Dorothy (Orlan Orphans Book 7)

by Kirsten Osbourne

  “Well, he’d have to love taking long walks, and riding through the countryside, that sort of thing. Family would have to be really important to him. Maybe he has a big family like mine, or maybe it’s just a small one, as long as he’s close with them. And, most importantly, he’d love being outside in the fresh air.”

  Carter’s heart sank. He’d hoped he’d meet some of Dorothy’s criteria for a perfect man, but he was nothing like her ideal. He felt very out of place in the small town she lived in.

  Dorothy worried when Carter didn’t respond for a while. “You got quiet.”

  “I’m just thinking about how different we are,” Carter finally admitted. Dorothy nodded.

  “I know what you mean.”

  “I wish things were different.”

  Dorothy turned to look Carter in the eyes. “How so?”

  “Well, for example, I wish you’d been born in the city. Or that I’d been born in the country. Maybe if we had been raised in those settings, we’d be more similar.”

  Dorothy frowned. “Maybe. But if that had been true, we’d never have met at all.”

  Carter smiled. He hadn’t thought of that. He loved the way Dorothy could always look at the bright side of a situation. Her cooler head had already prevailed a few times—like at the library, or at the Drake estate when everything had turned out to be such a mess.

  Dorothy enjoyed seeing a different side of Carter. At work he was buttoned up, stiff, and formal. Now he was coming alive, answering her questions candidly and acting interested in her own answers to those questions.

  Carter moved his head closer to Dorothy’s so their foreheads were practically touching. “It’s a shame we’re so wrong for each other, isn’t it?”

  Dorothy felt like she could barely breathe with Carter’s face so close to her own. “It is a shame,” she agreed.

  Carter couldn’t stand it any longer. He tilted his head down and kissed Dorothy square on the lips. Dorothy hesitated for a moment, then kissed him back. She’d never been kissed before, so she wasn’t sure what she was doing, but she loved the feeling and wanted more of it. When they were done, Carter rested his head on the ground again. He exhaled loudly.

  “With all due respect, Miss Sanders, I don’t think you’ll be finding a country boy who has that effect on you.”

  Dorothy couldn’t sleep that night as she replayed her kiss with Carter over and over again. She knew it was wrong to get involved with her employer, but she also couldn’t stop thinking about the man. He was her opposite in almost every way, but something about him made her feel safe and excited. She found herself wanting to learn more about him and his life in Austin. Maybe she would even visit him there one day.

  The rest of the week passed in a blur of work on the estate case. Most days involved several hours of correspondence—between Carter and his client, Mr. Parrish, Carter and local magistrates, and Carter and his law professors, who still had an interest in helping him succeed. Dorothy marveled at the file of contacts Carter had—it was more people than Dorothy had ever met in her entire life. In the afternoons, they often went out to the Drake estate, cleaning up, reviewing all the documents, and slowly building Carter’s case for Mr. Parrish.

  “How do you know Mr. Parrish is the rightful owner?” Dorothy asked one day as they were cleaning.

  “To be truthful, I don’t know. But he came to me and told me that his mother had sworn up and down that his father knew he existed, and just didn’t want to be in his life. His father had problems with alcohol, and never cared about anyone or anything but himself. I believed him, Miss Sanders. And I believe it’s the right thing to do to fight for him to get justice.”

  Dorothy loved hearing Carter’s passion for doing what was right. It reminded her of Cletus. He was always encouraging the girls to stand up for themselves and do what they believed in.

  Dorothy also found her thoughts drifting back to their moonlit kiss. She couldn’t wait to spend time with Carter alone again. She wanted to feel the brush of his lips against hers and his arms around her, engulfing her in his strong frame.

  “Miss Sanders! Are you all right?” Dorothy snapped to attention as Carter called her name. She had told him he could call her Dorothy, and he had told her to feel free to call him Carter, but they both stuck to more formal titles most of the time.

