The Mountain Cowboy Appeared Once Every Winter—Until One Woman Followed Him Home
Chapter 11
Spring arrived slowly.
Snow melted from the mountain roads.
Green appeared beneath the trees.
Anna returned to her store.
The windows were repaired.
The counter was replaced.
But she kept one thing.
The old account book.
She found it months later inside a merchant’s abandoned wagon.
Someone had hidden it there.
Inside were her father’s final notes.
The last page contained only one sentence.
“Elias Ward will protect her until she learns she can protect herself.”
Anna read it three times.
Then she cried.
Not because of grief alone.
Because she finally understood.
Her father had known Elias loved her.
Perhaps he had known before either of them did.
That evening, Anna rode toward the mountains.
Elias was outside the cabin splitting wood.
He looked up.
“You came.”
“I did.”
“Why?”
She dismounted.
“I have a question.”
His shoulders relaxed.
“That sounds dangerous.”
She smiled.
“Will you court me?”
The axe slipped from his hand.
“What?”
“You heard me.”
“I thought…”
“What?”
“I thought you might regret the winter.”
“I don’t.”
He stared at her.
“I don’t know how to court a woman.”
“Then learn.”
“What if I’m terrible at it?”
“You already are.”
He laughed.
Anna walked closer.
“But I’m willing to give you time.”
He took her hand.
“I can give you time.”
