“Jake, those children are just delightful.” Beth’s proud grin looked just like any grandparent’s Coralee had ever seen. How would Jake’s family react when the children went to a permanent home? She pulled her attention back to the conversation just in time to hear Jake bring up Papa’s formula.
“Ma, Coralee and I were just discussing an issue with a medicine she’s working on. Your mother had quite a few good pain remedies, is that right?”
“Oh, yes, Mama was quite good with herbs. Her mother was Pawnee, you know. She used several things for pain. Ginger, lavender, peppermint. Her favorite was a tea made from willow bark.”
Beth kept talking about her mother, but Coralee couldn’t follow the words. Willow bark. Of course. It was in many of the curatives on her shelves, but not in Papa’s notes. Maybe he hadn’t gotten to finish his list, after all. Her mind whirled with possibilities.
After a few more minutes of small talk, Beth said her goodbyes. Coralee just waved, distracted. Should she grind the bark and press the powder into tablets? Or would it be best as a tea? She looked up when Jake cleared his throat to find him watching her with eyebrows raised.
“I was going to leave the twins with you for a few hours, but if you want to work, I can stay and help.”
Coralee hesitated. It had been wonderful having someone work with her on the last few ingredients. Jake was always interested in her process and results. But this project was so important to her. Did she want to share her moment of discovery with him?
Of its own accord, her head started nodding and she found that she did want him there. She couldn’t imagine finishing the project without him after all his help. His wide grin in response was worth the risk. Knowing he wanted to do this with her made it even more exhilarating. Shaking off the unprofessional thoughts that tried to rise, Coralee squared her shoulders and headed to the workroom, Jake trailing behind.
“I don’t have any willow bark in the shop right now. Do you mind taking a walk out to the creek with me to gather some?” She flushed at how hard her heart was pounding while she waited for his answer. What did it matter if he didn’t want to go?
But he nodded and called the children over. “Sounds like a fun trip. Let’s go.”
Coralee went to the cabinet at the back of the workroom and placed a large, sheathed knife and several cloths in a basket. She put the closed sign in the window and locked up the shop as they herded the children out.
Warm midday sun beat down as they walked to the creek that snaked past the edge of Spring Hill. The tall grass crunched under their feet. It had been too long since they’d had a good rain.
Coralee picked Louisa up and pulled her bonnet forward to shade her little face better. “Louisa, can you point to your eyes?”
Louisa’s little face scrunched up as she put a finger next to each of her eyes.
“Very good. How about your nose?”
This time, Louisa pointed to her nose right away. “Nose!”
“How smart you are. Where are your ears?”
With a happy laugh, the little girl grabbed both ears.
Feeling lighter than she had in weeks, Coralee chuckled along with her, pleased with how much the little girl knew.
When they reached the edge of the creek, Coralee set Louisa on her feet and pointed at a familiar wispy, low-hanging tree. “I’ll just cut a section and be right back.”
But Jake took hold of the knife before she could. “No, I can get it so you don’t risk getting that pretty dress wet.”
Her heart danced behind her ribs. He thought her dress was pretty? She tugged at the skirt. It was just a plain, cotton work dress. “Do you know how to cut it?”
He grinned. “I couldn’t forget after your father made me practice every time he needed bark.”
A smile played on her lips as she watched Jake jog down the bank and jump onto a fallen log to get close to the willow tree. He scored a rectangle of bark with the knife then carefully peeled it off. She hadn’t expected him to perform the task with such ease after years without practice.
Papa had taught Coralee not to take too much bark at a time from one tree. So they stopped at two more willows nearby. The last one shaded a lovely shallow bend in the creek. Jake turned to her with an enticing look that made butterflies break out in her stomach. “How about stopping for a quick wade before we get to work?”
