Taking on Twins

by Mollie Campbell

  Charlie maneuvered the buggy as close as he could to the church, parking among the other wagons and buggies that had gathered for the festivities. People were starting to emerge from nearby buildings where they had taken shelter from the storm, checking with neighbors and friends to be sure everyone was safe. Coralee thanked Charlie again for his help before hurrying to the spot where she had left her sisters.

  Her knees went weak when she saw Cat and Cecilia picking up the area around their wagon with the twins’ help. Cecilia turned and caught sight of her. “Oh, there she is.” Both of her sisters and the twins rushed to hug her. “Coralee Evans, we were so worried about you.” Cecilia’s words came out in her teacher voice, making Coralee want to giggle, silly with relief.

  “I’m so sorry. Charlie and I didn’t notice the storm coming in. When Jake found us, we all had to take shelter in an abandoned cabin to wait out the storm. But we’re all fine.”

  Cecilia hugged her again then pulled back to look around. “Where’s Jake? A family rode into town just before you saying they thought a tornado touched down outside town. Did he leave to check on his parents?”

  Coralee searched the crowd for Jake’s tall frame. She had expected him to meet them here, no matter what had happened out on the prairie. But he was nowhere in sight. “Will you watch the twins while I try to find him? I’m sure he’ll want to ride out and see if everything is safe at their farm.”

  At Cecilia’s nod, Coralee took off at a brisk pace. Ezra and Beth meant the world to Jake. If they were injured or something was wrong at the farm, she knew he would be devastated that he hadn’t been there to help them.

  She found Jake at the clinic. As she pushed the door open, he turned from the book on his desk, wincing when he saw her in the doorway. Her chest tightened at his pained look. They had gotten along so well while they’d worked on Papa’s formula. Coralee knew she couldn’t risk giving her heart away again, but she had started to hope they could be friends. Now Jake’s lack of trust in her was building a wall right up between them again. His behavior that morning had added one more row of bricks keeping them from a civil relationship.

  Coralee stood just inside the door, fidgeting with the folds of her skirt. “I’m sorry to interrupt. I know you don’t want to see me right now. But have you seen your parents? Cecilia said there are rumors of a tornado touching down outside town.”

  Jake’s face went pale and he lurched to his feet. Hesitating, he met her eyes. “What about the twins?”

  “They’re with Cecilia and Cat. We’ll watch them until you return.”

  His only response was a nod as he hurried past her and ran to the hitching post where his horse waited. Coralee watched him ride away, silent prayers for all three members of the Hadley family weighing on her heart.

  * * *

  Jake’s stomach churned as he surveyed the damage to the landscape on the ride to the farm. His parents had planned to come to the celebration that day but, in all the excitement, he hadn’t even bothered to look for them. And now they could be injured. Or worse. He urged the horse to go faster.

  If something had happened to them, it would be his fault. As their only child, taking care of Ma and Pa was his responsibility. And what had he been doing instead? Chasing Coralee around on a jealous whim.

  Faced with possible tragedy, he couldn’t keep lying to himself. He had been motivated more by jealousy than anything else. Charlie had been out there with Coralee and Jake didn’t like it one bit. He hadn’t even noticed the storm brewing when he’d saddled up the horse to find the pair earlier. He had been too upset that she was alone at the creek with an eligible bachelor. And then he’d gone and yelled at them both for ignoring the weather, the same as he had.

  It felt like an invisible clamp was squeezing Jake’s chest as he rode onto Hadley land. He could see where a funnel cloud had made contact, tearing a winding path of destruction toward the northeast. Bits of trees and other wreckage trailed across the land as if a giant hand had scattered them from the sky. Every few feet chunks of grass had been ripped up and tossed aside. One tree near the creek was stripped bare while the one next to it had been snapped off at the top but no other branches had been damaged.