  “Sorry. I didn’t mean to drift off. I was just…thinking.” Dorothy smiled sweetly, hoping Carter didn’t know exactly what she was talking about. She had a feeling that she liked him a lot more than he liked her, and she didn’t want to seem desperate or pushy. She understood that he was first and foremost her employer, and he would be back to the city in a few weeks. Their time together was wonderful, but fleeting. She would make the most of it, but she wouldn’t beg.

  “Less thinking and more filing, please.” Carter’s tone was harsher than he intended. The truth was, he couldn’t stop thinking, either. Thinking about spending more time in the evenings with Dorothy, even though it was inappropriate. He did not want to take advantage of her, and he worried about the things he might do if given the chance. She was pure and wholesome and good, and he found himself wanting to be around her at all times.

  Dorothy blinked back a few tears, shocked at how Carter’s words stung her. It was probably more about feeling rejected, since he hadn’t tried to kiss her again since that night outside the mercantile. She wondered if she had done something wrong. Then she refocused her mind on the task at hand. She was filing hundreds of pages of letters and journal entries from Mr. Drake’s home so Carter could reference them later. It was mind-numbing work, but a welcome distraction from her distress over Carter.

  “I think…I think I found something new.” Dorothy’s voice was tentative. She couldn’t believe what she was holding in her hands.

  Carter’s tone was almost bored, as if he didn’t believe the significance. “What is it?”

  “A journal entry dated 1885…for a woman named Louise Parrish! She really did visit!” Dorothy couldn’t contain her excitement. This was the scrap of paper they’d been looking for! It had been stuck to the bottom of another piece, and when she had tried to file it, she realized the pages were stuck together. She carefully peeled them apart and handed the important piece to Carter.

  Carter whistled through his teeth. “You, Miss Sanders, are a miracle worker. You may have just won the case for us right there.”

  Dorothy noticed that it was well past four o’clock. She stiffened and adopted a more formal tone of voice, remembering Carter’s distance from her over the past few days. “I’ll be going now. You have a good night.”

  Carter was taken aback by Dorothy’s shift in tone, but he recovered quickly. “Yes, you too, Miss Sanders. Thank you for your excellent work today. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  Dorothy pulled the door shut behind her and leaned against it, breathing heavily. She knew it wasn’t right to have such strong feelings for her employer, but he had a powerful effect on her…and it seemed like there was nothing she could do about it.

  Chapter 4

  When Dorothy got home, she saw Edna Petunia and Gertie in the kitchen. It was Gertie’s turn to help with dinner. Normally, Dorothy might have confided to Cassie Hayes, the woman who had moved to Texas with the girls as the matron of their former orphanage, about her feelings for Carter, but Cassie was busy with her husband and their growing family.

  Dorothy did her best to hide her mood from her family, but she realized quickly she wasn’t being successful as everyone gave her pitying glances.

  “What’s wrong with her?” Gertie was loud and obnoxious. Dorothy’s eyes filled with tears.

  She didn’t feel like explaining to any of her sisters. Several of them were married and wouldn’t remember what it was like to be in a new relationship. And the rest of them couldn’t understand what she was going through because they had never experienced it.

  “Go ahead and put that chicken in the oven, Gertie. I’ll be right back.” Edna Petunia took
off her apron and flew up the steps quick as a flash, following Dorothy into her room.

  “What’s wrong, sweetheart?”

  Dorothy was startled to find Edna Petunia so close behind her. She’d thought she was still in the kitchen making dinner. “I’m fine, Edna Petunia. Thank you.”

  “You’re no more fine than a canary in a coal mine.” Edna Petunia had many zany expressions. Dorothy and her sisters weren’t always sure what to make of them, but right now, she was touched. Her mother had sensed she wasn’t feeling well and was trying to help her feel better.

  “Thanks, Edna Petunia. I don’t know…I think Carter Reeves has me a bit shaken.” With that, the flood gates opened, and Dorothy found herself sobbing into Edna Petunia’s chest.

