Page 18 of Wild Spirit Revival (Montana Becketts, Wild Spirit Ranch #1)

“Oh?” Molly prompted.

Elijah took a deep breath. “Her name was Laura.” The words felt strange on his tongue. It had been years since he’d spoken her name. “I thought we’d marry someday.”

Molly’s expression softened, encouraging him to continue. His gaze drifted to the distant mountains, silhouetted against the night sky. “We met when we were thirteen. Grew up together, and fell in love over the years. At least, I thought we did.”

Continuing their walk, Elijah found himself opening up more than he had in years. He told Molly about stolen moments with Laura behind the schoolhouse, about their shared dreams of building a life together on Wild Spirit Ranch. With each word, he felt a weight lifting from his shoulders, even as the old pain resurfaced.

“What happened?”

Elijah’s eyes clouded over, his jaw clenching. “She left.” The words hung heavy in the air between them.

“Why did she leave, Elijah?”

His steps slowed as they continued around the barn. “It’s not something I talk about,” he muttered, more to himself than to Molly.

Her shoulder brushed against his arm. “Mother told me talking about the past can help us understand the present.”

His gaze remained fixed on the distant mountains. Steeling himself, he released a deep breath.

“Laura wanted more than Mystic could offer. Said she felt suffocated here. She needed to see the world beyond these mountains.”

She nodded, encouraging him to go on.

“I offered to take her traveling, show her other places,” he continued, a hint of bitterness creeping into his voice. “But it wasn’t just about seeing new sights. She wanted a different life altogether. One without me in it.”

The pain in his voice was palpable. Molly placed her hand on his arm, feeling Elijah tense for a moment before relaxing.

“I can’t even imagine how much her plans hurt you.”

His jaw clenched, unable to meet her gaze. “It made me realize how opening yourself up to someone leaves you vulnerable.”

As he spoke, a coyote’s mournful howl echoed across the valley, sending a shiver down Molly’s spine. The sound seemed to underscore the loneliness in Elijah’s words, and she found herself wondering what it would take to break through the walls he’d built around his heart.

Her hand remained on Elijah’s arm. She looked up at him.

“Don’t you think closing yourself off might mean missing out on something wonderful?”

His gaze met hers, his expression unreadable. “Maybe,” he conceded after a moment. “But the risk isn’t something I want to repeat.”

“Life’s full of risks, Elijah. Back in Chicago, I took a risk leaving everything I knew behind. And look where it’s led me.”

A hint of a smile tugged at the corner of Elijah’s mouth. “To a dusty ranch in the middle of nowhere?”

Molly laughed, the sound bright in the stillness of the night. “To adventure. To new experiences. To meeting people I never would have otherwise.”

Something stirred within him, a warmth he hadn’t experienced in years. He cleared his throat, aware of how close they were standing.

“You’ve got a way of putting things.”

She grinned. “It’s a gift.”

Their gazes met, though neither spoke.

As they stood there, the distant sound of a horse neighing broke the silence. Elijah’s posture straightened, his rancher’s instincts kicking in.

“We should head back,” he said, but there was a reluctance in his tone that hadn’t been there before.

As they took the steps to the front door, Elijah paused, turning to face Molly. “Thank you,” he said simply, but his eyes conveyed more than his words.

“For what?”

“For listening,” he replied.

As they stood there, the sound of rapid hoofbeats filled the air. Elijah’s head snapped up, his body tensing. A rider was approaching, and even in the dim light, Elijah could see the urgency in the man’s posture.

“Something’s wrong.” His hand moved to Molly’s arm as if to protect her from whatever news was galloping toward them.

The rider came into view, his hat pulled low, shielding his face. As he pulled up in front of the porch, he lifted his face to stare into his younger brother’s shocked gaze. Elijah took a step forward.

“Cody?”

“Hello, Eli.” He swung to the ground, tossing the reins over the post.

Bounding down the steps, Elijah tugged him into a hug, slapping his back. Pulling back, he looked over the brother who’d left years earlier.

“It’s darn good to see you.”

Before Cody could respond, the front door slammed open. Grayson walked outside, followed by Joshua. The two came to an abrupt stop, their gazes locked on the brother who’d been gone much too long.

