Katie Read online

  Aaron blushed, but he wasn’t sure why. He knew he should be focusing on the proceedings, not being distracted by gossip, but something inside him was burning for more information about the young woman he’d met that morning. “How many are there?”

  “Fifteen in total,” Ruby replied, enjoying the shocked expression on Aaron’s face.

  “Pardon me for sounding intrusive, but you don’t look much like Katie,” Aaron remarked.

  Ruby laughed. “We’re all orphans with different birth parents. Well, except my twin and I—Opal. You’ll meet all of us if you stick around here long enough. It’s actually funny, because the way we ended up in Nowhere isn’t too different than the way you and your boys did. We took a bus and there was some fiasco about our living arrangements. It all worked out for us—Edna Petunia and Cletus adopted all of us!”

  Aaron nodded, taking this all in. He couldn’t believe the coincidence. Before he could comment further, a disagreement broke out.

  Cletus banged the gavel again, but people were out of their seats, shouting at each other.

  Ruby shook her head. “I’m sorry you have to witness this. We’re usually much more civil. I guess tensions are high with winter coming and everyone preparing for the seasons to change.”

  “I just want to know if the boys are going to have a roof over their heads tonight,” Aaron admitted.

  Ruby’s face grew serious. “Aaron, trust me, there’s no way that me or my family would leave you to fend for yourselves. I’m sure we’ll figure something out.”

  “Thank you, Ruby. I appreciate that,” Aaron said.

  Micah Barton stood up. “Everyone, please, quiet!” In an instant, the room hushed. No one had ever heard the mild-mannered pastor raise his voice before. “It seems to me the immediate need is where the boys and their teacher will stay. They can stay at the church until we figure out a more permanent solution. There’s plenty of space most of the week, and they can help prepare for services on Sunday.”

  The crowd broke into chatter, and Aaron felt a small sense of relief. His eyelids felt heavy and he had a hard time staying upright. Sleeping at the church would be wonderful.

  In a few minutes, there was consensus. Aaron and his pupils would stay at the church until further notice. A lovely blonde woman approached Aaron as the meeting broke up. “I’m Sarah Jane Barton, Micah’s wife. It’s a pleasure to meet you,” she said warmly.

  “Thank you very much for your hospitality,” Aaron said politely. “I can’t tell you what a relief it will be to have a place to sleep tonight. We didn’t get much rest on the bus, I’m afraid.”

  “Oh, you poor things! We’ll get you a hot meal and then you can rest up. I know my children will love having a few extra playmates,” Sarah Jane beamed.

  “Thank you,” Aaron repeated. He felt sorry he couldn’t carry on a more intelligent conversation, but his entire body felt drained. “I suppose I need to make my way back to the schoolhouse.”

  “We’ll give you a ride!” Sarah Jane exclaimed. “One of my other sisters is watching the children right now, so we have time to take you to the schoolhouse and then transport all of you back to the church with us. Oh, wait a minute.” Sarah thought about something for a moment. “I forgot how many there are. Ruby, do you think you and Lewis could help us?”

  “Of course!” Ruby agreed. “I’ll talk to Cletus and Edna Petunia. I’m sure they’ll help, too.”

  Aaron was amazed at how willing Ruby and her family members were to help him. He was a stranger and an outsider, yet they had no reservations about lending a hand. “I don’t know how I’ll be able to repay you.”

  “Don’t mention it,” Ruby said as she walked over to talk to Cletus and Edna Petunia.

  A few moments later, Aaron rode in Cletus’s wagon next to Edna Petunia. He watched as she pulled a peppermint candy from her chest and held it out to him. “You look like you haven’t eaten much in days.”

  Edna Petunia was right. Aaron's stomach growled as he tried not to show his horror on his face. He was starving, but he wasn’t so desperate that he’d accept a peppermint stick from a woman’s bosom. And although he was shocked by Edna Petunia’s brazen antics, he also could tell the woman was coming from a place of love and support. He shook his head in amazement as the wagon continued toward the school.

  Once they arrived, Aaron helped Edna Petunia out of the wagon.

