At work the next morning, Carter was quiet as Dorothy chattered away about her sisters, the case, the weather, and everything else that came to mind. She sensed there was something he wasn’t telling her, but she didn’t want to push him.

The case was coming together nicely. She and Carter had found letters and log book entries proving that Mr. Drake had seen Mr. Parrish’s mother several times, meaning there were several opportunities where she could have told him about his illegitimate son—perhaps even brought the baby to meet his father. There were a few loose ends to wrap up, but Carter felt confident he’d be able to win the case and get Mr. Parrish the land that was rightly his.

Dorothy enjoyed the steady pace of her work. She’d gotten accustomed to Carter’s rhythms and enjoyed the fact that he seemed incapable of performing the simplest tasks without her. He was always asking where a specific book or journal entry was, or for an ink refill, or even where he had placed his coffee cup. Dorothy felt like she was doing something meaningful with her time. She knew that Carter was helping Mr. Parrish, and she was helping Carter…so in a way, she was helping people, too.

At lunch time, Dorothy suggested they eat outside, but Carter said he’d work straight through lunch.

“Aren’t you hungry, though? You need to eat something.”

“I don’t need to eat anything, Miss Sanders.”

“Well, you don’t need to bite my head off.”

“We’ve got a lot of work to do. That’s all.”

Gee, Dorothy thought as she took her sack lunch outside. What’s gotten into him today? She ate alone outside, watching the sun stream onto the fields surrounding Carter’s house.

When she went back into the house, Carter had taken several of the books she’d shelved that morning and strewn them across the floor. He was writing at a furious pace.

Dorothy began to gather the books from the floor and re-shelve them.

“Stop! I’m using those!”

Dorothy sighed. Carter seemed to be in a mood where he wasn’t going to allow anyone else to be happy. “Excuse me, Mr. Reeves, but what on earth is going on?”

Carter sighed and ran his hands through his hair. “I need to tell you something, and you’re not going to like it.”

Dorothy frowned and took a seat, waiting for Carter to speak his mind. She folded her hands in her lap, feeling on edge.

“I’ve very much enjoyed working with you and getting to know you, Miss Sanders. You’re very capable, and you’ve done a great deal for the case.”

“And?” Dorothy wasn’t sure where he was headed with this.

“I want to make it clear, in no uncertain terms, that I will be returning to Austin once the case comes to an end.”

Dorothy felt her cheery mood vanish. She was aware that Carter had to go back to the city eventually, but she hated any reminder of it.

“I want to make sure I’m not leading you on in any way, that I’m not tricking you into believing something that’s not true.”

Dorothy didn’t know what to say. Part of her wanted to fight for him to stay, to tell him that they’d only scratched the surface of her favorite places and things to do in Nowhere. He’d surely change his mind if he could see some of the things she had seen. The other part of her wanted to run as far away as she could, curl up into a ball, and cry.

Her voice wavered as she finally chose her words carefully. “That’s perfectly clear to me.”

Dorothy barely spoke to Carter at all for the rest of the day. She responded with one-word answers or nods of the head when he requested something or asked her a question.

When she was done for the day, she grabbed her things and headed out the door quickly.

“Have a good evening, Miss Sanders,” Carter said carefully. He knew she was upset but didn’t know how to make things better. Dorothy smiled politely in response and closed the door behind her.

Once she was home, she went straight to the bedroom she shared with her sister Martha. She pulled back her covers and climbed into bed, although it was not even five o’clock in the evening. Martha stared at her in surprise.

“Are you feeling sick?”

“Not really.”

Martha was sweet, but she kept most people at a distance, even Dorothy. Martha read her book and didn’t say another word. In this moment, Dorothy was grateful for that, because she didn’t want to talk at all.

When it was time for supper, Dorothy didn’t go downstairs with everyone else. She stayed in her bed and tried to fall asleep, but all she could think about was Carter—his strong jaw line, his powerful arms, his shy smile that had once seemed like it was just for her. She had never felt this way about a man before, and now he was leaving her. It didn’t seem fair.

Upon learning that Dorothy wasn’t coming to dinner, Edna Petunia marched up the stairs and stood outside of her bedroom door.

“Dorothy, you have to eat dinner! None of you bastards will starve to death on my watch!”

Dorothy smiled despite herself. No one was as colorful as Edna Petunia when she was fired up about something. Still, she didn’t feel like she had the energy to go to dinner and face the whole family. She felt like something inside her was breaking.

