Jake’s heart fell. Coralee was sending a clear message that she didn’t want him involved in her work.
Suddenly, Cat sniffed and covered her nose with a handkerchief. “I believe one of the children might need attention,” she declared. Jake started to chuckle at her regal announcement until it hit him that he might need to attend to them himself. And he had no clue how to change a diaper.
Much to Jake’s relief, Coralee and Cecilia jumped in again, rescuing him from embarrassing himself with his profound lack of knowledge about children. Coralee searched through the bag Mrs. Trask had sent for the children. She pulled out two large rectangles of white cotton while Cecilia dampened several rags. Together, the sisters cleaned the children and put on their fresh diapers. Jake tried not to get caught staring while still managing to catch every move they made so he could replicate it.
As Coralee and Cecilia cleaned up, Jake heard a sound at his feet. He looked down to find Louisa standing in front of him, little arms stretched toward him. “Up?”
Her voice was quiet and tentative. Jake’s heart expanded in his chest as he cradled the girl in his arms. The love he already felt for these children was overwhelming, even after only a few hours with them. Coralee’s revelation flashed in his mind. His first thought was how painful it must have been for her to realize that she would likely never bear a child. But as he considered how much he already cared about the twins’ well-being, he started to wonder if his reaction had been impulsive. Maybe a family could grow out of people who just needed each other.
Louisa rubbed her eyes as she snuggled against his chest. “I think she’s tired.” Jake wasn’t sure how he recognized the signs, but it was encouraging. Maybe he could learn how to care for the twins, after all.
Coralee lifted Phillip into her arms and he stuck a thumb in his mouth, staring at her with wide eyes. “Phillip is, too. I’m sure this has been a difficult few days for them. It’s time for a good night’s sleep.”
Jake already felt more confident at the prospect of taking them home by himself, thanks to Coralee’s easy example. His room at the boarding house wasn’t large, but it would be plenty big enough to make temporary beds on the floor. The proprietress, Mrs. Hardy, missed her grandchildren in Virginia. She had jumped at the chance to help with the twins if the need arose. He was sure this could work for the short time they would be in his care.
He took the bag with the twins’ belongings from Cecilia and headed to the wagon. Louisa snuggled in his arms and Coralee carried Phillip. Something about walking alongside her with the children felt right. Jake shoved that notion back where it came from. The last thing he needed was to be distracted by impossible fantasies.
After setting Louisa on the wagon seat, he climbed up beside her and took Phillip from Coralee’s outstretched arms. He looked down into her lovely face. “Thank you again, Coralee. Your help has been invaluable.”
“I’m glad to help. Will you be all right by yourself with the twins, Jake? Two children can be a lot to handle.”
He tried to draw on the small burst of confidence he felt earlier, but it had waned. “I’m sure we’ll get along fine.”
“What are you going to do with them while you’re working? I could help you for a little while until you get into a routine.”
Jake considered her offer. A few days ago he would have refused her flat-out. He still wasn’t sure his heart was ready to have her back in his life. But once they’d learned how to steer clear of their past, spending time with Coralee had been downright pleasant. The twins liked her and she was such a natural caregiver. He had been wondering what he would do with them during the day. Focusing on patients visiting the office or traveling to make house calls would be difficult with the children underfoot.
“Yes, I could use some help. Could I drop them by here on the way to the clinic in the morning?”
Coralee agreed and said goodbye to Jake and the twins. Phillip whimpered a little at leaving her, tearing at Jake’s heart. These children had lost so much in a short time. As he drove to the boardinghouse, one twin snuggled close on each side, Jake wondered if it would be harder than he expected to let them go when they found a permanent home.
But several hours later, he was questioning that sentiment. It was going on midnight and the twins were squirming and giggling together on their makeshift pallet on the floor. Every few minutes one of them would get up and run a circle around the room until Jake put a stop to it and got them both tucked back in. Mere moments later, they started all over. Hadn’t they been tired when he’d brought them home?
After far too much time spent chasing them around the room, both toddlers finally curled up in their bed and fell asleep. Jake snuck in a few hours of fitful rest before Phillip woke, disoriented and crying. Jake pulled the little boy up into bed with him, hoping that would buy him another hour of sleep. His heart warmed a few minutes later when he felt Louisa climb into the bed, too. The peaceful quiet didn’t last long, but those moments stuck with Jake as morning light filled the room.
It took longer than his usual routine, but Jake was pleased when he managed to get all three of them fed, cleaned up and dressed. He had never realized how many buttons were on children’s clothing, much less how hard they were to manage while the little ones wiggled. But soon they were on their way, Jake holding one child in the crook of each arm, their bag slung across his back. He felt rather like a pack mule.
Jake came around the corner of the café to see Coralee standing by the back door. The twins squealed and reached for her. Caring for two tiny children was daunting, but seeing her waiting for them was a reminder that he didn’t have to do it alone. Even with his whole body aching from struggling to keep the twins in his arms, her warm smile managed to take his breath away.
