Theresa Sanders rocked the babies back and forth, swaying as she tried to figure out what her brothers-in-law were up to. Everyone waited for Sunday services to begin, but the young men of the family were acting in a peculiar fashion. Stephen, Lewis, and Will—the newest brother-in-law—were whispering furiously and pointing toward the back of the church. The other brothers-in-law were crowded around them.

Usually, each family sat together, alternating couples and children in various rows. This time, the men had left their wives and children to clump together as a group. Theresa was certain that something was going on, she just didn’t know what it could be.

Suddenly, there was a commotion in the church as the men’s whispers changed into downright laughter. The only brother-in-law who wasn’t in the throng was Pastor Micah. He walked to the front of the church, looking every bit as confused as Theresa felt. He stopped when he approached the men. Theresa saw him whisper something in Lewis’s ear, then turn around.

Theresa turned around to see what Micah was looking at. In the back of the church was Cody Witherspoon, wearing a suit that seemed brand-new and a wide-brimmed hat. He took the hat off and scanned the pews before his eyes came to a rest on Stephen.

Cody strode confidently through the church and took his seat next to Dr. Bennett. In just a few days, Dr. Bennett had helped him turn his luck around completely. Not only had Dr. Bennett and Dr. Harvey purchased an insurance policy, but they’d also introduced him to all of the other husbands of Theresa’s sisters.

Cody was amazed at how many businesses and properties were owned by the Sanders sons-in-law—from a book wagon to a fully stocked mercantile, the husbands certainly stayed busy. In less than a week’s time, Cody had more business than he knew what to do with.

It wasn’t about the money, though. He knew that the only thing that mattered was convincing Theresa to accept his marriage proposal—again. He still hoped for Edna Petunia and Cletus to give their blessing, and Dr. Bennett had told him that the brothers-in-law had devised a plan.

Cody took his seat, surprised to realize that he felt nervous. He rarely felt worried about anything, but he knew what he felt for Theresa was important. He didn’t even want to think about losing her.

“Just follow our lead,” Dr. Bennett instructed Cody. “We have a plan.”

Cody nodded but still felt apprehensive.

At the front of the church, Micah began services.

From their seat a few rows behind where Cody was sitting, Edna Petunia and Cletus exchanged glances. “Something’s going on,” Edna Petunia noted. She knew her sons-in-law got along well, but this seemed ridiculous. They had formed some sort of gaggle and even invited Cody Witherspoon to sit with them. Something awfully strange was occurring.

“Harumph,” Cletus grunted. He tried to focus on what Micah was saying. He respected the man, but there were occasions where Micah droned on for what felt like hours. He hoped that wouldn't be the case on that day.

For Theresa, the service passed in a blur. She had to leave the building a few times when one of the twins started crying. She was starting to forget what life had been like before she had found the twins. They felt like a part of her life now.

As the services ended, two of the brothers-in-law, Jed and Carter, surrounded Cletus. “Hello!” Jed said brightly.

“We have someone we’d like you to speak with,” Carter explained. Each man flanked Cletus as he stood up and ushered him back to the crowd of brothers-in-law.

“What is the meaning of this?” Cletus asked. He was ready to get back to the Sanders’ home and eat his post-church slice of pie.

“You remember Mr. Witherspoon,” Jed said as they approached the man.

Cletus frowned. “Of course. The salesman.”

“You see, Cletus, we’ve all signed on for Cody’s insurance policies. It turns out they’re a lot better than the ones we previously had, and we pay less for premiums,” Jed said lightly.

Cletus frowned. “You say you pay less?”

“That’s right,” Carter affirmed.

“I’d be happy to review your current policies with you and tell you a little more about our policies,” Cody said politely.

“Hm. Maybe. We’ll see,” Cletus said sternly. “But now I’d like to go home with my family.”

“There’s something else,” Lewis mentioned, coming around the other side of Cletus. “Mr. Witherspoon has something to ask of you.”

“Sir, I’d like to court your daughter, Theresa,” Cody said, remembering to be specific and straightforward this time.

Cletus paused and turned around so he could make eye contact with each man. The look on his face made Cody nervous. He was silent for a long time, then finally spoke up. “Well, Theresa’s her own person. She can decide for herself what she wants to do.”

