Page 3 of Wild Spirit Revival

Gandy beamed. “Happy to help, Miss O’Sullivan. Now, I reckon you’ll be needin’ a place to stay. The Bozeman Hotel down the street is mighty fine, and they’ve probably got rooms available.”

“That would be perfect. I’m afraid I’ll need some assistance with my belongings.”

Gandy turned to wave at a young boy sweeping nearby. “Hey, Tommy. Come give Miss O’Sullivan a hand with her things, would you?”

The freckle-faced boy, no more than twelve, bounded over. “Yes, sir, Mr. Broom.”

“I’ll carry the wood box, Tommy,” she said.

“Yes, ma’am.” As Tommy began gathering her bags, Molly felt a mix of anticipation and trepidation. She could sense this was the start of her grand adventure in Montana.

“Miss O’Sullivan?” Gandy’s voice broke through her reverie. “Is there anything else you need before you head to the hotel?”

She shook her head, a determined glint in her eye. “No, thank you. I believe I’m ready.”

As she followed Tommy out of the station, her mind whirled with possibilities. Little did she know her journey in Bozeman was about to take an unexpected turn, one that would challenge her resolve and change her life forever.

Molly sank onto the bed in her hotel room, her fingers absently tracing the intricate floral pattern on the quilt. The afternoon sun filtered through the lace curtains, reminding her of what she had planned for the rest of the day. She sighed, her mind drifting back to the unpleasant encounter with the boorish man at the train station.

“Of all the nerve,” she muttered. “I hope I never have to lay eyes on the insufferable brute again.”

Molly’s teeth worried her lower lip as she replayed the scene in her mind. The man’s arrogant smirk, his dismissive tone. It made her blood boil. She shook her head, determined not to let one sour interaction taint her entire experience in Bozeman.

“Come now, Molly,” she chided herself. “You didn’t come all this way to dwell on one unpleasant man.”

She checked herself in the mirror, adjusting her hat and smoothing her dress. Ready to explore and photograph, she first had to meet Deputy McGregor at the sheriff’s office.

With renewed vigor, she gathered her camera equipment. Stepping out onto the bustling streets of Bozeman, her spirits lifted. The town hummed with activity. Shopkeepers arranged displays, children chased each other down the sidewalk, and the distant clang of a blacksmith’s hammer drew her attention. As did the sign declaring the building held the jail.

Stepping inside, she set down her camera case beside a scarred desk. The man sitting behind it looked and stood.

“Ma’am. What can I do for you?”

“Are you a deputy?”

“Sheriff Jud Foster.”

“Pleased to meet you. I’m Molly O’Sullivan, and I’ve come to report a theft.”

“Ah. Deputy McGregor said you’d be coming by. Sit down and tell me the details.”

She eyed the man, certain he was much too young to hold the position of sheriff. Nevertheless, Molly took a seat and explained everything, from the moment the gun pressed against her head to losing him in the streets of Bozeman.

“When may I get my belongings back, Sheriff?”

Jud studied her a moment. “First, we have to find the thief. With luck, he still has the money and watch with him.”

“You don’t believe he will?”

“He might. Then again, he may have already pawned the watch and left town.”

Shoulders slumping, she lifted her chin. “Then I should leave and let you start searching for him.” Standing, she faced Jud. “I’m staying at the Bozeman Hotel. Please get word to me right away once he’s in custody.”

Lifting her camera case, she walked outside, not hearing the sheriff’s soft chuckle.

Chapter Two

Her next stop was a quaint general store, its windows filled with an eclectic array of goods. A bell chimed as she entered. A portly man with a jovial smile greeted her.

---