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In the wild mountains of the Montana Territory, the Coulter ranch is a place of family, second chances…and a hidden fortune. 

Miles is the youngest of six brothers, and he’s spent most of his life helping guard the family’s secret: a sapphire mine hidden deep within the Montana mountains. With threats from a past enemy looming, a survey team’s arrival stirs suspicion—until he meets Clara Pendleton, whose presence captivates him.

Clara Pendleton joins her uncle on a survey team tasked with mapping the coming railroad's path, only to find herself entangled with the enigmatic Coulter family. When her uncle’s accident leads them to find refuge in the Coulter home, Clara is irresistibly drawn to Miles Coulter and his quiet strength. This feels like the haven she craves…until a series of mysterious attacks endanger everyone on the ranch.

As Christmas approaches, a sleigh ride through a snowy wonderland fans the growing spark between Clara and Miles into a flame, but a broken runner leads Clara to discover the family's secret. Now she’s faced with an impossible choice: betray the man she’s coming to love or risk the lives of his entire family—and her own uncle. 

From a USA Today bestselling author comes a mountain saga filled with high-stakes adventure, forced proximity, a Christmas surprise, and love that heals wounded hearts.

Misty M. Beller is a USA Today bestselling author with over 1 million books old. She writes romantic mountain stories, set on the 1800s frontier and woven with the truth of God’s love. 

Raised on a farm and surrounded by family, Misty developed her love for horses, history, and adventure. These days, her husband and children provide fresh adventure every day, keeping her both grounded and crazy. 

Misty’s passion is to create inspiring Christian fiction infused with the grandeur of the mountains, writing historical romance that displays God’s abundant love through the twists and turns in the lives of her characters.

Sharing her stories with readers is a dream come true for Misty. She writes from her country home in South Carolina and escapes to the mountains any chance she gets.

Visit her online at mistymbeller.com.

How could he be so careless?

As soon as the group moved on, Miles Coulter eased out a breath. 

Strangers on the ranch. 

And they nearly caught him unaware. 

He’d been testing out the latest version of the jointed pickax he’d designed—a modification of one he’d seen in Canvas City—when he barely caught the sounds of horse hooves on rock. He managed to drop the tool and scoop up his rifle in time to face them as they rode around the bend in the trail. 

Surveyors. From the railroad. What would his brother Jericho say about that? He’d not like it.

At least they weren’t Mick’s men, come to exact revenge on their brother Gil. Thank the Lord, Mick’s daughter escaped the man’s evil clutches with their help, but they still watched out for any sign of his thugs. 

Even if Miles suspected these surveyors were presenting a ruse, the woman with them couldn’t be one of Mick’s guards.

He pictured the woman who rode with the surveyors…and her pretty face. She’d been a surprise, for certain. She wore a fancy bonnet like the ladies in town did, and a dark blue dress that looked soft and shiny. An unusual sight in a group of men like that. Too fancy to be their cook.

She must be married to one of them. A surveyor’s wife willing to brave the wild frontier to be with her man. 

Usually, a thought like that would make him chuckle. Or even scoff. But a fellow lucky enough to have a lady like her…well, he should count his blessings.

Speaking of which, where had he dropped his ax? There, half buried in the dirt. He reached for the tool and swung it over his shoulder, then started for the house. He’d need to tell the others right away. 

When Miles entered the yard, Gil stood in front of the barn, saddling one of the two-year-old geldings. “How’d your invention work? See anything unusual out there?” 

Miles leaned the pickax against the barn wall. “Met riders.” 

Gil straightened. “Who?” Worry filled his gaze, though concern rarely left his expression these days. He reached for his rifle. 

“Not them,” Miles said, answering the question he hadn’t asked. “Surveyors, they said. For the railroad. I don’t think they have anything to do with Mick."

“How could you know?” The words were a challenge, barked with anger that Miles chose to ignore. “That man is devious.”

“They had a lady with them." The image of her slid into his mind, and he caught himself just before saying how pretty she was. That detail had nothing to do with whether the men were surveyors or Mick’s henchmen, and in his state, Gil didn’t have the patience for frivolity.

“How many were there? Where are they now?” 

"Five men and the lady." Miles kept his tone steady, though Gil questioned him like he didn’t know to point the strangers away from the house. "I sent them across the creek to camp. Figured Jericho would feel better with them farther away from the house and the strawberries." No one needed to find the strawberries—their family code word for the sapphires they mined and did their best to keep secret. Mick had found out about them, though, and his lackies stole nearly a wagon full.

Gil's frown deepened. "I don’t like strangers on our land, even if they are who they claim to be."

It wasn’t as if Miles had invited them. He bit back his frustration. “You sound like Jericho.”

The frown turned to a glare. “You’ve never met McPharland. He’s more cunning than the snake in the Garden of Eden. We can’t be too careful. Just because a woman is with them doesn’t make them safe.” 

Miles sighed. "I know. But it didn't seem right to turn them away when night's coming on soon. Especially with a woman in their group."

As answer, Gil brought two fingers to his mouth and released a shrill whistle that echoed through the clearing. 

Jericho and their nephew, Sean, were down the mountain helping Jonah build his new cabin. They’d be listening though. All of them were on edge these days. 

Dinah, Patsy, Jess, and Lillian spilled out of the house, coming to hear what brought on the whistle. Jericho’s wife—a talented doctor—Dinah would want to make sure things were ready for whatever they faced. 

Patsy was Jonah’s intended, and Jess would likely soon be Gil’s. And Lillian… He couldn’t call her his favorite niece anymore, not since two more youngsters had joined the extended family here on the ranch. But even though at thirteen she looked more young lady than girl, she still laughed at his jokes and warmed something special inside him when she called him Uncle Miles. 

Before he and Gil could update the womenfolk, the sound of hoofbeats thundered. A minute later, Jericho, Jonah, and Sean rode up the slope from the direction of Jonah's cabin. 

Another figure appeared on the trailhead leading to Eric and Naomi’s cabin, moving slower on foot. Eric—Dinah’s brother-in-law and an honorary member of the family. Looked like all the men were here except Jude. 

He was likely on his way.

"What's going on?" Jericho reined in his horse, his sharp gaze moving between Gil and Miles.

As Miles repeated what he'd told Gil, Jericho's jaw tightened. 

"And you just let them ride off to camp on our land?" Jericho shook his head. His oldest brother’s fear got the better of his good sense at times.

Miles stiffened. “What would you have me do with them? Run off five men and a woman at gunpoint? Or bring them to the house so you could interrogate them?” 

Jericho huffed. “What railroad do they work for? Where did they start surveying and what path are they taking? When you ask for details, you get a better idea of whether they’re making up the story or not.” 

Miles fought the urge to roll his eyes. “Then maybe you better go ask those questions.” 

Jericho gave a curt nod. "Who’s going with me? We’ll have a word with our uninvited guests."

Miles’s middle tightened, but he strode through the barn door, calling over his shoulder, “Let me saddle a horse. I’m coming.” Jericho could ask what he wanted to the men in the group, but Miles might need to make sure he treated the lady with respect. 

Jonah and Jude volunteered to come also. Good.

His eldest brother would never intentionally offend someone who didn’t deserve it, but Jericho tended to be a bit overzealous when protecting his family. Especially when the threat of Mick’s retaliation loomed over them all.