Love's Abiding Joy (Love Comes Softly #4)(26)

"Oh, yes," said Maria. "That is the truth."

"Then all that we really need to pray about is that God will



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show you and Juan if it's all right to worship with us."

"I . . . I guess so. We have been taught one way--you another."

"We will continue to pray."

"It is so important to Juan to raise his children in the correct way. You see, his family--" But Maria stopped mid-sentence and hastened to her feet. "I must see if Carlos has our coffee and cakes ready. You will have cooled enough by now to be able to enjoy some of Carlos' coffee." She hurried away without waiting for a reply.

The talk over the coffee turned to lighter matters. They chatted about new material, dress patterns, and the gardens that were growing daily in spite of the heat. Missie finally announced that they must go, and Maria sent Jose and Nathan to find Pedro, the yard hand, to bring the team and hitch up the wagon.

While the boys were running off to find the old man and give him the message, the ladies prepared to leave.

"Please," said Maria, "please could we have a prayer together? I have missed it so."

They knelt to pray. Missie prayed first, followed by Marty, and then it was Maria's turn. She began slowly, in carefully chosen English; and then she stopped and turned to the other two ladies. "Do you mind--will you excuse me--if I talk to God in my own language? I know He understands my heart in any language, but I think that He understands my tongue better in the language of my birth." At their nods and smiles, Maria continued her prayer. Never had Marty heard a more fervent one. Maria poured out her soul to her God in honey-flowing Spanish. Though Marty could not understand a word of it, she understood the spirit of the prayer and her heart prayed along with Maria. Surely God would answer this young woman's yearning for the truth.



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Chapter Twelve




The Rescue



The weather turned a little cooler, though still too warm for Marty's liking; but at least it was bearable. Missie and Marty kept quite close to the shelter of the house, but Clark rode with the men almost daily. His farmer's heart responded to the wide expanse of hillsides and roaming cattle, and he declared many times his love of the mountains.

Nathan clamored for his fair share of his grandfather's attention. He was anxious to show what he considered his part of the ranch to Clark. As yet, he was not allowed to roam freely on the open range. There were well-worn trails closer to home that he claimed as his own. He had ridden them since he had been a baby carried on his mother's back. Now Josiah had replaced Nathan on Missie's horse, and Nathan was allowed the pleasure of his own pony.

"Could ya ride with me today, Grandpa?" Nathan begged at the breakfast table.

"Well, I shore don't see why not," answered Clark. "I 'spect maybe yer pa will be able to git by without me fer this here one day."



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Nathan took his grandfather's words seriously; "Ya can help him again tomarra," he assured Clark, causing laughter to ripple around the table.

"An' where do we be ridin' today?"

"I'll show ya the west ridge."

"An' are there lots of excitin' things to see on the west ridge?"

Nathan nodded his head vigorously, his mouth was too full of scrambled eggs to speak.

"Well, then," said Clark, "why don't we jest go on out fer a look-see?"

Nathan's eyes twinkled in anticipation. He hurried through his meal and bounced down from the table without asking to be excused.

"What horse shall I tell Scottie to saddle for ya, Grandpa?"

"Nathan," said Willie quietly, indicating Nathan's empty chair.

Nathan crawled back up reluctantly and looked over at his mother, then back at his father. "May I be excused, sir?" he asked, subdued.

Willie nodded and Nathan swung down from the chair. "What horse--" he began, but Clark stopped him with a laugh.

"I think thet Scottie be busy enough without worryin' none 'bout me. I'll saddle ol' Turk when I git down there."

Nathan spun around and was gone. "I'll get Spider," he called over his shoulder as he ran out of the door, then followed it with, "Too bad Joey's too little."

"Joey?" questioned Marty.

Missie laughed. "I thought and thought of a name for my second son that wouldn't be all chopped up in a nickname. I thought that I had one, too. Josiah. Surely no one could shorten that. But I wasn't counting on Nathan. He's called him Joey since the day he arrived."

"I think it's rather nice," Marty mused.

"Well, I guess it's all right--You know what I've decided? I've decided that 'most any name is all right as long as it's spoken with love."



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Marty agreed.

Clark finished his coffee and turned to Willie. "Well, cowboy, it looks like you'll jest have to do yer best to be a-wranglin' without me today. I've got me another pardner."

Willie grinned. "Wish I could come with ya, but I promised Hugh Caly thet I'd ride on over and take a look at some new stock he brought in. Yer lucky to be a-missin' thet ride. It's a long, hot one, an' to save some miles we pass right through some bad cactus territory. Near scratches the clothes right off ya."