Blue Moon Haven, page 24
It was to be expected. She’d planned on a big grand opening, but hadn’t planned on being so short-handed. Without Todd here to run the ticket booth and without Seth to man concessions, Kelly had been forced to impose on Tully to see to those things while she started the films. Once the films were running, Kelly had hurried over to the concessions building to help serve refreshments. Thankfully, Tully had experience in the food service industry and knew several tricks to keep things going smoothly behind the counter.
Overall, the night had been a success, everyone seemed to be having a great time and Mae Bell hadn’t stopped smiling since she sat down at her table. Only . . . there was still something missing. Or rather, several important people missing.
Kelly’s stomach sank. Todd and Daisy she couldn’t do anything about. But Seth . . .
“Did Seth say why he had to leave?” Kelly asked Tully. “Or when he’d be back?”
Tully shook her head. “No. He just said to let you know he had to go do something and would be back soon.”
Kelly sighed and dragged a hand through her hair. “Well, I don’t suppose worrying about it will make him come back faster.” She touched Tully’s arm. “You want to take a break, go sit down at the table with Mae Bell, put your feet up and watch the movie? You have free passes for life after all the help you gave me tonight.”
Tully grinned. “I might take you up on that.” She walked to the other end of the counter and tapped a small machine with a pink dome that she’d brought with her into the concessions building earlier. “I brought this surprise especially for you, but it seems everyone else got to it first. I’ll make a fresh batch just for us.” She picked up two paper wands and a bag of sugar. “How much you want?”
Kelly laughed, eyeing the cotton candy machine. “A ton!”
Tully added the sugar and they both waited as the sugar heated up. When it began coming out in wisps of pink cotton candy, they dipped the paper wands in the bowl and rotated them until they each had a huge pink cloud of cotton candy ready to be enjoyed.
“This is a dream come true,” Kelly mumbled around a mouthful of cotton candy. She closed her eyes and groaned as it melted on her tongue. “I can’t believe you’re giving this machine to us.”
Tully laughed. “I’m glad you like it. Seth mentioned you were a fan of cotton candy, and after the business you had in here tonight, I think you can afford to buy a second one, if needed.”
Kelly opened her eyes and took another bite. “That’s definite. Guests are loving the cotton candy!”
They walked out of the concessions building and Tully sighed.
“I think I will take you up on your offer and go sit with Mae Bell for a while,” she said. “You want to come with me?”
Kelly shook her head. “Oh, no, thank you. I’d just like to soak up the atmosphere for a minute or two.”
Tully smiled. “You’ve earned it. You and Seth made tonight a success.”
Kelly watched Tully walk over to the table where Mae Bell, Brighton and Mr. Haggart sat watching one of the films and listening to the sound on a radio. Mr. Haggart guffawed at the antics of one of the characters on the screen, and Brighton, his arm around Mae Bell, whispered something in her ear. Mae Bell tipped her head back and laughed, snuggling a few inches closer to him.
The rest of the scene around Blue Moon Haven Drive-In’s lot was the same. Couples cuddled close in the front seats of their cars and in the beds of their trucks. Families sat on blankets they’d spread across the ground, eating popcorn and candy and laughing as they watched the film. And several people strolled by the Moon Garden, admiring the newly opened blooms and soft glow reflected from the full moon above. The sweet scent of honeysuckle drifted on the air and the distant chirp of crickets echoed in Seth’s orchard.
Kelly strolled across the field back to the ticket booth, went inside and leaned on the counter, admiring the crowd of cars and trucks and the flicker of the films beneath the soft moonlight, happy that Mae Bell’s dream had come true. Judging from the results of the grand opening, Blue Moon Haven Drive-In would thrive for years to come.
Only . . . it would have been that much sweeter if Todd and Daisy were here.
Kelly twirled her cotton candy wand between her fingers, fighting back tears and trying to focus on the good that had come out of moving to Blue Moon. She’d found a friend in Mae Bell, a comfortable home in the silver trailer, a thriving business in the Blue Moon Haven Drive-In and had fallen in love with the good, honest and handsome man who lived next door.
