went inside, where Emily scooped some cobbler for Gina and her mother. When she turned around, she saw Noah standing at the kitchen door. Her heart made a flip.
“I couldn’t stay away after I spoke to you on the phone,” he said. “Let me go help Mel and Sherry, and I’ll be right back.”
He disappeared without another comment. As Emily set the bowls of cobbler down in front of her guests, Gina’s mother grinned at her. “He seems like such a nice man. How long have you two been together?”
“Huh?”
“You and the vet? You are dating aren’t you?”
Emily shook her head. “No, I’m sorry if I gave you the wrong impression. He takes care of all the animals around here, and my aunt sent me to Noah’s Ark to pick up some medication for Francine.”
Pinky let out a loud squawk then flapped her wings, nearly toppling the bowl in front of Gina. The girl’s mother reached out and grabbed it in the nick of time.
And Emily was relieved that she didn’t have to answer the question, but it shouldn’t have bothered her at all. Somehow it seemed intrusive on her innermost thoughts.
Emily hopped up and put everyone’s bowls in the sink. By the time she finished rinsing and putting them in the dishwasher, Aunt Sherry had come inside.
“We got ’em all back into the barn, thanks to Noah,” she said as she stuck her hands under the faucet and washed them. “He and Mel are out there working up a solution to keep Francine out of the barn. We can’t have her deciding to set the chickens free just because she likes the attention.”
Gina held up Pinky. “My chicken likes attention.”
Aunt Sherry grinned down at the little girl. “I think most animals do.”
Gina’s mother stood up. “I’m afraid we’re imposing. If we can come back at another—”
“Nonsense,” Aunt Sherry said. “You’re definitely not imposing. We welcome guests. I just hate that y’all had to see us in such a flap.”
Emily had to stifle a giggle. Gina looked at her and blinked.
Aunt Sherry spoke up again. “I understand you’re looking for accommodations for Pinky.” She dried her hands and crossed the room to where Gina and her mother stood. “Forgive my manners. I’m Sherry Kimball. I know your daughter is Gina, but I didn’t catch your name.”
The woman smiled. “Maria. Nice to meet you, Sherry. And yes, we’d like to find a nice home for Pinky. Our apartment complex isn’t set up for farm animals.”
Emily held her breath as all of them looked down at the little girl whose grip on Pinky had only tightened since they’d been there. Aunt Sherry reached out and stroked the bird on the head. “Pinky seems like such a nice chicken. Would you like to take her out to the barn and let her meet some other chickens?”
Gina glanced up at her mother, who nodded, then turned to face Aunt Sherry. “Can I meet them, too?”
“Of course you can. We have some mighty friendly chickens.”
“Do they play together?” Gina asked.
“Sometimes. But mostly they sit around and cackle while they lay eggs.”
Gina’s eyes widened. “They lay eggs? Real eggs?”
Aunt Sherry reached down, placed her arm around Gina, and gently guided her to the door. “Yes, real eggs. In fact, there might even be some now. Wanna go out there and see if they left us any?”
Gina grinned. “Can I get them?”
Emily stood watching in amazement as Aunt Sherry led the little girl, still holding Pinky—only not so close as before—outside to the barn. She turned to Maria. “My aunt is wonderful with children. I used to love coming here when I was Gina’s age.”
“I’m so happy there’s a place for Pinky,” Maria said. “The apartment manager threatened to send her to a chicken-packing plant. That scared Gina half to death.”
Emily shuddered. She couldn’t imagine what must have gone through Gina’s mind when he said that. “He sounds like a cruel man.”
“You don’t know the half of it.”
They got outside in time to see Aunt Sherry and Gina disappearing into the barn. “Would you like to see the chickens, too?”
Maria looked skeptically at the wooden structure. “Do they bite? I mean, I’m used to Pinky and all, but she’s the only chicken I’ve ever been around.”
“No. Some of them make a little noise, but I’ve never seen one bite anyone.”
“I guess,” Maria said softly. “It would be nice to see where Pinky will be living.”
A single bulb hanging in the middle of the massive structure lit the center of the barn and cast a gentle glow around the walls, leaving darkened corners. Chicken crates and coops covered one wall of the barn, while the other side was lined with hay.
“What do you think?” Emily asked. “Is this what you expected?”
Maria’s nose crinkled. “It smells weird. Kind of earthy.”
“That’s the hay.” Emily took a deep breath. “I’ve always loved that smell.” She laughed. “It would stink if Uncle Mel didn’t keep it so clean.”
“Mommy, look! Pinky has her own bed, and she likes it!”
Maria flashed a smile at Emily before scurrying over to her daughter, who stood beside a coop. Pinky had settled down and seemed perfectly content.
“That’s so sweet!” Maria said.
Aunt Sherry reached for Gina’s hand. “Now let’s go gather some eggs. You want to take some home with you?”
“Can we, Mommy?”
“If Mrs. Kimball doesn’t mind, it’s fine with me.”
Aunt Sherry found a basket and helped Gina check the coops for eggs, while Emily chatted with Maria.
“Your aunt is a very sweet woman,” Maria whispered. “I’m glad Pinky has a nice place to stay.”
Emily nodded. “She’ll be just fine.”
A few minutes later, Gina headed toward the door of the barn carrying a basket filled with eggs. She stopped off at Pinky’s coop, leaned over, and whispered something then caught up with the adults. “I told her to behave and not run away, even if the goat tells her to.”
After Gina and her mother left, Emily hugged Aunt Sherry. “Thanks so much. Oh, by the way, do you mind if I hang out here for a few extra weeks? Noah needs some help at the clinic, and I sort of—well. . .”
Sherry smiled and nodded. “He already told me he wants you to work mornings. And I’d love to have you here as long as you want to stay.”
“Thank you so much!”
“We have everything under control.” The booming voice made both women jump.
Emily turned around and saw the look of amusement in Noah’s eyes and the slight grin on his lips, and she felt the heat rush to her face. Why did he have to be so attractive? “You startled me!”
He shoved his hands into his pockets but kept smiling. “At least you’re still breathing.”
The combination of his rugged good looks, the way he cared about his work, and the mischievous look on his face made her wonder if he could hear her raspy breath. She swallowed hard and forced herself to deeply inhale then slowly let it out.
“Yes, I’m still breathing.” She mimicked his stance and put her hands in the pockets of her own jeans then stared directly into his eyes. “By the way, when did you want me to start working at the clinic?”
