Plain Pursuit (39 page)

“Hug everyone for me, and tell them I hope to see them all soon, but it appears I have a job.” Carley smiled. “I told Noah I would be there in the morning, though patients are scarce. The location he selected for the clinic was custom picked to accommodate the Amish community. And that doesn’t seem to be working out.”

“I know,” Lillian said regretfully. Then she smiled. “We’ll see about that.” A week later, Carley was settled comfortably into her routine. Up at four thirty with Lillian, she would help with breakfast and household chores until nine o’clock in the morning. Then she headed to the clinic, which was averaging two patients per day. While the lack of patrons was disheartening, the upside was that she and Noah often spent hours talking. And unlike when she arrived in Paradise the first time, there was no longer a need for a nap and the hard work exhilarated her, as opposed to exhausting her.

As she sat twiddling her thumbs this Tuesday morning, Noah was on the phone with Dr. Bolton in his office. From what Carley could hear from down the hall, Noah was asking about David’s progress and updating Dr. Bolton about his own recovery. Gloria was in the file room down the hall—a small storage room converted to hold six file cabinets, most of which remained empty. But Gloria optimistically readied file folders for use when new patients arrived.

Carley glanced at her watch. Ten thirty. They’d only had one patient this morning. A woman Gloria knew brought in her two-year- old son who had a fever. Otherwise, all had been quiet.

Until now.

As much as Carley wanted the Amish to patronize Noah’s clinic, the sight of the first buggy pulling up to the building sent her heart racing with worry, which escalated as she watched Mary Ellen step out of the buggy and tie off on one of the stumps Noah had installed out front. Hoping it was nothing serious, Carley watched Mary Ellen and another Amish woman she didn’t recognize draw closer. The woman was toting a baby.

Carley headed down the hallway toward Noah’s office. She motioned for Noah to get off the phone. He ended the conversation and met her at the door.

“Mary Ellen is here, and she’s with another Amish woman with a baby.” Carley tried to mask her concern, but Noah’s eyes grew reflective at the mention of Mary Ellen.

“Gloria, we have a patient,” Noah said to Gloria when he met her in the hallway. Gloria nodded, and Noah and Carley headed up front.

The bell Carley had placed on the front door rang when Mary Ellen and the other woman entered.

Carley took a seat in the reception nook, and Noah stood nearby.

“Hello, Carley. Hello, Noah,” Mary Ellen said nervously. “This is Lizzie Kauffman and her daughter, Naomi.” Mary Ellen nodded toward Lizzie and the baby. Lizzie seemed as sheepish as Mary Ellen about being at the clinic.

“Hello,” Carley responded. “Which one of you is sick?”

Lizzie stepped forward. “We have an emergency!”

Noah instantly stiffened. “What’s the emergency?”

“
Mei boppli
has a . . . cough,” the woman said shyly.

Noah pursed his lips. “All right,” he said slowly. “And is she running a high fever?”

“No,” Lizzie responded.

“Why do you think
it’s an emergency? Has your baby showed other symptoms besides a cough?” Noah leaned in to have a closer look at the child.

“No. It’s just an emergency.” Lizzie turned toward Mary Ellen. “It’s an emergency, no?”

Mary Ellen swallowed hard. “
Ya
, an emergency.”

Carley was fighting a smile, but Noah seemed to catch on a little late.

“Oh, an
emergency
,” he finally said. “Of course. Right this way.” He motioned for Lizzie to head down the hallway to a room on the right.

Mary Ellen started to follow but paused at the reception desk. “It’s
gut
you are back. I have jams, jellies, bread, and a pie in the buggy for Noah when we’re done.” She spoke in a whisper but with a smile beaming across her face.

“Thank you, Mary Ellen,” Carley responded as her sister-in-law- to-be headed down the hallway.

There were six more emergencies that afternoon. All Amish patrons. Four children were brought in by their mothers—one case of pinkeye, one deeply embedded splinter, and two sinus infections. One woman about Carley’s age wandered in with an earache, and an older Amish gentlemen had pulled a muscle. In every case, the person seeking treatment began by saying, “I have an emergency.”

The next few weeks brought more Amish patrons, each with an ailment they claimed was a crisis.

When they weren’t working at the clinic, Carley helped Lillian at the farm. But it was Lillian who often pushed her to spend more time with Noah. So Carley and Noah took walks through the park with Chloe, hand in hand, talking and planning their future. Sometimes they would go to the river, lie on a blanket, and gaze at the stars. Noah was wise about the constellations, and he would enthusiastically educate Carley. And they laughed. They laughed a lot. They were in love. It didn’t matter what they were doing, just that they were doing it together.

Carley told Noah all about Dalton, the reason he gave for their breakup, and the unworthiness she had felt to share her life with anyone because she was unable to have children. Noah constantly reassured her that he would love her always, and that if it was God’s will for them to be parents, the Lord would see fit to bless them with a family.

