Chapter 1
Turtle Springs, Kansas
April 1866
The school board has decided your brothers are no longer welcomed at our school.”
Desperation stiffened Chardy Stevens’s back as she sat up in her chair. “You can’t do that!”
Emily Peabody, the school board president and a perpetual thorn in Chardy’s side, glanced over the rim of her glasses, her features unperturbed. “We certainly can, Miss Stevens. Your brothers are a bunch of hooligans who have no place in the classroom.”
Chardy forced her jaw to relax. It wouldn’t help the situation to get angry no matter how much she felt like spitting fire. “My brothers can be a little rambunctious at times, but they’re good boys.”
“A little?” Henrietta Watson shuffled through a pile of papers in front of her before finding the one she needed. She showed it to Emily and Louise Doolittle, the other board member present. “Your brothers, Thomas and Emmett, almost burnt down the schoolhouse!”
“Not intentionally.” The sinking feeling that had plagued Chardy since news of her father’s death at the Battle of Atlanta had reached them, weighed heavy on her now. “I’m just saying they aren’t the first boys to smoke rabbit tobacco behind the schoolhouse.”
Emily sniffed her petulant nose. “What about the snake they let loose in the schoolroom?”
“That was Neil.” Her youngest brother, who at six had discovered a love for anything with scales or a tail. “He usually keeps his snakes and lizards in jars, but that day, he fell and the jar broke. He didn’t have any place to put Mathilda, so he slipped her in his pocket.” She shrugged slightly. “Sometime during the day, she slipped out.”
Emily’s mouth puckered as if she’d bit into a sour persimmon. “And I suppose you have an explanation for the fighting and the stealing?”
Chardy’s gaze dropped to her fisted hands in her lap. Her oldest brother, George, had been tight lipped about the black eye he nursed. And the stealing—well she didn’t have an explanation for that. If only he would tell her what was troubling him. But no matter how much she pleaded and bullied, he refused to talk. Papa would know now how to handle the situation, not that there would be anything to handle. The trouble with her brothers had only started after their father had died.
“Miss Stevens?”
Chardy drew in a deep breath. “I don’t have an explanation for George’s action, though he did replace the girl’s ribbon.”
“Not really a punishment when his sister owns the local mercantile,” Emily replied with a smug look on her face.
“I’m sure George worked to repay the merchandise,” her friend, Caroline Kane, said as she gave Chardy an encouraging smile. “Isn’t that right?”
“Still,” Emily interrupted, a rough edge to her voice, “George came to school the next day and attacked my son during recess.”
“Maybe Rupert deserved it,” Chardy muttered under her breath. The boy was known around the schoolyard as a pest. Just like his mother.
“Did you say something, Miss Stevens?”
Chardy lifted her head to meet Emily’s beady little eyes. “I was just wondering how Rupert is doing after his ordeal.”
The woman scowled. “He’s no worse for wear, just a few little scratches.” Leaning over to Henrietta, she said, “My son knows how to use his fists when need be.”
Chardy couldn’t do anything but nod. Truth be known, she wouldn’t have known who George had fought with if Neil hadn’t let it slip while they were feeding the animals. Why hadn’t George told her about it himself?
What did it matter now? She was going to have to fall on the mercy of the school board if she wanted to keep her brothers in school. Chardy drew in a deep breath. “I sincerely apologize for all the trouble my brothers have caused and promise to keep a closer eye on them in the future.”
“And how do you plan to do that?” Henrietta asked.
Chardy blinked. “I’m not sure I understand.”
“Dear, you run the mercantile and the farm your father left you.” Louise’s sympathetic smile made her cringe. “Where do you plan to find the time to watch your brothers, too?”
The other ladies on the board looked to her for an answer. “Well, I …” She understood their concerns. She’d lived those same worries since her father’s decision to leave her in charge of four little boys while he went off to the war. Papa was supposed to be back before her brothers needed his help to become men. She just never counted on him dying.
