Clyde was sleeping like a log. Ruth had been right about his not snoring, but the teeth grinding was driving Kid up the wall. Not only that, but the evening hadn't progressed any better though Ruth had tried to act as a buffer; her family just plain didn't like him despite his efforts to be polite and helpful.

He didn't think he'd ever get to sleep, but he must have fallen asleep at some point because a scream of laughter woke him up. From a quick glance he stole out the window, it looked to be about midmorning. Clyde was already up and gone.

He got up and smoothed his hair a bit. He had slept in his clothes, and despite its now wrinkled appearance, he went to find the source of the laughter instead of changing them.

The screams of laughter were coming from a little boy about 5 years old, who was curled up in a ball, as Ruth played a game of tickle monster with him.

"You're not going to leave again, are you, Aunt Ruth?" he asked when the tickles and laughter subsided. It was clear he adored his aunt and the thought she'd leave again troubled him.

"Sweetheart, I have to. It's my job to share Jesus and His healing touch with people, but if I could stay, I would."

He pouted. "Nobody else'll catch grasshoppers with me and there ain't even none to catch right now."

"Awww." She hugged him close to her and ruffled his hair. "I bet your little brother will catch grasshoppers with you as soon as he's able to."

"That'll be forever," he complained.

"Not as long as you think," she assured him. Then she saw Kid hanging in the doorway. "Good morning, honey," she said with smile that said how happy she was to see him.

She went over and rose on her tippy toes to kiss him on the cheek, despite her family's disapproving glares.

"You sleep like a city fellow," his father-in-law chided. "The sun's been up for hours."

He could have offered him excuses, but he could see he wouldn't accept any. He was just too bent on railroading him. "Sorry about that, sir."

He grunted in reply.

Ruth made introductions. "This is my other sister, Laura, and her husband Douglas."

Ruth's sister was a dark ash blonde with wide green eyes. She looked to be in her late 20s and her middle was rounded from pregnancy. She gave him a civil nod, her lips tight. It was clear the rest of the family had done made their opinions known to her.

Douglas, a slender man with thinning brown hair and brown eyes, looked neutral on the subject as did the golden-haired babe in his arms, but not about to go against his wife or in-laws in his favor.

"The baby is my nephew, Jacob. And this is my other little nephew. Danny, this is your Uncle Kid."

Ruth was by his side now instead of Danny's, meaning the little boy now had a tangible person to blame for his aunt's absence, and he cast such a sour, mean look his way with his bottom lip jutting out and his eyes squinted that he would have laughed if it hadn't been such a sorry situation. "He ain't my uncle," he said, folding his arms stubbornly.

"Yes, he is, Danny," his grandmother contradicted as she placed a hand on his small shoulder though she looked as if she wished she could say otherwise. "And you be respectful to him, you hear?"

Funny words considering none of his elders were being respectful. He could hardly blame the boy for picking up on that or for loving Ruth so much.

All the family was accounted for in the crowded room, but the door opened again with no knock and an elderly lady walked in. She would have been taller if she hadn't been hunched over by age. Her hair still had some black in it though it was heavily streaked with gray and the number of lines in her face hinted that she was probably in her 80s. He remembered Ruth had told him one of her grandmothers was still living and she'd talked about a whole host of aunts, uncles, and cousins. He groaned to think he'd only met her immediate family so far.

The old lady hugged her granddaughter. "Ain't you a sight for these sore, old eyes," she said with a Scottish lilt in her voice.

"Not as good a sight as you are to mine," Ruth returned.

"As happy as I am to see you, I came here with a reason in mind. Mrs. Norris is in need of some healing. I done all I can do for her, given all the remedies to her that I know of, but she's hanging onto life by a thread."

"I thought you retired from healing and midwiving, Granny?" Ruth commented, a sparkle in her eye.

"But folks ain't retired from getting sick and having babies. Your Aunt Bonnie's got the ague; she can't be midwiving or healing in that condition."

"Just let me get my cloak," Ruth said, going to retrieve the woolen garment.

"Momma, Ruth just got home and she's hardly had time to settle in," James said.

"Oh, hogwash, James. You just don't approve of the gift Ruth's been given."

James bowed his head, backing down, but Mary spoke up in his place, "The truth is, Mother Fiona, that we'd rather see Ruth settle down here and not go gallivanting off into danger chasing dreams that you filled her head with. If the Lord wants to heal somebody, He don't need Ruth to do it."

"He doesn't need us, no, but He wants to use us, so He can rain down His blessings on us and so we can know the joy of being part of His work. Ruth's learned that at a tender age; you should be proud of that. And beside that, Mrs. Norris is ailing powerful bad. You wouldn't let a good neighbor die because of your pigheadedness, would you?"

When she phrased it that way, there was no way they could argue.

"Could you use another pair of hands?" Kid asked hopefully.

"This is my husband, Kid Cole," Ruth said to answer the question on her grandmother's face.

The woman's dark blue eyes roved him over like she was gazing past his appearance into his soul. "I like him. He's got a good face," she said at last, having reached her conclusion. "Of course, you're welcome to come."

Kid smiled with gratefulness and relief. Finally, a family member that didn't hate him at first sight. He could have kissed her weathered cheeks.

Ruth's grandmother linked arms with her and patted her hand like she was still a child. "I knew you'd make a good choice when you got married," she said. "Now let's go see what we can do to save that good woman or more like what God can do."