"What did you say?" Ruth asked, not quite sure she could believe her ears.

"You heard me. You and I are going to get married." He sounded as sure of it as he was that the sun the rose in the east and set in the west.

She would have laughed at the ridiculousness of it if he hadn't looked so serious about it. "We can't get married. You look like you've barely started shaving. How old are you anyway? 17?"

"18. I'll be 19 in a few months."

"I'm going to be 21 in 2 weeks," she said as if that settled it.

"You must have come over on the Mayflower then. Where's your rocking chair, mother?" he said teasingly. "The age difference doesn't bother me. Why should it bother you? People ain't going to know it just by looking at us."

"It's not just the age. There's a 100 reasons why we shouldn't be together."

"Really? I'd like to hear them all."

"Well, for starters there's the liquor and the women."

"I could give them both up if it meant having you."

"You say that, but it's easier said than done. Habits are hard to break and those are both powerful addictions."

"You underestimate my feelings for you and my willpower. What else do you think keeps us apart?"

"I couldn't share a life with somebody who didn't love God as much or more than I do. I belong to the Lord first and foremost. My husband would have to belong to Him too."

"I promise I'll attend church with you in the next town if that's what makes you happy."

"That's not enough. That wouldn't be turning to God. That would be going through the motions for my sake, which wouldn't be enough for me or for God. And the truth of the matter is, even if all these obstacles were removed, I'm just not looking to get married. The Bible says that the person who doesn't marry does better and is happier than the one who does because they only need to please the Lord and devote themselves to Him. That's what I want. To devote my life to the Lord and His work."

"The same passage also says it's better to marry than to burn with passion."

She was surprised by his knowledge of the Bible and annoyed that he'd implied that she did. "That's mighty presumptuous of you to think that I burn for you."

His eyes danced as if he knew he'd hit a nerve. "Yet, you don't deny it."

"Because it doesn't deserve a response. I've made it plain how I feel on the subject." He was certainly a handsome man. That she couldn't deny. His soulful, dark eyes had troubled her on more than one occasion, so much so that she knew it would be dangerous to look into them for very long. His face had character and he had character. There were many things about him to admire and respect. Still, she wouldn't be deterred from her life's purpose by a good-looking, godless man however tempting he proved to be. "So now that you know I haven't the inclination for love or marriage, what are you going to do? You going to head back to Santa Fe?"

"I'll wait," he said calmly like he hadn't heard a word she'd said.

"On what?" demanded the incensed Ruth.

"On you. I'd wait a lifetime if I had to."

She felt dangerously close to saying something not so godly. The man was beyond infuriating. "So your plan is to follow me around then like some kind of puppy?"

"More like a guard dog. I plan to make sure you don't get yourself killed before you see you were meant to be my bride."

Not trusting herself to say another word, she urged Carmel to move faster in an attempt to move ahead of him and away from this pointless conversation, which didn't happen after the long day the horse had put in.

"It's almost completely dark, Ruth. We better set up camp," he said, bringing his horse to a halt. "There's a suitable clearing over there."

"I can't spend the night with you," she said, the shock evident in her voice as she turned Carmel around to look him head-on.

"As much as I'd like to be with you, I promise to keep a respectful distance."

"It's not only that. What will people think of us, riding through the wilderness together alone, sharing the same campfire?"

"They'll think we're lovers," he said, giving her the honest answer. "Unless you tell them we're sister and brother, which you won't."

"Of course not. I couldn't lie. What kind of witness would that be?"

"Then they'll make up the lie for themselves. People want to think the worst. It makes life more exciting for them and makes them feel a little more righteous."

It was a true observation, and she knew it. "That's exactly why we can't travel together."

"I thought it didn't matter what anyone thinks except for the Lord, and He'll know no sin was committed."

"True, but we're commanded to abstain from all appearances of evil."

His head moved toward the trees. "There's wild animals out there like I've told you, and I know you're too stubborn to have gotten a gun. You need me with you."

As if on cue, a mountain lion screamed from somewhere in the distance, causing Ruth to stiffen as a chill of terror raced through her body. "Well, if you're so determined, I suppose it wouldn't hurt for a short while."

She got down from her horse first and he followed her lead. As night fell completely, the heat of the day was soon forgotten with such frigid air replacing it. Kid immediately set to work building a fire to keep them warm while Ruth got out the food and her bedroll. They ate the tasteless bread and jerky in silence.

After eating, he went over to the tethered horses. He gave a dry laugh when he saw them; they were huddling close together. "I'm glad at least our horses have hit it off. Maybe they've got the right idea about keeping warm."

"Don't even joke about such a thing," she said, not the least bit amused.

He pulled his guitar from his things. "Who's joking?"

"You play guitar?" she asked unable to hide her look of disbelief.

"Is that so astonishing?" he asked with a small smile.

"A little. I thought you were a rugged, gun slinging cowboy. A guitar don't exactly fit into your manly image, does it?"

"I think you'll find that past the hardened exterior, I have the soul of a poet."

"Where'd you learn to play?" she asked, not able to quell her curiosity about this new side of him.

"Nowhere. I taught myself," he told her as he settled back onto his own roll.

"Huh. Well, maybe you got the soul of a musician anyway," she said.

He smiled in return and after a quick strum to see if the strings were still in tune, he began to play, adding his voice to the chords.

"Love's eyes are so enchanting,
Bright, smiling, soft and granting,
Pulses play at every ray,
And hearts at every glance are panting.
Before the beamy eye of morn
We view the clouds of night receding;
So tender glances banish scorn,
For who can frown while Love is pleading?

Love's eyes are so enchanting,
No bandage can those eyes conceal,
Though bards in fabled tales rehearse it;
For if we wore a mask of steel,
Affection's ardent gaze would pierce it.
Love's eyes are so enchanting."

It was much better than his drunk warbling, and the depth of emotion in his voice and the lyrics made her feel warm despite the cold night air. She wasn't happy with herself for watching the way the firelight danced on his strong features or for falling under the spell of his song. It all painted entirely too romantic a scene that could cause a person to think they'd lost their heart. She was beginning to wish she had taken her chances with the mountain lion.

"I'm tired, Kid. I'm going to turn in if you don't mind." She immediately lay down and turned away from him, not even daring to take her hair down in front of him.

"Don't worry. I couldn't try anything during the night if I wanted to what with this fire between us." She could hear the smile in his voice.

He continued to play softly, adding only a hum to the tune. She had thought her first night of sleeping in the wilderness would be hard, but his baritone voice served to lull her into a heavy, peaceful sleep. She only hoped her heart wouldn't succumb to his offer of love as easily as she had to his music.