Dorothy heard shrieking as she walked toward the front door of the house. She turned the door handle, but it was stuck. She pushed her side against the door, but it only pushed open a few inches. “Can someone let me in?”

“Who is it?” Dorothy could hear Edna Petunia all the way from the kitchen. She also heard pots and pans clanging and chairs being dragged across the floor.

“It’s me! It’s Dorothy!” Dorothy was getting impatient. What on earth are they doing?

“Come ‘round the back!”

Katie let Dorothy in through the small door at the side of the house, giggling nonstop. Despite her foul mood, Dorothy found the corners of her mouth forming a smile. When she stepped into the house, she saw piles of clothes, books, pots, and dishes piled high on the floor. The kitchen was no better. Bowls and pans were scattered across the room, and Edna, Hattie, Hope, and Minnie were rushing around to various parts of the room.

“What is all this?”

“Don’t you remember? The big church picnic is tomorrow, and Micah asked me to cook!” Edna Petunia shouted to Dorothy from across the room. “Don’t just stand there, give us a hand!” Katie found Dorothy an apron and helped tie it around her waist.

“A few of us are going to take some food over tonight to set up. You should come!”

Dorothy was glad to see the other girls so excited, but she was also exhausted. “I don’t know about that. I might go to sleep early tonight. It’s been a long day.”

Edna Petunia clucked her tongue. “Nonsense. Nothing better to mend a broken heart than busy hands.” She handed Dorothy a spatula and a bowl of batter. “Just keep stirring.”

“What is it?” Dorothy peered at the pale, sticky dough.

“Don’t you worry about that, just keep stirring!” Dorothy shrugged and began to drag the spatula through the dough. Edna Petunia went over to the stove and pulled a large pan of chicken out of the oven. She pulled a peppermint stick out of her cleavage and set it into the pan.

“What on earth are you doing?” Dorothy looked at her with a strange expression on her face.

“Adding flavoring, of course! A little bubby sweat is good for the constitution.”

Dorothy shook her head.

“That smells heavenly!” Minnie exclaimed. Dorothy had to admit it did smell delicious.

“Don’t even think about it, girls!” Edna Petunia shot them all warning glances. The girls knew better than to disobey Edna Petunia. “So, is Mr. Reeves finally gone?”

“Yes. He really is.” Dorothy felt a wave of tears coming on. She set the bowl of dough down on the table and pulled out her handkerchief. Edna Petunia set down the pan of chicken and rushed over to her.

“There, there…it will be all right.” Edna Petunia was trying her hardest, but Dorothy knew the older woman couldn’t possibly understand what she was going through. Edna Petunia had found the love of her life and made a home with him. Dorothy would never have that.

“You just remember…that city lawyer hides behind his fancy suits and big words because that’s all he has.” Edna Petunia sang a different tune now that she wasn’t throwing herself at the man. “You, on the other hand, have everything going for you.”

“That’s not true. I don’t have a job, I don’t have any friends outside of this house, and I don’t have anyone who excites me!”

Edna Petunia arched an eyebrow. “I didn’t think we’d have this talk until you were getting married. Now, when a man—”

Dorothy held her hand up. “No, please stop! It’s not that.” Dorothy couldn’t handle any lectures on intimacy by Edna Petunia. “I just meant, I’ve never met a man like Mr. Reeves before. I don’t think I ever will again.”

Just then, they heard a loud crack of thunder overhead, followed by a swift downpour. That sound is exactly how I feel, Dorothy thought.

* * *

The day had started off clear and bright, so the lightning, thunder, and rain took Carter by surprise. He had stopped back at the house, packed up his remaining belongings, and loaded them into the wagon after his court appearance.

Then he’d returned the keys to the old widow he was renting from. She had asked him in for a cup of tea, and feeling trapped, he had accepted. He was currently cursing his rotten luck, leaving town in the middle of a flash thunderstorm. The skies looked as if they’d ease up soon, but if they didn’t, he would need to think of another plan.

