Stealing Her Heart

by Cyndi Raye

  “Who is that?”

  His questions never ended. “Martha Winslow. She works for the doc part time. Said she needed more money to put her kid through medical school.”

  The old man nodded. “I heard the boy wants to be a doctor.” He raised his cane in the air almost as if pointing to Duke. “You be careful with those two. They’ve been through a lot of hard times.”

  That was why she hung her head so. He wanted to ask what kind of hard times, but before he had a chance, the old man told him. “Her divorce is finally through. Glad we have a good lawyer here in Belle so she could get rid of that no-gooder. If he ever steps foot in Belle, I’ll be the first one to shoot him in the arse with my pistol.”

  Was Parson dangerous or just an old man forgetting he was no longer capable of hurting someone? Duke chose the latter, knowing the old man was probably lonely. His mother sometimes went on and on when she wanted attention. “It sounds like she was treated poorly.”

  Parson nodded and shook his finger at Duke. “Not only that, the boy was cut by his own father with a large, sharp knife. Had stitches worse than yours. His arm was in bad shape for a long time. Like I said, he’s not welcome in this town and the sheriff will make sure of it. No one messes with the people of Belle.”

  Duke took it as a warning from a concerned citizen and he didn’t blame the old man. It sounded like a horrible thing to happen to a child. He knew one thing, he was going to work at putting a smile on Martha’s face. But, he was going to be the perfect employer and respect her above all else. He wanted to show her not every man was like her husband.

  Even if he did want to hold her and kiss her sweet mouth.

  Chapter 3

  Martha dropped Carson off at school and headed quickly towards the mansion. She had placed her bright red hair in a tight bun under a covering this morning. Martha was dying to let it flow free like some of the newer styles, but she was afraid to. All her life people mentioned how bright her hair was so she always tried to downplay it.

  Growing up with such vivid red hair was troublesome. She did love the color but was always hesitant to leave it uncovered when she was out and about. People always stared as if she were a sore spot in the middle of a beautiful world.

  When she married her husband, he had forced her to hide her hair under bonnets and coverings even inside when they got company, telling her it was embarrassing that people stared. She had gotten used to it over the years, wrapping a cloth around her head so he didn’t get upset. Now that he was a part of her history, she wondered if it really mattered now since times were changing.

  The man who got hurt, Duke Callahan, didn’t seem bothered by her bright red hair. She didn’t cover it inside the doctor’s office, only when going outside. Thinking about yesterday, he seemed intrigued instead of repulsed when he looked into her eyes.

  She turned off of Main Street and onto Pine Tree Lane where the mansion he bought sat halfway down the street. Passing the house she rented from Mercy, she sighed. The front porch was filled with plants and potted flowers that Mercy had left behind when she moved in next door with Frank. She loved sitting outside in the evening enjoying her new life, surrounded by nature’s beauty.

  Since Frank opened his doctor’s office in his family home, Mercy had worried the patients who waited on the porch might have a reaction to some of the pretty plants. A few of their patients had allergies according to Doctor Frank. Martha was glad to have the plants and flowers Mercy left behind. Watering them in the late evening was quite relaxing, something she hadn’t felt for a long, long time.

  She had to admit, these past few months were happy days for her and Carson. Since her husband left, the relief she felt knowing he wasn’t going to come home all liquored up and try to hurt one of them helped her sleep all night long instead of in one-hour intervals. It had been hard to function with little sleep during that period of her life. He was long gone and she didn’t have to worry about him any longer. Besides, he wouldn’t know where to find them since they no longer lived in the same house.

  The paperwork for the divorce was finalized. Even if he tried to come back here, she’d call for Sheriff Knight and he promised to have him arrested for what he did to Carson.

  Everyone loved Carson. He was the sweetest ten year old ever. He made friends where ever he went and he loved to fish. Since he didn’t have a father to do things with him, many times the men in Belle would ask him to go along fishing. There was always fresh fish to cook for supper, for which Martha was thankful for. She didn’t have to worry about putting food on the table. One less thing to worry about.

  She was able to make ends meet but there was no extra money to put Carson through medical school someday. Time was flying by and she knew that this job as a housekeeper would give her the extra money to stash away for the said purpose of Carson’s education. Even if she had to work with a handsome man like Duke Callahan, she’d do her job diligently so he was able to bring his family here to Belle.

  She walked by the doctor’s office and waved when one of the patients sitting on the bench outside recognized her. Since she was on the other side of the street, she kept walking, not stopping to chat since she didn’t want to be late.

  There was another reason she took the housekeeping job. When Thomas Rider, the man who previously owned the mansion, had been taken to the insane asylum, all of his belongings were left behind. No one came to claim them and Martha knew why. He didn’t have any relatives alive.

  At least that anyone knew about.

  Except for her and she was not about to associate herself with a crazy man who tried to hurt Mercy. He had been obsessed with the doctor’s wife to the point he kidnapped her and tried to harm her. Thank God he got caught.