But he had, and now, it was her responsibility to raise her brothers. Chardy lifted her chin. “I’ll figure out something.”
Emily glanced at her then turned to the other board members. “What she needs is a husband.”
“Emily,” Caroline admonished her. “Don’t.”
But the woman stormed ahead. “I thought you had a beau, or did your brothers scare him off?”
Chardy felt her cheeks go hot. Everyone in town knew Luke Collins had been courting her before he enlisted in the Union Army. But the war had a way of changing plans. “It’s not my future we’re discussing here, but my brothers’. Are you going to allow them to stay in school or not?”
Emily and Louise exchanged glances before the chairwoman spoke. “Until such a time that you can prove your brothers can behave in class, this board has no other choice but to suspend them indefinitely.”
Chapter 2
The sound of a door slamming shut caused Luke Collins to flinch. Too much like the gunshots that whizzed by him during the war. The doctor had told him it would subside eventually, but he didn’t hold much credence in the man’s word. After all, he said he’d save Luke’s leg …
He turned away from the harness he was working on to see who was making all the ruckus, and stilled. Chardy. Even from this distance, he could see she had worked herself up into a fury. Odd, really. The woman had the sweetest disposition he’d ever known. Only one thing could ruffle Chardy’s feathers.
What kind of mess had her brothers gotten into now?
Not that it was any of his business. That right had been robbed from him by a sniper’s bullet just outside of Atlanta. Why hadn’t she accepted his offer when her father had enlisted? He wouldn’t have joined up then, not with the responsibility of four boys, the mercantile, and the farm. But she hadn’t, and Luke enlisted the next day.
Now, any hopes of winning Chardy’s hand were gone.
He watched her walk down the sidewalk. He couldn’t be her friend, could he? Luke stepped back and grabbed the crutch that was now his constant companion, the jab of pain in his left knee a reminder of all the reasons he should walk the other way. If only Chardy hadn’t looked as if she might crumble under the weight of her problems.
Instead, he headed down the sidewalk after her. By the time he reached her, she had untied her horse from the hitching post.
Maybe a good ride was all she needed to clear her thoughts.
“Luke?”
No way out of this now. He leaned on his crutch. “Chardy. How are you?”
“Fine.” The word had come out with a sharp edge. Chardy was never curt. Whatever her brothers had done, it must have been bad even by their standards.
Well, that wouldn’t deter him. “Are you all right?”
She didn’t look at him, instead concentrating on her horse’s saddle. “Why would you ask that?”
He’d forgotten how protective she was of her brothers. “I don’t know. Maybe it’s because you popped out of the schoolhouse like your skirts were on fire.”
Her shoulders slumped slightly but she didn’t stop working. “Nothing I can’t handle.”
That was the truth. Chardy had handled her fair share of troubles over the last few years, including their broken engagement. But a body, even one as strong-willed as Chardy, could only stand so much. “You might feel better if you talked about it.”
She stopped fidgeting with the stirrups then leaned her head against Sassy’s chest. “No, it won’t.”
/> Luke lifted his arm to put around her shoulders then stopped. He’d given up his right to hold her anymore. “You’ll never know until you try.”
She thought for a long moment then turned to face him. “The school board has decided my brothers are no longer welcomed in school.”
This was worse than he thought. “Isn’t every child entitled to an education?”
She shook her head. “Not when they almost burn down the schoolhouse.”
“I see.” He remembered the Stevens boys as being high spirited, but fire here on the prairie was serious business. “How old are they now? The little one was just a baby when I left.”
“Neil is six now.”
That meant Emmett was eight, Thomas ten, and George was thirteen years old. They’d grown up in the time he’d been gone. If the boys were as rambunctious as he and his brother were, Chardy had her hands full. “What are you going to do with them while you’re working in the mercantile?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe they can help me out around the store.”
