Читать книгу Taking On Twins - Mollie Campbell - Страница 11

Chapter One

May 1859

Spring Hill, Nebraska Territory

“Not again!”

Murky green liquid fizzled in a glass beaker as Coralee Evans pushed a strand of hair out of her face and slumped back in a wooden chair. She let out a deep breath, ruffling the bits of herbs and papers that littered the table in front of her. Unfortunately, Papa’s extensive notes weren’t getting her anywhere today. How would she ever discover the right formula when every herb burned or turned into a bubbling mess?

“How is this one going?” Her youngest sister, Cat, peeked into the room from her post at the apothecary shop’s counter. Cat’s face grew skeptical when she caught sight of the mess on the worktable. “I suppose it’s no better than yesterday’s experiment.”

Coralee pushed away from the table with more force than necessary. “I’m going out to clear my head for a bit. You’ll be all right here alone?”

“Sure. And I’ll try to get rid of that mess while you’re out.” Cat eyed the chaotic table, her mouth turned up in a wry smirk.

Coralee arranged a silk-lined bonnet over her hair and stepped out onto the uneven boardwalk. She ambled past the row of neat wooden storefronts, trying to calm the worries that swirled relentlessly. Pausing, she examined the wares displayed in the window of another new shop, the third one that had opened that week. A sudden light touch on her elbow and a familiar masculine voice startled her out of her reverie.

“Imagine running into you on my first day home, Coralee Evans.”

She turned and instantly lost herself in deep brown eyes that brought back a lifetime of memories. Her heartbeat faltered. “Jake! What a surprise to find you back in town. I haven’t seen you since...” Her voice broke as she swallowed around the lump in her throat. “Since Alan’s funeral.”

The slight edge of coolness in his eyes softened. “Coralee, I’m so—” he began, but she broke in before he could finish, not ready to talk about Alan with him yet.

“I needed a break from some work at the shop. How about stopping over at Aunt Lily’s for a bite to eat?”

Jake hesitated, eyes drifting over her. Coralee flushed under his scrutiny. What did he see after all the years apart? Finally he nodded and offered his arm. They crossed the dusty street, weaving between passing wagons and deep ruts. She pointed out some of the changes to the town since the last time Jake had been back. New buildings popped up every day in Spring Hill as immigrants poured into the Nebraska Territory. Coralee searched for small talk that would steer them far from digging up the past.

“How long have you been in town, Jake?”

“I got in two days ago. I spent yesterday settling in at the boardinghouse and visiting my folks.”

“You’ll be staying for a while, then?” She couldn’t hide the surprise in her tone. A town the size of Spring Hill could only support one doctor.

Before he could answer, they approached the café, pausing to exchange brief greetings with a couple they passed on the sidewalk. The young man held tight to his companion’s hand where it rested on his arm and the lovely lady’s face flushed under his attention. Young love. A sharp pang of loss cut through Coralee’s heart.

As they continued she caught a glimpse of her and Jake reflected in the pane-glass window and longing washed over her. It had been a long time since she’d walked arm in arm with a gentleman. She deliberately focused her eyes high above them, examining the familiar block letters painted on the building, proclaiming Lily’s Café. She was able to breathe easier when Jake pulled his arm away so he could open the solid wood door and hold it for her to enter.

Once inside, they found the only empty table in the busy eatery. Jake scooted out a chair for Coralee and waited as she seated herself. “Everything looks just like the last time I was here, years ago.”

She glanced around the narrow room, trying to see it through Jake’s eyes. The tables scattered throughout were all set with white cloths and simple dishes, clearly used but clean. There was little in the way of decoration, but the dining area was warm and comfortable. What did the space look like to him now, after frequenting the finest dining establishments in St. Louis?

An awkward silence fell over them as they waited. Coralee drummed her fingers on the table as her gaze was drawn to Jake’s strong face. The tanned features, straight nose and generous mouth she had known since childhood were framed by a few new creases. As he sat there across from her, something in the way he held himself was more attractive than she remembered.

But thinking about Jake’s good looks would only lead to problems. Coralee snapped out of her thoughts and pulled her eyes away before Jake found her staring. She glanced around the room in an effort to look unaffected, searching for an innocuous topic to break the silence. “Oh, Jake, there’s Aunt Lily, visiting with her customers. She’ll be so glad to see you.”

She caught Aunt Lily’s eye just as the older woman noticed her companion and rushed over with a cry. “Jake Hadley, as I live and breathe! Young man, you give me a hug.” She enveloped Jake in an embrace as he stood, then stepped back to look him over. “You look good, boy. Your mama said you’ve been working in a fancy hospital in St. Louis?”

“Yes, I spent the last three years there, after graduating from the university. I learned a lot. I doubt I’ll face many of the same kinds of cases practicing out here, but it was a good place to learn the latest techniques.”

