Guardian Bride (11 page)

years anyway. Yet, here he was hitched, and the thought

wasn't all that bad. No siree, not bad at all.

Her smile grew. "What are you grinning about?"

Not willing to admit anything, he said, "Nothing."

"Oh? You look like a little boy with a big secret."

He held out a hand, and she took it. Tugging her forward

until she sat on the edge of the bed, he whispered, "I might

know a big secret, but I'm not a little boy."

She leaned over him, straightening the sling holding his

other arm. "I know."

The air in the room grew enchanted as he examined her

fine features—the graceful arch of her delicate brows and the

fine lines of her high cheekbones, as well as the curves of her

perfect lips. Her face hovered inches from his. She slipped her

tongue out to wet her lips. The action enticed him to lift a

91

Guardian Bride

by Lauri Robinson

hand and run it over her shoulder, beneath the veil of hair

until his palm cupped the base of her neck.

She didn't move, just kept her gaze locked with his.

He applied pressure. They met in the middle, their noses

bumping. He tilted his head so their lips could connect. The

union caused a wave of satisfaction that started in his scalp

and ended at his toenails and left him melting at the same

time it fueled desire for more.

Her hand pressed against his chest, branding him more

thoroughly than a hot iron. A rewarding moan rumbled in his

throat, and he increased the force of his hold, demanding the

kiss deepen. She complied, parting her lips for him to explore

her honeysuckle sweetness. He was transported into a pain-

free wonderful world he never wanted to leave, and used his

hand to tug her closer.

The mounds of her breasts flattened against his chest. He

eased into the pillow behind him, completely enjoying the

pressure of her bearing down on him. Her lips played a

precious game of tag with his, and Snake concluded he'd

never been more content in his life.

"Summer!"

The sound startled them both, but it was another moment

before Snake had enough sense to lift his mouth from hers.

Blinking past the stars floating before his eyes, he saw her

little sister standing in the doorway with a snarl on her face.

"Summer," September, openly disgusted, said, "your help

is needed out here." With that she flipped around and

stomped away from the open doorway.

92

Guardian Bride

by Lauri Robinson

August walked in the room in her wake, his nose wrinkled

with confusion. "Were you two kissing?"

Summer groaned. Snake snapped his gaze to her as his

heart leaped to his throat. Her eyes shone and a deep blush

covered her cheeks. He kissed her forehead before glancing

back to the boy. "Yup."

"Why?" August stopped near the foot of the bed.

Summer sat up and smoothed the skirt covering her lap.

Snake laid a hand upon hers, stalling their movements.

"Because," he said to August though he kept his eyes on her.

"I-we like each other."

She tilted her head, and a tiny smile lifted the corners of

her lips.

"I like people, too, but I don't go around kissing them,"

August declared.

Snake lifted his hand and brushed a finger along the fine

line of her chin. "Someday you will," he assured.

Shaking like a dog with fleas, August said, "I hope not."

Summer turned toward her brother. "Have you finished

your morning chores?"

"Yup," he said, and quivering again he pointed toward the

doorway. "September helped make breakfast." He stuck his

tongue out with a mock gag.

"August Austin, you stop that," Summer demanded,

grateful her brother brought her ability to speak to the

surface. It was difficult with her head spinning in the clouds,

and her body fluttering like a flock of birds. Control finally

settled and she continued, "You should always be thankful for

a meal."

93

Guardian Bride

by Lauri Robinson

"I am thankful for the food. It was the taste I ain't."

She didn't answer, mainly because it would be impossible

over Snake's laughter. Letting out an exaggerated sigh, she

glanced toward him. His sparkling eyes and wide grin took her

breath away, along with the ability to muster up even a touch

of annoyance.

His hand held hers, and he squeezed her fingers. "You

can't blame him," he whispered. "You've tasted my mother's

cooking."

The sounds of a wagon along with Stephanie bellowing

from the kitchen that someone had arrived saved her from

commenting. August tore through the room, and Summer

rose from the bed. Snake's hold on her hand kept her

standing there for a moment longer. He looked as if he

wanted to say something, but when he didn't, she broke the

connection and moved to the door.

The front door opened, and Kid strolled in along with two

women. One was old and hunched over to the point Summer

wondered how she walked, and the other was young with

long brown hair and pale skin.

"Willamina and Eva want to help with the wheat," Kid said,

nodding to the two women.

Summer had heard of the two women who lived a short

distance away and were family friends, but had yet to meet

them. She smiled a greeting, but instead of an introduction

Kid pointed to the doorway behind her.

"Is he awake? Every wagon we own is full of wheat. I've

got to find out how much he wants stored and how much we

have to take to the mill in Garden City."

94

Guardian Bride

by Lauri Robinson

"Yes, he's awake," Snake shouted from behind her.

Summer stepped aside as Kid went into the room, closing

the door behind him. The old woman, aided with a cane,

maneuvered across the room.

"So, you're the one."

Summer stood stock still as the woman eyed her from

head to toe.

A steely gaze from beady green eyes settled on her face.

"Jessie said you were a pretty thing, but she didn't say you

had Indian blood in your veins. What tribe you from?"

Summer's heart fell to the pit of her stomach where it beat

with dread. It wasn't the first time someone had asked about

her heritage, nor would it be the last, but since coming to live

at the farm, she hadn't dwelled on it. For the first time in her

life, she hadn't been reminded of it daily. Over the years

she'd made up names and tribes and would use whatever one

seemed to be most fitting at the time. Right now, not one of

her dreamt up connections formed.

