“That remains to be seen.”
He looked at her.
For the first time, he smiled.
Only slightly.
It transformed his whole face.
The woman hated how quickly she noticed.
They left the station beneath a storm of whispers.
Nobody in Mercy Hollow had expected the giant rancher’s mail-order bride to be a plus-size woman in pale pink with blood on her sleeve.
Nobody had expected her to be the one making him smile.
And certainly nobody had expected her first possession from the train to be a locket belonging to a man buried ten years earlier.
But those were only the first things the town had misunderstood.
The ranch wagon waited beyond the station.
Two powerful bay horses stood beneath the sun.
The giant lifted her trunk into the rear as though it were empty.
She climbed toward the seat.
He extended one hand.
She looked at it.
“I can climb.”
“I know.”
“Then why are you offering?”
“Because the step is high.”
She considered.
Then placed her hand in his.
His fingers closed gently.
Not gripping.
Not pulling before she was ready.
Only steady.
She climbed aboard.
He released her immediately.
That mattered more than she expected.
The ranch hands finished loading.
A small crowd remained near the station.
The woman could already see conversations beginning.
She leaned toward the rancher as he took the reins.
“Do people here always stare this much?”
“Mostly when something interesting happens.”
“Am I interesting?”
“You stepped off a train wearing blood.”
“Fair.”
The wagon rolled away.
The town disappeared slowly behind them.
For several minutes neither spoke.
The woman watched the valley open ahead.
Dry grass rolled toward distant mountains.
Cottonwoods clustered along the creek.
The afternoon light touched the foothills in gold.
Beautiful.
Enormous.
Empty enough to make a person feel very small.
The rancher broke the silence.
“You can still change your mind.”
She looked at him.
“You said you hadn’t.”
“I haven't.”
“Then why should I?”
“Because you met me five minutes ago.”
“I’ve known you through letters for six months.”
“Letters are easy.”
“So are promises.”
He glanced toward her.
She continued.
“I didn’t come here because I thought you would be handsome.”
He looked almost offended.
“Almost?”
She smiled.
“I’m still evaluating.”
He shook his head.
She continued.
“I came because you wrote truthfully.”
“About what?”
“You said the house leaks near the eastern chimney.”
“It does.”
“You said the ranch barely makes money in bad winters.”
“Yes.”
“You said you don’t dance.”
“I don’t.”
“You said you are bad at conversation.”
He looked toward the road.
“I may have understated that.”
She laughed.
The sound surprised both of them.
The giant rancher’s mouth softened.
Then the woman’s smile faded.
“And you said you wanted someone steady.”
“Yes.”
“Why that word?”