For two weeks, Marta had been watching for the return of Royce. He and Nathan had returned early Sunday morning and immediately grabbed gear for an extended search through the high country. They’d followed the tracks of the cattle and rustlers up the mountain until the grass and trees became scarce and the rocks made tracking more difficult. The two men had decided that the only way to figure out where the rustlers were taking the cattle was to search the whole peak and surrounding areas; they were getting supplies and gear for an extended stay in the High Lonesome. Royce agreed with Nathan that the rustlers must have found a hidden valley to graze the cattle because they weren’t taking enough at any one time to be running them to a buyer. While Marta hated the thought of Royce being gone for so long, she knew that if they could catch these rustlers, life at the ranch would return to normal. She knew Nathan was anxious to find the rustlers and missing cattle before he had to head back to his own ranch in New Mexico.
She missed her husband. They had finally broken through the walls that were separating them. She had been sure that Royce would make her his wife in every way if they hadn’t been split by the needs of the ranching community in Creede. While part of her once again felt like she wasn’t an important part of someone's life, she did admire that her husband took his responsibilities to his neighbors as seriously as scripture told him to. There was no denying that Royce Clark loved his neighbors as he loved himself. Now if he’d just get home and love his wife the same way, she’d be thrilled.
She heard the sound of horses coming up the trail. If it wasn’t Royce and Nathan returning, then it was trouble. She quickly dressed and grabbed the rifle from its pegs. Unlike the first time she’d taken the gun in hand, she now knew how to use it. Grace Ryder had taken it upon herself to teach Marta the things she thought every woman in the west should know. Marta could now load and shoot the rifle, a shotgun, and even a small revolver. Grace had gifted her with a set of throwing knives, had taught her how to use them, and where to hide them on her person so she was always prepared to defend herself. She still remembered when Grace had told her, “Next time someone tries to grab you and shove you in a root cellar, you’ll be ready for them.”
She stepped out on the porch and leaned the rifle against the wall as she saw her husband and Marshal Ryder dismount in front of the ranch house. They had six men tied to horses between them. Marta raced down the stairs and threw herself into Royce's arms. “Well now,” her husband laughed as he caught her, “What a nice way to be welcomed home.”
She smiled up at him and wrapped her arms around him. “I’m glad you’re home. We’ve missed you.”
Royce looked down into her eyes and smiled. “I missed you, too, but we got them. Not all of them, but we got these who were watching over the herd. Nathan’s men are driving them to the back fields. I’ll ride out to the other ranches later today and tell them to pick up their cattle. I don’t think anyone will have lost any significant numbers once they claim their beeves.”
“So it’s over?”
Royce shook his head. “It’s not over, but Nathan figures that there won’t be any rustling for a while. Especially since we know where they were keeping the cattle. He's going to go kiss his wife and get Deputy Wheeler and they’ll take these rustlers over to Topaz. Apparently, Nathan doesn’t think it would be wise to put them in the Creede jail. He plans to leave Wheeler here in Topaz to keep an eye on things when he heads back to Redemption.” Royce watched as Deputy Wheeler came out of the bunkhouse and walked over to the outlaws still tied to their horses. “I’ve got them, Mr. Clark. Nathan said for you to go see your family. We’ll take it from here.”
Royce wrapped his arm around Marta. “So what kind of tasty treat are you going to make me for breakfast? I’m tired of eating Nathan’s mountain man food. I swear his Grandpa taught him how to cook every critter in the woods.”
They walked in the house and Royce kicked the front door closed. He pulled Marta into his arms and his lips claimed hers. She sighed and wrapped her arms around him, giving as good as she got. When she thought she was going to pass out from lack of air, Royce pulled back and stared into her eyes. “That’s a good start. I’ve missed your sweet kisses, Marta honey.”
She smiled and laid her head against his chest, breathing in the smell of campfires and horse, and under it, all her husband’s own unique scent. “I’ve missed you, too.”
He kissed her again and then she pulled away. “Sit down. I’ll have some bacon and French toast in just a little bit. The children will be up soon, too. I know they’ll be excited to see you as well.”
She practically skipped into the kitchen her heart was so light. She pulled on her apron and got to work. She wasn’t really surprised when she turned to put the plater of bacon on the work table to see Royce leaning against the door frame watching her. The look in his eyes said more than any words, and she felt her face beginning to warm with another blush. She sauntered over to him, rose up and placed a quick kiss on his lips. “Stop standing there staring at me. Make yourself useful and go wake the children. I’ll have food ready by the time you get them to the table.”
When she turned her back on him, he grabbed her, pulled her back around, and kissed her soundly. “That should hold me until later. Now I’ll see about the young’uns.”
She smiled as she thought about what later might entail. Would tonight be the night he finally made her his wife in every way? She hoped so and felt her face heat again at her own thoughts. Then she smiled as she heard Rachel’s cry of, “Pa! You’re back,” followed by the sound of happy children welcoming their father home. She carried the food out to her family. The smiles on their faces were mirrored on her own as she took in the sight of the six people she loved the most in the world. Her family.
Royce and Marta watched as Nathan, Grace, and their children waved to them from the back of their private Pullman car. He hated to see them leave. Grace and Marta had become good friends, and Nathan was a great lawman. Still, he understood their need and desire to go home. He thanked God for sending them. Even more than that weird angel, Nathan had helped him see that he was hurting Marta as much as himself by holding on to the vows he’d made to Lucy. He also was grateful to Nathan for helping them catch some of the rustlers and for arranging for the newly promoted Marshal Wheeler to become the official U.S. Marshal for their area. Topaz had a jail but no lawman; it was the perfect place for Wheeler to operate. The six rustlers they caught insisted that they had worked alone, but Nathan, Wheeler, and Royce all suspected that they’d worked for Thrilway with Jasper White giving the orders.
The question that Nathan told Wheeler to work on answering was who Thrilway and Jasper worked for. Someone was directing the attempted buy out of all the ranches in the area. Royce was glad that wasn’t his job to figure out. He figured he’d leave the work of justice to the lawmen. He had cattle to round up in another week and decide how many to drive to Denver. But until then, he had other plans. He was going to woo his new wife and let her know once and for all how much he loved her. That’s what he’d come to realize while looking for rustlers with Nathan up in the Tall Pines. He loved Marta. Not he was learning to love her, but that he already loved her with as fierce a love as he’d loved Lucy. Tonight he planned on showing that love.
As the train carrying the Ryders pulled away, Royce wrapped his arm around Marta and led her and their children back to the wagon. He helped them all up into the wagon and only paused for a moment as he saw Jasper White watching them from in front of the Golden Nugget tent. The gun hand just stared at Marta and it angered Royce. He wanted to walk over and knock the man on his rear. Instead, he climbed up beside Marta and pulled her close against him. Then snapped the reins sending the team toward home.