“That young doctor tells me you’re the apothecary. I approve of a young woman taking on a venture like that.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Felder. The shop was my father’s. He trained me and left the shop to me when he passed last year.”
“Ah, a wise man. A woman alone needs means of supporting herself. Take me. That son of mine has a wandering spirit something fierce. But I can make my way fine without him. I work my vegetable patch and grow the finest produce you’ve ever seen. That and eggs from my prized chickens keep me just fine.” The older woman kept up a steady stream of conversation as she handed Coralee a cloth. “For the dusting. This furniture is in an awful state.” Coralee examined the fine wood pieces scattered around the cabin, trying to hide an amused grin. There wasn’t a speck of dust anywhere in the room.
“Young Dr. Hadley sure is a handsome fellow. You have a beau, Miss Evans?”
Coralee flushed at the direct question. “It’s Mrs. Evans. My husband passed two years ago.”
“Oh, well, I’m sorry for that, my dear. My Fred’s been gone five years. He was a good one and I miss him every day.” She looked at Coralee with compassion. “How are you handling life by yourself?”
Coralee’s eyes welled with tears at the question. But, to her surprise, the ache in her heart was much less painful than usual. She focused on the lighter feeling for a moment. “You know, for so long I thought it would be unbearable forever. But maybe it’s starting to be a little less difficult.”
The older woman nodded, looking quite pleased. “That’s the way, Mrs. Evans. You’ll always miss him, but it gets easier. Now, about the handsome young doctor...” She paused, eyebrows raised and eyes glittering with interest.
Coralee wasn’t sure what to say. Yes, Jake was handsome. Spending time in such close quarters while they worked, how could she not notice his broad shoulders and arms thick with muscle? Or the short beard that made her long to trace his strong jaw to feel the texture?
She managed a strangled laugh as she tried to dismiss the older woman’s obvious hinting. “Oh, yes, Dr. Hadley is a fine man. But as you know, a widow must be prudent. With my position as Spring Hill’s apothecary, I can hardly go chasing after a man.”
Mrs. Felder’s eyes narrowed and Coralee got the impression the older woman wasn’t fooled by the forced airiness. She motioned Coralee into the chair beside her. “Seems to me you might think you’ll be a widow forever. At your age and as lovely as you are, that’s a bit like giving up on the good Lord. You don’t strike me as one to give up so easily.”
Coralee swallowed hard at the blunt words. Was she giving up on what God might have for her? She decided to repay Mrs. Felder’s bluntness with some honesty of her own. “I’m not sure I can risk loss like that again. Losing Alan was...it was terrible.” Mrs. Felder nodded, understanding and compassion written on her wrinkled face. “How can I take that chance again? What if God takes everyone I love?”
“Oh, my dear.” Mrs. Felder placed her hand on Coralee’s. The gentle touch relaxed a tension she hadn’t noticed growing. “We’re guaranteed to lose ones we love now and then. But that doesn’t mean loving them isn’t worth the trouble. The people in our lives that we love are precious gifts, and the Lord says good and perfect gifts are from Him. So I can’t help but believe they’re worth it, even for a short time.”
The words stuck in Coralee’s mind. Knowing the hurt she had experienced, would she go back and choose to not love Alan? Never. Every day with him was a beautiful memory to her now. So maybe opening up to love again was worth the risk of heartache.
“Now, there’s a broom in the corner. The floor is terribly dirty.” Coralee stifled another laugh at the woman’s obvious overstatement as she reached for the broom.
Mrs. Felder chatted about everything under the sun while Coralee cleaned anything that could be cleaned. Whether it needed cleaning or not. She finally convinced Mrs. Felder to have some lunch with her, along with chamomile tea in case there was some hint of sickness left in the woman after all.
Coralee answered a knock at the door just after they finished. A burst of warmth rushed through her when she saw Jake waiting outside. What would he think if he’d heard Mrs. Felder’s teasing? But as soon as she took in the look on his face, she sobered. Something was wrong.
“It’s Aaron and Liza Riley.” A chill swept over her. He met her gaze, pain radiating from his eyes. “I don’t expect them to last the night.”
Mrs. Felder gasped, a wrinkled hand covering her mouth.
Coralee wanted to break down in tears at the thought of those sweet two-year-olds, soon to be orphans. But this was not the time to be weepy and fragile. The children needed strong adults to stand in their parents’ place.
“What can we do?”
“I’m not sure we can do anything. I’ve given them what I can to make them more comfortable. But while I was there, Liza spoke to me about the twins. They don’t have any family to take them in since Aaron’s parents died three years ago. She loves their life here. This is where they chose to start their family. Liza wants them to grow up here, not be sent back east.”
Mrs. Felder clucked her tongue. “Of course they should have a family here, where their parents wanted to be. The poor darlings. Do you know of anyone looking to adopt a child?”
Jake shook his head and Coralee’s heart sank. “No, and even if I did, most families couldn’t take them both and I won’t have them separated. I...I promised Liza I would care for them until I find the perfect family to settle them with.” His voice cracked with emotion as he spoke.
Mrs. Felder nodded with determination. “Dr. Hadley, I appreciate your concern for an old woman these last few days. But I certainly wouldn’t expect you or Mrs. Evans to spend time around here when other people need you more.” Jake’s skeptical expression almost made Coralee snort in laughter. Mrs. Felder acted as if she wasn’t the one who had been adamant about needing their attention. “You two go on and find those dear children a home.”
Coralee and Jake bid the older woman farewell and loaded up the wagon. Jake sat for a moment, the reins loose in his hands, eyes focused far across the grassy hills. A pang of compassion hit Coralee. He had taken on a great deal of responsibility in just a few days and he was handling it with such grace. He looked so forlorn that she couldn’t help resting a comforting hand on his forearm.
He shifted to face her. “I need to check on the Wallaces again. But it might take some time to get word out about the twins and find someone willing to take them.” He ran a hand through his short hair as he turned toward the open prairie again.
“We’ll split up. If you take me back to town, I can go calling with Cecilia to start the search for a family. Then you can visit your patients again. And maybe get a little rest.”
Jake’s drooping shoulders straightened, giving him a new look of purpose. “Yes, that’s a good plan. Thank you. The lack of sleep is catching up with me.”
They rode in silence for most of the trip to town. He dropped Coralee off at Lily’s Café and immediately headed back out of town. Coralee went in search of her sister to see if she was free to start looking for the twins’ new family.
All afternoon, Coralee and Cecilia visited their neighbors in town. Their first stop was the mercantile, next door to Lily’s. Mrs. Collins was tending the counter and greeted them with a cheerful smile. After a few moments of small talk, Coralee got to the point. “I suppose you’ve heard about the cholera outbreak south of town.”
The older woman cringed. “Such a frightening thing, cholera. Is it contained? Do we need to worry here in town?”
“Oh, no, it doesn’t seem to be spreading very quickly. However, several families have been hit hard. In particular, it’s only a matter of time for Aaron and Liza Riley.”
Mrs.