  “Oh, my. You’re making me blush!” Edna Petunia exclaimed. She swatted his arm lightly, and Aaron felt his cheeks redden. “Next time I’ll aim for your behind,” Edna Petunia joked. Or at least, Aaron hoped she was joking.

  Sarah Jane climbed out of her wagon and explained the situation to Katie and Miss Carroll.

  Aaron cleared his throat. “All boys six through eight will travel with me. Boys nine through twelve will go with Mr. and Mrs. Darcy. Boys aged thirteen and up will go with Pastor and Mrs. Barton.

  Katie watched as the boys quickly grabbed their luggage and began loading it into the wagons. Once all the bags had been packed, Lewis, Ruby, Micah, and Sarah Jane helped the boys get in.

  There was an open spot in Edna Petunia and Cletus’s wagon, and Edna Petunia waved her arms at Katie. “Don’t just stand there, silly! You’d better come with us, too!”

  Katie looked back at the school house. Lessons were over and the children had gone home, but she thought Miss Carroll might still need her help.

  Miss Carroll looked up at Katie and smiled. “She’s right. You should go with them and help them settle in. I’ll be fine here.”

  Katie nodded and climbed into the Sanders family wagon. As she took her seat, her legs brushed up against Aaron’s, and Katie’s entire face flushed. Her pulse raced and her palms grew clammy. Although she had only met him hours before, Aaron Cavett had a strong effect on Katie. She felt most peculiar, as if a spell had been cast over her. Was she allergic to him?

  Aaron shifted in his seat so his legs would no longer touch Katie’s. She was certainly lovely, and seemed like a sweet girl, but he couldn’t allow any distractions. He would find all of the boys permanent placements and then he would find a ride back to New York. He couldn’t wait to confront cowardly, greedy Lazarus Ballinger once and for all. But first, he had to ensure that the boys were well-cared for and had proper homes and plans for school.

  When they pulled up in front of the church, Aaron’s heart sank. The church didn’t seem big enough to house fifteen boys and their lanky headmaster. But he couldn’t afford to be choosy. They had no other options.

  Edna Petunia winked at Aaron as he helped her out of the wagon. Aaron lowered his voice as he helped Katie out, too. “Is your mother, er, is she—” He couldn’t find the right words.

  Katie threw her head back and laughed. “She’s one of a kind. She means well, and that’s all you need to know.”

  Aaron nodded even though he didn’t completely understand and waited as the boys climbed out of their wagons, unloaded their luggage, and raced toward the church structure.

  Micah opened the doors and ushered the boys inside. Aaron realized the building went further back than he had anticipated, and he was grateful that it seemed the structure could accommodate all the boys after all.

  Jacob began running through the aisles, but paused when Aaron let out a sharp whistle. “Jacob!”

  Jacob slowed down and looked sheepishly up at Aaron. “I’m sorry, Headmaster.”

  Aaron set his lips in a tight line. “We are Pastor Barton and Mrs. Barton’s guests. We need to treat their home with respect.”

  “Yes, Headmaster.” Jacob smiled and Aaron fought to keep his lips from curving upward as well.

  “I’m going to make a stew and some bread for dinner to feed the troops,” Sarah Jane explained. “We’ll eat in our living quarters, which are attached to the church. We have some sheets and blankets and the boys can each take a pew.”

  “Thank you,” Aaron said, still feeling uncomfortable at how much generosity the family was showing him.
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br />   Sarah Jane and Ruby disappeared into the living quarters. Edna Petunia, Cletus, Lewis, and Micah followed. A few minutes later, Ruby returned with sheets and blankets. Aaron and Katie passed them out and helped the boys set up makeshift beds in the pews.

  “What do you say to Miss Sanders for helping you?” Aaron prompted.

  “Thank you, Miss Sanders,” Jacob said as he pulled out a tattered teddy bear and placed it on top of his blanket. “You’re real pretty. I don’t know what my Mama looked like because she died just as soon as I was born. But I hope she looked exactly like you.”

  Katie felt her heart melt. She reached down and took Jacob’s small hand. “That’s awfully sweet of you to say, Jacob. I’m sure your mother loved you very much, and that she’s proud of you now.”

