Page 6 of Wild Spirit Revival (Montana Becketts, Wild Spirit Ranch #1)

As they passed the telegraph and post office, Titus Bell stepped out, calling to them. “Nathan. Hold up a moment!”

Nathan reined up the horses, and Titus approached, the usual creases of irritation on his face. “A letter came yesterday for you. It’s actually for Naomi, so don’t you be opening it.”

Nathan slapped a hand over his heart. “You’ve got my word, Mr. Bell.” Taking the letter from him, he noticed the corner of the man’s mouth twitch. “Anything else?”

“That’s all.” Bell turned, stomping back into the office.

Molly felt Nathan stiffen beside her. “What is it?”

“The return address. It’s from Cody.” A hint of sadness laced his voice. Slapping the reins, the wagon lunged forward.

Crossing the town limits, Molly ventured a comment. “I heard he left a while back.”

Nathan’s knuckles whitened on the reins. “How did you hear about him?”

“It doesn’t matter.”

He shook his head. “I guess not. He’s the next oldest after Grayson. He’s been gone a few years. His name doesn’t come up much anymore. But Ma… I’m sure she thinks of him every day.”

“I’m sure she does,” Molly said softly.

“Maybe this letter will bring some good news.” Nathan leaned back on the bench seat, his usual good humor absent. “Perhaps he’s coming home.”

Soon, the wagon rattled to a stop. Molly brimmed with anticipation as she took in the now familiar landscape. Then her gaze caught on two groups of people near a corral.

“Are you ready for some real Western action?” Nathan asked.

Her lips curved into a determined smile. “I certainly am.”

Without hesitation, Molly hopped down from the wagon, her sturdy boots hitting the ground with a soft thud. She straightened her hat and smoothed her traveling outfit, then turned to Nathan with an expectant look.

“Where’s the best spot for me to set up my camera? I want to capture every thrilling moment of this stallion breaking.”

He grinned, pointing toward a spot near the corral. “Right over there should give you a perfect view. Are you sure you want to be close to the action? It can get pretty wild.”

“I didn’t come all the way to the ranch to watch from the sidelines. I’m here to capture the true spirit of this wild land, danger and all.”

As she spoke, Molly was already moving, her petite frame belying her strength as she hefted her camera equipment from the wagon. She strode toward the spot Nathan suggested, working at a fast clip to set everything up. Nathan stood beside her, curious as to all the different pieces of apparatus, before leaving to join Joshua and their youngest brother, Parker.

Molly’s attention was suddenly drawn to a heated conversation between the three men. Parker Beckett’s impatient voice cut through the air, his words sharp and clipped.

“Josh, this is crazy. That stallion’s a killer. Besides, Grayson and Elijah were clear about us staying away from him.”

Nathan chimed in, his usual upbeat tone tinged with worry. “Parker’s right, Josh. It’s not worth the risk. It would be best to wait for Grayson to decide when to break him.”

Molly’s hands stilled on her camera. She hadn’t realized the stakes were so high. Her gaze darted between the brothers, taking in Nathan’s concerned frown and Parker’s tense stance.

Joshua stood before them, his tall frame relaxed despite the urgency in his brothers’ voices. His light brown hair ruffled in the breeze as he regarded them calmly, a hint of a smile playing at the corners of his mouth.

“I appreciate your concern, boys,” Joshua said, his soft-spoken words carrying across the yard. “This is something I’m determined to do. The stallion has so much potential.”

Parker threw up his hands in exasperation. “Potential? Josh, it’s got the potential to stomp you into the ground.”

Joshua’s eyes sparkled with determination. “Maybe so. I’ve got a feeling about this one. Sometimes, you’ve got to take a chance to achieve something great.”

Molly found herself drawn in by Joshua’s quiet confidence. She’d seen many men bluster and boast, but there was something different about his calm resolve. It stirred a mix of admiration and anxiety within her.

“You sure about this, Josh?” Nathan asked, his voice softer now. “We can’t afford to lose you, not with everything else going on.”

Joshua placed a hand on Nathan’s shoulder, his expression softening. “I’ll be careful, I promise. Now, how about you two help me get ready instead of trying to talk me out of it?”

As the brothers moved toward the corral, Molly’s enthusiasm began to fade. She’d come here expecting to capture a simple feat of horsemanship. Instead, she realized she might be witnessing something far more dangerous.

Her heart pounded as she watched Joshua, Nathan, and Parker enter the corral, their coiled ropes swinging loosely at their sides. The wild stallion snorted and pawed at the ground, its dark eyes glinting with defiance. Molly’s knuckles whitened as she gripped her camera, her breath catching in her throat.

“Joshua Beckett, you get out of that corral this instant!” Jolene’s voice rang out, sharp with concern. She strode toward the fence, her eyes flashing with a mix of anger and fear.

Lilian, the youngest Beckett sibling, hurried after her, her slight frame trembling. “Please, Josh. Listen to Jolene. It’s not worth the risk.”

Rebecca, the oldest of the two sisters, stopped beside Molly. “Josh is generally the most cautious of my brothers. His actions today make no sense.”

Joshua turned to his sisters, a gentle smile on his face. “Ladies, I appreciate your concern, but this is something I need to do.”

Jolene’s jaw clenched. “Need to do? Or want to do to prove something?”

“Both, maybe,” Joshua admitted, his gaze steady. “I’ve got Nathan and Parker here with me. We’ll be careful.”

Lilian wrung her hands. “What if something goes wrong? We can’t lose you, Josh.”

