Nate's Destiny Read online

  Books by Shirleen Davies

  Historical Western Romance Series

  MacLarens of Fire Mountain

  Tougher than the Rest, Book One

  Faster than the Rest, Book Two

  Harder than the Rest, Book Three

  Stronger than the Rest, Book Four

  Deadlier than the Rest, Book Five

  Wilder than the Rest, Book Six

  Redemption Mountain

  Redemption’s Edge, Book One

  Wildfire Creek, Book Two

  Sunrise Ridge, Book Three

  Dixie Moon, Book Four

  Survivor Pass, Book Five

  Promise Trail, Book Six

  Deep River, Book Seven

  Courage Canyon, Book Eight

  Forsaken Falls, Book Nine

  Solitude Gorge, Book Ten, Coming next in the series!

  MacLarens of Boundary Mountain

  Colin’s Quest, Book One,

  Brodie’s Gamble, Book Two

  Quinn’s Honor, Book Three

  Sam’s Legacy, Book Four

  Heather’s Choice, Book Five

  Nate’s Destiny, Book Six, Coming next in the series!

  Contemporary Romance Series

  MacLarens of Fire Mountain

  Second Summer, Book One

  Hard Landing, Book Two

  One More Day, Book Three

  All Your Nights, Book Four

  Always Love You, Book Five

  Hearts Don’t Lie, Book Six

  No Getting Over You, Book Seven

  ‘Til the Sun Comes Up, Book Eight

  Foolish Heart, Book Nine

  Forever Love, Book Ten, Coming next in the series!

  Peregrine Bay

  Reclaiming Love, Book One, A Novella

  Our Kind of Love, Book Two

  Burnt River

  Shane’s Burden, Book One by Peggy Henderson

  Thorn’s Journey, Book Two by Shirleen Davies

  Aqua’s Achilles, Book Three by Kate Cambridge

  Ashley’s Hope, Book Four by Amelia Adams

  Harpur’s Secret, Book Five by Kay P. Dawson

  Mason’s Rescue, Book Six by Peggy L. Henderson

  Del’s Choice, Book Seven by Shirleen Davies

  Ivy’s Search, Book Eight by Kate Cambridge

  Phoebe’s Fate, Book Nine by Amelia Adams

  Brody’s Shelter, Book Ten by Kay P. Dawson

  Boone’s Surrender, Book Eleven by Shirleen Davies

  Watch for more books in the series!

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  www.shirleendavies.com and subscribe in the box at the top of the right column that asks for your email. You’ll be notified of new books before they are released, have chances to win great prizes, and receive other subscriber-only specials.

  Nate’s Destiny

  MacLarens of Boundary Mountain

  Historical Western Romance Series

  SHIRLEEN DAVIES

  Book Six in the MacLarens of Boundary Mountain

  Historical Western Romance Series

  Copyright © 2018 by Shirleen Davies

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  For permission requests, contact the publisher.

  Avalanche Ranch Press, LLC

  PO Box 12618

  Prescott, AZ 86304

  Nate’s Destiny is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is wholly coincidental.

  Book design and conversions by Joseph Murray at

  3rdplanetpublishing.com

  Cover design by Kim Killion, The Killion Group

  ISBN: 978-1-941786-61-1

  I care about quality, so if you find something in error, please contact me via email at

  [email protected]

  Description

  Nate’s Destiny, Book Six, MacLarens of Boundary Mountain Historical Western Romance Series

  Nate Hollis had everything, until a Confederate cannonball changed the course of his life. His job as a deputy in Conviction and his love for a beautiful woman allows him to dream of a future he once thought lost. He never counted on the gnawing pain of his injury and the craving for relief to spiral him downward into a man he hardly recognizes.

  Geneen MacGregor feels blessed to be considered a part of the MacLaren family and a valued member of their ranch. Her love for Nate provides the dream of someday marrying and having a family of her own—until she wakes one morning to find him gone.

  To escape his persistent hunger for opium, Nate travels a few hours north to a small town along the Feather River. A job at the livery allows him to envision a new start where he’s free from the insidious drug and once again able to be the man Geneen deserves.

  The invitation to join her good friends at their ranch near Settlers Valley is what she needs to rid Nate from her mind. After months without word, Geneen is certain the man she loves with all her heart has forgotten her.

  Then an accidental encounter brings more anger than forgiveness, more questions than answers. A second chance seems as far away as ever with neither able to bridge the gap between them.

  Their efforts to mend the past stall as a series of dangerous events forces Nate to help an old friend, and a monster from the past poses a new threat to the people of Settlers Valley.

  Can two people, once so much in love, heal the wounds of the past to create a future brighter than either had ever imagined?

  Nate’s Destiny, book six in the MacLarens of Boundary Mountain Historical Western Romance Series, is a stand-alone, full-length novel with an HEA and no cliffhanger.

