The merchant looked toward the cowboy.
“Is he influencing you?”
The woman straightened.
“I made this decision myself.”
The merchant's face reddened.
“You have no idea what you're refusing.”
She met his eyes.
“Then perhaps you should explain why you want the property so badly.”
He opened his mouth.
Then closed it.
The cowboy watched him carefully.
The merchant gathered the papers.
“You'll regret this.”
The woman did not look away.
“I've heard that before.”
The merchant turned and marched toward his wagon.
The clerk followed.
As they drove away, the cowboy remained beside the porch.
The woman looked up at him.
“Is the land valuable?”
He was quiet for a moment.
“North Creek runs through a stretch of country that several ranchers have been fighting over.”
She frowned.
“Why?”
“Water.”
The cowboy looked toward the meadow.
“Land isn't worth much without it. And in a dry year, a valid water claim can matter more than hundreds of acres of grazing ground.”
She looked toward the road where the merchant had disappeared.
“My mother never said it was valuable.”
“Maybe it wasn't when she inherited it.”
The woman considered that.
The cowboy continued.
“Would you let me help find someone who can examine the papers properly?”
She looked at him.
“Someone you trust?”
“Someone who works for you.”
Her expression softened.
“There's a difference?”
“A very important one.”
She nodded.
“Then yes.”
The cowboy smiled.
“Good.”
That evening, the woman unlocked her trunk and removed the old family documents.
The papers were wrapped in a faded blue cloth.
A silver hairpin lay inside with them.
She touched it gently.
It had belonged to her mother.
For several minutes, she simply sat looking at the small collection of things.
The cowboy waited near the doorway.
He did not interrupt.
Eventually, she lifted the papers.
“My mother grew up near the mountains.”
He nodded.
“I know.”
She looked up.
“How?”
The cowboy hesitated.
He had spoken too quickly.
“Lots of families passed through these valleys.”
She studied him.
“Did you know my family?”
He looked toward the window.
“Maybe crossed paths with them years ago.”
She frowned.