  At the crest of the last low rise, Jake slowed the horse. His eyes swept the farm, stomach in knots until he saw that the farmhouse and barn were still standing and undamaged. But he couldn’t relax completely until he saw both of his parents unharmed. He spurred the horse on again, watching for any signs of Ma or Pa as he approached.

  At the house, he took the porch stairs in one leap and charged through the kitchen, calling for his mother. He found her in the parlor, frowning at him. “Jake Hadley, what on earth do you think you’re doing? After all the excitement of that storm, your pa just settled down for a rest.” She shook a finger in his face. “Don’t you go waking him up.”

  Jake looked her over from head to toe. Every gray hair was in place in her usual simple bun. No cuts or scratches on her weathered face. No rips in the cloth of her plain brown dress. He was so relieved he wrapped his arms around her and squeezed tight. She chuckled, patting his back. “I’m glad to see you, too, dear.” She leaned away and examined him. “Now let me see you. Are you all right?”

  “Yes, Ma. I was just outside of town when the storm rolled through, but I found shelter. Didn’t see a tornado touch down where I was, but it looks like it was worse out here.”

  She nodded as she returned to the dusting he’d interrupted. “We were out by the barn. Your pa made me run for shelter, but he didn’t make it before the funnel hit.” A chill washed over Jake. She’d said Pa was resting. Was he hurt? “We’re awful thankful none of the buildings were damaged.”

  “The buildings? Ma, what about Pa? Is he hurt?”

  His mother didn’t even turn from the shelf she was dusting. “Oh, no, dear. He tripped when he was following me to the barn and didn’t have time to make it inside. So he tucked in next to the wall and was perfectly safe. The tornado wasn’t even that close to us. We saw it over the rise before it went the other way.”

  Jake dropped into his favorite chair, his body slack with relief after the urgency of the last few hours. He let his head thump back against the wooden chair and closed his eyes. Now that he knew his parents were safe, the mixed emotions of the day started to crowd in, overwhelming him.

  “What had you outside of town this morning? I hope it wasn’t an injury on such a festive day.”

  He watched Ma as she worked, amazed at how tireless she was. “No, nothing like that.” He didn’t want to explain the situation to his mother. She was so perceptive that she would know in an instant what had motivated his actions. But he didn’t want to lie to her and she had turned from her dusting, waiting expectantly for him to continue.

  “It was Coralee. She rode out early with Charlie Albridge, the banker, to gather bark for her medication. Cecilia was worried when they didn’t return on time. I went out to find them and we had to take shelter before making it back to town.”

  Understanding dawned on her face, just as he expected. He held up a hand before she could speak. “You don’t have to say it, Ma. I’m kicking myself for letting jealousy get the better of me. I was out there chasing that fool woman instead of here protecting you.” He hung his head as the guilt pricked at him again.

  Ma stopped her work and planted herself on the edge of a chair, close to Jake. “You don’t have to feel guilty about not being here. I know you want to help us, but even with your pa’s arm, we can handle the farm. We’ve been through tornados before and I’d guess we’ll go through them again. You being here wouldn’t have changed anything if the storm had been worse.”

  Jake bristled. Of course it would have been different if he’d been there. Pa wouldn’t have been out there working. Jake would have made certain both his parents were safe inside even if he’d had to pick Pa up and c
arry him.

  “No, I handled the whole day badly.” He picked at a loose thread on the hem of his jacket. Now Ma would see how weak he had become. Anytime Coralee Evans was involved, Jake lost any semblance of good judgment.

  But to his surprise, Ma clucked her tongue at him. “No, you didn’t, Jake. You helped Cecilia when she was worried about her sister. And you protected Coralee by assuring her good reputation is intact and helping her weather the storm in safety.” His mother patted his hand with her wrinkled one. “That’s the kind of man I raised you to be.” She rose and planted a kiss on his forehead, just like when he was a little boy. “You’ve made me proud today, Jake.”

  Was it possible he had acted nobly, in spite of the jealousy that had driven him? Even if he had hated that Charlie was the one out there with Coralee, deep down, he had also been worried about her reputation and her safety. Maybe he had made the right choices, after all.

