Page 7 of Calder Strong (The Calder Brand #5)

Annabeth bent over the rows of her garden, pulling weeds and checking the progress of her vegetable crop.

The carrots, turnips, and beets, on which she depended for winter storage, were doing poorly, the tops wilted and scraggly.

Looking down the row, she could see the mound of freshly dug earth that told her the reason.

Blasted gopher! She would have to set a trap for it—or for them, since there could be a whole family of the varmints tunneling under the ground to feast on her precious vegetables.

Straightening, she brushed the dirt off her hands.

Her thumbs massaged the small of her back.

She didn’t mind hard work—she’d been helping on her family’s farm since she wasn’t much older than Ellie, peeling potatoes and plucking birds in the kitchen, milking cows, hoeing weeds, and minding her younger siblings.

Her parents were gone now, their property passed on to Annabeth’s two brothers, who’d sold it and departed for greener pastures.

The three girls, including Annabeth, had married and started families of their own.

The last of Annabeth’s siblings had moved away three years ago, leaving her alone in Blue Moon.

Annabeth had once hoped for a better life.

She’d read every book she could find, kept herself clean, and practiced ladylike manners.

When she’d wed Silas, she’d treasured the hope of a happy marriage and a loving home.

Too late, she discovered that she’d bought into a life like her mother’s, married to a cold, controlling man who treated her like property.

Her hope now was for her children—fearless little Ellie and thoughtful Lucas, who was growing to look more like his natural father every day.

Looking across the yard, she could see them on the porch steps, sharing a tattered picture book that Annabeth had saved from her childhood.

She’d started teaching Lucas to read. He knew his letters and numbers and could write his name.

But Silas was already pushing to start the almost five-year-old boy working on the farm.

“A farmer’s got no use for book learning,” he’d told her yesterday. “Books can’t teach him to plant a field, hitch a wagon, or butcher a hog. They’ll only fill his head with useless ideas. Start him working young, and he’ll know his place as a man.”

Annabeth had controlled her temper, knowing that to speak up would only trigger a tongue-lashing. She knew exactly what her husband meant. He was raising a farmhand—not the blood heir he was still hoping for. Meanwhile, he’d be damned if he’d let her turn the boy into a Dollarhide.

She was about to go back to her gardening when Silas came out of the house. His dark blond hair was slicked down and combed. He’d changed out of his work overalls and wore denim pants with a clean shirt.

“Don’t wait up for me,” he said, stepping around the children. “I’ll be playing cards with the boys, so I might be late getting home.”

“All right.” At first, when these late nights had started, she’d suspected Silas of seeing another woman.

But over time, she’d overheard enough to know that he was involved in some kind of business with his friends.

He hadn’t given her the details, and she’d known better than to ask him, but he’d dropped hints about making a lot of money—not that she’d seen any of it.

Annabeth sensed that the activity was illegal.

She feared he might be arrested, but short of worrying, there was little she could do.

As he came down the steps, she moved out of his way. But he caught her waist, pulled her to him, and kissed her possessively. “When I come home, I’d better find you waiting for me—in bed,” he muttered.

“Just be careful.” She kept her voice level as he released her.

“I mean it, Annabeth. That’s my ring you’re wearing. If you ever betray me, so help me, I’ll know, and I’ll make you pay.” Leaving the words to hang, he strode to the car and drove away.

Annabeth watched him go. She had never been unfaithful to Silas, nor had she wanted to be.

But he would never let her forget that she’d carried another man’s child in her body or that he had saved her from dishonor.

He had endless small ways of reminding her that she was damaged goods, unworthy of trust or respect.

Her failure to give him a son only made matters worse.

What if she had told Joseph about the baby?

His family would have forced him to wed her—she had little doubt of that.

But at nineteen, he would have felt trapped and he would have come to despise her for it.

For the sake of her children, she could bear Silas’s contempt.

But Joseph’s? That would have broken her heart.

She turned back toward the house, where her children waited to hear the story she’d promised to read them after Silas left. Her life was far from perfect, but she had Joseph’s son and her bright, bold, little Ellie. They were her blessings, her shining stars. For now, that would have to be enough.

