It was dark, and the Varners were probably in bed.

"Maybe we should wait until in the morning," Kid told her.

Ruth shook her head. Travel had been slow, and they'd had a few delays. Namely, towns who had already heard of Sister Ruth and wanted a revival. Ruth was now quite far along, and they were still quite unmarried. A fact he was reminded of nightly when she made him sleep on the other side of the wagon. She bit her lip.

He got the message. Time was of the essence, and he knocked on the door.

Mrs. Varner answered in her dressing gown. They expected her to be surprised given the hour and that they were standing side-by-side. She only smiled though. "I knew you all would be back. I'm a puppet. There goes my tongue again, I mean a prophet."

Ruth chuckled and hugged the woman. "I've missed you and your tongue."

Reverend Varner had taken more time to get fully dressed though the wrinkles in his clothes testified to the speed. "How wonderful to see you both. Would it be too much to hope you've reconciled your differences and are seeking remarriage?"

Kid wrapped an arm around her. "It wouldn't. I found Christ and inadvertently my family."

"That makes me even happier," he said with a smile.

"I don't mean to sound pushy," Ruth said, "but can we get started right away?"

Reverend Varner blinked and then understood as he took in just how round Ruth was. "Of course."

"You've probably never seen a bride in such an obvious family way," she said with a wry grin.

"You'd be surprised. When you've been a pastor as long as I have, you've seen it all."

The wedding party was small and a little disheveled given the hour, but Kid didn't think there could have ever been a more joyous one.

"Kid Cole, wilt thou have this woman to be thy wedded wife to live together after God's ordinance in the Holy Estate of matrimony? Wilt thou love her? Comfort her, honor and keep her, in sickness and in health, and forsaking all others keep thee only unto her as long as you both shall live?"

He hadn't thought it was possible to love her as much as he did. And since becoming a Christian, it had made his love for her even stronger. He wasn't fooled into thinking marriage would be easy from here on out, but it was easy to make the promise because he was so sure of not only their love for each other but of God's love for them. "I will."

"Ruth McKenzie, wilt thou have this man to be thy wedded husband to live together after God's ordinance in the Holy Estate of matrimony? Wilt thou love him? Comfort him, honor and keep him, in sickness and in health, and forsaking all others keep thee only unto him as long as you both shall live?"

"I will." She was saying those two little words to him, and despite all his faults, he knew she meant them with all her heart. It would only be death that could tear them apart this time.

"What God has joined together, let not man put asunder."

A quick peck, full of the same promise contained in their vows, sealed the deal.

When she recorded the marriage in her Bible, he saw that she hadn't inked out the first marriage, the unofficial one. He was delighted to see Kid Cole in neat, black lettering next to her name, but he was a moved at the sentimentalism of the first record. "You kept the date of our first wedding."

"I just couldn't quite bring myself to mark it out despite the annulment." She leaned forward, and this time, she groaned in pain.

"It's coming, ain't it?" he asked, gripping her elbow to give her support.

She answered with a nod.

"Oh, dear," Mrs. Varner said. "Come get in bed."

Reverend Varner didn't follow them into the bedroom. A man didn't attend the birthing room usually unless he was delivering the child, but wild horses couldn't have dragged Kid from Ruth's side.

He asked Mrs. Varner, "What do we do?"

"That's a good question. We were childless. I'm afraid what you need is someone who knows a little more about the birthing process than I do."

"Is there a granny woman?" Ruth asked when her contraction was over.

Though neither Kid nor Mrs. Varner had ever heard the term, they inferred she meant a midwife.

"I can think of only one woman who has experienced pregnancy and been around women delivering and wouldn't hesitate to come to a wedding turned birth to help," Mrs. Varner said.

"Scarlet," Ruth surmised, breathing deeply to try and lessen the discomfort she felt.

"You guessed it," agreed Mrs. Varner. "I'll send Jim to get her."

"I'll go," Kid said. "Wouldn't do for a pastor to show up there asking for a lady of the night."

"Be careful," Ruth warned. "Don't let anyone draw you into a fight."

"I won't be gone long," he said, kissing the top of her now damp head.

He ran to the saloon and was out of breath by the time he got there.

"Look at what the cat drug in," Ralph said upon seeing him. "What are you doing showing your face back in these parts?"

"Ruth and I just got married again, and now she's having our baby. We need Miss Scarlet's help. I'll pay for her time."

There was a long pause, and he almost thought he was going to refuse. "For Ruth, you can take her time for free. Tell her I'm thinking about her."

"I will. Thank you."

He hurried back to the house with Scarlet in tow. He barely told her hello.

On the other hand, Ruth, in between pains, put out an arm for a hug from her friend. "How are you? Are ya'll still attending church?"

"No, " she answered guiltily. "Don't think you wasted your time inviting Ralph though. I wouldn't say he got religion, but he's a better man for it. He acts more neighborly to the regular folk than he used to because he thinks so highly of you."

Ruth couldn't hide her disappointment. "Well, that's something, I reckon. What about you?"

She shrugged. "God couldn't forgive someone like me. I appreciated being a part of a church again for awhile, but that was all it was, a pleasant way to pass the time. It's wonderful everything's worked out for you."