  No one in this town knew Thomas Rider was her uncle. Her mother had warned her about the crazy man he was and to stay away from him. The family had disowned him after Thomas’s mother had died. When Martha came back home, she never let anyone know he was her uncle since he never saw her after she grew up and got married. It was why they were able to live in the same town together. But she knew her Aunt Regina, Thomas’s mother, had labeled all her photos with the names of their relatives. If anyone looked at the photos and saw her name, she’d be doomed.

  There was a time when Thomas had behaved like a normal person. She remembered how he’d play outside and swim in the creek with them during family get togethers. For some reason no one ever mentioned why, her family had moved away from Belle when she was seven, but she had remembered the place and came back when she married.

  Martha had been glad to come back home, but terrified at first that Thomas would recognize her. Her mother had warned her when she was young to never be alone with him. She had said he was a strange and evil man and to stay away from him. Martha had listened to her mother and she never saw him again until she was grown. Then when she walked past him one day on Main Street, he looked right at her and she knew he had no idea who she was. After that, she didn’t worry if they ran into each other.

  After she had Carson, she avoided Thomas Rider at all costs, staying away from Pine Tree Lane. Her mother’s warnings that he was not right in the head had bothered her more now that she had a child of her own. Plus, once her son got older, she didn’t think it would be right to introduce the crazy man as a relative.

  It was better for Carson that he never found out who Thomas Rider was. People were cruel and didn’t understand. She didn’t need her boy being made fun of if they found out he was related to the strange man who lived in the mansion. Carson’s troubles with his father were hard enough. At least she was able to protect him from being teased.

  She knew there were family photos in that house and she was going to go through every single room until she found them and could destroy any evidence that she was related to the man. In a way, Martha felt bad for even thinking this way. She wasn’t ashamed of her family, but she didn’t want the stigma of having a crazy person in the family to affect her son. She’d do any
thing to protect her son at this point.

  She had worried often that if Carson found out, or anyone in town knew, they’d think Carson may be crazy as well. She didn’t want him growing up having to pay for another person’s dysfunction. No, she’d protect her son at all costs.

  As long as the house had stayed empty she hadn’t worried about anyone finding those photos. But after he almost hurt Mercy, the town wanted to remove any reminders that Thomas Rider had lived here. They put up notices about the property in Belle and in newspapers in cities as far east as New York City and Philadelphia. After forty-five days the house was put up for sale by the city of Belle. As is. The family photos were still there. They needed to be found and removed.

  Now that she was hired as a housekeeper, it would be easy to get rid of them. While Mr. Callahan was busy she’d find them and destroy them. Even bury them in the back yard if she had to, but she wasn’t leaving that house until they were all found.

  Martha would not leave a trace behind for her son to suffer by. Not if her life depended on it.

  Before Martha realized she had walked so far, she was at the property. The gate squeaked when she went through. The walkway was crowded with weeds, but she found her way to the front porch and lifted her hand to knock. A voice behind her made her jump and screech! She swung around to find Duke Callahan standing there, a huge smile on his face.

  “You scared the daylights out of me!” Her hand flew to her heart. It pumped so fast she sucked in a deep breath to help slow it down.

  He actually bowed and apologized. “I’m sorry. I did not mean to startle you. I was trying to clear the yard somewhat but it is quite difficult to do so one-handed. I heard someone out front here and came around the side of the house.”

  She actually laughed, her voice echoing in the fresh morning air. “I’m sorry then to have made such a ruckus. I’m here to get started.”

  He nodded. “Did you get your son off to school?”

  It was nice that he asked about Carson. “Yes, he loves school. Plus, he has some friends there as well. He gets so excited each morning. Most kids don’t like school, but he wants to learn.”

  Duke came up the steps, standing in front of her on the porch. “Well, then, he’ll be appreciative that you are starting a fund for his medical school education. I believe he’ll make a fine doctor if he likes learning already.”

  Martha was surprised he was so interested in her son. He didn’t seem the type who cared one way or another. She wondered what kind of work he did. She didn’t like to be nosey, but she wasn’t afraid to ask. Working for the doctor, she had watched how Mercy engaged the patients to talk. It had been quite easy once she paid attention. A few questions was all it took some days to get people talking, especially when it was about themselves.

  “Mr. Callahan, where do you hail from, if you don’t mind me asking?”

  “Not at all. I may have told you yesterday that my parents had a horse farm in Kentucky. I grew up there, but spent the last few years in New York City.”

  “I see.” She had forgotten he mentioned it yesterday at the doc’s office. “What kind of work do you do?”

  He hesitated for a moment and stared at her.

  Was he trying to hide what he did for a living?

  She stared at him with uplifted brows. Why was he hesitating and what kind of man was ashamed of his work? Besides, she should know if she was going to be working for him.

  Was he hiding something, too? Because in Belle it was hard to hide anything. Sooner or later someone would find out. That was why she had to get rid of the evidence inside this home.

  She had to do it quickly before her son was damaged for life. When her husband left town she vowed no one would ever hurt him again. She meant every single word she had promised him.

