your real name?" he asked.
"Jessica," she said.
He didn't reply because a knock sounded on the door and made him realize how late in the morning it already was.
"Come in, Joe." Kid waved his hand at the man peeking in the window of the back door while scooping up the last of his eggs with his fork.
"Mornin', Kid."
Jessie turned to the sound behind her. A tall, thin, older man closed the door behind him. He turned her way and his feet froze mid-step.
"Ah, um, oh, well..."
"Grab a cup of coffee, Joe." Kid mopped a piece of bread across his plate.
"I can get him one," Jessie said, somewhat anxious to move out of the newcomer's shocked stare. She put a hand on the table to rise.
Kid covered it with one of his. "No, finish your breakfast." 65
Shotgun Bride [The Quinter Brides Book One]
by Lauri Robinson
"I did." A warm flush filled her cheeks at how she'd gobbled the eggs and bread.
"Then finish your coffee."
"I did."
"Joe, bring the pot to the table, will ya?"
"Sure," the man said. His gaze kept bouncing to her, and he almost slopped the coffee on Kid when he attempted to refill the cups on the table.
Kid took the pot and refilled his and her cups while the other man sat down across the table from her. "Joe, this is Jessie. Jessie, this is Joe. He's the foreman here at the ranch."
"Ma'am." Joe touched the brim of his hat. Then his cheeks turned pink, and he took the head covering off and laid it on the floor by his feet.
"Hello." Jessie had no idea what to say. Or do. She folded her hands in her lap.
"Jessie and I were married last night." Kid nonchalantly lifted his cup to his lips. As if he'd just said the sun was shining today.
Jessie gasped and before she could turn to stare at Kid, coffee shot out of Joe's mouth. It spewed across the table as he started coughing.
Kid rose to pound the other man on the back. "Not what you expected?" Kid asked when Joe's coughing ended. Jessie retrieved two dishtowels near the sink. She handed one to Joe and used the other to wipe the table. Her gaze went to Kid. He grinned from ear to ear. It made her want to smile, and she wasn't quite sure why.
66
Shotgun Bride [The Quinter Brides Book One]
by Lauri Robinson
"That wasn't very nice," she whispered, glancing to see if Joe was all right.
Kid laughed aloud.
Joe, with a frown between his brows, looked between her and Kid. "Oh, so it's a joke. You really caught me off guard." He refilled his cup and lifted it to his mouth again.
"No, it's not a joke. We really did get married last night," Kid said.
This time Joe swallowed before he started to cough. He set the cup down and glanced at Jessie.
Kid stepped over to stand beside her. His arm circled her shoulders, and he smiled down at her. She didn't know what to think of the grin, nor the arm. Her heart began thumping.
"Really?" Joe asked. His stare stuck on her. Hoping her face didn't show the confusion she felt, she attempted a smile and nodded.
"Holy shit!" Joe's face turned beet red. "Oh, sorry, I mean, excuse me, Ma'am."
Kid's hand slipped away and needing something to do, Jessie leaned over to remove their breakfast clutter from the table. Forcing her fingers not to tremble, she picked up her used silverware, setting it upon the empty plate.
"Did you spend the night with the herd?" Kid sat down and poured another cup of coffee.
"Yeah," Joe said. "Are you really married?"
"Yeah." Kid smiled at her as she picked up his plate, and then glanced back to Joe. "How'd the herd weather the storm?"
67
Shotgun Bride [The Quinter Brides Book One]
by Lauri Robinson
She twisted and walked toward the sink with the dishes. The feeling wafting every inch of her body wasn't what she'd call embarrassment, and it certainly couldn't be called happiness. Taking a deep breath, she quit trying to analyze unexplainable emotions and listened instead.
"Fine," Joe said. "When, where, how?"
"At my mother's—about four or so this morning. No stampedes with all the
"Jessica," she said.
He didn't reply because a knock sounded on the door and made him realize how late in the morning it already was.
"Come in, Joe." Kid waved his hand at the man peeking in the window of the back door while scooping up the last of his eggs with his fork.
"Mornin', Kid."
Jessie turned to the sound behind her. A tall, thin, older man closed the door behind him. He turned her way and his feet froze mid-step.
"Ah, um, oh, well..."
"Grab a cup of coffee, Joe." Kid mopped a piece of bread across his plate.
"I can get him one," Jessie said, somewhat anxious to move out of the newcomer's shocked stare. She put a hand on the table to rise.
Kid covered it with one of his. "No, finish your breakfast." 65
Shotgun Bride [The Quinter Brides Book One]
by Lauri Robinson
"I did." A warm flush filled her cheeks at how she'd gobbled the eggs and bread.
"Then finish your coffee."
"I did."
"Joe, bring the pot to the table, will ya?"
"Sure," the man said. His gaze kept bouncing to her, and he almost slopped the coffee on Kid when he attempted to refill the cups on the table.
Kid took the pot and refilled his and her cups while the other man sat down across the table from her. "Joe, this is Jessie. Jessie, this is Joe. He's the foreman here at the ranch."
"Ma'am." Joe touched the brim of his hat. Then his cheeks turned pink, and he took the head covering off and laid it on the floor by his feet.
"Hello." Jessie had no idea what to say. Or do. She folded her hands in her lap.
"Jessie and I were married last night." Kid nonchalantly lifted his cup to his lips. As if he'd just said the sun was shining today.
Jessie gasped and before she could turn to stare at Kid, coffee shot out of Joe's mouth. It spewed across the table as he started coughing.
Kid rose to pound the other man on the back. "Not what you expected?" Kid asked when Joe's coughing ended. Jessie retrieved two dishtowels near the sink. She handed one to Joe and used the other to wipe the table. Her gaze went to Kid. He grinned from ear to ear. It made her want to smile, and she wasn't quite sure why.
66
Shotgun Bride [The Quinter Brides Book One]
by Lauri Robinson
"That wasn't very nice," she whispered, glancing to see if Joe was all right.
Kid laughed aloud.
Joe, with a frown between his brows, looked between her and Kid. "Oh, so it's a joke. You really caught me off guard." He refilled his cup and lifted it to his mouth again.
"No, it's not a joke. We really did get married last night," Kid said.
This time Joe swallowed before he started to cough. He set the cup down and glanced at Jessie.
Kid stepped over to stand beside her. His arm circled her shoulders, and he smiled down at her. She didn't know what to think of the grin, nor the arm. Her heart began thumping.
"Really?" Joe asked. His stare stuck on her. Hoping her face didn't show the confusion she felt, she attempted a smile and nodded.
"Holy shit!" Joe's face turned beet red. "Oh, sorry, I mean, excuse me, Ma'am."
Kid's hand slipped away and needing something to do, Jessie leaned over to remove their breakfast clutter from the table. Forcing her fingers not to tremble, she picked up her used silverware, setting it upon the empty plate.
"Did you spend the night with the herd?" Kid sat down and poured another cup of coffee.
"Yeah," Joe said. "Are you really married?"
"Yeah." Kid smiled at her as she picked up his plate, and then glanced back to Joe. "How'd the herd weather the storm?"
67
Shotgun Bride [The Quinter Brides Book One]
by Lauri Robinson
She twisted and walked toward the sink with the dishes. The feeling wafting every inch of her body wasn't what she'd call embarrassment, and it certainly couldn't be called happiness. Taking a deep breath, she quit trying to analyze unexplainable emotions and listened instead.
"Fine," Joe said. "When, where, how?"
"At my mother's—about four or so this morning. No stampedes with all the
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