Theresa (Orlan Orphans Book 15) Read online

  Meanwhile, Cody’s mind raced almost as quickly as the horse he was riding. He had so much to do and such little time to do it. Cletus was right. The families would never just give a baby away to an unmarried couple without a home. And the longer the babies stayed with their new families, the harder it would be for them to let Cody and Theresa have them.

  No, there wasn’t much time at all, Cody realized as he pulled up in front of the boardinghouse.

  “How are you?” Lucille asked as Cody ran up the stairs of her home. Cody barely heard her.

  A few minutes later, Cody came downstairs carrying his steamer trunk and briefcase.

  “I need to go. I’m sorry. I appreciate your hospitality,” Cody told Lucille, handing her a sealed envelope.

  Before she could say anything, Cody rushed out the door. Confused, Lucille walked over to her desk and picked up her letter opener. She slid the tool across the envelope and peered inside. Two weeks’ worth of rent in shiny coins. Lucille was impressed. She had had boarders leave abruptly before, but they never left her extra money for the weeks they wouldn’t be staying with her.

  Outside, Cody loaded up his wagon with his possessions. He wasn’t sure if he had enough time, but he had to try. It was the only chance he had to make Theresa happy.

  Back at the Sanders’ house, Theresa sat glumly on her bed, feeling sad and lonesome. She had trusted Cody. He had promised that he’d marry her and get the babies back. Instead, at the first hint of trouble, he had panicked and bolted. At least, that’s what she assumed because he hadn’t said anything at all.

  Theresa berated herself. How could she have trusted him? After all, even though they had spent some time together over the past few weeks, he was still a stranger. Cletus’s gut instincts not to trust the man had been right. He was a salesman. He had painted a pretty picture of a life that Theresa wanted, and just as she had been ready to commit to it, he left to go to the next town.

  Theresa’s eyes no longer shone with tears. She still missed the babies, but now, it was more than that. She was angry. She had placed her hope and trust in Cody, and now he was gone. Her plan was impossible without his support.

  If Theresa tried to visit the Thomas or Sibley families, she’d be laughed out of the house for trying to get the babies back. She was an unmarried woman who didn’t even have a steady job anymore.

  Theresa tried to think of a way that she could convince the families to let her care for the babies. At first, she couldn’t think of any solutions. But then, as she settled down onto her bed and stared at the ceiling, she realized that both families might need a nanny. Maybe she could convince them to hire her to care for the children.

  Theresa got excited as she envisioned the possibilities, but then she realized she’d only be able to work with one child at a time. That made her remember how traumatic it had been when Faith had left. Deep down, Theresa knew that separating the babies was a mistake. She needed to do everything in her power to correct it.

  The following morning, Theresa woke up early and went into Katie’s room. Theresa nudged Katie’s arm to wake her.

  Katie rubbed her eyes, blinking. “Theresa? What are you doing in here?”

  “I can start working at the school again,” Theresa said.

  “Why?” Katie asked, still waking up.

  “I don’t have the babies to take care of anymore. I should get back to work,” Theresa explained.

  Katie sat up in bed and sighed. “All right, that’s fine if that’s what you want. But I liked working at the schoolhouse!”

  “We can talk to Miss Carroll. Maybe there will be enough work for both of us,” Theresa suggested. “We could take turns, even.”

  “Really?” Katie asked, excitement in her voice. “That would be wonderful!”

  It made Theresa smile to see Katie so giddy. “Yes, that’s fine.”

  Theresa left Katie’s room to allow her sister to wash and dress for the day. Although working at the schoolhouse wasn’t what she truly wanted, she knew it was a good, stable job, and she enjoyed the work. Still, she would much rather be at home tending to the twins than assisting a teacher in the schoolhouse.

  Theresa imagined the twins growing up and going to school one day. It stung to think about them growing older. They would never even know she had existed.

  Theresa’s thoughts turned to Cody. She wondered what he was doing at that very moment. Could he be with another woman? Theresa had considered him good-looking and intelligent, but now she thought those characteristics were suspicious. He probably had a woman in every town.