At the first flashes of lightning, the horses got skittish. Carter tried to calm and slow them down, but they were on edge. He tried to identify his location, but the truth was, almost all of Nowhere looked exactly the same. He could have been on the edges of Main Street or on the far outskirts or halfway to Austin, and he wouldn’t know the difference. Yet another thing he hated about the country.

There was something else. A new feeling, a different longing that hadn’t been there when he had first arrived. He found himself appreciating the way the lightning illuminated the prairie, and the crack of the thunder overhead was almost musical. The rain beat down on his face, and despite the danger of his situation, Carter Reeves smiled—and that was when one of his axles broke.

* * *

“Dorothy!” Sarah Jane exclaimed. “I didn’t think we’d see you today. Come on in.” After the downpour had stopped, Cletus had brought Minnie, Dorothy, and a wagonload of food to Sarah Jane and Micah’s house.

“What a wonderful bounty. Thank you so much. I’ll bless it now.” Micah greeted Cletus and his sisters-in-law. He was followed by Chrissy, the orphan he and Sarah Jane had adopted when they’d first been married. Chrissy was blossoming into a lovely young girl and adored spending time with her aunts. Little Carolyn was sleeping on the floor in the corner of the room. She always seemed to find a way out of her bed to sleep where the family was, and everyone knew they didn’t need to be quiet. Nothing woke the toddler.

“Aunt Dorothy! I’m so happy you’re here! Can I show you my new dolls?” Dorothy grinned. There was one perk of no longer having a job—she would now have plenty of time to spend with her nieces and nephews.

“Of course you can, Chrissy.”

“Glad you made it safely here without getting stuck in that rainstorm.” Sarah Jane looked outside. “Do you think it’s going to start up again?”

“I reckon it’s all done for tonight at least. Can’t say for tomorrow.”

“But the picnic is tomorrow! God wouldn’t let it rain on the picnic, would he?” Chrissy looked horrified.

“Sometimes, God works in mysterious ways. We’ll have a great day tomorrow, no matter what, because we’ll be with our family and our community.” Micah was calm and reassuring. Dorothy knew he was an excellent father. Her thoughts drifted to Carter, and how his logic and reserved nature would probably make him a good father, too. She felt a pang in her heart. I need to stop thinking about him. He’s gone, and he’s not coming back.

“Come on, Chrissy. Let’s see those dolls.”

* * *

Carter trudged through the mud. Although the thunderstorm had been brief, the downpour of rain had soaked much of the land. His shiny black shoes were covered in layers of dirt, and his feet felt shriveled inside his wet socks. He had been walking for what felt like hours.

He didn’t have a replacement axle for the wagon, so he left the horses near a small stream and set out on foot for town. He had been pretty sure he was going in the right direction—but now he wasn’t so sure.

When he came to a clearing with a small tree stump for the third time, he decided he needed to try a different direction. At this rate, he’d get to town sometime the following day.

Carter licked his lips, cracked and thirsty. He couldn’t wait to return to the city. He was not meant for country life.

* * *

Once the food had been packed away and Chrissy had shown Dorothy her dolls, Cletus told Minnie and Dorothy it was time to head out. He had no doubt that Edna Petunia would have more work for them to do that evening, and it was getting late.

“Good night, Chrissy!”

“Good night, Aunt Dorothy and Aunt Minnie! Good night, Grandpa Cletus!” Chrissy waved excitedly at them.

“Take care getting h—”

Sara Jane broke off at the faint knock at the door, then wrinkled her brow. “Who could that be at this hour?”

“It’s no one from our house.” Cletus frowned. “I’ve got the wagon.”

Dorothy was nearest to the door, so she answered it.

Her heart began beating in a frenzy unlike anything she had ever experienced before when she saw the filthy, soaking wet man on the porch and realized it was Carter Reeves.

Dorothy gasped. “What are you doing here?”