  Even if it meant deceiving this dashingly handsome man.

  “I worked in banking.”

  “A bank teller?”

  “You could say that.” He seemed aloof when it came to his job. He was hiding something. She found it interesting. One thing Martha had noticed even before working for Belle’s doctor was that not everyone was quite what they seemed. Just went to show there were many skeletons in people’s closets and no one was perfect.

  “Well, then, you know I need to make some money here today to put my son through medical school. Shall we get started?”

  He seemed to come out of his trance. He had been staring at a spot on her hair. He blinked several times and moved to the front door. “Yes, of course.”

  “I’ll make sure to do a wonderful job so your wife and children can move in without any issues at hand.”

  Duke Callahan turned to her, his eyes wide and his mouth opened. Then he snapped it shut and turned away.

  Martha wasn’t quite sure what that was all about, but she followed him inside.

  Chapter 4

  Duke froze. He didn’t want anyone in this town to know the extent of his fortune. In the city he had been well-known as the owner of the Brooklyn Bank of International Commodities. He had sold his company to make the move here, rendering him a millionaire. Between his mother selling her horse farm and the sale of his bank, they’d never have to worry again.

  People had always been polite and kind to him because of his wealth. Most tried to swindle money. Even the ladies were the same, trying to latch onto a man with money. At first he liked the city life and all it had to offer. Then it got tiresome, not knowing who truly cared. He had been brought up as a southern gentleman and he tried to be kind to others, but the greed in their faces and eyes were too much.

  When his mother had written him about the con-man she had married and how he had tried to swindle her, Duke made a decision and vow to make sure they were always taken care of. The horse farm had been his father’s dream. His mother had enough to worry about taking care of his sister. And for his sister’s sake, and by the urging of her physician, they decided as a family the mountain air would be better for her.

  As he answered Martha’s questions, he made a quick and probably ludicrous decision not to be directly honest with her. It wasn’t that he wanted to keep anything from her. She seemed honest and sincere. But the less she knew about him, the better. He wanted to start over in a new place where people didn’t judge him because he was wealthy. When she mentioned a wife and children, he didn’t say anything, just let her believe that’s who was coming.

  Was it awful to deceive her like this?

  He was torn between blurting out the truth, that there was no wife or children and yet he wanted to get to know her before he made that admission. After all, he didn’t say either way who was coming to Belle, and the less anyone knew the better. He did tell old man Parson, but hopefully the old coot wouldn’t remember.

  “This room will need to be done as soon as the kitchen gets finished.”

  The parlor was a mess. There was some furniture in the room and a large desk against one wall. Clothes were strewn from one end of the room to the other as if the prior owner used the parlor as his dressing room.

  The look in her eyes was quite interesting. She was appalled at the extent of cleaning that was needed and yet when she turned and looked at him he also saw a determination in her eyes that lifted his spirits. She wasn’t going to back down from the challenge. “If you show me where the supplies are, I’ll get started right away.”

  He made his way to the kitchen where he had tried to wash up some of the dishes that were still setting out. “I didn’t have much luck getting anything accomplished since the house is such a mess,” he told her, hoping she’d realize this wasn’t his doing. “I’m afraid the prior owner was not neat and orderly at all.”

  “He was a disgusting mess.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  She gave him an incredulous look. “Why would you be sorry? You are not responsible for what someone else does.”

  He shrugged. “No, I am not. But, looking around I’m sure this is going to be quite a job for you. I’ll tell you what
, if you can finish this room and the kitchen by the end of the month, I will pay you double of what I had intended.”

  Her eyes got huge! “Double? Are you able to do so?”

  He hesitated at first. Then, walked over to the desk where some of his own things were sitting. Alfred Dunhill had opened a luxury line of men’s messenger bags and gifted him with one. It was one of the best gifts he ever received. He opened the lock and felt around in the one compartment for a brown envelope that held some cash. As a former banker, he realized the value of having cash to bargain with and make purchases that may take longer than with a line of credit. He knew how banks operated sometimes.

  He took some bills and handed them to Martha. “This is your first month’s wages. If you can finish the two rooms within that time, I’ll double this at the end of the month.”

  Martha hesitated before accepting the money. Her eyes were wary but she held out her hand. Counting the bills, she froze. Her eyes went from the thick envelope to stare at him. He wasn’t sure what her reaction was going to be until she spoke.

  “This is too much money to clean a house.” She handed the money back to him but he took a step back.

  “I need you to work hard. I may need you helping to do other things to accommodate my family. We have to go through all the prior owner’s belongings. Some may be sent to the church if it is salvageable.”

  “No one in this town wants the prior owner’s things. They should all be burned.”

  “You have your work cut out for you, then. Please, I insist you accept this money and the challenge to get it done by the end of the month. I put away plenty of cash for this purpose. It is important I have a good, clean place for my family to come to.”

  Martha smirked.

  He stared. “Why the smirk?”

  She lifted her chin a bit. “I can get this done in two weeks. Since you have so much cash floating around, how about tripling it if I can get it done in half the time?”