Plain Pursuit (11 page)

“I had vacation time, and I missed Lillian. But it’s hard for me not to work. I guess it’s a combination of work and play.”

“What do you think so far?”

She gazed out the car window. “It’s very pretty here.”

“May is a great time of year to come. It’s starting to get warm, though.” Grinning, he added, “So how’s the lack of electricity working for you? Particularly the lack of air-conditioning?”

“It’s a little warmer than I care for, but it’s cool at night. Nothing like the heat in Texas, though. There’s just not as much humidity here.” She paused. “But honestly, it’s not as primitive as I thought it would be. I mean, Lillian and Samuel have a refrigerator powered by propane, a gas stove, and modern plumbing.”

Chloe offered up a loud bark, as if to remind them she was still there. Noah twisted his head around. “Hey, girl. I still love you.” He smiled in Carley’s direction. “Guess she’s used to having me all to herself.”

Carley found that hard to believe. Surely the doctor had a steady supply of lady friends.

“Anyway,” she went on, “I’m having trouble with their schedule. I don’t see why everything has to begin so early in the morning. I seem to start off tired in the morning, stay tired all day, and still have trouble falling asleep at eight or nine o’clock. Then it starts all over at four thirty or five the next morning.”

“The Amish are the most hardworking people on the planet.” His pride was evident.

“I don’t know how Lillian does it. I try to help, but I need a nap around two or three.”

“That’s why you’re not falling asleep at night.”

“I guess.” She wondered if she was pulling her weight. She often left Lillian to finish the ironing, fold the clothes, or handle one of the many other chores that her friend tackled daily—while she was off catnapping. But it was her
vacation
.

“How long are you staying?”

“A month.”

“I’m sure you’ll find lots to do while you’re here.”

Vacation or not, she was feeling guilty. Maybe she’d start doing more to help her friend. “Lillian’s day is full. She takes care of the baby, tends to the garden, bakes pies, washes clothes, hangs them to dry, prepares three full meals . . . and her house is in perfect order.” She shook her head. “And Lillian is the happiest I’ve ever seen her.”

“It’s the way of life and strong faith in God. That brings peace.”

“But you left. Did you have that same peaceful feeling before you got your . . .”

“Calling? Yes, I did. But when God called, I knew there was something else for me. During our
rumschpringe
, all my friends from Paradise spent their time going to Lancaster, watching movies and drinking beer.” He grinned. “All the things expected of teenage boys at that age. But I spent my time at Lancaster General Hospital. A non-Amish friend in Paradise was a resident at Lancaster General. Doc Eddington would take me to town in his car and let me hang out at the hospital. I read as many medical books as I could get my hands on. I just knew that I was meant to be a doctor. Later when I left the community, it was Doc who let me sleep on his couch and helped me get on my feet.”

“Most people believe it to be such an honorable profession. I would think they would make an exception to the shunning.”

There. She’d opened it up. Maybe now he would offer details of his secret.

Noah couldn’t seem to rid himself of the shame and guilt he’d felt over the years. In his heart, he knew God had forgiven him. He just needed to forgive himself. He had a plan that would offer some redemption. A plan he was already putting into play.

He decided he wasn’t ready for that subject, so he changed it. “Do you mind my asking what religion you are? I was just wondering if your beliefs are similar to the Amish and if you’re a Christian.”

“I was raised Catholic. I don’t really go to church these days, though.”

He sensed bitterness in her tone. “I’m not sure you have to go to church to be a Christian and have a relationship with God.”

She shrugged, then sat quietly.

“You don’t like talking about God, do you?”

“You talk about Him a lot,” she answered. “I would think you’d feel a little cheated by Him.”

“Not at all.”

“Your calling cost you your family. That doesn’t seem Godly in my eyes.”

“I won’t deny that I’ve had my share of trouble coping with that. But to question God’s will only sets you up to take your own path instead of the one He has planned for you. Once you know you are a child of God, you can trust Him to make the right decisions for you, even if you don’t know it at the time.”

“You know, you’re right. I’m not really comfortable talking about God, Noah.”

“Let’s change the subject.”

To his surprise, she continued the conversation. “I went to church the first part of my life. It was ingrained in me since I was a child that we were to act a certain way, go to church each Sunday, and say our prayers at night. I did all those things. I just didn’t . . . get it. I still pray sometimes. I’m
just not sure God is listening.”

As much as Noah wanted to tell her God
was
listening, he wasn’t sure this was the best topic of conversation. It seemed to be a touchy subject for her.

“Carley, I don’t really know you. I shouldn’t have brought it up. We can move on to something else.”

But she continued.

“If He were listening, He would have heard my prayers about a couple of things very dear to me,” she said.

“Sometimes we can’t understand God’s plan for us.”

“You’re right. I definitely don’t understand His plan. My mother died about six months ago in an accident. I prayed really hard for her when she was in the hospital. She died anyway.”

