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Mabel went down over the list of things she needed George to continue to do after she left.
James had been an amazing help. He hadn’t barged in or tried to take over, and he hadn’t lost interest and wandered away. He had been at her elbow, close enough for her to talk to but not to trip over.
If only she had an assistant like that all the time.
But that wasn’t being humble the way the pastor had described it, that was her being proud as she wished for help herself.
Of course, she would do the same for James, if the opportunity ever arose. But they still hadn’t completely hashed out what he was going to be doing with his business.
And she had been consumed with wedding and work and kids, and they hadn’t really had a chance to talk about it.
How could she become less busy?
The question had been on her mind ever since the phone call that had taken her from the evening that she and James were supposed to spend together and brought her out to the farm to save a horse’s life.
She thought the horse was going to be okay. It was calm and was not in distress anymore, although the medication she had given had taken most of the pain away.
But from what she could tell, he would most likely make it.
She knew the odds were just fifty to sixty percent, but she felt pretty confident in this one.
George had gotten a hold of her quickly, and she’d come out as soon as she could. A lot of times, early intervention made all the difference.
As much as she would have loved to have been able to go home and spend a quiet evening with her new husband, the horse probably wouldn’t have made it if she had done that.
Struggling but trying not to show it, she finished giving George his instructions and then gave him the bill.
He wrote her out a check, and she gathered her things and got ready to leave.
They had ended up taking her SUV, which was outfitted with all the things she needed in the back. A custom-made tool chest sat in the very back, with drawers where she kept the medications and the instruments that she needed.
It had been a lifesaver more than once.
She thanked George, asked him once more if he had any questions, and then she walked beside her husband to their vehicle.
She got in the passenger seat, and he drove. She was happy to have someone take the wheel so she could sit back and relax, or at least try to relax. Her brain was going a lot faster than she could keep up with.
Should she quit her job? She had gone to school for eight years to have the ability to have this job. She didn’t want to quit.
Was that selfish? Was it prideful? It really wasn’t for her own self-interest, although she did have to do something to make a living and to support the three girls who were coming. Except... James could do that with his business.
Who said that she had to keep working?
They were quiet for five minutes as James drove slowly and confidently back toward their house.
“I’m so sorry about that,” she said, wondering if his silence meant anger. He had every right to be angry with her. She most likely would be angry with him, if he had interrupted their wedding evening in order to take care of some kind of emergency with his business. Even if his business was life and death, she would have a hard time accepting it.
“You don’t have to apologize. I told you that.”
“But I wasn’t sure you meant it. I thought you might be angry with me. I have to admit that I might be angry with you if our positions were reversed.”
“Why would I be angry? You just saved that horse’s life.”
“Because it’s our wedding night? You were expecting to have an evening together with me. And I ruined it by putting on work clothes and going off to do something with the horse. You have every right to be upset.”
“No, I don’t. We talked about it. I told you to go ahead and answer the phone. Even knowing that we would probably not make it home until after dark.”
And that had been accurate since dusk was wearing off into deep night.