“I’m not feeling well,” Dorothy called through the door. It wasn’t completely true, but it wasn’t a lie, either.

“Can I come in?” Without waiting for an answer, Edna Petunia pushed the door open and practically smothered Dorothy with a hug. “I’m sure it’s nothing a peppermint stick can’t fix.” She started to pull her supply out of her bosom, but Dorothy put a hand on Edna’s arm.

“No, no, I’m fine, really.”

“Well, then. If you’re fine, you can come to dinner!” Edna Petunia smiled triumphantly and helped Dorothy up. Groaning, Dorothy followed her down the stairs.

Dinner did make her feel a bit better—Edna Petunia had prepared a pot roast with all her favorite fixings—but she still carried a heavy weight on her shoulders. After she finished eating, she knew what she had to do.

“Cletus, may I use your study this evening?”

Cletus looked surprised, but nodded his head. Anything for his girls.

Dorothy went into the study and began composing a letter. It was the hardest one she’d ever had to write, but she knew it needed to be done. When she had finished, she signed and marked it with Cletus’s seal that bore the name “Sanders.” Feeling like she had accomplished something, she went upstairs to her room where she was finally able to sleep.

The next morning, Dorothy woke up as the sun was rising and left much earlier than usual for Carter’s house. She slipped her letter through the mail slot and left without so much as knocking on the door.

* * *

Carter rose promptly at seven as he always did, scrambled a few eggs and bacon in a skillet, and took breakfast in his study, waiting for Dorothy to arrive for the day. It was incredible how much he looked forward to the moment she walked through the door. He couldn’t believe that just a few months before, he had never met her. The easy way they spoke to one another—and the undeniable attraction he had for her—made it seem like she’d always been a presence in his life.

Still, he knew he had to change. It was time to start acting much more professional. She was a good and wholesome girl, and he couldn’t take advantage of the situation. She was his employee, and that was what she had to remain. He found himself wondering what she would be like in the city. She got along so well with everyone—he could see her thriving in a different setting, where she could meet more people and have even more friends than she did in her small town.

But that was just a foolish dream. Dorothy would stay put in Nowhere with her family. They clearly were all very attached to one another. He couldn’t come between them. And, most importantly, he had a job to do. An obligation to his client. If Dorothy would ever show up—

Carter frowned. It was now quarter after eight. It wasn’t at all like Dorothy to be late. He walked to the front of the house to check if he could see her on her way. He saw a small white envelope on the floor near the door addressed to him. He picked it up and carried it into his study. He slit it with a letter opener and unfolded it, then began to read.

Mr. Reeves,

I regretfully need to give you my notice. I can no longer continue to work for you. You have provided me a wonderful learning opportunity, and I have enjoyed getting to know you, but I can no longer be your secretary. At the risk of sounding unprofessional, I have developed feelings for you, and I cannot keep these feelings separate from my work. It wouldn’t be fair to you or to me. I am very sorry for any inconvenience I have caused you.

Yours,

Dorothy Sanders

Carter exhaled sharply as he read the last few sentences. He felt his heart racing. She couldn’t leave him. He needed her. His case was set to go to the town judge in less than a week. She was the one who knew where all the files were and how everything fit together. And more than that, he had counted on her sweet and kind nature, how she always saw the best in everyone…including him.

There was only one thing he could do, and that was to find her and convince her that she’d made a terrible mistake.

It was nearly eight-thirty when he set out from his house. He worried that he would lose most or all of the morning, but felt it was necessary for the case. He needed to focus on that first.

When he arrived at the Sanders’ house, the main buggy he recognized from the evening before was gone, and there was no sign of Cletus, Edna Petunia, or any of the sisters. He cursed his luck. At every other point that summer, Dorothy’s sisters had seemed to be everywhere he looked. Now that he needed to find her, they had all disappeared.

He decided to try to find her at the mercantile.

When he pulled up and hitched his horses to the post, he saw Ruby outside, two babies wrapped in thick blankets tucked into her arms.

“Good day, Mrs. Darcy.”

“Hello. You must be Mr. Reeves. I’ve heard a lot about you from my sisters and parents.”

“I’m afraid I have a rather delicate issue.” At this, Ruby looked at him knowingly.

“Come on inside, Mr. Reeves. I’ll fix you a cup of tea.”

Carter followed Ruby inside the mercantile, where he saw a few young boys playing. “I don’t want to be any trouble to you, Mrs. Darcy.”

