"I'm well aware of that," he promises, as he swallows and then blinks rapidly to clear his vision, swallowing down the thick feeling in his throat before he offers her a bare hint of a smile. "Thank you."

For the chance to prove himself.

For the chance to hold her again.

For the fact that she didn't pull away.

For the fact that she came back.

He clears his throat quietly, then nods. "I reckon we got more t'talk about," he says quietly. "If you want to, of course. I should feed the horses and then maybe we can talk upstairs?"