Author's note: I know some of you are sensitive about animals. There is a brief mention of animal death. It is not graphic, but I thought you would want to be prepared.

JASON

Jason woke with a start, listening without breathing. Next to him, Laurie turned over with a sigh. He wrapped his arm around her and stiffened when he heard a low whistle, a tune he had heard from some of his loggers but couldn't put a name to it. Laurie shifted and said something unintelligible in her sleep. He stroked her hair, murmuring calm words, all the while aware his heart pounded so hard it could wake her.

Who is that?

Again the tune rang loud and clear in his ears. Laurie whimpered. Frowning, Jason dislodged himself from the tangle of their bodies and slipped out from between the covers. He threw his trousers on and grabbed his gun from the drawer in the nightstand.

There it is again.

With his boots in hand, Jason entered the night in his bare feet. He hurriedly stuffed his feet into them, cocked his gun, and crept to the side of the cabin to listen.

Nothing.

He swiftly moved forward, his eyes darting as he tried to find the source. There was a rustling in the bushes, followed by the sound of pounding feet against the dirt. Jason straightened and frowned at the darkness. Whoever it was had been for watching him. He stepped backward toward his cabin, turned, and froze.

The bedroom window was wide open, putting his wife on display as though she were on a stage. The skin on Laurie's back and shoulders glowed in the remaining candlelight, her hair splayed like molten gold over a pillow. The sheet silhouetted the rest of her form, clinging to her hips. All she had to do was roll over and she would be exposed. Whoever Jason had chased away had gotten quite the show.

Jason gritted his teeth and with a glare thrown over his shoulder into the dark, he quickened his steps back to the cabin and carefully closed the front door and dragged the table in front of it. After reinforcing the kitchen door as well, he went to the bedroom and closed the window and curtains, blew out the remaining candles, and tore off the scant amount of clothing he had tossed on before he climbed back into bed. Laurie moaned and snuggled up close to him, her head against his chest. Jason's fingers slowly caressed her back, her warm, silky skin a comfort to him. He stared into the night, the fingers on his other hand twitching toward the gun he had left on the nightstand.

Sleep didn't come for a long time.

LAURIE

It was difficult for Laurie to move. Jason had her pinned with one arm over her waist, and one thigh resting comfortably in between her own. During the night she had snuggled herself against him, her head nestled against his chest. His soft, wiry hair tickled her nose. She scratched it and listened to his heartbeat which, like his breathing, was steady and even.

Laurie traced a scar on his arm with her finger. It was safe to say she would never look at marriage the same. He had changed all of that for her. Not just their lovemaking, but all of it. All the kindness, careful listening, patience, and trust. It was still hard to believe she was a part of something that hadn't gone sour, no matter how much he learned about her. She wondered if she had finally learned how to do a relationship right.

Sister Agnes laughed and told her it was more than likely the man.

She squirmed a little and one of Jason's eyes peeked open. "Sorry," Laurie whispered. "I need to..."

Jason grunted, closed his eye, and rolling onto his back, settled back into the covers, one arm over his eyes. She scooted out of bed and grabbed her robe.

"Laurie," he said, not moving.

"Yes?"

"Don't empty the pots."

Laurie blinked, then shrugged. She entered the big room and stared at the table against the door. Deciding he must have had one of those fits of overprotectiveness that seemed to flare up now and then, she moved on to take care of her morning business.

After she washed, she opened the curtains in the kitchen to let in the early morning light and moved the table from the back door to its proper place. Guessing Jason had decided to be late for work, Laurie opted to pull out her pans and started a fire in the stove instead of getting dressed. She prepared their coffee and, tucking her hair behind her ears, mixed a batch of biscuit dough. After she threw it in the oven, she began frying four slabs of bacon and half a dozen eggs. She had them on a plate and had just checked on the biscuits when Jason wrapped his arms around her waist, pressing himself against her back.

"Smells good," he said, hugging her tight against him. "I thought you were coming back to bed."

"Oh. I didn't realize, um..." she muttered.

He brushed her hair out of the way and kissed her neck in slow, suggestive pecks, his hands sliding the robe off her shoulders. "You didn't what?" he asked, whispering in her ear.

"Hmm?"

Jason chuckled, and after he gave her a last kiss on her shoulder, he straightened to his full height, sliding her robe back in place. "I'll be back in a minute," he said and grabbed the two-chamber pots Laurie had left by the kitchen door.