It was possible that he was playing with fire. The last thing Jake wanted was to let his heart get entangled with Coralee again. Relying on her was already bringing back feelings he didn’t want to relive. Jake shook off the worrisome thoughts. He needed help with the twins, that was all. Accepting her offer didn’t mean he would fall in love with her again.
* * *
Watching Jake walk toward her, one child clutched in each arm, Coralee wondered if offering her time was a mistake, after all. She had tossed and turned all night, guilt over the time she’d been away from the shop warring with an unwelcome desire to spend more time with Jake and the twins. And humiliation topped it all off. Cecilia’s slip-up yesterday had forced her to tell Jake about her inability to have children; the last thing she’d ever wanted to discuss with him. Even now, remembering the words that had come from her lips made her flush with shame.
To be honest, Jake’s response had been the worst part. She had overheard him tell Cecilia how terrible it was. His tone of voice and the way he had stumbled over his words made his opinion clear. He felt sorry for her. Her condition horrified him. It was just the response she’d imagined from a man. And it was one more reason she couldn’t open her heart again.
But in spite of that certainty, in the bright morning light just a glimpse of Jake walking down the boardwalk made her heart race and palms sweat. What was it about holding the children that made him even more attractive?
He greeted her with a distracted smile, struggling to keep his hold on both children. Thankful for the distraction from her admission the night before, Coralee held her arms out for Louisa. The girl launched her little body into Coralee’s hands with a giggle. Jake visibly breathed a sigh of relief once they were all safe inside the house.
“How was your first night with the twins?”
He dropped into a chair, leaning back and letting his eyes drift shut. “They settled down, but it took a bit longer than I expected.”
She had to stifle a laugh at the vision of Jake trying to wrestle both children into bed. “You seemed a bit...out of your element yesterday.”
For a moment it looked as if her comment had hurt his pride. But then he relaxed and chuckled. “I’m glad you and Cecilia showed me the basics last night. Facing two children who need you for every little thing is mighty intimidating. I had no idea what to do with them.”
“I’m impressed at how well you’ve taken to temporary parenting. They look rested and happy. They’re dressed and fed. That’s quite good for your first try.” Even as the words left her mouth, Coralee wanted to shove them back in. Her face flushed. Had her tone sounded as flirtatious to him as it did to her?
Jake didn’t seem to notice. “Well, I appreciate that you’re willing to help me. Once again. It means a lot that I don’t have to do this by myself.”
Coralee turned to busy herself breaking up a squabble between the twins. She was likely to say something else foolish if she responded to his gratitude.
She felt his eyes on her as she tried to calm the children, making her self-conscious. Was she doing something wrong?
Finally he rose and stepped toward the door. “It looks like you’ll be fine, then. I’m going to check in at the office before I head out to see how our cholera patients are recovering.”
“If it’s around mealtime when you return, why don’t you plan to join us?” What was getting into her? Coralee hadn’t intended for an invitation to slip out, but he looked pleasantly surprised as he agreed. Then he kissed each child on the head and left. She took a deep breath. At least now she didn’t have to worry about accidentally flirting with Jake.
Coralee took the twins outside to play along the creek where it ran behind the café. It was soon clear that Phillip was adventurous enough to do anything Louisa suggested. And she suggested too many things.
First, the little girl pointed her brother to a large rock. “You climb dat?”
Phillip ran right to it and tried to climb up, little legs swinging in the air when he couldn’t get a foothold. Coralee couldn’t help laughing as she gave him a push up. Later, Coralee turned around to find Louisa encouraging her brother to eat a leaf she’d found. She barely grabbed it from his hand in time. That girl was one to keep an eye on.
After their morning in the fresh air, they joined Cecilia for lunch at the café. The children had worked up an appetite and ate with intense focus while the sisters talked. The cute little ones drew the attention of every woman in the place, many of whom stopped to coo over the twins. Coralee tried to ask if any of them could provide Louisa and Phillip with a permanent home, but to no avail. She couldn’t understand why it was so hard to find them a family. They were darling, well-behaved children. Easy to love. If she were in a position to have a family, Coralee would have adopted them in a heartbeat.
When they returned to the living quarters, Coralee laid the children down for naps and left them in Cecilia’s care while she checked in at Holbrook’s. She had to get some work done on the medicine to start making up for lost time. Business at the shop wasn’t going to improve without her there, putting in time to find a solution.
Coralee sat in her workroom for three-quarters of an hour before pushing away from the table in frustration. All she had done was stare at Papa’s list of ingredients and think about the sweet babies sleeping back at home. She wasn’t going to accomplish anything today. That much was clear. She put away Papa’s notes and headed home, stomach in knots.
Louisa was just waking when Coralee returned and peeked into the bedroom. She picked the girl up, holding the warm, tiny body close. Little fingers curled into the hair at the nape of her neck and Louisa’s soft voice reached her ears. “You find me, Coree.”
Familiar longing washed over her. She had spent so much time wishing and waiting for children during her marriage. Children that never came. It had taken a long time to get past the disappointment of realizing she would never be a mother.
Coralee tried to savor the sweetness of the little girl cuddled in her arms rather than brood over things that could never be. Right here in front of her were two darling children that needed people to love them. Even if she couldn’t be their mother, she could love them while they were there.
