She placed a third paper beside them. "Not all."
Matthew leaned forward. Rachel tapped a column with the pencil. "In September, freight was a dollar eighty on this shipment. November, two seventy-five."
"December, three forty. Flour itself rose, but not enough to explain this."
"The pass has been bad."
"I know."
"Then what are you saying?"
"That winter is expensive." Rachel paused. "And Holloway Basin is buying like winter isn't."
Matthew's eyes moved to the ledger. "We need supplies."
"Yes."
"You want me to stop feeding the men?"
"No."
His jaw set. "Then I don't understand the point."
Rachel felt the edge in his voice. She kept hers level. "The point is you're paying city prices for things you already have."
She pulled another paper toward him. "You bought dried beef twice last month."
"We were low."
"You have four sides smoked."
"We need those later."
"You bought potatoes while 40 pounds sat freezing under the pantry awning."
"I didn't know they were there."
"I know."
That landed harder than she meant it to. Matthew leaned back. The chair creaked under his weight.
Rachel set the pencil down. "I am not trying to embarrass you."
"Feels a little like it."
"All right."
She folded her hands. "Then let me say it another way. You're managing cattle, horses, pasture, payroll, fencing, winter losses, and 36 men."
"The cookhouse stopped being managed properly after Mr. Wallace left."
Matthew said nothing.
"So you paid invoices as they came."
"I paid what was needed."
"Most of it."
His eyes lifted. "What does that mean?"
Rachel reached beneath the ledger. "Six invoices."
She placed them in front of him. Matthew went still. He recognized them before touching them.
"Where did you get these?"
"Back cover."
"You went through my books."
"You handed me the ledger for food records."