Page 9 of Calder Strong (The Calder Brand #5)

Children, dressed in their Sunday best and carrying miniature flags, clustered at the top of Main Street, waiting to line up for the parade. They would lead the procession, with an older boy—usually the sixth-grade honor student—carrying a larger flag on a pole.

A three-man brass-and-drum ensemble, playing John Philip Sousa marches, would follow the children. Four floats—three from businesses in the town and one from the American Legion Auxiliary—would bring up the rear.

The sawmill was closed for the day, and most of the stock hands had been given time off after morning chores. Joseph had offered to drive his father to the celebration, but Blake’s response had been an angry refusal.

Joseph had understood his pain. Hannah and Elsa had loved Independence Day.

They would have risen before dawn to prepare a lavish lunch of fried chicken, potato salad, and apple pie, to be enjoyed while the family viewed the baseball game.

Last year, Elsa had been excited about watching a boy on the home team—her first crush.

The boy, whose name Joseph couldn’t recall, hadn’t even come to her funeral service.

After leaving Blake at home with Oliver, his caregiver, Joseph had driven into town alone. He’d never cared about the parade or the program, but he’d hoped to see Francine Rutledge again and remind her about the dance.

He parked the Ford on a side street and strolled back to the parade route.

People were already lining up along Main Street.

The parade would be a short one, barely worth the time, but it was a tradition that drew the people in Blue Moon together.

Parents, especially, looked forward to seeing their children march proudly down the street, two abreast, waving their little flags.

And the war veterans, riding on the last bunting-draped float, always drew a round of applause.

Joseph scanned the crowd. There was no sign of Francine. Maybe she didn’t feel ready to step out and meet the townspeople. He thought about going to her house and offering to escort her, then decided against it. Intruding on her privacy wouldn’t win him any points.

At the end of the street, volunteers were herding the children, like so many ducklings, into a double line, pairing each small child with an older one.

Joseph tore his gaze away. To search the group for a certain dark-haired boy would go against every promise he’d made himself—against all decency and common sense.

Even thinking of Lucas as his son would be wrong. Joseph knew that. But as the parade music began and the procession moved down the street toward him, flags waving, he stood rooted to the spot. Half in hope, half in dread, he scanned the face of each young boy who marched past him.

Lucas wasn’t here.

Neither was his family, Joseph realized as his gaze swept over the crowd.

As the last of the children moved down the street, Joseph took a ragged breath. Until now, he hadn’t realized how much he’d wanted to see the boy. All the more reason to keep his distance.

But as he turned to walk back to the car, he couldn’t help wondering why Lucas and his family hadn’t come to the parade.

Was it because of him?

He remembered the look of hatred Annabeth’s husband had given him. Did the man know—or even suspect—who might have fathered his wife’s baby? That would explain a lot of things—why Joseph hadn’t seen Annabeth or the boy in years and why the family wasn’t here today.

But that was none of his business. Annabeth had chosen to keep her child a secret from him and wed another man. He had no right to interfere with her choice or even to question it. The kindest thing he could do, for her and for the boy, would be to forget he’d ever set eyes on them.

He had almost reached his car when he heard a voice behind him.

“Joseph! Joseph, wait!”

He turned to see Francine hurrying to catch up with him. Flushed and breathless in an airy mauve dress, she looked ravishing enough to stun a man’s heart.

“I was hoping to find you,” she said, stopping beside him. “If your invitation is still good, I’d love to have you show me around Blue Moon. But, of course, if you’re about to leave …”

She glanced at the car, then looked up at him with twinkling brown eyes.

“I’m not going anywhere,” Joseph spoke hastily. “I’d be happy to show you around. Not that there’s much for a city girl like you to see, even today.”

“Nonsense.” Laughing, she linked her arm through his. The subtle fragrance of lilacs crept into his senses. “Blue Moon looks like a lovely little town. And being with you will make it easier for me to meet people.”

Blessing his good fortune, Joseph guided her back to Main Street, where the American Legion Auxiliary float was passing the final corner of the parade route.

As the last notes of John Philip Sousa faded, people began to disperse, most of them going to the patriotic program at the ball field.

Some older boys were lighting firecrackers in front of the Feed and Hardware Store.

The sharp scent of cordite drifted on the air.

“Come on.” Joseph tightened his arm against hers. “Allow me to show you a real, old-fashioned, small-town Fourth of July celebration.”

