Beauty and The Beastly Rancher. Judy Christenberry

on handcuffs,” Joe called.

      The deputies did so. One of them called, “Thanks for reminding us. Sheriff wouldn’t be pleased if they got away. Ma’am, we’ll call you about pressing charges. Mrs. Pointer, isn’t it?”

      “Yes. Thank you.”

      The men drove off in another cloud of dust, leaving Joe and Mrs. Pointer standing there. She had the baby in her arms with Julie holding on to her shirttail.

      “You’re not going to do this again, are you?” he asked, wanting to be sure she understood the danger.

      “I won’t bring the children back. I’ll put them in Mother’s Day Out at the church.” She didn’t look at him.

      “What? Didn’t you understand what was about to happen? What’s wrong with you?”

      She was a beautiful woman. But her jaw firmed and she looked up at him. “I won’t risk the children, though I need to sell the produce. I’ve got a bank payment due on the land and I don’t have the money for it. I have to sell what I have.”

      He stared at her. A wisp of wind would blow her away. Julie, too, looked like she hadn’t had a good meal in a while. Only the baby had any fat on him. They weren’t starving to death, were they? He looked around at all the produce and fruit she had and told himself he was being ridiculous.

      “You can sell at the Farmer’s Market in Lawton. You’ll make more money there.”

      “But I would have to pay a fee for the space. Thanks anyway.” She began loading boxes into the back of the old rattletrap truck parked beside the stand.

      “You quitting for the day?”

      “That was the first car to come along in two hours. And I—I don’t feel well.” She carried more boxes to the truck.

      He picked up twice as many as she was carrying and followed her. “Are you sure this thing runs?”

      “It did this morning.”

      He frowned as he loaded his haul. Derek hadn’t been a good husband. Joe knew that. He’d heard too much about his social life, leaving his wife at home. But he’d always seemed to have money to spend. Had he left his widow penniless?

      “Julie, bring the aprons, please, sweetie,” she ordered in a gentle voice.

      The little girl picked up the aprons displayed on a piece of rope strung between two poles. Then she carried them toward her mother, dragging them in the dirt.

      “Good job, Julie,” Joe said and picked her up by the waist, holding her high enough that the aprons didn’t get soiled. When he set her down by the truck, she peeked at him from beneath long lashes.

      “Thank you. That was fun.” Then she handed the aprons to her mother and went back to the baby bed where the baby was fussing.

      “She’s a good helper,” Joe said. She was as pretty as her mother.

      “Yes, she is.” She cleared her throat. “I don’t think I thanked you for your assistance this afternoon.”

      “I’m glad I was nearby.”

      They continued to carry her things to the truck until everything was loaded. She politely thanked him again, then she loaded Julie and the baby.

      Joe was glad to see a carrier seat in the truck. While she was strapping in her baby, he asked Julie if he could help her with her seat belt.

      “I can do it. Mommy taught me.”

      “You are a smart little girl. I bet your mommy is proud of you.”

      “Yes. I help her with everything.”

      “Well, you certainly helped her today.”

      The woman slipped on her own seat belt and checked Julie to be sure she had hers fastened. “Thank you again, Mr. Crawford.”

      She cranked the engine. Nothing happened. She pumped the gas pedal and repeated the process. The engine started up, but Joe didn’t think it sounded good. It probably needed to be checked out.

      She drove away, leaving him standing there, staring after them. Slowly he walked back to his tractor. He didn’t have much more plowing to do. In the time it took to finish, his mind was filled with thoughts of the woman he’d just saved. He thought her name was Anna. He hadn’t known her husband well because he was about four years younger than Joe. His brothers knew him. They’d talked about what a jerk he was.

      It seemed Anna had suffered from her marriage. Not only had her husband betrayed her, but he’d also apparently left her penniless. He looked over the fence at the barren land.

      He wondered why she didn’t work the land. Or hire someone to do so. Maybe she should rent out the land. That might pay the mortgage. He should ask her.

      He shook his head. He knew she wouldn’t welcome a visit from him. But he couldn’t tolerate their suffering. If he could help her get back on her feet, maybe she’d find someone to marry who could take care of the little family. Someone who’d be good to her and Julie. And the baby. Derek had been a lucky man and he’d thrown it all away.

      He finished the plowing and headed for his barn. As soon as he’d put everything in its place, he got in his pickup, a two-year-old model with all the bells and whistles on it, unlike Anna’s truck. He was going to find out about Anna Pointer. His mother knew everything going on in the county. She could tell him.

      Carol Crawford had just gotten home from her daughter Lindsay’s house. She’d spent the afternoon baby-sitting Lindsay’s little boy, and her second son Pete’s adopted son and newborn baby. She had a smile on her face when Joe joined her in the kitchen.

      “Joe! Are you coming to have dinner with us? How nice!”

      He gave her a hug and kissed her cheek. “Don’t you ever tire of feeding hungry boys?” he asked with a smile. Since she had five sons before she finally gave birth to Lindsay, she’d spent most of her life providing for her growing boys.

      “Of course not. How are you? I haven’t seen you at all since last Sunday when you had dinner with us.”

      “I know. I’ve been plowing the fields. Today I was over by the Pointer place.”

      “Oh? Did you see Anna? I’m worried about her.”

      His gaze focused on his mother. “Why?”

      “No one ever sees her anymore. She doesn’t come to town much at all. And she’s got two babies to take care of.”

      “How old is Julie?”

      She was surprised by his question, but he didn’t explain.

      “I think she’s close to four. She was born about ten months after Anna married Derek. Terrible mistake.”

      “Yeah. Uh, did Derek leave her provided for?”

      Carol stopped putting away groceries and turned to face her son. “I assumed he did. I’m sure he had insurance.”

      “She almost got raped today trying to sell produce at that old stand where 50 turns south.”

      “What? Oh, no! What happened?”

      He gave her a thumbnail sketch of the event. Emphasizing Julie’s quick thinking and Anna’s determination.

      “Well, I certainly hope she learned her lesson!” Carol exclaimed, frowning.

      “She said she wouldn’t bring the children again, but she had to sell her produce so she could pay the mortgage.”

      Carol continued to frown as she poured two glasses of lemonade from the refrigerator. “So she doesn’t have any income?”

      “That would be my guess,” Joe said as he held his mother’s chair for her and then joined her at the table. “I suggested she sell things at the Farmer’s Market in Lawton,