“Water,” was all Carter could manage.

Sarah Jane ran to get a blanket, and Micah brought over a glass of water. Dorothy helped Sarah Jane wrap him up in the blanket and guide him into a chair. Carter sipped the water, his teeth chattering from the cold.

“What happened to you, son?” Cletus wasn’t interested in the coddling that was taking place in front of him. He simply wanted to know why Carter hadn’t left Nowhere as he had intended—in other words, why he was continuing to play around with his daughter’s heart?

“I was on my way back to Austin, and I broke an axle on my wagon. I couldn’t fix it, and I didn’t know where I was. So I left my horses, and started walking toward what I thought was town.”

“Boy, you have no sense of direction, do you?” Cletus whooped. Dorothy and Sarah Jane both glared at him. As much as his daughters loved him, they cringed at his insensitivity.

“We should get you into some warm clothes. I can get you some of Micah’s.” Sarah Jane went into the bedroom.

“You shouldn’t leave your horses out there overnight—it could storm again. I can go round them up. Any idea how far they’ll be?” Cletus moved toward the window to take a closer look.

Carter thought very carefully. “I don’t know exactly, but there was one spot I kept passing by. It was very level, and had a small tree stump…actually, it looked like it had been used as a camp site. That must have been close.”

Cletus laughed. “I know exactly where you’re talking about. I’ll head there now.”

“Do you want some help?” Micah always felt inferior around his father-in-law. Cletus seemed capable of almost any task, big or small. Micah was proud of his work as a man of God, but sometimes he wished he could show his father-in-law that he was handy, too.

“I don’t need it, but I don’t mind it, either. Come along.”

Sarah Jane came out of the bedroom holding a pair of black pants and a white, long-sleeved shirt. “Here you go, Mr. Reeves.”

“Thank you.”

“Sarah Jane, Cletus and I are headed out to get Mr. Reeves’s horses. We’ll be back.” Micah kissed his wife and Chrissy goodbye. “Chrissy, you’ll be in bed by the time I get back. I’ll see you tomorrow morning. I love you.”

“I love you too, Daddy.”

“Oh my goodness, I nearly forgot it was bedtime.” Sarah Jane looked flustered. “Let’s get you to bed, Chrissy. Mr. Reeves, you can use our parlor to change into these clothes. After I tuck Chrissy in, I’ll hang up your wet clothes so they can dry.”

“Thank you very much.”

When Sarah Jane left the room, Carter moved closer to Dorothy.

“When you opened that door—you have no idea how glad I was to see you.”

“I felt the same way. I thought I’d never see you again!”

“Dorothy, I can’t go back to Austin without you. Is there any chance you’ll reconsider my offer?”

Dorothy hesitated. She wanted so badly to say yes to his proposal. She had strong feelings for him that she couldn’t deny, and she couldn’t bear the thought of having to say goodbye to him yet again. At the same time, she couldn’t just abandon the only family that she’d ever truly known.

She spoke softly when she answered him. “I don’t think that could ever work. I could visit the city, but I couldn’t live so far away from my family. I’m sorry.”

Carter nodded his head. “I understand.”

“Do those clothes fit all right? I need to read Chrissy another story and then I’ll be in.” Sarah Jane was still in Chrissy’s room, but could hear Dorothy and Carter having a conversation.

“Yes, just fine, thank you!” Carter called across the wall to Sarah Jane, then turned his attention back to Dorothy. “I understand what I have to do.” He cleared his throat. “I can’t believe what I’m about to say. I plan to move to Nowhere and establish my practice here. I’ll assist Cletus where I can, and help out all the small business owners in the area. And the most important thing…I’m going to be the best husband you could ever ask for. Will you please be my wife? I hope you say yes, because I can’t go through this again.”

Dorothy threw her arms around Carter, not minding that he was still soaking wet from the rain. “Yes, yes I will!” Chills of happiness coursed throughout her entire body. She felt like dancing and cheering.

