The Mail Order Bride Arrived In A Snowstorm, The Cowboy Said “I’ve Been Waiting In The Cold For You”

Chapter 2

The storm raged all that night and through the next day, sealing Hollow Creek beneath a white silence. Grace spent the hours in a strange suspension — unpacking her few possessions, helping Mrs. Pemberton with small chores, and learning the town’s story from a woman who clearly loved to tell it.

Hollow Creek had grown up around the silver mines in the mountains, though the easy silver had mostly played out. About two hundred people called it home — miners, ranchers, merchants. Caleb kept the peace among them, settling disputes, dealing with claim jumpers and drifters passing through.

“He’s fair but firm,” Mrs. Pemberton said, watching the snow fall thick against the parlor windows. “Men respect that. And he’s not afraid to stand up to trouble, even when it would be easier to look the other way.”

Grace sensed a story behind those words, but Mrs. Pemberton did not elaborate, and Grace did not press. There would be time enough to learn her husband’s life. Instead, she thought about the life she had left behind.