Coralee caught a whiff of fresh air and soap clinging to Jake as he greeted Aunt Lily. For a moment she was so distracted by his presence that she nearly missed his words.

“Wait. You’ll be practicing in town? On your own?”

Pride radiated from him as a smile broke out on his face. “I’ve secured an arrangement to train with Samuel Jay until he retires. Then I’ll inherit the practice. It’s a good opportunity. He’s one of the best doctors in the Nebraska Territory and I’m pleased that he asked me to work alongside him.”

A chill sliced through Coralee, erasing every trace of the warm attraction she had been feeling. “You’re working with Dr. Jay?”

Jake glanced at her, obviously noticing the change in her demeanor. “He visits St. Louis several times a year to see his sister and he always stops at the hospital. I spent some time with him there. When he learned that I hoped to come home after my training, he offered me the position.”

“That’s just fine, young man.” Aunt Lily spoke with a smile but Coralee thought it might be a bit forced. The older woman was certain to be concerned about Coralee’s response to Jake’s announcement. She had good reason to worry. Coralee and Dr. Jay had gone head-to-head more than once in the year since Papa had died and left her his shop. But that man had gone too far this time. He had only been in town for ten years or so, but it was a small community. He had to know how close she and Jake had been. Had he sought out Jake on purpose to hurt her?

“I’m excited to have a chance to practice medicine here. St. Louis was an interesting change of scenery, but Spring Hill has always been home. And, of course, I need to be close to my folks to help Pa out around the farm when I can. They’re not getting any younger. I never thought the details would line up so I could run a practice here so soon.”

“Jake, my boy, I’m so pleased for you. You aren’t staying with your ma and pa?”

“Samuel felt it would be better for me to live in town to start, to be closer to the clinic until I build up a professional relationship with people in the area. After some time, I’ll move out there to help my parents more.”

Jake continued talking with Lily but Coralee didn’t hear a word. Anger was building up and she just wanted to get away before she embarrassed herself. She cut into their conversation. “If you’ll excuse me, I need to get back to the shop. It was nice to see you, Jake.” She nodded in his direction but couldn’t meet his eyes. “I’ll see you tonight at home, Aunt Lily.” She dropped a light kiss on the older woman’s wrinkled cheek and left before they could stop her. She heard Aunt Lily call her name, but kept going. If she turned around, her temper might well get the best of her.

She was so aggravated that the walk back to Holbrook’s was a blur. “Coralee?” Cat looked up in surprise from a box of jars she was sorting as her sister stomped into the store and huffed behind the counter. “What on earth happened?”

“That man!” Coralee tossed her bonnet on the counter, breathless with frustration. “I don’t know what Samuel Jay thinks he’s doing, but I will not stand for it.”

Cat gently rested her arm around Coralee’s shoulders and walked with her into the small back room. “Sit down and tell me what happened.”

“Jake Hadley is back in town. And he’s training to take over Dr. Jay’s practice.” Coralee sank into her chair, trying to hold back tears. “Alan’s dearest friend, recruited by the man who wants to close our shop. Dr. Jay must know our history and have some motive for hiring Jake, of all people. The man has always acted like he would go to the grave running that practice.” Coralee ran a shaky hand over her face, trying to calm herself.

Cat listened to Coralee pour out her frustrations with the old doctor, but she was never one to jump to conclusions. “Jake is from Spring Hill and I’m sure he’s a great doctor. He would be the most logical choice to take over the practice. Yes, you’ve had trouble with Dr. Jay, but that doesn’t mean Jake is part of it.”

Coralee snorted. “The old man didn’t even wait until we properly mourned Papa. He started in right away, telling his patients that I’m untrained and incapable. He refuses to come to us for even the most basic supplies.” She rose and started pacing the room, unable to sit still. “Just last week Mrs. Bernard told me he hired her oldest grandson to ride over to the steamboat dock to pick up loads of supplies for him. He’ll do anything he has to in order to hurt our business, including using Jake.”

“Be that as it may, we know Jake. He would never hurt anyone out of spite, especially not you.”

But Cat didn’t know Jake as well as her older sister. Coralee had experienced the kind of pain Jake could cause and she would not put herself in that position again. Her focus had to be on how she could keep Papa’s shop open, supporting what was left of her family and giving the people of Spring Hill an alternative to Dr. Jay’s exorbitant fees.

“I know how important this shop is to you, how running it helped you cope with losing Papa and Alan. We’ll find a way to keep it open.”

Coralee’s heart softened at Cat’s earnest tone. No matter what, her sisters were behind her as she fought for their future. Her path was clear: she would never have the family she had dreamed of as a girl, but God had given her the shop. She would do everything in her power to make it the success Papa would have wanted. She needed it and the town needed it.