"Jason, you don't have—" He shut the door with a bang. "—to do that." Within seconds she heard him curse. "Jason?" she called.

He poked his head back inside the door. "Uh, I'm sorry, darling. Everything's fine. Why don't you go get dressed and I'll be back in a moment."

"But breakfast will get cold—" He shut the door again, and Laurie chewed on the side of her cheek while she tried to understand him, and with a loud "Pfft," she gave up. Sometimes she just couldn't figure him out, but who was she to argue?

Thankfully Jason had moved the table back into its proper place in the big room, and Laurie hummed while she set the table. She pulled the biscuits out of the oven and went about her toilette, throwing on her brown dress and in the interest of brevity, braided her hair down the side. She pinched her cheeks and emerged, expecting to see him there.

No Jason.

Laurie went to the kitchen and opened the door. The chamber pots were on the tiny back porch, but he was nowhere to be seen. The porch looked newly scrubbed.

"Jason?" she called again.

Nothing.

She took the chamber pots inside and began to pace. It wasn't like Jason to let his meal go cold. Normally he devoured it with gusto. She took a bite of biscuit and winced. Cold. She took the food into the kitchen and scraped it into the skillet to put it in the oven to warm.

Where is he? Of all the scenarios she had played out in her mind that morning, this was not one she had considered.

After a half-hour, the front door opened and slammed shut. She rushed into the big room where her husband knelt in front of the door, boards and nails clustered around him.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"Huh? Oh. Ah... well, I decided we needed to be able to bar the door shut. Should have done that before I brought you here. I guess I've had a lot on my mind."

"Right now?"

He didn't look at her. Instead, he put a piece of wood up the wall and started hammering it in place.

"The food is in the oven," she told him.

"What?" he asked, slowing the hammer enough for him to hear her.

"Your breakfast? I put it in the oven. Do you want me to get it now?"

"Oh no, thank you, darling. I don't have time to eat." He started hammering on the nail again. Laurie watched him for a moment. She made an unladylike sound and marched into the kitchen to retrieve breakfast from the oven and reset the table. By the time she had finished bringing out the coffeepot, sugar, and cream as well, Jason had started on the other side of the door. She made him a steaming cup of coffee, adding just the right amount of creamer the way he liked it, and leaned against the door to wait for him to finish hammering.

"Thank you," he said, taking it from her, still kneeling.

Laurie studied him. He seemed preoccupied and not interested in her, which wasn't just surprising. She felt disappointed too. With folded arms and narrowed eyes, she asked him, "What happened?"

"Happened?"

Exasperation chipped away at her patience. "Yes. What happened? You got up and kissed me like... well, you know, and told me you expected me back in bed. The next thing I know, you're not hungry—you're always hungry—and building a barricade at our door. That's not normal."

"It's not?"

"Jason!"

"Oh, I'm sorry, Laurie. It's, well, it occurred to me last night that when I go to Olympia, you'll need to be safe, safer than you've ever been. And..." He slowly stood and shook his head.

"And?" she asked as she tapped her fingers on her hip.

He put his cup into his other hand so he could wrap his arm around her shoulders to pull her close. "And I realized how important that was to me."

Laurie frowned and met his eyes. They were almost grey, matching the overcast sky, and just as sharp as ever. "That's... sweet. I didn't know you were going to Olympia."

He kissed her nose and broke away.

"But that doesn't mean you should go without breakfast. You'll be famished by lunch."

Jason looked her over and shook his head. He escorted her to the table and after seating her, said a quick blessing on the food. Laurie picked up her fork and paused, watching him with wide eyes as he shoveled his food into his mouth without hardly taking a breath. Within a moment or two, he sopped up the last of his eggs with the remains of a biscuit and took a bite before noticing her watching him.

"What?" he said, sounding defensive. "You said I needed to eat. I ate."

"Um..." She looked away, chewing on the biscuit she had just taken a bite of, and brightened. "You've decided to see Richard then? About the Marshal's job?"

Jason's hand froze.

"Well, you did say you were going to Olympia."

He swallowed another bite and stabbed his last piece of bacon with his fork. "Well, I thought I'd see why he didn't bother with a reply."

"He might be out on assignment. He's been known to disappear for months."

"Well, that's one scenario that's crossed my mind." Jason took the last bite of his breakfast. As he chewed, he studied her. Suddenly he scooted his chair around the table to sit next to her and take her hand. He took a quick swig of coffee to force his food down and smiled shyly at her. "All my adult life, I have held on to a belief that if women were protected and taken care of, well, life would be simpler if you left out unnecessary details. You're teaching me how wrong I was."

