The Bluebird by Kristy McCaffrey

Author:Kristy McCaffrey
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: western romance, series romance, western historical romance, historical western romance, cowboy romance, spicy romance, romance ebooks, old west romance, romance 1880s
Publisher: Kristy McCaffrey

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The climb into the valley took the better part of the morning, and Molly found herself facing a fear of heights she’d never known she had. As the sun rose, so did the heat and both she and Jake abandoned their coats. With knapsacks on their backs and canteens hanging across their chests, Molly followed Jake up a steep, nearly-sheer incline. As Jake climbed, he pounded three separate anchors into the granite and looped the rope through them as a precautionary measure to catch them should they fall. He wound the rope around her waist and then her legs for added safety. Molly squinted and ducked every time Jake’s pounding sent stones and dirt pelting down on her, even though the brim of her hat shielded her.

When they finally reached the top, Molly gratefully sat down to rest and consider what she’d just accomplished.

“Is all prospecting like this?” she asked, still winded.

Jake took a long swallow of water from a canteen, a sheen of sweat covering his face. “No. That’s what makes the Chigger so special. No one prospects here.”

“This is crazy, Jake. I’m not sure I can climb down.”

“It’ll be easier going back. I’ll rig a pulley and let you down myself.”

Molly took in the view, trying to calm her reservations. They were utterly alone, the expanse of mountains reaching to the horizon. Jake offered her bread and salted pork, and she gratefully ate, her muscles feeling shaky after the climb.

“You ready?” he asked.

She nodded and stood. He shouldered the rope he’d retrieved from their climb, along with the knapsack—his was much heavier, since it held a pick ax, a shovel, and a large hammer—and began down a makeshift path into the hidden valley. Molly took a fortifying breath and followed.

Thankfully this slope wasn’t as steep, and they were able to pick their way down without the use of the rope. As they descended, Jake stopped periodically to scan the countryside with a scope he kept in his knapsack.

“Bullseye.” He scrambled along a horizontal pathway, and Molly did her best to keep up.

When she finally reached him, he was stopped near a pile of rocks.

“Is this a marker?” she asked.

“Yeah.” Jake removed all the gear draped on him and immediately dropped to his knees to inspect under a flat ledge. “This was Robert’s way of defining the boundaries of the Chigger.”

“What are you looking for?” She set her pack on the ground and glanced around. They were located on the side of the mountain, about halfway into the narrow valley filled with a smattering of pine trees along with bare patches. Chunks of snow dotted the higher ground, and a narrow stream flowed on the valley floor.

“The vein.”

Lying on his stomach, Jake tossed his hat aside and crawled on the ground, inspecting the rock as he went. Molly sank to her knees beside him.

“How can you tell if a claim is good or not?”

He pointed to an area with a shimmer. “Mineralized rock is usually a good sign.

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