"Oh, Lord," she said in a prayerful cry. Saying he had consumption was practically the same thing as saying he was dying and she knew it. When she was a small child, an aunt and uncle and 3 cousins had succumbed to it and the whole family had barely lasted a year before they were all in the arms of Jesus. Their house still stood in the valley. No one had wanted to live in it after that as if living in it would bring the same curse down on their heads. Superstition but who could blame a person for thinking that way.

He still looked downward. "I'd understand if you wanted to go through with the annulment." He was afraid. Afraid of her reaction and his eyes glistened as he tried to hold back the tears.

"What kind of woman do you think I am? Would you abandon me if I was the one sick?"

He looked up. "Of course not."

"Because you love me and made a vow to the Lord. The same vow I made 'in sickness or in health till death do us part.' I could die in childbirth, you know."

"Don't say that."

"I wouldn't be the first woman. We're all appointed a certain number of days. Ain't nothing that can be done about that but see that that those days are well spent living for God. I love you, you fool. Wild horses couldn't drag me from your side." As if to prove it, she threw her arms around him and latched on like she expected those wild horses any moment.

"It's not going to be an easy road," he warned even as he returned her embrace. "You might be happier if you went your own way. I don't want you to end up hating me because I'm holding you back from the work God's given you."

"This is where He's put me. Right here and it's where I want to be." She felt tears running down her cheeks. She pulled back enough so she could look him in the eyes. "And I'll have you know, Mr. Cole, that you can't see the future. All them stupid remedies might not have cured you, but God still can. You might live to be a 100."

"Then you better live to be a 103."

She laid her head back against his chest. "I'll have to. To look after you."

"I tell you a chaperone's work is never done," Señora Martinez, startling them. "I turn my back for a minute and you all are in each other's arms. This better mean you two are getting back together or I'm not going to be a very happy lady."

They both smiled at her. "That's what it means," Ruth answered. "Turns out this was all just a big misunderstanding."

"Huh, well, that's good then, but I can't wait to see you explain that misunderstanding to the judge." Despite her words, she returned their smile.

They'd almost forgotten about the waiting courtroom. As they followed Señora Martinez back to the church. She gave him a playful push that set him a little off balance.

"What was that for?" he asked with a chuckle.

"For the most miserable week of my life," she answered. There was a twinkle in her eyes as she said it because she was still too overjoyed to be too angry with him.

"I truly am sorry, darling," he said seriously. "I didn't mean any of them things I said. Well, hardly any of them, but I like noisy, bossy women."

She laughed. "I'm just glad it's behind us."

They set the waiting crowd abuzz with talk when they came around the corner because it didn't escape their notice that he and she were holding hands now.

When Sister Ruth told the judge she wanted the charges dropped, he didn't look too willing and the priest asked if she'd been threatened. She said she hadn't been and when she told him they had a baby on the way, he let her drop them without further argument.

Señor Martinez shook their hands, looking as pleased as his wife that they hadn't split up. He congratulated them on the coming baby.

A good chunk of Ruth's "divorce" money went towards court costs. After settling up, they were free to leave the church and did.

"Ya'll can go home now. The show's over. We're still married," Kid said snarkily to the crowd who waited more eagerly than ever.

Ruth fought to suppress a smile as the bewildered, non-English speaking crowd dispersed. "You know you really waited until the 11th hour to tell me what was actually wrong. What changed your mind?"

"You can thank Nitis. He was the one who talked sense to me."

"I will. Let's go tell him the good news."

Inside the one room house, they found a small wooden cross laying on the bench by the fire, but there was no sign of Nitis anywhere.

"Did you make this?" Ruth asked, picking it up.

"No. Nitis must have," he said, taking it from her for a closer look.

They looked for their Indian friend outside, but didn't find him there either. It was like he'd vanished from the face of the earth and he didn't return in the few more days they stayed in Tuscon.

"Do you think he was an angel? It would make sense in a way. Finding him out in the middle of nowhere, his knowing English, this cross, his sudden disappearance." Kid asked Ruth as they got ready to pull out.

"He was an answer to a prayer. I know that. Maybe he was just a man God used to help, but then isn't that what an angel mostly is, a servant of God?"

Only God knew when they have to say goodbye to each other on this side, but Kid thanked Him for each and every second he was given with Ruth. He put a hand over her stomach. And for the time he would have with their baby too, however long or short that turned out to be.

Present Day

"Can't a man have some privacy?" Kid groused.

"Not when he's got 4 women along and only 2 small rooms available. Them girls are cramped enough in there without adding a fourth, but I won't bite you. At least not unless you provoke me," she said, setting her Bible and small bag down on the nightstand.

Since they'd hit the mountains his cough had all but gone away, so he wasn't too worried about sharing a room with her for one night, but he'd been through this before. It was too good to last. It would only take one cough for her to figure out what this was all about.

"Rose still ain't feeling too well. She about fainted again coming up the stairs. We have to stop in Colorado Springs."

"We have to get to California is what we have to do. We ain't got time to be lollygagging."

"I ain't going another mile until you agree to stop and let her get looked at. Me and the girls'll handcuff ourselves to something if we have to. She can't show up to meet her future husband half dead."

"I'm on to you, lady. You just want to stop, so you can turn Dr. Mike against me. I know how women are."

"You don't know nothing. Why do you think everything's always about you? It ain't. It's about Rose."

"Fine, we'll go see Dr. Mike then, but you and the girls better be ready to go in the morning at 6:00 a.m. sharp. Take breakfast with you if you have to."

"My goodness," she said, unbuttoning her blouse. "You act like all you-know-what is going to break loose if we don't get there at a certain time. Them men have waited long enough for their brides; they can wait a little longer."

She'd gotten down to her underclothes and Kid was having a hard time looking her in the eye. Fortunately, she was too steamed to notice as she reached into her bag for her nightgown.

Gown on, she took down her hair. "Did I get all the pins out?" she asked, turning her back to him.

He was secretly glad for this opportunity. He took his time as he combed his fingers through her thick, wavy hair. Oh, how he wanted to saddle up behind her and just hold her. He had to make her mad again fast before he broke. "I see a few gray hairs."

"Well, no wonder," she said, turning back around. "I'm surprised you ain't made my whole head go gray."

"Well, you ain't exactly a spring chicken. I think that has more to do with it than me."

"Oh, Lord, do something," she muttered with a raised hand as she climbed into bed. "Send an angel if you have to. I've done all I can do with this man."

He had a feeling the words were as much for him as they were for the Lord or she wouldn't have prayed out loud. He was pushing her to the limit, but he echoed her prayer.

Kid had been out of hope since the doctor had told him that it was only a matter of time. He didn't expect a miracle or an angel to stop them from getting a divorce, but he wanted one.

He took care not to brush against her as he got into bed beside her. He'd enflamed his passions enough from touching her hair. Not that she was in a receiving mood.

"For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways," Ruth was quoting, her way of calming down was to recite scripture.

Would the Lord direct him the way he needed to go? Oh, he hoped so. How he hoped so. He saw a star shoot across the black night sky as if to say He intended to. Somehow Kid had a feeling Colorado Springs was just where he needed to be.

The End