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

Chapter 9

Spring came slowly, reluctantly, fighting every inch of the way.

The snow melted in stages, revealing patches of brown earth that gradually spread like healing wounds. The creek swelled with runoff, and the first green shoots pushed through the thawing ground. The dogs, restless after months of confinement, spent their days racing through the mud, barking at squirrels and rolling in things they shouldn’t.

Margaret woke one morning to the sound of birds. She lay still, listening, letting the unfamiliar sound wash over her. She had been here for five months now. Five months in a cabin at the edge of the world, with a man who had taught her more about gentleness than all the smooth-talking city men combined.

She had changed. Her hands were calloused from hauling water and chopping vegetables and helping Elias stretch hides. Her skin was browned by the sun, which had finally begun to show its face more often. She was stronger. She was healthier.

She was happy.

It was a strange, fragile thing to admit. She hadn’t been happy in so long that she had forgotten what it felt like. It felt like warmth spreading through her chest. It felt like laughter that came easily. It felt like the way Elias looked at her across the table, like she was the most remarkable thing he had ever seen.

She began to explore the landscape around the cabin, learning the trails and the landmarks. Elias showed her which berries were safe to eat, how to read the weather in the clouds, where the creek pooled deep enough to fish. She learned to identify the call of a blue jay, the track of a deer, the scent of rain moving through the pines.

One afternoon, she found a patch of wildflowers growing in a clearing — tiny blue blossoms that had pushed through the rocky soil against all odds. She knelt and touched one gently, marveling at its persistence.

Elias found her there. “What are you doing?”

“Looking at flowers.”

He sat down beside her, his massive frame folding awkwardly onto the ground. “I never paid much attention to them before.”

“Maybe you weren’t looking.”

“Maybe I wasn’t.” He picked one of the flowers, carefully, and held it out to her. “Here.”

She took it, her fingers brushing his. “Thank you.”

He ducked his head, a flush creeping up his neck. “It’s just a flower.”

“It’s not just a flower.”

She found him outside, splitting logs for the summer woodpile later that week. He had shed his heavy winter coat, working in just a flannel shirt, his sleeves rolled up to reveal his forearms. The muscles in his back rippled as he swung the axe, and Margaret allowed herself a moment to simply watch him.

He sensed her presence and turned, a smile breaking across his face when he saw her. “Morning.”

“Morning.”

He set the axe down and walked over to her, wiping sweat from his brow. “You’re up early.”

“Couldn’t sleep. Too excited.”

“About what?”

She reached into the pocket of her apron and pulled out a small, folded piece of paper. “I wrote a letter to my sister. I haven’t spoken to her in six years. I told her about you. About this place. About everything.”

Elias’s expression softened. “That’s good, Margaret. That’s real good.”

“I told her I’m happy.” She looked up at him, her eyes bright. “I told her I found someone who makes me feel safe.”

He reached for her, pulling her gently against him. She fit perfectly in his arms, her head tucked under his chin, her hands resting on his chest.

“I’m glad you came,” he said, his voice rough. “I’m glad you answered those letters.”

“Me too.”

He pulled back, looking down at her with an expression she couldn’t quite read. “Margaret, I need to tell you something.”

“What?”

He took a breath. “I love you.”

The words hung in the air between them, simple and enormous.

She had never expected to hear those words again. She had never expected to believe them if she did. But looking up at Elias Thorne — this gentle giant who had been so afraid of his own strength, who had learned to talk to trees because there was no one else to listen, who had held her like she was precious and promised to protect her forever — she felt her heart crack open.

“I love you too,” she said.

And the smile that spread across his face was brighter than the spring sun.