Chapter One

October 1876, Flat River, Nebraska

"Race ya to the edge of town!" Bethany Moore didn't wait for a response before digging her boots into the sides of her horse.

"Giddyap, Rosie," she shouted as she leaned forward to start the race across the meadow towards Flat River. She heard her brother, Tommy, give a shout behind her, and Bethany released a laugh urging Rosie forward.

The wind whipped through Bethany's hair as Rosie picked up speed, the horse's hooves pounding against the ground in a rhythmic gallop. Bethany's heart raced with exhilaration, the thrill of the race consuming her.

The gust of wind caught her hat, sending it flying off her head. A thin leather string kept it from completely escaping as it bounced against her back. She reached up and pulled her hair from her mouth with delicate fingers. The wind didn't care as it whipped the stinging strands against her cheeks once more. The fringes on her buckskin tunic and pants swayed in a rhythmic motion, brushing the treated hide.

As they neared the outskirts of Flat River, she stole a glance over her shoulder. Tommy was hot on her trail, his own horse gaining ground with each stride. Determination flashed in his eyes, mirroring her own competitive spirit.

"Almost there," she called over her shoulder. Her fingers tightened on the reins as she leaned against Rosie's neck and whispered in her horse's ear. "You got this, girl. Show ‘em what you're made of."

The horse released a snort and stretched out its long neck, the edge of town approaching quickly. Bethany sat up slightly in the saddle, the finish line in sight. As the wind whipped her hat and braid, the rhythmic pounding of Rosie's hooves on the ground matched the beat of her heart.

As they neared the edge of town, Bethany leaned lower once more, her knees urging Rosie to go faster. The wildflowers blurred past them, a rush of colors and shapes. With a burst of speed, they crossed the invisible finish line, and Bethany pulled Rosie to a stop at the edge of town.

A cloud of dust billowed behind them, marking their victory in the impromptu race. Bethany's laughter mixed with Rosie's heavy breathing as they slowed to a trot. She patted Rosie's neck, feeling the heat radiating from the mare's powerful body.

Tommy caught up, pulling his own horse to a stop beside Bethany. His eyes sparkled with good-natured competitiveness, and a wide grin split his dusty face. "You got lucky this time, sis," he teased, his voice full of brotherly pride.

Bethany chuckled; her cheeks flushed with exhilaration. "Luck had nothing to do with it. Rosie is getting faster."

"So are you, Bethy." He drew in several deep breaths and looked up at the sky. "Looks like a storm might come in. We should gather Ma's things and head back home. I don't want to cross the creek if it rises."

"You got her list?" Bethany clucked to her horse and slowly directed her towards the mercantile in the middle of town.

"Yeah." A dirty hand pulled out a folded piece of paper from his jacket pocket.

"You better not let go of that. I didn't look over it before we left, so I won't know what she needed."

"It didn't look like much. Just some beans, coffee, sugar."

"Uh-huh." She reached over and tugged her brother's hat over his eyes. "There might be something important written on there."

"Like what?"

"I dunno. Isn't Seth having a birthday soon?" Seth was their youngest brother, and he was turning ten in a few days.

Tommy's face broke out in a wide grin. Even though he was three years behind Bethany's twenty-four, he still reminded her of when he was a wide-eyed six-year-old and had his first chocolate cake at one of Marmee's picnics. Ma wrangled the recipe from Marmee and made it for all the birthdays on the mountain and special occasions.

"I hope she makes the cake."

"When has she ever not made a cake for one of our birthdays?"

"Just that time when we were in the cabin by the creek." Tommy glanced at the paper before shoving it back in his pocket. Giving a pat, he looked at Bethany. "Why's your face all twisted up like you smelled a skunk or something?"

"I don't wanna talk about that cabin by the creek."

After their pa passed away on the journey west, Tommy, Bethany, and their ma were left struggling to survive in the small town of Flat River. Their little family found refuge in a dilapidated cabin by the creek. Summer was perfect. It was warm, and they filled their bellies with berries that grew wild around the cabin. Then the seasons changed.

They braved the harsh winter weather as best they could. As the days grew colder, Bethany couldn't help but remember the nights they went to bed with empty stomachs and shivering bodies.

Just when they thought they wouldn't make it, Joe Moore stumbled upon them while he was checking his traps. His empty traps. Bethany had discovered the rabbits and taken them from Joe's snares.

Ma was cooking it when Joe caught them. Bethany remembered Joe wasn't angry. Instead, he looked sad as he took them in and brought them back to his cozy cabin deep in the woods. There, they found warmth and comfort for the first time since leaving Charleston, South Carolina.