* * *

After Coralee rushed from the café, Jake stood for a moment in shock. “What just happened?” he muttered.

“Well, dear,” Lily chimed in, direct as usual, “you’re working for the man who wants to ruin her livelihood. What do you expect?”

Jake examined Lily through narrowed eyes, taking in her familiar honest face and work-worn hands. “Lily, I’m not sure what that means.”

“Means Dr. Jay has it out for Coralee’s business, that’s what, honey.”

Jake’s mind retraced the conversation with Coralee. “She did seem upset when I mentioned Dr. Jay. But he’s an excellent doctor and a good man. Kind, caring, intelligent. Why would he try to harm Holbrook’s?”

“Maybe you should ask him about all that, Jake.” Lily patted his hand. “Now, do you need anything for lunch?”

“No, Lily. Thanks.” Jake’s mind was already turning as he waved goodbye. He walked back to the office, hands stuffed deep into the pockets of his cotton trousers. People flowed around him but he didn’t even notice as he mulled over the turn of events. Samuel Jay couldn’t be as bad as Coralee seemed to think. The older man had already taught him so much and Jake was looking forward to several more years of training under him.

He took a deep breath and straightened his slumped shoulders. Coralee’s problems with Samuel didn’t need to have anything to do with him. Although the incident had reminded him why coming back to Spring Hill was a risk. Now that he was in town to stay, he would see her far too often. But that was a chance he had to take. His parents needed him.

Her beauty had taken him by surprise, though. The hard years since he had seen her last had given her a strong, confident air that was appealing. In many ways, she was still the lovely girl he’d grown up with. She only stood as high as his shoulder with the same wavy dark hair, pale blue eyes and delicate nose. But he could read the shadow of loss lingering in her face as clear as day.

Jake approached the small clapboard building that housed Samuel’s office and living quarters. Nestled near a bend in the creek, it was a peaceful spot in the midst of the busy town. Jake appreciated working in this picturesque little corner after seven years of dirt and noise in the city.

When he walked through the front door, he heard Samuel conversing with a patient in the exam room. Jake went to his desk at the back of the empty waiting area, settling in with a pile of patient files he needed to read through. But instead of the stack of paper, Jake’s mind would only focus on the image of lovely blue eyes. Before they’d turned cold with anger, that is.

Jake shook his head and grabbed the first file from the stack. He couldn’t get distracted by a pretty face and he couldn’t let a misunderstanding about motives endanger his position in the practice. He had to get to the bottom of Lily’s comments about his mentor.

Ten minutes later the exam room door opened and a middle-aged woman with a boy of about seven or eight exited with Samuel Jay. The doctor walked them to the door, giving the mother instructions on caring for the boy’s finger. Jake guessed it must be broken, judging from the splint. He took a moment to gather his thoughts as they left, then stood and stepped toward the doctor as he closed the door.

“Jake, I trust you had a nice lunch.” The older man turned and placed the papers in his hand on top of the stack on Jake’s desk.

“Uh, I...” Jake couldn’t quite find the words to confront his employer until Coralee’s angry expression flashed in his mind. This was awkward, but assuming she was right without seeking Samuel’s opinion would be worse. “That is, yes, lunch was fine. But I wanted to ask you about Holbrook’s Apothecary. You haven’t mentioned how you work with the shop, yet.”

Samuel stiffened and his tone turned cold. “Hadley, I want you to understand this. William Holbrook was capable, although not a person I cared for. But that daughter of his does not belong in the field of medicine. I refuse to allow my patients to be misled by her delusions of knowledge.” The flash of anger faded as a stern look crossed the older man’s face. “I hope you’ll come to recognize that as the truth and that this won’t be an issue in your work. Now, please continue familiarizing yourself with my patients.” Samuel turned on his heel and withdrew to his office without another word.

Jake stood stock-still for a moment, not sure what to think. He had to admit, although he knew Coralee to be skilled, she didn’t have medical training beyond what her father had taught her. Samuel was a strong proponent of proper education and certification for those who held patients’ lives in their hands, and Jake had to agree. Perhaps the older man wasn’t as aware of Coralee’s considerable experience as Jake. The hours he had spent in the shop with her and Mr. Holbrook had proved to him that she knew what she was doing.

But as much as he wanted to believe she was still the accomplished girl he had grown up with, Jake didn’t know who she was anymore. Samuel had a reasonable concern and he was now Jake’s mentor. Jake would not take the word of a woman he wasn’t sure he could trust over that of a good and reputable man.

* * *

That Sunday, Jake joined his parents, Ezra and Beth, at Spring Hill’s small church. As the service started, he glanced curiously around the building. It had been finished right after he’d left for medical school and housed both church services and the school. Ma would have loved teaching the local children in a building like this when Jake was young rather than at their kitchen table. Would his relationship with Coralee be different if they had attended a more formal school? If so much of their time hadn’t been spent together at Holbrook’s? He couldn’t imagine what he would be doing now if he hadn’t spent so many hours learning basic remedies and a love of medicine from Coralee’s father.

