Noah's Ark, page 4
Four
Noah stifled the temptation to tell her now. Immediately. He didn’t want to spend another minute away from her.
“How about tomorrow?” he blurted.
Sherry didn’t give Emily a chance to speak. “Isn’t that a little soon?”
“Yeah, don’t rush the girl,” Mel piped up as he joined them in the kitchen. “She probably has a dozen things to do to get ready for this job.”
“Like what?” Sherry asked.
Mel tilted his head back and belted out a hearty laugh. “Exactly. Why can’t she start tomorrow?”
Noah couldn’t hide his amusement. He rubbed his chin for a moment then looked at Emily. “When would you like to start?”
All eyes were on her as she stood there trying to figure out what to do. Finally she held out her hands and shrugged. “There’s really no reason I can’t start tomorrow, unless Aunt Sherry has something she wants me to do around here.”
“We’re good,” Sherry said. “Do you need her, Mel?”
“Nah, not really.” Mel turned and faced Noah. “If she wants to start tomorrow, I think it’s a fine idea. It’ll keep her from being bored.”
“I’m not bored,” she said. “There’s always something to do around here.”
Noah couldn’t help comparing Emily to Tiffany. Emily was the type of woman who could find something to do no matter where she was, while Tiffany had to have her hair stylist, manicurist, and favorite designer shops to keep her entertained.
“Since you’re starting right away,” Sherry said, “why don’t the two of you go somewhere and discuss everything?”
Emily cast a questioning glance toward her aunt. Then she turned to Noah. “Do we need to discuss anything?”
Sherry jumped in again. “Sure you do. Things like hours, salary, and dress code.”
Noah smiled. “This is strictly part-time—at least for now. Jillian comes in around one most afternoons, and she really needs the work, so any morning hours would be appreciated.” He made an apologetic face. “I can’t afford more hours than that.”
“I understand. Is it okay if I wear jeans?” Emily asked. “I mean, since I’ll be working around animals and all.”
“Sure.” Noah gestured toward his own clothes. “That’s what I wear most of the time.” He paused for a moment before adding, “I haven’t thought about salary yet. Why don’t we discuss that tomorrow when you come in?”
“Okay, that’s fine,” Emily said. “It’s not like I expect to get rich or anything.”
Quite unlike Tiffany, he thought. He extended his hand. “Shake on it?”
As she reached out and placed her hand in his, he felt the soft warmth in her slender fingers. She had quite a firm handshake, but there was no question about her femininity, which caused a stir in his heart.
Mel rubbed his hands together and turned to his wife. “Looks like this will work out for everyone. We get to have our niece here with us, Noah gets help at the clinic, and Emily will have something to do while she’s here and some money in her pocket.”
Noah took a step back. “Hey, folks, I need to get back to the clinic. Anything else I can do while I’m here?”
“Let me walk you to your truck,” Mel said. “I have something I’d like to discuss before you leave.”
❧
The instant the men left the house, Aunt Sherry turned to Emily. “Are you sure you want to do this? We didn’t expect you to work while you were here.”
Emily nodded. “I really don’t mind.”
“I didn’t think you did. I just wanted to make sure.” The twinkle in her eye was a giveaway she was up to something.
“Is there something you’re not telling me, Aunt Sherry?”
“Whatever do you mean?”
“Are you plotting something?”
Aunt Sherry flipped her hand at the wrist and clicked her tongue. “Must you always be so suspicious of me?”
Emily giggled. “You have a way of making things happen.”
“Yes, I do, don’t I?” Her smug expression left no doubt in Emily’s mind something was going on, and she wouldn’t find out until her aunt was good and ready to let her know.
“I guess you probably wouldn’t tell me if you had something up your sleeve.”
“That’s right,” Aunt Sherry replied, grinning. “But there is one thing I want you to think about, since you’re planning to take a job. You love art so much that you might want to consider applying at one of the art galleries in Huntington.”