"I don't know," she muttered before realizing she'd done

so.

A frown formed on the woman's face. "That's a shame. My

husband had Osage blood. He was a good man, a damn good

man. He got snake-bit many years ago." She let out a long

sigh. "I still miss him. Anyway, I'm Willamina, this here is

Eva. It's good to meet you."

Summer grasped the hand thrust toward her, and the old

woman, stronger than expected, tugged her forward,

wrapping her with boney arms.

95

Guardian Bride

by Lauri Robinson

"Welcome to the family." When she stepped away,

Willamina added, "I'd say you're just what our Snake needed

to get his mind out of the dirt. All he ever thinks about is

growing something."

Not giving anyone else the opportunity to speak, Willamina

turned to Stephanie. "Just got one left to marry off."

Both Willamina and Stephanie looked at Eva who turned

beat red and lowered her gaze to the floor. Summer's mind,

and gaze, leaped about like a grasshopper on a sunny day.

September tossed a dish towel at her. She caught it and the

look of hatred filling her little sister's eyes.

"I finished your morning chores, now I'm going out to do

mine." Without acknowledging anyone else in the room,

September stomped out the door, slamming it behind her.

The weight of the world became so heavy Summer

wondered how she managed to move across the room.

Stephanie beat her to the door. She took the dish towel

from her hands. "Let her be," she said, and holding Summer's

arm, she added, "Time is what that girl needs."

Kid came out of the bedroom then, with Snake hanging on

his side. After he deposited Snake in the water closet, he got

himself a cup of coffee. "Snake says he has most of the grain

sold to a man in Dodge. We'll send a couple of loads to the

mill in Garden City for flour and unload the rest we cut

yesterday in the granary. I'll ride to town tomorrow to send a

telegram to Dodge. He said the man there will send wagons

out to collect it."

Summer glanced about, wondering why he told her all this.

She had an inkling Kid had more to say to her, or wanted to

96

Guardian Bride

by Lauri Robinson

know more about her. It made her stomach stew. When no

one commented, and for lack of anything else to say, she

provided, "There's a storm brewing."

He nodded. "A haze is building to the southwest. I'm

hoping we can get it all into the granary before it hits." He

turned to Eva. "Would you mind taking a wagon to the mill in

Garden? Bug's taking the other wagon."

Eva agreed. "We can send the telegram to Dodge from

there, too."

"Good idea," Snake said, leaning against the door jamb of

the water closet.

Summer moved, but again, someone was faster. Kid had

Snake's arm over his shoulder and helped him to the table

before she'd made it half way across the room. She pulled out

a chair and hovered near Snake's shoulder after Kid lowered

him onto the seat. The closeness gave her the hint of security

she needed for some reason.

"I'll write out the message for you to send," Snake said to

Eva, and then he turned to the rest of the occupants in the

room. "Thanks. Thanks to all of you for helping out. I'm sorry

I can't do more."

Willamina patted his arm. "That's what family's for. We're

glad to help. We just want to see you healed up proper real

quick."

Kid finished the coffee he'd left while aiding Snake and set

the cup on the counter. "Actually, that new thrashing machine

of yours is quite the invention."

"It's called a separator," Snake corrected. "I didn't invent

it. I saw it in a magazine and converted my old thrashing

97

Guardian Bride

by Lauri Robinson

machine by adding a few belts. I'm glad to hear it worked so

well. I wish I could have seen it."

Summer laid a hand on his shoulder, feeling his

disappointment.

"It works," Kid said. "The big reaper on the front cut the

stalks off right at the top and the cleanest grain I've ever

seen fell into the wagons we pulled beside it. Bug said you'd

worked on it all winter."

"Yeah, I did," Snake agreed.

"Well, good job little brother. I gotta say, I'm really

impressed. We cut that field in half the time it otherwise

would have taken. We unloaded several wagon loads into the

granary, but I wasn't sure what you wanted us to do with the

rest. Now that I do, we'll have the harvest done by the end of

the day."

Bug poked his head in through the door. "Got the wagons

hitched up." He glanced toward Snake. "How you feeling this

morning?"

A smile came over Snake's face as his gaze left Bug to

glance up at her. "Good," he said.

Bug chuckled and pulled the door shut. Blood rushed to

Summer's cheeks. There was no doubt August had mentioned

the kissing he'd witnessed.

A swirl of activity happened as everyone prepared to leave

and within minutes it was just her and Snake. Somewhat

unsure as to her duty, she moved to the door. She counted

ten wagons leaving the yard. Bug and Eva in one direction

while the rest went another. The past couple of days, at least

that many loads had already been delivered to the granary, a

98

Guardian Bride

by Lauri Robinson

large building several miles away. Kid had been right when he

said how well the thrashing machine worked. She'd never

seen anything like it, and therefore, was thoroughly

impressed.

August sat on the bench beside Willamina. The woman

didn't seem nearly as feeble perched on the bouncing seat.

The child waved, and Summer lifted a hand to repeat his

actions. September, nose in the air, refusing to so much as

glance toward the house, sat beside Stephanie. For a

moment, Summer wondered who had decided she'd be the

one to stay behind today, but then the twinkle in her mother-

in-law's eyes said it all as Stephanie flayed the reins over the

back of a team of horses and waved with her other hand.

Other wagons were driven by men who worked for Kid and

neighbor men that had helped with the harvest. She watched

until the last one left the yard. A question she'd had

yesterday came to mind, and she turned around to ask it.

The way Snake looked at her caused her heart to leap to