“Of course.” She would need to get word to her family, he realized, so that they wouldn’t worry about her absence. He waited while she made her phone call, trying not to listen as she explained the situation.
“Ja, Bob,” he heard her say. “Ja, that would be gut. Thank you. Tell them that I shouldn’t be too late.” She glanced up to meet his gaze, and James instantly moved away to give her privacy.
He approached after Nell hung up the phone and stood. “Is everything all right?”
“Ja, ’tis fine.” Her gaze met his, then slid away. He watched her study Michelle’s appointment book. Her eyes narrowed. “You definitely don’t have this many patients expected today,” she murmured with a frown. “I’ll have to do some rescheduling.”
He started to leave, then turned. “Nell?”
She dragged her eyes away from the page to meet his gaze. “Ja?”
“Thank you.” He spoke quietly so that no one would overhear him, but he knew immediately that she’d heard.
“You’re willkomm,” she breathed, and then she waved him away as she went back to studying the appointment book.
With a smile on his face, he opened the door to the back room.
“Dr. Pierce?”
He halted and faced her. “Yes?”
“Which exam rooms are available for patients?”
“One, three and four,” he told her without hesitation. Then he entered the back of the clinic and went on to exam room two where his next patient waited.
James was examining the ear of a golden retriever when Nell knocked softly before opening the door.
“Dr. Pierce?”
“Yes, Nell?” he inquired without looking up.
“I’ve put Mrs. Rogan and Boots in exam room one and Mr. Jones with his dog Betsy in three. Mr. Yoder and his goat are in four. I rescheduled three patients for tomorrow because they didn’t have appointments and your schedule could handle them then. Mrs. Pettyjohn is here with her poodle. She is your last appointment.”
He straightened. “Already?” Amazed, he stared at her.
She gazed at him, her brown eyes filled with uncertainly. “Already?” she echoed.
“Are we really almost finished?” he asked. “Thank you for getting control of the situation so quickly.” He looked sheepish. “I’ve been struggling about how to handle everyone for the last hour and a half.” He rubbed his fingers through the dog’s coat. “Bailey is going to be fine, Mrs. Martin.”
The woman looked relieved as she glanced back and forth between them. “Thank you, Dr. Pierce.”
“You’re welcome.” He turned toward Nell, pleased that she hadn’t moved. “Nell, would you mind checking out Mrs. Martin and Bailey?”
“I’d be happy to,” she said politely. She turned to the dog’s owner. “Mrs. Martin, would you please follow me?”
James caught Nell’s gaze as she waited for the woman and her dog to walk past her. He grinned in approval and was relieved to see her answering smile before she quickly followed Mrs. Martin.
Nell came into the back as he exited exam room two. “I forgot to tell you that Mrs. Rogan in exam room one had the next earliest appointment, then Mr. Jones, then Abraham Yoder.”
He couldn’t keep from studying her face. Nell Stoltzfus was genuinely lovely, with no need for artificial enhancement. He noted her smooth, unblemished skin, her pink lips, the reddish tinge to her cheeks. Since graduating from vet school, he’d had little time for a personal life, especially now that he was working hard to establish his new practice. He didn’t know why, but there was something about her that made him long for something more. “Thank you, Nell.”
“You’re willkomm, Dr. Pierce.”
He briefly met her gaze. “James, please,” he invited. Again.
“James,” she said then she blushed. “It was Mrs. Beggs, Mr. Merritt and Mrs. McDaniel whom I rescheduled.”
“I appreciate your help,” he told her, meaning it. “I didn’t expect Michelle and Janie to both be out today. Janie asked for the week off, and Michelle is home with a stomach bug.” He sighed. “I confess that I’m not good at juggling appointments.”
Nell looked confused. “Juggling?”
He laughed. “Sorry, I’m not laughing at you but at myself. I don’t know how Michelle does her job. She’s good at what she does.” He studied her thoughtfully, liking what he saw. “Apparently, you’re good at it, too.”
“At juggling appointments?” She arched her eyebrows.
“Yes.” He chuckled, and the smile that came to Nell’s pink lips had him mesmerized until he realized that he was staring. He stole one last glance at her as he opened the door to room one.
He heard her “Ja” before he closed the door.
* * *
The day passed quickly, and soon the last patient had been seen. Nell set aside the appointment book along with the checks, money and credit card transactions for the day. Fortunately, she’d quickly figured out how to use the credit card machine. She’d seen Bob Whittier of Whittier’s Store use one often enough to recall how it was done.
She even had the opportunity to assist James with his last patient. Mrs. Pettyjohn’s poodle, Roggs, had a lump above his right hind leg. James had determined it to be an abscess following a small injury. He’d asked for her help as he did minor surgery to open the wound.
“Will he be all right?” Nell asked as she handed him supplies and observed his work.
“He’ll be fine. It looks as if he got into a rosebush. See this thorn?” He held up a tiny dark object that he’d removed with tweezers. “I’ll prescribe an antibiotic for a couple of weeks. He’ll have to wear a cone until his follow-up appointment.”
Nell had enjoyed her afternoon at the clinic being his assistant. Too much. And she knew it had as much to do with the man as working with animals. Thankfully, the day was over, and after she helped to clean up, she’d be able to leave.
She cleaned the exam room floors with disinfectant. She was quiet as she mopped, her thoughts filled with what she’d seen and heard that day. When she was done, she emptied out the wash water and put away the bucket and mop.
“I’m finished with the floors, Doctor—James,” she told him as he came into the reception area where she picked up her purse. “I’ll be heading home now.”
“Thank you so much for your help today,” he said. “I don’t know how I would have managed without you.” He gazed at her a moment, then frowned. “Why did you come into the office today?”
“My dog, Jonas, is well and old enough to start his heartworm medicine.”
“I’ll get it for you.” James retrieved a box from a cabinet and handed it to her. “Take it. No charge. If you come back tomorrow, I’ll have cash for you.”
“For what?” She frowned. “For helping out for a few hours? Nay, I’ll not take your money.”
“Nell...”
“Nay, James.”
“But you’ll take the medicine.”
She opened her mouth to object but relented when she saw his expression. The man wasn’t going to take no for an answer. “Ja. Danki.” She gasped as she saw the time on the office wall clock. “I’ve got to go. Mam will be holding dinner for me.” She hurried