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mattress beside her hip. The soft,
warm skin of the back of her hand filled his palm perfectly,
and he gave it a little squeeze.
"I didn't know what else to do," she said despondently.
70
Guardian Bride
by Lauri Robinson
"Tell me what happened."
"I was at the saloon during the card game. In the
backroom. I heard the bet"—she paused, staring at the
doorway—"and how angry you were when you folded. Right
after you stormed out, Wainwright woke up and claimed the
win. July said he could come get September the next day—
after he had a chance to tell her. I left then, out the back
door, and ran into George Hinkle. He asked what was wrong,
and I told him. He told me to go home and not worry about it.
The next day he came by to say you'd left town. He wanted
the kids and me to go stay with him and his wife for a few
days, but I couldn't do that. But after two nights of...." She
paused and then said, "We packed up and traveled out here—
to your place."
"Why?"
"Why? So Wainwright wouldn't take September. Why
else?"
"That was dangerous. Wainwright could have followed."
She shook her head. "George had him arrested. When he
claimed the win, a fight broke out. George broke it up. July
was taken to Doc Jones and Wainwright to jail."
Her hand trembled beneath his. Snake gave it a gentle
squeeze. She glanced down at the mattress, looking at their
hands for a moment before her gaze rose to meet his. There
was strength and honesty in those dark eyes, but Snake saw
more. He saw a scared little girl. On the outside, Summer
Austin may have grown up, but on the inside there was a
frightened little girl who was lost in a big, scary world, with
two siblings to take care of. Something inside him snapped
71
Guardian Bride
by Lauri Robinson
then. Whether it was a piece of his heart breaking for what
she'd been through, or a part of his soul disengaging to
merge with hers, he wasn't sure.
As if she felt what went on inside him, her fingers folded
around his, and her grasp tightened. A silent, inner thought
said as sure as the sun would rise and set tomorrow, they
were bound together. Not because Ma had called in some
preacher, but because he had to. There was no way he'd let
someone as low and downright bad as Wainwright hurt her or
her siblings.
"August said your Pa died."
A tiny gasp emitted, and she gave a slight nod.
"What happened?"
She shrugged. "He was shot. The Sheriff thinks it was
Wainwright. Thinks that's who shot you, too."
Snake had no doubt that was who shot him. Though he
hadn't seen anything, it had happened too quickly, but a gut
feeling said it had been Wainwright. That same gut feeling
said the man would be back. A simple marriage wasn't going
to stop the Mexican trader.
"You should try to get some sleep."
She hadn't moved, but Snake squeezed her hand anyway,
as if he could hold her to the spot where she sat. "No, I'm
really not tired." He wasn't, not in the least. Lying here,
holding her hand, did a better job of healing his wounds than
all the doctors and medicine in the world. "Tell me," he said.
"What I can do to help September? She has to know it's not
her fault."
[Back to Table of Contents]
72
Guardian Bride
by Lauri Robinson
Chapter Six
Summer had to squeeze her eyes closed to keep the tears
at bay. He sounded so sincere, like he really wanted to help
September—and Lord knows her little sister needed all the
help she could get. July had blamed the girl for their mother's
death for as long as September could remember. He claimed
if she hadn't came down with the pox, June wouldn't have
died. Summer tried over the years to convince September it
hadn't been her fault, but every time July found a bottle—
which was every day—he'd start blaming the child all over
again.
"It'll just take some time is all," she said, knowing she'd
been quiet too long. "September just needs time."
"Time is a good healer, but sometimes it's not
warm skin of the back of her hand filled his palm perfectly,
and he gave it a little squeeze.
"I didn't know what else to do," she said despondently.
70
Guardian Bride
by Lauri Robinson
"Tell me what happened."
"I was at the saloon during the card game. In the
backroom. I heard the bet"—she paused, staring at the
doorway—"and how angry you were when you folded. Right
after you stormed out, Wainwright woke up and claimed the
win. July said he could come get September the next day—
after he had a chance to tell her. I left then, out the back
door, and ran into George Hinkle. He asked what was wrong,
and I told him. He told me to go home and not worry about it.
The next day he came by to say you'd left town. He wanted
the kids and me to go stay with him and his wife for a few
days, but I couldn't do that. But after two nights of...." She
paused and then said, "We packed up and traveled out here—
to your place."
"Why?"
"Why? So Wainwright wouldn't take September. Why
else?"
"That was dangerous. Wainwright could have followed."
She shook her head. "George had him arrested. When he
claimed the win, a fight broke out. George broke it up. July
was taken to Doc Jones and Wainwright to jail."
Her hand trembled beneath his. Snake gave it a gentle
squeeze. She glanced down at the mattress, looking at their
hands for a moment before her gaze rose to meet his. There
was strength and honesty in those dark eyes, but Snake saw
more. He saw a scared little girl. On the outside, Summer
Austin may have grown up, but on the inside there was a
frightened little girl who was lost in a big, scary world, with
two siblings to take care of. Something inside him snapped
71
Guardian Bride
by Lauri Robinson
then. Whether it was a piece of his heart breaking for what
she'd been through, or a part of his soul disengaging to
merge with hers, he wasn't sure.
As if she felt what went on inside him, her fingers folded
around his, and her grasp tightened. A silent, inner thought
said as sure as the sun would rise and set tomorrow, they
were bound together. Not because Ma had called in some
preacher, but because he had to. There was no way he'd let
someone as low and downright bad as Wainwright hurt her or
her siblings.
"August said your Pa died."
A tiny gasp emitted, and she gave a slight nod.
"What happened?"
She shrugged. "He was shot. The Sheriff thinks it was
Wainwright. Thinks that's who shot you, too."
Snake had no doubt that was who shot him. Though he
hadn't seen anything, it had happened too quickly, but a gut
feeling said it had been Wainwright. That same gut feeling
said the man would be back. A simple marriage wasn't going
to stop the Mexican trader.
"You should try to get some sleep."
She hadn't moved, but Snake squeezed her hand anyway,
as if he could hold her to the spot where she sat. "No, I'm
really not tired." He wasn't, not in the least. Lying here,
holding her hand, did a better job of healing his wounds than
all the doctors and medicine in the world. "Tell me," he said.
"What I can do to help September? She has to know it's not
her fault."
[Back to Table of Contents]
72
Guardian Bride
by Lauri Robinson
Chapter Six
Summer had to squeeze her eyes closed to keep the tears
at bay. He sounded so sincere, like he really wanted to help
September—and Lord knows her little sister needed all the
help she could get. July had blamed the girl for their mother's
death for as long as September could remember. He claimed
if she hadn't came down with the pox, June wouldn't have
died. Summer tried over the years to convince September it
hadn't been her fault, but every time July found a bottle—
which was every day—he'd start blaming the child all over
again.
"It'll just take some time is all," she said, knowing she'd
been quiet too long. "September just needs time."
"Time is a good healer, but sometimes it's not
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