Luke laughed. “Four boys underfoot all day? You might as well run cattle through it. Isn’t there someone who might need extra workers? Maybe a rancher or farmer nearby?”
“I couldn’t inflict them on somebody else.” She shook her head. “If only Papa had lived. He’d know what to do.”
Luke nodded. George Stevens, Sr. had been a planner, especially where his children were concerned. The war had changed everything. Now, Chardy was raising her brothers, and the future Luke had planned wasn’t possible anymore. Still, he might be able to help her. “What about the farm?”
“Didn’t seem to be any reason to stay out there with the boys in school and me working at the store. Why do you ask?”
“It’s just that your papa once told me he wanted to grow fresh vegetables and sell them at your store.”
She gave him a weak smile. “Papa was always thinking up new ways to bring in business. And he was right. Folks loved our fresh produce. The boys loved that place.” She hesitated. “I should have sold it by now, but I just didn’t have the heart to do it.”
She’d kept the farm? That didn’t sound like the practical woman he’d known. “Why?”
Chardy thought for a second. “I don’t know. We had so many wonderful memories there. Emmett and Neil were both born there, and you and I.” Her gaze dropped to a button on his shirt. “It just seemed wrong.”
Luke nodded. Some of his favorite moments happened at the Stevens’ place. Cool evenings swinging with Chardy on the front porch, talking about their future and making plans. Holding hands in her father’s parlor. Luke had fallen in love with Chardy there.
Now those memories were of a life he couldn’t have.
Still, he might have a way to help Chardy out with her siblings. “Have you considered letting the boys work the farm until they can go back to school?”
“You’re not serious.” The look she gave him told him she wasn’t crazy about the idea. “They’re children.”
“They’re a lot older than I was when I started working in the fields.” He waited for her rebuttal but there wasn’t one, so he continued. “If they’re old enough to get booted out of school, they’re old enough to pull weeds and plant seeds.”
“I don’t know.” She worried her lower lip. “They’ve been through so much in the last year.”
So had she, Luke thought, but she kept moving ahead. “Work will be good for them, Chardy. It’ll keep their minds busy rather than thinking on everything that’s happened.”
“They’re so young.”
He cocked his head to the side, studying her. “Didn’t you once tell me your papa had you dusting and sweeping out his store when you were barely old enough to hold a broom?”
“True, but I can’t leave them out at the farm by themselves, and riding back and forth to the store every night is just not possible.” She thought for a moment then her eyes widened as she stared up at him. “What about you?”
“I don’t understand the question.”
“You’re looking for work, aren’t you?”
He shifted his gaze to look beyond her shoulder, anything to keep from looking her in the eye. She knew the answer to that question. Nobody wanted a cripple working for them, no matter how hard he might work. “The inn told me to come back in a few weeks, once the men start arriving.”
“That’s perfect! You could teach the boys about farming while I’m at the store.” She stared up at him in expectation. “You know everything there is about running a farm, and the boys like you. Tell me a reason why this wouldn’t work.”
There was one very good reason. “What about my leg?”
She glanced down then back up to meet his eyes. “What about it?”
Luke cringed. This had been her same argument when he’d broken off their courtship. Why couldn’t she see that he wasn’t the man he once was? That he never would be again? Time she got a dose of reality. “Not much call for a crippled farmhand.”
She shook her head. “Not a farmhand, a foreman. I reckon you can do that on one leg with your hands tied behind your back.”
“You mean a babysitter.”
“I’d think you’d need both hands if you were babysitting my brothers.” Her lips twitched.
Luke wanted to yell, but he kept his emotions in check. “It’s not funny.”
“No, it’s not. And I would never insult you by offering you a babysitting job.” She poked her dainty finger in his chest. “Do you think I know how to plant corn and beans so that we get the best return? Or how to teach the proper way to cultivate the plants? Do you?”
He rubbed the sore spot. Lord, when this woman got a head of steam, it was best to get out of her way. Without thinking, he put a hand on her shoulder. “I’m sorry.”
