A Husband for Charli Rae Read online




  © Copyright 2020 Elly Knight

  All rights reserved

  No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing.

  This story contains spanking for discipline. The author in no way endorses the abuse of any person and this story is intended for fictional purposes only.

  CHAPTER ONE

  Charli took aim and fired at the fox that was threatening her chickens. She’d lost half a dozen over the past few days and couldn’t afford to lose any more. Thankfully her papa had taught her how to shoot and she got him first shot, as bullets were in short supply until she could sell one of the pigs and get some cash. She’d made several attempts to fox proof the chicken house but somehow, they kept getting in. It was enough to make her want to scream in frustration.

  Since her Papa’s death, Charli had been working long hours to try and keep the farm afloat. Turning a profit on a farm in these parts was a tough enough job for a fully-grown man. It was ten times as tough for a young woman. But Charli was nothing if not determined. Just before he died, her Papa had purchased a pregnant sow. She’d delivered a healthy ten piglet litter and Charli knew if she could just make it through until those piglets were large enough to sell, the farm would make it. She had two months until the next bank payment was due. It should be just enough time.

  Once the pigs and horses were fed and watered, Charli spent the best part of the morning attempting once again to fox proof the chicken enclosure. She could find no sign of entry and yet the gate was firmly latched when she arrived so it was a mystery to her how a fox could have ended up inside the enclosure.

  Charli looked up into the sky when she began to feel light-headed and realized that she’d once again forgotten to eat the midday meal. With a sigh, she headed up to the house to find some food. The coffee had run out and with no money to buy more, Charli was down to water to drink. She ate the last of her loaf of bread, making note that she’d need to make more. It would have to wait until the sun went down, which meant another late night, but there was no help for it. Charli needed every minute of sunlight to get her outside chores done.

  It was already dark by the time she’d checked on the recently planted corn crop and fed the pigs again. The corn had germinated well, and Charli was hopeful that with the pigs and a good crop, the farm would turn a profit this year.

  The farm had been her papa’s dream. When her mama had died, just after Charli’s eighth birthday, her papa had been so overcome with grief he couldn’t bear to remain in the family home. Having always dreamed of owning a farm, he’d sold everything and headed west toward a new life. Together they’d built the simple log house and a small barn to house the horses and equipment.

  Charli was determined to make a success of the place, in honor of her papa.

  The townsfolk thought she was crazy and several had been kind enough to offer her a place to live if she needed to sell the farm. Charli had no intention of moving into town. She had no intention of living anywhere but here, even if it was backbreaking work day after day.

  After a wash, she set about making dough for some more bread. Her back was screaming at her and she was so tired she could fall into bed without even bothering to eat. However, Charli understood that if she didn’t look after herself, she was going to be no good to anyone. Most of the canned vegetables were gone and while Charli had planted a new garden as soon as the ground thawed, it would be a while before it would be producing. She had enough flour for a few more weeks and eggs were in reasonable supply, providing she didn’t lose any more chickens. It meant bread was a staple part of her diet. Without it, Charli simply wouldn’t have enough food to get her through the day.

  While the dough was rising, Charli made herself some scrambled eggs. A few more days and she’d have enough spare eggs to take into the town general store. The owner had been a friend of her papa’s and allowed them to exchange eggs for credit in the store. She could get some milk and maybe even a small portion of meat.

  She’d love to have a cow for milk but they’d spent the last of their cash on the pregnant sow so that was out of the question until she could sell a pig or two.

  Charli fell asleep while the bread was baking and nearly burnt it. She cursed herself as she rushed to get the crispy loaf out of the wood stove. It was the one luxury she had. Many farmer’s wives were still cooking over an open fire. Her papa had been insistent, having had a proper stove back East, that they have that little luxury. It did make baking a little easier.

  Once the fire was banked, Charli fell into an exhausted asleep in the cot in the corner of the living room. The cottage had one bedroom, which had been her papa’s room. Charli had always slept in the corner of the living room and when her papa died, she couldn’t bring herself to move into his room.

  The next day would start in only a few short hours, long before Charli’s exhausted body would be ready.

  CHAPTER TWO

  “Charlotte,” Henry Banks said with a wide smile when he spotted her coming through the doors to his store. “Martha will be so pleased to see you,” he added as he took the basket of eggs from her hand. “Why don’t you go on back and have a cup of tea and a catch up,” he offered. “I’ll tally these up for you ready.”

  “I’m not sure I have time today,” Charli said with a worried smile.

  Henry’s smile was sympathetic and firm. “You look exhausted sweetheart,” he said to her. “Your papa wouldn’t want you working yourself into an early grave. Come and have some tea.” Without giving her time to utter further protest, he ushered her behind the counter and through a curtain to a large storeroom. “Martha!” Henry hollered. “You have company!”

