“I don’t mind.”

  Uncle Mel laughed out loud. “That’s an understatement. I’ve never seen my niece this happy since she was a little girl.”

  Emily felt the heat rise to her cheeks. She glanced over at Noah, and he winked.

  “Why don’t you come on over to the house in an hour or so?” Aunt Sherry asked. “I have a big dinner planned.”

  Noah appeared conflicted as he glanced around at the three of them. Emily wasn’t sure what was going on in his mind as his chest rose and fell with each breath.

  The sound of a car approaching captured their attention. A sheriff’s department cruiser came to a stop not far from where they stood.

  When the officer got out and headed straight toward them, Emily saw Noah’s forehead scrunch. “Who’s that?” Emily asked.

  “My buddy Dwayne, but I don’t think this is a personal visit.” Noah turned toward the police officer. “Everything okay, Dwayne?”

  “Nah, not really. Your alarm triggered a call that someone was breaking into your clinic. By the time I got there, they were gone, but the door was wide open. Alarm from the controlled substance cabinet must’ve scared ’em off.”

  Five

  “I better get on over there, then.” Noah turned to Emily. “Looks like I have an emergency to attend to.”

  Emily’s heart raced as she glanced back and forth between Noah and Dwayne, the police officer. Noah’s clinic had been broken into, yet both men moved at their standard pace.

  “Want me to go with you?” she asked.

  When Noah shook his head, she saw the lines that had instantly formed on his face. She felt a combination of relief that he was worried and concerned about the break-in.

  Uncle Mel grabbed her hand and tugged her back. “We better let them handle it. Let’s get on home.” He turned to Noah. “Stop by the house after you finish dealing with this.”

  On the way to the farm, Uncle Mel and Aunt Sherry discussed all the possibilities of why someone would want to break into Noah’s Ark. “Could be all the fancy equipment he has,” Aunt Sherry speculated.

  Uncle Mel snorted. “I suspect it’s worse than that. I bet it’s the drugs.”

  “But those are for the animals,” Emily said. “Why would someone steal animal drugs?”

  Her uncle glanced at her in the rearview mirror. “Animal narcotics are powerful. Put those in the hands of a serious drug user or dealer, and you’ve got a dangerous situation.”

  The thought of a person breaking into a vet’s office for drugs had never crossed Emily’s mind before. “I sure hope they catch whoever did it.”

  Aunt Sherry turned and faced Emily. “This isn’t the first time we’ve seen this.”

  Emily didn’t miss Uncle Mel’s eye signal. “What happened before?”

  “We might as well tell her, Mel. It’s not like it affects her or anything.”

  Her uncle thought it over for a couple of seconds before he finally bobbed his head. “Okay, Sherry, go ahead.”

  Aunt Sherry took a deep breath before she began. “The last vet we had was excellent—but not quite as good as Noah, of course. He was wonderful with the animals, and he worked tirelessly. Then something snapped, and he started showing up late. Once when he came out here to help deliver one of the goats, I thought he was drunk.”

  “That’s terrible.”

  Her aunt nodded. “Yes, it was rather frightening because Daisy needed help that we couldn’t give her. The only reason we called him was because the kid was breech.”

  “Daisy seems okay now.”

  “She’s fine, and the kid is fine. But that’s only because Pastor Chuck just happened to stop by for a visit. He helped Mel deliver it, while Marvin—that’s the vet—slept in the corner of the barn.”

  “So what happened then?”

  Uncle Mel and Aunt Sherry exchanged a glance. “We found out later he wasn’t drunk. Mel called the police and told them Marvin had driven drunk to our house, so they sent someone out to pick him up. When they did the blood test, they found a high level of narcotics in his blood.”

  Emily’s face tightened as her eyebrows shot up. “He was taking the animals’ drugs? That’s insane.”

  “That’s one of the reasons the community got involved in the search for a new vet. We all agreed that we needed to do a background check on the prospects.”

  Uncle Mel snorted. “That didn’t sit too well with some of them. We lost a couple who said they didn’t appreciate their privacy being invaded. In fact, one of them threatened to sue. But we stuck to our guns and didn’t let them bully us.”

