Page 29 of Wild Spirit Revival

Joshua nodded thoughtfully. “I can ride into Mystic and have a word with the sheriff.”

“Good thinking,” Grayson agreed. “Annalee, I want you to help Elijah organize the ranch hands and set up a schedule for patrols. We’ll need eyes on every corner of our property while continuing our work.”

Annalee nodded while looking at Elijah. “We’ll get right on it.”

Grayson’s expression softened. “You’ll need to include everyone in the patrols.” He glanced around the table. “We know this land better than anyone. If they try to slip through, we’ll spot them.”

Annalee relaxed, a smile tugging at her lips. “No one will sneak past any of us.”

Parker nodded. “We have to be careful how we assign the orphans. Gavin, Jason, and Ted aren’t ready to be on patrol by themselves. Samuel would do fine by himself, and so would Little Joe.”

“You’re right,” Elijah said. “One of us will have to be with the younger ones.”

“I’d say we leave Gavin, Jason, and Ted here,” Grayson countered. “There will be plenty of work for them at the homestead while others are on patrol.”

“I agree,” Elijah said with a wry grin.

“I want to be included in the patrols.” Naomi’s announcement surprised them.

“Ma, it would be best for you to stay here with Jolene and the baby,” Grayson replied. “I don’t want them left alone.”

“He’s right, Ma,” Annalee said. “No telling what would happen if the outlaws show up here when the rest of us are out on patrol.”

Naomi grimaced but nodded. “All right. But you all can’t be gone at the same time.”

“You’re right,” Grayson said. “Annalee and Elijah will work out the schedules so at least one of us is always here with you.” He turned to Joshua. “Ride to Mystic to talk with Brodie. Ask him what more you can do while you’re there.”

“Such as?” Joshua asked.

“Helping spread the word to business owners and other townsfolk,” Grayson said. “They need to be prepared. Brodie and his deputy, Jubal, won’t be enough to spread the word.”

As Joshua left the house and mounted up, Elijah couldn’t shake a nagging worry. He found himself wishing Molly was still at the ranch. But she was long gone, already in Mystic. If what Tom said was accurate, it was the very place the rustlers were targeting.

He shook his head, trying to focus on the task at hand. There was work to be done, and with little information, no time to waste.

Chapter Twelve

The first rays of dawn streaked across the Montana sky, creating a spectacular image of the magnificent mountain range to the east. Elijah Beckett stood on the porch of Wild Spirit Ranch, his calloused hands wrapped around a steaming mug of coffee. As he gazed out at the sprawling expanse of Mystic Valley, his thoughts drifted to Molly O’Sullivan, the feisty photographer who’d captured his attention.

“What are you thinking, big brother?” Annalee’s cheerful voice broke through his reverie as she joined him on the porch.

He grunted, taking a sip of his coffee. “About the ride into town.”

Her eyes twinkled with mischief. “Thinking about a certain strawberry blonde, more like.”

“Annie,” he warned.

“Oh, come on, Eli,” she teased. “I’ve seen the way you look at her. It’s about time you showed interest in someone.”

Sighing, he set down his mug. “We’ve got more important things to worry about. We need to find out if Brodie’s done anything about the information Josh gave him.” He walked down the steps toward the barn. “Come on. We need to get moving.”

As they saddled their horses, Elijah found his mind wandering to Molly. Her quick wit and determination had caught him off guard, and he found himself looking forward to seeing her again. It was unfamiliar, both intriguing and unsettling.

The ride into Mystic was filled with Annalee’s cheerful chatter, a stark contrast to Elijah’s brooding silence. As they approached the town, his keen eyes scanned the surroundings, ever vigilant for any signs of trouble.

“You think there’s really going to be trouble during the celebrations?”

Elijah’s jaw tightened. “Better to be prepared than caught off guard.”

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