Shotgun Bride (6 page)

Shotgun Bride [The Quinter Brides Book One]

by Lauri Robinson

Kid threw his head back and laughed. A deep, full laugh that felt good. "I think that's one of the most honest things I've ever heard, Jessie. Thank you."

"You're welcome," she said, her voice sounding stronger than it had all night.

Kid pulled her hand. "Come on, I gotta let Sammy out before he knocks the door down." He led her across the porch. "Like I said, he's a good dog. You just have to let him know who the boss is. He has the boys buffaloed into believing he's a killer, and I don't see a reason to change their way of thinking." He pushed the door open, turned to the dog, and said, "Sammy, sit," before he tugged Jessie into the house.

His hand, warm and big, pulled, leaving Jessie no choice but to follow. She stepped over the threshold and froze. It was big, black, and huge, white fangs stuck out below a long nose. The perfect image she had of the wolves she often heard howling deep in the night. A low growled filled the air. Without a second thought, she jumped sideways, hiding herself behind Kid's back. Her knees knocked together like a hammer on a nail head.

The material of his shirt rubbed against her cheek as his shoulder blade moved up and down and the rumble of his chuckle filled her ear before he said, "Sammy, you scared her. Come here, be a good dog and say hello to Jessie." She didn't want to move, but Kid had a hold of her hand, and he used it to haul her out of hiding. Swallowing the lump in her throat, she went, but wasn't in the least eager to face the beast. He knelt down to pat the dog on the head. A bushy 53

Shotgun Bride [The Quinter Brides Book One]

by Lauri Robinson

tail thumped against the floor. Her hand, pulled by his, brushed against the tip of the dog's nose. Nostrils flared as they sniffed her skin. If Kid hadn't held her hand still, she would have pulled it back, away from the wet nose.

"She's going to be living here, you better be nice to her or you'll answer to me," Kid said.

Her gaze went from the dog to the man kneeling beside her. The huge bandage tied around his head made him look like a little boy, and pulled her thoughts away from the big dog for a moment. A smiled tugged at the sides of her lips.

"What?" he said.

"What, what?" she asked.

"You're staring at me. No, you're laughing at me." Dark brows pulled together as his hand went to the top of his head. He patted the white strips of cloth. "Ah, shit, don't tell me she tied it with a big, billowing bow." Jessie nodded. A giggle escaped her lips. She clamped her mouth shut, fearful of offending him.

Kid chuckled. One of his dark eyes winked. "I bet it looks real good."

A warm, silly feeling crept into her cheeks. She couldn't help but smile and nod in agreement.

The hand still holding hers tightened, sending something balmy and tingly to flow up her arm. The sun, rising over the horizon, streamed in through the open front door to land on them. She felt it on her face and saw it on his. During the ride home the wind had twisted his hair here and there around the bandage. It was dark, not black, but a deep shade of brown. Several strands clumped together to fall over his forehead. 54

Shotgun Bride [The Quinter Brides Book One]

by Lauri Robinson

Her heart skipped a beat. Even sporting a big, white bow, he was certainly the most handsome man she'd ever seen. Something hit her leg and uprooted her balance. Rocking, she stepped sideways, trying to keep from tumbling. Kid's other hand clamped onto her waist, steadying her balance. He glanced at the dog.

"Sammy! Sit!"

Jessie felt funny—all warm and tingly.
Must be the morning
sun.
She squeezed her eyes shut. Or maybe it was because she hadn't had any sleep.

A finger touched the skin below her chin, lifting it up.

"Sorry, he just wanted to say hello," Kid said. She blinked several times, trying to determine what the smile on his face meant, before turning to the dog to whisper,

"Hello, Sammy."

Kid let go of her hand. "Go ahead, he won't bite you." Somewhat apprehensive, Jessie let her fingers brush against the top of the dog's wide head. It tilted sideways, and she gently scratched the soft hair behind the wide, floppy ears. Big, brown eyes looked at her, and the dog leaned closer, his flank touching the side of her dress.

"He likes you. You'll have a friend forever now," Kid said. Her heart felt warm—something she hadn't felt in a very long time. She kept her eyes on the dog. "I hope so. I really hope so." Her hand ran over the wide head and along his sleek back. She could use a friend, even a non-human one was better than what she had.

