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Authors: Lauri Robinson
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a complete camp site had been set up. Tables, chairs,
washing station, a fire pit with a wide tri-pod balanced over it,
and several other necessities sat about.
"Does Hog know all this?" Ma rubbed her chin.
"No." Worry tugged on Randi's face, and she cringed, not
wanting to upset him anymore than he already was. "Will he
be mad?"
"Mad?" Ma guffawed. "What man would be mad to know
his wife can cook?"
Randi let out a long sigh, almost afraid to admit another
one of her many faults. "I'm afraid I don't know much about
men."
70
Boot Hill Bride
by Lauri Robinson
"Well, honey. The way to a man's heart is through his
stomach and for Hog that's double fold." The woman moved
toward a wagon with a billowing canvas top.
She followed. "So Hog-oward likes to eat?" It was a stupid
question. Howard was the largest man she'd ever seen. He
wasn't overweight, she hadn't seen a wrinkle of excess
anywhere on his broad chest and flat stomach, but a man his
size must need a large amount of food to maintain the
breadth of a body so immense.
"You could say that," Ma said. A large smile curled the
ends of her thin lips. "You certainly could say that." She
climbed into the back of the wagon. "So what do you want to
cook?"
A rush of happiness she couldn't control made Randi
scamper in behind the other woman. "Well, let's see what you
have."
Howard lifted his head to wipe away the sweat dripping in
his eyes. The workmen he'd hired were outdoing themselves.
More had been accomplished this morning than he'd expected
in a full day of work. While he'd been getting hitched, the
hired hands had assembled the walls. He'd arrived in time to
help raise the fourth one.
Through an opening in the wood, he caught sight of his
mother and Randi strolling arm in arm toward the other tents.
His hand fell to rest on a support beam. Her long hair had
been rearranged, neatly pinned to the back of her head, and
the sides puffed out like a sun bonnet.
His eyes continued their appraisal. Her straight shoulders
and back gave her the ambiance of style and affluence. The
71
Boot Hill Bride
by Lauri Robinson
soft even sway of her trim hips made her blue skirt swirl
about her feet as she walked. Perhaps Thurston Fulton had
been right. She would make the perfect hostess for his
establishment.
"See something you like there, brother?"
He sucked up, swallowed his outlandish thoughts, and
gave Bug an icy stare.
His youngest brother pushed him aside to gaze between
the boards. "Hmm, not bad if you ask me."
An irritating pinch stung his stomach. "No one's asking
you, and you better keep those eyes in your head if you know
what's good for you."
Bug let out a deep laugh that bounced off the walls. "Oh, I
know what's good for me, just wondering if you know what's
good for you."
He tapped Bug's chest with one finger. "You getting back
to work is what's good for you."
"Funny you know?"
"What? What's funny?"
"I just always figured Ma's shotgun would get Snake
hitched before you. Good thing I ain't a bettin' man." Bug
reached down, took the extra hammer lying by his feet, and
chuckling, strolled away.
Howard's gaze went back to the women. They were both in
the back of the storage wagon. What was he going to do with
her? Whether she'd make a good hostess or not, he really
didn't have time for a wife. And most definitely didn't have
time to deal with her father. Having an alliance, no matter
how strained, with the Populist Party would damage his
72
Boot Hill Bride
by Lauri Robinson
business before it even opened. He had to get rid of Fulton
immediately, the railroad and cattlemen he expected to cater
to would be appalled by the politician.
A thought exploded in his head. Snapping his fingers, he
turned about. Skeeter! Minutes later, he found Snake on the
far side of the building. "I gotta go to town."
"What for?" Snake asked, gesturing toward a buckboard
piled high with building equipment. "Maybe I have it in
washing station, a fire pit with a wide tri-pod balanced over it,
and several other necessities sat about.
"Does Hog know all this?" Ma rubbed her chin.
"No." Worry tugged on Randi's face, and she cringed, not
wanting to upset him anymore than he already was. "Will he
be mad?"
"Mad?" Ma guffawed. "What man would be mad to know
his wife can cook?"
Randi let out a long sigh, almost afraid to admit another
one of her many faults. "I'm afraid I don't know much about
men."
70
Boot Hill Bride
by Lauri Robinson
"Well, honey. The way to a man's heart is through his
stomach and for Hog that's double fold." The woman moved
toward a wagon with a billowing canvas top.
She followed. "So Hog-oward likes to eat?" It was a stupid
question. Howard was the largest man she'd ever seen. He
wasn't overweight, she hadn't seen a wrinkle of excess
anywhere on his broad chest and flat stomach, but a man his
size must need a large amount of food to maintain the
breadth of a body so immense.
"You could say that," Ma said. A large smile curled the
ends of her thin lips. "You certainly could say that." She
climbed into the back of the wagon. "So what do you want to
cook?"
A rush of happiness she couldn't control made Randi
scamper in behind the other woman. "Well, let's see what you
have."
Howard lifted his head to wipe away the sweat dripping in
his eyes. The workmen he'd hired were outdoing themselves.
More had been accomplished this morning than he'd expected
in a full day of work. While he'd been getting hitched, the
hired hands had assembled the walls. He'd arrived in time to
help raise the fourth one.
Through an opening in the wood, he caught sight of his
mother and Randi strolling arm in arm toward the other tents.
His hand fell to rest on a support beam. Her long hair had
been rearranged, neatly pinned to the back of her head, and
the sides puffed out like a sun bonnet.
His eyes continued their appraisal. Her straight shoulders
and back gave her the ambiance of style and affluence. The
71
Boot Hill Bride
by Lauri Robinson
soft even sway of her trim hips made her blue skirt swirl
about her feet as she walked. Perhaps Thurston Fulton had
been right. She would make the perfect hostess for his
establishment.
"See something you like there, brother?"
He sucked up, swallowed his outlandish thoughts, and
gave Bug an icy stare.
His youngest brother pushed him aside to gaze between
the boards. "Hmm, not bad if you ask me."
An irritating pinch stung his stomach. "No one's asking
you, and you better keep those eyes in your head if you know
what's good for you."
Bug let out a deep laugh that bounced off the walls. "Oh, I
know what's good for me, just wondering if you know what's
good for you."
He tapped Bug's chest with one finger. "You getting back
to work is what's good for you."
"Funny you know?"
"What? What's funny?"
"I just always figured Ma's shotgun would get Snake
hitched before you. Good thing I ain't a bettin' man." Bug
reached down, took the extra hammer lying by his feet, and
chuckling, strolled away.
Howard's gaze went back to the women. They were both in
the back of the storage wagon. What was he going to do with
her? Whether she'd make a good hostess or not, he really
didn't have time for a wife. And most definitely didn't have
time to deal with her father. Having an alliance, no matter
how strained, with the Populist Party would damage his
72
Boot Hill Bride
by Lauri Robinson
business before it even opened. He had to get rid of Fulton
immediately, the railroad and cattlemen he expected to cater
to would be appalled by the politician.
A thought exploded in his head. Snapping his fingers, he
turned about. Skeeter! Minutes later, he found Snake on the
far side of the building. "I gotta go to town."
"What for?" Snake asked, gesturing toward a buckboard
piled high with building equipment. "Maybe I have it in
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