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She didn’t say anything. She hadn’t been a practicing Christian long enough to know exactly what he meant by that.
“We do have choices.”
“All right.” She took a breath in and let it out, trying not to show her impatience. If she was going to have to leave, it would be nice if she could get her small amount of stuff packed before the kids woke up from their naps.
“You have two children to look after.”
“I know.” She tried not to be sarcastic. She had borne those children. She knew better than anyone she was responsible for them.
“I know you’ve given them away before, trying to get a start, and I’d like to keep you together with them if I can.”
“That’s a big responsibility. And it’s not really yours.”
“I know. But... I can’t really give you reasons why, but I want to help you.”
“That is very noble. It’s probably so that you can pat yourself on the back and feel like you’ve done your good deed for the day. Or the year, if you help me.”
“Or a lifetime.”
His words were soft, and she didn’t catch them at first. Then her ears perked up, and she tilted her head.
“A lifetime?” She couldn’t even think in terms of a lifetime. She was still thinking in terms of her next meal. Of what meal she was going to feed her children.
“That’s how long you can stay.”
“How?” she said, wondering if she missed something. She could stay for a lifetime? Easy. She could do that. She had nothing else pressing at the moment. No one else who wanted her, nowhere else to go. She could be their servant for a lifetime, if they just let her stay.
She opened her mouth. “You want me to work without pay? I’ll do it. Want me to commit to stay here forever? I’ll do it. You want me to...sign something in blood? Give me the paper. Show me a knife. I’ll do it.”
“Will you marry me?”
Her mouth fell open, and her heart stopped beating. Her eyes searched his. Was he serious?
“Is this some kind of cruel joke?” she finally said, when she was able to get her mouth to work again.
“No. It’s the only way. If you’re my wife, everyone will rally around you. They’ll protect your children, and you’ll be part of the family. It doesn’t matter what happens then, because family is more important than the ranch.”
His face was impassive, and she couldn’t read a thing on it. He hadn’t said a word about wanting to marry her, and why would he? He’d known her for all of four days, and they’d barely spoken. Plus, she wasn’t exactly the kind of woman that a man like him got married to.
“So you’re just going to marry me until I’m safe, and then...we get it annulled?”
“No. Marriage is for a lifetime.”
He said those words like there was no arguing with them. When she knew full well that most marriages did not last a lifetime. In fact, she knew of only one or two that had actually lasted a lifetime. That just didn’t happen in modern times anymore. Marriages didn’t last.
Of course, she would fight for her marriage. She would make sure it lasted. If that’s what he wanted.
Except, it couldn’t possibly be.
“So, let me get this straight. You want to marry me. A real marriage. Even though you barely know me. In fact, do you know my last name?”
“Slessing.”
“Right. You processed my employment papers.”
“And I remembered.”
She almost thought a bit of humor crossed his face, although she couldn’t be entirely sure. She couldn’t believe he could find anything about the situation funny. But then again, he held the upper hand. Except... She did. He was the one who had asked her.