"Wrong?"

"Mm. Laurie, I, uh, I need to tell you something, and I don't want to upset you, but I think it's time I trusted you like I want you to trust me."

Laurie felt her chest constrict and avoided his eyes by staring at his project on the floor.

"Laurie."

"I'm listening."

"Look at me."

She glanced up to see his piercing gaze on her. "What is it?"

"Last night, I heard someone. I went outside and while I didn't see them, I heard whoever it was leave. And..." He paused and looked down for a moment. "We left the window open last night. The person out there—"

Laurie's eye twitched. Memories of nearly being strangled, the pain in her head, the taste of blood in her mouth were as fresh as when they first happened. Memories she hadn't allowed herself to think about in some time.

Whoever was out there? Not him. Merciful Lord, don't let it be him.

"Yeah," he said softly, touching her face. "I'm angry about it too."

"Do you think, um... you said you didn't see them?"

"Could have been a kid, I suppose."

Laurie swallowed to make her voice come out casually. "Or that man we saw at camp?"

Jason shrugged, wrinkling the lines on his forehead. Laurie hugged her body, her mind in a whirlwind. How many times had she left that window open, especially at night when it got so hot...

"And now I'm leaving for Olympia."

"Do you have to go? Couldn't you send Joshua or Jeremy? I just think—I don't know how I feel about this." She winced at the sound of her voice, whiny and small. Not at all the way she wanted to feel. Not the way she had felt when she had awakened by his side, let alone moments ago.

"I know. I didn't want to say anything, but you need to understand how important it is to lock up at night."

"But why you? Why not your brothers?"

Jason shifted his weight onto his other leg and hung his head. "Because I'm the only one that can get the loan. Normally I could send a note with Joshua, but this time I've already overextended ourselves. It's going to take some fancy talking. I can do it, I don't want you to worry, but it has to be me."

"What loan?"

"The loan we need to keep our business operating. Darling, I'm sorry. Your husband is broke."

The house settled into a stifling silence while they both avoided looking at each other. Laurie got up and walked to the door to run her hand across the smooth board he intended to secure it with. She rose her gaze to meet his.

"How?"

"How what?"

"How are you broke? It's not like you haven't been working hard."

"Oh, a combination of things. Slow workers, penalty clauses, the flume... all of it. I need a loan to keep the operation going or..." He squinted his eyes and scratched the back of his head. "Or we'll lose the mountain."

"Your father's mountain."

"Yeah."

Laurie closed her eyes. Of all the things she had learned about her husband, the thing that stood out the most was how cherished he held the memory of his parents. His father's legacy was everything to him, next to his brothers. And me, she realized. She opened her eyes and whispered, "The whole thing?"

Jason gave her a rue smile while scratching his head before answering, "The Bolt brothers don't do anything halfway."

Laurie felt her insides constrict. She hadn't thought about being poor since she left Louisiana, but now the memories swirled in a tornadic jumble with the man in the mask and Sherman's hatred: Sherman's torture after Grace's death; scouring the fields for leftover root vegetables; Big Sam killing the two Johnny Rebs for stealing their chickens; the putrid ship's cabin that she, Doreen and Jenny almost died in; the fire in San Francisco; the man in the mask trying to strangle her on the ship. It wasn't until Jason touched her that she remembered where she was.

"I'm sorry," he said again, his voice as sad as his face was long. He looked at her hands picking at each other and grabbed them both, tenderly kissing her palms. "Honestly, we should have been fine."

"And here I cost you so much."

"Darling, you didn't cost me anything. Not really."

"Yes, I did. You built this house!" she insisted, her voice rising. "And you had our bed, armoire, and all this made," she said, gesturing to the furniture in the room. Her hands were agitated as her eyes flitted around the room. "Oh, my word, the tub! The stove! And I bought that gown, and—"

"Now cut that out!" he said, grabbing her wrists and holding firm. "Do you hear me? Stop! Stop it now!"

"Hannah said..."

"Forget what she said. It was nonsense."

"Your financial ruin. That's what you said. Yours and Seattle's!"

"I was an idiot. A blasted jackass."

"But it's so much!"

"I don't care!" he said, giving her a little shake. "I would have... I don't have a single regret, do you hear? Not one!"