  Aunt Sherry touched Uncle Mel’s arm before she took over. “When we heard about Noah through the pastor, we actually went to visit him. I guess I told you most of this already. Thankfully everyone agreed that this was a good fit for Noah.”

  “Everyone,” her uncle added, “but that prissy girlfriend of his.” He made a face. “After she left, Noah seemed miserable, but I think he sees that he’s better off without her. All she cared about was the money he could make so she could gallivant around town in her fancy clothes and uppity ways.”

  “Now, Mel, you know it’s not right to judge people.”

  In spite of the seriousness of the conversation, Emily couldn’t help but smile. Aunt Sherry was the quintessential Christian woman. She stood behind her faith in actions and thoughts.

  Uncle Mel cringed and ducked. “I’m just sayin’. . .”

  They rode most of the rest of the way home in silence, until they reached the road right before the last turn. Aunt Sherry looked at Uncle Mel. “I hope Noah plans to stop by later for dinner.”

  “Oh, I’m sure he will. When was the last time that boy turned us down for Sunday dinner?”

  Aunt Sherry turned around and winked at Emily. “He has good taste in food.”

  Ten minutes later, the three of them had changed out of their church clothes and headed outside to tend to the animals. After all the chickens, goats, and cows were fed, Aunt Sherry swiped her sleeve across her forehead. “I need to go in and take a shower before I start cooking.”

  “Need any help?” Emily asked.

  Aunt Sherry glanced at Uncle Mel then shook her head. “Why don’t you help Mel finish up out here? I’ll put you to work after you’re done and cleaned up.”

  As soon as she went inside, Uncle Mel stopped working and got her attention. “Any chance you’ll stick around here?”

  “You mean permanently?”

  Uncle Mel paused, narrowed his eyes, then shook his head. “Well, nothing’s permanent, but for a while.”

  “I might,” Emily replied without hesitation. “But I don’t want to impose on you and Aunt Sherry.”

  “Don’t go gettin’ the notion you’re imposing. We already told you to stay with us as long as you want. This house is plenty big.”

  “You miss having the family all here, don’t you?”

  He gave her a sad look that melted her heart. “Yeah, that’s the thing about kids growing up. They start new lives, and it’s not always close to home. We never expected Saul to move halfway across the country. Meredith and Jennifer, yes, but not the baby.”

  “At least they’re happy, and you know they love you.”

  Uncle Mel pondered that for a moment. “I think your mama loved you. She just didn’t know how to cope with the stress of having a teenager.”

  “I might have been a little trouble, but I really wasn’t all that bad.”

  “I know you weren’t, Emily. In fact, you were the best-behaved kid we knew—including your three cousins.” He grinned. “Sherry and I always suspected you went overboard in trying to please all the adults in your life because you were afraid of running them off.”

  He was so right! Emily had always blamed herself for her mama leaving, and sometimes she had lay awake at night, watching the door, praying that her daddy wouldn’t take off in the dark.

  “Here, take this rake and finish strewing the straw, then go on in and help Sherry. She’s goin’ all out on today’s dinner, and I’m sure she could use an extra pair of hands to finish up.”

  Emily did as she was told. As soon as she stepped out of the shower adjoining her bedroom, she heard voices from down the hall—Aunt Sherry’s, Uncle Mel’s, and. . .she was pretty sure that was Noah talking, but the tone was so soft she wasn’t positive.

  Fortunately her aunt and uncle had always been casual, including during special meals. She pulled on a pair of her newest jeans and a knit baby-doll shirt. For an extrafeminine touch, she added a necklace with a butterfly pendant.

  By the time she got to the kitchen, Uncle Mel had gone to clean up. Aunt Sherry stood at the counter rolling out dough for biscuits, and Noah was stirring the gravy. They both glanced up when she entered the room.

  “Was it bad?” Emily asked. “Did they take anything?”

  Noah shook his head. “No, but not for lack of trying. It’s illegal to leave certain medications out. I have them under lock and key—and behind that, another security lock with an extra alarm.”