But . . . she no longer had Todd and Daisy. Her shoulders slumped, the tears finding their way down her cheeks.
An engine rumbled and headlights swept over the ticket booth.
Kelly held up a hand, shielding her eyes from the glare of the lights, then straightened as a truck pulled up to the booth. Holding the cotton candy wand with one hand, she reached for the roll of tickets, but stilled when the tinted window on the driver’s side rolled down and Seth leaned his elbow onto the windowsill.
He smiled gently, his eyes roving over her tear-streaked face. “Is it a sad one?”
Kelly wiped her face and cleared her throat. “Is what sad?”
He pointed toward the drive-in lot. “The movie. Does it have a sad ending?”
Dredging up a smile and trying to infuse a teasing tone in her voice, she shook her head. “No. Blue Moon Haven Drive-In only shows movies with happy endings, sir.”
Seth grinned. “Then this should be the best happy ending you’ve seen in a while.”
Still blinking back tears, Kelly frowned in confusion as Seth slowly leaned back in his seat, revealing Todd in the passenger seat. “Todd?” She shot upright, her cotton candy falling onto the counter. “What—I thought you . . . What are you doing here?”
Todd, staring back at her with tears in his eyes, said softly, “We want to come home. We want to live with you.” His voice broke. “You said we were yours.” He hesitated. “So, can we stay?”
Hands trembling, Kelly clutched them together at her chest to still the shaking and smiled through a fresh onslaught of tears. “You’re kidding me, right?” When his expression fell slightly, she hopped onto the ticket counter, swung her legs around and jumped out of the booth. “You never have to ask—you belong here!”
The truck door opened as she jogged around the hood and Todd met her halfway, throwing himself into her arms.
“I love you, Kelly,” he said, burying his face against her neck and hugging her tightly.
Kelly squeezed him back and smoothed her hand over his hair. “I love you, too, Todd.” She smiled so wide, her cheeks ached. “You’ll always be mine, you know? Always.”
Another small body hurled itself against her, and Kelly, laughing, lifted one arm to let Daisy wiggle into her arms as well, then hugged both her and Todd even tighter. As Seth walked over, she tried to speak, tried to ask all of the questions rolling around in her mind, but Todd and Daisy hugged her so tightly she could barely catch her breath.
“Todd told Zane he and Daisy wanted to come home,” Seth said softly. “Zane thought it over and decided it was best to let them stay with you. Said he was transferring primary guardianship to you and would send the papers over as soon as they’re available.”
Kelly closed her eyes and kissed the top of the children’s heads, savoring the moment.
Daisy was the first to move, lifting her head from Kelly’s shoulder to smile from ear to ear and peer past Kelly toward the drive-in lot. “Is the movie still on?”
“Yep,” Kelly said. “Two of them.”
Todd straightened, too, smiling as he wiped his tears away. “Two? You got the new projector?”
“Yep,” Kelly said again. “And there’s fresh popcorn, cotton candy and tons of fun just waiting on y’all.”
“Can we get some popcorn and watch it with you and Seth in the tree house?” Todd asked, grabbing Daisy’s hand and leading her toward the field.
Kelly grinned. “I wouldn’t miss it for the world. You two go ahead and grab some snacks, and we’ll meet you over there.”
Todd and Daisy scampered off, heading toward the concessions stand.
Seth moved close, wrapped his arms around Kelly’s waist and kissed her softly. “Mmm. Cotton candy,” he said, licking his lower lip.
She grinned. “We’re getting another cotton candy machine exactly like the one your sister gave us and installing it ASAP. It’ll be our new specialty—Blue Moon Haven Cotton Candy in a thousand fantastic flavors.”
He drifted his thumb across her lower lip. “Cotton candy, model airplanes and a house with a red roof.” He smiled. “I’d say this is the kind of happy ending you were looking for, wouldn’t you?”
Kelly curled her arms around his neck and kissed him softly, whispering against his lips, “No. This is the perfect beginning.”
Please read on for an excerpt from CALDER GRIT by Janet Dailey!
