Marta was content. When they’d gotten home from seeing the Ryders off in Creede, Royce suggested that they take the children for a picnic in the back yard. She had quickly gathered some leftover fried chicken, made a potato salad, and sliced fresh fruit and vegetables. She poured lemonade into several jars and sealed them. The food, along with plates, forks, and bread went into a basket. She grabbed a quilt that they could spread on the ground and met her family on the back porch. She and Royce walked with the three older children between them, all of them holding hands, making a chain from her to Royce. Marta carried Raeann and Royce had Rose. They walked down to the spring that ran through the west side of the ranch. When they found the perfect spot, Marta let RJ, Randy, and Rachel spread out the quilt. Marta laid a very sleepy Raeann on the edge of the quilt and started to lay out the food. Royce took the other four children down to the spring and let them cool their feet from the early August heat. Once the food was laid out, she called Royce and the children to sit and eat.

They ate, talked, and laughed. Marta had never felt more a part of a family than she did today. Without any of them having said anything, she knew she was loved by each one of them. She looked over at Royce and caught him staring at her like she was the most beautiful thing he’d ever laid eyes on. She felt her face heat with a blush. Royce leaned close, took her face in his hands, slowly pulled her near, and kissed her. The boys made yuck noises, and Rachel giggled. Royce let her go and leaned right up to her ear. “Tonight, Marta. Tonight I’m going to make you my wife in every way.” Marta’s heart raced as she looked into his eyes. The passion she saw there sent tingles racing through her. She was finally the one someone wanted. No longer was she the one no one wanted; this wonderful man made it plain in words and looks that he wanted her.

Before she could fully recover from that revelation, little Rose climbed up on her lap and imitated her father by placing her cubby little hands on each side of Marta’s face and leaned forward to give her a slobbery toddler kiss. “Lub you, mama.”

Marta gasped and looked over at Royce. “I’m so sorry. I don’t know where she heard that. I’ve never told her to call me that.”

Rachel giggled. “I taught her to call you that.”

Marta and Royce looked at the girl. "What?"

“Back when you first came, you said we needed to find a name to call you. The boys and I talked. You might not be our ma, but you're our second ma. So we agreed we’d call you mama; two ma's."

Marta’s hands flew to her mouth as she stifled a sob. But she couldn’t stop the tears that raced down her cheeks. Royce leaned forward and pulled her into his arms. Rachel looked at them, her face stricken. “Did we do something wrong?”

Royce smiled at her. “No baby. You did something very right. I think that’s a good thing for you and your brothers and sisters to call Marta. From now on, we’ll all call her mama. Okay?”

They all nodded, but Rachel wasn’t convinced. “Why is she crying then?”

Marta reached out and pulled the girl into her arms. “These are happy tears, Rachel. You’ve made me very happy. This tells me you want me to be part of your family and that makes me very, very happy.”

The little girl hugged her and then ran off to play in the water with her brothers. Marta stood and wiped her face once more. “I forgot a bottle for Raeann; she’ll be waking soon. I’ll go get it and a fresh diaper. I’ll be right back.”

Marta walked back to the house thanking God all along the way. How her life had changed. Three months ago, she’d gotten off a train to get some food and had been abducted. Now she was a wife and mother, two things she never thought she would ever be. She had a family that loved and accepted her and a home that was hers. All her fondest dreams had come true but one. She figured if Royce's looks were any indication it was just a matter of time until the last one came true as well. She couldn’t wait to feel his child growing in her belly. She walked into the kitchen and had just mixed the formula and put it in the pot of hot water to warm when she was grabbed from behind. “Hello, Mrs. Clark. I told you I’d see you soon.”

She caught a glimpse of Jasper White before her vision went black and she slipped into the darkness.

Royce watched as Marta walked away. He was so blessed to have this amazing woman as his wife. He was trying very hard not to get up and follow her back to the house and take her to their room right now. Only the thought of his children left alone near the stream stayed his feet. Instead, he got up and went to play in the water with them.

“The time has come, Royce Clark.”

Royce turned to see Daniel standing behind him. “What do you mean? I already made my choice; I let Lucy go and chose to love Marta.”

“That wasn’t the choice you had to make. Even now evil has come to your house to snatch your new wife away. What will you give to save her? Will you choose her over everything you’ve worked for?”

Royce stalked up to the angel. "What evil? What are you talking about?”

“The men who want your ranch have sent their servant to take your wife. They will give her back if you give them your ranch. Which will you choose?”

Royce looked back at his children. “Rachel, get your brothers and sisters and come to the house. Mama’s in trouble.”

With that, he turned and ran as fast as he could for the back door of his home. He yanked it open to hear a sound come from the front parlor. He raced through the house calling Marta’s name. He reached the front door to see Jasper White, his arm around Marta, pulling her as she struggled toward his horse. “Hello, Clark. Your bride and I are going for a ride. If you want her back, I suggest you go see Thrilway and sign that bill of sale.” The gun hand smiled and nuzzled Marta’s neck. “Until then I’ll entertain your sweet bride.”

