Page 47 of Wild Spirit Revival

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.

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