Laurie hiccuped. She felt so ashamed. "But how can you—?"

"Because I like where we are, and this house, that gown, everything, Laurie. If it had a part in how we feel about each other now, I'm glad I spent it." Jason paused, letting them both breathe a few seconds before continuing. "I don't think last night would have happened in the old cabin. I could be wrong, but I don't think we would have found our way to that intimate place living with my brothers. And that's fine."

"Is it?"

Jason cupped her chin in his hand and said with soft eyes, quoting a bible verse they had discussed the week before. "Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh."

"But you don't have a mother or father," she said, the fire in her protests somewhat diminished. "Not anymore."

"I'm sure God never meant for a man to stay with his brothers either. Not when he has a woman in his life."

"Well, you might tear each other apart," she teased.

"Not exactly the romantic setting we needed, was it?" Jason whispered back with a short kiss.

"I—"

His lips claimed hers in a long, fervent kiss. She tasted his morning coffee on his lips and exhaled a little sigh when he pulled away. She could tell by the smug expression he wore she must have stars in her eyes.

"I don't want you to worry. I'll get this loan, and everything is going to be just fine." He kissed her quickly and backed away to the table, took another sip of coffee, and grabbed his hammer.

Laurie licked her lips and grazed her bottom lip with her teeth. Money? She had money, or rather Jason did, by all legal accounts. She hadn't thought about the money in San Francisco in a while, and as she watched him walk toward the kitchen, her stomach threatened to twist into knots.

"You have money," Laurie blurted, her hands twisting in front of her.

"What?" he asked, turning in the doorway.

"What I mean is, I gave some friends most of my savings before I left San Francisco. Richard confiscated the rest of it before I left."

Jason shook his head. "Darling..."

"And by law, that money became yours the day we were married."

Jason stood with one hand on his hip, the other grasping the hammer while he scratched his morning whiskers. Sunlight streamed through the curtains, evidence of the cloud cover passing. Jason smiled sadly, and his voice showed he didn't believe any amount she had would make much difference when he asked, "Just how much money?"

"About three thousand dollars."

JASON

Jason openly gaped at his wife. If she hadn't said it so timidly, as though she were frightened of confessing, he probably wouldn't have believed her. She might as well have said she owned a genie lamp or stumbled upon some buried treasure. As it was, she was tearing at her hands as though they pained her, just as she did every time they talked about something she found upsetting.

"Could you say that again?"

Laurie raked her teeth across her lips and took a step toward him. "I know... I, I know I should have told you before—"

"How much did you say?"

"Three thousand dollars. Minimum."

The hammer slipped out of his hand, making a thud against the floor. "Three—three thousand? Are you sure you don't mean three hundred?"

"No," she said, sounding irritated. "I know how much money I have. Well, I mean, that's how much I know I have. There is a bit more elsewhere—"

"Where did you get three thousand dollars?"

She fiddled with her sleeve, looking at him with shyness. "It started with all the performing. I sang until my brother put me in the asylum—well, you know. Richard found what little I had in the bank and used it for that."

"That sounds like him."

"Plus, there were patrons. Some of them gave us things. Necklaces, rings, and such, but I couldn't wear them. I couldn't show favorites, because one might claim me, and then..."

"Yeah," Jason said dryly, picking the hammer up. With it clasped in his fist, he shifted to put both hands on his hips. "I understand."

"We weren't allowed to send the gifts back, you never knew who would cause a scandal, and that would cause problems for the opera house. So, I asked Kenna what she thought I should do."

He raised an eyebrow.

"Well, she worked at Maguire's too. That's how I was able to get a job with them."

Jason shook his head. How Laurie went from a proper Southern wife to an opera house singer was beginning to make sense.

"Anyway, she told me about a man who could sell them for me, and my banker got me in touch with a man who taught me how to invest my money... and I helped a few people and they paid me back... Oh, I don't know. One investment led to another and before long I had a lot of money, and after the fire at Maguire's, I got nervous and took most of it out of the bank and gave it to friends to hold for me. When Richard took me away, I told them I'd send for it when I was settled. I never got the chance to collect."

"And you weren't spending it."

She gave him a sharp look and took a deep breath. "I think I've proven I can spend it, Jason."

"That's different," he insisted. "You've been establishing our home." She peeped at him through her eyelashes, like a child waiting to be scolded. He took a step forward, pausing when understanding hit. "You weren't going to tell me about it."