  “Good thinking,” she replied. “How did they get in?”

  “That’s a good question. Either someone is very good at picking locks, or they had access to a key.”

  “Who else has a key?”

  “That’s where I’m puzzled. Right now, there are only four of us who have a key—you, Jillian, Jeffrey the maintenance man, and me. You and I were in church when this happened, and Jeffrey is out of the country.”

  Emily felt the blood drain from her face. “You don’t think Jillian—”

  “No,” he said, interrupting her. “At least I hope Jillian wouldn’t do something like that, but I do need to find out if she gave the key to someone else.”

  “Why would she do that?”

  “Maybe she was busy and asked a friend to feed the kittens.”

  “Kittens?”

  Noah pursed his lips as he laid the spoon on the plate. Then he turned around, folded his arms, and leaned against the counter. “I guess she must not have told you about the stray cat and kittens we feed. The mother cat started coming around a couple of months ago, and we felt sorry for her because she was obviously homeless and hungry. I’ve tried to catch her to spay her, but she runs off when I get near her. Next thing we knew, she had a litter in one of the bushes behind the clinic. We’ve been waiting for their mother to wean them so we can find homes for them.”

  “Why don’t you bring them all over here?” Aunt Sherry asked.

  Noah chuckled. “That might have been an option before the flood, but I don’t think it’s a good idea with all those chickens you’re taking care of. Besides, this cat’s very skittish, and although she’ll come close, she keeps a distance of about ten feet.”

  Aunt Sherry put the last biscuit on the pan and brushed her hands together. “If you have trouble placing any of those kittens, we’ll take them.”

  “Oh, we will, will we?”

  The sound of Uncle Mel’s voice made Aunt Sherry turn. “I miss having a house pet.”

  Uncle Mel laughed. “I know you do. That’s fine. We can have one kitten.”

  “Two?” Aunt Sherry made a puppy dog face.

  “Okay, two.” He rolled his eyes then turned to Noah. “I’m too easy.”

  After the biscuits were done, they sat down and said a blessing before filling their plates. Emily expected talk to be all about the break-in at the animal clinic, but the subject never even came up again.

  Emily looked around the table after they finished eating. She couldn’t believe how much they had left.

  “I like having leftovers,” Aunt Sherry explained.

  “Sherry, there’s enough food for a family of five to have leftovers for a week.” Uncle Mel looked at Noah. “She likes to keep us well fed.”

  Aunt Sherry grinned at Noah. “I’ll just send some home with you. I’m sure you’ll be hungry later.”

  He pushed back from the table and carried his plate to the sink. “I’d love to take you up on that, but I’m afraid I can’t. I have to go back to the police station and talk to Dwayne before he goes off duty.”

  “Want Emily to come along?” Uncle Mel asked.

  Noah glanced at Emily, making her heart skip a beat. “Would you like to join me?”

  She thought for a few seconds and realized he’d have to drive her all the way back to the farm, so she slowly shook her head. “I better not. I have to do some laundry and get ready for the week.”

  Aunt Sherry cast a stern glance her way, but Emily turned her head. She didn’t need matchmaking at the moment, and Noah had more important things on his mind.

  The next morning, Emily went off to work with no idea what she’d find. Hopefully the perpetrator had been caught, but she was fairly certain if that were the case, she would have heard something by now.

  Emily turned into the parking lot and drove past the spaces near the front door, leaving them for patients. As she got out of her car, she inhaled deeply, closed her eyes, and said a silent prayer as she slowly released her breath.

  Every light in the clinic was on as she pushed the door open. About a second and a half later, Noah popped around from behind the wall. When he saw that it was her, he grinned.

  “I’d like you to meet Kingston,” he said as he led a black, full-grown, floppy-eared, flap-jawed, Great Dane on a short red leash. “He’s going to hang out with us until we find out who tried to get in.”

  Emily knelt beside the dog, making him taller than her. She scratched behind his ear as she glanced up at Noah. “Who does Kingston belong to?”