Toward evening, Coralee and the twins were sitting in the middle of the parlor floor enjoying an indoor picnic when Jake peeked into the room. Coralee flushed, horrified that he’d caught her in such an undignified position. But Jake’s bemused grin somehow made her feel less self-conscious. In all the years they had known each other, he had seen her doing sillier things than this.
“It seems like you and the children are having a good time.” His eyes twinkled. He was more lighthearted than Coralee had seen him since he’d moved back to Spring Hill. Was it the youthful influence of the twins? Or was he as pleased to be back on good footing in their friendship as she was?
“As you can see, we’re having an elegant high tea,” she declared, sipping pretend liquid from an empty cup while making a silly face at Phillip. The little boy dissolved into laughter, crumbs from a thick slice of bread dotting the front of his shirt. And everything else. To Coralee’s surprise, Jake lowered himself right down next to Louisa on the tablecloth they had spread over the floorboards.
“Could you spare a cup of tea for a guest?” He spoke to Louisa in complete earnestness, watching while the little girl pretended to pour from a teakettle into a cup.
“Yes, for you.” Her little face was serious, the tip of her tiny tongue peeking out as she focused on handing him the cup with great care.
He brought it to his lips and slurped loudly. “Ah, that was very good. Thank you, Miss Louisa.”
Both children giggled at his antics. Coralee couldn’t suppress the ache that hit her. A strong, intelligent man like Jake acting silly on the floor to amuse two little children was a powerful sight. She turned away, hoping Jake didn’t have any idea what direction her thoughts were taking. She was thankful for the distraction when the twins tired of tea and clambered to their feet. They headed to a corner where she had spread a sheet over several chairs to make a tent for them to play in.
“How did everything go with the children today?” He sat with both arms wrapped around one knee, eyes on the little ones even as he spoke to her.
“It was wonderful. They played all morning and took a nap.” She smiled at the sweet voices drifting out from the corner. “Jake, they’re so well behaved. Aaron and Liza were doing a wonderful job raising them.”
His chin lifted in pride, as if she had just given him the compliment. “I’m glad to hear they weren’t too difficult. Were you able to get to the shop at all?”
Her heart sank. It was the first day she’d been in the shop for some time and she hadn’t made any progress. “I stopped by while the children were sleeping. Cat has been running things well without me, so not much needed my attention.”
He nodded and rose from the floor. “I suppose I should get them home and let you enjoy your evening, then.” He reached out a hand to help Coralee stand. She tried not to focus on the sensation of his rough hand holding hers.
“I meant it this morning when I invited you to join us for supper. Please, we would be glad to have all three of you.”
“That’s very kind, but I don’t want to impose. You’ve just spent all day with the twins. You must be ready for some peace and quiet. And we had supper here last night.”
Coralee shook her head. “It’s no trouble. We always have plenty to eat. I’ll go tell Cecilia.” She headed to the kitchen before he could answer, hoping to keep him from refusing. She’d spent the whole day with Louisa and Phillip, but she still found herself longing to keep them close a while longer. She refused to examine the possibility that she might want Jake around longer, too.
While she helped Cat and Cecilia finish the dinner preparations, Coralee heard the twins getting louder with Jake as they played in the parlor. When it was time to sit down, she and Jake each wrangled a child, doing everything in their power to ke
ep them in their chairs. What had gotten into the sweet, silly twins she had played with all day?
She lost track of how many times they placed Phillip back in his seat before Cecilia remembered the strips of fabric they had used the night before. But even then, he refused to sit quietly. “Coree. I want play.”
“Phillip, we’re eating. Don’t you want to eat? You must be hungry after your busy day.”
“No!”
Jake took a turn at convincing him. “You have to eat something. Coralee and Cecilia are sharing this nice supper with us. It will hurt their feelings if you don’t eat.”
Phillip slumped in his chair, arms crossed over his chest.
Coralee glanced at Jake across the table. “It’s fine with us if he doesn’t want to eat.”
Shaking his head, Jake looked pointedly at the little boy. “No, I think he needs to. It isn’t polite to refuse what people offer to share.”
“But he’s lost so much. Maybe he just doesn’t feel like eating.”
Jake’s eyes speared her and, for a moment, Coralee braced for an argument. But Jake visibly swallowed his words and turned to cut up Louisa’s food, dropping the subject altogether.
Before Coralee could say more, the sound of the front door slamming echoed through the room. Cat stomped in, dropping into a chair at the table with a heavy sigh. Coralee exchanged a look with Cecilia. A lifetime of living with Cat had taught them to approach her head-on when she started acting pouty like this.
“What’s going on, Cat? Is something wrong at the shop?”
Cat speared her with a glare. “No, nothing’s wrong at the shop. Because nothing happens at the shop. Ever.”
Coralee drew back at her sister’s vehement response. She hadn’t expected Cat to be angry with her. “You were fine this afternoon. You said you didn’t mind watching the shop for me.” She reached over to stop Phillip from smashing each pea on his plate one at a time.
Taking on Twins Page 6