Page 48 of Calder Strong (The Calder Brand #5)

As he and Mason drove through the night, with the children already asleep in the back seat, Joseph pondered the challenges that had yet to be faced.

First and foremost would be freeing Annabeth.

Lucas and Ellie needed their mother, and he needed his wife—her warmth, her wisdom, her strength, and her love.

He wanted to be a husband and a father to his new family, to shelter them from the hardship they’d known—to keep them in safety and comfort for the rest of their lives.

What would happen if the trial went the wrong way?

From the Miles City Star:

The trial of Annabeth Coleman Mosby Dollarhide has attracted spectators from all over the state.

As the hours have stretched into two days, it has become clear that this is more than the trial of a woman.

It has become a question of a woman’s right to protect herself and her children from the husband she vowed to love, honor, and obey .

Witnesses for the prosecution have included the neighbors who found the body, Sheriff McTeer, and Silas Mosby’s sister, Nancy, who swore that her brother had been a kind and loving husband who had only wanted to keep his rebellious wife in her place .

Rancher and businessman Joseph Dollarhide, the defendant’s new husband, was also called by the prosecution.

He testified that he had offered friendship and support but that there had been no improper relationship with the defendant during her marriage to Mosby.

He insisted that they had married to protect Mrs. Dollarhide’s children.

But his admission, under oath, that the marriage had been consummated, threw his entire testimony into question .

The defense called Dr. Kristin Dollarhide, who had failed to produce the photos she claimed to have taken but had described in detail the injuries Mosby had inflicted on his wife and son and supported the claim that there was no improper relationship between the defendant and Mr. Dollarhide, who happens to be her nephew.

An advocate from a women’s support group also spoke about the unfairness of laws that failed to protect women from spousal abuse .

The final witness for the defense was Mrs. Dollarhide’s five-year-old son, Lucas.

As the only eyewitness to his father’s death, he gave a clear and gripping account of the entire event, including his part in it.

When he allowed his shirt to be lifted, showing the brutal scars on his back, the collective gasp could be heard even from the back of the courtroom .

Throughout his testimony, the boy showed remarkable poise and self-control. But when defense attorney Ezra Dillenbeck asked him whether he believed his father had wanted to kill him and his mother, Lucas burst into tears and was led from the courtroom .

Mrs. Dollarhide had to be physically restrained from rushing to her son .

Joseph’s stomach clenched as the jury filed into the box. After three hours of deliberation, they’d arrived at a verdict.

From his seat in the first row behind the defense table, he could see his wife’s back as she sat next to Ezra.

She held herself straight and proud, wearing the blue dress Kristin had given her.

Her hair hung down her back in a neat, golden braid.

She looked as innocent as a child—as innocent as she surely was.

Joseph wanted to reach out and lay a supporting hand on her shoulder, but that would be out of order. He could only wait, suffering the torments of hell for her as the jurors took their seats.

The verdict could go either way. The prosecution had twisted the facts to make her appear guilty, and Joseph’s own testimony, with its painful truths, had only strengthened their case.

On the side of the defense, it was all Lucas.

Annabeth had been prepared to testify on her own behalf, but Ezra had insisted that the boy would make a more credible witness. She had resisted until both Ezra and Joseph had assured her that Lucas understood the situation and wanted to help. Only then had she agreed to let the boy take the stand.

Joseph couldn’t imagine that he’d ever feel more proud of his son. Lucas’s clear-spoken, brutally honest story had touched hearts. But would it be enough to save his mother?

The children waited with Britta in the front hall. If Annabeth was found guilty and sentenced, she would be given a few heartbreaking minutes with them before being sent to the prison at Deer Lodge.

If that were to happen, Joseph vowed, he would never stop fighting to free her. He would file appeals, write letters, talk to reporters and anyone else who would listen. He would never give up.

Kristin was sitting next to Joseph. As the jury foreman, an elderly man in a shabby suit, stood and faced the judge, she found his hand and squeezed it hard. In the packed courtroom, not a sound could be heard.

“Gentlemen of the jury, have you reached a verdict?” the judge asked.

“We have, your honor.”

“Will the defendant please rise?”

Annabeth stood. She was trembling, but she kept her dignity, head high. Joseph’s own heart was pounding like a trapped bird against his rib cage.

The foreman handed a slip of paper to the bailiff, who passed it to the judge. The judge read it and nodded, his face expressionless.

“Will the foreman please read the verdict?”

“Yes, your honor.” The old man cleared his throat. “We the jury find the defendant, Annabeth Coleman Mosby Dollarhide … not guilty.”

Not guilty .

Annabeth swayed as her knees buckled beneath her. Reaching over the barrier, Joseph caught her in his arms. For a moment, he held her close. Around them, the tumult of the courtroom seemed to fade into the distance.

She looked up at him. “The children?” she whispered.

“They’re waiting for you outside,” Joseph said. “Come on, Mrs. Dollarhide. Let’s find them and go home. It’s over.”