I laughed softly. So do I. I heated water. She washed first and I followed afterward. That night we sat together at the kitchen table and ate a simple supper of bread, cheese, and a little wine.
We didn't need anything more. After a while, Seiya looked across the table at me. "What do we do now?" "What do you want to do?" she hesitated. "I want to stay here." Her eyes searched mine. "With you, if you still want me here, I reached across the table and took her hand.
Seiya, I choose you a thousand times over." I paused, "But there's something I need to ask you first. What? I stood from my chair. Then I lowered myself onto one knee in front of her. Her eyes widened.
Cade saya, I don't have gold. I swallowed and looked straight into her eyes. I don't have some great fortune hidden away. All I have is this ranch, my heart, and a promise that I'll love you for every day I have left. I drew a deep breath.
Will you marry me? Tears rolled down her cheeks. Yes, she whispered. Then her voice broke into a trembling laugh. Yes, Cade.
A thousand times. Yes. I stood and kissed her. And in that moment, I understood something with absolute certainty. I had already found the only treasure that truly mattered.
It wasn't gold. It was her. One month later, we were married. It was a small ceremony in town led by Pastor Elias Ward. WDE Mercer, one of my most trusted friends, stood beside me as the witness.
A handful of Red Mesa folks came as well. Some were there because they cared about us. Others came simply because they were curious to see a cowboy marry an Apache woman. Neither Seiya nor I cared what anyone thought. When Pastor Elias Ward finished the vows, he smiled.
You may kiss your bride. I kissed Seiya as though it might be the last kiss I would ever be given. She kissed me back with the same fierce tenderness. And for the first time in longer than she could remember, Seiya was completely free. She was no longer a captive.
She was no longer a map. She was my wife. She was simply Seiya. 5 years passed. Little by little, the ranch grew.
We bought more land, increased the herd, and built new fences across the property. We never became rich, but we had everything we needed to consider ourselves fortunate. And before long, we had two children. Our son, Eli Hollis, was 3 years old and had inherited his mother's deep, dark eyes. Our daughter, Ruth Hollis, was one.
According to Seiya, Ruth had my smile. One afternoon, I was sitting on the porch when Seiya came out of the house and settled beside me. Eli and Ruth were playing in front of us, chasing each other through the grass and laughing like there wasn't a worry anywhere in the world. What are you thinking about? Seiya asked.
Everything. How it all started. I nodded. The market, the map, the journey, that treasure. She looked toward the distant hills.