Cody breathed a sigh of relief. Around him, the other men relaxed and smiled.

Cletus elbowed his way away from the group and through the exit. “That was an ambush!”

“What was an ambush, dear?” Edna Petunia asked, sipping from her cough medicine flask outside.

“All of our daughters’ husbands seemed to have joined forces. I don’t like it one bit,” Cletus told his wife. “Now, let’s get home.”

Edna Petunia nodded and scanned the crowd for Theresa. Katie was at her side, but Theresa and the babies were nowhere to be found.

Inside the church, Cody helped Theresa load the babies into their bassinette. Even though Cletus had given his approval, he still felt nervous. What if Theresa had changed her mind? She had seemed exhausted and sleep-deprived when she’d agreed to marry him originally. Maybe it had all been a big misunderstanding.

Theresa could hear her parents and Katie calling for her outside. She looked up at Cody’s strong, handsome face. “I need to go. It was nice to see you.”

“Wait,” Cody said, grabbing onto Theresa’s wrist. She felt a crackle of electricity every time he touched her, and she wanted more of it. “I’d like to court you, Theresa Sanders.”

Theresa felt a fluttering sensation in her stomach. She felt lighter than air. She blinked back tears and nodded. “I’d like that.”

“Oh, I’m so glad to hear that,” Cody said, a smile spreading across his face.

“Theresa!” Edna Petunia called from outside the church. “We’re leaving!”

Theresa could tell her family was getting impatient. “I need to go. But I hope to see you soon.”

Cody nodded. “I’ll be thinking about you every minute until I see you again.” He looked around and made sure no one else was in the church, then leaned down and kissed Theresa on the lips.

When Cody finally stepped backwards, Theresa sucked in a deep breath. Cody had the strange effect of taking her breath away—but she found that she quite enjoyed it.

As Theresa carried the babies out into the bright, sunlit day, she imagined that one day, she may be climbing into Cody’s wagon instead of Cletus’s. The thought brought a smile to her face.

“What are you daydreaming about?” Katie whispered as she helped Theresa swing the bassinette into the wagon.

“Nothing,” Theresa fibbed. She wasn’t sure what to tell Katie or if she should even tell her parents about what Cody had asked her. Edna Petunia and Cletus didn’t seem like his biggest fans.

However, on the way home, Cody Witherspoon was all Cletus could talk about. “Seems all the sons-in-law are in cahoots with this man now. I’m inclined to trust him since they’ve all agreed to vouch for him. But Theresa, that’s no reason to let him court you if you don’t want to.”

“I want him to court me,” Theresa blurted out.

Katie giggled. “I knew it!”

“These bastards grow up so fast,” Edna Petunia lamented. “Pretty soon suitors will be knocking on Faith’s door.”

“I think Cody is a good man, and he’s already been wonderful with the babies,” Theresa explained.

“Do you think you’ll get married?” Katie asked. “A fall wedding would be nice. Or winter!” She began imagining it and was soon lost in reverie.

“It’s too soon for that, Katie!” Theresa chided.

“But I thought he asked you—” Katie began.

Gabriel began fussing, and Theresa lifted him out of the bassinette to soothe him. “I don’t know if I’ll ever have time to get married,” Theresa said honestly. “Not with these two around.”

“That reminds me,” Cletus said, clearing his throat. “We need to talk about those two little creatures.”

It made Theresa nervous any time Cletus referred to the babies as “creatures.” “What do we need to talk about?”

Cletus looked at Edna Petunia. “We think it’s time the babies found a permanent home.”

“Or homes,” Edna Petunia added gently.

“What are you talking about?” Theresa felt shocked, angry, and taken aback. Gabriel began to cry louder, and soon, Faith began fussing, too.

Cletus continued to steer the wagon toward their home in Nowhere nonchalantly. “We haven’t been able to find the mother. Everyone says it was a young girl who was passing through. None of her family lives around here.”

“What does that have to do with anything?” Theresa asked. Whenever she thought about giving up either of the babies, her heart wrenched in agony.

Edna Petunia tried to soften the news. “Theresa, you’re a young woman with your entire life ahead of you. You’ve bit off more than you can chew with two babies as a single woman.”