“I’m just doing this to help Noah.”
“Good girl.”
“Besides,” Emily added. “I really do love animals, and I think it’ll be fun working with them.”
“Let’s start supper. We’ve had a big day, and I don’t want you doing everything by yourself.”
As they worked in the kitchen, they discussed how little their schedule would change. “With you working mornings, you can run errands on your way home—that is, if you don’t mind.”
“Of course I don’t mind. And I can still help out with chores in the afternoon.”
Aunt Sherry stopped chopping and looked up at Emily. “You’ve always enjoyed farm chores.”
Emily nodded. “It doesn’t seem like work to take care of animals and tend to the garden. It’s more fun than anything.”
“That’s the way your uncle and I feel. Unfortunately your father didn’t like farming. He hated getting his hands dirty, and so did your mama.”
The mention of her mother made Emily pause. “Mama didn’t like much of anything.”
“I’m sorry I brought her up, sweetie. If you’d rather not talk about her—”
“No, that’s okay. It’s been long enough—it doesn’t hurt as much.”
“Maybe one of these days she’ll come around,” Aunt Sherry said. “I hope you find it in your heart to forgive her when she does.”
“I’ve already forgiven her.” Emily cleared her throat and thought for a moment, trying to remember exactly when she’d taken that major step. Her daddy had told her that when he and her mama first got married, they’d dreamed of having a little girl just like her mama. When Emily came along, they were elated. Her mama dressed her up in the frilliest dresses and took her along on shopping trips. But Emily hadn’t truly found joy until she was old enough to spend summers on the farm with Aunt Sherry and Uncle Mel. “It really hurt when she first left, but Daddy was always there for me, no matter what. I think Mama’s the one who’s suffering the most,” she said softly. “At least that’s what Daddy once said.”
“He’s right, you know. I just hope what your mother did won’t keep you from falling in love one of these days.”
Emily let out a nervous chuckle. “It’s not like the men are lining up to be with me.”
“All it takes is one,” Aunt Sherry reminded her. “One good man who loves the Lord.”
Emily’s thoughts instantly went to Noah. She already knew he went to church, but based on experience, she also knew that going to church didn’t make a man a Christian.
She opened her mouth to ask Aunt Sherry, but she quickly clamped it shut. She didn’t want to make her aunt think she had a desire for anything but employment from Noah.
“In spite of his privileged upbringing, Noah’s one of the humblest Christian men I’ve ever met,” Aunt Sherry said.
Now when she heard that, Emily’s curiosity got the best of her. “What do you mean privileged?”
“He lived in one of the swankiest neighborhoods in a suburb of Atlanta. His father still has a veterinary practice there, and he treats cats and dogs worth more than some people’s monthly salary around here.”
Emily frowned. “How do you know all this?”
Aunt Sherry smiled and placed her hand on Emily’s shoulder. “A group of us spent quite a bit of time getting to know Noah. We wanted the best vet to take care of our animals—from our livestock to our pets. We liked the fact that Noah not only helped his dad for a while but that he worked on different farms around Atlanta.”
“How did y’all convince him to come?”
“We didn’t. After the interview process, he brought his dad and showed him around to get a different perspective. His father said he wished it was him instead of Noah.”
“But I thought—”
Aunt Sherry nodded. “Noah’s father told Mel that all the money in the world can’t make a man happy. His pampered patients are treated better than humans in some parts. The man has integrity, and he won’t abandon his practice, but he encouraged his son to follow what he knew was right.” She clicked her tongue. “He wanted Noah to work with him, but he also wanted his son to be happy.”
Emily admired Noah even more. “I’m glad it all worked out so well.”
“There’s only one thing that saddened us at the time though,” Aunt Sherry said, the corners of her mouth turning down. “He had a very pretty young woman with him, and we all thought they’d be getting married and settling here.”
Emily’s heart landed with a thud. “A pretty woman?”
“Yes, but she didn’t like it here. Seems we don’t have enough of the finer things in life that she’s used to.”