She hesitated, glancing around. They were away from any buildings, but still within view of the town. Her professional reputation was already in question with most of the town, thanks to Dr. Jay. A fun dip in the cool water sounded wonderful. But Coralee couldn’t take the chance that someone would see the proprietress of Holbrook’s Apothecary gallivanting in the creek. And with a man, no less. She shook her head firmly. “That sounds nice, but I’d like to get started on that bark.”
Regret pricked at her when his face fell. But he just nodded and swung Louisa up into his arms. “Then we’ll head back to the shop. Let’s race, Phillip.” He took off at a slow pace, letting the little boy keep up with him while he bounced Louisa, making her laugh.
When they arrived at the shop, Coralee went right to work shredding one of the sections of bark. Jake set up her equipment, knowing exactly what she would need. At some point, Cecilia arrived and took the twins to have a nap, but Coralee hardly noticed. By the end of the afternoon, she and Jake had several forms of curatives made from the willow bark. And Coralee was exhausted but satisfied. Finally she knew they were on the right track.
Chapter Five
Jake had loved watching Coralee in her element while they’d worked on the willow bark. Her father had usually stuck to remedies with a well-known recipe. He had never been one for experimenting. That Mr. Holbrook had even come up with the idea to create a new medication had surprised Jake.
But Coralee’s personality was perfect for the process of discovery. He could see how much she loved the trial and error, making careful notes and checking items off her lists. When they were growing up, Jake had never seen the side of her that thrived on solving problems. He found it fascinating to watch.
As fun as it was to see her at work, he knew the next day he had to spend a little more time at the clinic. He still loved seeing patients, but it was getting harder and harder for him to sit in the office alone when he didn’t have anyone to call on.
In St. Louis, work at the hospital and his classes had kept him busy nearly every minute. Any time he could carve out to sit by himself was a relief. But since he’d started helping Coralee at the shop, the hours he needed to spend at the clinic catching up on paperwork were too quiet. His mind kept wandering to Coralee and the twins. He wondered what they were doing at that moment, wishing he could stack up the patient files and go to the shop instead.
Around noon the door opened and a well-dressed man entered. He didn’t speak to Jake at first, examining the room with interest as he removed his hat. Jake stood from his desk to greet the stranger. “Welcome. I’m Dr. Hadley. What can I do for you today?”
The man shook his hand with a firm grip and nodded his greeting. “I’m Charles Johnson. The American Pharmaceutical Association sent me from Philadelphia to speak with a Dr. Samuel Jay?” One eyebrow rose in question as he glanced around the empty clinic.
“Dr. Jay is currently out of town. I’m his associate. Perhaps I can help?” Jake had to admit, curiosity was getting the best of him. What would a representative from the assembly of pharmacists and apothecaries need with Samuel?
“Well, I suppose since you’re a physician, as well, you could be of some help. It’s been brought to our attention that a facility operating here in Spring Hill may have some questionable practices.”
Understanding hit Jake with all the force of a railway car. This man was in town to investigate Holbrook’s. And Coralee. “I can assure you, Mr. Johnson, the only apothecary shop
in this town is Holbrook’s and they are above reproach.”
Mr. Johnson’s eyes narrowed. “I believe that will be for me to decide. It appears I can already guess at your views of the facility, so I’ll just ask you to point me in the direction of the shop.”
Even though he was several inches shorter, Mr. Johnson managed to look down his nose at Jake while he waited for a response. Jake couldn’t let this pompous little man project his bias on an unsuspecting Coralee.
“I wouldn’t be a good citizen if I let a visitor to our fine town get lost. I’ll walk you over.” He didn’t let the man protest as he ushered him to the door and locked up. He did his best to keep up a running commentary as they walked, giving Mr. Johnson all the details he could think of about the town. He wasn’t going to let the fellow talk his way into going to Holbrook’s alone.
Jake held the door for Mr. Johnson at the shop, noticing that Coralee was in the back. He made sure to call for her before the other man could dismiss him. “Coralee? There’s a special visitor from Philadelphia here to meet you.”
