medicine?"
The space behind her was dark, lit by nothing more than
the same moon beams filling his room. Unfathomably,
Snake's heart rattled his chest. The faded light caught in the
long tresses of her hair, making each strand sparkle.
Breathless, he grunted, "No."
She took a step into the room. "I thought I heard you
talking, asking for something."
Only the God-given good sense I was born with , he
thought, but said, "No, I don't need anything."
She didn't move right away, and his wandering mind took
yet another direction. "Where are you sleeping?" he asked.
Her head twisted as she glanced over her shoulder. "On
the divan." She pivoted back his way. "Why? Are you
uncomfortable? Need another pillow or something?"
That would make sense—her sleeping on the divan. There
were two beds upstairs. Ever since Skeeter moved out, Snake
had claimed this room downstairs with a flip of a coin, which
had left Hog and Bug up in the loft. They all had slept up
there at one time—when Kid—and Pa—had lived at home.
A slight pressure settled his shoulder. Assuming it was
from his injury, he rubbed the area.
"Are you sure you're all right?" Summer asked from her
doorway stance.
68
Guardian Bride
by Lauri Robinson
The other downstairs room was Ma's. Most likely
September and August were sharing Hog's old bed while Bug
slept in the other, which ultimately left only the divan for her.
"It's not very big," he said.
"What?" She stepped closer, pointing to his shoulder. "Your
wound? It's actually a good sized hole."
He shook his head. "No, the divan. It's not very big. It
can't be too comfortable."
"Oh, it's fine." Walking across the room, stopping near the
bed, she said, "Here, let me check it. Hopefully you didn't
disrupt the healing moving around tonight."
"No, it's fine. Kid checked it. B-but...thanks."
She paused beside the bed, as if she was unsure what to
do next. He didn't know what to do either, but he didn't want
her to leave, not yet anyway. Inching over, into the middle of
the bed, he patted the open space with his good hand. "Want
to sit down for a minute?"
Her head twisted as she glanced over her shoulder toward
the door.
"Just for a minute," he encouraged. "I've slept so much the
past few days, I'm not very tired."
Moonlight basked upon her, making her look almost
dreamlike. With a slight shrug, she lowered onto the edge of
the bed. "You have slept a lot. But that's what the doctor
wanted. He didn't want you waking up and ripping out your
stitches."
"Ma didn't use her stitching machine, did she?"
Her hair flipped and flopped as her face whirled around to
gap at him. "Of course not!"
69
Guardian Bride
by Lauri Robinson
He winked. "Just kidding. She loves that machine so much
I wouldn't put it past her."
The giggle that escaped her mouth tinkled like a sleigh
bell. A swell of happiness expanded his chest. It felt good.
He'd always considered life was a whole lot easier when you
carried a good disposition. Therefore, he usually did. He was
a likeable sort of guy, he knew that, and didn't have any real
enemies, not that he could think of anyway.
A buckling of doubt made him ask, "Did I do something
while I was sleeping that made September hate me?"
"No," she said quickly—almost too quickly. "And
September doesn't hate you."
"Yes, she does," he responded. "A person can tell when
someone doesn't like them, and your little sister likes me
about as much as a dog likes a flea."
"September's just scared. We left Dodge in a hurry, and
she feels it's her fault. She probably blames herself for you
being hurt as well."
Snake didn't think so, but he didn't want to dispute
Summer's belief—not yet anyway. "Tell me about it."
"About what?"
"Leaving Dodge."
She took a deep breath and exhaled it out long and slow.
The soft hiss floated on the air until it almost echoed off the
walls. He reached over and wrapped his hand around the one
she had resting on the
The space behind her was dark, lit by nothing more than
the same moon beams filling his room. Unfathomably,
Snake's heart rattled his chest. The faded light caught in the
long tresses of her hair, making each strand sparkle.
Breathless, he grunted, "No."
She took a step into the room. "I thought I heard you
talking, asking for something."
Only the God-given good sense I was born with , he
thought, but said, "No, I don't need anything."
She didn't move right away, and his wandering mind took
yet another direction. "Where are you sleeping?" he asked.
Her head twisted as she glanced over her shoulder. "On
the divan." She pivoted back his way. "Why? Are you
uncomfortable? Need another pillow or something?"
That would make sense—her sleeping on the divan. There
were two beds upstairs. Ever since Skeeter moved out, Snake
had claimed this room downstairs with a flip of a coin, which
had left Hog and Bug up in the loft. They all had slept up
there at one time—when Kid—and Pa—had lived at home.
A slight pressure settled his shoulder. Assuming it was
from his injury, he rubbed the area.
"Are you sure you're all right?" Summer asked from her
doorway stance.
68
Guardian Bride
by Lauri Robinson
The other downstairs room was Ma's. Most likely
September and August were sharing Hog's old bed while Bug
slept in the other, which ultimately left only the divan for her.
"It's not very big," he said.
"What?" She stepped closer, pointing to his shoulder. "Your
wound? It's actually a good sized hole."
He shook his head. "No, the divan. It's not very big. It
can't be too comfortable."
"Oh, it's fine." Walking across the room, stopping near the
bed, she said, "Here, let me check it. Hopefully you didn't
disrupt the healing moving around tonight."
"No, it's fine. Kid checked it. B-but...thanks."
She paused beside the bed, as if she was unsure what to
do next. He didn't know what to do either, but he didn't want
her to leave, not yet anyway. Inching over, into the middle of
the bed, he patted the open space with his good hand. "Want
to sit down for a minute?"
Her head twisted as she glanced over her shoulder toward
the door.
"Just for a minute," he encouraged. "I've slept so much the
past few days, I'm not very tired."
Moonlight basked upon her, making her look almost
dreamlike. With a slight shrug, she lowered onto the edge of
the bed. "You have slept a lot. But that's what the doctor
wanted. He didn't want you waking up and ripping out your
stitches."
"Ma didn't use her stitching machine, did she?"
Her hair flipped and flopped as her face whirled around to
gap at him. "Of course not!"
69
Guardian Bride
by Lauri Robinson
He winked. "Just kidding. She loves that machine so much
I wouldn't put it past her."
The giggle that escaped her mouth tinkled like a sleigh
bell. A swell of happiness expanded his chest. It felt good.
He'd always considered life was a whole lot easier when you
carried a good disposition. Therefore, he usually did. He was
a likeable sort of guy, he knew that, and didn't have any real
enemies, not that he could think of anyway.
A buckling of doubt made him ask, "Did I do something
while I was sleeping that made September hate me?"
"No," she said quickly—almost too quickly. "And
September doesn't hate you."
"Yes, she does," he responded. "A person can tell when
someone doesn't like them, and your little sister likes me
about as much as a dog likes a flea."
"September's just scared. We left Dodge in a hurry, and
she feels it's her fault. She probably blames herself for you
being hurt as well."
Snake didn't think so, but he didn't want to dispute
Summer's belief—not yet anyway. "Tell me about it."
"About what?"
"Leaving Dodge."
She took a deep breath and exhaled it out long and slow.
The soft hiss floated on the air until it almost echoed off the
walls. He reached over and wrapped his hand around the one
she had resting on the
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