  Theresa dressed and went downstairs. Edna Petunia was frying an egg in the kitchen. “Good morning, dear.”

  “Good morning, Edna Petunia,” Theresa said politely. “I’m going to work at the school today.”

  Edna Petunia nodded in approval. “That’s good. It’s about time you spent some time outside of the house!”

  Theresa ignored Edna Petunia’s comment and set the table. When the eggs were finished, Theresa helped Edna Petunia serve them onto plates.

  As Cletus sat down, he looked at Theresa sternly. “I hope you’re not still thinking of taking those babies from their new homes. Are you?”

  Theresa hesitated. She didn’t want to lie to her adoptive parents, but she also couldn’t tell them the entire truth. “I just want to get back to work and focus on that for a while.”

  “Good. I’m glad to hear that,” Cletus said with a big grin. “Now, what’s for breakfast?”

  Edna Petunia scooped eggs and bacon onto each family member’s plate as Theresa stared into the distance. She pictured the babies cooing and crying as they drank their infant food. She wondered what Cody was doing at that moment. Did he miss her at all?

  Nine

  Four days later, Cody Witherspoon rode back into Nowhere, determined to find Theresa and set things right. He rode straight to the Sanders’ house, but when he arrived, something seemed different. As he climbed off his horse, he walked around. He knocked on the door, but there was no answer. He realized what was off—the wagon was gone. No one was home.

  Cody waited on the front porch steps for one of the Sanders family members to return. He stretched out on his back and placed his hat over his head to pass the time. The past few days had drained him. But finally, things were starting to come together.

  Cody looked at his watch. It had been nearly an hour. Where was everyone? His stomach growled, and he decided it was time to take a trip to Main Street.

  Cody pulled up next to the mercantile, hitched his horse to the post, and went inside.

  “Cody! Am I glad to see you!” Lewis cried. He stood and met Cody near the front of the store. “I thought you left town.”

  “I did, but I’m back—at least for a little while. Do you know where I can find Theresa? I went out to the house, but no one was home,” Cody explained to his friend.

  Lewis frowned. “Hm, that is strange. Cletus isn’t usually home during the day, but Edna Petunia usually is. I’d guess you’d find Theresa at the schoolhouse.”

  “What would she be doing there?” Cody asked.

  “She helps out the teacher, Miss Carroll, sometimes,” Lewis told him.

  Cody nodded. “Then that’s where I’ll go.” His stomach rumbled again, this time loudly.

  Lewis grinned. “Are you sure you don’t want a snack first?”

  Cody laughed. “You’re right. I could use some sustenance.”

  Cody found a small tin of sausages and paid Lewis for the food and a bouquet of flowers. He ate the sausages and wiped his mouth with his handkerchief, making sure there were no crumbs. He wanted to make sure everything was perfect for Theresa.

  When Cody arrived at the schoolhouse, he saw Katie outside, clapping erasers together.

  “Cody!” Katie called out. “You’re back?”

  “Sh!” Cody put a finger to his lips. “I want to surprise Theresa. Is she inside?”

  “Yes, she is,” Katie sang happily. “Oh, she’ll
be tickled to see you!”

  Cody smiled and took a deep breath. He gently opened the door to the schoolhouse and walked in. Seven children turned their heads and looked up at him, shocked at the sight of such a tall man in their little school building.

  Theresa’s hands flew to her mouth. “What are you doing here?”

  Miss Carroll put her hands on her hips. “Do you know this man?”

  Cody looked at the teacher. “Miss Carroll, is it?”

  Miss Carroll nodded.

  “I apologize for interrupting your classroom. It won’t happen again. You see, I have an urgent matter to settle, and it couldn’t wait any longer,” Cody rambled.

  Miss Carroll looked taken aback but stepped aside and gestured to Cody. “By all means, you have the floor.”

  “Thank you, Miss Carroll.” Cody walked up next to Theresa. “Theresa Sanders, I’ve asked you this question before, and I will ask you again every day until you accept my proposal. Will you marry me?”

