“Because I was afraid you'd leave.”
The honesty was painful. She looked toward his scar and thought of how much courage it took to survive a fire, and how little courage he had shown when his bride deserved the truth.
“I might have,” she said. “That choice belonged to me.”
He nodded, tears gathering in his eyes. “It did. I took it from you, and I was wrong.”
For a long time, she watched the flame rise and fall inside the stove. She wanted to climb back into his lap, rest against his chest, and hear that everything was as simple as a promise. It wasn't.
“I won't pretend to forgive this tonight,” she said. “And I won't share your bed until I know what our marriage means. We need more than affection now.”
He swallowed. “You can have the bedroom. I'll sleep by the stove.”
She shook her head. “That's not what I'm asking. Don't turn responsibility into another sacrifice I didn't request. Let me decide what happens next.”
He went quiet. Finally he said, “All right.”
She looked at him with fresh tears in her eyes. “I love you. That's why this hurts.”
“I love you too.”
“Then show me by telling the truth, even when the truth is ugly.”
He nodded. “I will.”
They spent the last hours before dawn keeping watch. The wounded messenger slept beneath blankets while her husband tended the fire. She remained at the table studying the ledger, marking questionable entries on a separate sheet and making a clear list of every conflicting number. It was work she understood. With every figure she checked, she felt her fear become more manageable.
At first light, two freight workers arrived with the settlement sheriff. They had seen the lantern flashes when the snow thinned and found hoofprints near the rear door. The sheriff was an older man who knew the mountain man only by the name used in the settlement. He listened to the messenger, read the territorial seal, and asked to see the genuine books before making any arrest on old accusations.
The woman approved of him immediately. He was the first official in the story who seemed more interested in evidence than in the reputation of the accused.