Jake tried to focus and listen to the sermon but his mind wandered. Coralee sat with her aunt and sisters across the aisle and several rows ahead of his family. Every time he caught a glimpse of her, his attention derailed.

He knew when he’d returned to town that there would be tension between them. But he hadn’t prepared himself for the onslaught of emotions every time he saw her. His heart ached with ugly emotions he thought had healed. Pain from the lingering sting of her rejection when he’d tried to lay his heart out for her. Jealousy that always flared when he remembered how she’d turned to his best friend while he’d been away at school. He was sure now that no length of time could erase that hurt from his heart.

His trip down memory lane was cut short when the congregation stood to sing a final hymn. As the ending notes faded away, the congregants all turned to greet their neighbors with happy conversation. Noticing that everyone around him was occupied, Jake slipped out the side door. He waited by his parents’ wagon while they socialized, trying to look like he wasn’t hiding. He couldn’t bring himself to face questions from all the folks who would want to welcome him back to town when he had so many unwanted feelings distracting him.

Finally the couple finished greeting the other churchgoers and joined him. It was a fine spring day, so his mother had packed a picnic for them to share before his parents headed back out to their farm.

Jake gathered up the picnic basket and blanket before his father could try to reach for them and led the way to a quiet spot by the creek. Soon they had the blanket spread on the grass and Jake helped Pa lower himself onto it. Ma laid out the food and they all filled their plates and said a prayer.

“Son, how’ve you liked your first few days working with the doc?” Pa shoveled his wife’s delicious cooking in his mouth as he waited for Jake’s response.

“Just fine, Pa. Samuel is an excellent doctor, just as I thought in St. Louis.” Jake hesitated, not sure if he should bring up Coralee and her accusations against the older doctor. But he needed some perspective on the conflict. “I ran into Coralee the other day.” He tried to sound nonchalant, but judging from the look on his mother’s face, he wasn’t succeeding.

“Oh, Jake,” Ma breathed, her voice hopeful but laced with traces of worry. “I’ve been praying that you two could start to get along again, now that you’re home for good. How did it go?”

He shrugged off her concern. “She’s convinced Samuel is doing anything he can to force her to close Holbrook’s. I spoke to him and he doesn’t approve of her running the shop, but I can’t believe he would do anything more than state his opinion.”

Ma considered his words for a moment as she chewed a bite of her lunch. “I haven’t spent much time with Coralee since your pa’s accident.” She gestured to her husband’s arm and Jake flushed with guilt. While Pa was recovering from the farm accident that cost him the use of his left hand, Jake had been away in school, unable to help at all. But now he finally had a chance to secure his practice in Spring Hill so he could be near his parents to help out. He had to make this work.

Ma’s soft voice pulled him back to the conversation. “Coralee’s always been kind and honest, Jake. I understand that you trust Dr. Jay and believe in him, but Coralee is a good woman, too.”

“Ma, how good could the woman be when we all know I can’t trust her any farther than I can throw her?”

A compassionate smile graced her face. “Jake, I know she hurt you, but there are reasons behind the things people do. You should give her a chance. Maybe time has changed both of you for the better.”

Jake didn’t quite know what to say in response. His relationship with Coralee had ended seven years ago. He should be past the pain by now. But he still couldn’t bring himself to even try to understand Coralee’s motives. There couldn’t be any good reason for the way she had hurt him. Just when he had been ready to confess his love for her, she had started a fight about him going away to medical school. Without giving him a chance to explain his plan for them, she had stormed out. Less than a year later his best friend, Alan, had broken the news that he and Coralee were going to be married. He understood how Alan had fallen for her, but he would never understand why she had betrayed him that way.

“Talk to Coralee, Jake,” Pa said. “You’ve already talked to the doc. Now find out her side of this and get it settled. And you know I think you ought to settle the past, too. But I suppose you won’t listen to your old pa any more now than you did when it happened.” He grabbed another cookie and leaned back on the quilt, done saying his piece.

“Fine, Pa. I’ll go see her about Samuel. But you’re right. I’m not going to dig up the past. It’s done and buried.” Jake reached for more lemonade, determined to ignore the knowing look his parents exchanged.

He put off the visit for several days. But, finally, he knew he had to confront Coralee. He left his room at the boardinghouse early to stop by Holbrook’s before starting his day at the clinic. As much as he wanted to avoid any contact with Coralee, in a small town like Spring Hill there was no way to steer clear of her forever. He wasn’t ready to trust her, but he supposed hearing her side of the conflict with Samuel wouldn’t cause any harm.

