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

Chapter 5

“We’ll head to the ranch once the weather clears,” Adam said. “Probably tomorrow morning, if this storm breaks. We can stay at the boarding house another night.”

But Rose shook her head.

“I’d rather go today, if we can manage it. I want to see my new home.”

Adam studied the sky. The snow had lessened to occasional flurries, and the wind had died down. It would be a cold ride, but manageable.

“All right. I’ll get the horses ready and buy supplies. Can you pack what you need?”

“I don’t have anything to pack,” Rose reminded him with a slight smile. “Everything I owned was lost or sold weeks ago.”

“Then we’ll get you what you need,” Adam said firmly.

He took her to the general store and watched as she selected practical items with careful, modest economy. A warm coat. Sturdy boots. Gloves. A few changes of clothes and personal necessities. She protested at the cost, but Adam silenced her with a look.

“You’re my wife now. Let me provide for you properly.”

The word wife seemed to settle something between them, making the arrangement feel more real. Rose touched the new coat like it was made of gold, running her fingers over the thick wool with something like wonder.

They left Montezuma at midday, riding double on Adam’s sturdy bay gelding, with a pack horse trailing behind carrying their supplies. Rose sat in front of Adam, and he kept one arm around her waist to steady her.

She was warm against him despite the cold, and he found himself acutely aware of every breath she took, every small movement she made.

The ride to the ranch took five hours through the snow-covered landscape. Adam pointed out landmarks as they traveled — the creek that never froze completely, the stand of aspen trees that turned gold in autumn, the ridge where he had once seen a mountain lion.

Rose listened intently, asking questions that showed she was already thinking of this land as her own.

The sun was setting when they finally crested the last hill, and Adam’s ranch came into view.

The house was a solid two-story structure built of logs and stone, with a wide porch and glass windows that were a luxury in this country. Behind it stood a barn, a stable, and several outbuildings. Fences marked off pastures where cattle stood in dark clusters against the snow.

“It’s beautiful,” Rose said softly.

“It’s home,” Adam replied. “Our home, now.”

He helped her down from the horse and led her to the front door. The inside of the house was cold, the stove having been out for days, but it was clean and well-built. Adam quickly got a fire going in both the kitchen stove and the fireplace in the main room while Rose explored.

The house had a large kitchen, a sitting room with the fireplace, a small study lined with bookshelves, and upstairs, three bedrooms. The master bedroom had a large bed frame and mattress, a wardrobe, and a window overlooking the eastern pastures. It had been his parents’ room once, and Adam had not slept in it since his mother’s death.

“This will be our room,” Adam said, setting Rose’s packages on the bed. “Unless you’d prefer one of the others.”

Rose looked at the big bed, then at him. “This one’s fine.”

There was a pause. She took a breath, steadying herself.

“But Adam, I need to be honest with you. I’m not ready for everything that usually comes with marriage. Not yet.”

Adam had been expecting this. “I understand. We can take our time. I’ll sleep in one of the other rooms until you’re comfortable with me.”

The relief in Rose’s eyes was obvious — but so was a hint of curiosity.

“You’re not angry.”

“Why would I be angry? I asked you to marry me yesterday. I can’t expect you to trust me completely after such a short time.” He held her gaze, gentle and sure. “Trust is earned, Rose. Not demanded.”

That night, they shared their first meal as husband and wife. Rose proved to be an excellent cook, turning the basic supplies in Adam’s pantry into a satisfying stew. They ate at the kitchen table, talking about practical matters — the ranch’s schedule, the cattle’s needs, the chickens Rose discovered in the henhouse who had somehow survived Adam’s neglect.

As the evening wore on, their conversation drifted to more personal things.

Adam told her about his parents — how they had built this ranch from nothing, how his father had died in a fall from a horse, and how his mother had followed a year later from a broken heart.