“And heaven knows Edna Petunia and I aren’t as youthful as we were when we took you all in. We just don’t have it in us to take care of babies that young,” Cletus continued.

Theresa thought Edna Petunia and Cletus looked the same as when the orphans had arrived in Nowhere, but she decided to focus on the twins instead of mentioning this. “But who would take the babies? How would we know they were going to a good home?”

Edna Petunia and Cletus exchanged another look. Edna Petunia sighed. “There are two very nice families from church who are willing to adopt a baby apiece.”

Theresa felt her stomach clench. “We can’t split up the twins!”

“It’s very difficult to take care of two babies at once, Theresa,” Edna Petunia said gently.

“You of all people should know that,” Cletus chimed in.

Theresa felt attacked. She had the urge to wait until the wagon stopped and jump out with the twins. She could find Cody, run away, and never come back. “It would be wrong to separate them,” Theresa repeated.

Katie helped Theresa soothe the twins. “I wish we could keep them, too, Theresa,” Katie added. “But it is a lot of work. I haven’t been sleeping very well either. I can hear the babies crying upstairs.”

Theresa felt tears pooling in her eyes. How did no one else understand? “All the twins have is each other. You said it yourself—we haven’t been able to locate their mother. We can’t take them away from each other!”

“That’s enough arguing in the wagon. Let’s discuss this further at home,” Cletus declared.

Theresa nodded in understanding, but tears blurred her vision. She wiped them away, looking down lovingly at the babies. She had to find a way to tell Cody about what was happening. She knew he of all people would understand.

Later that evening, Theresa brought up the subject to Edna Petunia and Cletus again.

Cletus seemed crankier than he had earlier. “I need my home back, Theresa. This has gone on long enough. I can’t even sit in my chair!”

Theresa had covered Cletus’s chair in the formal parlor with baby clothes, bottles, and children’s books that she read to the twins over and over again. “I’m sorry, Cletus. I’ll clean it up.”

Cletus sighed wearily. “It’s not about the chair. It’s about you not being old enough to raise two babies on your own.”

“But I’m not on my own. I have my sisters, and I have Cody,” Theresa pointed out. “Plus, I’m nearly as old as Ruby and Opal were when they had their twins.”

“You’re not even married, Theresa!” Edna Petunia said, exasperated. “I’m sick of the fighting around here. The babies are making us all angry with one another.”

“You can’t blame that on the babies!” Theresa cried passionately. She felt awful for the poor infants. First their mother had abandoned them, and now that they were in a loving home, they were going to be abandoned again—and worse than that, they would be torn apart.

“I spoke to Gerald Sibley from church,” Cletus said. “He and his wife will be here on Wednesday to pick up one of the babies. I think they said they wanted the boy.”

Theresa held Gabriel closer. “They are not taking either of the babies. I won’t allow it.”

Cletus sighed. “Theresa, you’re acting like a spoiled child. I know Edna Petunia and I have taught you better than that.”

Theresa felt so angry she couldn’t think of an intelligent response. “You’re wrong!” Theresa cried, rushing out of the room with both babies in tow. She went upstairs into her bedroom, where she hadn’t slept in weeks. She laid both babies down on the bed, watching them carefully to make sure they didn’t squirm their way onto the floor. What was she going to do?

Katie came upstairs with the bassinette and some of the baby supplies. “Are you okay?”

Theresa sighed. “I don’t know. I can’t let the babies be split apart.”

Katie nodded. “You’ve been taking care of them nonstop since they arrived. I’m sure it’s hard to say goodbye.”

“It’s more than that, Katie,” Theresa said. “It’s hard to explain. But these babies are twins. That’s a special bond. Think about Ruby and Opal. Can you imagine one without the other?”

Katie thought about it. “You have a point there,” she admitted. “I can’t picture that.”

“You have to help me,” Theresa pleaded.

Katie gulped. “I don’t want to disobey Edna Petunia or Cletus.”

“I understand,” Theresa told her. “But this is about doing the right thing.”

Katie looked at the babies. “Okay. I’ll help you. For their sake.”

Theresa’s expression brightened. “I have an idea. Here’s how you can help me.” She explained her plan to Katie.

After some deliberation, Katie nodded. “I’ll see what I can do.”