They also talked a lot about God’s will and Noah’s unquestionable faith. Carley still struggled at times, but she had stopped praying only for others and had begun to pray for her own direction in life. She was learning to forgive herself for walking away from Him so long ago, learning to let go of the bitterness she’d harbored since the accident. Noah was a patient man, often listening to Carley talk for hours on end about her growing relationship with God and her admitted disappointment at not being able to be a mother. It seemed to help her to talk about it with him, and he was always a good listener.

On one of their trips to the river, they lay side by side at the water’s edge, Chloe curled up nearby, bursts of twinkling clusters overhead. Carley had never seen a shooting star.

“Look! Look!” She pointed upward. “Did you see it? Oh, wow! I’ve never seen a falling star before!”

She glanced at Noah on her right and caught him staring at her in a way she’d never seen before, his expression filled with a mixture of wonder and contentment, so much so that she didn’t know what to say.

“Carley.” He took her hand in his. “I love you so much.”

“I love you too.” She waited. Then giggled. “Did you see it?”

Noah laughed aloud. “Yes, I did. And watching you see it was the best part of all.” He turned onto his side, propped his cheek on his elbow, and faced her. “Falling stars are rare, a flash of beauty against a backdrop of infinite space and time.” He took her hand, kissed the tips of her fingers. “Like you. Rare. Beautiful.”

“Noah,” she whispered, swirling in the magic, never more in love, never happier. She was exactly where she was meant to be.

“Marry me Saturday.” He leaned forward and brushed his lips against hers. “I don’t want to wait.”

It was Friday when Lillian walked into the clinic with Anna. She smiled at Carley then said, “I have an emergency.”

“I bet you do,” Carley teased.

“Everyone wants to use the clinic,” Lillian whispered. “And this is the only way.” She shrugged.

“Thank you, Lillian. And what emergency do we have here?” She smiled at Anna.

“She needs her shots. And it’s an emergency because I’m a week late getting them.” Lillian winked at Carley. “I have a peach crisp and a loaf of butter bread for Noah in the buggy.”

She leaned in closer to Carley. “So tomorrow is the big day!”

“It is.” Carley grinned. “No hoopla. Just me and Noah vowing to love each other for the rest of our lives. Pastor Marsh from Noah’s church will be here to marry us, and I’m wearing the simple white dress I showed you.”

“I think it’s
wunderbaar
that you are marrying here at the clinic. The landscaping is beautiful out back, and it’s become such an important part of both your lives.”

“That’s what we thought too,” Carley said. “It’s going to be hot, but we don’t care. Thank you for agreeing to come stand with me as my matron of honor. I know that’s not really allowed.”

Lillian shrugged. “If it was a big church wedding, I wouldn’t be able to. But I think I can do this in
gut
conscience, as long as you don’t mind me wearing my Plain clothes.”

“Of course not.”

“And you can’t take any pictures of me. Is that okay?”

Carley nodded. “I completely understand. I’m just thrilled that you will be here. Two of Noah’s friends from the hospital are coming—Dr. Bolton and another man I haven’t met. And, of course, Dana. Jenna is our flower girl. It’s going to be very small.” She paused. “Is Samuel or any of the family coming?” She was pretty sure she knew the answer.

Lillian pinched her lips together and met Carley’s gaze. She shook her head. “I’m sorry, Carley.”

“None of them are coming?”

“I don’t think so,” Lillian answered. “Samuel knows I’m coming, though.”

“Is it going to cause a problem for you?”

Lillian shook her head. “No. Samuel knows how much I love you.”

“Dr. Bolton is going to be Noah’s best man. Noah said he was sure neither Samuel nor Ivan would show up. But I think he was hoping that Mary Ellen and Rebecca might come.”

“They haven’t said, Carley. But I wouldn’t get my hopes up.” Lillian’s eyes saddened. “Samuel said he would prefer that I not bring David or Anna either.”

Carley’s heart was breaking for Noah. “I see.” She knew the entire situation was difficult for Lillian. She forced a smile and said, “Well, I’m glad you’ll be here.”

Noah gazed across the table at his bride-to-be. Tomorrow he would be a married man. Married to Carley Marek. He knew he should have some reservations about proposing so quickly, and he kept waiting for doubt to rear its ugly head. But nothing came. No regret. No worries. Only anticipation of a life with Carley. He’d
had plenty of time to mull over Carley’s concerns about not having children, but living without her wasn’t a future he wanted to face. Adoption waiting lists were long, but God would bless them with children if it was meant to be.

“I love this restaurant,” Carley said. Her face was aglow as she glanced around the Italian eatery.

Noah reached across the table and placed his hand on hers. “I love you,” he said. “And I’m so ready to marry you tomorrow.”

He had never been more certain of anything in his life. He loved Carley. He was glad Lillian would be attending the ceremony tomorrow, and he refused to darken the day with his disappointment that none of his family would be in attendance. Particularly Samuel.

“There’s Dana. ” Carley nodded toward the door. “She’s headed this way, and it looks like something is wrong.”

“Hi. Sorry to bother you at dinner,” Dana said when she reached the table. “I stopped by the farm, and Lillian told me you were eating here tonight.”

“Dana, is everything okay?” Noah asked.

Dana nervously wrung her hands together. “I hope so.” She took a deep breath. “I have something very important to discuss with you both.”