All too soon, he approached Holbrook’s Apothecary. The old pane-glass door was now embellished with the shop’s name in gilded letters. As he pushed the door open, the familiar scent of herbs and soap filled his nose. Nostalgia washed over him. He missed the hours spent discussing remedies and diseases with William Holbrook. He had always admired the older man’s passion for healing.

Inside, the shelves that lined one long wall contained neat rows of the same bottles, tins and jars that he remembered. But the counter in front of the shelves now held a large copper scale and several small displays instead of Mr. Holbrook’s piles of paperwork. To his surprise, the small tables on the other side all sat empty. He hardly remembered a time when there hadn’t been at least one customer waiting for an order.

“Jake!”

He turned just as a dainty figure swathed in flowered muslin launched into his arms. Laughing at Cat’s exuberance, he swung her around before setting her back on her feet. It was good to see that her unconventional, passionate spirit hadn’t changed with the years.

“Coralee said you were back, Jake, but I wasn’t sure you’d have time to stop in. All that responsibility with Dr. Jay, you know,” Cat quipped with a wink. She glanced at the door behind the counter. “If you’re here to see Coralee, she’s working with some ingredients in the back. Peppermint, this time. It smells wonderful, unless it burns.” Cat’s pert nose wrinkled at the memory of the acrid smell and Jake grinned.

“It’s all just part of the job, Catrina, my girl.”

Cat shot him a good-natured smile and sudden seriousness settled over Jake. Life had been much simpler when they were growing up. Before Coralee had broken his heart, before he’d left Spring Hill, before Alan had died.

He shook off the gloomy thoughts of the past and looked around. The middle Holbrook sister wasn’t in the store as he expected her to be. “How’s Cecilia?”

“Oh, she’s fine,” Cat answered, waving one hand in her usual flippant way. “You know she was covering the school when Alan was sick and couldn’t teach?” Jake nodded. “The school board asked her to take over the position after he...” Her voice trailed off as she glanced at the workroom door again. Her brow furrowed and she caught her bottom lip between her teeth, looking as if she was hesitant to even mention Alan’s death. But she shook it off, smoothing her already perfect hair. “Anyway, Cecilia seems to love it. I think being in charge of an entire roomful of children sounds dreadful.” She shuddered dramatically, making Jake chuckle.

“I’m glad she’s doing well, even if her career makes you ill,” he teased.

Cat’s light laugh dispelled the somber mood. She pointed toward the office door. “You’d better go see her, Jake. She was hopping mad the other day after she talked to you.”

“What’s going on with Dr. Jay, Cat?” He had to know what his lifelong friends saw in his mentor.

Her hands clenched at the mention of the doctor’s name. “Oh, the man is a bother. He doesn’t like Coralee running Papa’s shop and he tells his patients not to come here. She’s working so hard to keep things going, but business is too slow these days.” She gestured to the empty tables. “I think Dr. Jay will come up with a way to get at her no matter what she does.”

Jake studied the closed workroom door thoughtfully. He trusted Cat, but he also trusted Samuel. “Cat, it’s been good to see you again. I’m going in. Come and check on me if you hear her throwing things.” He winked and squeezed her hand as he headed behind the counter. He paused with his knuckles raised to knock, took a deep breath and prepared to face Coralee.

* * *

Inside the workroom Coralee stood at one end of the large wooden table. Wiping her hands on the canvas apron covering her navy blue dress, she pushed back the strands of hair that always seemed to come loose. Jars of herbs, half-full beakers, a small metal scale and Papa’s marble mortar and pestle sat before her, evidence of an early morning full of work. She hoped she was close to figuring out which elements would create the right amount of pain relief with the fewest side effects. But this process wasn’t as easy as extracting the usual herbs like dogwood, ginger root, lavender or spearmint. Mixing elements to form a new compound had been Papa’s idea. After too many failures, Coralee was beginning to think a single herb had to be the answer.

A firm knock sounded on the door several times before she noticed. She shuffled her notes into a haphazard pile and covered the remnants of burned peppermint and yarrow with a cloth. When it came to making Papa’s shop a success again, she couldn’t be too careful. “Come in,” she called, trying to smooth her hair again.

When the door opened to reveal Jake, her breath caught for a moment. His chocolate-brown eyes made all thoughts of chemistry and herbs disappear. She couldn’t help admiring the width of his shoulders, broad chest and strong arms as he stood outlined in the doorway. Coralee flushed, realizing the direction of her thoughts. She had given up the right to notice Jake’s looks a long time ago.

“Good morning.” His deep voice was a bit cool. Not surprising, after her shameful behavior at the café the week before. In spite of her embarrassment, her traitorous heart started to beat faster as he stepped into the room. Closer to her.

