Snow Fell as She Begged for Work, The Cowboy Said “I Need a Wife More Than a Worker”

Chapter 2

The words hung in the air between them like a struck bell. Rose’s coffee cup stopped halfway to her lips. Around them, the saloon had gone quiet again, every man straining to hear this unexpected development.

“Excuse me?” she said carefully.

Adam leaned forward, his forearms on the table. “I have a ranch. Good land, good water, a solid house. I can provide for a family. What I can’t do is keep living alone in a place that’s meant for more than one person. I’m tired of cooking my own meals. I’m tired of mending my own clothes. I’m tired of spending every evening with nothing but my own thoughts.”

He paused. When he spoke again, his voice was quieter, and for the first time, Rose heard something beneath the strength. Something raw and honest and almost vulnerable.

“I’m tired of being alone.”

Rose stared at him. “You’re proposing marriage. To a complete stranger. In a saloon.”

“I am.”