"But you didn't. And the others helped."
He drew back and looked toward the workers. She watched him understand what she'd been trying to teach him for months: leadership did not mean carrying every danger alone. It meant making sure other capable people knew what to do.
The sheriff arrived that morning and began investigating the fire. Near the shed he found a broken lantern hidden behind a pile of stones, well away from the usual work area. The foreman said no one had been assigned to carry a lantern there. The sheriff examined the scene and recorded statements, treating the cause as suspicious rather than announcing an accusation he could not yet support.
Two days later, the stable hand privately approached the bride. He had seen a stranger near the east road before sunset, he said, a man wearing a coat like those used by the timber company's survey crew. He hadn't mentioned it earlier because he feared being blamed for failing to challenge the stranger. The bride knelt slightly to meet his eyes and assured him that reporting an observation was useful even if he didn't know what it meant. She brought him to the sheriff and made sure he was allowed to speak without interruption.
The sheriff asked careful questions about distance, light, clothing, and whether the stable hand could identify a face. The boy could not. He remembered a mule tied near the road and a dark leather satchel. The sheriff thanked him and warned the adults not to pressure him into guesses. The bride appreciated the warning. She had known too many powerful people who wanted certainty badly enough to invent it.
After the boy left, the sheriff looked toward her husband. "You've had a floodgate opened and a shed fire within a few months. Someone may be trying to frighten you. But I need facts before I can say who."
The rancher nodded. "You'll have whatever records we can provide."
The bride added that their attorney could supply information about the disputed timber company, but she understood the sheriff's investigation must remain separate from their civil case. He thanked them and rode away. For the first time, the rancher saw how his wife's caution could be a form of strength rather than a refusal to fight.