Carter put his hands around her waist, partly wrapping her up in his blanket, and kissed her straight on the lips.

“What’s going on in here?” Sarah Jane walked in and Dorothy jumped away from Carter. Sarah Jane had always had the highest integrity, even before she married a pastor. The downside of that was that she could be judgmental at times. She’d relaxed considerably over the past few years, but Dorothy was worried that she’d be offended by what she saw.

“We have an announcement to make.” Dorothy saw Carter smile fully for one of the first times since she’d met him. She now knew that he had a polite smile and a beautiful, big grin that he saved for truly special moments. “We’re getting married.”

“What? Oh, my goodness! Well, congratulations! When did all this come about?” Sarah Jane began to hug Dorothy. She started to hug Carter, but then stopped. “Oh, you still need to change into your dry clothes! Do that first!” She hurried over and scooped up her sleeping toddler from the floor. “I’m going to put this one back to bed.” Dorothy followed behind Sarah Jane, at ease with the bedtime ritual. “Edna Petunia is going to be so thrilled. She’ll finally get to plan a wedding. Oh, I’m so happy for you, Dorothy!”

“It’s a bit of a shock—I’m still in disbelief. But I’m so happy!”

“This is wonderful news. We can celebrate tomorrow at the church picnic.”

Carter came out of the bedroom dressed in Micah’s pants and shirt. The pants were a little loose, but the shirt fit him well. “Thank you again for these warm clothes. I already feel much better.”

“Whatever I can do for my future brother-in-law!”

At that moment, Cletus and Micah returned. “What’s this about a brother-in-law?” Cletus eyed Carter suspiciously.

“Dorothy and I are engaged.”

“Oh, you’re going to take her from us to the big city?” Cletus tried not to sound too upset, but it hurt him more than he’d like to admit.

“No, that’s the best part. Carter’s going to move here, and we’re going to live in Nowhere together!”

“Well, then, I’m very happy for you, sweetheart. You’re a good man, Mr. Reeves.” Cletus gave Carter a hearty handshake and a pat on the back. “I guess you’re not so bad, after all.”

“Cletus!” Sarah Jane hissed. She and Dorothy exchanged a look. He really could be unbelievable sometimes.

“We got the horses and tied them up outside. They were drinking plenty of water. They’re doing fine now, but you might want to stay here for the evening.”

“Would that be all right? I don’t want to inconvenience you.”

“Not at all. You’re going to be family soon enough.” Micah gave his future brother-in-law a handshake as well.

“Well, Minnie and Dorothy, we should head back home. I think we’ve all had enough excitement for one evening.”

Dorothy wished she could stay with Carter, but she knew Cletus would never allow it. She settled for a kiss on the cheek.

“Good night, my love.” Carter whispered softly in her ear after he pressed his lips to her face. A tingle of anticipation began in her abdomen and traveled throughout her body.

“Good night.”

When they arrived home, they found Edna Petunia in the kitchen, still cooking three or four recipes at the same time.

“I’m going to run out of peaches—or is it watermelon? Oh wait, apples. Yes. Apples.”

“My beautiful bride, you need to take a small break.”

“Why is that, you old coot?”

“Because our Dorothy has something she needs to tell us.”

Katie, Martha, and Hattie perked up at this. They joined Edna Petunia, Cletus, Minnie, and Dorothy in the kitchen.

Dorothy took a deep breath. “Carter Reeves asked me to marry him, and I said yes. He’s going to move to Nowhere!”

The girls began screaming and crying and hugging Dorothy.

“I’m so happy for you! Oh, I can just see everything about your wedding. We’ll invite everyone, of course!” Edna Petunia had a glint in her eyes that could only mean that Dorothy had her work cut out for her. She tried to muster up excitement for the old woman. The truth was, Dorothy didn’t want to plan a wedding. She just wanted to be married to Carter. He was all she’d ever wanted.