  “Thank you, Miss Sanders,” Jacob said. He smiled shyly, picked up the hat box he had been carrying around since he had arrived, and went to play with the other boys.

  “What a sweet boy!” Katie exclaimed.

  Aaron smirked. “He is sweet, but he can be a real handful sometimes. You can never take your eyes off him, it seems. He is my best pupil, though. Despite his age, he’s very advanced.”

  “I don’t know how you do it,” Katie remarked, watching the children settle into the church.

  “Do what?” Aaron asked.

  “I work at the school, and although I love it, my days are long and tiring. When I get home, the last thing I want to do is talk to children again. But it sounds like at your school in New York, you were not only the headmaster during the day, but you also lived there and supervised them at night. That sounds like so much work!” Katie explained.

  Aaron nodded. “It was a lot of work, but I was honored to have the opportunity. You see—”

  Just then, a ball sailed past Aaron’s head from behind, knocking over a vase situated on a small table. Aaron lunged forward and barely managed to grasp it. He straightened himself, brushed off his shirt, and set the vase down.

  “Wow, that was a good catch!” Katie cried. “Are you all right?”

  The color had drained from Aaron’s face. He glared at his students. “What is the rule for playing with a ball inside any building?”

  Throughout the church, the other pupils fell silent.

  “What is the rule?” Aaron repeated.

  From the back corner, Jonah piped up. “No ball inside, sir.”

  “That’s right, Jonah.” The color returned to Aaron’s face, and he took a few deep breaths. “Outside, all of you! And that ball is mine!”

  Jonah retrieved the ball and handed it back to Aaron. The boys hurried to the door and exited the church in a single-file line.

  Aaron composed himself. “I’m sorry about that. I didn’t mean to lose my temper. I just was concerned the boys would break that lovely vase that belongs to the church.”

  Katie nodded. “I understand. You care about the children, and you want to treat them with kindness, and believe the best in them, but you also have to discipline them and scold them to make sure they learn right from wrong.”

  Aaron nodded. “Precisely.” He realized it was rare that he had met a woman he connected with so well before. He could tell that Katie was truly listening to everything he said. Not to mention how lovely she was. He wished he could simply lean over and — Suddenly, he felt self-conscious standing in front of Katie and thinking such scandalous thoughts. “Please excuse me.” He needed to clear his head.

  Outside, the boys had found another ball and were tossing it around to each other and chasing one another with sticks they’d found on the ground. Aaron sighed and shook his head. Working with youths meant there was no time to rest. They were always getting into some type of mischief.

  Aaron scanned the crowd. All of the orphans were present and accounted for except one: Jacob. Aaron knew that wasn’t a good sign. Whenever Jacob wandered off, he had a tendency to get into sticky situations and Aaron was not prepared to handle such misconduct. He looked at his wristwatch. Sarah Jane would serve dinner shortly, so he had to find Jacob as quickly as possible.

  Callum, a boy of ten, raced past Aaron toward the church, squealing and laughing. Aaron hadn’t seen him that happy in weeks. Maybe the open spaces and fresh air in Texas would be good for the boys. Aaron watched as Callum stopped suddenly and stood stock-still.

  Aaron frowned. He walked over to the boy. “Are you all right, Callum?”

  Callum put his finger to his lips and motioned for Aaron to be quiet. “Listen,” he whispered.

  Aaron turned his ear in the direction Callum had indicated. A cascade of perfect notes rang through the air, clear as a crystal. A woman with the loveliest voice Aaron had ever heard was singing a church hymn. Around him, the boys heard it, too, and they stopped their game to listen.

  Aaron’s feet began propelling him toward the church before he even realized what he was doing. He had to meet the woman who was singing. He wanted to listen to her forever.

  The boys quietly followed Aaron into the church. At the front of the church, a beam of light from the window obscured the singer. Aaron stepped closer until the woman took form. It was Katie Sanders, and she had the voice of an angel.

  Aaron and his charges crept closer and took seats in the front pews, reverently listening to the beautiful melodies.

  Katie smiled as she realized she had an audience. She hadn’t been trying to attract an audience, but she never minded performing. She loved to sing and wasn’t self-conscious or shy about it.

