The cool morning air did little to calm the storm of emotions brewing within Joshua. He watched as Trent mounted his horse while Faith and Evelyn settled into the buggy.
With a tight grip on Jupiter’s reins, Joshua swung into the saddle. A man always content to let life unfold around him felt an urgent need to take action, to make his feelings known before it was too late.
Cody rode up alongside the buggy, his gaze sweeping over Galloway, who had taken a position opposite him.
As the small party set off toward Mystic, the Montana landscape stretched out before them.
Joshua found himself acutely aware of every laugh, every shared glance between Faith and their mysterious new acquaintance.
The road to town had never felt so long, nor so fraught with unspoken tension.
Joshua urged Jupiter forward, drawing even with Evelyn’s buggy. He cleared his throat, searching for the right words to break the silence.
“Faith,” he began, his voice softer than intended. “I was wondering if you might have time later to discuss some ideas for the Gazette. There’s been talk of some interesting developments at the ranch. They might make for a good story.”
Faith shifted toward him. “Sounds intriguing, Josh. What sort of developments?”
Before Joshua could respond, Trent’s deep voice cut through the air. “Speaking of interesting stories, did I mention the time I tracked an outlaw through the Badlands in the Dakotas for three weeks straight?”
Faith’s attention shifted to the bounty hunter, her expression alight with fascination. “No, you didn’t. Please, do tell us more, Mr. Galloway.”
Joshua felt his chance slipping away, the words he longed to say dying on his lips. He watched as Faith leaned closer to Trent, hanging on his every word. The rolling hills of Mystic Valley seemed to mock him, a vast expanse of missed opportunities stretching out in all directions.
As the outskirts of Mystic came into sight, Joshua’s plan to speak further with Faith evaporated. When they passed the first buildings, a commotion near the bank caught everyone’s attention.
A group of men on horseback burst out of an alley, guns drawn and bandanas covering their faces. The air filled with shouts and the thunder of hooves as the town erupted into chaos.
Joshua’s hand instinctively moved to his holster, his eyes locking with Faith’s in a moment of shared alarm. “Get down!”
Faith dropped to the floor of the buggy, along with Evelyn, at Joshua’s shouted command.
The turmoil on Mystic’s main street erupted like a powder keg.
Shots rang out, shattering the morning calm as the masked riders tore through town.
Cody aimed his six-shooter at the outlaws, firing off several shots.
One rider flew off the back of his horse, while another clutched his chest before slipping out of his saddle and onto the ground.
“Stay down!” Trent shouted at the same time Joshua maneuvered his horse between the riders and the women, shielding Faith and Evelyn with his broad frame.
“I’ve got them,” Joshua called back, his voice calm, despite the mayhem. “You take care of those bandits!”
Trent spurred his horse forward, aiming his six-shooter and firing. Cody joined him, the two galloping after the riders. Cody caught sight of Sheriff Brodie Gaines emerging from his office, shotgun in hand. Their eyes met, a silent understanding passing between them.
“Cody!” Brodie shouted. “Flank ’em from the left!”
Cody veered his horse down a side alley. The pounding of hooves echoed off the buildings as he circled around, hoping to cut off the bandits’ escape route.
Trent continued down the street before detouring down another alley, torn between the immediate threat and the gnawing fear for the women’s safety.
Emerging back onto the main street, Trent found himself face-to-face with one of the masked riders. Time seemed to slow as they sized each other up.
“Don’t do it, mister,” he warned, his gun aimed at the outlaw.
The man’s eyes narrowed above his bandana. “You ain’t got the guts, boy,” he sneered.
Trent thought of the threat the man in front of him posed to the women. His hand moved like lightning, the crack of his six-shooter splitting the air. The bandit toppled from his saddle, clutching his shoulder.
As quickly as it had begun, the gunfight was over. The remaining outlaws, seeing their comrades fall, turned tail and fled. The thunder of retreating hooves faded into the distance, leaving behind a stunned silence.
Trent dismounted, his legs shaky with fading adrenaline. He scanned the street, searching for any additional signs of danger. Walking to the fallen bandit, he noted the wound to the man’s shoulder. He kicked the man’s gun away before helping him up and marching him toward the jail.
With no one inside, he grabbed the keys and locked the injured outlaw inside a cell. Ignoring the man’s shouts, he stormed out of the jail. Relief washed over him when he spotted Joshua and the women emerging from inside the mercantile, their faces pale but resolute.
Touching Faith’s arm, Joshua felt the weight of all his unspoken words pressing down on him. He took a step toward her, determined to reveal his heart, when the sheriff’s voice cut through the air.
“Joshua! We need to organize a posse. Those bandits can’t have gotten far.” Brodie stood in the middle of the street with Cody beside him.
