Rocky Mountain Dreams & Family on the Range by Danica Favorite (summer beach reads txt) 📕

the hurt wasn’t as great. Even the pain in her foot was tolerable.

“I’ll look after her,” Joseph said. Which seemed to seal the deal as Gertie nodded, and Polly’s scowl deepened.

Once they were out of earshot of the cabin, Joseph spoke. “You need to go easy on Polly.”

Annabelle stopped and stared at him. “Me? I don’t understand.”

The way he pressed his lips together told her that she obviously had missed something. Probably that whole forgiving seventy times seven thing.

“I overheard her at the river fighting with some guy named Tom. Apparently, she heard him mentioning to some of the other guys that you looked quite the picture the other day in town. She thinks you encouraged his attentions and are trying to steal him from her.”

“Why, that’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard.” Surely Polly knew her well enough to know that she would never do such a thing. “Polly knows that I would never be interested in one of her beaus.”

Then again, Polly had once thought that Annabelle would never think her a liar. So much had changed with a few careless words.

“I know,” Joseph said quietly. “But Polly believes otherwise, and that’s probably the source of her attitude.”

The sincere look in his eyes made it hard to remember all the things she needed to focus on. Like the fact that he was the last person on earth who could be a friend to her.

“I’ll talk to her.” One more hard thing to do, but it seemed like everything in her life was a hard thing. Because she couldn’t bring herself to continue the conversation with Joseph into the next logical step, which would be to let him know that they had to do something about Nugget’s continuing attachment.

Yet it seemed like the more she tried pulling away from Joseph and his family, the closer they all seemed to get.

Chapter Seventeen

Annabelle had never looked so beautiful as when she held the tiny baby while its mother ate. Again, he couldn’t help but think she would make an excellent mother. Her care for Nugget had shown that, but now, with such a tiny infant in her arms, it was a beautiful sight.

Why did it have to be so hard?

He tore his eyes off the captivating woman and watched the other woman gobble the biscuits. It had clearly been a long time since she’d had a substantial meal.

“Where are you from, Meg?” he asked the young mother after she’d eaten the last of her food.

“Kansas.” She gave a wry grin. “Isaac wasn’t meant to be a farmer, poor man. He tried, he really did.”

Joseph had heard many similar stories since being here. So many people wanting a better life. Of course, he had been a good farmer, that wasn’t the problem. But when the bank owned it and demanded higher payments than any reasonable man could afford and still keep food on the table...

He glanced back at Annabelle, who’d handed the baby back to its mother. She wouldn’t understand what it was like to do without. Nor would she understand the willingness to do just about anything to make sure loved ones had food to eat.

“What made you come here?” He turned his attention back on Meg.

A dark look crossed Meg’s face. “His brother had written, talking about all the money there was to be made. Isaac sold everything we had and sent some of the money ahead for his brother to get us a place. Only...” Meg sighed and cradled her baby tighter.

“When we got here, we found out his brother had gambled it all and then some. There were no houses to be let, and even if there were, we didn’t have enough money. One night, some men attacked Isaac, and said that if he didn’t come up with the rest of the money his brother owed, they’d harm me and the baby. So he gave them the last of our money. Now we’re here, and Isaac is working at the mine in hopes he’ll make enough to support us.”

How he hated the look on Annabelle’s face. It was as if all this served to prove her theories on the evils of mining true.

He shot a glare at Annabelle, then returned his attention to Meg. “Did you talk to the sheriff?”

“For as much good as it’ll do us.” Meg shook her head. “He said he’d look into it, but he said not to hold out much hope.”

Annabelle took the woman’s hand. “At least you’re all safe. As far as catching those horrible men, you should talk to my father. He’s a minister in town, and he knows just about everyone. Sometimes he can find out things the law can’t.”

Even though Meg shook her head, a tiny light shone in her eyes. Joseph couldn’t help but notice that she squeezed Annabelle’s hand back, clinging to it like a lifeline.

“All I want is enough money to get us back home. I know Isaac wasn’t cut out for farming, but mining isn’t for him, either. Perhaps if we went back to my parents, they’d let us stay with them for a while until Isaac can find other work.”

“We’ll do what we can to help,” said Annabelle, a little too cheerful to have fully grasped the situation.

Annabelle stood, then looked around the campsite. “Would it be too forward of me to ask what supplies you have? We keep a number of things for people in your situation, and—”

“We won’t be taking charity.”

“I wouldn’t dream of offering you charity,” Annabelle said in a gentle voice that spoke of having done this dozens of times. As much as she fought it, she was a natural at caring for others. If only she’d open her heart to see that. “These are the leftover supplies from people who’ve done just as you’re saying you’d like to do. When they leave, they have no use for these things, so they give them to us and ask us to give them to the next family.”

Not only was