He laughed and turned Marta to force his mouth against hers. Royce watched as Marta’s right arm moved back and then plunged forward into Jasper's stomach. “You stupid chit; you stabbed me!” the outlaw screamed. He took the hand holding his revolver and slammed it up against Marta’s face, sending her flying back into the hitching post in front of the house. The side of her head slammed into the post before she fell in a heap on the ground. Royce raced to her as Jasper collapsed on the ground right in front of his horse.

Royce sat on the ground beside Marta and pulled her into his lap. She wasn’t moving. Was she still alive? He couldn’t stand the thought of losing another wife. He saw movement out of the corner of his eye and saw Daniel and a woman in gray standing on his porch. The person who caught his attention the most was the dark angel he’d seen once before, the night Lucy passed. Death was here. Royce carefully laid Marta back on the ground. Then he stood facing death with Marta behind him. “You can’t have her. I won’t allow it.”

Death walked toward him. “You can’t stop me, Royce Clark. I am Death; I go where I am sent. When I arrive, a soul must be collected.”

Royce stood his ground. “Not her. You can’t have her. If you must have a soul, then take mine.”

Daniel looked at him. “You would choose to die in her place?”

Royce nodded without a second thought. "Absolutely."

The woman beside Daniel spoke in a quiet but firm voice. “No greater love has a man than to lay down his life for another.”

Daniel and Death both nodded silently. Then Daniel smiled. “You chose well, Royce Clark. Well done.” Then he and the woman were gone. Death stepped around him and whistled. A pale horse appeared and Death, dressed in black like a cowboy, climbed into the saddle. He pulled a lasso of fire from the saddle horn and punched a loop in the end. He set the horse galloping and dropped the loop over Jasper. Royce watched as the lasso caught on the shadow that was the gun hand’s soul and ripped it from the blood-soaked body sitting on the ground. Death rode on, dragging the screaming soul of the Ghost behind. Then silence.

Royce sat beside Marta as she moaned and opened her eyes. “What happened?”

“Jasper came to snatch you and force me to sell. But you stuck a knife in his gut. Where did you get that?”

Marta smiled. “Grace thought I needed to be equipped like a western rancher's wife.” She reached into her right sleeve with her left hand and pulled out another knife. “I got one in each boot, too.”

Royce laughed. “Remind me not to anger you.”

Marta smiled, then winced and put her hand to her head. Royce slowly stood and pulled her into his arms, carrying her gently into the house where the children had just entered. “Is Mama all right, Pa?”

“She’s fine, but she needs to rest. Rachel, will you feed your sister for me? I need to hitch up the wagon and go see the sheriff.”

Fuzzy walked through the front door. “No need, boss. I’ll take care of it. What should I tell Black Jack?”

“Tell him he better do something about that Mr. Thrilway, or I’ll get Marshal Wheeler to do it.”

“Got it, boss. You take care of the missus and let me handle the trash.”

Royce nodded and carried Marta to the bedroom.

Much later that night, Marta lay in Royce's arms. He’d kept his word and now she was his wife in every sense of the word. As they lay together, kissing and marveling at the gift of the other that God had given them, Royce took her face in his hand and gently kissed her. “Thank you, Marta Clark.”

She frowned. "For what?”

“That day on the boardwalk outside the mercantile, I was sinking. I wouldn’t have made it another week. You rescued me. Not just by taking over my house and caring for my children but by opening my heart again to love.”

Marta smiled and kissed her husband. “I can’t take any of the credit, you know. All of that has to go to that silly angel who told me to go buy lemon drops and accept any proposal that came my way.”

Royce laughed. “Maybe so, but you chose to do what she said. So you still rescued me.”

Then he pulled her close and showed her again just how thankful he was. Later, after he was sleeping, Marta slipped out of bed and slipped on her nightgown. She picked up Raeann and slipped out of the room. She knew the baby would wake about the time she had a bottle fixed. She walked into the kitchen and wasn’t really surprised to see Gloria sitting at the worktable. “Do you still wish I’d left you alone, Marta Clark?”

“No, Gloria, I admit you were right.”

“Well, not me, but the BOSS. You know you were wrong all these years, don’t you?”

Marta shook her head. “What do you mean?”

“You’ve always thought no one loved you or wanted you. The BOSS loved you. He always wanted you. You are precious, not just to this family, Marta, but to HIM. Never forget that.”

The angel stood and walked to the kitchen door.

“Will I ever see you again?” Marta asked.

The old woman stopped and looked back and smiled. “I doubt it, but I’ll be around. Your four daughters are also my responsibility.” Then she walked through the door. “Four? But….”

Marta smiled as the meaning of what the heavenly guardian had said hit her. All because she thought she was rescuing the rancher.

 

The End.