Plain Pursuit (31 page)

It started raining about ten minutes into Carley’s drive from the hospital to the clinic. Hard pellets pounded the windshield and her wipers swooshed at full capacity. She hated to drive in the rain. It had been raining the day of the accident. As her heart began to race, she realized that despite her preoccupations in
Pennsylvania and her distance from Houston, the vision of the red pickup was flashing before her. She could barely see the road.

“Please, God, help me to stay focused.” She drew in a deep breath. “Help me to see clearly what lies before me and not to focus on things from the past.”

The rain was still pounding hard when she pulled up at the clinic. She bolted from the car and entered the waiting room soaked. Dana was sitting on the tile floor, leaning against the wall and reading a book to Jenna.

“Carley!” Jenna jumped up and ran to her. “You’re all wet. Even wetter than us.”

“Yes, I am. But it won’t stop me from giving you a big wet hug.” She grabbed Jenna playfully and pulled her into her arms. Jenna giggled, returned the hug, and didn’t seem to mind the extra moisture.

“Those boxes outside are pretty big,” Carley said. “Guess we’d better see if we can carry them in.”

“Wonder what’s in them?” Dana asked.

“Noah said it’s medical equipment.”

“Thank God he’s awake and doing so well. We’re going to go see him when we leave here.”

“I hate the hospital, Dana. Can’t I go with Carley?” Jenna’s bottom lip curled under in a frown.

“Jenna, don’t you want to go see Noah? I know he’d want to see you.”

Jenna stared down at the floor and pouted.

Dana squatted down in front of her. “But we need to go see Noah.”

Jenna looked up at Carley. “Can I go home with you tonight?”

“No, Jenna. That’s rude,” Dana snapped.

“I don’t mind, Dana,” Carley answered as she smoothed back Jenna’s blonde waves. “But I’ll leave it up to you.” It suddenly occurred to Carley that Lillian and Samuel may not appreciate her inviting Jenna to spend the night. Besides that, Carley still had a little something to discuss with Dana.

“Are you sure?” Dana asked.

Carley wasn’t sure but said, “Yes, that’s fine.”

“Goody!” Jenna jumped up and down.

“We’d better get the stuff moved in.” Carley opened the door. The rain had let up, but the dark, lingering clouds overhead hinted that more might be on the way.

Carley eyed the boxes, each of them about six feet long, then grabbed the end of one and lifted. ”It’s awkward, but not as heavy as I thought.”

Dana lifted the other end, but with much effort.

“Are you sure you can get it?” Carley asked.

“Definitely. I don’t want Noah’s stuff to get ruined.”

Six boxes later, they both collapsed on the floor. Carley pushed back strands of wet hair and studied the clutter. The large boxes added to the mess of smaller boxes scattered throughout the clinic, along with file cabinets, piles of papers, phones, and miscellaneous office supplies.

“How long is Noah going to be in the hospital? A week?” Dana asked.

“Yes, but his full recovery is going to take several weeks. He won’t be able to organize this place for a while.”

Dana rolled her eyes. “Have you seen Noah’s house? He’s not exactly the most organized person to begin with anyway.”

“No, I haven’t seen his house, but I suspected as much.” Carley paused then cut her eyes sharply at Dana, just enough to let her know she was onto her. “I’m sure his
girlfriend
will help him get things organized when she gets back into the country.”

“Yeah, I guess.” Dana twisted her hands together while her eyes veered away from Carley’s.

“You must care for him an awful lot.” Carley squinted at Dana and wondered exactly how much. “It sounds like he’s been very good to you and Jenna.”

“Yes, he’s taken good care of us.” Dana curled a strand of hair around her finger and continued to avoid Carley’s eyes.

Carley resisted the urge to tear into her in front of Jenna. “So when did you say his girlfriend will be back? Oh, and what’s her name, by the way?”

“Uh, I’m not sure. When she’ll be back, I mean.”

“Dana—” Carley hesitated when Jenna’s big blue eyes rose to hers. “I . . . Never mind.”

Dana stood, put her hands on her hips, and took a deep breath. Then she looked hard at Carley. “You know, she’s not really much of a girlfriend anyway. More of a friend.”

“Really?” Carley didn’t hide the sarcasm in her tone. She stood too. “Because Noah sure is going to be disappointed not to have this place ready to open when he planned.” Carley glanced around at the mess. “I think he underestimated how much work there is to do. All the big stuff like painting and plumbing has been handled, but look at this mess.”

Carley wasn’t sure what the rush was. She doubted the Amish community would be knocking the door down with business. But it was important to Noah. She looked around and wondered if she could pull off what she was thinking.

“When Noah gets home from the hospital, he’s not going to be able to do a whole lot for a while. That includes getting this place ready,” Carley said. She began walking from room to room, Dana and Jenna following her.

“I know what you’re thinking,” Dana said. “And I’ll help you. Together we can do it.”

Carley looked in one of the boxes in the reception area. A fax machine. It would be a project, no doubt. She turned to Dana. “Do you have time, with your job and all?” She wasn’t sure she wanted to partner with Dana on this project, but she didn’t think she could do it alone either.

“I work about twenty hours a week right now, but I’d love to do this for Noah.” She grinned. “Let’s don’t tell him. Let’s make it a surprise!”

“He’ll be in the hospital for a week and then probably won’t be able to leave the house for another week. After that, he’s going to want to at least come up here, even if he can’t work.”

“I can start early in the morning,” Dana said. “As early as you want to get here. We’ll still visit Noah at the hospital, of course. He doesn’t have to know we’re doing this. It would be a small way for me to repay his kindness for everything he has done for me and Jenna. I mostly work in the afternoons, and the lady next door watches Jenna. She’s really old, but Jenna likes her.”

