Chapter 10 - The Unbroken Horizon
The first true thaw of March came with a sudden, warm chinook wind that rushed down from the western peaks, turning the deep snowdrifts into rushing streams of crystal water that fed the lower creek bed.
The east pasture was clear of white by the second week, revealing the rich, dark earth ready for the spring turn. Down at the river crossing, the fifty cords of seasoned cedar had already been hauled away by the Laramie freight wagons, the bank mortgage was stamped Paid in Full in the county clerk's ledger, and Vance’s silent partner had formally withdrawn his claim on the watershed.
On a crisp Saturday morning, all seven young women were gathered outside the main ranch house. Mabel and Lena were loading a sturdy canvas-covered wagon with seed sacks and newly repaired harnesses, while Ruth and Susanna helped harness the bay team. They weren't runaways anymore, and they weren't captives of an auction yard. They were free women who had earned their wages, their independence, and their respect across the territory.
Two of them—Ruth and Mabel—had decided to take the Friday stage south to Laramie to open a small mercantile tailoring shop with the savings they'd earned from the winter logging contract. The others were staying on to help Silas manage the expanded homestead through the planting season.
Eda stood on the porch, wearing a sturdy canvas work skirt and a clean cotton blouse, watching the wagon wheel spin as Silas checked the axle grease.
He straightened up, wiping his hands on a rag, and walked up the steps to where Eda stood. He looked down at her, a quiet contentment in his eyes that had been foreign to him just two months ago.
"The stage is due at the crossroads in an hour," Silas said softly. "You sure you don't want to ride into town with Ruth and Mabel? Just to see how things look now that Hutchkins and Vance have backed off?"
Eda shook her head, looking out across the vast, greening valley where the cottonwood buds were just beginning to swell with life. "No. My place is right here."
Silas smiled, a genuine, unburdened expression that crinkled the corners of his eyes. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, smooth piece of polished river stone he'd picked up down by the creek, placing it gently into her palm.
"For the foundation," Silas said.
Eda closed her fingers around the warm stone, looking up into his steady gray eyes. "We're going to need a bigger cabin before next winter," she noted with a teasing glint in her eye. "Seven girls, a stubborn rancher, and half the county coming by for coffee isn't going to fit under one roof."
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"Then we'll build a bigger one," Silas said, sliding his arm around her waist and pulling her close against his side as they watched the wagon roll down the driveway toward the open road. "Together."
The morning sun crested the peaks, washing the entire valley in golden light, leaving the winter behind them and an unbroken horizon stretching out endlessly before their feet.