While Joe stayed with his brother at the other end of the clearing, he came over every single day to take care of the three of them. Bethany watched as Ma and Joe fell deeply in love. On Christmas Eve, they tied the knot, and Bethany couldn't have asked for a better present. She and Tommy had a new pa who loved them, and Ma finally had someone to cherish her.

Bethany made two promises to herself about two things that day. She would never be cold or hungry again, and she would have someone love her how Pa loved Ma. She was still waiting for the second one.

Eventually Ma had two more babies, and the family grew with the addition of Millicent and Seth. Tommy was thrilled to be a big brother.

"You still moping about not being married yet, Bethy?"

Bethany reached down and picked an invisible piece of fluff from Rosie's mane as she listened to the steady clip-clop of hooves against the hard dirt. "I've said no to everyone who's asked."

Tommy snorted. "All but one of them? He took one look at Pa and went skedaddlin' all the way to where he was from."

"Omaha. He was from Omaha."

"You should have married him. You'd at least get out of this town."

"Maybe I don't want to leave Flat River. Maybe I want to stay here to raise a passel of children and live close to Ma and Pa. I'd get to see Gran, Uncle Devin, Aunt Molly and all our cousins every single day if I wanted to."

"If you are saying you want to spend more time with Gran, your aunts, uncle and cousins, then I pity the man you marry."

Bethany twisted in her saddle. "Who made you the expert on marriage, Thomas Moore? I don't see you going around asking to marry anyone."

"Maybe she's not ready yet."

An enormous grin played over Bethany's delicate features. "Oh, there is someone. You must tell me all about it."

"I ain't telling you nothing. Next thing you know, it will be all over town and Marmee will try to fix something up. I don't need to be caught in any situation like Ranger."

Bethany giggled. Ranger was their cousin who married a young widow in town. "It can't be all that bad. He's always kissin' on June."

She watched Tommy shudder in his saddle. "I kissed one girl before. I ain't kissing another."

"Uh-huh." She pulled her horse to a stop in front of the mercantile.

"You better not be kissing anyone either, Bethany. Pa would have your hide."

"I'm twenty-four years old, Tommy. Why, I'd be an old maid back East."

"Maybe you're an old maid now."

"I am not. Pickings are slim in town. I'm related to everyone, or everyone is someone I've known forever and don't think of that way."

"Maybe you should talk to Marmee." Tommy lifted a rein. "She's over there at the sheriff's office." He slid from the saddle and walked to the front of the horse. Tying the reins to the hitching post, he went to pump water into the trough for the horses to drink. "I'm going inside before she sees me. You comin'?"

"Isn't that Pet at the stable?" Bethany asked sweetly. It wasn't a secret Petunia Beale was sweet on her brother, but Tommy paid the young woman no mind. Bethany enjoyed teasing him when she could.

He narrowed his eyes and turned as Pet was talking to a man Bethany didn't recognize. Pet pointed across the street and then disappeared inside the livery.

"Doesn't matter none to me. I guess we better get our shopping done then." He climbed up the stairs to the platform. Bethany lingered for a moment, unable to tear her gaze away from the intriguing newcomer.

"I'll be along in a minute." Tommy, oblivious to her distraction, disappeared inside the store, leaving Bethany alone to contemplate the stranger across the street. Her eyes followed him to the sheriff's office. He was a tall, sturdy figure with a rugged, yet handsome, appearance. The wind tousled his dark hair, and she could hear his laugh as he exchanged words with the marshal.

She craned her neck to see around the horse that paused, letting the rider speak to the men. Letting loose a huff, she was about to dismount her own horse when the rider moved to the hitching post at the end of the building. Her heart gave a happy jump as now she could turn her attention back to the handsome stranger, but not before she recognized the rider who had just arrived.

She sucked in a deep breath and let it out slowly as the man dismounted from his horse. He removed his hat, revealing a messy head of brown hair he raked his fingers through as he scanned his surroundings. She couldn't help but hold her breath as she took in his rugged features and strong demeanor.

Benjamin Kendrick.

There was something about Ben Kendrick she found intriguing. He was a tall man with broad shoulders, a chiseled jaw, and captivating brown eyes. The first time they met, his quiet confidence and rugged charm drew her in. Like Pa, he was a man of few words.

He lived on a ranch at the base of the mountain where her family lived. She didn't even know anyone lived there until the day the marshal's daughter was taken. The kidnappers had carried little Hope Davis to the Kendrick land and released her in a deep ravine before fleeing on stolen horses.

Bethany helped Ben track the horse thieves, a skill she'd learned from Tommy. As they tracked the stolen horses, they said little, but Ben had plenty to say to her when she closed her eyes. He haunted her dreams .

Her recurring dream was always the same—a boundless darkness closing in, until a faint light grew brighter, then Ben reaching for her. She'd wake, gasping for air, feeling his presence even when he wasn't there.