  “There, there, sweet thing. Nothing a peppermint stick can’t cure.” Edna Petunia stuck her hand into her bosom and pulled out a fresh peppermint stick for Dorothy to suck on. Dorothy hesitated, knowing Edna usually kept these in her cleavage for children she came across, but then accepted, looking at the candy skeptically. Maybe Edna Petunia was right, and the treat would give her fresh breath and peace of mind. She could at least try.

  With Edna Petunia’s soothing voice and the calming effect of the peppermint stick, Dorothy spilled the entire story to Edna Petunia. She even told her that Carter had kissed her, and that she longed for him to touch her in that way again.

  “I know you think I’m old and batty, and maybe I am…but you have to be careful who you show your petunia to, Dorothy. When I met Cletus, I knew he was the right man for me, but not all men are cut from the same mold. I was one of the lucky ones—”

  Dorothy grimaced. She didn’t want to think about her adoptive parents having sex. “Okay, I get your point. Don’t worry, I’m certainly not going to show my petunia to him. I don’t know if he’s even talking to me outside of work.”

  “Honey, you did nothing wrong. Some things just aren’t meant to be. I am sure you’ll find someone one day that makes you feel just as special.” Edna Petunia patted Dorothy on the shoulder and went back downstairs to finish cooking dinner. Dorothy finished munching her peppermint stick, washed her hands, and headed downstairs to join her family for their meal.

  With a house full of girls, there was always someone who was having trouble with something or other. It would be nice to catch up with her family and tune into someone else’s problems. That way, she could ignore her own…then maybe they’d go away.

  The following morning, Dorothy took a different route than usual to the house where she worked with Carter. She felt refreshed after her talk with Edna Petunia, and even more determined than ever to be professional at work and set aside her feelings for Carter.

  “Hello,” Carter mumbled as he riffled through stacks of paper Dorothy had filed the day before. “I can’t find anything!”

  Dorothy tried not to look exasperated. She had been in a good mood, but it was clear that Carter was not. She forced a cheerful grin on her face and found the paper Carter was looking for.

  Humming one of her favorite songs, she made coffee for Carter without him having to ask for it. She brought freshly made cinnamon rolls out of her lunch bag and put one on a small dish for Carter.

  “Thank you.” Carter chewed the doughy treat with a dreamy look on his face. “These are delicious.”

  “You’re welcome. Minnie makes them often.”

  “Who’s Minnie?” Carter asked between bites. “Oh, wait, let me guess. Another sister?”

  Dorothy smiled. She knew it seemed crazy to him, but she loved her large, rambling family. She wouldn’t have it any other way.

  “You know, we’ve never talked about that.” Dorothy was thinking out loud.

  “About what?”

  “Well, now I know your ideal woman, and you know my ideal man. But how big of a family do you want?”

  Carter blinked a few times. He looked as if he’d never considered the question. “I’ve always assumed I’d have one, of course. I’ll settle down in a small house near the courthouse in Austin. Then there’s food and private schooling and other expenses to consider. I wouldn’t want to have more than one.”

  Dorothy smiled sadly. Carter was so logical in his plan for himself. He would find himself a nice, logical wife and settle down to have one nice, logical child who would one day go on to reproduce with someone else’s nice, logical son or daughter.

  “I’ve always known I wanted a big family. Not as big as the one I have now—I’ll leave the really huge family to Penny—but I want at least four or five children. That way, they’ll always have someone to play with, to laugh with, to cry with. I think it’s very important for children to have that.”

  “I see.” Carter was silent for a while, then snapped to attention. “Well, we’re wasting time. The case will go to the judge in less than two weeks, and I need to prepare my opening remarks. Get out the typewriter.”

  Dorothy tried to focus on the task at hand. It would be her first time using his typewriter. She usually took dictation by hand for correspondence. She had used a typewriter once before, back in New York, and was excited to try one again. She slid a piece of paper into the machine and set the carriage all the way to the left.

  “I’m ready.”

  The morning passed quickly. The cinnamon roll had helped cheer Carter up considerably. He was still obsessed with efficiency and work, of course, but a little kinder about it than usual. He even reminded Dorothy to break for lunch exactly at noon.

