Abandoned at 19, She Met the West’s Richest Cowboy—And He Refused to Let Her Go
Chapter 7
The following spring, Ethan asked Clara to become ranch manager.
She agreed.
The ranch grew.
New cattle.
New workers.
New contracts.
Clara became known for her intelligence and determination.
People who had once underestimated her now came to her for advice.
She didn’t care about the recognition.
She cared about the ranch.
One afternoon, she found Ethan in the barn.
“You’ve been avoiding me.”
He smiled.
“Maybe.”
“Why?”
“I’m planning something.”
She frowned.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
She didn’t believe him.
That evening, Ethan took her horseback riding.
They rode to a hill overlooking the ranch.
The entire property stretched below them.
Clara stared.
“It’s beautiful.”
“Yes.”
“What are we doing here?”
“I wanted you to see something.”
He pulled a small box from his jacket.
Clara’s breath stopped.
“This isn’t…”
He opened it.
Inside was a simple ring.
“I don’t want to ask because you need security.”
She stared.
“I don’t want you to stay because you’re afraid of being alone.”
He took her hand.
“I want you to stay because you choose me.”
Her eyes filled with tears.
“Ethan…”
“I know we’ve both been hurt.”
“I know.”
“But I don’t want fear deciding what happens next.”
He knelt.
“Will you marry me?”
Clara covered her mouth.
“Yes.”
He stood.
She threw her arms around him.
They laughed.
They cried.
And for the first time, Clara realized something.
She had not been rescued by Ethan.
She had rebuilt herself.
He had simply given her room to do it.
The wedding was planned for summer.
But trouble returned.
A letter arrived from Daniel.
He had discovered that another developer was trying to acquire the ranch through a hidden partnership.
This time, the target wasn’t the water.
It was the land’s mineral rights.
The ranch sat above a valuable deposit.
Ethan’s entire inheritance could be worth ten times more than he knew.
But if they sold, the land could be destroyed.
Clara read the report.
“We need to protect it again.”
Ethan smiled.
“We will.”