She shook her head vigorously. "No, that's not true. I intended to, but it never came up, and later... honestly, I forgot."

Jason's eyebrows flew up, along with his voice. "How could you forget about three thousand dollars?"

He was immediately sorry. She flinched as though he had hit her. "I wasn't thinking about money," she whispered. "I was thinking about you."

Jason said a few choice words under his breath and stared hard at Laurie. "I can't take that, darling. It's your money. I don't need—"

"Yes, you do. And a lot of your unexpected expenses this year came from an unexpected wife. Me. Think of it as, as a dowry."

Jason thought of the visit his uncle had made from Scotland the prior year. Uncle Duncan had told Candy she couldn't marry Jeremy because she didn't have a dowry. It had seemed ridiculous to him and his brothers, but to his uncle, it was important until they had banished the "head of the clan" notion, and still, he had insisted on giving Candy a family heirloom, a jeweled brooch, to bring back to the family as a compromise.

He shrewdly peered through an eye at Laurie. She seemed to care for those old Scottish traditions, just like his uncle. "Is that important to you? To come with a dowry?"

"A little. It beats an umbrella, doesn't it?"

Jason wanted to laugh, thinking of the wedding gift from her brother, but it wasn't funny. Not to her. He walked the rest of the way to her and said, "You could have told me when we were first married."

"I didn't know you when we were first married."

"That's very true." He could only imagine the terror she must have felt when her brother had signed her life away to a stranger. He watched her nod with a pitiful shrug. How hard all of this had been for her! Hard for them both, really, but everything she had to give up, everything she had to change? What adjustments had he made? Nearly bankrupted them and built a cabin. But beyond that, not much in his life was different other than having a wife, and that was turning out just fine. He sighed. It wasn't the first time he'd had such thoughts, but he seemed short on memory these days.

"So who has the money?"

Laurie pulled her hands apart and rubbed them against her skirt. Another one of her tells. "Well, the bulk of it is with my friend, Doreen. She's the one that came with me from Louisiana."

"I remember."

"She's living with Kenna and Jenny in San Francisco. At least she was when I left. But I haven't been gone long enough for that to have changed."

Her voice sounded troubled, and Jason didn't resist the urge that swept over him. He closed the distance between them to engulf her in a hard hug. It was hard to accept help, a man provided for his family, not a woman. But if it kept her happy, and it kept them from losing the mountain, so be it.

He released her and said, "Send a wire, tell her we're coming."

"We're coming? No, no... I can't go back."

"Why not?"

"Because I just—I just can't."

He folded his arms, waiting.

"Jason..."

"Darling, I don't see any reason why we shouldn't enjoy a nice trip to San Francisco. We could make it a honeymoon."

He watched her war with herself in her mind. Maybe someday all her secrets would be out in the open, and they could die with the exposure. It was hell getting to that point, though.

"I..." Her shoulders slumped in defeat. "If I go back, they might lock me away again."

"What makes you say that?"

"Well, people are still mad about the fire. I had made a friend, and she died in the fire."

"But what does that have to do with anything?"

"Some think I killed her on purpose. Some said it was murder, and others thought it was an accident. By the time Richard got involved, the newspapers had people all... Well, it was a terrible scandal. It almost closed the opera house. So after Richard had the judge put me in the asylum, I didn't argue with him to go home to Scotland. No one wanted me there, anyway."

"Except he wasn't taking you home."

She nodded.

Jason quietly observed her trembling body. She was no killer. The thought of Laurie committing cold-blooded murder was ridiculous. "Was it an accident?"

"I'm not sure."

"How can you not be sure? What exactly happened?"

"Does it matter?! I can't go back. Not so soon. Please, Jason!"

"Laurie, I'm trying to understand, but you're not giving me much here."

"Oh, Jason. Must we? Can't we just leave it in the past? Haven't I told you enough? I can't bear it. I just... I like things the way they are. Please! It has nothing to do with us now. Nothing to do with living in Seattle."

Her eyes were wide, and her chin trembled. Jason recognized his imminent defeat. If he was going to go to San Francisco, there wasn't time to press her, and the way she looked at him, he didn't think she could handle much pressure at that. At the party, Clancey had mentioned shoving off at high tide the following evening, and if he was going to get there and back before they lost their workforce, he would need to be on the old tub when she set sail. Whatever Jason's misgivings were, there was too much to do without second-guessing, let alone arguing irrational fears from the past. And he wouldn't force her. That would make him no better than her brother. As for her staying behind, he'd make sure Joshua and Jeremy watched over her.

