Ruby's Heartache

Ruby Jackson is a broken young woman…

Ruby was grateful when she learned her father was finally going to prison for everything, he'd done to her and her sister, Pearl.

However, it was hard for Ruby to trust anyone after what she experienced at his hands. She wasn't close to her mother – almost hated her. After all, she was the one who had allowed the abuse to happen in the first place.

Ruby had to leave Benson. If anyone found out what had happened to her, she wouldn't be able to live with the name-calling or the shame.

Ruby was on her way to buy a stagecoach ticket with the money she had stolen from her momma. She wasn't paying attention, in her haste to get there, and was nearly trampled by a stranger riding through town on his horse.

Phillip Matthews was looking for a place to keep his horses…

Phillip wanted to find a place to live that was closer to the border of Mexico. He bred horses, and because of his knowledge and obsession with that breed, he was known as Mustang.

The Mustangs, or as the Spanish called them, Mustengo, which meant ownerless beast, were a strong breed. Most people considered them wild or feral. Phillip, however, knew they were misunderstood. They needed a gentler hand, patience, and, most of all, kindness.

After leaving Tombstone, Phillip rode into a smaller place known as Benson. While making his way through town, he saw a little slip of a girl run across the road in front of him. Her eyes flashed at Phillip, reminding him of the wild mustangs.

He reached down and patted his horse on the neck, "Bounty, I think we'll stop here for a bit, and see what else this place has to offer."