Even with the chaos, Joshua was glad to see the two men together. They’d been best friends before the deaths of Cody’s wife and daughter. Brodie had never adjusted to Cody taking off to find the killers.
Joshua hesitated, torn between his duty and the yearning of his heart. Faith’s gaze held his for a moment longer, a question in her eyes he couldn’t answer. With a heavy sigh, he turned away, knowing once again, the moment had slipped through his fingers like sand.
As he strode toward the sheriff, Joshua’s mind whirled with possibilities and regrets. Would he ever find the right time to tell Faith how he felt? And if he did, would it be too late?
Grayson Beckett stood on the front porch of the main house, his keen eyes surveying the land.
“Jolene,” he called over his shoulder. “Best come see this. Looks like we’ve got company.”
Jolene emerged from the house, wiping her hands on her apron. She squinted into the distance, spotting a lone rider approaching.
“Who is it?” she asked, moving to stand beside her husband.
Grayson’s hand instinctively moved to the revolver at his hip. “I believe it’s Josh.” As the rider drew closer, his posture relaxed. “It’s Josh, all right.”
Joshua reined his horse to a stop in front of the house, dismounting with a grace that belied his exhaustion. His usually neat appearance was disheveled, his clothes covered in trail dust.
“Grayson, Jolene.” He nodded to each of them, his voice hoarse. “We’ve got trouble.”
Grayson’s brow furrowed. “What kind of trouble?”
Joshua took a deep breath, his eyes clouded with worry.
“Those bank robbers from Helena? They hit the bank in Mystic. We thought they were headed toward Bozeman until Cody spotted their tracks taking a wide turn south. Appears they’re headed this way.
Brodie, along with Cody and the posse, are close behind me, but… ”
He trailed off, his gaze drifting to the vast expanse of land surrounding them. Grayson understood the unspoken concern. Wild Spirit Ranch was isolated and vulnerable.
Jolene’s hand found Grayson’s, squeezing it gently. “We’ve weathered worse.” She gazed up at her husband. “How do you want to handle this?”
“We need to warn the family and hands, get everyone prepared. And…” Grayson hesitated, a flicker of something passing across his face. “You, Little Cody, Ma, and my sisters need to be ready to hide in the root cellar.”
When Jolene opened her mouth to protest, Grayson stopped her with a stern look.
“You have our baby to protect. Ma and my sisters should be with you, just in case the outlaws find you. They’re as good with six-shooters and rifles as the men.
They’ll keep you safe. Go inside and warn them.
Josh and I will notify the boys and our ranch hands. ”
As Jolene disappeared inside, the sound of approaching hoofbeats drew their attention. A cloud of dust on the horizon heralded the arrival of more riders, their identities yet unknown.
Grayson’s hand tightened on his revolver. “Could be trouble’s found us sooner than we thought,” he muttered, his eyes narrowing as he tried to make out the approaching figures.
The tension in the air was palpable as the brothers braced themselves for whatever was coming their way, the peaceful evening now fraught with danger and uncertainty.
The approaching riders thundered closer, their silhouettes sharpening against the fading light. Joshua’s keen eyes narrowed, recognizing the lead rider’s gait. “It’s Cody and the posse,” he announced, tension easing from his shoulders.
Indeed, Cody Beckett rode at the front, his face set in grim determination. Next to him was Brodie. Behind them were several other men.
“Did you find their tracks?” Joshua asked.
Cody reined in his horse. “They’re headed toward Black Canyon and Flatrock,” he spat out, his voice rough with anger and fatigue. “We’ll be lucky to get close to them once they hide back in the canyon.”
Hearing the news, already knowing how difficult it would be to hunt the outlaws in the twisting canyons, Joshua’s thoughts returned to Faith.
Maybe the reason she’d never expressed deeper feelings for him was because friendship was all she could offer.
Her obvious attraction to Trent Galloway seemed to confirm this.
“What do you think, Josh?”
Cody’s voice shook him from the depressing turn of his thoughts. “Sorry. Wasn’t listening.”
“What are the odds of locating the bandits in Black Canyon?” Trent Galloway asked.
“One or two men might be able to pass by the guards without being spotted, but not an entire posse. Unless the outlaws can climb the straight walls of the canyon, there’s just one way in and one way out.” Joshua paused for the information to sink in.
Of the older Beckett brothers, he’d been the only one interested in exploring the canyon when they were young. Joshua and a friend from Iron Angel Ranch would explore it whenever their chores were finished and the weather held out.
“You’re saying we should wait them out?” Cody asked.
“I never found any other way out.” Then Joshua had another thought. “Unless we drop in from the top.” The men chuckled at the suggestion. “Or contact the commandant at Fort Ellis. Let those boys in blue raid Flatrock.”