“Can You Make Me Come Tonight — The Mail Order Bride Asked… The Virgin Mountain Man Whispered, ‘I…’”

Chapter 11

The golden light of autumn transformed the mountain into something almost painfully beautiful. The aspens turned brilliant yellow, the maples burned red, and the air took on a crisp, clean edge that sharpened everything.

Margaret and Elias worked side by side through the season, preparing for the winter that would come. They hunted and preserved meat. They gathered wild mushrooms and berries. They chopped enough wood to fill the shed twice over.

One evening, as they sat on the porch watching the sun set behind the peaks, Elias took her hand.

“Margaret.”

“Yes?”

“I want to build you a proper house someday. With two rooms. And a real glass window. And a porch you can sit on in the summer.”

She looked at him, surprised. “This cabin is fine.”

“This cabin is a box. You deserve more than a box.”

“I deserve you,” she said. “That’s all I need.”

He shook his head, but he was smiling. “I’m going to build it anyway. Just so I can watch you walk through the door.”