After a few minutes Kid said, "All right Sammy, that's enough, time for you to go out."

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Shotgun Bride [The Quinter Brides Book One]

by Lauri Robinson

The dog whimpered and looked at her with big, droopy eyes, as if asking if he had to listen to Kid. Kid laughed. "Nice try, old man. Out, now." His hand left her hip and pointed to the door.

The spot were his hand had been instantly felt chilled, and she hoped he didn't notice the slight quiver that rippled her body. She didn't dare meet his eyes.

Sammy stood and tossing a nasty glance at Kid, slowly walked to the front porch. Kid followed and almost caught the dog's tail as he closed the door. After it clicked shut, he turned around. "Well, I guess this is your new home." He pointed to the area where she stood. "This is the front room. I-ah, don't use it much."

Jessie glanced around and almost gasped. How had the elegance and size of the house escaped her notice? A massive stone fireplace covered the furthest wall. A tapestry divan and two leather side chairs sat in front of it. Other chairs and tables sat along the walls, and near the door behind him stood a tall coat rack. The center of it held a large mirror, and the wood frame had hooks on which two hats and a jacket hung. Near the bottom of the rack was a bench to sit on while taking off or putting on shoes. She'd remembered seeing one just like it in a catalog years ago and had begged her father to buy it. He'd promised someday she would have one. Kid pointed behind her. "Upstairs there are six bedrooms, one's mine of course, but you can have your pick of the other five. Down the hall behind the staircase are my office and another room I use for storage. Over there," he pointed to her left, "is the kitchen."

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Shotgun Bride [The Quinter Brides Book One]

by Lauri Robinson

Her eyes followed his verbal tour. The staircase was wide and made a sweeping motion as it rose to the second floor. The spindled banister followed the steps to the top where it ran along an open area before merging into the wall with natural flow. She could imagine standing up there and watching him walk in through the front door. The thought made her cheeks burn. At the bottom of the stairs, sunlight glistened through a tall window at the end of the long hall. Brass door knobs on each side of the hallway shined in the light.

Her eyes floated past the archway that led into the area he pointed to as the kitchen and landed on etched glass doors beside it. Swung wide, the doors led to a room with a large table, at least a dozen chairs, and a huge buffet full of sparkling china.

"Oh, that's the dining room. I've never used it," Kid explained.

"It's beautiful," she whispered. The house was just like the one she dreamed of, especially on long, cold nights when she'd had no roof over her head. Funny, she dreamt of the home she wanted, but never the family she wanted to live in it with her.

"Thank you. Ma and the boys think it's too big. But I wanted a big house, just like the one I used to live in in Missouri."

"You lived in Missouri? So did I." A twinge of homesickness touched her heart. "Where at in Missouri?"

"St. Louis, what about you?"

"Independence."

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Shotgun Bride [The Quinter Brides Book One]

by Lauri Robinson

He nodded and started to walk toward the kitchen. "I'm going to make some coffee, would you like some?" Stopping, he made a sweeping motion for her to follow. Jessie walked to where he stood in the kitchen archway. She stumbled, once again in awe. Kid's hand touched the small of her back. She jumped, mumbling, "Sorry," and moved forward. "How-why..." Jessie wasn't sure what she wanted to ask.

"Why do I have such a nice place while my family lives in a shanty?" Kid walked around her. "It's called choices, Jessie. We all have choices to make. We can't always choose the things that happen in our lives, but we can choose how we react to them."

"What do you mean—choices?" She followed as he walked to the stove.

"Have a seat, and I'll explain." He dumped a handful of beans into a grinder.

She looked at the table. It was long and wide, the wood sanded smooth and coated with varnish. Six matching chairs sat around it. A great contrast to the rough-hewn table and chair at her soddy. The thought made her mind snap. She wouldn't be returning to the sod house. A frown formed as she turned to where he stood near the wide counter. If she was the wife, she should be the one making coffee, not him. Shouldn't she? Realizing how little she knew about being married made her stomach flip.

