“Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday dear Cletus, Happy Birthday to you!” The crowd finished singing as Cletus Sanders closed his eyes, made a wish, and blew out his seventy-odd candles. With unruly white hair and bright eyes, he somehow still looked youthful and exuberant. Each time Edna Petunia passed by with a tray of cookies or a cake dish, he patted her bottom as she fed him a bite of whatever goodie she was holding.

Stephen couldn’t believe how Edna Petunia and Cletus acted like a couple of young fools in love. It was sweet, in a way, but it was also quite weird. He was having a nice time, but he wished he would be able to spend some time alone with Hope.

He’d felt like they were doing well and becoming friends after he had set Matthew’s leg, but ever since that night, she’d been somewhat unpredictable. She’d avoided him when he’d tried to ask her questions, and he didn’t blame her. She’d asked him to stay out of her way, and he had tried to, but he just couldn’t stay away completely. As crazy as she made him with her abrupt nature, he was drawn to her. He wondered if he’d be able to spirit her away from the crowd and take a walk around the property with her.

Hope caught Stephen staring at her and returned his gaze. He blushed and looked away. She had to admit, he seemed more and more handsome each time she saw him. She thought it might have had something to do with Dr. Harvey’s story about how he had tried to help his friend, but she wasn’t sure. Even though it had been a pretty stupid thing to do in her eyes, it was also noble, and she couldn’t help but respect him for it.

Cletus was opening his gifts, and as he pulled out the history book, he began to whoop. “It’s just what I wanted!” the older man exclaimed. “Thank you, girls!” Each one of his fifteen adopted daughters came up to give him a hug and a kiss.

Everyone was clustered around two long picnic tables set up in the back yard. The Sanders family had expanded so much that there was no longer enough room for the entire clan inside the house. Though it was spacious, there was no dining table that could accommodate such a large group. Hope’s sisters Ruby, Opal, Sarah Jane, Evelyn, Penny, Dorothy, Betsy, and Gertrude had all married and had children of their own. A few of them had also adopted children. This meant the Sanders family was constantly growing.

After dinner, Cletus received visitors in his formal parlor. The rest of the guests lounged outside or throughout the house, snacking on desserts, laughing with each other, and sipping lemonade. Edna Petunia was thrilled. Her party was a huge success, and everyone was having a wonderful time.

Stephen passed through the parlor to personally wish Cletus a happy birthday.

“Hello, son. I hear you work with our girl, Hope,” Cletus said as he grabbed Stephen’s hand and pumped it firmly.

“That’s right, Cletus.” Stephen smiled. “She’s quite remarkable.”

Cletus looked surprised. He pretended to have trouble hearing Stephen and leaned in closer to the younger man. “Yes, she is. Tell me, Stephen, has my reputation preceded me?”

“What do you mean?” Stephen furrowed his brow.

“Has anyone in this town explained to you what happens when someone hurts one of my daughters?” Cletus asked, staring at Stephen intently.

“Uh, not exactly, sir,” Stephen stammered.

Cletus maintained eye contact. “I get mad. I get very, very mad. And do you know what I do when I get mad?”

Stephen gulped. He had not been prepared for this. “Uh, no, sir.”

Cletus leaned back and let out a laugh. He clapped Stephen on the back. “I’m just giving you a hard time. You’ll get used to all of us and our senses of humor soon enough.”

Just then, Edna Petunia scurried over with what appeared to be a freshly-baked plate of pastries. She offered them to everyone in the room, and Cletus grabbed two.

“Come on, Stephen, you’re too skinny. Put some meat on those bones. I like a man with a little fat on his figure!” Edna Petunia chided. She held one of the pastries in front of his face for so long that he finally grabbed it. “There you go!”

“Thank you, my dear.” Cletus looked at his wife affectionately. All these years later, and they still acted like newlyweds.

“I’m glad you’ve met Dr. Stephen Bennett. You know, I knew his mother and father back in my Seattle days,” Edna Petunia explained.

Cletus nodded. “We’re glad to have you in Nowhere, son. Please, come over any time for dinner. We heard how you set our grandson Matthew’s leg and treated him with such compassion. That means the world to us.”

Stephen was touched by Cletus’s kind words. He wasn’t sure that the man would know him, let alone be aware that he was the one who had set Matthew’s broken leg. He was really starting to feel at home in the Sanders house. “I appreciate that, Cletus. I was just doing my job. I would love to eat dinner here one evening. Thank you for the offer.”

