Judy Christenberry - Beauty and The Beastly Rancher

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, but she said she couldn’t afford the fee.”

“Oh, my. Why didn’t she let someone know? The community would have pitched in.”

“I’d guess because of her pride. After all, her husband embarrassed her enough.” He thought about that stubborn chin she’d shown him.

“Well, we have to do something to help her.”

He relaxed a little. He’d known his mother would want to help. “I was thinking of renting some land from her. But I didn’t ask her today. I was wondering if you still get free space at the Farmer’s Market since you’re on the Board of Directors.”

“I’d forgotten about that, but yes, I do. Only, it has to be used by me or a family member. I can’t give it to Anna, as much as I wish I could.”

“If I stayed with her, no one would question her, would they?”

“No, but they might question you about why you’re with her. That might prove a little embarrassing for both of you.” Carol looked at her son speculatively.

“Come on, Mom, no one would suspect Anna Pointer of having any interest in me. Women don’t want someone as ugly as me.”

“Joe, I wish you wouldn’t talk about yourself that way. You’re not ugly!” she protested.

“Of course not!” he replied in a teasing voice. “I just have a face only a mother could love.” He’d dealt with the reality of his life in high school. If it was a matter of muscle or brains, they picked him first, but after he’d done whatever they needed, he was abandoned.

“I’d be glad for you to stay with Anna and let her use my space. But you’ll have to stay with her. Can you explain it to her, or shall I write a note?”

“I can explain it to her, Mom. And explain that I won’t take advantage of her. She might be a little skittish after this afternoon.”

“Oh, my, yes.”

“I’ll go see her after dinner here. You wouldn’t have any cookies or something like that to take with me, would you? I think that might take Julie’s mind off what happened today. I’d hate for her to have nightmares.”

His mother stared at him and his cheeks heated up. “She’s just a baby herself, but she saved her mother today.”

“True. Why don’t I bake a cake? I can do that while you go out and talk to your Dad. He’s working in the barn this afternoon. He might be interested in renting some of her land, too. Or he might know others who would be interested.”

“Good idea, Mom. That would take care of the mortgage payment. Was she born in the city? Otherwise I’m surprised she isn’t working the land herself.”

“I don’t know, son. Why don’t you ask her?”

“I will.”

He hurried out to the barn, anxious to tell his father about Anna Pointer. “Dad!” he called as he stepped inside one of the three barns they had.