  “Let’s eat outside today.”

  Dorothy was surprised but grateful at the suggestion. “That sounds perfect.” The two sat in silence at a small table outside Carter’s house. Dorothy ate the pork sandwich she’d packed as a lunch and Carter ate a handful of nuts.

  “It really is a lovely day out.” Dorothy sighed and closed her eyes, breathing in the deep scents of the trees and bushes that surrounded the house.

  “It is beautiful out here. But don’t you ever wish for something more than what Nowhere has to offer?” Carter seemed genuinely curious, but Dorothy didn’t want to get into an argument.

  “I don’t know, sir. Can’t we just enjoy this glorious day, without getting into a big debate about city versus small town?” Dorothy’s tone came off a little sharper than she intended. To her surprise, Carter simply smiled.

  “I respect a woman who can put me in place from time to time.”

  Dorothy smiled as she chewed a piece of her sandwich.

  “As long as she’s able to be put into her place when it’s needed,” Carter added. A small thrill coursed through Dorothy’s body. She felt a deep longing inside of her to be as close to Carter as possible. She could tell he felt it, too.

  “Perhaps this evening, Miss Sanders, you could continue to show me around Nowhere?”

  Dorothy grinned, thrilled he’d remembered. “I don’t know. I do have quite an active social calendar, so I’ll have to check on that.”

  “Please do, and get back to me. For now, let’s get back to work.”

  Dorothy nodded and followed Carter back into the house. She’d have to think of something really special for that evening. She wanted to make sure Nowhere left a good impression on him. She knew he was partial to the city, but she was positive she could change his mind.

  That evening, Dorothy and Carter trotted along on two horses from Penny and Tom’s farm. Dorothy knew some fresh country air would be good for Carter after spending days in his dusty house, reviewing letters and log books. She’d convinced Penny to let them ride a couple of their horses in exchange for Dorothy helping cook for the boys. Tom and Penny could barely keep up with the appetites of their seventeen adopted boys as it was, and now that Penny was pregnant, it was even more of a challenge.

  “Excuse me, did you say your sister has seventeen adopted sons?” Carter looked like he might become ill.

  “Yes. But that’s just the beginning. Tom is the seventh son of a seventh son. So this baby will definitely be a boy, and all the rest as well
. They’ll have twenty-four sons when all is said and done.”

  Carter looked like he was having an attack of some sort. His face had gone white, and his mouth was set in a firm line.

  “Are you all right?” Dorothy asked cautiously.

  “I’m fine. Just in a bit of shock.”

  “Do people in the city not have big families? I guess I’ve never really stopped to consider it.”

  “I’ve always thought that family is what you make of it.”

  “I like that.”

  They rode along quietly for a few minutes. It was just before dusk, and the temperature was cooling down a bit. They came to the edge of a pond, and Dorothy prodded her horse over to it, allowing the mare to sip water.

  “I’ll bet you don’t have fresh water like this in Austin.” Dorothy tried not to sound smug, because she didn’t want to make it a competition. But she did want to show Carter that the country had its strong points, too.

  Carter laughed. He was normally so serious during the day, so it was nice to see him loosen up a bit. “No, I don’t suppose so. We do have other things, though.”

  “Like what?” Dorothy knew she was being forward, but couldn’t help herself.

  Carter pulled his horse up next to Dorothy’s. They stared at one another for a few moments, and then he leaned down toward her. Suddenly, his horse took off with a loud splutter. Carter shouted in surprise.

  Dorothy spurred her horse to chase after Carter and his runaway mare, soon catching up to them. “I’m so sorry! I don’t know what got into her—”

  Carter interrupted Dorothy. “It doesn’t matter. I think I’ve seen enough of Nowhere for this evening.”

  Dorothy tried to hide her disappointment. “All right. We can head back.”

  Carter had already set off down the path, and the spell of a few moments before had been broken. Dorothy sighed and followed after him.