Elin wandered about the house. A small kitchen, but adequate. A cozy sitting room with a burgundy sofa. Two bedrooms and a good-sized storeroom. It was a nice little place.

But it wasn’t home.

She stopped at a window and looked out on the street. It was quiet, though she occasionally saw neighbors pass and had spoken to the older lady on one side and the young married woman on the other. She circled the rooms again and looked at the back yard. Two trees and patchy grass. No garden.

Joey watched her as he sat in the corner of the sitting room. Harry had not allowed him to bring his collection of rocks. Instead, he had bought some wooden toys for him. They didn’t hold his attention like his rocks had. Elin sat on the floor and played with him.

“Sam come?” he asked.

“No.”

“Gus come.”

“No.” They’d had this discussion several times over the past three days.

Elin hugged the boy. “We’ll be okay, you and I. Right?”

Joey nodded, though his eyes said otherwise.

Elin went to the kitchen to stare out at the back yard. Harry would come by in the evening and ask her to go for a walk. He said he liked to show off his future wife. He got the girl next door to stay with Joey. Seems he wasn’t so keen on showing off his son.

Questions circled her brain. She’d promised to be Harry’s wife before she left Norway. Did that obligate her to marry him? She’d come in search of belonging. Of importance. Would she find that in a marriage to Harry?

She wouldn’t. She didn’t even want to try. She wanted to go home. And if Sam was afraid to love her, to marry her, she would continue as they were—she’d be a housekeeper to Sam and Gus.

Better a housekeeper with those she loved than a wife to a man she neither loved nor respected.

Her only concern was Joey.

The rest of the afternoon, she rehearsed what she would say. She ate early, put Joey to bed early, and informed the girl next door that she wasn’t needed tonight. Then she waited.

The minutes ticked by and she alternated between determination and nervousness. But she would say what she must say.

Finally she heard his steps. He entered without knocking. And why not? It was his house.

“We need to talk.” She waved at the chair across the table from her.

“Talk? Okay.” He turned the chair and swung his leg over. “What do you have to say?”

“Harry, I know I promised to marry you. That’s why I came from Norway. But I’ve changed my mind.”

He laughed. “Then what do you plan on doing? I’m not paying rent on a house for you.”

“I’m going back to the ranch.”

His amusement fled. “If you think Sam will marry you, you are in for sad disappointment.”

“I know. But I don’t mind keeping house. I only ask one thing of you.”

He snorted. “Girl, I think you are out of luck at asking for favors.”

She faltered but she had to continue. “I want to keep Joey.”

“What? Why would you?”

“I love him.” She would not say more. Would not add that Harry obviously didn’t and probably never would.

Harry gave a dismissive shrug. “You’re welcome to him. What am I going to do with a kid?”

“Thank you.”

He got to his feet. “I guess this is it. I’d wish you all the best but you just turned it down. Rent is paid to the end of the month.” He left without a backward look.

The air wheezed from her. It was over. Now she had to get back to the ranch and convince Gus and Sam they needed her.

She smiled, the first real smile she’d had since Harry had brought her to town. She’d convinced them once before. She could do it again.

* * *

There was only one explanation as to why Harry’s horseshoe tie holder was where Sam had found it.

“He was involved in the rustling?” Sam said. “Why would he do that? He is half owner of the cattle.”

“I think you better ask him.” Gus slapped the table. “And to think he’s with Elin, wanting to marry her. The scoundrel. But then I’ve said from the first that she deserves better than him.”

“I’m going there right now.”

“Boy, it’s long past dark.”

Sam sighed. “Okay I’ll wait until light.”

It was not quite light the next morning when he rode from the ranch. Half an hour later, he reached town and stopped at the livery stables to ask what house Harry had rented.

He didn’t need to ask. Harry was there saddling up his horse.

Sam eyed the full saddlebags and bedroll. “You leaving again?”

“Yup.”

“What about Elin?”

Harry’s casual shrug made Sam want to grab him and shake him. “You’re leaving them?”

“You seem to like taking care of them.”

He caught Harry’s arm and turned him to face him. Sam held the horseshoe shape in his palm. “Look what I found out by the cattle. While I was looking for rustlers.”

Harry’s hand went to the tie he wore. “I wondered what happened to it.” He reached for it. “Thanks for finding it.”

Sam closed his hand before Harry could take the bit of silver. “Gus assures me you were wearing it when you rode out. You called it your lucky tie. Your lucky horseshoe.”

Harry’s laugh was short and bitter. “Guess I was wrong about that. I’ve had nothing but bad luck.”

“Stealing your own cows is not bad luck. It’s bad management. Harry, if you needed money you had every right to sell cows. Half yours, half mine.”

“I needed more than half the money I would get from selling those head. I needed it all. Figured I could leave you enough you wouldn’t suffer any.”

“Nice of you.” Sam couldn’t keep the sarcasm from his voice. “Someone could have been killed.” He touched the side of his head.

“No one was. Sam, the ranch is yours. I’m heading north. Maybe I can start over.” He swung into his saddle.

Sam caught the reins. “What about Elin and Joey?”

“They’re all yours.” He told Sam where to find them, then said good-bye and rode away.

Sam stared after him until he was out of sight. “I wish you all the best,” he murmured. After all, Morty had raised Sam. Harry had been like an older brother.

Then he rode toward the house where he’d find Elin and Joey. A wagon stood at the gate. Had she made other plans?

He would not let her go without confessing his feelings. He raced up the steps and barged through the open door. He looked around. Elin stared at him. A lad from the livery barn stared at him. Joey ran into his arms. “Sam come. Sam come.”

He hugged the boy. “What’s going on here?”

Elin turned to lad. “You can go. I’ll let you know when I need you.” The young fellow ducked out the door.

Elin folded her hands at her waist. “Harry and I are not getting married.”

“So he told me.”

“You saw him?”

“He was at the livery barn getting ready to ride north.”

“Oh.”

“Where are you going?”

Elin swallowed hard. “Home.”

It was his turn to say oh. “I hoped…”

“Sam, I am going back to the ranch. I will cook and clean for you and look after Joey.”

“He left Joey? Good. We’ll keep him.” He hugged the boy again. “Wait. You said home. I thought Norway. You’re coming back to the ranch?”

“Yes, I am.”

“Why?”

“Sam, if you don’t know, I’m not saying. I’ll let it be enough that I’m needed there.”

He contemplated her words for a moment. Was it possible she meant…? She had to know he wanted her. Not simply as a housekeeper. He would not let fear stop him from enjoying the beauty of what he felt.

He set Joey on the floor and closed the distance to Elin. He took her hands and drew them to his chest. “Elin, I don’t want you as a housekeeper.”

Hope and disappointment flashed through her eyes.

“I want you as my wife.”

Joy flooded her face but she waited.

“Elin, I love you. Please marry me.”

“Sam, you must know I love you. I will marry you and be the happiest woman on earth.”

He pulled her into his arms and kissed her. She hugged her arms around his shoulders and kissed him right back. The kiss might have lasted longer except Joey pushed between them.

Sam lifted him and together, he and Elin hugged the boy.