Safe in His Arms

TWENTY-SEVEN





Our kids. The way Daniel said those words—as if it were a foregone conclusion that they would marry and have children—brought a tide of emotion roiling in Margaret’s stomach. She’d never thought to marry, let alone have children. Not since Nate married Lucy, anyway. Margaret trudged along the path at the fastest clip she could manage and tried not to think about what Daniel had said.

In her mind’s eye, she saw little boys with Daniel’s dark eyes. Maybe a little girl or two with her red hair. But no, she wouldn’t wish this mess of a mop on any child of hers. Better to have Daniel’s dark curls. She smiled at the thought of dark ringlets on a cherubic face.

“What’s so funny?” Daniel’s face shone with perspiration, and his breath came fast from the exertion of jogging toward town. Charlie had gone on ahead a few yards.

Heat burned her cheeks. Wouldn’t he just love to know she was thinking about children? He would smile that self-assured grin of his as if he knew it was going to happen. She wiped the smile from her face. “Nothing.”

His gaze swept over her face, but he didn’t argue with her. A grin tugged at his mouth, but there was no way he could know what she’d been thinking. At least she prayed that was so. Surely she wasn’t that transparent.

They paused under a juniper tree. “Storm’s almost on us. I need to catch my breath.” Daniel sank to the ground and lay there with his hands laced behind his head. Charlie doubled back toward them, then leaned against a rock and closed his eyes. His face was red with exertion.

The wind had steadily built for the past hour, and the roiling clouds had turned to a blackish green that foreshadowed a bad storm. “There’s no time to rest.” Margaret bent over and caught her breath. Every muscle ached, and a blister on her foot felt as though it had broken open. If only she could have a good cry. There were all kinds of pent-up emotions just begging to be let out.

“You’re about to drop.” Daniel patted the ground beside him. “Sit and rest. Tell me more about why your father hated Texas Rangers.”

Margaret glanced at the sky. “We really should be moving along. That storm is imminent.”

“We all need a rest or we won’t make it at all.”

Margaret sat beside him on the lush green carpet of grass and wildflowers. She plucked a bluebell and buried her nose in the flower.

“Quit lollygagging and tell me.” He studied her face. “It can’t be that bad.”

“It’s worse. You’re lucky he’s gone on to heaven because he would have shot you.”

Daniel grinned. “So what’s the story?”

Margaret’s eyes darkened. “My uncle was out rounding up cattle for the fall trail drive ten years ago. He had a fire going and was branding the few strays we’d missed marking in the spring. A Ranger came through looking for rustlers. He took one look at my uncle’s branding operation and jumped to the conclusion that my uncle was a cattle thief. When the Ranger tried to arrest him, my uncle drew his revolver and the Ranger shot him.”

“Sounds like it was as much your uncle’s fault as the Ranger’s. Why didn’t he explain who he was?”

“He was always a bit of a hothead. No one knows for sure why he pulled the gun, but when it was all over, my uncle was dead, and Pa vowed vengeance on all Texas Rangers. He wrote letters and tried to get the man in trouble, but nothing was ever done.” Margaret shivered at the remembrance of those dark days.

“He was Lewis’s father?”

She nodded. “So Pa always tried to make it up to Lewis since my uncle was working here when it happened.”

“I’ll see what I can find out.” Daniel stood and held out a hand to her. “We’d better get on the way again.”

Margaret gave him her hand, and he tugged her to her feet. He pulled her into his arms and she rested there a moment, feeling safe and protected. Little by little, she was trusting God to work things out according to his will. That knowledge brought her comfort she’d never expected.




A SENSE OF urgency pushed Margaret on, though her feet throbbed and weariness slowed her steps. At this rate it would take two days to reach Larson. She paused and wiped the perspiration from her brow. “You have any idea where we are?”

Daniel grinned, his teeth gleaming in his dirt-streaked face. “You’re the native. I’m just a transplant. Nothing looks familiar?”

She shook her head. “I’m lost. This is probably Stanton land, though. If I could get my bearings, we might be better off to make for Nate’s ranch house and borrow horses.”

He nodded toward a lone cottonwood. “Think you could climb that tree, Charlie?”

“Sure.” His brother took off at a trot.

“I’ll have to do it,” Margaret said. “I know the area, and neither one of you does.” She followed Charlie and Daniel to the tree. She hadn’t climbed trees in years, but surely it wasn’t something a person forgot. She’d practically lived in the oak outside her bedroom window when she was growing up.

From that oak tree she had dreamed her girlish dreams of her hero riding over the hills to sweep her away to some enchanted existence far from the red dirt of northern Texas. She would dress in stylish clothes that minimized her size, and when she came back to visit, the other girls would stare with envy. They would all want to be her friends instead of giggling behind her back.

Instead, she had learned to love the land as the husband she thought she would never have. And the men of the area had given her their respect. The reminder of how many other ranchers were depending on her strengthened her resolve as she stared up through the branches. She had to get to town in time to save the money everyone had worked for all year.

“Give me a leg up,” she told Daniel.

He laced his fingers together and offered them to her. She put her foot in his big hands, and he lifted her as she reached up to grasp the lowest branch. The rough bark bit into her hands, but she gripped it firmly anyway. It was a good thing she was wearing britches. She swung her leg over the branch and scooted firmly onto it, then stood and climbed higher. Through the leafy canopy she could see for miles in all directions. Staring at the landscape, she searched for a familiar landmark. There. That formation of three rocks. In an instant Margaret knew where she was. On the other side of that formation was a track that would lead to the Stanton homestead.

