Page 1 of Heart of Mystic Valley
Chapter One
Montana
October 1880
“Hold on, Gavin,” Joshua Beckett shouted over the wind’s howl. “We’re almost there.”
The sky above was a bruised purple, threatening an early winter storm as Joshua Beckett urged his horse faster. The rugged Montana terrain blurred into a brown and green smear, rocks and scrub brush flying past like the flung toys of an angry child. In his arms, twelve-year-old Gavin lay curled against Joshua’s chest, his face ashen, his breathing shallow.
“Faster, faster,” Joshua muttered, more to himself than to Gavin, in an attempt to urge his dapple-gray gelding on.
Every jolt and bounce of the horse was a dagger to Joshua’s heart. He knew the pain Gavin must be in, recalling the broken bone he suffered when he was about the boy’s age. It wasn’t just the physical hurt gnawing at him. The fear in the boy’s eyes, the same fear he’d seen in other orphans’ faces knowing they were alone in the world, clawed at Joshua’s heart.
Behind him, Annalee rode hard on her sorrel mare, her usually bright and mischievous eyes now clouded with worry. She was the heart of the Beckett family, always quick with a smile or a kind word, but today, her face was a mask of grim determination.
“Josh!” she called, her voice snatched away by the wind. “How is he?”
He glanced back, slowing enough to let her catch up. “Gavin’s tough. He’ll make it.”
They didn’t slow as they hit the outskirts of Mystic, the small town’s dirt streets nearly empty, save for a few curious onlookers. Annalee bit her lip, her face tightening with each gallop.
Her mare skidded to a halt, almost colliding with Joshua’s gelding as he dismounted with Gavin in his arms.
The bell above the door of Wainwright’s Clinic jingled as Joshua burst inside. Warmth from the wood stove slapped his cold cheeks, and the sudden change in temperature made Gavin stir and whimper.
“Doc!” Joshua yelled. “We need help!”
Doctor Caleb Wainwright emerged from a back room, tying a clean, white apron around his waist. His dark eyes took in the scene with practiced calm. He motioned for Joshua to follow as he walked toward the examination table.
“What happened?” Wainwright asked, already assessing Gavin with a clinical detachment.
“Bucked off his horse. Arm’s broken, and he’s got a gash on his head,” Joshua said, his breath coming in ragged bursts. He gently laid Gavin on the table, then stepped back, running a hand through his disheveled hair.
“Please, Doc,” Joshua said, his voice cracking with desperation. “Do whatever you can for him.”
Annalee burst through the door, her cheeks flushed from the cold and the rush. “I tied up the horses,” she said, then froze as she saw Gavin on the table, unconscious. “Is he—”
“He’s in shock,” Wainwright interrupted, not unkindly. He worked with swift, sure movements, splinting Gavin’s arm withthe precision of a carpenter. Annalee moved to stand next to Joshua, her hands wringing together like a washwoman’s.
The room was silent except for the crackle of the wood stove and the occasional rustle of doctor’s tools. Annalee’s eyes were wide, her mouth a thin line of suppressed emotion. Joshua put a hand on her shoulder, and she leaned into him.
Wainwright finished tying the last bandage and stepped back, wiping his forehead with the back of his hand. “He’ll be all right,” he said, his eyes meeting Joshua’s with quiet reassurance.
“The three of us were up in Diamond Canyon, looking for strays,” Joshua explained. “We thought it’d be an easy ride out and back.”
Annalee sighed. “It was my idea to take Gavin along. He’s been itching to do more around the ranch.”
Wainwright listened as he cleaned his hands, his expression unreadable. “And the arm? Just a fall?”
“The cry of a mountain lion spooked his horse,” Joshua said. “It bucked, and he went flying. We got him here as quick as we could.”
Annalee’s eyes filled with tears. “He was so scared. I thought—” She broke off, unable to finish the thought.
The doctor walked over to them, placing a hand on Annalee’s shoulder. “It’s not your fault,” he said, his tone making clear he spoke from experience.
Joshua stepped out into a brisk wind, the threat of an early winter becoming more real. He took a deep breath, filling his lungs with the bracing chill, then let it out in a long, weary sigh. The boardwalk creaked beneath his boots as he paced, tugging up his collar to ward off the cold.
“Joshua,” a familiar voice called. He turned to see Faith Goodell, her blonde hair peeking out from beneath a wool hat. She hurried toward him, concern etched on her delicatefeatures. “I heard someone say you brought Gavin in. What happened?”
