“Montana? That’s a long way.”
“It is. But I think it’s the perfect situation for you, don’t you?”
Steven stared at his sister. “I do. How did you know that was my dream?”
She smiled. “All of my brothers have had the same dream. And we both know, no woman around Beckham would marry a former member of the demon horde.”
He chuckled. “Being part of the demon horde is one of the most interesting things I’ve ever done.”
Elizabeth shook her head. “But now you have to rise above it, and you can’t do that here.”
“You’re right,” he said softly. “Maybe I should do this.”
“Ma and Pa won’t mind,” Elizabeth said softly. Most of their siblings were already married off and had been matched by Elizabeth.
“I want to think on it for a day or two. I’ll come into town on Friday evening, and we’ll talk. Does that work?”
Elizabeth nodded. “Though, I think you need to decide quickly or there won’t be much of a ranch left to go to.”
As Elizabeth drove away, Steven thought about how much he’d love to have his own place. A ranch where he could call the shots. Along with his wife, of course. It would be like he was a hero of old, riding in on a white steed and fixing all her troubles. And she’d be so grateful to him for his part in getting her out of hot water.
It seemed like the perfect life for a man like him. A man who needed to get away from his past and marry, starting a legacy of his own. And he’d have an easy time starting that legacy with Elaina waiting for him and helping him to run the ranch that was her inheritance.
The more he thought about it, the more he realized it was exactly what he wanted and needed from life. That evening he rode into town and talked to his sister, who suggested he leave immediately.
She gave him the address of the ranch, and he took it, looking at it almost reverently. He was going to live a life full of love. And he was going to do it while working for himself and building a cattle ranch into the biggest and most profitable place west of the Mississippi.
He left two days later, getting on a train that would get him to Montana and his future. His father could handle the work without him. It had been nice to have two sets of hands working toward family goals, but he knew his father didn’t truly need him. Not like Elaina did.
As he watched the world pass by his window on the train, he thought about how wonderful it was going to be to meet a woman who would immediately marry him, who knew nothing about the demon horde. Maybe people around Beckham looked down their noses at him and his entire family, but in Montana, no one would understand what he’d done to earn his reputation.
He was going to be a respectable rancher, and that was all there was to it. And he’d have a beautiful bride who would cook for him and keep the house clean while he dealt with the men. His life was going to be exactly what he needed it to be.