“Got it!” she crowed. “I’d know this land anywhere.” She scrambled down the tree limbs. Pausing at the last branch, she gauged the distance to the ground, then jumped. Instead of landing smoothly on the grass, her ankle twisted and she fell. Pain seized her ankle and refused to let go.

Daniel whipped around at her muffled groan. Concern shone from his dark brown eyes, and he knelt beside her. “You should have let me help you.”

Burning pain encased her ankle and left her gasping for breath. She groaned softly. This was no simple injury but something that would take time to heal. “You’ll have to go on without me. Just beyond the rock formation is a track that will take you to Nate and Lucy’s. You’ll be there in half an hour or less.”

“I’m not leaving you here.” Daniel’s warm fingers probed the tender flesh and she winced.

“You have to. I’ll be fine.” Bracing herself against the pain, she shook her head. “I’m sorry.”

“You’ve been amazing.” Daniel’s voice vibrated with emotion.

Margaret searched his gaze through a haze of agony. Her ankle felt like it was being squeezed flat. “Hurry,” she panted.

Daniel folded her into his arms. “I’ll pray,” she whispered. “Go now.”

His heart beat steadily under her ear, a comforting sound of constancy and steadfastness. Daniel was someone she could trust—she felt that in her bones. But there was always that niggling doubt in the back of her mind. She couldn’t bear for him to regret wanting her. She sucked in a breath. She was done with worrying about it. It was time to trust God with that too.

Daniel’s gentle fingers brushed the curls back from her face. “I’m not leaving you.” He kissed her forehead. “We’ll go on together or not at all. I’ll help you.”

“I could go for help,” Charlie said.

Daniel pressed his lips together. “I’d rather we stayed together.”

“Don’t you trust me?” Charlie’s voice was hurt.

Margaret drew back a bit from Daniel’s grasp. “Let him go. I’m not going to be able to walk that far, even with help.”

“I’ll carry you.”

“You’re not carrying me two miles!” The thought made Margaret pull even farther away.

“You can trust me,” Charlie broke in. “I won’t run off or go back to the gang. I’m through with that.”

“I trust you,” Daniel said. “I’m just worried about the gang catching up to you.”

“I can take care of myself.”

“I reckon we don’t have a choice,” Daniel said. “But be alert. Munster and Golda won’t give up easily. Get back here as quick as you can.”

“Don’t fuss like Ma. I’ll be fine.” Charlie tightened the gun holster around his hips, then strode off in the direction of the Stanton ranch.

Margaret sighed. “I feel so helpless. There should be something I can do.”

Daniel sat beside her and slipped his arm around her shoulders. “We can sit here while you tell me what a wonderful husband I’m going to be. We can decide how many kids we want and make some plans for our future.”

Kids was such a lovely word. She nearly groaned at the thought of what Pa would say about it all if he were here. The Bible said to honor your parents. Pa would roll over in his grave if she married a Ranger. But he wasn’t here, so did it matter?

“What’s wrong?” Daniel tried to draw her back against his chest, but she resisted. “What did I say?”

She leaned away from him and wrapped her arms around herself. “Just thinking about Pa. I think he’s okay with you being a Ranger. Heaven would have wiped away his resentment.”

Daniel leaned forward and tipped her chin up. She refused to meet his gaze and tried to turn away her head, but his hard fingers refused to allow it. “I thought that’s what it was when you went all prickly again. Sometimes talking to you is like walking through a field of cowpats. I’m afraid of putting a foot in the wrong place.”

Her lips twitched at his words, and she laughed. “The things you say. You see me in ways I don’t think anyone else does.”

He wound a long curl around his finger. “That’s the way it’s supposed to be. You’re still fussing about your pa?”

She shook her head. “It was just a fleeting thought. Everyone at the ranch is probably worried sick, and Munster and his gang are likely riding to Larson right now. What if we’re too late?”

“I have faith in God’s provision in this situation. Think of all the ways he’s been faithful in these past weeks, Margaret. He’ll be faithful in this too. You are safe in his arms.” He buried his face in her hair. “He brought us together.”

“He did, didn’t he? I was quite terrible.”

“Not terrible, just challenging. And worth every misstep. We belong together. Can’t you feel that in your bones?”

She knew he was right. God had performed miracle after miracle for them. She still hadn’t said the words I love you, and she was still afraid to admit to the extent of her feelings. “It’s hard to know God’s will about things. What if it’s my will I’m sensing and not his?”

“You know. In your heart you know.” He pulled away and folded his arms across his chest. “I’m sure it’s his will that we be together, that we be married. Aren’t you?”

“You haven’t really asked me,” she said teasingly.

He embraced her. “So I haven’t asked you, eh? I can remedy that.” A sound reached their ears.

“Someone’s coming,” he whispered.

Her heart hammering, she held her breath as he stood and peered through the brush that hid them. “It’s Charlie and Nate.”

She closed her eyes at the relief in his voice. Trying to get to her feet, she winced at the pain in her ankle.

He must have heard her soft inhalation, for he turned and came toward her. “Let me help you.” He swept her up into his arms.

Margaret gasped and clasped her arms around his neck. “Put me down! I’m too heavy for you to be toting around like a feed sack.”

“You don’t weigh anything,” he scoffed. Striding to meet Nate and Charlie, he carried her as he would a child.

She felt light and free in his arms. Staring into his face, she watched to see signs of overexertion, but he carried her easily. His muscles bulged beneath his shirt, and she couldn’t help the thrill of admiration at his strength and compassion. He was the kind of man who would make a woman feel safe and protected. She was glad she was that woman.