Taking on Twins

by Mollie Campbell

  Looking back, she was able to see all the times he had insisted they do things his way. The times he’d seemed to listen to what she had to say, then turned around and did what he’d wanted in the first place. If she hadn’t been so blinded by her youthful feelings, maybe she would have seen it earlier. Maybe she would have realized he was more worried about what he wanted from their relationship than about her feelings.

  But now here he was, encouraging her to follow her process even though he doubted the ingredient. Calm washed over her, a stark change from the anxiety that had settled in the pit of her stomach the last few days. Jake helping with her research might not be such a burden, after all. Maybe he had changed more than she realized.

  They worked side by side for several hours that morning, grinding, measuring and mixing. After lunch at the café, Jake returned to the clinic and Coralee took the twins back home for naps.

  The rest of the week followed a similar pattern. Jake would bring Louisa and Phillip to Coralee every morning. He spent time at the clinic or traveling out of town to visit patients when needed, but for several days, he worked with Coralee at Holbrook’s.

  With the help of her sisters, Coralee was able to keep the twins for Jake while also putting time into her research. By the next week, she was testing the last item on Papa’s list. With no success. The two patients who had tried the last few formulas for her both reported no improvement in their level of pain. Nothing worked well enough to advertise and draw new customers into the shop. And Coralee refused to make false claims with a medication that didn’t work. Heart heavy, she cleaned up the last experiment and filed Papa’s notes away in the cabinet.

  She left the workroom and joined Cat in wiping down the dozens of glass bottles that lined the shelves in the shop. The daily task was usually rather therapeutic. But today the repetitive task wasn’t helping Coralee relax. The bell over the door jingled, the merry sound setting her nerves further on edge. She turned to see Jake removing his hat as the door swung closed behind him.

  “Good afternoon, ladies. No testing on this lovely day, Coralee?”

  His cheerful voice made Coralee’s sour mood worse. “No, Jake. I’ve worked through Papa’s entire list. And before you ask, no, nothing worked. My patients were both in yesterday to tell me those last few remedies didn’t help one bit.”

  He sobered at her words. “I’m sorry. I know how much you wanted—needed—something to come from the research.” He paused, long fingers turning the brim of his hat. “Since you hit a wall with your experiment, maybe you could focus on other ways to get customers back in the shop.”

  Coralee turned away, grabbing a bottle from the shelf in front of her and wiping it for all she was worth. Tears stung her eyes. She had failed. Papa had entrusted her with his shop and his project and she hadn’t been successful with either one. If she couldn’t manage the promising idea Papa had started for her, how would she come up with anything new to improve their business?

  But Cat was quick to agree with Jake’s comment. “We could have such fun with the shop, Coralee. Special sales, interesting advertisements. We could run a contest.” Her youngest sister was almost ready to jump up and down, her eyes sparkling. Of course. Anything that seemed like fun and games would get Cat’s attention in a heartbeat.

  Coralee faced her sister, back straight and chin high. “I won’t have this shop become a circus, Cat.”

  Cat stepped back, excitement draining from her face. Guilt chased away the frustration that had been building in Coralee. Once again, her feelings about the shop had caused her to lash out and hurt someone she loved. Taking a deep breath, she rested a hand on Cat’s shoulder. “I’m sorry. That was harsh and you didn’t deserve it.”

  She glanced at Jake, not sure if she wanted to continue with him there. But he had been so supportive while they’d tested her last few formulas. She wanted to trust him. “This project was important to Papa and I feel as if I’ve failed him.” The tears were welling up again, but this time she couldn’t stop them. “Dr. Jay will get what he wanted all this time, after all.”

  She stiffened when Jake’s arms came around her, pulling her close. For a moment she didn’t know what to do. But it felt so natural to be this close to him that she couldn’t help but relax into his embrace. As the tears slowed, she became aware of the scent and warmth of his skin. She hadn’t realized until this moment how much she missed Alan’s touch.