“I’m sorry, Carley.” He hesitated, realizing he was treading on delicate ground. “I know it’s hard to understand how something like that could be part of God’s plan. Were you and your mother close?”

Her face lit up as she turned toward him. “Very. My dad died when I was young. My mom and I were very close. She was my best friend.”

“So you’re without much of a family?”

“I have a brother, Adam.”

“That’s a nice shop.” Noah slowed the car and pointed to his left. “It’s not owned by the Amish, but everything in there is handmade by the Amish. Do you want to stop?”

“That’d be great.”

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt you.”

“That’s okay. Not much else to tell.”

Carley couldn’t get over some of the prices on the quilts. “Look at this,” she whispered to Noah, running her hand across the counterpane. “This quilt costs two thousand dollars.”

“I know. It’s amazing people pay that for a cover.” He chuckled.

“It’s not just a cover. Look at the intricate details, the fine stitching, and the coordination of colors. It’s gorgeous.”

“Buy it, then.”

Trust the arrogant doc to speak so casually about such prices.
“I don’t have that kind of money.” She pushed the quilt aside, moving along to the next one on the rack. “This one is only seven hundred. It’s pretty too.”

“Buy it,” he repeated, grinning.

“You in a hurry?” She inched one brow playfully upward.

“No.”

“Oh, I thought maybe you were worried about Chloe.” They’d left her in the car with the windows down.

“Chloe’s fine.” Joining her search through the rack, he said, “Hey, now here’s a bargain. Only four hundred dollars. Buy this one.”

Carley shook her head. “You’re such a
man
. Hurry, buy this one—buy that one. I’d have to see every single one of these before I bought anything. And there are at least a hundred here.”

“I might have to go walk Chloe.”

She smiled. “Don’t worry. I’m not going to go through all of them. I’m going to see if I can buy a quilt at the mud sale on Saturday.”

“Where’s the mud sale? I didn’t know one was going on this weekend. Have you ever been to one? Do they have those in Texas?”

“Not that I’m aware of. I’d never heard of a mud sale till I got here. I’ll get a better deal on a quilt there. It’s in Penryn.”

“Wow. You’ll definitely be going off the beaten path. And you’ll have a good time. It’s run almost entirely by the Amish. The quilts will be the biggest-selling items.”

“That’s what Lillian said. Her nieces, Linda and Miriam, are so excited about the sale. Especially Linda. They are both darling girls, and Linda is so full of energy.”

Continuing to flip through the quilts, she glanced at Noah. It took her a couple of seconds to notice his forlorn expression. She turned to face him. “I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking. They are
your
nieces too. Have you ever seen them?”

“No.” He slid his hands into his pockets, his eyes veering to the far side of the store. “There’re some more quilts over there.”

“What about pictures? Have you seen pictures of any of your nieces and nephews?”

“No pictures. Remember, Amish don’t take pictures or pose for pictures. No graven images.”

“Oh.” Carley tapped her finger to her chin and knew she might be suggesting something she’d later regret. “They’ll all be at the mud sale. Everyone. Your sisters, both brothers, and all your nieces and nephews.”

“I don’t know . . . ,” he said when he’d figured out what she was saying.

“It’s a public event. You could at least see them from afar, if nothing else.”

He considered the idea. “Maybe. I’ll think about it.”

“We’d better get back to Chloe.” She maneuvered around the quilt rack and toward the exit. Noah followed but seemed a million miles away.

The covered bridge past Ronks made for a nice place to stop. Noah pulled the car off the road, and it wasn’t long before Carley began to scurry around with Chloe, who was clearly thrilled with all the attention. He wasn’t sure who had more energy—or who was having more fun—her or the dog. Dressed in blue jeans, a white cotton blouse, and white tennis shoes, Carley was an enchanting vision amid the colorful wildflowers. Her multi-layered blonde locks hit the base of her neck, lending her a sophisticated yet youthful look.

“She’ll wear you out,” he hollered, pointing to Chloe.

“She’s great!” Carley ran in circles with the dog.

Noah watched them, surprised she hadn’t hit him up yet about his secret. Actually, it was no secret at all. She was worldly enough to have already figured it out. Googling his name on the Internet would have quieted her curiosity.

Just the thought of his decision over a decade ago made him cringe.

“Whew!” Carley returned to Noah’s side. “You were right. She wore me out.” With an ear-to-ear grin, she bent down and scratched Chloe’s ears. “But you are so much fun.” She rose. “I just love her.”

“Me too.” Noah gave Chloe a pat on her head. “I hope to have a houseful of kids someday, but she’ll have to do for now.”

Carley’s face tensed.

“Did I say something wrong?”

“No.” She quickly turned to the structure on their right. “I love these covered bridges.”

Looking at her, thinking of children, he voiced a question he’d tried to hold back. “Did Lillian get David an appointment with Dr. Bolton?”

“Yes. But it’s not for two weeks.”

“Did she give him my name? Two weeks is too long to wait.” Noah sighed. “I’ll call Ken tomorrow and talk to him.”