Noah's Ark, page 7
Seven
“He’s prepping for a patient,” Emily said. “Whatcha got?”
Aunt Sherry grinned. “Just something I know both of you like.”
“You’re not gonna tell me, are you?”
“Nope.” Her aunt patted her oversized tote. “It’s right here. I’ll sit in this chair and wait until Noah’s finished with whatever he’s doing.”
“That might be a while. His patient should be here any minute.” A big white SUV pulled into the space out front. “In fact, here he is right now.”
Within a minute, Seymour the poodle and his exuberant owner came walking in. Kingston got up and walked around to see who’d just entered. Emily pointed to the floor beside her. “Sit.” Kingston sat.
“Wait right here, Seymour,” the woman said to her dog. “I have to check you in.”
“Hi, Mrs. Whitley.” Emily grinned at the woman then turned to Seymour. “Hey, Seymour. Ready to see Dr. Blake?”
The poodle got excited at the sound of his name, so he forgot his order and came around the counter. Emily held her breath for a moment before she realized Kingston wasn’t about to disobey her, no matter what Seymour did.
Emily had been warned about Mrs. Whitley’s dog who’d been through a couple of obedience classes but still couldn’t control his urges. All the pampering his owner gave him spoiled the dog and made him a pest around other animals.
The two dogs sniffed each other, but the Great Dane remained planted in his spot. After a few seconds of not getting a reaction, Seymour lost interest and headed back to his master. However, he suddenly stopped, sniffed the air, and instantly bounded toward Aunt Sherry, whose eyes widened at the surprise.
“No-no, Seymour, honey,” Mrs. Whitley said in the voice she obviously reserved for her precious poodle.
Seymour wasn’t listening. He knew Aunt Sherry had something good in her tote, and with one sweeping swipe of the paw, he’d knocked her tote off the chair next to her. Suddenly there was a mad scramble for the bag.
“No, Seymour!” Aunt Sherry hollered. “Down!”
The poodle jumped back at the sound of her harsh tone, but that didn’t stop him from diving back toward the bag a second later. By now Emily had no doubt Seymour wouldn’t stop until he got whatever he wanted, so she went around to the waiting area with the leash she kept beside her. She counted on him remembering some of the commands from obedience training.
“Sit, Seymour,” Emily said. The second he obeyed the command, she snapped the leash on his collar before he had a chance to think about what was in Aunt Sherry’s bag. “Come on, boy, I have a treat for you.”
“Oh, he can’t have a treat,” Mrs. Whitley said. “I have him on a very special diet.”
Emily cast a glance at Aunt Sherry, who still looked shell-shocked, and turned back to face the dog’s owner. “He’s going to get a treat, whether I give him one or he gets it from her bag. It’s just a little piece of dog food anyway, so don’t worry.”
Mrs. Whitley swallowed hard and looked over at Aunt Sherry. “I—I guess it’s okay if he has a treat at the doctor’s office.”
Noah chose that moment to come out for the dog. “Hey, Mrs. Whitley, how’s Seymour?”
The poodle forgot all about the treat, jumped toward Noah before Emily snapped the leash, and the dog landed on his rear. He let out a whimper, but Noah didn’t let him get too distressed before taking the leash from Emily. “I’ve got him.” He squatted down next to Seymour. “How’s my big buddy?”
Seymour licked him across the face in response.
Noah wiped his face with his sleeve and grinned at Mrs. Whitley. “He looks healthy. How’s the obedience training coming along?”
His poor owner looked frazzled as she shook her head. “Not so well, I’m afraid. I still can’t make him behave.”
“You just have to stick with it. He’s still young. His attention span will grow as he gets older.”
Emily thought about the Great Dane who remained behind the counter. She could only imagine how curious he must have been, yet he was so well trained he didn’t budge.
“Perhaps you should consider going through the training with him,” Noah advised. “Sometimes all it takes is for him to see that you mean business. They can teach you how to be firm.”
The woman flipped her hand at the wrist. “Oh, I couldn’t do that. I’d hate to break his spirit.”