  “Oh Charlotte darling,” Martha said as she came through the back door of the storeroom which lead to their kitchen. “We haven’t seen you for a while. I’ve been pestering Henry to bring me out as soon as we get a day off.”

  “Sorry, things have been busy with catching up after planting,” Charli apologized. “I’m having trouble with foxes so not getting as many eggs,” she continued.

  “Well you’re here now, come and have some tea and cake. We need to get some meat on those bones,” Martha fussed as she threw her husband a worried look. Every time they saw Charlotte, she seemed to be thinner. Many times since her papa’s death, they’d implored her to leave the farm and come and live with them. Each time, she’d refused, determined to make a success of the farm.

  Martha gave her a large slice of cake to go with her tea and Charli was too polite to refuse. She had to admit it tasted every bit as good as it looked.

  “How is everything on the farm?” Martha asked her as she joined her at the table.

  “Good. The crops have come up well and the piglets are growing rapidly.” Charli told her with a smile. “Papa would have been pleased.” Martha didn’t miss the tightening around Charlotte’s eyes when she mentioned her Papa. The pair had been inseparable, and she knew Charlotte missed him terribly.

  “I’m glad,” Martha said with a smile. It hurt her heart terribly to think of Charlotte out on the farm alone, doing the work of a man. She was like the daughter she’d never had, and Martha desperately wished there were a way to convince her to move in with them. Henry had insisted that they needed to allow her time to grieve the passing of her papa in her own way.

  “I really must get going,” Charli said as soon as her tea was gone. She rose from the table. “It was lovely to see you Martha,” she said fondly. She truly did appreciate all the couple did for her.

  “Can you do me one favor?” Martha implored her. “Henry was too poli
te to say anything but I’m sure he wasn’t keen on the stew I made last night. You know how much I hate waste. Would you take it home for me? If it’s not to your liking, you can at least feed it to the pigs.” It was a little white lie but Martha had to try and do something to get some food into the girl. She was pretty sure Charlotte wouldn’t be feeding the food to her pigs.

  Charli wanted to refuse. She hated any kind of charity and it wasn’t hard to see through Martha’s ruse. Martha gave her such a desperate look she found herself nodding her head.

  “Oh thank you,” Martha beamed, relieved when Charlotte agreed. “I’ll pack it up while you’re doing your shop, ready for you to take.”

  Charli chose her purchases carefully. She had to make her money stretch as far as she could. Henry had offered her an account or early payment on one of her pigs but she was hesitant to get into more debt in case something went wrong. Farming was a tough game. You couldn’t count on the money until you had it in your hand. Crops could fail, animals could die. It happened all the time.

  “Why don’t you just cut your hair short and completely pretend you’re a boy Charlotte,” a snide voice said from behind her. Charli spun around and came face to face with her nemesis, Matilda Bartholomew. Matilda’s papa owned the farm next door and the girls had never gotten along. Since Charli’s Papa had died, he’d made several offers to buy the farm from her. She’d be dead and six feet under before she’d ever let him get his grubby paws on her farm. “You look ridiculous in those pants,” Matilda taunted her. “Your poor papa would be so ashamed of you if he were still alive!”

  Charli had heard enough. She was a woman of action, not words and before she had time to think about it, her hand landed hard against Matilda’s cheek. Matilda squealed and stepped back, her hand going up to the place Charli had struck.

  “Charlotte!” Henry scolded as he moved across the store to where the two girls were standing. Sheriff Johnson chose that moment to enter the store and Matilda ran across to him.

  “She hit me! I want her arrested for assault!” she demanded as she moved her hand to show him the red handprint Charlotte’s hand had left on her face.

  Sheriff Johnson glared at Charli as he took several steps toward her. “What on earth Charli Rae?” he said to her.

  “She should learn to keep her stupid big mouth shut!” Charli grumbled.

  The sheriff was a good friend of her papa’s and had been doing his best to look out for Charli since his passing. She hadn’t made it easy for him, upsetting quite a number of townsfolk and becoming the main talk of the town. He knew if he didn’t do something, Matilda’s family could well make trouble for Charli. Trouble she didn’t need. He reached out and grabbed her by the arm. “We’ll discuss this in my office,” he said gruffly to her. “You can’t go around hitting people just because you don’t like what they say.”

  Matilda gave Charli a triumphant smile as the sheriff led her out of the general store and down the street toward the building that housed his office and the jail.

  “What were you thinking?” he scolded Charli as soon as they were in the privacy of his office. He let go of her arm and turned to face her. “I ought to turn you over my knee and tan your backside,” he threatened. “You do not need to give the Bartholomew’s any more ammunition against you.”

  “She was making comments about my Pa being ashamed of me!” Charli retorted. “What I choose to wear is no one’s business but my own!”

  “That’s not how it works Charli and you know it,” the sheriff told her, his patience wearing thin. “Your Pa might have let you wear boy pants around the farm but he sure as heck didn’t approve of you wearing them in public!”