“So what happened to her?”
“She sort of faded away.” Aunt Sherry resumed her task and continued talking. “If you ask me, it was all for the better. Noah didn’t seem too fazed by her decision. Mel thinks he might have even been relieved. Some women require so much upkeep it’s hard to do anything worthwhile.”
Emily tried hard to imagine Noah with a high-maintenance woman, but she couldn’t wrap her mind around it. That didn’t seem like his type. He was handsome and obviously committed to what he did, but she pictured him as more of a rugged sort.
Aunt Sherry coughed and got her attention. “I think he’s lonely.”
“Why do you think that?”
“I don’t know. Maybe because all he ever does is work and go to church. I don’t think the man has gone out just for fun since he’s lived here.”
Emily knew what that was like. But Aunt Sherry didn’t need to know that.
“What time is church on Sunday?”
Aunt Sherry grinned. “Changing the subject, huh? That’s fine. I understand. Church is at ten.”
Later that night, Emily got out her outfit for the next day. She decided on dark-washed jeans because they looked nicer than her everyday jeans. Then she hung her coral-colored, collared T-shirt on the closet door. A lightweight khaki jacket and her newer sneakers would complete the ensemble.
As she stepped back for a good look at her clothes, she couldn’t help but wonder if Noah would even notice what she wore. And if he did, would he compare her to his former girlfriend? She shook herself and forced different thoughts. It didn’t do a bit of good to harbor notions of her boss that were totally inappropriate.
The next morning she awoke to the sounds of her aunt and uncle milling around the house. They’d always been early risers—most of the time before dawn. She flung her legs over the side of the bed and got up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.
She showered, got dressed, and applied a light touch of makeup before sauntering into the kitchen, where the aroma of fresh coffee welcomed her. Uncle Mel had just sat down at the table with his coffee mug and a newspaper in front of him.
“Good morning, sunshine,” Aunt Sherry said. “Eggs and bacon or cereal and fruit?”
“I’ll just pour myself a bowl of cereal, thanks.”
Uncle Mel looked up from his paper. “Nervous?”
She wanted to say no, not at all, but that would be lying. Instead, she shrugged and scrunched her face. “Just a little.”
“That’s normal.” He patted the table. “Grab some coffee and have a seat.”
A half hour later Emily was on her way to town for her first day on the job at the vet clinic. Throughout school, she’d had no idea what she wanted to do with her life, but she never would have imagined being a receptionist for a veterinarian.
The light was on in the clinic when she arrived, but it was still half an hour before the posted opening time. Emily shoved on the door, but since it was locked, she cupped her hands and looked to see if anyone was there.
The moving shadows beyond the reception area let her know someone was there, so she knocked and waited. Noah appeared and let her in.
“I’ll get you a key later.” Noah gestured toward the reception desk. “After you put your things down, we can take a tour.”
Emily was impressed with Noah’s organization and his obvious compassion for animals. All the smaller animals had toys and blankets from home in their cages to comfort them with a sense of familiarity.
“I try not to keep them in cages any longer than necessary,” he said.
Emily looked behind the door. “Where’s the rest of the greeting committee?”
Noah tilted his head and frowned. “Greeting committee?”
“Peewee.”
“Oh, him.” He glanced at the clock behind her then laughed. “He’s been picked up.”
Noah continued with his tour, working his way from the back of the clinic to the front. “C’mon, let me show you what to do when someone comes in. We have all our files on the computer, and it’s a simple program with easy-to-navigate screens.”
It took all of ten minutes for her to understand how to pull up a patient’s file and do what she needed. Noah explained how he had a tight schedule of caring for smaller animals in the clinic and visiting the nearby farms. No wonder he didn’t have much of a social life. There wasn’t a spare moment in his day.
“Jillian should be a few minutes early today. You can stick around until one, or you can leave.”
“Why don’t I run out and have a key made when she gets here?” Emily offered. “That way you won’t have to take the time.”