  As lovely as it felt, Coralee knew she didn’t have any right to enjoy Jake’s embrace. She pulled away, wiping at her eyes. She couldn’t meet Cat’s gaze, but felt her sister watching with interest. Cat would certainly have something to say about that hug when Jake was gone.

  “I guess we have to do something to get customers in again, even if it isn’t selling Papa’s medication.” She forced herself to look at Jake and Cat in turn, hoping she wouldn’t see pity in their eyes. “Let’s come up with some ideas.”

  Jake spoke up right away as if he had already thought through the problem. Almost as if he had expected her experiments to fail. She shook off the thought, determined to give trusting Jake a try. “I saw some interesting promotions run by various stores in St. Louis. I was thinking a few of those ideas might do well in this situation.”

  The three of them brainstormed for another half hour before Coralee realized the time. “We’d better get home to relieve Cecilia of the twins.” As she and Jake walked back, her head swirled with the ideas they had talked about. A small seed of excitement was taking root for the first time in months. Maybe Papa’s project wasn’t the only way to revitalize Holbrook’s, after all.

  * * *

  On Saturday, Jake woke looking forward to spending the day with Louisa and Phillip. Those two had burrowed into his heart faster than he could have imagined possible. Several nights before, he had found himself awake in the early hours when both children crawled into bed with him. Their little bodies snuggled close, so trusting and innocent, had cemented what he was starting to admit to himself: he loved them. Letting them go when they found a family would be one of the hardest things he had ever done.

  Jake drove the twins to his parents’ farm for a few hours that morning. As soon as he stopped the wagon, Phillip tried to jump off the seat, anxious to run, as always. Jake grabbed the boy, swinging him wildly down from the wagon before letting him go. The resulting giggle warmed his heart. Louisa sat on the seat, waiting like a tiny lady for Jake to help her out of the wagon. He planted a soft kiss in her hair as he lowered her to the ground.

  “Jake, my dear. Nothing could make a mother prouder than seeing her son caring so well for these sweet, orphaned children.”

  He turned to face Ma, her words making him feel self-conscious. “They make it pretty easy. I’m the one who still isn’t sure what he’s doing.” He greeted her with a hug and offered his arm to escort her back to the house. They joined Pa on the porch, where he was enjoying the shade in a handmade rocking chair.

  “Tell us about your week, son.” Even as he spoke, Pa’s eyes followed Louisa and Phillip around the yard, a smile playing on his lips.

  “The twins seem to be adjusting well to our schedule. They’ve had moments of missing their parents, which is heartbreaking. But those moments are getting less frequent and they’re happy most of the time. Coralee, Cat and Cecilia have been invaluable.”

  “I heard this week that you’re spending time at Holbrook’s as well as the clinic.” Ma’s expression was carefully neutral. Jake sighed, not at all surprised that the chain of gossip in their small town had already reached his mother’s ears. She was a wonderful woman, but the grapevine of information ran straight through her.

  “I’m helping Coralee with some new promotions at the shop. I assure you, there’s nothing else going on.”

  “Oh, I am glad to hear that you’re working with Coralee. You were so angry with her before. I hope that’s chan
ged?”

  He considered that for a moment, realizing he hadn’t thought about her betrayal in some time. But there was still a pang of hurt when Ma brought it up. “I’m not angry, exactly. She’s...different than when we were growing up. More selfless and thoughtful. I’ve seen how generous she is with patients, but she also treats them with great dignity and respect. And she loves Louisa and Phillip.”

  Pictures of her with the twins filled his mind, making him smile. “She’s completely natural with them.” He turned to his mother. “But pain like she caused doesn’t just disappear. I can handle spending time with her because no matter how hard I try, I still care about what happens to her and her family. But I can’t let her back in my heart.”

  Ma tilted her head toward him, a sad smile softening her face. “Then I’ll keep up my prayers that you’ll be able to forgive her someday. It’s the only thing that will heal both of you.” She patted his hand as she rose. “Now, I’m going to take the children to visit my chickens.”