Emily and her aunt exchanged a knowing glance. She’d seen plenty of disobedient animals, and almost every one of them would have been easy to train if their owners had been willing to spend more time working with them.
Noah tugged on Seymour’s leash. “C’mon, boy, let’s go see how you’re doing.” He cast a look over to Mrs. Whitley. “Would you like to join us?”
She scrunched her face. “I can’t bear watching him get his shots.”
“Then you better stay out here. We won’t be long.”
Emily and her aunt chatted with Mrs. Whitley until Seymour was finished with his checkup and shots. As soon as Noah opened the door from the examining area, the proud poodle pranced out into the waiting room like he owned the place. Kingston whimpered, but after a stern glance from Emily, he remained in his spot.
❧
Noah found himself continuing to lose his heart to Emily, a piece at a time. As he watched her handle each situation that came her way, he knew she could do anything she set her mind to. Not only was she organized, friendly, and professional, she had a knack with animals and for putting people at ease.
After Seymour and Mrs. Whitley left, Sherry carried her tote across the room and hoisted it onto the reception counter. “I brought you some sustenance,” she announced with pride. “Emily’s favorite blueberry oatmeal muffins.” He watched her pull out a plastic bag filled to capacity with treats he knew would be tasty. When she opened the bag, a delicious aroma filled the clinic.
“You didn’t have to do that, Aunt Sherry.” Emily’s cheeks were pink, and she wouldn’t look him in the eye.
“Oh, but I’m glad she did.” Noah reached into the bag and pulled out a muffin. One taste and he felt like he was floating on clouds. “This is absolutely delicious.”
Sherry fastened her tote and grinned. “I’m glad you like it.” She edged toward the door and waved. “I know you’re busy, so I’ll leave the two of you to your work.” Then she winked at Emily. “See you when you get home, sugar.”
As soon as the door closed behind her, Noah looked at her and smiled. “Sherry is amazing. You’re fortunate to have her.”
“Yes, I know.” Emily still didn’t look him in the eye, so he turned back toward the examining rooms. “I need to clean up then call on a couple of farms before my afternoon appointments.”
He took his time cleaning since he wasn’t expected at the first farm for another hour. For once he wasn’t slammed. He would have loved to spend a little time with Emily, but since she seemed flustered and unsure this morning, he figured it might be better to leave her alone until she worked through whatever was bothering her.
Soon it was time for him to leave. “These are short visits, so I’ll see you in a couple of hours.”
Emily glanced up, then her gaze quickly darted to something on the floor. He glanced down and spotted a fifty-dollar bill beside his feet, so he picked it up. “Any idea whose this is?”
She nodded. “It has to be Mrs. Whitley’s.”
“Are you sure it doesn’t belong to your aunt?”
“I’m pretty sure it wouldn’t be my aunt’s because she was sitting over there.” Emily pointed to another row of chairs. “Besides, she’s not likely to walk around with a fifty.”
On top of everything else, she had to be the most honest woman he’d ever met. “Why don’t you call Mrs. Whitley and ask if she wants us to send her a check or if she’d rather pick up the money next time she’s out.”
“I’ll do that right now.”
Noah walked out of the clinic, headed to his truck, and tossed a few things into the back before getting in. Emily’s image played in his mind as he drove to the first farm.
He knew it wasn’t right to compare, but he couldn’t help holding her next to Tiffany in his mind. If Tiffany had seen the fifty-dollar bill, he wasn’t sure she would have mentioned it to him. Instead, she would have considered the finders-keepers rule and spent the money on herself.
There were too many differences between the two women to count. What he saw in Tiffany back a few years ago was now a mystery to Noah. Sure she was pretty, but lots of girls were. She was smart, but her goal in life was to marry well and have her days free to hang out at the country club and get her nails done. Not that he expected her to be a career woman, but he at least wished she had some purpose outside her own personal circle that seemed to get smaller as time went on.