  Theresa couldn’t believe it. She had thought Cody had left Nowhere to explore another town—and the women who lived there. Could this be real? Marrying Cody seemed like it was too good to be true, but there he was, standing in front of her. “Yes!”

  Cody threw his arms around Theresa, and Miss Carroll and Katie led the students in a brief round of applause. “You’ve made me so happy,” Cody whispered in Theresa’s ear.

  Theresa felt shivers running up and down her body. She couldn’t wait to be this man’s wife. As she thought about their future together, her heart sank. The babies had brought Cody into her life. Without them, would they be able to have a happy relationship?

  Theresa pulled on Cody’s sleeve. “What about the twins?”

  Cody nodded thoughtfully. “I have a few things to show you. Can you leave?”

  Theresa looked at the clock. “It’s the middle of the school day.”

  Cody chuckled. “Just this once?”

  Theresa sighed. “Fine. But only because I just agreed to marry you.” Theresa walked over to Miss Carroll. “I have an urgent matter to attend to. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  Miss Carroll nodded, eyeing Cody warily. “That’s fine. I’m sure Katie has things under control.”

  “Goodbye, Miss Carroll. Goodbye, children!” Theresa called. The students waved goodbye dutifully as Cody and Theresa exited the small structure.

  Outside, it was a beautiful, arid day.

  “I have something for you,” Cody told Theresa. “It’s so good to see you. I was worried you wouldn’t want to see me again.”

  “You were worried about that? I was anxious about the same thing!” Theresa exclaimed.

  “I’m sorry I left so abruptly,” Cody apologized. “I had some things to get in order.”

  “I thought you decided to move on,” Theresa said truthfully.

  Cody held her hands and brushed his lips against hers. Again, Theresa felt a shiver of anticipation, a sensation that was growing more and more familiar. “I’m so, so sorry, Theresa. Can you ever forgive me?”

  “Of course,” Theresa said happily. Now that Cody was at her side, she felt like anything was possible. Her heart wished for one more thing—well, actually, two more. But she knew she shouldn’t get her hopes up again. Even though Cody was back, that didn’t mean they had a chance to keep the babies.

  Cody led her to his wagon and helped her inside. Before he climbed in himself, he lifted a small scroll of paper from inside the vehicle. As he stepped inside, he handed it to her. “This is for you.”

  Theresa unrolled the paper and stretched it out in front of her. It contained a pencil sketch of a beautiful Victorian home with a prominent turret on the side. “How beautiful,” Theresa breathed. She didn’t understand why Cody had given her a sketch of a home, but it was lovely.

  Cody smiled as he began to drive toward their next destination. “It’s a gift to you.”

  Theresa gaped at the drawing. “What do you mean?”

  “That’s our new home in Austin,” Cody said proudly. “I’ve made all the arrangements.”

  As a young orphan, Theresa had never imagined living in such a grand and beautiful home. Now she had been doubly blessed. The Sanders had welcomed her into their large, comfortable home, and now Cody was giving her a dream house. Theresa couldn’t believe how lucky she was. “I can’t believe it,” Theresa said truthfully. Theresa realized they were speeding away from Nowhere on the dusty roads. “Where are we going?”

  “That house has six bedrooms,” Cody explained. “We need to start filling them up.”

  Theresa clapped her hands together in glee. The man she loved understood her so well. Even though she would be happy with him no matter what the circumstance, the only way for her happiness to be complete would be to find the babies and reunite them.

  Sure enough, after an agonizing journey to Bagley, Cody pulled up in front of a small farmhouse on a large property. “This is where the Thomas family lives. I got their address from Lewis.”

  Theresa bounced her leg up and down, nervous for what would happen when they confronted the family. She remembered one of the points Cletus had brought up days earlier. “What if they ask if we’re married?”

  Cody frowned. “That’s a good point. How does Sunday sound?”

  Theresa giggled. She couldn’t believe they were discussing marriage so casually. “That works fine for me!”

  “Then it’s settled.” Cody winked at her as he got out of the wagon and came around the side to help her down.

  Theresa followed behind Cody as he walked to the front door of the farmhouse and knocked on the door.