  Jake and his father sat listening as the voices of Ma and the twins floated on the breeze. Pa shifted in his chair, rubbing his chin with one hand. “Son, I think you need to consider your part in what happened before you decide you get to keep holding a grudge. Coralee deserves an apology as much as you do.”

  He stared at Pa for a moment, dumbfounded. What did he need to apologize for?

  Pa shook his head and sighed. “Jake, do you remember what you told me about that night?”

  Jake tried to think back. “I told you I was going to propose to her, but before I got the chance, she got mad and stormed out.”

  “When you got home that night, you said the first thing you did was tell her about medical school. Look at it from her perspective. You spent all that time with her, acted like you cared for her, but then announced you were leaving. Before you told her about your feelings or asked her to marry you. Did she even know you’d applied to that school in St. Louis?”

  Realization dawned and his heart dropped. “Oh, no. She had no idea I planned to go to St. Louis. Until I told her I was leaving just a few weeks later.” His head thumped the chair as he slumped back. “Pa, you’re right. The things she must have thought of me.”

  His father chuckled. “Son, I hoped you would realize this yourself a long time ago. But we all make mistakes where women are concerned. Just be glad you get a chance to make it right now.”

  “I don’t know how I can. So much time has passed.” And there were so many hurts piled up for both of them.

  But Pa shook his head and clucked his tongue. “It’s never too late to apologize, Jake. Don’t keep putting it off.”

  Jake tried to enjoy the rest of the time with his parents. But in the back of his mind, he couldn’t reconcile his pain with Pa’s insistence that he needed to apologize to Coralee. She had hurt him just as much, if not more, than anything he had done to her. Sure, he had approached telling her about school the wrong way. But did that justify her response? From what he could see, she had run straight to Alan without a second thought.

  On the other hand, Pa seemed to think Jake needed to take responsibility. Maybe if he tried to explain his side of that night to Coralee, it would help him get past the pain she had caused. He decided it was worth a try. The worst that could happen would be that they would fight again, and there was nothing unusual in that.

  He got his chance after church the next day. After the service, he left the twins with his parents and went in search of Coralee. His first glimpse of her across the churchyard made his heart race. She was beautiful in a simple, striped dress, with a woven bonnet that framed her face. But a burning sensation filled his chest when he saw that she was laughing and talking with a tall, slender man. She leaned toward the fellow, resting her hand on his arm in a way that struck Jake as far too familiar. Surely she would have told him if she was courting someone. Or one of her sisters would have mentioned it.

  Jake approached the pair, noting the abrupt halt in their conversation when he stepped into earshot.

  “Good afternoon, Coralee.” He nodded at each of them, determined to stay civil. But he placed himself as close to Coralee as propriety allowed while holding out a hand to her companion. “I’m Jake Hadley.”

  The other man took his hand with a firm grip. “Charlie Albridge. I run the bank over on First Street.”

  Jake tipped his head in greeting then turned away from the banker, speaking in a low voice for Coralee’s ears alone. “There are some things I’d like to discuss, if you can spare some time.”

  She glanced between the two men before responding. “I’m sorry, Jake. I have an appointment with Charlie over lunch. Maybe we can talk later this week when you bring the twins in.”

  Something hard and tight lodged in Jake’s stomach as he watched Coralee take Charlie’s arm and walk away.

  Jake had no right to her attention. He wasn’t even sure he wanted it. But that didn’t mean he was going to be happy about some other man spending time with her.

  * * *

  On Monday morning Coralee spent a few hours nailing up signs for the new promotions they had planned for the shop. She tried to stay hopeful, but by afternoon, worry had set in again. The signs advertising special sales on their products did nothing to get people into the shop that day. She knew she needed to give it a few days or even weeks to see the effectiveness. But she had wanted to see customers rush back into Holbrook’s. The people of Spring Hill used to love the shop. She wished that could be enough to bring them back.