When Noah arrived at the first farm, all he had to do was check a couple of the goats and administer medication to a horse with an infected foot. He was back in his truck less than an hour later.
His second stop was even shorter. A year earlier this farmer had to sell off some of his land to pay his taxes, so Noah didn’t expect to see the payment for his services—at least not any time soon.
As he got back in the truck, his thoughts drifted to the business side of his practice. He made enough to survive and pay the bills on the clinic. However, what he considered a decent income would have been debatable with his father, whose practice had flourished over the years simply because his clientele was more upscale than any of the ones Noah served.
There were times when Noah thought about calling his delinquent clients to see if they could arrange a payment plan, but the staggering amount some of them owed might freak them out. Most of the people who brought smaller animals into the clinic paid as they went, but he billed the farmers. When he had time, he actually mailed the bills. Lately he’d been so busy he’d let it slip. In fact, he couldn’t remember the last billing he’d mailed. He’d intended to get Jillian on that project soon, but he hadn’t even had time for that.
❧
Emily finished all the daily work and started looking around for something else to do. When she was sure she’d covered everything Noah had asked her to do, she pulled her sketch pad from her tote and doodled.
After a few minutes she felt guilty because she was on Noah’s clock, so she put down the sketch pad and clicked through the files on the computer to see if any loose ends needed to be tied up.
When she got to the Blalock farm account, she stopped and stared at the screen, stunned by what she saw. The farmer owed Noah more than a thousand dollars, and he hadn’t even shown an attempt to pay a dime of it.
This prompted her to check all the other farm accounts, and she quickly saw that the Blalock account was the norm, not the exception. After clicking through every account in the Noah’s Ark system, she realized that the only people who paid were customers who brought their patients into the clinic and a very small handful of farmers, including her aunt and uncle.
She jotted down some of the larger accounts and came up with a staggering total. If everyone paid what they owed, Noah would be able to hire a full office staff and never have to bat an eye.
Emily knew this was a ministry of sorts for Noah, but it was also his livelihood. He wouldn’t be able to stay in business if he didn’t collect some of the money he was owed. She’d have to figure out a way to talk to him without sounding like she was nosing into his business.
The phone rang, and it was Noah. “I’m stopping off at a deli on my way back. What are you in the mood for?”
“Turkey on wheat with lettuce and tomato,” she replied. “I’ll pay you when you get here.”
He laughed. “That’s not necessary. You’re doing so much for me, I wouldn’t even think about asking for money from you.”
“We’ll discuss that later,” she said.
After they got off the phone, she brainstormed ways to collect some of the money Noah was owed. No matter what she came up with, she knew he’d balk, but she couldn’t just sit back and do nothing. He obviously made enough money to stay in business, but she knew he had so much more potential if he collected what was owed.
Noah arrived a half hour later. “Here’s the food. I need to put this stuff away and wash up. You don’t have to wait for me.”
“That’s okay,” she mumbled. “I’ll wait.”
They could discuss the billing issue after lunch, since there wasn’t anything on the schedule for another hour. Emily dreaded bringing it up because she had no idea what Noah’s reaction would be. One thing she was fairly certain of, though, was that he wouldn’t even consider strong-arm tactics. And that was one of the things she found most attractive about him. Noah was a strong man with a gentle spirit. His generosity was a major bonus but also his biggest flaw. A giving nature was an admirable trait, but he didn’t know when to stop.
At the sound of Noah’s footsteps drawing closer, Emily shoved her scratch paper into the pencil drawer. He opened the bag, pulled out a wrapped sandwich, and handed it to her. “I got both of us the same thing,” he said. “I got chips, too, but I had no idea what kind you liked, so I got a bag of each.”
Emily laughed. “You don’t have to do that, Noah.”
He put his sandwich down and let his gaze settle on her. “I know I don’t have to, but I want to. No amount of money can repay you for all you’re doing for me and this clinic.”
She let out a nervous chuckle. “You’re paying me for my time here, and it’s all part of my job.”