  Ma returned to her cleaning, but after a moment she starting talking again. “Did I ever tell you what your pa and I saw when you were courting Coralee before you left for school?” Jake shook his head, curious where she was headed with the conversation.

  “We talked all the time about how the two of you reminded us of ourselves in our courting days.”

  Jake started to chuckle at that. They hadn’t been anything like his steady, peaceful parents.

  Ma shook her head, stopping his laughter. “No, I mean it, Jake. When I met him, your pa was not the thoughtful man he is today. And I was rather good at getting us into spats with my quick temper.”

  “You? Ma, I’ve never seen you lose your temper.”

  She shrugged. “That’s because your father was a good influence on me. After a while, he started confronting me when I got upset over silly things. He refused to sit back and let me ruin our relationship by overreacting. I had to learn to handle my temper because he wouldn’t stand for anything else.”

  Jake stared at his mother. He would never have suspected that Ma hadn’t always been the calm, easygoing woman he knew.

  “And it wasn’t just me. I like to think I had an impact on him, as well. I couldn’t stand it when he would barrel right over me, not thinking about how I would feel. I pointed it out enough times that he must have gotten the idea. He grew to be very conscientious of what people around him felt and needed.”

  She stopped cleaning and rested a hand on Jake’s shoulder. “I see the same traits in you and Coralee. And I see the same potential for you to help each other grow into better people. It may feel rough at first. But, eventually, you’ll look back and be able to see the good that’s come from those hard times. Sometimes, God puts people in your path just to push you to be better.” With a quick flick of her hands, Ma folded the dust cloth. “Now, I’m off to start preparations for supper. You just take a few quiet moments then check on your pa when you’re ready.”

  Jake took her up on that and sat still in the chair after she left, mulling over her words. He had been wondering why God would keep putting him near Coralee so often, after the hurt they’d caused each other in the past. Maybe Ma was right. Maybe part of God’s plan for him included using Coralee to push him into changing.

  Chapter Seven

  Independence Day ended with a ball, hosted by Charlie. The twins and other women chattered with excitement all afternoon. But Coralee’s emotions were as volatile as the explosives people were setting off throughout the town. Jake hadn’t returned from the farm, so Coralee offered to watch the children at the party while her sisters danced. Deep down, it was a relief to have a reason to keep to herself during the event.

  She hoped Jake’s late return didn’t mean tragedy had struck the Hadleys. On their walk to Charlie’s home, she continued to pray for all three of them. Her thoughts wandered to the moment by the creek that morning when she’d turned to see Jake standing behind her and Charlie. Even hours later, she flushed with guilt. She should never have let Charlie tag along. But he had been adamant that she couldn’t go alone. Coralee had a sneaking suspicion that he had been trying to impress Cat by acting gallant.

  Her shoulders slumped when her mind replayed the crushed look on Jake’s face under the willow trees. His attitude while they’d waited out the storm had been hurtful. But after her emotions had time to settle, she realized what the whole episode must have looked like to him.

  She only hoped he would be calm enough to listen to and accept her explanation when he came to get the children. As much as his lack of trust hurt her, she would rather try to get along than continue to fight with him.

  They arrived at Charlie’s home to find people streaming all around, decked out in their best evening clothes. The house itself was one of the finest in Spring Hill, second only to the mayor’s home. From what she had heard, Charlie had done quite well for himself banking in Mississippi before deciding to seek out adventure by coming west. It certainly would have cost a tidy sum to have enough wood shipped out for the two-story home. Not to mention the number of lovely windows and fancy touches. But of all the places in town, those rich details made it the perfect location for a ball.

  Coralee tugged at the lace trim that decorated the peach silk gown she had borrowed from Cat. It had been years since she’d had a reason to dress up and none of her mourning dresses were appropriate, so her sisters had worked together to dress her for the evening. She felt out of place in the lovely gown, leading the twins into Charlie’s backyard where friends and neighbors were gathering. In the midst of the festive atmosphere, Coralee found she wasn’t much in the mood to celebrate.