Coralee forced herself to sound aloof to cover her unwanted reaction. “Good morning. I hope you haven’t come to spy on my work for Dr. Jay. I’m certain he would love to get his hands on anything he could use to undermine my business more.”

Jake stiffened at Coralee’s sharp words. “I came to speak to you about the problem you seem to have with Samuel.” His eyes flashed and Coralee realized baiting him might not have been the best response. “I don’t want working in the same town to be awkward, but you aren’t making it easy to get along. Samuel believes that medical professionals should be educated and governed. He doesn’t know anything about your experience, just that you aren’t certified.” Jake gave her a hard look to go along with the forceful words. “He might be a bit old-fashioned concerning his feelings about women in the field, but that’s all it is, Coralee. It’s not personal.”

“I shouldn’t be surprised that you would take his side. Do you have a problem with my level of experience, as well?” She turned sharply on her heel and marched to a glass-fronted cabinet full of clean jars and beakers. Her reactions weren’t smoothing things over at all, but she couldn’t seem to get her emotions in check. Alan, Jake, the failed experiments, Dr. Jay, declining business at the shop... It all swirled in her mind, making her tense and snappish.

With her back still turned, she heard Jake retreat to the doorway. “I’m sorry you think that of me.” His voice sounded tight and maybe a little wounded. “I’d hoped we could work together, in spite of our past. But I can see that you haven’t become any more reasonable than you were the night I told you about St. Louis.”

To her dismay, tears filled her eyes. She stood facing the cabinet, pretending to search for something. If she didn’t reply for long enough, maybe he would just leave.

It must have worked. A moment later she heard the door slam behind him.

For the next several days Coralee threw herself into her experiments. She spent hours bent over her table pressing tablets and brewing teas. Many of the tinctures she had mixed weeks before were ready for a few of her patients to test. In spite of some mild success, nothing was effective enough to market to the public. As much as she wanted to make a brilliant discovery, she was about to hit a dead end. With each compound she marked off Papa’s list, Coralee grew more and more worried.

In the evenings she tried to relax in the living quarters behind Lily’s Café with Cat, Cecilia and Aunt Lily. Their conversation flowed around her, but her mind whirled with thoughts of herbs and Jake. Why did she behave so dreadfully every time she saw him?

“Coralee?” Cecilia’s sweet, concerned voice broke her out of her dark thoughts. “What’s going on? You’re so quiet and distracted these days.”

She looked around the table at what remained of her family. The shop’s success or failure affected them, too, so she might as well include them in the problems. “As Cat knows, our customer base is dwindling. My experiments on Papa’s research for the new medicine aren’t going well. I don’t know what to do to save the shop.”

“We still have customers coming in, Coralee. Enough to keep the shop running. We can pay the bills and we have some money in the bank.” Cat sounded unaffected, as always. But her confidence didn’t weaken the constant pressure in Coralee’s chest.

Cecilia reached over to rub Coralee’s shoulder as she chimed in with her usual optimism. “Papa would understand if things don’t work out. He loved the shop, but he wanted us to be happy more than anything.”

“Maybe you’re right. But Papa trusted me to run the shop the way he would. I know I can do this. I have to do this.”

Aunt Lily clucked her tongue. “Now, girl, you worry too much about that old shop of your pa’s. Your life can be much more than just running that place, my dear.” Coralee started to argue, but Lily shushed her and went on. “I think I see what the problem is here. It seems you don’t think you’re meant for anything more than that shop. But I’m here to tell you that’s altogether wrong, child. God has great things for you, happy things. Maybe this is just one small part of your story, not the whole thing.”

Cat and Cecilia nodded along with Lily’s words, but Coralee couldn’t accept that. God had placed her in the position of running Papa’s shop, carrying on his legacy. She had accepted that His will for her didn’t include her own family, so the shop had to be her sole purpose now. It had to be enough.

Coralee went to bed early, just to have some time away from her family’s prying eyes. But no matter how much she tossed and turned, she couldn’t sleep. Jake’s presence in town had stirred up feelings she had hoped were long buried, disappointments she had tried so hard to force away in the years since Alan’s death.

Frustrated by the emotions rising in her, Coralee left her room. She tiptoed through the house, hoping she wouldn’t wake anyone. It only took a few minutes over the stove before she settled in a chair at the kitchen table with a china cup full of steaming tea. She had just started trying to formulate some kind of words of prayer when a voice startled her.

“Mind if I join you?” Aunt Lily stood in the doorway, a thin blanket wrapped around her shoulders. Without waiting for an answer, the older woman crossed the room to the teakettle, fixed herself a cup and settled at the opposite end of the table.