  A middle-aged woman opened the door, shielding her eyes from the sun. “How can I help you? We weren’t expecting anyone.”

  “I’m Cody Witherspoon, and this is Theresa Sanders. Theresa is the young woman who found Faith and Gabriel and has been caring for them for the past few weeks,” Cody explained.

  “I’m Belinda Thomas. Faith and Gabriel?” The woman scrunched up her face, confused.

  Suddenly, they all heard a baby wail, and the woman rushed away. “I’ll be right back!”

  Theresa’s heart beat faster as she recognized Faith’s cries. The woman reappeared with Faith in her arms, rocking her gently back and forth. “What were you saying? This is little Amelia. Don’t mind her. She’s been fussy since we brought her home!” Despite the baby’s misery, the woman seemed cheerful and optimistic.

  “I’ve been calling her Faith,” Theresa finally said. She wished she could sound more eloquent, but she was more emotional than she’d expected.

  A look of realization flashed across the woman’s face. “Oh, Theresa Sanders! Now I remember. Thank you for taking care of this little baby before she came to her new home. But what are you doing here now?”

  “Mrs. Thomas, Faith—er, Amelia—is a twin. She was found with her brother, and we don’t believe it’s right that they’ve been split apart,” Cody explained.

  “I think one newborn is enough, don’t you? I don’t think I could handle two.” Belinda chuckled.

  “Mrs. Thomas, there’s been a terrible mistake. Theresa and I are more than capable of raising these two babies. They shouldn’t grow up separately, not knowing each other. We’d like to adopt the babies formally,” Cody continued.

  Belinda’s jaw dropped open. “I think you’d best leave. I’m not giving you my baby!” Belinda’s shouts had further upset Faith, and now the little baby screamed even harder. Theresa longed to be able to reach out and soothe her, but Belinda had turned the baby away from them.

  “Please, can we sit down and talk about this?” Cody asked. “We have the resources to support the babies, and Theresa has been caring for them for weeks now. Let’s talk about what’s best for the children.”

  “What’s best is for you to leave right now before I go out and get my husband. He’s working, but if he finds out that you came in here and threatened to take my baby, he won’t be pleased,” Belinda threatened.
>
  Cody sighed. “If that’s what you want.”

  “That’s what I want,” Belinda snapped. Her cheery disposition had changed into something far meaner.

  Cody and Theresa shuffled outside quickly. From the front porch, they could still hear Faith’s sobs. Theresa’s heart felt like it was going to split into two.

  Cody took Theresa’s hand. “Let’s not give up. We can still find Gabriel.”

  Theresa shook her head. “I don’t have hope for much of anything after that.”

  “We have to keep trying,” Cody insisted. He helped Theresa back into the wagon, and they set off for Nowhere.

  During the drive, neither Cody nor Theresa spoke. Each was deep in thought, considering what had just happened. Cody wondered if Theresa would ever truly be happy if they couldn’t get the babies back. Theresa wondered if Cody might leave again if the situation got worse. She didn’t want that to happen.

  When they pulled up to the Sibley’s house, Theresa was afraid to get out of the wagon. What would happen if the Sibleys rejected their plan as well? Theresa didn’t know if she could handle the disappointment. But when Cody offered her his hand, she accepted it, stepping down into the grass and dusting off her skirt.

  Gerald Sibley answered the door. “How may I help you?”

  Cody got right to the point. “We need to talk about the baby you’ve taken in to your home. We’d like to adopt him.”

  “But we’re going to adopt him,” Gerald said. He looked behind Cody at Theresa. “Oh, you’re the Sanders girl! You just gave him away, and now you want him back?”

  Theresa’s lip trembled as she spoke. “Sir, with all due respect, I wanted to keep the babies the entire time. But now I actually have the means to do so.”

  Gerald looked confused. “I thought you were one of the single ones. There are so many of you Sanders girls, it’s hard to keep track.”

  “We’re getting married,” Cody said, putting his arm around Theresa. “And we’ve got a house lined up in Austin. There will be more than enough room for both babies.”