Another contraction hit, bringing the conversation to a halt.

"I'll just take a look if you don't mind," Scarlet said.

Mrs. Varner turned around while Kid took hold of one of Ruth's hands.

"We just have to play the waiting game," Scarlet announced after a glimpse.

And wait they did. They waited over four hours before anything started in earnest, but it did have the advantage of passing midnight and making the baby's day of birth different from their wedding day. It was some of the longest hours in his life despite the fact they all took turns sharing stories to try to keep Ruth's mind off the contractions and to pass the time.

Scarlet took another look and felt her abdomen. "You're ready to start pushing."

He thought Ruth was in pain before but that was nothing compared to the intense pain she was feeling now.

"What can I do?" he asked, wishing he could take even a fraction of the pain from her as he tried to fluff the pillows that were under her.

"Read to me. From Ephesians," she said between gritted teeth.

Not the usual request of a woman in labor, but he picked up her Bible and fulfilled her request. "Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus: Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ." He hesitated. How was this greeting supposed to bring her comfort at a time like this?

"Keep reading," she said as she pushed at Scarlet's prompting. He supposed she was using it as a point of focus.

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: According as He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will." Here he choked up to realize God had chosen him to be His child and blamed him for none of his past now. He didn't know if the words were comforting Ruth, but they were calming and comforting him.

"To the praise of the glory of His grace, wherein He hath made us accepted in the beloved. In whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace; Wherein He hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence."

"Okay, take a few breaths and collect your strength for the final pushes," Scarlet said. "It's getting close."

It gave him time to think. He had not been wise or careful to claim a bride that wasn't his. "I plan on always acting prudently from now on. I'm giving every decision I make to Him. I'm covering my choices in prayer and seeking His counsel. I think I made a good start, too, by marrying you."

Beads of sweat hinted at the pain she was in as did her unfocused gaze. "That's romantic, honey, but I'm in too much agony right to fully appreciate it."

He took the hint and picked up where he left off. "Having made known unto us the mystery of His will, according to his good pleasure which He hath purposed in himself: That in the dispensation of the fullness of times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in Him: In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of Him who worketh all things after the counsel of His own will."

And hadn't He? What had seemed almost accidental had turned out to be the greatest thing to ever happen to him. It had brought him not only heaven on earth but heaven and that was no accident, not to God anyway.

"That we should be to the praise of His glory, who first trusted in Christ. In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of His glory."

He thought he saw tears on Scarlet's face, and his heart practically stopped beating as he feared it had something to do with the baby. She must have seen his panic because she said, "Everything is fine. Please, keep reading. And Ruth, give it all you have."

"Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints, cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers; That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him."

A healthy cry filled the air, filling him with relief. After Scarlet and Mrs. Varner cleaned and swaddled the baby, he fawned with Ruth over their perfect baby girl, counting her pink, wrinkled fingers and toes.

They eventually turned their attention to Scarlet to thank her. Mrs. Varner had a arm around a still tearful Scarlet.

"The Good Book says faith comes by hearing. I've never seen that more beautifully illustrated than here," Mrs. Varner said. "There's been two births today."

"What can I do?" Scarlet asked. "I know I'm living wrong, but I can't do anything about it."

"We'll see about that. Reverend Varner and I will come with you and ask Ralph to let you go."

"Even if he doesn't, the Lord will make a way, sister," Ruth said. "He already has, hasn't he? By leading you here."

Scarlet nodded through her tears. "I believe it."

sss

Kid came in with a late breakfast for the new mother, porridge with dried fruit. Ruth had slept a long time after the labor.

"Thank you, sweetheart," she said. "Just set it on the table. I'll eat in a minute."

"I have good news. Scarlet is sleeping in the next room her own self. Ralph let her go, and the Varners are going to see that she gets to her feet."

"The Lord never fails to bring blessings when we start going the right way." She looked down at the sleeping infant cradled in her arm.

"And two of my greatest blessings are right in front of me."

"You're so sweet," she said, raising her head up for a kiss.

He happily obliged and then knelt down by the bedside.

He stroked the incredibly soft cheek of his infant daughter. "What do you thinking of naming her Prudence?"

"I approve," she said at once. "And as long as we're using virtues to name our child, what do you say we make her middle name Thankful, because I am thankful to you and to God for giving me such a beautiful child."

He kissed the baby's forehead. "Prudence Thankful Cole. It's a strong and lovely name." Then he kissed the mother of his child, a delightful term. "I brought you something else besides the food."

"What is it?" she asked, looking like a child at Christmas despite her weariness.

He pulled out a pale pink rose from his pocket. It had been dry-pressed but still looked exquisite.

"It's a rose," she said, a little confused.

"Not just any rose. It's a rose from our bush. I went out to see Mrs. Ball while you were sleeping to personally apologize for everything, and she'd saved one from this summer."

She was touched. Her eyes glistened as she took it. "I'll treasure it always. Love bloomed where it was planted, didn't it? Just like this rose."

"It sure did." He had smiled so much in the past twenty-four hours between the wedding and birth, his cheeks were beginning to hurt, but it was worth it. It was definitely worth it.

"You may have thought you were an accidental husband, but you're the husband I prayed for back before I came westward, and you're the one I love."

The End