Ellyn a Painter

Washback Ridge Ellyn a Painter

Montana Territory, 1881: Ranch hand Diehl Brett is coming home after four fruitless months chasing after the man he believes murdered his best friend, David Stiles. Elusive and taunting, the supposed killer, whom Diehl knows only by the name "Donovan," sometimes seems to be more than one man. And perhaps he is. Inevitably, Diehl faces the anger of his employer, Miss Cassie Stiles, sister of the slain man, and now alone to see to the precarious survival of her family's ranch, which is gradually failing. Cattle are dying, their creek has mysteriously run dry, and she is forced to purchase water and graze rights from her wealthy, avaricious neighbor, Amos Chesterfield. Fearing she may have to sell out to Chesterfield, she has only Diehl, and her other hired hand, a black man and former slave, Sam Abram, to rely on for aid. Now Diehl has let her down, off on this mad vendetta of his, instead of helping her on the ranch. Diehl and his boss disagree bitterly, not only on the manner and cause of David's death, but on the real reason the Stiles ranch seems doomed. To compound matters further, the two adversaries once had a budding romantic attachment, but their deep differences, and all that has happened, has stalled their relationship in its tracks. Will their love have a chance, or be ultimately destroyed by Diehl's choices? With time running out, Diehl, with the help of Sam, risks all to find the man he is convinced holds the answers to avenging his friend and saving the Stiles ranch for the woman he loves.