Page 1 of Redemption in Misty Mountain

CHAPTER 1

ROSALIE

“Hey,sugar. It’s me, your favorite anonymous podcaster, here to give you the lowdown on who’s doing what—or let’s be real, who—in Sagebrush Creek. Grab your boots, ‘cause it’s time to get bitching and I’ve got more than enough sweet tea to spill today.

You didn’t hear it from me. But the word around Kingridge Ranch is there’s a holy bun in the oven, and that little one just might be another in line for the Kingridge throne. Seems like those cowboys went from hard up to getting busy with half the town. Let’s see if any of the brothers want to own up to it before I go sharing the name…

Meanwhile, over at Sow Much?—”

“The podcast again?”

“Aaah—” I yank out my earbuds, nearly dropping my phone as I spin around to find my boss hovering in the doorway.

Ella laughs and crosses her arms. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to freak you out. I can hear that shrill Texas accent from here.”

I press a hand to my chest, willing my pulse to slow. “You scared the hell out of me! TheBoots and Bitchingis basically a community service at this point. If I’m about to live my cowboy ranch dreams, I need to know what kind of mess I’m walkinginto.” I tilt my head. “Small-town Texas issomething else.Shouldn’t you be gone already? I thought I was the last one at the inn.”

Ella shakes her head, amused. “You sound like Maggie. She’s already blowing up my phone, telling me to get home before the storm hits. Even old Hank up the road has The Rusty Elk Tavern closed up already. But this place is?—”

“Your baby, I know.” I flash her a knowing look. “But trust me, I’ve got it handled. Cancellation notices went out and everything’s locked up. I’m just making sure this place is spotless before I leave. The storm will pass and you’ll come back without having to worry about anything.”

Ella exhales and her expression softens “Andthat’swhy I’m going to miss you.”

I shrug. “I’m pretty irreplaceable.”

“That you are.” She pulls on her coat, eyeing the door. “But I mean it. The roads are getting bad. Don’t wait too long to head out.”

I nod. “Yeah, yeah. I know better than to mess with Colorado weather.”

Ella gives me a final look before stepping out into the cold.

As soon as the door clicks shut, I slip my earbuds back in and press play.

An hour later, I’m knee-deep in organization hell. I’ve emptied every desk drawer, created a disaster zone, and promptly run out of momentum to clean it up. The podcast cuts off, and suddenly, the Hollow Tree Inn is too quiet.

A situation like this would normally creep me out. When you grow up with hellfire and brimstone, you learn a few things early. Ghosts? Real. The dark? Terrifying. And women who stick around in an empty inn with a snowstorm rolling in? They don’t make it past the opening credits.

The silence settles deep in my bones and makes everything feel heavier. I glance around the empty lobby. The familiar creak of the floorboards under my feet is a reminder that this is my last shift. And somehow, that doesn’t seem real.

When I came back to Misty Mountain, everything felt different. It was like stepping into an old life that didn’t fit anymore. But Dad got sick. Mom had been gone for two years, and someone had to come back. There were only two options, Maisie or me.

The choice was obvious.

I was the one who had already broken free and shed the weight of our suffocating religious upbringing. In the span of five years, I’d gotten married and divorced to a man who stole my heart. We shined bright and burned out just as quickly. I’d lived on a cruise ship, backpacked through Europe, and of course, spent a summer on Kingridge Ranch in Texas. It’s where I got my hands dirty in more ways than one. And where my obsession withBoots and Bitchingstarted.

Maisie, on the other hand, had only just escaped. She was just starting to imagine a life of her own. The older sister in me couldn’t ask her to throw it all away. So, before she even knew what was happening, I packed my bags and came back to Colorado. What was supposed to be a temporary sacrifice stretched into a year and a half.

I won’t lie. I resented it at first. Coming back felt like a life sentence with no end date. Like stepping into quicksand and watching the world move on without me. But then, Dad left faster than any of us expected. And in a town where nothing ever seems to change, my whole world shifted in an instant.

Now I watch the snow settle over the trees, the mountains standing quiet and unshaken. Two truths hit me in the silence.This place will always feel like home. And there’s nothing left for me here.

But none of that matters now. In two weeks, everything changes again. I’ll be back at Kingridge Ranch—this time with Maisie. She traded snowy mountains for open skies and professional athletes for ranchers, and maybe it’s time I do the same. Maybe this time, I’ll stay long enough to get a cat. Or at least a houseplant.

Buzz. Buzz.

The vibration in my pocket jolts me back to the present. I fish out my phone, glancing at the caller ID before pressing it to my ear. “Hey, I was just thinking about you out there with all those cowboys. How’s ranch life treating you?”

Maisie’s voice crackles with excitement. “Wild, Rosalie. You need to listen to the podcast. The Southern Knights football team came through, and the Kingridge guys lost their minds.”

---