Taking On Twins. Mollie Campbell

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.