A Secret Amish Love

Chapter One (#ucfc05148-d2f2-5389-a370-64cd60d41bc0)

Lancaster County, Pennsylvania

Nell Stoltzfus opened the door to Pierce Veterinary Clinic and gaped as she stepped inside. Pandemonium reigned in the crowded waiting room. Dogs growled and barked as they strained at their leashes. Some owners spoke sharply while others murmured soothingly as they struggled to control their pets.

A cat in a carrier situated on a woman’s lap meowed loudly in angry protest of the ear-splitting canine activity. An Amish man sat in the corner of the room with a she-goat. The animal bent her head as she tried to eat a magazine in the rack on the floor near the man’s feet. The goat was haltered, and her owner tugged up on the rope lead to keep her from chewing on the glossy pages. The animal bleated loudly as she stubbornly fought to eat.

The goat’s noisy discontent joined in the cacophony of human and animal sounds as the unfamiliar Amish man glanced at Nell briefly before returning his attention to his goat.

She searched the room and frowned. Every available seat was taken. There was no sign of Michelle, Dr. Pierce’s receptionist, whose job it was to check in patients and, on occasion, bring them into the exam rooms when the veterinary assistant, Janie, was busy.

Nell narrowed her gaze, assessing. On most days, there were usually two or three people in the waiting room. At least, every time she’d brought her dog, Jonas, in, there had been only a few people with their pets waiting.

During her first visit to Pierce Veterinary Clinic, just shy of a month after it opened, she’d sought medical help for Jonas after he was cruelly tossed out of a moving car. The visit had been a memorable one.

She’d met Dr. James Pierce, who’d refused to charge her for taking care of Jonas, requesting instead that she spread word of his clinic to anyone who might benefit from his services. And he’d startled her by offering her a temporary job as his assistant, based on her ability to calm her injured rescue dog who had lain trustingly in her arms.

“You have a natural affinity with animals, Nell,” he’d told her during her first visit. During her second and last visit to the clinic, she’d declined but thanked him for his offer, even though she would have liked nothing more than to have the opportunity to learn more about caring for animals since it was her dream to minister to those within her Amish community. But her strong attraction to Dr. Pierce made it wise to keep her distance from him.

Today, Nell had been on her way home after a morning spent with her aunt Katie when she’d decided to stop at the clinic to purchase heartworm medicine for Jonas. At the veterinarian’s suggestion, she had waited to ensure that her dog was fully healed before introducing the medication.

I should go, she thought as she gazed around the room. Clearly, she’d chosen the worst time to come.

She turned to leave, then glanced back when her attention was drawn toward the sound of a door opening and voices. A woman exited from a back room with a tiny kitten.

Nell waited patiently, expecting to glimpse Janie following closely behind. But it wasn’t the assistant she saw. It was Dr. Pierce who escorted the woman to the front desk.

Nell watched as he sat at the desk and keyed something into the computer. She heard the deep, indecipherable rumble of his voice as he spoke. The woman handed him a credit card, and Nell continued to watch as Dr. Pierce handled the transaction, then gave the woman a receipt stapled to a paper that she knew would be the animal’s health summary.

Nell froze, and her heart beat wildly as Dr. Pierce stood. She sent up a silent prayer that she would remain unnoticed, but she was powerless to move or to keep her gaze from checking for any changes in the man since she last saw him over a month ago.

She released a shuddering breath. The veterinarian was still as handsome as ever, dressed in his white lab coat over a blue shirt and black slacks. His short hair, which was a little longer on the top, was tousled as if he’d recently combed his fingers through the dark brown locks. His features were chiseled, his chin firm. There was sharp intelligence in his dark eyes. She recalled the brightness she’d first noticed in them, and his kindness and compassion when he’d treated Jonas. He had a gentle and sincere smile that warmed her all the way from her head to her toes each time she’d seen him.

A shiver of something pleasurable yet frightening slid down the length of her spine as she realized that she was attracted to him. Dr. Pierce still had the ability to affect her more than any other man since Michael, the man she’d loved and lost.

Nell stiffened and fought to banish the feelings. Dr. Pierce threatened her peace of mind. She drew a steadying breath as she struggled to pull herself together.

James. He’d told her at their first meeting to call him James. She shouldn’t. But since that day, every time she saw him she immediately thought of him as James.

She closed her eyes briefly as she shifted farther into the corner of the room to stay unobtrusive. Nell swallowed hard. She didn’t want the man to catch sight of her. As the eldest of five Stoltzfus sisters, she was expected to be the first to marry a faithful member of their Amish community. The last thing she needed was to fall for the English veterinarian. Being in James’s company was dangerous. Even if he’d had feelings for her, there would have been no way for them to be anything other than polite acquaintances. Not that he felt the same attraction. It was all one-sided—her side.

The woman with the kitten turned to leave. On her way to the door, she walked past Nell, who froze. Nell knew that if she moved even a tiny bit, James might notice her.

Something shifted in his expression, as if alarmed at the number of patients in the waiting room.

Nell waited for him to call back the next patient. As soon as he left, she would go. She’d return when Michelle was in the office. Jonas could wait another week to start his medicine. Or she could play it safe and go somewhere else and escape the frightening, forbidden feelings she felt any time she was near James.

She sighed. She couldn’t go elsewhere. It wouldn’t be right after all James had done for Jonas.

Nell remained still but then released a sharp breath when James suddenly saw her. They locked gazes. Surprise and pleasure flashed in the depths of his dark eyes, and she felt an infusion of warmth.

She recognized the panic in his gaze. She sighed. He was lost without his assistant, and she was the only one available who might be able to help.

She had a moment of revelation. The Lord wants me to stay.

“Dr. Pierce?” She stepped forward with a tentative smile on her face. Her heart beat rapidly as she remained the focus of his dark gaze. “May I have a word with you?”

“Of course, Nell.” He waited for her approach.

“No help today?” she asked softly so that the others within the room couldn’t hear their conversation.

He shook his head. “Unfortunately, I’m alone today.”

“I’ll be happy to help if you’d like.”

His eyes brightened as relief swept across his features. “I’d like that. Thank you.”

* * *

James had never been happier to see Nell Stoltzfus. His receptionist, Michelle, was out sick, and Janie, his assistant, was on vacation, and he was swamped and alone dealing with a crowded waiting room.

As he’d watched Nell push out of the corner and approach, he’d been overcome with an immediate sense of calm. He’d never realized it before, but she had the same effect on him as she’d had on her injured rescue dog when she’d first brought Jonas in.

“Come into the back,” he said, aware of the huskiness of his voice. He felt a jolt in his stomach as she smiled and followed him. Nell, a pretty young Amish woman, wore a spring-green dress with matching cape and apron. Her soft brown hair was covered by her white prayer kapp. Her nose was pert and perfectly formed, and her mouth was pink with a slight bow to her upper lip. He felt something shift inside him as he became the focus of her beautiful, brown gaze.

“Dr. Pierce, your waiting room seems unusually full.” Her softly spoken words jerked him to awareness. She studied him with her head slightly tilted as if she were trying to gauge his thoughts. “I’d like to check your schedule.”

They entered the reception area through a door off the hallway, and he showed her where to find the appointment book. “How long can you stay?”

“Through the afternoon.” Her shy smile warmed him from the inside out. “May I use your phone?”

“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.