During the summer of 1909, a battle rages in Blue Moon, Montana, between immigrant homesteaders and cattlemen determined to keep the range free. In a fierce struggle that echoes the challenges of today, history is made.
As the countryside explodes in violence, the Calder patriarch has the power to stop the destruction, though some believe Benteen Calder is only stoking the flames for his own gain. One man courageously straddles the divide . . .
That man is Blake Dollarhide, the ambitious young owner of Blue Moon’s lumber mill. When Blake’s spoiled half-brother takes advantage of the innocent daughter of a homesteading family, Blake steps in as Hanna Anderson’s bridegroom to restore her honor and give her unborn child his name. But Blake doesn’t count on the storm of feelings he develops for sweet Hanna. When the war between the factions rages anew, everyone wonders if Blake will stand by the close-knit community he serves, or the wife he took in name only . . .
A marriage of love is more than Hanna ever dreamed of. For her family, surviving the rugged trip west, claiming a parcel of land and planting their first crops on the vast prairie are the only things that matter. Which is why the unexpected passion she feels for her husband is all the more poignant. But even as she longs to trust the strong bond growing between her and Blake, Hanna knows it will take courage and grit to overcome the differences between them. And even greater strength of will to put down roots in this wild new country.
The epic tale of the settling of the American West comes to vivid life in this inspiring saga of love, hope and endurance.
CHAPTER 1
Blue Moon, Montana
July 4, 1909
Hanna stood next to her stern-faced father, one foot tapping out the beat of the polka. Couples whirled around the rough plank floor to the music of the old-time accordion band. She would’ve given anything to join them. But Big Lars Anderson had already turned down three cowboys who’d asked to partner his daughter. Hanna would’ve said yes to any of them, just to get out there and dance. But Big Lars had made his position clear. Those rough-mannered men from the ranches, even the polite ones, weren’t fit company for an innocent girl.
As if being guarded like a prisoner wasn’t bad enough, her mother had forced her to dress like a twelve-year-old, in a white pinafore, with her long, wheaten hair in two thick braids. But even the girlish costume couldn’t hide the breasts that strained the bodice of her gingham dress. She was almost seventeen years old, with a woman’s body and a woman’s mind. When would her parents stop treating her like a child?
As the music flowed through her limbs, Hanna gazed at the deepening sky, where the sun was just setting behind the rugged Montana mountains, turning the clouds to ribbons of flame. It was so beautiful. How could she complain after such a glorious day—a celebration of America’s freedom in her family’s new home?
As she breathed in the fresh, free air, her memory drifted back to the tiny apartment in the New York slum, where she’d helped her mother tend the babies that just kept coming. Her father had worked on the docks, barely making enough to keep food on the table. When her older brother, Alvar, had turned fourteen, he’d gone to work there, too. In the desperation of those years, the American dream that had brought her parents from Sweden had been all but lost.
But then the news had traveled like wildfire through the tenements. Thanks to the passage of the new Homestead Act, there was free land out west. All they had to do was get there on the train, build a cabin, farm the land for five years, and it would be theirs, free and clear.
Now the dream had come true. Hanna’s family and their neighbors had claimed their parcels of rich Montana grassland. The fields had been plowed; the wheat was planted and growing. On the anniversary of America’s independence, it was time for friends and neighbors to celebrate an Independence Day of their own.
The festivities had begun earlier that afternoon with picnicking, races, games, and now a dance, with fireworks to end the day. It was the homesteaders, like Hanna’s family, who’d planned the event; but the whole town, as well as the folks from the big cattle ranches, had been invited. That included the woman-hungry bachelor cowboys who’d shown up hoping to dance with the daughters of the farm families.
So far, the cowboys hadn’t had much success. The immigrant fathers had guarded their girls like treasures. They wouldn’t trust rough-mannered ranch hands anywhere near their precious girls.
But the girls, even the shy ones, were very much aware of the men.
“That cowboy is looking at you.” Hanna nudged her friend Lillian, who stood on her left. Lillian, an auburn-haired beauty, was only a little older than Hanna, but she was already married, which made all the difference in the way she was treated.