She stilled then lifted her gaze to meet his. He’d always loved her eyes, their pale, peaceful shade of blue had soothed him to sleep many a night after a day filled with cannon fire, fighting, and death. Only now, there was a hint of sadness that comes from hardship and heartache. “I really think you could help my brothers, Luke.”
It was useless to fight her. Maybe if he took this position, she’d begin to understand that he wasn’t the man for her anymore. And maybe he’d finally stow away his dreams of a life with this woman. “All right, Chardy. I’ll do it.”
Chapter 3
The ride to the Stevens farm a couple of mornings later was longer than Luke remembered, but then he hadn’t been riding in a wagon. He’d rode Skeeter, his stallion who had been as gentle as he was fast. The horse had been shot out from under him at the Battle of Kolb Farm, the last time Luke had saddled up and rode. He’d almost forgotten the feel of horseflesh beneath him, the taut muscles straining against his thighs as he gave the horse his head. How many times had they traveled this road in anticipation of seeing Chardy? A hundred? Maybe two?
He flicked the reins. Best he leave those memories behind. He’d only taken this job to prove a point. When she realized he couldn’t do the work that needed done, she’d finally understand why he’d broken things off with her and move on with her life.
The old path leading up to the house had grown over. Wild grass as tall as the wagon wheel waved softly in the early morning breeze. Luke turned off the road and stopped. First thing he’d do is get the two oldest boys to work cutting this mess down. It wouldn’t do for Chardy’s horse coming across a rattler in the weeds. Besides, the tender green shoots would make good feed for the cow, if they had one.
Drawing closer to the house, thoughts about livestock faded. Luke pulled up in the yard and stared at the place for a long moment. Chardy hadn’t exaggerated. The house was in bad shape, far worse than he expected. The wide front porch her father had been so proud of sagged to one side, the front steps pulled away from the center of the porch, making it easy to trip over. Some of the shingles were missing, as were several panes of glass. The white paint Chardy loved had turned to a dull gray, and in some spots was p
eeling so badly the boards were exposed.
Luke took off his hat and scrubbed a hand through his hair. Lord only knew what the fields looked like. Well, that’s why Chardy had hired him, to set this place to rights and get a crop in the ground. After pulling his wagon close to the house, he set the brake, then jumped down, holding on to the side of the wagon until he could grab his cane.
“Chardy said you were coming, but I didn’t believe her.”
Surprised, Luke turned to see a tall, lanky boy walking toward him, a bucket of fresh milk sloshing over the rim. “Good to see you too, George. You’ve grown up quite a bit since the last time I saw you.”
“Never expected to see this place again.” The boy shrugged. “I didn’t have much choice. They kicked me out of school. Chardy moved us out here.” He stretched to his full height, though he was still a few inches shorter than Luke. “I’m man of the house now that Papa’s gone.”
Luke nodded. Both Chardy and George had bigger responsibilities now that their father was gone. “I was sorry to hear about your father, boy. He was a good man.”
“Foolish, if you ask me.” The boy started toward the front porch, his body tense. “He should’ve been here, taking care of his family, not running off to play soldier and getting himself killed.”
Luke didn’t blame the boy for being angry. Too many good men had died during battle, not to mention those left maimed or broken. But George had always been even tempered, so easy to get along with. What had happened to that boy? “Where’s Chardy?”
“She’s in the kitchen fixing breakfast.”
He scoured the grounds. “And the other boys?”
“Probably still in bed,” George said. “Which is where I’d be if Daisy didn’t needed milking.”
Luke didn’t like the sound of that. All of Chardy’s brothers were old enough to be doing their own chores. Well, he’d take care of that soon enough. “I’ll meet you inside.”
He’d barely made it up the stairs to the porch when George called out, “Luke?”
He turned. “Yes?”
The boy’s gaze drifted to his leg. “Does it hurt much?”
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