  Book 1: Colin’s Quest

  Book 2: Brodie’s Gamble

  Book 3: Quinn’s Honor

  Book 4: Sam’s Legacy

  Book 5: Heather’s Choice

  Book 6: Nate’s Destiny

  Visit my website for a list of characters for each series.

  http://www.shirleendavies.com/character-list.html

  Dedication

  Nate’s Destiny is dedicated to my dear friend who passed away early in 2018. We met in junior high and remained life-long friends. Barb, you will always be the sister of my heart.

  Acknowledgements

  As always, many thanks to my husband for reading every chapter as soon as it’s written, my editor, Kim Young, proofreader, Alicia Carmical, Joseph Murray, who is superb at formatting my books for print and electronic versions, and my cover designer, Kim Killion.

  Table of Contents

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Epilogue

  About the Author

  Books by Shirleen Davies


  Nate’s Destiny

  Prologue

  Battle of Brandy Station, Virginia

  June 9, 1863

  Union Cavalry Captain Nathan Hollis focused his field glasses northeast. The pre-dawn light made it virtually impossible to spot the Rappahannock River from this distance. His orders were clear. Wait for Union Major General Alfred Pleasonton to give the signal before engaging Confederate General J.E.B. Stuart’s seasoned cavalry.

  Nate nearly salivated at the chance to engage the famed Confederate horse soldier. Ever since the 16th Pennsylvania Cavalry had been organized September 1862 in his hometown of Harrisburg, he and his men wanted nothing more than to face the legendary Southern brigade. They’d already fought numerous battles, honing their skills, doing all they could to gain the respect of the leaders of the Union Army of the Potomac. The time had come to put all their hard work to the test.

  Lowering the glasses, Nate glanced at his regiment spread out on either side of him. Keeping their horses in check, weapons at the ready, they waited for his order. His own stallion, a horse bred on the family farm and trained over many months, didn’t flinch. Nate couldn’t imagine going into battle with any other animal beneath him.

  “Captain. Look to the northeast.” First Lieutenant George Kellogg, a man Nate trusted with his life, pointed at a flash of light. “I believe Pleasonton has begun his attack.”

  Reining his horse toward the river, he lifted the glasses once more, spotting another flash of light. “It’s time to move out, Kellogg.”

  Sliding the glasses into a sheath, Captain Hollis lifted his arm, glanced around at the eager faces, then lowered it in one strong, decisive move. A rush of excitement overtook him as he watched over two thousand men astride their war-trained horses thunder across the valley.

  Racing toward the target, the men could no longer contain their silence. Sabers drawn, they controlled their horses with one hand, bending over the saddle horn as they rushed forward. Gunbelts holding a Colt revolver were strapped around their waists. Nate and a few of his men were fortunate enough to have rifles secured in scabbards. He’d drawn the weapon in only one battle, preferring the saber in close combat.

  The orders had been to dismount at an engagement and continue the fight on foot. It didn’t take long for Nate to realize this tactic wouldn’t work in the chaos resulting from their surprise attack against the experienced Confederate cavalry led by Stuart.

  Signaling his men to stay mounted, he led the attack, heading into the thick mass of Southern fighters. Swinging his saber, Nate cut down one man, then another, reining his horse around to face two more mounted defenders. With each strike, he felt both the exhilaration of battle and the regret at ending a life. He couldn’t dwell on the latter. Nate and his regiment had a job to do. If successful, it could bring an end to the war and usher in the peace he greatly desired.

  Hearing the clanking of sabers and the distant thunder of cannons, he glanced up toward St. James Church and the river beyond. For a moment, he paused, mesmerized by the sight of the 6th Pennsylvania Cavalry charging the Confederate guns positioned at the church. He would later learn the regiment, led by a friend and mentor, suffered the greatest causalities in the battle.

  Shouts turned Nate’s attention to a group of three Confederates charging toward him. Dropping his reins, he held the saber in his left hand, drawing the Colt with his right. In quick succession, he cut down the riders, leaving their horses to run aimlessly among the battle.

  Continuing his assault, concentrating on the Confederate cavalry storming toward him, Nate failed to see Southern cannoneers on the nearby hill swing their guns in his direction. A burst of light, followed by a panicked scream, warned him of the danger.

  Shifting in the saddle, he slid the Colt into the holster, lifting his saber. Too late, Nate saw another flash of light, a dark ball slicing through the air toward him. Pain like he’d never felt tore through him at the same time his stallion reared back, hurling him to the ground. Landing on his back, Nate tried to push up, excruciating pain in his left arm causing him to fall back down.

  His head spun and body throbbed as he fought to stay conscious. Knowing this fight was impossible, he turned his head, glancing to the side. Next to him lay his prized stallion, a rapidly darkening hole in his side, the horse’s panicked eyes looking to Nate for comfort his master couldn’t give.

  Ignoring his own pain, he shifted enough to draw the Colt from its holster. Tears stinging his eyes, Nate murmured a few soft words, then a tender goodbye before pulling the trigger. He felt a searing ache in his chest as the gun dropped from his hand.