“It’s more than that.” Noah broke his gaze and reached for the sandwich. As he slowly unwrapped it, Emily could tell by the set of his jaw that his mind was somewhere else.
Emily took a bite of her sandwich and let silence prevail. She’d been around Noah enough to know he didn’t always have to have conversation filling every moment.
After she swallowed her second bite, she put down her sandwich. “So how was the Jenkins clan?”
Noah shook his head as he finished chewing. “I feel so bad for Patrick Jenkins. After he sold that last piece of land, his heart doesn’t seem to be in his farming anymore.”
Emily had already heard about the hard times that had fallen on many of her aunt and uncle’s friends and fellow farmers. “Maybe things will turn around.” This definitely wasn’t the time to bring up billing.
The phone rang, and this time it was Jillian. “Want to talk to Noah?” Emily asked.
“No.”
Her answer was so abrupt Emily was startled. “Okay, so what’s going on?”
“Can you come to my mom’s place after work? I need to talk to someone, and I’m not allowed to go anywhere.”
“Um. . .” Emily glanced at Noah, who sat there watching, waiting. “I guess so. Want me to bring you anything?”
Jillian coughed. “Just a listening ear and the willingness to believe me.”
“I can do that,” Emily promised. “Now I need your mother’s address.”
After Emily hung up, Noah cocked his head and stared at her. “Well?”
Her throat tightened. “That was Jillian. She asked me to come over after work.”
“I’ll go with you.”
Emily glanced down then looked Noah squarely in the eye. “She wants me to come alone.”
The look of concern on his face touched Emily. “I don’t want to put you in jeopardy,” he said.
She smiled. “I’ll be fine.”
“Call me the second you leave so I won’t worry.”
Eight
Emily hadn’t even sat down before Jillian blurted out, “I don’t deserve to live after what I did.”
“What, exactly, did you do?”
She and Jillian were now at the kitchen table in her mother’s tiny cottage. Emily couldn’t help but notice the peeling paint and timeworn furniture.
Jillian folded her hands and stared at them for what seemed like an eternity before she looked Emily in the eye. “Did Noah tell you anything about my past?”
Emily nodded.
“When Brad told me he wanted to stop off at the clinic, I told him no because it was closed.”
“After all the things I heard about him, why would you even be with him?” Emily asked.
The younger woman shrugged. “Just lonely, I guess. Mom comes and goes, and I haven’t made friends with anyone at school. The few people I knew in high school moved away.”
Emily reached for Jillian’s hand. “I’m your friend. And Noah really cares about you.”
“Yes, I know he does. That’s why I feel so awful.”
This Brad guy must have something Jillian needed. “You’re a very smart woman, Jillian. Why do you let Brad do this to you?”
Jillian blinked but not in time to stop a tear that trickled down her cheek. “He told me he loved me and that he’d do anything to make me happy.” She sniffled. “And I’ve been so sad lately it sounded good.”
“I didn’t realize you were sad,” Emily said. “And I don’t think Noah knew either.”
“There was no point in burdening you and Noah with my feelings. I figured both of you had enough on your minds.”
Emily smiled and squeezed Jillian’s hand. “So tell me why he said he wanted to go to the clinic.”
Jillian pursed her lips and shuddered. “It’s really stupid.”
“That’s okay. Tell me anyway.” Emily squeezed her hand.
Jillian sucked in a deep breath and slowly blew it out. “His cat eats this expensive food, and Brad was broke, and we carry it at the clinic. I told him we didn’t sell much of it, so he convinced me it would be good to go get some since it would go bad anyway, and he’d write a check after he got paid.”
Emily could tell how heartbroken Jillian was, so she refrained from asking again why she’d trust Brad. “Why didn’t you call Noah when you realized what Brad was really there for—or at any time? He could have stopped Brad from getting you into trouble.”
“I—I couldn’t. Noah’s the last person I’d want to upset. I begged Brad to get out of there, but he just laughed at me.” She pulled her hand away from Emily’s and held it out. “Now I’ve completely blown any chance of having Noah’s trust.”