Coralee came out of the workroom, wiping her hands on her apron. The smell of steeping tea wafted out of the room with her. Jake stepped closer to her as he made the introductions. “Mr. Johnson, this is Coralee...Evans, proprietress of Holbrook’s Apothecary. Mrs. Evans, this is Charles Johnson.” Even in the midst of trying to protect her, Jake choked as he said Coralee’s married name. Would the pain of her betrayal ever truly heal?
Thankfully, no one noticed Jake’s hesitation. A welcoming smile lit Coralee’s face as she extended a hand to shake Mr. Johnson’s. “It’s quite a trip from Philadelphia, Mr. Johnson. What brings you clear out to little Spring Hill?”
“I’ve come at the request of the American Pharmaceutical Association to examine this facility and its operators. It’s our responsibility to ensure that the quality of operations is up to certain standards. We have received a complaint that leads us to believe your work here is not.”
Coralee went pale. “From whom? Who is that unhappy with the shop?”
“I’m sorry, I can’t reveal the source of a complaint. But we take each and every one of them quite seriously.”
Jake saw her relax her clenched hands and straighten her shoulders. She was fighting hard to keep herself together in front of this stranger. Jake felt a burst of pride. That was the girl he remembered.
“Mr. Johnson, I am confident you’ll find only the highest quality of work here at Holbrook’s. But, of course, we’ll cooperate with anything you need.”
Mr. Johnson set his bag on one of the tables. “Then I’ll just set up my materials over here and we’ll get started examining your selection of curatives.” He leaned closer, lips pursed as he looked Coralee over from head to toe. “I haven’t inspected a facility run by a woman before, but be advised that I will not go easy on you because of it.”
Coralee raised her chin and marched to a shelf with Mr. Johnson following. Jake stood back, forcing his breath to come evenly. Something about this man got under his skin. It was clear that he wouldn’t be spending much time at the clinic until this Mr. Johnson was out of their hair. He didn’t trust the man to treat Coralee fairly.
All afternoon, Jake watched Coralee go through every bottle and tin with Mr. Johnson. The man questioned her time and again on the ingredients in each remedy, the common uses, even the shelf life. And with every correct answer, Jake wanted to smirk. Coralee was just as knowledgeable as any man who had been trained back east.
Late in the day, the shop bell jingled. Jake looked up to see a middle-aged woman, breathless and tear-streaked, heading for the table where he sat. “Doc, my husband fell out at the farm. He’s bleeding and can’t get up. His partner’s out there with him, but he needs you real bad. Can you come?”
Jake’s chest tightened at the thought of leaving Coralee alone with Mr. Johnson. But he had a job to do, a responsibility to the people of Spring Hill. “Of course, ma’am. I’ll be right with you.”
He walked over and pulled Coralee aside, speaking in a low voice. “I have to go, but I’m going to stop by your place on the way out and have Cat come over.” He searched her eyes for any hint of discomfort. “You can handle things here until she arrives?”
She nodded and threw a glance at Mr. Johnson over her shoulder. “He’s not dangerous, Jake. I can certainly tolerate an irritating person for a few hours if it means keeping the shop’s name respectable.”
He couldn’t help a smile. That was the Coralee he had known for years. Strong, confident, self-assured. She would indeed manage the situation just fine. He tipped his hat to her and Mr. Johnson and left to care for his newest patient.
* * *
Coralee was growing increasingly frustrated with Mr. Johnson. She was on the verge of testing her new medicine and wanted to focus on it. But this man waltzed into her shop uninvited, accusing her of negligent practices, and proceeded to treat her like a criminal. They had spent all afternoon and into the evening going through every one of her remedies. It was clear that he was waiting for her to slip up. But Papa had taught her well and she fielded his interrogation with no problems.
When Cat arrived not long after Jake left, Coralee could see she shared the same dislike of the situation. Cat had never been able to hide her feelings well. Coralee was very glad that Mr. Johnson’s back was turned to her sister most of the time. His lacking sense of humor would only lead to problems if he saw Cat’s long-suffering eye-rolls or condescending smirks.