  As she sang, Katie felt something cold inside of her dress. She tried to continue, but stopped abruptly as something wriggled around underneath her clothes.

  From the audience, Aaron watched in horror as Katie danced around the front of the church. She looked like she was in pain. What was wrong with her?

  Suddenly, a greenish blur dropped from Katie’s skirt onto the floor and began to hop! The boys jumped out of their seats to try to catch it. Katie shrieked and ran away. Pandemonium broke loose in the church.

  Edna Petunia stumbled into the church, holding a frying pan. “What’s all this commotion about?” She screamed as the frog hopped onto her foot and into the pews, then chased after it with the frying pan.

  “No, please don’t hurt Freddy!” Jacob pleaded, throwing himself onto his knees. “Everyone, please be careful! Don’t step on my pet!”

  Aaron winced. He had forgotten about the frog Jacob had found in New York days ago. He had assumed Jacob had left his pet in New York. How could he have been so foolish? Of course Jacob had found a way to smuggle a frog onto a days-long bus ride.

  Aaron walked up to Katie and helped her steady herself. “Are you all right? I’m so deeply sorry about this.”

  Katie grinned. “I was startled more than anything. I’ll be fine. Sounds like you have a school mascot?”

  Aaron shook his head vigorously. “Just a simple mistake. I should have never allowed Jacob to play with that frog. I’m embarrassed.” He felt it was best not to explain the entire story to Katie of how the frog came to be in Nowhere.

  “You have nothing to be embarrassed about. Jacob and the others are young boys. They’re bound to get into a little mischief once in a while,” Katie said as she watched Jacob carefully look for his pet.

  Sarah Jane re-entered the church. “Attention!” Sarah Jane cried over the din. “It’s time to eat!”

  “Oh, no,” Katie whispered as she turned to look at Sarah Jane.

  At the same time Katie spoke, Aaron saw exactly what she was talking about. The frog was perched nonchalantly on Sarah Jane’s head. The church fell into a hush once more.

  “Mrs. Sarah Jane! Mrs. Sarah Jane!” Jacob ran forward, nearly tripping over his skinny legs.

  “What’s wrong, honey?” Sarah Jane asked sweetly.

  “Don’t move,” Aaron called out in warning.

  Sarah Jane looked confused.

  Jacob picked up the hat box he’d poked holes in and held it out to Sarah Jane. “Would you, um, could you..
.?”

  “What do you need, honey?” Sarah Jane was now baffled. Everyone was looking at her with an odd expression on her face. She couldn’t tell if it was amusement, fear, or both, but she didn’t like it. “What is going on?”

  “RIBBIT,” the frog called, its sound ringing throughout the church.

  Sarah Jane realized she had a live animal on her head and screamed. The frog fell into the hat box and Jacob closed the lid triumphantly. Sarah danced around, still screaming. Micah came out to comfort her.

  “What was that?” Sarah Jane asked, her voice shaking.

  Aaron sighed as he stepped forward to take responsibility. Things in Nowhere were not off to a great start.

  Chapter Three

  Each day after her work at the school house was done, Katie stopped by the church to see how the orphans were doing. She knew what it was like to be new in town, and she wanted to make sure all the boys felt comfortable in their new temporary home. And it didn’t hurt that she got to see Aaron Cavett.

  Katie had thought that by seeing him so often, he would start to lose his strange pull over her. Instead, her feelings for him had only intensified. As soon as he walked into a room, she felt an instant need to be near him at all times.

  Katie walked through the pews of the church until she found the blanket with the teddy bear on top. She pulled a book out of her bag and looked around for a sign of Jacob. She found him sitting in the corner, playing with Callum and Freddy. “I brought something for you.” Katie held up the book and set it down next to the teddy bear.

  “Thank you, Miss Sanders!” Jacob leapt up and raced toward her, throwing his arms around her knees and wrapping them in a big hug.

  “You’re welcome,” Katie laughed. She had always enjoyed spending time with her nieces and nephews, but her connection to Jacob felt different. It was already a close and special bond even though they’d only known each other for a few days.

  Jacob opened the book. It was a chapter book on frogs. “It’s all about Freddy and his friends! Oh, thank you!” Jacob beamed.