  “Joel Zimmerman. He’s been trying to find someone to take care of him while he travels to Europe. When he first asked me if I knew of anyone, I couldn’t think of a soul, but I said I’d take Kingston if nobody else would.” He grinned. “After what happened. . .” His voice trailed off.

  “I thought you had the drugs under lock and key.” Emily stood, folded her arms, and waited for an answer.

  “That’s right, but since I don’t know who came in here, I don’t know what they’d be willing to do to get the drugs. What if they come back?” He snapped his fingers to beckon Kingston, and the dog eagerly obeyed.

  “Good point,” Emily agreed as she smiled at the dog. “Kingston seems like a sweet dog, but I don’t think anyone will mess with us as long as he’s here.”

  Noah glanced at his watch. “I have two annual checkups first thing this morning, then I have to go out for some farm visits. Kingston can stay here with you.”

  “Will you be back before I leave?” she asked.

  He nodded. “I should be. If not, I’ll call you.” After a short pause, he added, “I’ll call you anyway. I’m concerned about leaving you here alone.”

  Emily pointed to Kingston. “I won’t be alone.”

  As if on cue, the dog left Noah’s side and plopped his rear beside Emily’s feet. She placed her hand on his shoulder, and he leaned against her hip, looking up at her with the most soulful, adoring eyes, his jaw flapping open. He let out a long sigh that sounded like that of an old man. Both Emily and Noah laughed.

  “I don’t think he’ll let anything happen to you,” Noah said. “He’s already enamored.”

  “Yes, I do have a way with animals.” She leaned over and cupped Kingston’s face in her hands. “You’ll protect me, won’t you, boy? You’ll chase anyone who comes after me, and you’ll lick ’em to death.”

  The door opened, signaling the beginning of Noah’s busy day. After Noah left for his farm visits, Emily worked steadily, filing, answering the phone, scheduling appointments, and processing client bills that were long overdue. She could see that Noah made a good living, but he could do much better if people would pay on time. He didn’t seem to worry about it, so she didn’t need to concern herself with it either.

  Noah called her midmorning and shortly before lunch. The second time, he said he wouldn’t be back until midafternoon, but she could go ahead and tell Jillian what had happened. Disappointment flooded her as she hung up. It wasn’t likely she’d see him again until the next morning, and that wouldn’t be for long since he was booked with farm visits most of the week.

  A few minutes before one o’clock, she started clearing away the desk, getting it ready for Jillian. But one o’clock came and went, and Emily’s replacement still hadn’t arrived. That was strange. Jillian was early most days, and the one time she ran late, she’d called. She tried Jillian’s cell phone, but it went directly to voice mail without ringing. Emily didn’t want to call and alert Noah because he was so busy.

  At two thirty Noah walked in and did a double take then smiled. “Can’t stay away, huh? Where’s Jillian?”

  Emily shrugged. “She didn’t come in.”

  “Did you call her?” He frowned.

  “I tried her cell phone, but it didn’t even ring. Want me to try again?”

  “No, let me see if I can find her mother’s number. I’ll see if she knows where Jillian is.” Noah pointed to the computer. “Can you pull up my address book in Outlook?”

  Emily got the information Noah needed, and he called Jillian’s mother. As he chatted with the woman, Emily saw his look of concern deepen. Then he hung up and ran his fingers through his hair.

  “That’s odd. She said her daughter hasn’t been home in several days, but she doesn’t seem worried at all. In fact, she hasn’t seen Jillian since Thursday night.”

  “She was here Friday.”

  “Yeah, I know,” he said. “So she left here and didn’t go home. Something’s not right.”

  Six

  Emily studied Noah and wondered if he’d made any connection between Jillian being missing and the break-in. After all, there were only a few keys to the front door, and it had been established that entry wasn’t forced.

  Noah frowned as he pondered what to do. Emily had to come up with something—a way to help.

  “Tell you what,” she said. “Why don’t I call around and see if anyone has seen her?”

  He slowly nodded. “I’ll call her mother back and get the numbers of some of her friends.”

  “Do you have any idea where she likes to go when she’s not here or in class?”

 

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