The judge ordered temporary protection of the disputed grazing area pending investigation.
Not final victory.
Enough to stop immediate removal.
The speculator’s influence weakened.
A territorial investigator requested records.
The corrupt local official became suddenly ill and left town.
The rancher suspected fear was the diagnosis.
The Apache families returned to some of the eastern slopes.
Not all.
The conflict continued.
But they had time.
Time could be a kind of victory.
After the hearing, the Apache woman prepared to leave.
The rancher had known.
Still hated it.
He found her saddling her horse beside the barn.
“You could stay until tomorrow.”
“I could.”
“That means no.”
“It means I need to go.”
He nodded.
She tightened the cinch.
He asked:
“How long?”
“Four days.”
“Until you return?”
She looked at him.
“I did not say I would.”
His face closed.
The woman saw.
“Do not.”
“What?”
“Build a wound before anything happened.”
He looked away.
Fair.
She moved closer.
“I have people waiting.”
“I know.”
“I have responsibilities.”
“I know.”
“You say that like you are losing something.”
“I am.”
She stopped.
The rancher forced himself to continue.
“I like waking up and knowing you are here.”
Her expression softened.
“I like hearing you complain about my coffee.”
She smiled.
“It is terrible.”
“I know.”
“Then why make it?”
“Because you drink it.”
She looked toward him.
He continued.
“I do not want your life to become this ranch.”
“I do not want mine to become waiting for you.”
“But I want…”
He struggled.
The woman waited.
“I want there to be an us when you come back.”
There.
Her eyes filled.
She stepped closer.
“There already is.”
The rancher’s breath caught.
She touched his cheek.
He leaned into her hand.
Then asked:
“May I kiss you?”
She smiled.
“Yes.”
Their first kiss was not perfect.
His hat bumped her forehead.
She laughed into his mouth.
He pulled back embarrassed.
She grabbed his vest and kissed him again before he could apologize.
Better.
When they separated, he whispered:
“Come back.”
She looked at him.
“I will.”
Four months later, he rode four days to find her.