She didn't know what it meant, but she was determined to see him again. She just needed to find a reason. He glanced around once more before disappearing into the doctor's office.

"Good morning, Bethany."

The voice broke through her reverie, and Bethany turned to find Ingrid Chapman, known affectionately as Marmee, watching her with a knowing smile. As a fixture in Flat River, Marmee was a kind and nurturing presence who seemed to know everyone's business before they did.

"Mornin', Marmee," Bethany replied, offering a polite nod. She shifted uncomfortably in her saddle, suddenly self-conscious under Marmee's keen gaze.

"What's got you so distracted this morning?" Marmee asked, her blue eyes twinkling with amusement.

"Oh, just the usual, Marmee," Bethany responded with a forced smile, trying to brush off her distraction. She couldn't let on it was Ben Kendrick who had captured her attention. "Thinking about Pa's furs and whether we'll get a good price at the market."

Marmee's knowing smile widened, and she tilted her head slightly, as if she could see right through Bethany's facade. "Oh, child, there's more to it than fur prices, isn't there? I've known you since you were knee high to a grasshopper. You can't fool me."

Bethany felt her cheeks flush with embarrassment, unsure whether to share her thoughts about Benjamin Kendrick with Marmee, but the older woman's warm smile encouraged her. "It's just... I saw Ben Kendrick arrive in town, and…" Bethany's voice trailed off as she struggled to articulate her feelings.

Marmee's smile widened as she leaned in conspiratorially, her wavy black hair framing her face. "Ah, I see. Ben Kendrick, you say?" Her eyes sparkled with mischief. "Why, he's a fine man, no doubt about that."

Bethany avoided meeting Marmee's gaze, feeling her cheeks flush with embarrassment. But Marmee was not so easily deterred. She tilted her head slightly, studying Bethany with a knowing look. "I saw you watching Mr. Mitchell," she stated matter-of-factly.

Surprised at Marmee's directness, Bethany stammered, "I-I... I noticed him at the livery and wondered who he was. He's a new face in town, that's all."

Marmee chuckled softly, her voice warm and understanding as she placed a comforting hand on Bethany's arm. "No need to be shy, child. It's only natural for a beautiful young woman like yourself to take notice of a handsome stranger." She gave Bethany a knowing look before continuing, "Theodore Mitchell." Her voice was tinged with a hint of mischief. "He's new to town. Rich as Titus and looking for a wife."

Bethany scrunched up her nose. "Who's Titus?"

"Emperor of Rome, my dear. Lived a long time ago."

Bethany's interest piqued at the mention of wealth and opportunity, but with that came a wave of unease. She knew the kind of man Marmee was alluding to. Theodore Mitchell was probably sophisticated, polished, and undoubtedly looking for a wife of high standing in the community. His arrival meant that the dynamics in Flat River were about to change, and Bethany couldn't deny the flutter of nervousness in her stomach.

As Marmee rambled on about Theodore's family background and his rumored wealth, Bethany's thoughts drifted back to Benjamin Kendrick. Despite her initial reservations about the mystery surrounding his past, she couldn't shake the pull she felt towards him.

"Well? What do you think?"

Bethany turned her attention back to Marmee. "I apologize. What do I think about what?"

"You and Mr. Mitchell. I could make an introduction."

Adjusting her grip on the reins, Bethany hesitated before replying, "I appreciate the offer, Marmee, but I'm not sure I'm ready to entertain thoughts of marriage just yet."

Marmee's expression softened, her blue eyes filled with understanding. "Of course, my dear. But, you aren't getting any younger."

"Maybe I'll never get married."

"Marriage is a serious matter and not to be rushed into lightly. It doesn't hurt to keep an open mind and heart. Love has a way of finding us when we least expect it."

"I'll keep that in mind." Bethany wanted to be anywhere but talking to Marmee about marriage in the middle of the road. Everyone knew she had it in her mind to marry everyone off, whether or not they needed it. Wracking her brain to think of a reason to escape the conversation, Petunia appeared from the livery and jogged towards the store.

"Is that Tommy's horse?" Pet called as she walked by Bethany. "I bet he's in there. I wanna show him this rifle I'm saving for." Pet gave Marmee a forced smile, somewhere between a grimace and a grin, and then slapped Bethany on the leg. "Hi, Missus Chapman. You comin' in, Bethany?"

"Petunia," Marmee started.

"I gotta go, Missus Chapman. Sorry, no time to talk."

"Yeah. I'm coming, Pet" Taking a deep breath to steady her nerves, Bethany dismounted gracefully and tied her own horse to the hitching post. "I'll talk to you soon, Marmee. Have a good day" she said to the older woman, before following Pet into the store.

Bethany had a feeling Marmee wasn't done with her yet.