"So you heard everything, huh?" Ruth asked Nitis.

"Most of it. You talk a lot," he didn't say it condemningly as Kid had been doing lately but as if it simply amused him.

"Well, I normally don't ramble on that much or reveal that much of my private life. I reckon that'll teach me to make assumptions about people, won't it? Listen, about the baby."

"You want not for your husband to know," he said one step ahead of her.

"It's not what I want," she said, looking to the window where she could see Kid still talking to Señor Martinez oustide, no doubt discussing other divorce options. "It's what he wants." She looked back at Nitis. "Do you have a wife and children?"

"No children. Wife die some time ago. She gather brush for new house. Man find her, kill her. Take only scalp."

Ruth was horrified. "But a woman's scalp? He wouldn't get money for that, would he?"

"I think the Spanish care not as long as Apache dead. Maybe pay less if know but who know? Man and woman hair same."

"I'm so, so sorry. That is just so awful and terrible."

"Not as sorry as he is. I find him next day. I take his scalp before he get money."

Ruth couldn't agree with the act of vengeance, vengeance belonged to the Lord, but she did understand, especially when it was the only justice the man would've found this side of heaven, leaving him free to take more innocent lives.

"You not safe to be alone like wife was and young one need help too. I stay with you. Pay you for you taking care of me."

It would be hard to be alone. If it was just herself to worry about, she wouldn't mind so much, but she had another life to consider. Maybe it would be nice to have some added protection and help along as she continued with her revivals. After all, hadn't the missionaries in the New Testament often gone out in pairs. "I need time to pray about it."

He seemed to respect that.

"What happened to you when we found you?" she asked.

"I not see person."

"Well, at least you're safe now."

"You safe-"

He stopped talking when Kid came through the door and Kid didn't look pleased that they were having some sort of private discussion.

Nitis changed the line of conversation. "You eat?" he asked Ruth.

Had she ate? Everything blurred together lately. She had to think about it. She'd tried but then a wave of nausea had hit her. She was a little hungry now, but she didn't want to put him to any trouble. "I'll get something together for lunch here in a little bit."

"I get you good fruit. Good for woman."

He didn't say the rest with Kid there, but he meant good for a woman in her condition. She had to admit it was nice to have somebody fussing over her and the unborn baby. The way she thought Kid would have at one time.

"He likes you," Kid grumbled when Nitis was gone.

"Is that so hard to believe?"

"Did you tell him no when he asked to watch over you? I assume he asked."

"No, I might like a bit of company. I told him I needed time to think and pray about it."

She was bluffing, trying to make him jealous; she had to be. It was true Ruth saw only 2 kinds of people: those that were saved and those that needed to be, but most folks wouldn't give her the time of day if she had an Indian as a companion and a male one at that no matter how she saw Nitis. "He could still be untrustworthy, especially alone."

"Could be, but I don't think he is. He seems like a kind man to me. There are good and bad people everywhere and I think we've only heard half story regarding the Apache. Anyhow, he's got no complaint against us. And his name means friend. That's got to mean something cause I think they take great store by their names."

"Well, we'll see about that. You know I don't know if I like him roaming around in broad daylight, but I guess if anyone knows how to remain unseen it's an Indian. You don't think he'd go after anybody in town? He don't like the Spanish."

"One man against a whole town? I really doubt it and he seems like he's truly grateful for the help we gave him. He wouldn't repay us by going after the townspeople."

He trusted her judgment. "I've got to talk to you about the divorce. Are you sure you won't see a midwife?"

"Positive."

"I would've thought you would've wanted to take the honest way out, but I guess if you're going to be difficult that means it's back to adultery and they'll want proof of that too or anybody could get one."

"Well, go out and have an affair then," she said sarcastically.

"That's not what I mean. There might need to be some witnesses. Señor Martinez said he knows of some people."

"How about divorce on the basis of insanity? Do they grant those? I'll gladly testify that you're crazy."

"Cute."

"I'm not being cute. Do you hear yourself? This whole thing is crazy. Plumb crazy."

"Well, it might ease your mind to know it'll be private. The townspeople won't be able to sit in on it."

"That'll hardly keep it private. Not a scandal of this magnitude."

"And you'll have to sue if we're going the adultery route. You'll need to write up an informal piece on why you're suing for divorce."

"And this just keeps on getting better and better," she said, throwing her hands up in the air. She shook her head. "You're asking me to lie too. You know that, right?"

"I really don't see that we have a choice. Do you need help writing it?" He offered the last part a little more softly.

"No, I can think of plenty I want to say, thank you. Might as well try out the oven I worked so hard to clean or do I need to do it now?"

"Well, the judge ain't here yet, but the sooner the better."

"After lunch then." As she picked up the wood, only half paying attention to what she was doing because she was simmering from all the information he'd just fed her, she got a splinter in her finger. If she was a curser, now would've been the time and it did feel tempting because it was just one more thing not going right in her life, but she bit her tongue. She got one of her sewing needles. It was tricky using her left hand to dig it out since it was in her right ring finger and she wasn't having much success.

"Here, let me do it," Kid said. "In the daylight where I can see it good."

They both went over to the door and he cut in front of her instead of holding the door open for her. He'd lost his manners too apparently and that hurt because he would've given even a strange lady that much consideration.

But he did get the splinter out quickly and without much pain.

"Sore?" he asked.

She nodded crossly.

He brought her hand up higher blew on it and the warm air made her shut her eyes in want and then she felt as his lips touched the tender spot.

She shouldn't have let him do it probably, but it felt so nice. This was the husband she knew: compassionate, gentle. The stranger that was ready to bite her head off without any provocation was gone.

He turned her hand over and his lips grazed her knuckles and then the back of her hand.

They didn't even notice Señor Martinez come up. "Uh, the judge is here," he said, looking and sounding unsure of whether they wanted to know or not.

His statement was like a bucket of ice cold water though. Kid took a step back and Ruth pulled her hand away.

"Good," they both said at the same time.