Kid and Ruth were huddled under the covers not eager to get up and start the day because of the bone-freezing cold.

"Do you want children?" Ruth asked seemingly out of the blue as far as Kid was concerned. She reached up and stroked his rough, stubbly cheek with the back of her hand. It was a subject they'd never discussed between themselves.

He took her hand and kissed the back of it. "I didn't think I did. Didn't think I wanted to get married either, but with you—" his sentence hung unfinished as his eyes suddenly became as big as saucers and he sat up. "Are—are you with child?"

"No, no," she said with a firm shake of her head. "Laura's new baby got me thinking about the future is all."

"He is a cute little fellow." He relaxed and laid back down. "The answer's yes. I want to have a baby with you."

She smiled with relief and then asked, "If I did become pregnant, what would we do?"

"Hunker down at the first town we come to with a doctor. We ain't going to be out in the middle of nowhere when you have it. Too many women die from it." He pulled her closer as if he was trying to keep her with him always.

"What about after the baby's here? Would you get restless if we got a house somewhere? Would you rather keep traveling like we been doing?"

"I want to do what you want to do," he said right away.

"That's no kind of answer," she said with a laugh. "You need to be happy too."

"I ain't saying I don't like being on the move cause I do and that's what is safest for me to do out west where they know me too well, but I could settle down if that's what you wanted to do. You make me happy. You're my home."

"And I want to do whatever God would have us do. I reckon we'll pray about it when the time comes." She noticed the sudden, big smile he was giving her. "What are you smiling at?"

His smile got even wider. "Just thinking about how much I'd love a baby that looks like you."

"Well, I hope he looks like you. I can just see him now running around on two chubby legs with a shock of black hair and big brown eyes."

"You know this imaginary son of ours isn't going to get here unless we work on the situation, don't you?"

"The sun's already up," she said, glancing out what window wasn't being blocked by the dresser.

He looked at his watch. "It's still early yet. Is there some kind of unwritten rule I don't know about that says the sun can't be up? Because if there is, I won't tell if you don't," he said with a mischievous grin.

She laughed and encircled her arms around him, pulling him on top of her. "It is for as good a reason as any."

"And the best reason of all is I love you." His expression was intense and his mouth covered hers in an even more intense kiss.

"And I love you," she returned in loving tones between kisses.

sss

They were the last ones getting to the table. Everyone looked sober and anxious. Ruth flushed, hoping none of them guessed the reason for their lateness.

"Your horse is gone," James informed her without ceremony.

"What do you mean she's gone?" Ruth asked.

"Kid's horse is there," Robert explained, "But when I went out to feed them yours wasn't."

"I would say it was a thief passing through after horseflesh," James said, "but no offense Ruthie, a horse thief wouldn't pass up Kid's horse and take yours."

"No, he wouldn't," Ruth agreed. "At least Anna's in the clear. Even if she somehow escaped the room, how and where would she hide a horse?"

Clyde went to tell Anna she was free to join them.

"I'm sorry I thought it was you," Kid apologized to her when they got back.

"It's okay. It did look bad. If I didn't know any better, I'd've thought it was me too," Anna said.

Kid was surprised as she'd obviously done some maturing and thinking while she was confined to her room.

Her family offered her a round of apologies as well.

"Maybe we can spot some tracks after breakfast," Robert said. "Find the horse and who's got it."

"I hope so. Sure you ain't got her stuffed in your wardrobe," Ruth kidded Anna though she was plainly heavyhearted over the missing horse.

"I wish I did. I'll help you look for it," Anna promised.

Ruth pushed her bowl of cornmeal mush and tomato slices back, having no appetite. "Thanks. I think I'm going to look for her now."

"Honey, can't you eat first?" Mary asked.

"I'll eat after I find her, Momma," Ruth promised. "Ya'll eat though."

Kid, knowing how she felt about Carmel, brought her into a comforting hug as soon as they were in the living room together.

"You think he's going to kill her?" she whispered against his chest.

"I don't know," he answered honestly. He was thankful that all he had was the horse and not his wife, assuming it was Samuel. "But I do know this has gone too far," he said as he rubbed her back in soothing circles. "I was going to try and smoke our suspect out, but I'm going down there and try some intimidation instead. I've found that works best."

She pulled away and her eyes pleaded with his. "It's not worth shooting him over."

"I never shoot a man that doesn't draw on me first. You go finish breakfast with your family while I get your horse, and whatever you do, don't leave this house alone."

"Why don't you take your own advice?"

"Too much to explain to them and they're not likely to believe me after I was on the wrong track with Anna."

He left the house with such a grim, hard expression that it almost made Ruth pity Samuel. She only prayed Samuel had no cohorts and was in this alone. She beseeched God for both of the men and for the situation to work itself out. She prayed for Carmel too before she rejoined her family.