Chaeyoung sat across from Mina at the breakfast table, watching her carefully. They had been living together for three weeks now, and in that time Mina had been the perfect wife in every way. She rose early every morning and cheerfully made Chaeyoung's breakfast and lunch to take with her when she couldn't get home. The house always smelled of lemon oil and wax, and she had made it a home. When they went to bed at night and she took her in her arms, she fulfilled her as no one could. But she still couldn't beat down the uncertainty that lingered at the fringes of her mind.

Mina had never said that she loved her. Hell, for that matter she'd never told Mina how she felt, either. Somehow she just couldn't seem to say the words that would reveal so much of herself.

"I got a letter from your father yesterday," the girl said, taking a drink of coffee.

"I know, he mentioned your letter in mine."

"Then you know that he wants me to sell cattle below the market price?"

"No. I didn't know that. But he'd done that with our neighbors before. He still comes out ahead, Chaeyoung, because he has saved the time and the trouble to go on the railhead."

"I don't want a handsout from him, Mina."

"Chaeyoung, that is not a handout. We are family. This is what families do. We help each other. If father needed you, wouldn't you be there for him?"

"Of course, but this is different. I have survived on my own since I was young. I can still do it."

"You are not alone, Chaeyoung. You have me."

Chaeyoung scooted her chair back and glared at Mina. "I don't know what it means to have a family, Mina. I don't know how to be what you want me to be!"

Mina felt the start of tears and was determined not to cry. She hurt so much for her wife; she didn't know how to show her love, and she didn't know how to trust and accept the hands of love and friendship that were being held out to her.

She just have to show her the way.

"My father reminded me in his letter that I should  talk to you about my inheritance. He sent the deeds and documents, and I thought perhaps you might want to go over them. I have no head for figures, Chaeyoung."

Chaeyoung expression was grim. "What holdings and what deeds are you talking about?"

"I have some properties under my name in Japan, but we should probably sell it since we will never live there. Dad says that someone has made a generous offer for it. I also own several thousand head of cattle, Chaeyoung. Father has looked after them for me. But I am sure he would like it if you took them off his hands."

Chaeyoung's voice was cold and without feelings. "Is there anything else you need to tell me about your holdings?"

Mina could hear the anger in her wife voice and didn't understand the reason for it. "I . . . my father says that I have five hundred thousand dollars in a bank in Osaka."

Chaeyoung shot to her feet, anger and indignation burning inside her. "I don't want your cattle, Mina, and I damned sure don't want your money.! You can do whatever you want with your property, it doesn't concern me.

"But I--"

"This conversation is over." Chaeyoung walked out of the room, grabbed her hat, and headed for the door. She had to clear her mind. She'd known that Mina had money, but she hadn't expected that Mina would ask her to handle all of it for her.

Mina tried to stay busy all day. She was still puzzled by Chaeyoung's reaction to her money. She must have known she had a vast holding; everyone else did.

She was making the bed when a heavy knock came at the door. Removing her apron, she went to answer it, thinking it might be Zed. She stepped back when she saw Jeongyeon standing there.

Neither of them spoke for a long moment. Then the visitor removed her hat and tucked her gloves into her belt. "May I come in, Mina?"

"Chaeyoung is not here."

"It's you I came to see."

Mina stepped back so she could enter. "I thought we had said everything we had to say back then."

Jeongyeon towered over Mina, her face set in a stone mask. "Why did you do it, Mina?"

"I assume you are asking why I married Chaeyoung?"

"Yes. You belonged to me. We just had a misunderstanding. I was going to let you stew for a little while, and then I thought we would settle everything between us."

"I'm sorry for what happened between us, Jeongyeon, but you didn't really love me, and you know it."

She advanced farther into the room. "How can you know how I feel about you?"

Mina wanted Jeongyeon to leave before Chaeyoung came home, so she didn't offer her a chair. "If you had cared about me, you would not behaved as you did that night."

"I'm sorry for that, and I always will be. I went to your room the next morning, but you had already left. My mother urged me to ride to your ranch and bring you back, but I thought I'd just give you a few weeks to think over our situation."

"Jeongyeon, it didn't take me a few weeks to think about it. I realized when I saw you that we didn't love each other."

Jeongyeon reached out and grabbed Mina, dragging her resisting body against Jeongyeon. "For years I have thought of nothing but you. I wanted you to be my wife. I wanted to spend my life with you. I don't care if you are married to Chaeyoung; you still belong to me!"

Mina struggled trying to push away the officer away, bu