  She and Cat attempted to stay busy on Tuesday by preparing some basic remedies and organizing the shelves. Coralee tried to hold tight to the small sliver of hope that remained in her. She insisted they prepare in case there was a rush of customers in the next few days.

  Cat took the day off on Wednesday. It had been two days and they hadn’t seen any extra customers. Cat promised to check in later in the day, in case the shop got busy, but Coralee just shook her head. There was no point in hoping.

  When Jake and the twins walked into the shop that morning, Coralee was at one of the small tables across from the counter, trying to keep herself together. She managed a tight smile when the twins yelled their exuberant greetings. Phillip launched himself into her arms and she cradled him close, burying her face in his soft hair. The boy rested his chubby hands on either side of her face. “Coree sad?”

  Her heart nearly burst at his sweetness. She forced a more cheerful demeanor for his sake. “Not now that you’re here.” He smiled and snuggled close again.

  “The signs look great, Coralee. Have you had many customers?” Jake’s fingers drummed on the counter. He almost looked as enthusiastic as Phillip. She hated to disappoint him. He and Cat had been so sure their promotions would work.

  She let Phillip down to join Louisa behind the counter and shook her head. “I’ve noticed people looking at the signs, but no one has come in.” She turned to face him head-on. “I know it’s because of Dr. Jay, Jake. Maybe you still don’t want to believe it, but he’s made his patients distrust me.”

  He sighed. “Are we going to get into this again? Samuel is a good man. He wouldn’t spread untruths to make his patients stop coming here.”

  “Then why aren’t they? You admitted he doesn’t want me running the shop. How is it so hard for you to believe that he would go a step further and try to stop me?” She crossed her arms and leaned one hip against the counter, waiting for his excuse.

  His lips pressed into a firm line. “What I understand is that you keep blaming him for something I’ve seen no evidence of.”

  “Just because you haven’t seen him telling people not to come here doesn’t mean he hasn’t. He’s been away most of the time since you got here. You don’t know what he would or wouldn’t do.”

  Jake turned away for a moment then looked back at her, face softening. “I don’t t
hink we’re going to come to an agreement on this by arguing. And I don’t want to argue anymore.” He stepped closer, leaning against the counter, just inches away from her. “Is that really what you’re most upset about, anyway?”

  She felt like she was melting under those deep brown eyes, sinking into feelings she didn’t want to have for Jake.

  Coralee turned away, focusing on the twins’ laughter as it floated from the workroom where they were stacking empty tins like blocks. “I suppose you’re right. No matter what Dr. Jay has said to his patients, I’m the one responsible for the shop’s success or failure.” She faced him again, longing for someone to understand the swirling emotions that kept threatening to overwhelm her. “I know Papa’s medicine is the answer. There’s something he missed that would solve the problem, an ingredient he didn’t think about. But I don’t know where to start to find it.”

  Her eyes locked on Jake’s when his hand came up to lightly touch her cheek. “I know his work is important to you. I’m sorry if I haven’t supported your efforts enough.” His words, combined with an intimate smile, took her breath away. The bell over the shop door jingled and they jumped back from each other, the fragile moment shattered.

  Jake coughed weakly when they turned and found his mother watching them with a knowing smile. Amusement flashed in her eyes as Beth hugged her son in greeting. “I wasn’t sure if you’d be here today, Jake. I saw the lovely signs and decided to stop in and see how things are going.” She turned to Coralee and pulled her into a hug, as well.

  Louisa and Phillip must have recognized her voice. They raced from the workroom, almost knocking Beth over as they threw themselves at her. Laughing, she knelt and spoke to them with mock sternness. “Have you both been my good little darlings today?”

  The twins nodded, bouncing on their toes with restrained excitement. Clearly they knew what was coming next. “Excellent. That means you deserve this.” Beth pulled two peppermint sticks from behind her back. Shouting with joy, Louisa and Phillip took the treats and ran off to enjoy them.