keep his mouth shut?
He glanced at Faith sitting straight as a board on the seat beside him. The wide brim of her black bonnet hid her face from his view. What was she thinking? Did she regret accepting his offer? Was she worried that gossips might link their names?
She spoke at last. “What is your horse called?”
“Wilbur.”
“He has a fine gait.”
Wilbur was a safe enough topic. “He was a racehorse in his younger days, but he was injured. His Englisch owner didn’t want to waste money caring for him. You met Jonathan Dressler, didn’t you?”
“The Englisch fellow who has become Amish?”
“ Ja. He works for a group that takes in abandoned and injured horses. He nurses them back to health and retrains them for riding or buggy work.”
“I’ll remember that. My Copper is getting old and slowing down. I will need a new horse in a few years.”
“Perhaps you can teach your alpacas to pull your buggy.”
She giggled and shot a grin his way. “Can you see how many tourists would want my picture if I did such a thing?”
“Not many once they met Myrtle.”
Faith laughed outright. His discomfort evaporated as warmth spread though his body. She had a way of making him forget his troubles. He said, “You should laugh more often.”
Their eyes met, and she quickly looked away. “How soon will our peaches be ripe?”
“Another two or three weeks.”
“Will you sell them from a roadside stand or take them into the market in town?”
“To market unless you want to run the stand?”
“I’ve been thinking about it. Do we get enough traffic on this road to make it worthwhile?”
Adrian relaxed and started to enjoy the ride as Faith asked about his plans for the orchard. A few pointed questions from him set her to talking about her alpacas and her plans for expanding her spinning business. It wasn’t long before the town of Hope Springs came into view. As far as Adrian was concerned, the ride was over all too soon.
He left her at the door to the medical clinic and quickly set about completing his own errands so she wouldn’t have to wait when she was done seeing the doctor. With a jolt, he realized he was eager for the trip home.
Faith entered the Hope Springs Clinic, a modern one-story blond brick building, with a sense of dread. She had spent more than enough time in hospitals and doctors’ offices over the past two years. What if they found something new wrong with her? What if they thought she wasn’t strong enough to take care of a child?
Inside the building, she checked in with the elderly receptionist and took a seat in the crowded waiting room. When her name was called, she followed a young woman in a white lab coat down a short hallway and took a seat on the exam room table.
The young woman introduced herself. “I’m Amber Bradley. I’m Dr. White’s office nurse and a nurse-midwife. Can you tell me what kind of problems you’ve been having?”
“None.” Faith withdrew her papers from her bag. “I am adopting a child, but first, I must have a physical.”
Amber’s smile widened as she took the paperwork. “Congratulations. The doctor will be with you in a few minutes. We will need to get any previous medical records you have. I’ll bring you the forms to sign so we can get them faxed to this office.”
“I’m very healthy. I did not see a doctor until I was in an accident two years ago.” Faith opened her mouth for the thermometer Amber extended.
“That doesn’t surprise me. Many Amish go their entire lives without seeing a doctor. We see a fair number here because of Dr. White’s reasonable rates. I tell him he’s just plain cheap.” Amber chuckled as she recorded the temperature reading, then wrapped a blood pressure cuff around Faith’s arm.
The outside door opened, and a tall, silver-haired man walked in. “Good afternoon, Mrs. Martin. I’m Dr. Harold White. What can we do for you today?”
Faith again explained her situation. The doctor listened
He glanced at Faith sitting straight as a board on the seat beside him. The wide brim of her black bonnet hid her face from his view. What was she thinking? Did she regret accepting his offer? Was she worried that gossips might link their names?
She spoke at last. “What is your horse called?”
“Wilbur.”
“He has a fine gait.”
Wilbur was a safe enough topic. “He was a racehorse in his younger days, but he was injured. His Englisch owner didn’t want to waste money caring for him. You met Jonathan Dressler, didn’t you?”
“The Englisch fellow who has become Amish?”
“ Ja. He works for a group that takes in abandoned and injured horses. He nurses them back to health and retrains them for riding or buggy work.”
“I’ll remember that. My Copper is getting old and slowing down. I will need a new horse in a few years.”
“Perhaps you can teach your alpacas to pull your buggy.”
She giggled and shot a grin his way. “Can you see how many tourists would want my picture if I did such a thing?”
“Not many once they met Myrtle.”
Faith laughed outright. His discomfort evaporated as warmth spread though his body. She had a way of making him forget his troubles. He said, “You should laugh more often.”
Their eyes met, and she quickly looked away. “How soon will our peaches be ripe?”
“Another two or three weeks.”
“Will you sell them from a roadside stand or take them into the market in town?”
“To market unless you want to run the stand?”
“I’ve been thinking about it. Do we get enough traffic on this road to make it worthwhile?”
Adrian relaxed and started to enjoy the ride as Faith asked about his plans for the orchard. A few pointed questions from him set her to talking about her alpacas and her plans for expanding her spinning business. It wasn’t long before the town of Hope Springs came into view. As far as Adrian was concerned, the ride was over all too soon.
He left her at the door to the medical clinic and quickly set about completing his own errands so she wouldn’t have to wait when she was done seeing the doctor. With a jolt, he realized he was eager for the trip home.
Faith entered the Hope Springs Clinic, a modern one-story blond brick building, with a sense of dread. She had spent more than enough time in hospitals and doctors’ offices over the past two years. What if they found something new wrong with her? What if they thought she wasn’t strong enough to take care of a child?
Inside the building, she checked in with the elderly receptionist and took a seat in the crowded waiting room. When her name was called, she followed a young woman in a white lab coat down a short hallway and took a seat on the exam room table.
The young woman introduced herself. “I’m Amber Bradley. I’m Dr. White’s office nurse and a nurse-midwife. Can you tell me what kind of problems you’ve been having?”
“None.” Faith withdrew her papers from her bag. “I am adopting a child, but first, I must have a physical.”
Amber’s smile widened as she took the paperwork. “Congratulations. The doctor will be with you in a few minutes. We will need to get any previous medical records you have. I’ll bring you the forms to sign so we can get them faxed to this office.”
“I’m very healthy. I did not see a doctor until I was in an accident two years ago.” Faith opened her mouth for the thermometer Amber extended.
“That doesn’t surprise me. Many Amish go their entire lives without seeing a doctor. We see a fair number here because of Dr. White’s reasonable rates. I tell him he’s just plain cheap.” Amber chuckled as she recorded the temperature reading, then wrapped a blood pressure cuff around Faith’s arm.
The outside door opened, and a tall, silver-haired man walked in. “Good afternoon, Mrs. Martin. I’m Dr. Harold White. What can we do for you today?”
Faith again explained her situation. The doctor listened
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