Coralee examined her dear aunt, the woman who had been such a mainstay in her life. Sitting there in her nightdress with a loose braid pulled over her shoulder, Lily Holbrook looked older than Coralee had noticed before. Maybe even a little frail. All the more reason she had to get the shop back on track. Cat depended on it for her livelihood and soon enough Aunt Lily would, too. She was a strong woman, but she couldn’t run the café forever.

“Well, my dear, something must be bothering you. After the week you’ve had, you ought to be sleeping like a baby.”

Coralee considered brushing her aunt’s concern aside. She wanted to. But she was humble enough to admit when she needed wisdom. “It’s been years since I’ve spent so much time around Jake. I’m...having a hard time understanding my own feelings about him right now.” The words came out more faltering than she’d intended, but they were out, all the same.

Understanding filled Aunt Lily’s face. “You have so much history with him, dear girl. Not all good, though, I’d guess. I never did understand why he took off and you started spending your time with Alan.”

Coralee twisted a lock of long hair between her fingers. “The last night we talked before he left... Aunt Lily, he never even told me he was applying to medical school. Never bothered to ask my opinion. I thought...” Her voice broke, raw emotion rising to the surface. “I thought he was going to tell me he loved me that night. I was so sure he felt the same way I did.”

“But, instead, he told you he was leaving.”

Coralee stared into her tea, focusing on the tiny bits of herbs settling in the bottom so she wouldn’t lose her composure. “He was so excited. Of course, I knew he’d planned to become a doctor. But he had already applied and been accepted in St. Louis, without ever considering what would happen to me.”

Lily sipped her tea thoughtfully. “You were both young and impulsive, dearest. Are you sure he meant to leave you out of it? Could it be that he didn’t realize how his actions would seem to you?”

“If he was in love with me—planned to spend his life with me—how could he make such an important decision and not want to include me? His medical training took him away for seven years, Aunt Lily. If he had professed his love, that choice would have affected my life, too. It wasn’t a priority for him to include me.”

The older woman shrugged, unconvinced. “I’ve known Jake Hadley just as long as you have. He’s always been an honest, kind man. I can’t imagine that he meant to hurt you.”

“Well, he did hurt me.” Coralee was getting a bit tired of the way Aunt Lily kept defending Jake. Shouldn’t she be taking her niece’s side? “If he loved me, why did he just leave? Yes, we had a misunderstanding. But after that night, he didn’t try to clear things up with me, didn’t even say goodbye. He just left.” Tears were threatening to overflow. Coralee tried to blink them away but they spilled down her cheeks anyway. “He abandoned me. Just like Papa. Just like Alan. They all left.” She rested her head on her arms as a sob escaped.

She felt Lily’s arms come around her and turned into the older woman’s shoulder. Since Mama had died when Coralee was four, Aunt Lily had been a mother figure in all the girls’ lives. Now her comforting embrace broke open the floodgates. Coralee let all her frustration with Jake and the situation at the shop flow out with her sobs.

Eventually the tears slowed and Aunt Lily pulled away to look into her eyes. “Dear girl, I’m so sorry. You’ve had your share of loss already at such a young age. Now, it may be hard to swallow, but losing people is part of life for all of us. Don’t sell Jake short because of past mistakes or the chance of losing him in the future. All you have is today. Try to be open to what the good Lord is telling you.”

Aunt Lily patted Coralee’s back gently as she headed for the door. “I’m going to try to get some sleep. I’ll offer up a few extra prayers for you and Jake.”

The late-night talk didn’t calm any of the worries in Coralee’s mind. The next day she was more determined than ever to make the shop profitable again. A few hours into the work, she was stopping every few minutes to stretch her aching back and rest her strained eyes. She wanted to push through Papa’s list as fast as she could, but she kept mixing up the measurements and grabbing the wrong herbs. Her conclusions would never be accurate with mistakes in the process. A break was in order.

She stepped out of the workroom and joined Cat at the counter. Coralee had always loved mixing remedies at the shop’s counter. The recipes were so ingrained in her mind that she could relax while her hands did the repetitive work. No customers were waiting, so the sisters set to work putting together some of the basic restoratives that were always in demand.

Sometime later, the bell above the shop door jingled as an elderly woman in stained calico and a worn sunbonnet shuffled in. Coralee couldn’t contain her grin. “Good afternoon, Mrs. Bernard. I’m glad to see you’re able to make it to town again.”

The old woman’s thin lips stretched in a smile, revealing several missing teeth. “This fine weather is giving me back my strength. I told that son of mine that he was bringing me along to town and that’s final. Good boy still listens to his old ma, most of the time.”

Coralee felt her tension melting away as she spoke with one of her favorite customers. She enjoyed visiting with the people who frequented the shop, building trust with each of them. “He must be a smart man. All due to good parenting, I’m sure.”

Mrs. Bernard’s leathery skin wrinkled even more as she cackled in response.