Nonetheless, Coralee was thankful Jake had sent Cat over when he’d had to leave. Mr. Johnson had seemed to dislike her from the moment he’d walked in. Oh, he was courteous enough. She didn’t think he would do anything untoward. But knowing that this complete stranger wanted her to fail was disconcerting. And it reminded her all too much of Dr. Jay’s unreasonable dislike. She had a suspicion that the anonymous source that led Mr. Johnson to travel here had been none other than the old doctor.
Finally, Mr. Johnson glanced at his pocket watch and flipped his notebook shut. “I believe we should call it a night, Mrs. Evans.” She nearly sighed in relief but didn’t want to give him any reason to doubt she was capable of handling the shop. “I’ll come by tomorrow and we can discuss the next step.” She nodded and saw him out. As soon as he was past the large glass window, she collapsed at the table with Cat and dropped her head into her hands.
“Coralee, that was impressive. The man is a dunce, but you handled him well. Better than I ever could have.”
They both chuckled. If Cat was in charge, she might have thrown the man out on his ear before he’d taken two steps into the shop. But too much was at stake for Coralee to send him packing. He couldn’t force them to close the shop, but, combined with Dr. Jay’s efforts against her, word of another negative opinion would discredit her entirely. No amount of work on Papa’s project would make the town trust her again if an official Association representative declared that she was negligent. No, it was better to put up with him until he was satisfied and left them alone.
But after a night of little sleep and a great deal of worry, Coralee wasn’t sure she was ready to face another day of Mr. Johnson’s questioning. She felt tense and crabby by the time she arrived at the shop that morning. But when she caught sight of a familiar tall figure leaning against the corner of the building, it all melted away. A smile lifted the corners of her lips.
“Good morning, Jake. I didn’t expect to see you waiting here at this early hour.”
He grinned as he turned to face her and her breath caught. “I wanted to see how the rest of your day went with Mr. Johnson.”
She stopped in front of him, maybe closer than necessary, but she couldn’t seem to help herself. “It was the same as when you were here. He didn’t let up until late and he’s coming back today.”
Jake’s jaw clenched. Did he disapprove of her cooperating wi
th Mr. Johnson?
“Then I’ll stay.” She started to protest. She had monopolized so much of his time already. His patients needed him. And she didn’t want all the town gossip to start revolving around the widow apothecary and the eligible doctor.
But Jake cupped her elbow with one hand and guided her toward the shop door. “I can stay. People know how to find me if they need me. Just like when I’m helping out at my parents’ farm.”
She was thankful to have Jake’s silent support when Mr. Johnson walked in a half hour later. The man looked utterly dour. “I hope you had a nice evening, Mr. Johnson.” She tried to be as civil as possible, given that she wished he was anywhere but in her shop. “Our town is usually quite peaceful and quaint.”
He just harrumphed and dropped his bag on a table with a thump. As Mr. Johnson rummaged around in the bag, Jake quirked an eyebrow at Coralee. She did her best to stifle a giggle before Mr. Johnson turned and saw her laughing at him.
“Now, Mrs. Evans. Let’s sit and chat.” She joined Mr. Johnson at the small table, heart racing. Was he about to tell her he would try to get her run out of business?
But to her surprise, he leaned back in the chair, fingers steepled over his vest, looking relaxed. “I believe I need to offer you an apology. I came here certain that I would have to report this facility to the Association with evidence that it is not being run properly.” Coralee’s heart sank. He felt bad, but he was still going to give an unfavorable report of the shop.
“But I’ve been surprised. You have an unexpected depth of knowledge that some of the men in our Association don’t even possess.”
Pride welled in her. If only Papa could have heard those words.
Mr. Johnson continued with a smile that looked out of place on his usually grim face. “I would like to recommend that you pursue admission into the Association.” He adjusted his jacket sleeves, waiting for her answer. But Coralee was speechless.
Taking on Twins Page 9