Courage Canyon 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

  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, 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

  Watch for more books in this series!

  The best way to stay in touch is to subscribe to my newsletter. Go to 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.

  Courage Canyon

  Redemption Mountain

  Historical Western Romance Series

  SHIRLEEN DAVIES

  Book Eight in the Redemption Mountain

  Historical Western Romance Series

  Copyright © 2017 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

  Courage Canyon 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 conversions by Joseph Murray at

  3rdplanetpublishing.com

  Cover design by Kim Killion

  ISBN: 978-1-941786-53-6

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

  [email protected]

  Description

  Courage Canyon, Book Eight, Redemption Mountain Historical Western Romance Series

  Dirk Masters, ex-Union Cavalry Captain, traveled hundreds of miles to put his past behind him. Finding Splendor and getting a job at Redemption’s Edge seems the perfect opportunity to start over. His new life is predictable and peaceful…until a feisty young woman creates chaos in his orderly existence.

  Rosemary Thayer has overcome more than one obstacle to achieve her dream of becoming a nurse. After a rough start, the people of Redemption’s Edge have accepted her into their family—all except the rude and arrogant foreman who seems to enjoy making her life miserable. Soon, she’ll have earned enough to leave the ranch for a place of her own.

  But trouble continues to plague Rosemary. The unwelcome news of an escaped convict threatens to stall her plans of an independent life.

  After months of anticipating her departure, Dirk is given an assignment he doesn’t want, but can’t turn down. Guard Rosemary from not one, but two possible threats. Could his life get any more complicated?

  The last person she wants disrupting her future is now a part of it—every day, morning and night.

  Not only is the escaped convict certain to come calling, another danger is inching its way toward Splendor, threatening young women, and no one can identify the attacker.

  Worse, Dirk is fighting not only the threats, but his own internal desire. They’re oil and water, meant to be as far apart as the Pacific from the Atlantic. So why does he crave her touch, seek any excuse to get close?

  Courage Canyon, book eight in the Redemption Mountain historical western romance series, is a full-length novel with an HEA and no cliffhanger.

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

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

  Acknowledgements

  Many thanks to my husband, Richard, for always being by my side during this wonderful adventure. Your support, insights, and suggestions are greatly appreciated.

  As always, many thanks to my editor, Kim Young, proofreader, Alicia Carmical, Joseph Murray, who is superb at formatting my books for print and electronic versions, 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

  Epilogue

  About the Author

  Books by Shirleen Davies

  Courage Canyon

  Prologue

  Third Battle of Winchester

  October 1864

  “Continue firing.” Union Captain Dirk Masters gave the order as the Confederate infantry brigade, led by Colonel George Patton, began their retreat.

  Holding his rifle in one hand as he reined his horse around, Dirk glanced across the field where dozens of men lay wounded or dying. He yelled out when one of his men rode past in pursuit of the retreating soldiers.

  “Corporal!”

  The young man stopped his horse, pivoting it toward Dirk. “Yes, sir.”

  “Find the ambulance wagon. There are men out there who need help.”

  Nodding, the corporal turned west toward the spot they’d left the supply wagons and medical personnel.

  Charging forward on his large roan gelding, Dirk led his division across the wide expanse of open field and into the brush where hund
reds of Confederate infantry fled, their legs no match for the Union horsemen. No matter how fast they ran, most wouldn’t be able to escape.

  Dirk yelled a series of commands, his well-trained division herding Patton’s men into a tight cluster. Seeing the Confederates raise their rifles, fumbling with ammunition in a feeble attempt at a last stand, Dirk rode straight toward them, knowing his men’s weapons were aimed at the enemy.

  “Drop your guns, soldiers. There’s no reason to die today.” Another signal and the horses tightened the circle around the Confederates, his men shouting the same command to drop their weapons.

  Looking to his right, Dirk spotted Captain Robert Crandall leading his cavalry division, along with what appeared to be over one hundred prisoners. Joining up, they merged the Confederates into one group, estimating they had close to three hundred captives.

  “Where is Colonel Patton?” Robert asked, scanning the prisoners for the man in charge of their brigade.

