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been that pretty the last time he saw
    her? Her long black hair hung past her elbows, and her eyes
    weren't black, but the deepest, darkest blue he'd ever seen.
    They were the color the sky turns just before night falls. Her
    face was long and finely shaped so that each feature stood
    out, clearly, proudly, yet blended with the others to make the
    entire image flawless and overly appealing.
    His heartbeat increased again, and this time it wasn't
    caused by pain from his wounds. He wet his lips and tried to
    come up with something to say. But for the life of him, he
    couldn't remember why he'd wanted to hop across the floor.
    She blinked and the tiniest grin flickered upon her lips as
    he relaxed. "What was it you wanted to ask your mother? We
    aren't sure who shot you, but believe it was Wainwright."
    His mind cleared with a rush. He pushed one palm deep
    into the mattress. "August said the preacher was here."
    Her eyes grew round, and she twisted, glancing at the
    door.
    "Was he?" Snake asked. "Are we married?"
    She spun back around.
    Her face had grown beet red. "Uh—" Her hair flew about
    her shoulders as she twirled again, pointing toward the door.
    "Umm—" Once again, she spun back toward him. "Oh..." she
    let out a long sigh that carried a moan.
    45

    Guardian Bride
    by Lauri Robinson
    "Ma!" he bellowed loud enough to be heard in Dodge.
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    46

    Guardian Bride
    by Lauri Robinson

Chapter Four
    Summer had never wished to be dead before, but at this
    moment, being planted six feet under sounded pretty good.
    Snake Quinter was a large man. She'd bathed him while he
    slept, washed the bulging muscles more than once. But alive,
    sitting on the edge of the bed, those muscles seemed much
    larger, and he, overall appeared much fiercer than his
    sleeping formed had demonstrated.
    Her knees knocked together like spindly tree limbs. She
    took a restorative breath, told herself there was no need to
    panic, and flipped around to race for the door.
    He bellowed again as she slapped the door shut. Leaning
    her head against the wood, she gulped as if she'd just floated
    up from the muddy bottom of the Arkansas River. When her
    heart no longer tried to beat out of her chest, she glanced
    around the room. The kitchen area, holding a big table, stove,
    cupboards, and all the other household necessities, stood
    empty before her. Empty of people anyway.
    There was no sign of Stephanie Quinter anywhere.
    The door stood open. Had Stephanie taken the children
    and headed back out to the wheat field? The thrashing was
    coming along well, the field more than three quarters done,
    but it would take every available hand to complete it before
    night fall.
    Maybe Stephanie had gone to get Bug, or even Snake's
    oldest brother Kid. Summer's shoulders drooped. There
    wasn't anything they could do. She stepped away from the
    47

    Guardian Bride
    by Lauri Robinson
    door, and spun around, gazing at it. To keep Snake from
    being extremely angry at his mother, she surmised. Who
    wouldn't be?
    Shaking her head, she lifted her hair off her shoulders with
    both hands and held it up for a moment to let a touch of
    coolness lick at the sweat that had accumulated as she rode
    for the house. September had arrived at the field, shouting
    that Snake had woken up and then fallen back on the bed.
    Fearful he'd hurt himself or opened his wounds, Summer
    had leaped on the closest horse and raced for the house.
    Frowning, she let her hair fall down her back and walked to
    the front door. The yard was empty. The horse she'd ridden
    on was gone. So was Maisy. As were her little brother and
    sister.
    She turned around, looking across the long room to the
    doorway at the far end. Balling her hands into fists, she
    tossed her head and squared her shoulders.
    "I'll do whatever it takes to keep September and August
    safe, and that, Mr. Scott Quinter, includes facing you," she
    said.
    Her feet were heavier than cast iron skillets full of rocks,
    but