On the drive back to Blue Moon, Joseph had resolved to keep his eyes on the road.

But he couldn’t resist stealing a few quick looks at his companion.

Every glance was a new discovery—her profile with the slightly turned-up nose; the tendrils of dark brown hair that framed her face, lying damp against her porcelain skin; and the intriguing little mole at the corner of her mouth.

Her hands were small, the nails bitten to the quick.

She smelled faintly of lilacs. He breathed her in.

“Tell me about Blue Moon,” she said. “How did the town get such a funny name?”

“That’s an interesting story.” Joseph steered around a bundle of firewood that had likely fallen off a truck.

“Back in the late 1800s, it was just a rest stop on the road—there was a saloon as I recall, with feed and water for horses. The place was so isolated, folks declared that travelers would only stop there once in a blue moon. As the town grew, the name stuck.”

Her laughter was musical. “What’s the place like now? I read about the teaching job in a Kansas City newspaper and accepted the offer long-distance. Evidently, I was the only person who applied.”

“So you’ve never been to Blue Moon?”

“Never. Should I be worried?”

“There’s nothing to worry about. But as a city girl, don’t expect to be impressed.

It’s an ordinary small town, surrounded by farms and ranches.

Not much going on in the way of excitement.

But the people are neighborly. They’ll treat you well, especially since you’ll be teaching their children.

You can expect to be invited for a lot of Sunday dinners.

” He risked a sidelong look to see her studying him from under the lush black fringe of her eyelashes.

Emboldened, he decided to take a chance.

“The big Independence Day celebration is coming up on Thursday,” he said.

“There’ll be a children’s parade, a patriotic program, and a baseball game.

You’d have a chance to meet some of your students and their families.

Then at night, there’ll be a dance with a live band.

It’s the big event of the summer. If you’d like to go, I’d be honored to escort you. ”

Her silence was a beat too long. “Let me think about it,” she said. “I’ll need some time to get settled. But maybe by the holiday, I’ll be ready. Can I let you know?”

“Sure.” Joseph turned his full attention back to the road.

A few more minutes and they’d be passing through the outskirts of Blue Moon.

After letting Miss Francine Rutledge and her trunk off at the school, with its adjoining small house, he would drive home to face his father.

He still wasn’t sure how much to tell Blake about the stolen money.

It might be wise to hold the news for a few days in the hope that the thief might be caught and some of it recovered.

“What can you tell me about the Calders?” Francine asked.

“Why? What do you want to know?” Her question had caught him off guard.

She tucked a stray lock of hair under her hat. “I’m just curious. Even in Kansas City, I read news articles about the Calder family and that huge cattle ranch.”

“If you’ve read the news articles, then you know about as much as I can tell you.” The Calders weren’t exactly Joseph’s favorite subject.

“I remember reading about Webb Calder’s death—so sudden and so tragic. I understand that his son is running the ranch now. But I don’t recall his name. What is it?”

“Chase.”

“Oh, that’s right. Chase. Chase Calder. Does he have a family? A wife?”

“From what I know of Chase, he’s married to his ranch.”

Joseph sensed where this conversation was leading.

He had just met this fascinating creature, and he already had a rival for her affections.

Time would tell whether Chase would even be interested.

But if it came to that, Joseph wasn’t afraid of some healthy competition—not even from the boss of the Triple C.

The school was coming up on the right. Francine had told him that the school board was expecting her and the house would be unlocked, with the lights and water turned on. Joseph would only need to help unload the trunk and make sure everything was in order.

“They even promised clean sheets on the bed and some food in the kitchen,” Francine said as he drove up to the house. “Let’s hope the good people of Blue Moon are true to their word.”

“They will be. In a little backwater town like Blue Moon, good teachers are hard to come by. You’ll be welcomed with open arms.”

So what was an attractive, confident young woman who could probably get hired anywhere doing in Blue Moon?

Joseph pondered the question as he dragged the heavy trunk into the house and pushed it against a wall in the bedroom.

Maybe he already had his answer. She’d given it to him when she’d asked about Chase Calder.