Molly found herself torn between her journalistic instincts and her growing concern for Joshua. She rose from her position of looking through the camera lens. “Is this really necessary?” she asked, surprised by the worry in her own voice.

Joshua’s eyes met hers, and for a moment, Molly felt as if he could see right through her. “Sometimes, Miss O’Sullivan, the greatest tales come from taking risks.”

His words struck a chord within her. Wasn’t the unexpected why she’d come west in the first place? To find stories worth telling, even if it meant putting herself in unfamiliar, sometimes dangerous situations?

As the tension mounted, Molly realized she was witnessing more than just a man trying to break a horse. This was a family grappling with fear, love, and the pursuit of dreams. And at the center of it all stood Joshua, calm and resolute, ready to face whatever came next.

The stallion reared suddenly, its hooves slicing through the air…

Molly’s chest tightened as she watched Joshua, Nathan, and Parker circling the stallion from inside the corral, their ropes at the ready. Her fingers hovered over her camera’s shutter, but a nagging doubt crept into her mind. Was she really prepared to capture potentially devastating images?

Joshua’s voice cut through her thoughts. “Easy now, boy,” he coaxed, inching closer to the stallion.

Molly’s grip tightened on her camera. “If something goes wrong…” she whispered, her stomach churning.

Just then, Joshua made his move. With lightning speed, he swung his rope, and it sailed through the air. Time seemed to slow as the loop descended toward the stallion’s head.

“You’ve got him,” Parker shouted.

Before either Nathan or Parker could throw their ropes, a sharp yell pierced the air, followed by two deafening gunshots. Molly whirled around, her heart pounding in her ears.

Molly’s eyes widened as she saw Elijah Beckett and three younger men on horseback thunder toward them. The tension in the air thickened, electric and dangerous.

“We’re in for it now,” Jolene exclaimed, her voice tight with worry.

Molly’s grip on her camera tightened as she studied Elijah’s face, set in grim determination. His eyes blazed with intensity, sending a shiver down her spine.

As the riders drew closer, Molly could make out the faces of the other men. No boys, she realized. They couldn’t be more than fourteen or fifteen. Though young, their expressions mirrored Elijah’s stern features, and Molly’s stomach knotted with apprehension.

Rebecca stepped closer to Molly, her voice low and urgent. “This won’t be good. Eli and Gray were firm in their orders for no one to approach the stallion.”

Molly nodded, her instincts kicking in despite her growing unease. Whatever was coming, it was big enough to interrupt Joshua’s attempt with the stallion.

She glanced back at the corral, where he still held the rope around the stallion’s neck, his face a mask of resignation and growing irritation. Nathan and Parker had moved to flank him, their stances protective.

Molly squared her shoulders, lifting her chin as she always did when facing a challenge. She wouldn’t allow herself to cower before the intensity of Elijah Beckett.

“Miss O’Sullivan,” Elijah called out as he reined his horse to a stop and dismounted. “I believe it’s time for you to leave.” His voice, clipped and terse, had her stiffen.

She felt her temper flare. “I beg your pardon. I’m here at the invitation of your brother and sister-in-law.”

His jaw tightened. “This is family business. You won’t want to witness what may happen next.”

“I’m not some delicate flower to be shooed away at the first sign of trouble, Mr. Beckett.”

As the tension mounted, Molly wondered what exactly might happen next.

Joshua loosened the rope around the horse’s neck, letting it drop to the ground as the stallion dashed away. Nathan and Parker exchanged a quick glance before stepping closer to Joshua, their bodies taut with tension.

“Eli,” Joshua called out, his soft voice carrying a hint of steel.

Elijah’s eyes flashed as he strode toward the corral. “Breaking the stallion isn’t your job, Josh. Besides, we’ve got bigger problems.”

Parker snorted, his impatience getting the better of him. “What type of problems?”

“Rustlers,” Elijah spat, the word suspended in the air between them. “They hit the south pasture sometime in the last two days.”

Joshua’s grip on the now coiled rope slackened. “How many?”

“At least fifty head,” Elijah replied. “Maybe more.”

Parker blew out a breath, his earlier bravado replaced by a grim resolve. “Who would dare?”

Elijah’s gaze swept over his brothers, landing on Molly. His expression hardened. “That’s what we need to find out. And we can’t do that with… distractions.”

Molly bristled at the implication. “I’m not leaving, Mr. Beckett. This is something people, unaware of these issues, would be interested in learning about.”

Joshua intervened, his calm voice a stark contrast to the tension surrounding them. “Leave her be, Eli.”

Elijah’s nostrils flared, a battle raging behind his eyes. The stallion, sensing the discord, blew loudly and stomped its hooves.

Then, with a barely perceptible nod, Elijah relented, knowing they had to focus on the missing cattle and not on a city woman out of place on the ranch.

Before he could respond, a distant rumble of hoofbeats echoed across the ranch. All eyes turned toward the sound, a new wave of tension washing over the group.

“Riders coming,” Parker muttered, his hand now firmly on his pistol.

Molly’s heart lurched as she watched the Beckett brothers form a protective line in front of the women.

The thundering hoofbeats grew louder, dust billowing on the horizon as a group of riders approached. The Beckett brothers stood shoulder to shoulder, a united front against the possible threat.

Recognizing the lead rider, Elijah’s voice cut through the tension. “Relax, boys. It’s the sheriff. It looks like Jubal Whitton and Tripp Lassiter are with him.” He was surprised to see Deputy Whitton and their friend, Tripp, riding with him.

The broad-shouldered man Molly had spoken with earlier at breakfast reined in his horse a few yards from where they stood.

“Eli,” Sheriff Gaines called out. “We need to talk.”