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would be kinda nice.
    Jeffrey Mohler has both a ma and a pa and bragged about it
    all the time."
    "Who?" Snake asked, trying to follow the child's words.
    "Jeffrey Mohler. Summer worked for his pa back in Dodge,
    at the Long Branch. Jeffrey went to school with me. Mrs.
    Hinkle had to tell him to leave me alone." August's eyes were
    cast down and a frown pulled on his lips. "He's lots bigger
    than me."
    Snake's heart tugged on the wall of his chest. It had to be
    hard, growing up without parents. Poor August was so young,
    and he was a good kid, for all Snake had seen so far anyway.
    "Summer said even though she's my sister, I could
    pretend she was my ma."
    A smile tickled Snake's lips. He could see her saying that.
    It was evident how much she loved her siblings. He'd noticed
    that right off. "That was nice of her," he said, unable to think
    of a better answer.
    "I was hoping now that the two of you are married, I could
    pretend you were my pa."
    42

    Guardian Bride
    by Lauri Robinson
    For a moment he thought he'd been shot again. "What?"
    Snake pressed a hand so hard on his stomach he could
    almost feel his backbone. "What did you say?"
    August jumped back. "Sorry!" He glanced about the room
    nervously. "I won't pretend you're my pa, I promise."
    Snake took a deep breath and told himself not to shout
    this time. "No, not that part. What did you say about Summer
    and I?"
    "That you two are married?" August mumbled
    questionably.
    "No, we aren't."
    "Ah, ha," August said nodding his head.
    "Uh, uh," Snake said, shaking his.
    Still nodding, August supplied, "The preacher man was
    here."
    Snake went ice cold, inside and out. "When?"
    "While you were sleeping. When the doctor was digging
    out the bullets."
    The air in his chest, hotter than Hades, burst from his
    lungs as Snake bellowed, "Mmmaaa!"
    Just then the door flew open. Summer Austin, sweat
    running down her face and chest heaving with gulps of air,
    blasted into the room. Following closely on her heels was his
    mother.
    Snake glared. His mother's eyes grew wide, and quicker
    than a horsefly, she buzzed in, grabbed August, and soared
    back out the door.
    "Ma!" he yelled, thrusting himself onto his feet. Blinding
    pain made him grab for the table beside the bed. It collapsed.
    43

    Guardian Bride
    by Lauri Robinson
    He went down with it, growling and cursing a blue streak at
    the hell tearing across his body.
    Hands tried to assist him, and he pushed them aside. "Get
    away from me!"
    When a little more than a constant ache filled his system,
    he eased himself off the floor, grunting, and silently cursing,
    until he finally sat on the edge of the bed again.
    Summer Austin stood before him, tears streaked her
    cheeks. As if she hadn't noticed them until just now, she
    wiped her face with the backs of her hands, and then met his
    stare. Her eyes weren't cold, but there was hardness in them,
    a strength he'd never seen in a woman before.
    The sight took him aback, made him stare longer, harder.
    She didn't flinch, just met him eyeball for eyeball.
    "Are you through trying to kill yourself?" she asked.
    His lips grew tight.
    She lifted her eyebrows.
    He raised a hand, pointed to the door. "Get my mother."
    She didn't even blink. "No."
    "No?"
    "No," she stated, pointedly.
    "Fine, I'll get her." He put his hand on the edge of the bed
    but knew full well he couldn't put any weight on his left leg. If
    he could get up, he might be able to hop to the door. Fear of
    the pain he'd felt moments earlier kept him from attempting
    to stand.
    "I didn't think so." Her voice was soft, and she stepped
    closer. "Tell me what you need, and I'll get it."
    "My mother. I need to speak to her."
    44

    Guardian Bride
    by Lauri Robinson
    She lifted the table and checked the legs for breakage.
    "Why? I can tell you what happened." After settling the table
    beside the bed, she looked at him. "What do you want to
    know?"
    Snake couldn't make his eyes move. It was as if they were
    glued to her. Had she