Pressing against the sensation with one hand, she glanced back to the table and quickly decided not to sit. Instead, she walked over and took the coffee pot from the stove then went 58

Shotgun Bride [The Quinter Brides Book One]

by Lauri Robinson

to the large stone crock sitting by the door. The coffee grinder filled the room with sound, her eyes asked if it was the water she was to use. He nodded. With a dipper, she filled the pot and carried it back to him.

"Thank you." He took the pot and bent to light a fire in the bin of the stove.

She handed him two sticks of wood from the box next to the stove and said, "I could change your bandage while you tell me what you mean about choices."

"I don't know, do you think you can make a bandage look as good as this one?" His eyes held a teasing glimmer as he rose to stand beside her.

"Probably not." She shrugged, smiling at his mockery.

"Good," he laughed, walked to the table, and sat in a chair.

The sound made something in her insides flutter. She ignored it, and careful not to pull his hair while untying the bandage, asked, "What do you mean choices in how we react?" The material let loose, and she began to unwind it from around his head.

"Well, for instance, look at the situation we have found ourselves in. We have a choice of how to react to this uh, marriage. We could both be angry with our families and sit here and plot our revenge. Or we can look at it as an opportunity to make our lives better, despite their actions." The last of the bandage fell from his cheek, and he turned to look up at her.

Jessie didn't meet his gaze, choosing instead to let his words sink in while she gathered the strips of cloth. "Your 59

Shotgun Bride [The Quinter Brides Book One]

by Lauri Robinson

mother's bandage may not have looked the best, but it did the job. The cut isn't bleeding. Actually, it doesn't look as bad as I expected."

"Really?" He stood and strolled across the room to a door on the far wall. Opening it, he walked into the area. Still mulling over his statement, but curious, Jessie followed and peeked through the open doorway. Two windows filled the room with light. A large brass tub, a bench, and a washstand with bowl and mirror furnished the room. His head twisted sideways as he examined the cut in the mirror. "You're right it's not as bad as I expected either." He poured water from the pitcher into the bowl, cupped it in his hands and began to splash his face.

Jessie backed out of the opening.
A washroom!
She'd heard some homes had them, but had never seen one. Her mind fluttered, there was too much to think about at once. She walked to the stove and checked the coffee. The rich aroma made her stomach growl.

"Cups are over there." Kid stepped out of the room and pointed to a cupboard on her left. "Pour me one too, please." He opened another cupboard, took out a container, and held it up. "It's a balm Stephanie makes. It's good for man or beast."

Unsure how to answer, she nodded, opened a hinged door, and stared at the stacks of dishes. After years of living with the barest of essentials, the abundance of the house overwhelmed her senses. Kid Quinter overwhelmed her senses, so did the dog, the marriage; actually everything about the night beset her. She blinked at the sting in her 60

Shotgun Bride [The Quinter Brides Book One]

by Lauri Robinson

eyes, sucked in a gulp of air then pulled two cups off the shelf. After filling them, she set them on the table. Kid finished smoothing the balm over his cheek, replaced the container then walked to the table. "Sit down." He pointed to the chair in front of her as he sat down at the end of the table next to her.

She pulled out the chair, but her wondering mind was no longer able to keep silent. "What do you mean, an opportunity to make our lives better?" she asked, pressing a hand to the racing in her chest. Dare she hope this escapade could turn out to be a blessing?

Kid took a sip of the hot coffee. It tasted like heaven, and he needed the pep it would give him. He was dog tired, his head hurt, in fact, most of his body hurt from the rough treatment he'd had the past several hours, and he had a full day of work ahead of him. He took another sip and looked over the rim at the young girl.

She sniffed at the contents of the cup before taking a small drink. Her face puckered as she swallowed. A chuckle tickled his throat.

"I like my coffee a bit strong." He went to the icebox and pulled out the pitcher of milk. "This will help." A dollop turned the liquid in her cup light tan. "Try that." She blew into the cup before taking a sip. "Mmm, much better, thank you." The tip of a pink tongue licked her lips before she took another drink. "So, what did you mean?"

"What I said, we have a choice. We can focus on how awful it was of our families to do this to us, and dwell on it, and 61