Carley glanced around again at the project they were preparing to undertake. She couldn’t think of anything she’d rather do. But she and Dana needed to clear the air. Although she suspected Noah would take care of that this evening.

“Six o’clock too early for you?” Carley asked.

“Yowsers! That
is
early. But I’ll be here.” Dana turned to Jenna and pointed a finger in her direction. “Are you going to be able to keep this a secret? You can’t tell Noah what we’re doing. Do you understand me?”

“Yes,” Jenna answered before she turned to Carley. “Let’s go to your house now.”

“Well, it’s not exactly
my
house, but if it’s okay with Dana, I’m ready. It’ll be dark soon.”

“I don’t have any clothes or anything for her,” Dana said as Carley locked the door behind them.

“I bet Jenna can wear one of my T-shirts to bed. She’ll be okay for one night,” Carley said, Jenna bouncing behind her as they made their way to
the car.

“It will be good to go see Noah and then have some time to myself. I don’t get that too often.”

Carley thought about how difficult it must be for Dana to raise Jenna on her own. She supposed it would be natural, under the circumstances, for a girl her age to have a crush on Noah.

“Be good, Jenna,” Dana said.

“We’ll have a good time,” Carley assured Dana. She snapped Jenna’s seat belt across her in the backseat.

The rain had stopped, and the sun was bearing down on the horizon when Carley turned onto the dirt driveway. Jenna was delighted, pointing to the cows grazing to her left. Then at the two buggies parked by the house.

“Have you ridden in a buggy since you’ve been here?” Carley asked her.

Jenna’s eyes widened in anticipation. “No, never.”

“Well, when things get better for Noah and David, we’ll just have to see about making that happen.”

Lillian and Samuel were on the front porch. Carley assumed it had been awhile since they’d had some quiet time together away from the hospital. And now she was bringing a strange child into their home. She wasn’t sure exactly how they’d feel about that.

Knowing Lillian, she should have known better than to worry.

“And who is this?” Lillian asked merrily when she met Carley and Jenna in the front yard.

“Lillian, this is Jenna. I hope you don’t mind that I brought her to stay tonight. She’s the little girl I was telling you about—the friend of Noah’s.”

“Mind?” Lillian asked. She smoothed out the wrinkles in her apron as she faced Jenna. “Of course I don’t mind. And it just so happens that I have some cookies on the table inside with your name on them.”

“What kind of cookies?” Jenna shyly asked.

“They’re called raisin puffs. They’re David’s favorite. I’m taking him some to the hospital tomorrow.” Lillian offered her hand to Jenna. “Want to come try one?”

Jenna nodded as she latched onto Lillian’s hand. Lillian was such a natural mother. Carley worried that since she was now infertile, perhaps the mom gene had abandoned her too. “Thank you, Lillian,” she whispered.

They walked up the porch steps to where Samuel was sitting in the rocker, sipping a glass of tea.

“Samuel, we have company for tonight,” Lillian said. “This is Jenna, and she wants to try my raisin puffs.”

Samuel smiled. “Well, hello, Jenna. You’ll save me one of those cookies, no?”

Jenna’s face lit up and she nodded. Carley followed her and Lillian into the house, pleased Samuel didn’t seem to have a problem with her bringing Jenna to stay.

“It’s dark,” Jenna said when they walked into the kitchen.

“Lillian and Samuel don’t use electricity,” Carley said as Lillian lit the lantern suspended above the table and another one on the counter.

“Ooh,” Jenna purred. Her eyes grew wide and she seemed in awe of Lillian’s kitchen. “I like this place, and it smells good.”

“It always smells good in Lillian’s kitchen.” Carley took in the aroma of freshly baked cookies. “David will be thrilled to have some of your cookies.” She motioned for Jenna to take a seat beside her on the bench at the kitchen table.

“It’s amazing how quickly he’s getting his appetite back,” Lillian said, putting two cookies on a plate in front of Jenna. “What about you, Carley? Need a cookie?”

“Absolutely.” Carley accepted one from the round platter.

As Lillian took a seat across from them at the table, they heard the screen door shut. Samuel entered the kitchen, hanging his straw hat on a stand by the door. “How are those cookies, Jenna?”

“Good,” she answered with a mouthful.

“Well, you enjoy them. I’m going to say good night and bathe for bed. Been a long day, no?”

“Ya,”
Lillian answered. “I’ll be upstairs soon.”

“Good night, Samuel,” Carley added.

As they munched on cookies, Carley filled Lillian in about the day’s events and her plans for Noah’s clinic.

“But, Lillian, I’m going to help around here too. Don’t worry about that,” Carley reassured her friend. “And I can take Anna with me and put her in a playpen, or give you rides, or whatever you need, and—”

“Carley.” Lillian reached across the table to pat Carley’s hand. “It’s okay. Really. You see how much help we have. I have Mary Ellen and Rebecca, both their daughters, Sadie, and our three
Englisch
friends who provide rides. I have
mei mamm
, plus other members of the community are here daily to help. I don’t need the help. Noah does. Now”—she paused—“where shall we have Miss Jenna sleep tonight?”

“I was going to let her sleep in my bed with me. How does that sound, Jenna?”

“Good.” Jenna pushed back a strand of long blonde hair that had fallen forward.

“I have some books that were David’s when he was your age,” Lillian said. “When I go upstairs, I’ll get them and put them on your bed. Maybe you might want Carley to read you a story?”

“Yes, yes,” Jenna said.

Lillian stood up. “Well, I’m going to head upstairs, then. You enjoy your cookies, Jenna. And remind Carley to turn off the lanterns, okay?”