Joshua reacted first, flying down the steps to hug his older brother. Behind him, Grayson stood on the edge of the porch. When Joshua pulled away, Cody looked up at his older brother. His gaze didn’t waver as he took the steps up to the porch.

“Grayson.”

“Cody. Been a while.”

“Can’t argue that.”

“You visiting or planning to stay?”

“I’m staying.”

Grayson reached out, settling a broad hand on his brother’s shoulder. “Welcome home.”

Cody and his family sat around the dining room table, drinking coffee while they peppered him with questions. Beside him, his mother, Naomi, sat rigid in her chair, dabbing at her eyes.

“Did you find the men?” Joshua asked. No one asked which men. It was understood Cody left the ranch to locate those who’d murdered his wife and daughter.

“Yes.”

“Did a jury convict them?” Annalee asked.

Cody stared into his cup, giving a slight nod. “Justice was done.”

As the questions continued, Grayson leaned back in his chair and listened. He already knew what happened to the killers. Had known for a long time. It was something he hadn’t shared with anyone, not even Jolene.

Beside him, Elijah listened, contributing little. Unlike Grayson, he only had suspicions of what happened to the three men who’d taken so much from the Becketts. Over the years, Elijah had come to rely on his instincts.

An hour passed before Cody stood to stretch, followed by a wide yawn. “I’m exhausted.” He set a hand on his mother’s shoulder. “Do I still have the same bedroom?”

“Nothing has changed.”

“All right. See you all in the morning.” He walked to the stairs, taking them at a slow pace while the others shot glances at each other.

Grayson stood next. “I’m going to bed, too.”

“You just want to see that cute baby of yours,” Annalee teased.

“And your beautiful wife,” Parker added.

A smile curved Grayson’s mouth. “Yes to both.”

The others filed upstairs within minutes, leaving Molly and Elijah at the table. “Do you want more coffee?” she asked.

“Nah. I’ve had enough.”

When she stood, he reached out to grab her hand. “Stay for a bit.”

“All right.” She sat back down, shifting to face him. He continued to hold her hand as the silence stretched for several minutes, him staring at their joined hands.

“Cody left while Grayson was gone. Their being gone made me the oldest. Ma looked at me to help keep everyone going. We got into a routine. All went well until Grayson returned with Jolene. The others didn’t know who to listen to regarding chores. It took a while before everything smoothed out. Grayson became the big boss while I made sure every day work was getting done. Now…”

“You’re wondering what will happen now with Cody’s return.”

He gave a slow nod. “I don’t know how I’ll fit in. This ranch has been my life.” Elijah looked at her. “It’s in my blood. Grayson returned in order to be close to family. He never had the pull to ranch. He’s gotten more into it over the last two years, and we’ve found a good way to work together. Cody’s different. He loves ranching as much as me. At least, he used to.”

She waited, sensing there was more Elijah wanted to say. After a bit, he continued.

“Maybe it’s time for me to carve out my place.”

“Your own place?”

“Before he died, Pa made it clear each of his children would be given their own acreage for a house. Ma reminded me of it after Grayson returned. She believed he’d want to build his own place. He surprised all of us by staying here. We all love Jolene, and now with the baby, Ma would have a hard time if they left. Maybe I’m the one who should build a house.”

Molly didn’t know how much to say. It was his life, after all. She was here as a guest.

“What do you think?” He squeezed her hand.

“Maybe you should give it some time. Right now, you don’t know what Cody wants.”

“Might be best.”

Several minutes passed before Molly slipped her hand from his and stood. “I’m going to head upstairs to bed. Are you going to be all right?”

A wry grin formed. “Me? Yes, I’ll be fine.” Rising, he began picking up the dirty cups.

She helped, offering to wash them. When finished, she dried her hands. “Well, have a good night, Elijah.”

He reached out, slinking an arm around her waist to draw her close. Before he could think about it too much, he lowered his head, brushing a kiss across her lips. When she didn’t back away, he pressed his mouth to hers.

Lifting his head, he took a step away. “Goodnight, Molly. Sleep well.”