Page 48 of Wild Spirit Revival

“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.”

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