"All right. I don't like it, but I understand. Will you send the wire to let your friends know I'm coming?"

"Yes. I'll send it to Doreen. I doubt Kenna will be around much, she's so busy these days." She said with an odd note to her voice. "But I know you'll like Doreen. She's a wonderful person."

He kissed her on the cheek. "I'll talk to Clancey, and I have to let my brothers know the change of plans. And I've got to finish with that door and reinforce the one to the kitchen," he added darkly, the memory of tripping over the carcass of a dog that morning, a sign tied around its neck lying where she would have tripped over it had he not decided to have a look around the cabin.

There was no question who the message was for. No one would have written such a foul word with him in mind. Jackass, maybe, he'd called himself that often enough, but no, this message was for her. He could only guess whoever had left it there knew Laurie usually emptied the chamberpots first thing in the morning. Which meant someone had been keeping a close eye on them. The thought ran Jason's blood cold. He shook his head. He must be out of his mind, leaving like this.

"I'll have Josh come stay with you while I'm gone. I can put a cot in here and—" He quit talking when he realized she was staring at him as if he'd offered to sell her soul. "What?! I can't just leave you here on your own!"

"Why not?" she demanded. "It's not like you've been here every night since we've been married."

"Darling—"

"And I don't think—"

"Things are different now, all right? They're just different, and I have to know you're taken care of before I leave, or else."

"Or else what?"

He threw his shoulders back and drew himself to full height, towering over her. "Or else I'm going to Olympia and getting a loan. I can leave early in the morning before dawn and be back by the end of the day. San Francisco, if the weather is good, is at least a two-week-long trip. And that's including Clancey staying mostly sober."

"But I don't see why it's any different now. Because of last night?"

He supposed she would think that marital relations would bring out a more protective streak in him. Who knew? It was possible. But he preferred to think had he known someone was habitually watching her, someone with evil in their intent, he would have been just as concerned as he was now.

"Because if anything were to happen to you and I hadn't done everything I could to prevent it—oh, why tempt fate?! Besides, I'm your husband, and I'm telling you, someone has got to watch over you!"

"But people will talk!"

"Not about my brothers," he said with a vehement shake of his head. "No one is going to think anything about them taking care of you while I'm gone."

"Staying overnight?"

"It'll be fine. If you're that worried about it, Candy or Molly can sleep with you. Make it a long, drawn-out party until I get back."

"Jason."

"What?"

She started at his clipped tone. She cocked her head to one side as if considering something and giggled.

"Something's funny?"

"You really care."

He shifted and crossed his arms, smashing his lips together. She giggled harder, covering her mouth with her hand until she said, "All right, husband." She used the word as though it were an endearment. "All right. I'll do whatever makes you happy. Just... just go."

"I won't have to worry about you?" Not that I won't.

She smiled and strangely for a woman who knew she was in danger, calmly shook her head. "Not a stitch. Let me get things ready for you here."

"But that wire...?"

"Oh, I already forgot. Um, let me get my wrap." With a slight groan toward the dishes still on the table, she disappeared into the bedroom.

He grabbed a few of her biscuits off her plate and put them into a bandana, hoping to coax her to eat more on the way to town. He moved the dishes to the kitchen and waited for her by the door, thinking things out. He needed to arrange passage with Clancey, check with Jeremy and Joshua about the flume, and finish securing the house for Laurie all before evening. He would tell his brothers about the dog so they'd understand. He'd tell Aaron too, just in case something came up. Aaron knew how to keep things quiet. If only he didn't have to be gone so long! He still might change his mind and go to Olympia. Going to San Francisco meant they would have to pay their men with scrip until he got back. But three thousand interest-free dollars was far better than a thousand with interest, and it gave her a stake in the mountain, something she hadn't had before. It might help her grow some deeper roots with him, and that couldn't be a bad thing.

Dear God, let her want to be a part of it.

She came back out with a thin shawl around her shoulders, and he took a moment to study her. Her skin was bright, her hair braided neatly to the side, tied with a blue bow that matched the embroidered flowers in her brown dress. He stood a little taller.

"You're wearing your wedding dress."

"I didn't think you had noticed," she said, a little breathless with a pretty blush about her cheeks.

He opened the door and led her outside with a grin, unsure of the feeling that settled in his chest.

"I did."