“Of course.” Cletus beamed at Stephen. Here was a young man with a good head on his shoulders. He couldn’t say that for half the young men he met in the town of Nowhere.

“I should let you get back to the other guests.” Stephen stepped aside. There was a long line of people waiting to talk to Cletus. In addition to his daughters, sons-in-law, and grandchildren, a few close family friends such as the Harveys were mingling nearby.

Stephen walked into the kitchen, where he saw several of Hope’s sisters and a few of their husbands. He still had no idea how he would keep them all straight. Two of them were twins, but he couldn’t remember which ones. And a few of them looked alike, even though they weren’t twins. It was incredibly confusing.

“Are you having a good time?” Martha asked. She noticed the confused expression on his face. “I’m Martha. It’s okay if you don’t remember every single one of our names. There are a lot of us!”

Stephen smiled at her. “Thank you, Martha. I am having a wonderful time. Your family is really kind.”

“I’m so glad. I heard all about how you helped Matthew the other day. It sounds like we’re lucky to have you here as one of our town doctors.” Martha grabbed a cookie from a nearby tray and began eating it.

“I’m just an apprentice for now.” Stephen blushed and looked down at his feet.

“But if you like it here, will you stay? I’m sure Dr. Harvey could use the help. Edna Petunia always says the poor doctor really burns both ends of the midnight candle, whatever that means.”

Stephen looked surprised. “I haven’t really thought about it. I never considered staying in Nowhere after my apprenticeship is over. I suppose I need to talk to my aunt about it.”

Martha nodded. “I understand. It’s strange to move to a new place. I think all of us orphans felt a little strange when we moved from New York to Texas. But now there’s no question. Nowhere is definitely home.”

Stephen looked around the party. He could tell that Hope and her sisters considered Nowhere their home. They had a beautiful place to live, two warm, loving—if eccentric—parents, and some of them even had husbands and families of their own.

He reminded himself that he was lucky, too. His aunt Iris had opened her home to him with open arms. Although he loved his cousins, they were much younger than him, and he was envious that Hope had sisters that were close to her age. Still, he remembered, he was lucky that Iris and Francis had been so willing to let him come stay with them. Even some of his closest friends had refused to speak to him after the situation with his friend during medical school.

Yes, all in all, he was glad to have the chance to make a fresh start in Nowhere. As he enjoyed more of Edna Petunia’s incredible desserts, he wandered outside to see if he could find Hope. He found himself wanting to be near her at all times. He loved hearing her talk about different situations. Although at times it made him mad, at other points, it felt refreshing to hear someone tell the truth so freely.

He spotted her out back, talking to two of her sisters at the long row of picnic tables. She had thrown her head back as she laughed at something the sister sitting next to her was saying, and she looked beautiful in the moonlight.

Stephen walked over to Hope and her sisters. The group quieted as soon as he approached.

“I apologize for the interruption.” Stephen noticed one of the girls pinching Hope.

“Ouch!” Hope whispered to Katie.

“You didn’t mention that Stephen Bennett was so good-looking!” Katie squealed.

“Shh!” Hope hissed.

Stephen overheard the exchange and blushed.

Dorothy cleared her throat. “We’re glad you’re here to celebrate with us, Dr. Bennett. I saw you in church with Dr. Harvey’s family and was wondering who the new man in town was. We don’t get too many of those in Nowhere.”

“And when we do get them, one of us tends to marry them before long!” Katie managed to say before bursting into giggles. Hope glared at her.

Stephen put his hands in his pockets. He felt uncomfortable being so outnumbered by the Sanders girls. They were rather intimidating. He could tell how loyal and close they all were to each other, which made him miss his siblings back in Seattle.

“How are you enjoying Nowhere so far?” Dorothy changed the subject.

Stephen smiled at her gratefully. “It’s very nice. Everyone has been very kind to me, and it’s nice to spend time with Iris’s and Francis’s children.”

“And how is work? I hope our Hope isn’t giving you too hard of a time,” Dorothy continued.

Stephen looked right at Hope. “No, it’s a pleasure to work with Miss Sanders. As I see it, my aunt Iris and I are quite lucky to have her.”

Hope seemed embarrassed. “I’m just doing my job, that’s all.”

“And you do it very well,” Stephen said, still staring into Hope’s eyes. She looked down.

“Have you had a piece of Edna Petunia’s famous chocolate chip cake yet?” Dorothy asked.