“It’s no trouble at all. Tell me, what’s on your mind?” Ruby set the twin babies down into a double bassinette and busied herself fixing tea for Mr. Reeves. “Do you take cream or sugar?”

“No, I don’t need either. Thank you.” Carter hesitated, unsure how much he wanted to reveal. The woman had a kind face, but she was also Dorothy’s sister. He couldn’t afford to make any more members of the Sanders family angry with him. “The trouble is, your sister has put in her notice…she doesn’t want to work for me anymore. I’d like to talk it through with her, but I don’t know where I can find her.”

“Did you try the house? Before Dorothy started her job with you, she was there almost every day, doing chores to help Edna Petunia and Cletus.” Ruby brought the cup of tea over to Carter, and he waited for it to cool off.

“I did. No one was there.”

“Hmm. In that case, I know Dorothy does sometimes help out at the church. Our sister, Sarah Jane, is the wife of the pastor there. You might try there.”

“Thank you. I’ll give that a try.” Carter sipped at the tea, still steaming from the kettle.

“You’re welcome. I’m going to get to the back to work on some inventory. But Mr. Reeves?” Ruby seemed hesitant.

“Yes?”

“I’m not sure how much you know about my sister. But please understand that she’s got a good heart, and she’d never hurt a fly. That sometimes means her feelings are pretty sensitive. Please be careful, whatever it is you’re talking to her about.”

“I understand. Thank you, Mrs. Darcy.” Carter felt worse and worse. If Dorothy had left him in a tough position, it was only because of his confusing actions toward her. The trouble was, he didn’t know how he felt about her. He found himself wanting to spend time with her, thinking about her soft lips and her gentle touch. Their kiss that night outside the mercantile had been unlike anything he’d felt for a woman before.

However, he also had a job to do. He had an obligation to his client. And if Dorothy wasn’t going to help him, he was going to have to figure it out on his own.

* * *

Dorothy was having a miserable day. Edna Petunia had seen how glum she was at breakfast and declared that they were all going to take a trip. The girls packed a picnic lunch full of bread, cheeses, and meats. Cletus prepared the wagon.

Since Ruby, Opal, Evelyn, Penny, and Sarah Jane had married, they no longer lived at home. Gertrude and Alice worked outside of the house during the day. That left just Betsy, Hope, Minnie, Martha, Theresa, Hattie, and Katie in addition to Dorothy. It was still a large bunch for a wagon, so Cletus made two trips. Edna Petunia had told Dorothy she knew the perfect spot for a picnic.

Dorothy was in the second group to ride to the picnic, and Cletus pulled up to a spot just outside Nowhere. Her sisters were setting up the picnic blankets and unpacking their lunch. There were logs surrounding the remains of a campfire and a tree stump. When Cletus got out of the wagon and tied up the horses, he went straight to the tree stump and sat down on it as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Edna Petunia sat in his lap and they looked proudly at their girls.

“How did you know there was a campfire all the way out here, Cletus?” Everyone seemed surprised at the pretty spot in the middle of the forest. Edna and Cletus shared a knowing smile.

“This here is a very special place for Edna and me. In fact, I believe this is where I got my first taste of her pep—”

“Delicious cooking!” Dorothy interjected. She knew that if Cletus and Edna kept spilling intimate details, all of the girls would quickly lose their appetites. Cletus sighed, but stopped his inappropriate talk as Dorothy passed around some plates, but she caught Edna Petunia whispering something in Cletus’s ear that made the old man turn bright red. Dorothy didn’t want to know.

The family tucked in to their lunch and enjoyed the scampering animals and blowing leaves of the forest. Everything was quiet and peaceful, and for the most part, Dorothy forgot all about Carter Reeves. Until—

“Dorothy, why aren’t you at work with Mr. Reeves?” Theresa asked bluntly. Katie gave her a panicky look, and put a finger to her lips.

“Because, because…because he’s not good for me. If I kept working for him, I would have done things that I might have lived to regret.”

“Like what?” Theresa wondered out loud. Katie elbowed her.

“That’s a topic for a different day, Theresa.” Edna Petunia gave Theresa a firm look, and that ended all discussion on the subject.

After that, Dorothy’s sisters tried to steer the conversation to different areas, but the damage was done. She was withdrawn and silent for the rest of the picnic, her thoughts focused on Carter. She felt like she might just feel that way forever.