  “Well I don’t have time to get changed just to appease people’s ridiculous sensitivities,” Charli snapped. “I don’t see why it’s anyone’s business what I wear! It was only supposed to be a quick trip to town. In fact, I really need to be getting home if we’re done here.”

  Sheriff Johnson rubbed his face in agitation. “I’m going to give you a formal warning,” he told her. “If something like this happens again, you could well spend a night in my cell.” Charli couldn’t help but snort and the sheriff glared at her. “I mean it Charli, you can’t go around hitting people. If Matilda’s papa comes in here demanding action, it may well be out of my hands.”

  Martha entered the office carrying a parcel wrapped in brown paper. “Is everything all right?” she asked the sheriff, looking worried.

  Charli rolled her eyes. “Apparently I’m not allowed to hit someone, even if they insult me,” she said to Martha.

  “I’m just giving her a warning Martha, no need to get your dander up on Charli’s behalf,” Sheriff Johnson told her mildly.

  “I brought over your purchases,” Martha said, handing Charli the brown paper parcel. “I was worried you’d be in such a hurry when you finished here that you’d go home without them.”

  “Thank you, Martha,” Charli said with genuine appreciation. “I don’t think I’ll be coming back to town in a hurry. Apparently, people can’t cope with a girl wearing pants,” she said with another roll of her eyes.

  Martha looked concerned but didn’t say anything. She didn’t approve of Charli going around wearing pants either, but she knew if she tried to say anything, Charli would ignore her and she didn’t want to frighten the girl away. She had few friends as it was and whether she acknowledged it or not, she needed their support.

  CHAPTER THREE

  Stanley Bartholomew was a man used to getting his own way and he didn’t appreciate the little chit of a girl next door standing in his way of acquiring the land her Pa had purchased. He’d been putting pressure on the bank to call in her loan. Norman Banks, the bank manager, was a rather spineless man and Stanley had been confident he could get him to do his bidding and allow him to buy the land out from under her.

  What he hadn’t banked on was her having the Sheriff on her side. Sheriff Johnson had put an equal amount of pressure on Norman, convincing him he needed to give the girl time to grieve her Pa’s death before he forced her off the land she’d been working with him for the past decade. Stanley’s patience was about wearing thin so when Matilda came home complaining that Charlotte had assaulted her in the general store, he decided it was time to put some pressure on the sheriff himself.

  “You can’t allow her to wander around town making trouble like this!” Stanley told the sheriff when he went to find out what he was doing about Charlotte. “And you certainly cannot allow her to go around hitting people! Poor Matilda is going to have a bruise where she struck her. How will she even be able to show her face in public until the bruising goes away? I demand to know what you’re doing about this?”

  Sheriff Johnson did his best not to sigh. He’d known it was likely Stanley wouldn’t let this go but he’d still lived in hope. “I have given her a stern dressing down and a warning,” he told him. “If she does anything like this again, she’ll spend the night in the cells.” The gleam in Stanley’s eyes when he told him that made Sheriff Johnson uneasy. He didn’t trust the man one bit.

  Stanley’s mind was working hard to figure out how to turn this situation to his advantage. If Charli spent the night in jail, it would make it a lot easier to sabotage her farm. Given she rarely left, he’d had very little opportunity to do anything that might make the farm financially unviable. He had to be very careful that anything he did wasn’t seen and that wasn’t easy when the girl worked the farm from dawn to dark every single day. Yes, forcing the sheriff to put Charli away for the night could work very well to his advantage.

  <<<<>>>>

  “I want you to pay Charlotte Anderson a visit,” Stanley told Matilda over dinner that night. “Take her some muffins or something as a peace offering and see if you can’t get her to assault you again.”

  Matilda gasped at her Pa’s suggestion. Her face was still rather tender from the last altercation. She certainly didn’t want another. “You want her to hurt me?” she asked
him.

  “I want Sheriff Johnson to have reason to put her in jail for the night,” her Pa explained. “If she’s away overnight, I can put a fox in with her chickens. I’m pretty sure the only way she’s surviving right now is by selling the eggs.”

  “You want her to starve to death?” Matilda asked him, her eyes wide in horror. She didn’t like the girl but that didn’t mean she wanted her to die.

  “Of course not!” Stanley barked impatiently, annoyed that Matilda was arguing with him instead of blindly agreeing to do as he asked. “I just want her to leave the farm so that I can buy it. The bank will eventually foreclose anyway, I’m just speeding things along. The sooner we get hold of that land, the more money I’ll have for all the nice things you want,” he said in an effort to placate her and bring her around to his side.

  Matilda had lost her mama a few years ago and Stanley enjoyed spoiling her. They had a pretty good relationship and he didn’t want to spoil that by forcing her involvement in Charlotte’s downfall. He’d hoped the thought of Charlotte ending up in jail would have appealed to the girl. Clearly, some of her mother’s sensibilities still existed.