“I want to go to the parade, Mama!” Ellie’s wails had diminished to hiccups, but tears were still streaming from her pretty, blue eyes. “You said we could. You said I could wear my new dress.”

“Hush, baby.” Heartsick, Annabeth wiped her daughter’s runny nose and sponged her face with a damp cloth. “I know what I said, but your father has to work. We can have a good time here. You’ll see. We’ll make cookies, and I’ll read you a story.”

“I don’t want cookies! I don’t want a story!” Ellie stomped her feet. Her small hands doubled into fists. “I want to go to the parade.”

Freckles, the collie mix, looked up at her with worried eyes. Ellie was his favorite person, the one he followed and protected. He whined, his tail making anxious thumps on the planks of the porch.

“The parade is over, Ellie.” Lucas was the calm, reasonable child. “It’s too late to go now.”

“We can still go. We can get hot dogs and see fireworks.”

“You heard your mother.” Silas had come around the house to stand at the foot of the porch steps. “I’ve got to check the big field for potato beetles. If they get a start, we could lose the whole crop.”

“I don’t care! I want to go! Can’t you take us, Mama? You promised.”

“You know your mother doesn’t drive,” Silas said. “Now stop whining or you’ll get a spanking to remember.”

“Come on, Ellie.” Annabeth swept her daughter up in her arms. “You’re tired. It’s time for your nap.”

“No …” Ellie’s protests faded as Annabeth carried her into the house and down the hall. Her head rested against her mother’s shoulder. “Mama, can I take my nap on your bed?” she asked.

“Do you promise you’ll lie still and go to sleep?”

“Uh-huh. I promise.” Ellie could be sweet when she chose.

“All right. If you’re good, you can help me make cookies later. Here we are. Let’s get your shoes off.” Annabeth sat on the edge of the bed with Ellie on her lap and unlaced the little girl’s shoes, which were getting too small for her growing feet.

New shoes cost money. Silas would complain, but Annabeth could deal with that, just as she dealt with isolation, hard work, and a cold, controlling husband who’d burned the few beloved books she owned because he didn’t believe women should waste time reading.

She had her beautiful children. They made up for all the rest.

“Sing to me, Mama.” Ellie lay back on the pillow, gazing up at her mother with those angelic blue eyes. If she hadn’t married Silas, this precious child wouldn’t exist, Annabeth reminded herself. Surely, the life she had was meant to be.

“Go to sleep, my baby,” she sang softly. “Close your drowsy eyes … Angels up in heaven, peeking at my baby from the skies …”

By the time she’d sung the old lullaby twice, Ellie’s eyes had closed. Annabeth rose from the bed, tiptoed out of the room, and closed the door behind her, leaving it slightly ajar. She returned to the porch to find Silas waiting alone.

“Where’s Lucas?” she asked.

“He’s putting on his work clothes,” Silas said. “I’m taking him with me to check the potato field and pull off any beetles or grubs we see on the plants. It can be hot, dirty work, but it’s time he got used to it.”

“Oh, no, Silas!” Annabeth thought of the blistering sun, the dust and the vermin, the snakes and spiders that could be lurking among the plants with no protection for childish hands.

And the field was large. Checking every plant would take several days.

She would offer to take her son’s place, but that would mean leaving her children alone.

“Please, Silas, he’s so young. Can’t this wait?”

“Waiting will only make him lazy. He’s ready, Annabeth. You should have seen his chest puff out when I told him he was old enough to do a man’s work.”

“He doesn’t understand. He’s barely five. Give him time.”

“That’s enough out of you. I’m the head of this family. I make the decisions.”

“Yes, you do.” Something snapped in Annabeth. She knew what to expect, but she couldn’t remain silent.

“Nothing matters except what you want. That field could have waited until tomorrow. Instead, you chose to disappoint your children—after I promised them. And I know why. You were punishing me by punishing them—and all for nothing.”

His expression darkened. His eyes seemed to blaze as he loomed over her. “I’m not punishing anybody, woman. I’m protecting my family and keeping you from temptation. You know he’ll be there.”

Annabeth stood her ground. “You’re flailing at shadows, Silas. There’s nothing there. We met him by accident. And now, because of him, you’ve ruined the day for your children. Stop behaving like a jealous fool. And stop punishing Lucas. He can’t help being who he is.”