The cowboy in question stood on the far side of the dance floor. He was taller than the others, with black hair and a hard, rugged look about him. Hanna knew who he was—Webb Calder, son of the most powerful ranch family in the region. And yes, he was definitely looking at Lillian.
“Does he know you?” Hanna asked.
Lillian shrugged and glanced away, but not before Hanna had noticed the color that flooded her cheeks. She was married to Stefan Reisner, a humorless man even older than Hanna’s father. Lillian wasn’t the sort to play flirting games with men. But it was plain to see that Webb Calder had made an impression on her.
As if to distract Hanna, Lillian gave a subtle nod in a different direction. “Now that cowboy, the one in the blue shirt and leather vest. He was just looking at you.”
Hanna followed the direction of her friend’s gaze. Something fluttered in the pit of her stomach as she spotted the rangy man standing at the break between the wagons that surrounded the dance floor. He was hatless, his hair dark brown and thick with a slight curl to it. His features were strong and solid, and there was pride in the way he carried himself—like a man who had nothing to prove.
But even though he might’ve been looking at Hanna earlier, he wasn’t looking at her now. His gaze scanned the dance floor and the watchers who stood around the edge. He started forward. Then, as if he’d been called away, he suddenly turned and left.
* * *
Blake Dollarhide swore as he made his way among the buggies and wagons toward the open street. The Carmody brothers, who worked at his sawmill, had been warned about picking fights with the homesteaders. But with a few drinks under their belts, the two Irishmen tended to get belligerent. If they were making trouble now, Blake would have little choice except to fire them. But before that could be done, he’d probably have to stop a fight.
With the dance on, Blake had hoped to get a waltz or two with pretty, blond Ruth Stanton, whose father was foreman of the vast Calder spread, the Triple C Ranch. It was no secret that Ruth had her eye on Webb Calder, who would inherit the whole passel from his father, Chase Benteen Calder, one day. But there was no law against Blake’s enjoying a dance with her. He might even be lucky enough to turn her head.
Taking anything away from Webb Calder would be a pleasure.
Ruth had been free for the moment. Blake had been about to cross the floor and ask her to dance when he’d heard shouts from the direction of the street. A quick glance around the dance floor had confirmed that the brothers weren’t there. Dollars to donuts, the no-accounts had started a brawl.
Blake broke into a run as he spotted the trouble. The two Carmody brothers, small men, but tough and pugnacious, were baiting a lanky homesteader who’d probably left his friends to find a privy. The confrontation was drawing an ugly crowd.
“Pack your wagon and go back to where you came from, you filthy honyocker.” Tom Carmody feinted a punch at the man’s face. “We don’t need you drylanders here, plowin’ up the grass to plant your damned wheat, spoilin’ land what’s meant for cattle. Things was fine afore the likes of you showed up. Worse’n a plague of grasshoppers, that’s what you are.”
“Please.” The man held up his hands. “I don’t want trouble. Just let me go back to my family.”
“You can go back—after we show you what we do to squatters like you.” Tom’s brother, Finn, brandished a hefty stick of kindling. Readying a strike, he aimed at the homesteader’s head.
“That’s enough!” Blake’s iron grip stopped Finn’s arm in midswing. A quick twist, and the stick fell to the ground. Finn staggered backward, clutching his wrist.
“I warned you two about this,” Blake said. “I’m sorry to lose two workers, but I can’t have you stirring up this kind of trouble. Any gear you left at the mill will be outside the gate.”
“Aw, they was just funnin’, Blake.” Hobie Evans, who worked for the Snake M Ranch, was the chief instigator against the homesteaders. He’d probably goaded the Carmody brothers into targeting the lone farmer, hoping others would join in and give the poor man a beating to serve as an example.
“Don’t push me, Hobie. This is a peaceful celebration. Let’s keep it that way.” Blake glanced around to make sure the farmer was gone and his tormentors had backed off. “Before I had to come out here, I was planning to dance with a pretty lady. For your sake, you’d better hope she’s still available.”