Her joyful spirit was infectious, lifting the weight that had been on Coralee’s shoulders the last few weeks. “Now, what can I help you with today?”

“It’s that cough again. Keeps me up at night, it does.” Coralee could see the woman searching for words. She wouldn’t meet Coralee’s eyes. Was something else wrong this time?

“If there’s something you need, I can help you. You just have to tell me.”

Mrs. Bernard sighed. “My boys didn’t find much in the mine last year. Made this a hard winter. I’ve held off awhile, but the cough’s getting worse. Maybe you have something that costs less than the Ayer’s?”

“Ah.” Understanding dawned. She couldn’t afford the Ayer’s Cherry Pectoral that she always came to get when the cough started bothering her. “Well, I could pick out something else for you.” Coralee leaned over the counter and lowered her voice. “Or, you could do me a favor and try a new mixture I’ve been working on. Of course, not knowing how well it will work, I couldn’t charge you for it.”

A flash of relief washed over the old woman. Then she straightened and pursed her lips. “Yes, I do believe that would be a fine arrangement. Thank you, Mrs. Evans.” Her shaky voice was laden with genuine gratitude. This was the reason the shop had to stay open. Papa had been right: the people of Spring Hill needed a place they trusted for their medicine, a place that cared about them.

Coralee turned toward the shelf that held the Ayer’s Pectoral. Her step faltered when she caught sight of Jake watching from a table, almost sending her smashing into the bottles. How long had he been there?

She grabbed several bottles, one full and one empty. With her back turned to the counter, she poured the curative, sealed the bottle and wrapped it in brown paper.

“All ready, Mrs. Bernard.” She walked the old woman to the door and handed her the package, thanking her for stopping by. Then she turned to Jake. He looked tired, but there was a hint of approval in his eyes.

“I saw that.” He leaned back in the chair and crossed his arms as that warm hint grew into full-fledged admiration.

She shrugged and moved behind the counter with her head high. “You saw me fill an order for Mrs. Bernard? It’s for the cough that keeps bothering her. She comes in every few weeks.”

He laughed, the enthusiastic sound contrasting with the weariness in his features. “You know what I mean. I saw you pour the Ayer’s Pectoral into the bottle you told her was a test mixture. A free test mixture.” She flushed under his direct gaze. “That was commendable, Coralee. It was something your father would have done.”

She brushed at the tears that threatened to fall when he likened her to Papa. “Mrs. Bernard is a lovely woman. I hate to see her suffering and not do something about it. Now, what brings you in today?”

In an instant his mirth disappeared and weariness flooded his features. “I came to ask for your help. I’ve been out south of town for the last few days, caring for several families. It’s cholera.”

A knot formed in Coralee’s stomach. There hadn’t been a cholera outbreak in the area for years. Would this one turn deadly, as so many others had? Though she’d never seen it herself, Papa had told her about his experiences with the sickness. She knew how it could ravage a town in no time, starting with stomach pain and nausea, progressing to fever, pale skin and lethargy. If the patient didn’t show signs of recovery in the earliest stage, they most likely wouldn’t pull through.

Jake ran a hand over his face before continuing. “Samuel left for St. Louis right before I received word. He’ll be gone for at least six weeks, caring for his sister, so I’m handling this on my own. The youngest Smith boy found me this morning. Mr. Smith and the oldest two children are sick now. I’m out of camphor and hoped you could spare whatever you have.”

“Yes, I have quite a bit. I’ll get a crate.” She was a bit hesitant to continue. Every time they were together, they fought. But he looked so worn out. What if things took a turn for the worse and he was out there alone? “Several families with cholera is a lot to handle on your own. I could ride out with you and help. If you want.”

“No.” Jake drummed his fingers on the counter, refusing to meet her gaze. “If I can just get the camphor from you, I’ll be on my way.”

She came around the counter to stand in front of him. “Jake, you need help. I know what to do out there.”

“I don’t doubt your abilities. But I can’t expose you to cholera.”

She planted one hand on her hip, searching for the words that would convince him he couldn’t do this alone. Coralee wanted to keep her heart as uninvolved as possible, but she couldn’t leave him to handle an epidemic on his own. “But you’ll expose yourself without any concern for your own health? Exhaustion will make you more susceptible, after all.”

With a sigh, he raised his hands in surrender. “If you’re sure you want to do this, then I guess you can come. I have to admit that I could use the help. Thank you.”

Coralee flashed him a smile in the hope that he would see she was confident about helping. Then she turned her focus to the task at hand. Handing him an empty crate, she directed him to a shelf filled with jars of camphor. Then, with Cat’s help, she started gathering supplies to stock her travel case.

Conflicting emotions churned inside Coralee now that she had a minute to think through what they were facing. She wanted to help. And Jake needed someone out there with him. But was she ready to take on the long, emotional hours ahead with her former love by her side?