“That’ll be great, if you don’t mind.”
As their gazes locked, Emily felt as though the bottom had fallen out of her stomach. The chemistry between them was so strong that she wondered if he felt it, too.
He backed up. “I have to prep one of the rooms for my first patient. If you need me, just let me know.”
She went around behind the counter to put some distance between them and sat down in the chair. “I’m sure I’ll be fine.”
Over the next four hours that morning, Emily met a half dozen dogs, a pair of vocal cats who obviously wanted to be anywhere but where they were, a ferret, a baby squirrel monkey named Punky, and a miniature pony named Razzle Dazzle. She didn’t have a chance to look at the clock all morning.
Jillian walked in shortly after noon and dropped her handbag beside Emily’s. “How was your first day on the job?”
“Busy.” Emily stood up so Jillian could take over. “Where’s the best place to have a key made? I told Noah I’d do that before I left for the day.”
Jillian handed Emily her key to the clinic and told her where to go. Emily stepped outside and offered a quick prayer of thanks. The morning had gone by much too quickly, and she’d enjoyed every moment of it.
After she had a copy of the key, she returned Jillian’s. Noah thanked her and asked if she planned to return the next day.
“Of course,” she replied. “Why wouldn’t I?”
Noah laughed. “This place can be a little crazy sometimes. I’m glad Punky didn’t scare you away.”
Jillian’s eyes lit up. “Punky was here? He is so adorable!”
Emily agreed. “His expressions are priceless. You should have seen his face when he saw Noah.”
“I can imagine,” Jillian said. “Last time he was here, he didn’t want to leave. He wrapped his arms around Noah, and we had to pry his little fingers loose.”
“I heard he pitched a temper tantrum in the parking lot,” Noah added, shaking his head. “Monkeys can be a handful.”
Jillian turned to Emily. “In case you haven’t already figured it out, Noah prefers farm animals.”
As cute as Punky was, Emily agreed with Noah. She wasn’t sure how to act with Punky.
The phone rang, and Jillian answered it. She listened, mumbled a few words, then hung up. Noah and Emily exchanged a glance, then Noah turned to Jillian.
“Who was that?”
Jillian shrugged. “Wrong number.”
Emily thought that was odd because, although Jillian had only been on the phone a few moments, it was longer than she should have spent with a wrong number.
❧
The next couple of days at the clinic went by just as quickly as the first. Each night during dinner she entertained Aunt Sherry and Uncle Mel with tales of the animals’ antics.
“You like working there, don’t you?” Uncle Mel asked.
She nodded. “I love it, but I also know it’s temporary.”
Her aunt and uncle exchanged a quick glance before Aunt Sherry turned back to her. “You know everything in this life is temporary, but the Lord wants us to enjoy our work. We want you to know that you’re welcome to stay with us as long as you feel comfortable here.”
A lump formed in Emily’s throat. “I appreciate that.”
Noah had told her she didn’t need to go in to work on Saturday, but she didn’t want to miss anything; she went for a couple of hours, and he told her he was glad she had. When Sunday morning arrived, Emily slept an extra hour, until it was time to get up and get ready for church.
As they pulled into the parking lot, she spotted Noah standing on the church steps. Her heart skipped a beat.
“I told him to sit with us,” Uncle Mel said. “I hope you don’t mind.”
Emily didn’t have a chance to respond, since her aunt and uncle were out of the car and halfway across the parking lot by the time she got out of the car. Noah shook Uncle Mel’s hand and hugged Aunt Sherry before meeting Emily’s gaze with a wide grin.
Throughout the service, Emily couldn’t forget Noah’s presence beside her. He held the hymnal so she could see the words, which gave them a physical closeness that made her tingle. During the sermon, Noah casually draped an arm over the back of the pew, making her feel protected and warm.
Once church ended, Noah walked them to their car. “You’ve been a huge help at the clinic. I’m glad you agreed to work with me.”
