Page 9 of Magnolia Summer

Celia’s twelve-year-old brother reined the horse to a halt beside Dr. Beverly. “It’s Griff. Mrs. Beverly can’t control him, and she sent me to fetch you.”

Dr. Beverly leaped to the ground. “May I borrow your horse?”

Will slipped from the saddle.

“Take Miss Celia home in my buggy.” He swung onto Will’s horse and was off at a gallop before she could ask a single question.

“Hey there, Celia. I didn’t know you was coming.” Will grinned as though he hadn’t just ridden up like a banshee, and as though his news hadn’t just sent the doctor tearing away in like manner.

“What’s going on? And why didn’t you know I was coming? And don’t say, ‘I didn’t know youwascoming.’ It’s ‘werecoming.’”

He climbed onto the seat beside her, kissed her on the cheek, and took up the reins. The gelding started forward at an easy pace.

“Us country folk don’t set much store by correct grammar.”

She could tell he was teasing her by the way his eyebrows lifted and the corners of his mouth twitched. If she weren’t so irritated with him, she would throw her arms around her little brother and plant a kiss on his cheek.

“Not funny,” she said. But she had never been good at holding grudges, so she hugged and kissed him, and then tousled his beautiful blond head anyway. “Now will you please tell me what’s going on? Who’s Griff?”

“Griff is Dr. Beverly’s brother. Folks say he hit his head when he was a child, and ever since then, well . . . he ain’t been right. Most of the time he acts like a child, but when he gets agitated, he’s liable to hurt somebody. And I’ve never seen him as riled as he was a few minutes ago when I left to go fetch Truett.”

An animal-like growling came from behind a row of trees, growing louder and fiercer by the moment. She couldn’t see anything past the bend in the road. Her heart thumped against her chest as an uneasy feeling crept over her. “What is that sound?”

“That’s Griff.”

Chapter 4

The back of Celia’s neck prickled. She wished Will would make the horse go faster. Dr. Beverly could be in danger!

But perhaps it was best they didn’t reach them too soon. What if Will was hurt? She shuddered at the thought. After what happened to Daddy, she couldn’t bear anything happening to Will.

Just around the bend, another growl sounded, this one more fierce than before. If only the horse would go faster. A few more steps and they’d be able to—

A woman’s scream split the air.

Celia’s blood turned cold. She glanced at Will’s tense face and then followed his gaze toward the bushes just ahead as the buggy crept around the curve.

Beside the road, a man stood holding a huge rock over his head.Griff.He was Truett Beverly’s brother, all right. Though his hair was darker and he was a bit taller, his features were too similar to Dr. Beverly’s to not be his close kin.

His eyes were wild, like a wolf about to pounce on its prey. He aimed his weapon—the gray boulder—at a small, gray-haired woman several feet in front of him.

Celia gasped, her hand flying to her throat. Griff was going to kill that poor woman!

Out of the saddle now, Dr. Beverly crept toward his brother. Suddenly, he shouted, “Run!” and leaped toward his brother.

Griff let out a roar and heaved the rock at the woman, but Dr. Beverly’s shoulder struck his brother in the ribs, throwing off his aim and sending the three of them—Griff, Dr. Beverly, and the boulder—to the ground. The heavy rock landed a safe distance away from its target.

The woman had run away when Dr. Beverly had commanded. Now, she took a few steps toward the house, which was nestled among some trees away from the road, and then turned back to watch.

Truett Beverly grappled with his snarling brother. Griff wrapped his hands around the doctor’s throat.

Celia grasped the wagon seat, her heart thumping. She wanted to jump down and help him, but she couldn’t tear her eyes off the scene below her.

Dr. Beverly used his hands to cover Griff’s eyes. Griff let go. With amazing speed, he grasped Griff’s wrists and pinned them to the ground. Then he pressed his knee against his brother’s heaving chest. The doctor looked almost nonchalant, holding the thrashing man captive.

Will simply drove on past.

“Shouldn’t we do something to help him? Maybe go and fetch the sheriff?” Celia turned on the seat to look back, but the trees and the next bend hid them from view.