At last, silence descended over the land, settling on them like a heavy shroud. Pressing so hard she had to work to draw breath. Why did this quiet she’d craved now feel like the press of death?
Meksem turned, and her perceptive gaze roamed over Elan’s face.
Elan turned away from her friend toward the eastern path they’d been riding. “Ready?”
Her friend nudged her mount forward. “If we ride hard, we’ll reach the cave before the snow comes. This will be a deep one.”
Meksem was right, no doubt. Yet the fury of the oncoming blizzard was nothing compared to the desolation left by the storm raging inside her.
Joel Vargas eyed the darkening sky overhead, then signaled for a halt as he reined his gelding in.
“That storm will strike any minute, no?” From behind him, French peered up at the low clouds pressing down on them.
Joel scanned the rest of the group—Susanna, Beaver Tail, then Caleb in the rear. All these people he’d dragged into these treacherous Bitterroot Mountains. He’d expected the terrain to be rough—the cliffs steep and the footing dangerous. But he’d not expected the cold to be so fierce a man could freeze to death in an hour unless he bundled tight in furs.
And the snow already stood as high as the horses’ knees. Now, they were about to get more? He’d never imagined such a place existed when he left Andalusia. The mountains in his Spanish homeland—at least where he and his brother had grown up—rose in majestic grandeur as these did, but the climate was so much more agreeable.
None of this frostbite and limbs so cold a man didn’t dare make water until he first built a warming campfire.
“We passed a cave a few hours back. That would be a good place to wait out the storm.” Beaver Tail spoke in his usual reserved manner.
Joel jerked his gaze to the man. “Why didn’t you say something when you saw it?” And why hadn’t Joel seen it himself? How did Beaver always manage to be one step ahead, even when Joel did his best to keep every one of his senses alert?
Beaver sent a glance around them, ever watchful. “I didn’t think you’d want to wait half a day just to keep from riding in snowflakes.”
The pressure in his chest pinched harder. Did his friends think him such a dictator he would risk their lives just to make a half-day’s progress in their trek?
Yes, this journey was important. Every half day could mean life or death for his brother—the brother he hadn’t seen in over a year now. He didn’t actually know if Adam was in danger. He only suspected so because Adam’s note had said he’d find Joel in the summer. About five months ago.
While Joel had no certain knowledge of Adam’s peril, he did know this snowstorm could be the death of them all if they didn’t find proper shelter and a dry place for a fire.
Reining his horse around, he nodded toward Caleb. “Let’s retrace our steps. We won’t find Adam if we all turn to icicles.”
The next hours dragged on as the temperature dropped. Not even the majestic views surrounding them—peaks rising up like cathedrals into the clouds—could overcome the miserable cold.
“Behind those two boulders just ahead of you.” Beaver Tail’s voice broke the interminable silence.
Joel craned his neck to see the cave his friend had spotted. He rode in the back of the line now, so he didn’t get a glimpse of the opening until the others had reined their horses in a semi-circle around the spot.
Two stones stood as tall as men, palace guards in front of the cave’s entrance, permitting access only through the narrow space between them. He could see why most people wouldn’t notice the dark hole hiding behind the rocks.
But he should have seen it. He’d spent his life watching for danger, trying to spot potential hazards and possible protection. How had he missed this?
Beaver Tail had already dropped to the ground and padded forward to slip between the stone barriers. Ever the scout and protector.
Joel gripped his rifle as he slid from his own mount and stepped forward to follow his friend. Surely Beaver knew the chance that a bear or other animal had taken refuge inside, but just in case, Joel asked the question. “Think anything is in there?”
Beaver didn’t even slow, just tipped his chin to throw his voice back to Joel. “Mayhap.”
He was prepared then.
With the gun in Joel’s left hand, he gripped the hilt of his knife with his right and followed his half-Blackfoot friend through the boulders. Joel could shoot a gun with decent aim, but he’d spent so many long hours on the ship from Andalusia perfecting his skills with a blade, he’d be quicker with that weapon in an attack.
Beaver Tail slipped into the darkness of the cave without a pause, even though the interior yawned black. Joel pulled out his knife, but kept the blade pointed downward as he used the fist of that hand to feel the air in front of him. Better not to run into anything.
Every one of his senses strained to hear a sound or catch a whiff of odor, something other than the dank scent of damp stone and decaying leaves. Even a shifting of shadows.
The low growl of Beaver Tail’s voice was his first alert. “Show yourself.”
Joel’s chest tightened as he strained to hear or see the threat Beaver had sensed. He could make out Beaver’s form now that his eyes were adjusting to the dim interior. But only darkness lay beyond.
Beaver’s voice hadn’t echoed through the space, so this cave must not be large. Joel stretched his right hand—the one gripping the knife—sideways as far as he could reach to see if his knuckles brushed the rock wall.
His hand touched fur, and he nearly jumped even as he jerked his hand back.
At the same moment, a tiny squeal—a gasp, really—filled the air.
A shuffle sounded in front, just as a hard body slammed into him.
* * *
Get HOPE IN THE MOUNTAIN RIVER at your Favorite Retailer!
Call of the Rockies Series
Misty M. Beller
Book 1: Freedom in the Mountain Wind
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Book 2: Hope in the Mountain River
Book 3: Light in the Mountain Sky
Texas Rancher Trilogy
Misty M. Beller
Book 1: The Rancher Takes a Cook
Book 2: The Rancher Takes a Bride
Book 3: The Rancher Takes a Cowgirl
The Mountain Series
Misty M. Beller
Book 1: The Lady and the Mountain Man
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Book 2: The Lady and the Mountain Doctor
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Book 3: The Lady and the Mountain Fire
Book 4: The Lady and the Mountain Promise
Book 5: The Lady and the Mountain Call
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Book 6: This Treacherous Journey
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Book 7: This Wilderness Journey
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Book 8: This Freedom Journey
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Book 9: This Courageous Journey
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Book 10: This Homeward Journey
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Book 11: This Daring Journey
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Book 12: This Healing Journey
Hearts of Montana Series
Misty M. Beller
Book 1: Hope’s Highest Mountain
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Book 2: Love’s Mountain Quest
About the Author
Misty M. Beller is a USA Today bestselling author of romantic mountain stories, set on the 1800s frontier and woven with the truth of God’s love.
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She was raised on a farm in South Carolina, so her Southern roots run deep. Growing up, her family was close, and they continue to keep that priority today. Her husband and children now add another dimension to her life, keeping her both grounded and crazy.
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God has placed a desire in Misty’s heart to combine her love for Christian fiction and the simpler ranch life, writing historical novels that display God’s abundant love through the
twists and turns in the lives of her characters.
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Connect with Misty at www.MistyMBeller.com
To Robin Patchen,
The best friend and editor any writer could want.
* * *
Your friendship, tough love, and never-ending support have been some of the greatest blessings of my writing journey.
I’m so thankful God brought us together.
Copyright © 2020 Misty M. Beller
All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means - photocopied, shared electronically, scanned, stored in a retrieval system, or other - without the express permission of the publisher. Exceptions will be made for brief quotations used in critical reviews or articles promoting this work.
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The characters and events in this fictional work are the product of the author's imagination. Any resemblance to actual people, living or dead, is coincidental.
Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, Kings James Version.
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