  Reining his horse to a stop, Dirk glanced down at a Confederate private. “Do you know where Colonel Patton is?”

  The young man glared at him, shaking his head. “Wounded. That’s all I know.”

  The news didn’t surprise Dirk. It had been a hard-fought battle on the outskirts of Winchester, Virginia. Kicking his horse to catch up with Robert, he wondered how much longer the Confederate Army would continue to fight. The tide of the war had begun to turn, the Union

  winning one victory after another. He had no stomach for grinding them into the ground, but he’d follow orders until the war ended.

  Reaching camp, the captives were added to the growing number of prisoners before Dirk and Robert reported to Brigadier General Wesley Merritt, a man well-respected throughout the Union Cavalry ranks.

  Merritt nodded at them as they approached. “The Confederate Army is in full retreat, gentlemen. You’ve managed to crush their left flank. Well done.”

  “Thank you, sir.” Dirk removed his gloves, shoving them into his back pocket. “We heard Confederate Colonel Patton was wounded. He wasn’t part of the prisoners we brought in.”

  “That may explain their hasty retreat. I’ll pass the word up to Major General Sheridan. No other orders for now, gentlemen.” Merritt turned away, dismissing them as he spoke to his aid.

  Robert clasped Dirk on the back. “I’ve got a flask of whiskey in my saddlebag. Care to join me?”

  Hesitating for an instant, he nodded. “One swallow, then I need to see to my men.”

  “Agreed. Our divisions did well today, Dirk.”

  The two men had become close over the last year. As fellow cavalry officers, they’d shared many stories of growing up in Pennsylvania families with long histories in horse breeding. The similarities between them were so strong, they sometimes wondered if they might be brothers, separated at birth. Even as adults, the parallels continued. Each had a wife waiting back home. Neither had children, but looked forward to when the war ended and they could start their families.

  “The war is winding down. I heard news it may come to an end before next summer.”

  Dirk listened as Robert spoke, hoping what his friend speculated might be true. Summer was a long way off. Anything could happen, but he’d come this far and wouldn’t back out now. Some volunteers had started returning home, unable to be away from their families any longer.

  No matter how much he missed his wife, Dirk vowed to stick it out, knowing Griff, his older brother, protected Melissa in northern Pennsylvania. When the war ended, he’d return to Melissa and the horse ranch he and his brother dreamed about since they were young boys. They’d follow their grandfather’s and father’s paths, breeding, training, and selling high-quality horses.

  As the day darkened to night, he retreated to the comfort of his bedroll, feeling good about what they’d achieved at Winchester. He didn’t like war, but he hated the thought of a nation divided. Whatever it took, he’d do all he could to bring it back to being the strong union it was before the strife over slavery alienated what had once seemed an unbreakable, sovereign nation.

  Stretching out, he rested an arm across his eyes, thinking of Melissa. He’d loved her since they were children, vowed to marry her as soon as her parents gave their permission. The wedding had been a joyous event, bringing out everyone in their tight-knit community.

  Blowing out a slow breath, an image of Melissa riding next to him, laughing, settled in his mind.

  Not much longer, sweetheart, Dirk thought an instant before he fell into a deep sleep.

  Chapter One

  Splendor, Montana

  March 1869

  “I can’t explain it, Dax. There are more men guarding the herds than we’ve ever had, yet there are ten head missing. I’ve had men ride the entire ranch and there’s no sign of them.” Dirk Masters, one of the two foremen at Redemption’s Edge, ran a hand through his hair, staring out the window of Dax’s study toward the barn. “A few from each pasture. If it’s rustlers, that kind of planning takes effort. Most rustlers take cattle from one location and hightail it out of there. Not this time.”

  Dax Pelletier and his brother, Luke, owned Redemption’s Edge, the largest ranch in western Montana. “It isn’t the first time we’ve had cattle missing from different pastures.”

  Dirk snorted, knowing Dax referred to the time Rosemary Thayer, her brother, and two other orphans stole a few head from different herds. Dirk and Bull Mason, the other foreman, tracked down the kids, hauling them in front of Dax, Luke, and Sheriff Gabe Evans. They resolved the issue by having the young rustlers repay their debt by living and working at the ranch. The four had become part of the extended family that included just about anyone associated with the Pelletier family.