Stephen shook his head. “I haven’t, but I’ve eaten far too much tonight to consider even one more dessert. Everything was incredible.”

“Let us know if you change our mind. I’m going to get myself another piece. Don’t tell my nieces and nephews— I told them all they could only have one piece each!” Dorothy confided. “Katie, you’re coming with me.”

“I’m full, too!” Katie protested, but Dorothy grabbed her arm and set off for the dessert table, leaving Stephen and Hope alone.

“Your family is really amazing,” Stephen told Hope once her sisters were out of earshot. “Everyone has been so friendly and kind to me tonight. I feel like I can talk to all of your sisters easily, like I’ve known them all for a long time. I can see why you like it here.”

Hope shrugged. “It’s really the only family I’ve ever known. Our matron in the orphanage did the best she could, but it wasn’t the same. When we moved here, we got to live in this beautiful house and had these two crazy but well-meaning people fussing over us. I know it’s probably not normal, but it’s normal for me.”

Stephen nodded. “I think I understand. The way I grew up in Seattle is all I know. Getting used to Nowhere has been an adjustment for me.”

“What do you miss the most about Seattle?” Hope asked.

Stephen answered without hesitation. “My brothers and sisters.”

“Do you think any of them would ever move to Nowhere?” Hope looked around at her sisters sitting at the other picnic tables. She couldn’t imagine moving someplace new and leaving all of them behind.

“No, I don’t think they will. But I can always go back and visit, I suppose,” Stephen said quietly.

“Your aunt told me how you tried to help that girl you knew who was in trouble.” Hope admitted.

Stephen’s face wore a pained expression. “I was hoping to keep that private.”

“I won’t tell a soul,” Hope promised. Stephen knew she was telling the truth.

“I just couldn’t bear the thought of that child growing up without a father. My father is the best man I know—confused about women most of the time, but good. I hope to follow in his footsteps one day.” Stephen couldn’t believe how much he was opening up to Hope.

“When you talk like that, you sound like Edna Petunia,” Hope told him. “She’s always talking about us poor bastard orphans and how we needed someone to come along and save us. Which, in a way, she and Cletus did.”

“Bastards?” Stephen thought he’d misheard Hope, but she nodded.

“Yes, that’s just her term for us. It sounded odd the first few times she mentioned it, but then my sisters and I realized she didn’t mean anything negative by it. It’s just the way she talks.” Hope smiled.

“She certainly seems like quite the woman. I know my aunt trusts Edna Petunia with her life,” Stephen said, spotting the older woman replenishing the dessert table.

“Yes.” Hope gazed lovingly at her adoptive mother. “She’s got her own way of doing things, but she’s also completely dependable and will do anything for the people she loves.”

“My mother is the same way,” Stephen told Hope.

“And what about your father? What’s he like?” Hope asked. She found that she was genuinely curious about what he had to say. She didn’t know why she was so interested in the new doctor, but she felt desperate to keep talking to him.

“Well, he’s a novelist. He’s written many books, but he says his favorite story is the way he won my mother’s hand in marriage,” Stephen confided.

“And what is that story?” Hope prompted.

“My father originally was after Amaryllis. That’s another one of my mother and Aunt Iris’s sisters,” Stephen began.

“Wait a minute—are all the sisters named after flowers? Iris, Amaryllis?” Hope wondered.

Stephen chuckled. “You guessed it. My mother is Hyacinth. And then there are Rose, Lily, Daisy, Jasmine, and Violet.”

Hope smiled. “Those are lovely names.”

“Not as lovely as yours.” Stephen resisted the urge to grab Hope’s hand. Her entire family was in plain sight, and he didn’t know if she felt anything for him. There was no doubt in his mind, though. He couldn’t stop thinking about Hope no matter how hard he tried.

Hope frowned. “Don’t change the subject. You need to finish your story.”

“My father met my aunt Amaryllis when he traveled to Seattle for business. But she was in love with another man. She married him, and my father continued to travel.” Stephen loved telling the story of how his family had come to be. It was unconventional, but full of the personality and spunk that made his family unique.

“My father is a novelist, and he traveled all over. Eventually, he decided to move to Seattle and stay there. That’s when he fell in love with my mother. She had a column in the local paper, and he—well, let’s just say, he made a lasting impression on her.” Stephen chuckled as he recalled all of the silly things his father had done when he was courting his mother. “Her column instructed men on how to attract a woman—and he followed all of her instructions to the best of his abilities.”