  Glancing to his injured left side, he tried to lift his arm. A silent scream tore through his head a moment before sweet oblivion claimed him.

  Chapter One

  Settlers Valley, California

  December 1865

  Nate’s body shook so hard, his teeth rattled. He knew the tremors were a combination of the cold night and his body’s continued insistence it required the opium he’d refused to provide. The fact no stove existed in the cramped shack his employer allowed him to use didn’t help. He’d huddled by a fire outside as long as possible before giving up, taking refuge in the tiny structure that had become his home. If his horse would’ve fit, Nate would’ve brought Nomad inside the shack for warmth.

  He used his right hand to drape the last blanket over him, tucking it around what was left of his left arm. Leaning back against the rough wood walls, he stared out the lone window. The winter sky darkened early these days, the temperature dropping into the early thirties by seven in the evening.

  Nate had experienced worse while fighting for the 16th Pennsylvania Cavalry. The regiment, part of the Army of the Potomac, had spent many nights in bleak conditions, surrounded by snow drifts over three feet high.

  Rubbing his right hand along his thighs for warmth, Nate mumbled a raspy thanks to his employer for providing the derelict shack as part of Nate’s wages. Without it, he’d be hunched over a fire on the outskirts of town.

  He’d stumbled onto the job not long after arriving in Settlers Valley, a month after his gutless departure from Circle M, the MacLaren’s ranch a day’s ride south of the small town. Marcus Kamm had shaken his head when Nate inquired about the job posted on the door of the livery.

  The left arm he’d lost below the elbow during the Battle of Brandy Station caused many to turn him away. This time, Nate fought for a chance to prove he could do what Marcus needed. After two days, the livery owner relented. Marcus got a hardworking laborer, and Nate received what he and Nomad needed to survive.

  Almost two months had passed since he walked through the livery door, and every day Nate said a prayer, thanking Marcus for giving him a chance. Burrowing deeper into the blanket, he continued to stare out the window, thinking of how his life had changed so much in a few short years.

  At twenty-one, he’d been engaged to a beautiful woman with a gracious smile and genteel manner. They’d grown up together in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, promising themselves to each other by their seventeenth birthdays. By the time he’d turned twenty-three, his captain’s rank had placed him in a prominent position within the 16th Pennsylvania Cavalry. A few months later, they’d sent him home. His regiment had distinguished themselves at Brandy Station, but in the process, Nate had lost much of his left arm, his prized stallion, and his sense of purpose. A week later, his fiancée broke their engagement, unable to cope with his change in status.

  When Nate’s father gifted him Nomad, a four-year-old bay gelding, he’d saddled his new horse and informed his parents he intended to head west. His mother’s arguments to stay didn’t sway him, nor did the tears she swiped from her cheeks the morning of his departure. His father, a veteran of the Mexican-American War, clasped him on the back, pulling him into a hug.

  When you find yourself, Nathan, come home. There’ll always be a place for you here, his father had told him, his voice cracking as his son mounted Nomad and rode away.

&n
bsp; A year and a half had passed since that day, and Nate felt no closer to finding himself than he had the day he rode off, leaving his mother, father, and siblings behind.

  “Thought you could use these.”

  Nate glanced up, startled to see Marcus standing in the doorway, two more blankets clutched in his hands.

  “Esther insisted you’d need more than the ones you have.” Stepping inside, Marcus set the blankets on the cot, raising his hand when Nate moved to get up. “Stay where you are. I’m headed back to the house.”

  Nodding, Nate picked up one of the blankets. “Thank your sister for me.”

  “I don’t know why, but she’s got a soft spot for you, Hollis.” Marcus opened his mouth to say more when Nate shook his head, a slow grin tipping up the corners of his mouth.

  “You don’t have to say it, Marcus. I already know to keep my thoughts off Esther.”

  Crossing his arms, the broad-shouldered, half-German, half-Jewish livery owner leaned against the doorframe. “Nothing against you. You’re a fine man and a hard worker. But anyone can see you’ve got demons chasing you.”

  They’d never discussed Nate’s dependence on opium or how he’d come to Settlers Valley, hoping to rid it from his body. Somehow, the heinous drug hadn’t made its way into the small town where he’d found refuge.

  “No need to explain, Marcus. Truth is, I’m no good for any woman, least of all Esther.”

  Marcus didn’t deny it as he dropped his arms to his sides. “She wants you to join us for supper tomorrow night, and I don’t want to hear any arguments, Hollis.”

  Nate smirked. “You won’t hear any complaints from me. Tell her it would be my pleasure to eat her home cooking instead of beans and hardtack.”

  Snorting, Marcus started to turn away, then stopped. “I’ve got a wood stove coming on the next stage. I expect you to figure a way to use it.”

  Nate didn’t know why, but the kind gesture struck his heart, a lump forming in his throat. “Thank you, Marcus,” he mumbled, glancing away.

  “Don’t thank me. It’s another of Esther’s ideas.”

  “I’ll thank her when I come to supper tomorrow night.”