  “That was different, Dax. Rosemary and the others were blackmailed into stealing the cattle. The fact they got away with it for so long was nothing but pure luck.”

  The orphans would find a few stray head at different locations on the ranch and gather them up. When they had at least ten, they’d hand them over to Boyden Trask. He’d butcher them and sell the meat for a tidy profit in his restaurant in Big Pine, the territorial capital several hours from Splendor. The last anyone knew, he sat in a prison cell miles from town.

  Dax rubbed his chin, his eyes crinkling in amusement. “I don’t know, Dirk. Rosemary and the boys were pretty darn smart about how they went about it.” He knew Dirk still had a hard time accepting how long it had taken them to catch the thieves. Finding out they were led by a teenage girl and included three young boys still chafed his foreman’s pride. “It all worked out. Rosemary is now working at the clinic and Trask is in jail.”

  Dax’s wife, Rachel, had been a nurse in the Union Army, moving to Splendor to join her uncle, Doctor Charles Worthington, in his medical clinic. As the town grew, her uncle hired Doctor Clay McCord, then started to look for another nurse. With one young son and a second child on the way, Rachel had been surprised and pleased when Rosemary told her she’d like to learn nursing.

  “I know you don’t like losing any cattle, Dirk, but ten head isn’t a great deal. No matter how hard you search, there are places on the ranch they wander off to, only to show up again a week or two later. The snow is a hindrance to finding them. Plus, there’s a wolf pack along our border that’s picked off cattle in the past.” Dax scratched his chin. “According to our agreement with the Blackfoot, Running Bear may have sent men to take a couple head. Although he usually sends word to me beforehand.” He saw the disgruntled look on Dirk’s face and held up his hand. “But you’re right. We need to figure this out.”

  Nodding, Dirk scowled. “It doesn’t matter what happened in the past with Rosemary and the boys. It’s now I’m worried about. I want to find the cattle, or whoever took them. At least that young woman is no longer underfoot, turning the heads of my men. She’s a distraction they don’t need. Having her at the clinic was a good decision.”

  “Don’t tell me you’re grousing about Rosemary again, Dirk.” Rachel grinne
d as she walked into the study holding two cups of coffee, handing one to Dax and the other to their foreman. “Drink this. It might improve your mood.”

  Taking a sip, he let the scowl fall from his face. “Your coffee’s always good enough to improve anyone’s mood.”

  Rubbing her lower back, she sat down in one of the leather chairs. “Rosemary is a fine young woman, works hard at the clinic and still helps here when she has time. I don’t know why the two of you can’t get along.”

  Dirk looked at her, knowing he shouldn’t let himself be drawn into a discussion about Rosemary. “She’s stubborn, willful, obstinate, and too dang pushy.”

  Glancing at Dax, Rachel worked to hide a smile. “Seems you could be talking about me or Ginny…or even Lydia,” she said, referring to Luke’s and Bull’s wives.

  “You three are different,” Dirk muttered, taking another sip of coffee.

  “I don’t know about that. It takes a different kind of woman to make it out here in the middle of nowhere. You ought to give Rosemary a little credit for all she’s done.”

  He didn’t respond. Finishing his coffee, he set the cup on the desk before looking at Dax. “What do you want me to do about the missing cattle?”

  “Merge them into two herds. It’s time to bring them closer to the house anyway, and it’ll take less men to guard them.”

  “Sounds good.” Dirk turned to leave.

  “And triple the number of men on watch at night.”

  “Sure thing, Dax.”

  Rachel watched Dirk leave, waiting until he’d closed the front door. “What’s he got against Rosemary?” Rubbing her back again, she tried to rise.

  Dax stood and walked around the desk, reaching out his hand to help Rachel up. Drawing her up next to him, he settled an arm across her shoulders.

  “They never have gotten along. Rubbed each other wrong from the beginning and it’s never changed.” Studying her face, he stroked a hand down her cheek, cupping her chin. “You look tired, sweetheart. Might do you good to lie down for a while.”

  Covering his hand with hers, she laughed. “When have I ever taken a nap in the middle of the day?”