“And it worked?” Hope leaned in a little closer to Stephen. She loved how his eyes twinkled when he talked about his family. It was a different side of him than the calm, sensible doctor she worked with each day.

“After some confusion, it worked,” Stephen confirmed.

“So your mother and your father are both writers?” Hope asked.

“Yes. My mother slowed down once they had kids, of course. But books are very important to them—to all of us, actually,” Stephen explained.

“You should meet my sister Gertrude and her husband. They actually have a small bookstore added on to the front of their home!” Hope pointed to one of the other picnic tables, where Stephen saw a man with shaggy brown hair strumming a banjo. A few others were around him laughing and smiling. Stephen noticed that most of the other guests had left.

“I can’t believe how late it is,” Stephen told Hope.

Hope looked around and realized that Stephen was right. Most of her married sisters had gone home, but Gertrude and Jed were still there. Katie and Theresa were listening to Jed’s banjo while Hattie and Martha began packing up food. “Wow. I didn’t realize it was so late either.” She had lost all track of time talking to Stephen and hearing about his family. They sounded like lovely and intelligent people, just like him. She was surprised she had spent so much time sitting and talking to him, and she didn’t want the night to end.

“I’d be glad to help clean up.” Stephen leapt to his feet and offered a hand to help Hope up as well.

Hope felt a tiny jolt of electricity again as Stephen’s hand embraced hers. She was starting to get used to the feeling. It was strange, but exciting at the same time. “Thank you.”

Stephen walked over to the dessert table and helped Hattie pack some leftover cookies in a tin. He stacked all the empty trays together and went back into the house.

Hope followed. “You wash. I’ll dry.” As they walked into the house, Hope saw Edna Petunia and Cletus slow-dancing to Jed’s banjo music. Hope shook her head. Her parents behaved so oddly sometimes, but she truly did love them.

Stephen began wiping off one of the trays with a rag.

“What are you doing?” Hope stared at him as if he was crazy.

Stephen stopped. “Cleaning this tray. What’s the matter?”

“You’re doing it all wrong!” Hope exclaimed. “You need to put water and soap on it before you wash with the rag.”

Stephen frowned. “This is the way I’ve always washed things.”

Hope grabbed the tray from his hands. “Well, you’re not helping one bit if you wash that way.”

Stephen stepped aside with a hurt expression on his face. “You can wash, and I can dry.”

“I may as well just do the rest of the work myself. I can see you’re not going to be much help in the kitchen,” Hope told Stephen.

Stephen was at a loss for words. He didn’t know if Hope was intentionally trying to get rid of him or just being her normal, no-nonsense self. “Could we go outside and talk?”

Hope wasn’t sure why Stephen wanted to go back outside. “But I’m still cleaning.”

“I’d just…I’d like to speak with you privately,” Stephen explained.

Just then, Edna Petunia and Cletus came charging into the kitchen, still dancing. Jed, finishing the last few notes of a song on his banjo, followed them, with Gertrude on his heels.

“Stephen! I’m glad you’re still here!” Edna Petunia cried out, squeezing his arm.

Stephen tried to smile, but still felt hurt by how abrupt Hope was acting.

“He doesn’t know how to wash dishes, though!” Hope teased. She wanted to show Stephen that she didn’t care who washed the dishes. She was perfectly capable of cleaning up. But instead of laughing, Stephen’s face went pale.

“I was just heading out. Thank you very much for a wonderful evening. You have a very special family.” Stephen offered a handshake to both Cletus and Edna Petunia.

Edna Petunia turned away his handshake and pulled him into an embrace. “You seem a little unsettled. Would you like a peppermint stick?” Edna Petunia reached down into her bodice and pulled out one of the candies.

Stephen was so stunned that he just stared at her. Edna Petunia pressed the candy into his hand and walked him to the door.

“You come again now, all right? We liked having you here, Stephen Bennett. If I’m not terribly mistaken, you might even have a little of your father’s charm!” Edna Petunia said cheerily. She turned to her husband. “And his father had a LOT of charm, if you know what I mean!”

“We should be going, too,” Gertrude said. “It’s getting late, and I’m tired.”

“Just one more song?” Jed pleaded with a huge grin. “The baby likes it when I play!” He rubbed Gertrude’s stomach, and she relented.

Hope continued to wash the dishes. She hoped Stephen had a nice time. He had seemed upset as he left, but she didn’t know why. She hoped her family hadn’t scared him off. The Sanders clan could be absolutely ridiculous sometimes, but she wouldn’t want it any other way.