  Charlie greeted guests with a smile, pointing out the tables against the house that were laden with food and drinks. Several musicians were set up nearby and couples were already whirling around a large grassy area that served as a dance floor. Assorted chairs ringed the yard, providing places to stop and rest throughout the night.

  Immediately, Cat was whisked away to dance by a local young man. Coralee couldn’t help glancing at Charlie, not surprised when his lips thinned into a tight line, eyes following the couple. Cecilia and Aunt Lily made a round of the yard, greeting everyone by name. Determined to stay off the dance floor, Coralee found a spot near the food tables where the twins could play and run.

  She watched the frolicking couples while straightening the skirts of the borrowed dress. Alan had been an excellent dancer. The memory of his arms around her, spinning to the music and laughing together, surfaced. For a moment she didn’t see the dancers or the decorations. Just Alan’s eyes, sparkling with joy. But then the sky-blue eyes changed into chocolate brown, deep and serious. Jake’s face filled her mind. The music and swirling activity seemed to fade away as she envisioned Jake taking her hand, wrapping one arm around her back and leading her in a dance.

  The daydream came to an abrupt halt when a young couple, busy laughing and staring into each other’s eyes, bumped her on the way to find a drink. She nodded at their distracted apologies and tried to step farther away from the chaotic dance floor.

  But she backed right into someone else, making her cheeks flame. She couldn’t seem to stay out of the way tonight. She whirled around to make an apology and came face-to-face with Jake. If it was possible, dressed in a formal jacket with a dark waistcoat and tie, Jake looked even more handsome than usual. The flush deepened and she wished a cooling breeze would stir the hot evening air. She tried to step back and stumbled on her dress hem. His hands gripped her upper arms to steady her, a teasing smile lighting his face.

  “Whoa, there, I don’t want to have to fix up any more injuries tonight than necessary. I expect I’ll be busy in the next few hours, anyway. Celebrations tend to lead to bad decisions.”

  Coralee tried to force a light laugh but it came out sounding strangled. “Yes, I suppose you’ll have your hands full as the festivities linger on.” She recovered enough from her awkwardness to remember why he had arriv
ed late. Pausing, she searched his face for clues about his parents’ well-being. No sadness hid in his dark eyes, no downward turn of his lips. “How did you find things at the farm?”

  He ran a hand through his hair, already tousled. “The twister was close. Pa didn’t make it to shelter, so I took the time to check him over. He’s fine. But I hate that I wasn’t there to make sure they were both safe.”

  His dedication to caring for his parents was admirable, but she could see guilt hiding in his expression. “Jake, you can’t blame yourself for something that didn’t even happen.”

  “I’m the only one they have, Coralee. What happens to them is my responsibility.”

  She straightened, planting her hands on her hips. “Just how old do you think your parents are?” He drew back at her tone. She tried to soften her approach, laying a hand on his sleeve. “Maybe someday they’ll need you to care for them. But right now, they’re still healthy and capable. They just need a little help around the farm, not a parent.”

  His rubbed the back of his neck with a tanned hand as she continued, trying to be gentle. “You were away for some time, but I was here and saw your parents often. They’re getting along fine. Your pa isn’t too proud to ask for help and your ma is the strongest woman I’ve ever known. Jake, they’re thrilled to have you here, but you aren’t responsible for them just yet.”

  Creases appeared on his forehead as his brows pulled together. “All those years in St. Louis, all I could think about was getting back here to help them. I thought they would be struggling without me. But maybe you’re right. They’ve been happy to have me around but, usually, Pa has most of the chores covered when I get there.”

  She smiled. “See? They’re so proud of your medical career. I know they would be terribly upset if you put trying to care for them over helping those who need you.”

  Jake stuffed his hands in the pockets of his trousers, rocking back on his heels. “I guess we need to talk about the other incident today.”