side, straightening out the pillows.
A tiny giggle escaped before she answered, "Yes, really."
Her long, black hair hung over her shoulder, blocked him
from seeing her face. He reached up to brush it aside. When
their gazes met, it was as if he'd been shot again, dead
center.
The door opened, and Kid stuck his head in. "You are up."
Pushing the door wide his oldest brother strolled into the
room. "How you feeling?"
"Not so bad," he admitted.
The room filled up quickly. His sister-in-law, Jessie,
wrapped him in a soft hug and kissed his cheek. Bug slapped
him hard enough on the shoulder he almost tumbled off the
bed. His nephew, Joel, ran across the room on chubby little
legs, and Snake caught the child moments before he jumped
up on his bad leg. Placing the child on his good one, he
hugged Joel and realized just how lucky he was that he didn't
die. Overall he had a good family. A damn good family.
Ma hung back, a nervousness he'd never seen before
flittered about her. He stared at her until she couldn't help
but meet his gaze. No matter how mad he was, she was his
60
Guardian Bride
by Lauri Robinson
mother, and damn-it-to-hell, but he loved her. He grinned
and winked at her.
Ma let out a little squeal and hopped across the room. She
wrapped both he and Joel in a hug. "Don't scare me like
that," she said. "My heart's getting too old for such
shenanigans."
"It wasn't all my fault." He kissed her wrinkled cheek.
"But, I'll try to not let it happen again."
"You do that." She pinched his chin. "I need my boys, all of
them."
Kid lifted Joel from his knee when Ma stepped aside.
"Come on, little brother. We'll help you out to the table." He
handed the child to Jessie. "Supper's almost ready. Bug, get
his other side."
Summer had disappeared. Snake searched the room for
her as his brothers half-carried him to the door.
"She's cooking," Kid whispered in his ear.
"Yeah, thank God," Bug said in the other.
Both of his brothers hooted like jackals. When they
lowered him into a chair, Snake would have laughed, too, if
their rough movements hadn't made his chest and leg hurt
like hell. No one else restrained themselves, and soon
merriment filled his mother's house.
The meal had been delicious, certainly not prepared by Ma,
Snake conceded. Her foods were either raw or burnt. She'd
never mastered that in-between stage. They'd never noticed
it growing up, not until Hog started cooking anyway, and they
all got a flavor for what food should taste like. Ma said it was
because she didn't like cooking. Which was no surprise given
61
Guardian Bride
by Lauri Robinson
she was always in her bedroom, kicking away on her stitching
machine. The thought made his gaze wander to Summer.
A silver colored skirt flanked her hips and fell to the floor,
streamlining her trim form, and a pristine white blouse was
tucked into the waist line. The ties of an apron, long and
white, dangled from the big bow tied in the small of her back.
She and Jessie stood at the sink, doing dishes, talking as they
washed. A single white ribbon held Summer's long black hair
together at the nap of her neck. The glistening strands flowed
down her back like a long rope, swaying now and again as
she moved.
An odd, not unpleasant sensation filled his chest, and he
frowned, wondering what it was. Another consciousness, that
of being watched, tickled his spine, and he turned slightly.
September Austin, as light as her sister was dark, glared
at him across the table. Snake raised a brow, staring back at
the young girl with her faded blue eyes and wheat colored
hair. The girl had yet to speak to him, even when he'd
greeted her earlier; she'd merely sent him a quick and
somewhat disgusted glance.
He smiled and gave her a slight nod. Her eyes narrowed,
and she grabbed the plate in front of her holding a piece of
peach pie they'd had for desert. The legs of her chair scraped
the floor loudly as she pushed away from the
A tiny giggle escaped before she answered, "Yes, really."
Her long, black hair hung over her shoulder, blocked him
from seeing her face. He reached up to brush it aside. When
their gazes met, it was as if he'd been shot again, dead
center.
The door opened, and Kid stuck his head in. "You are up."
Pushing the door wide his oldest brother strolled into the
room. "How you feeling?"
"Not so bad," he admitted.
The room filled up quickly. His sister-in-law, Jessie,
wrapped him in a soft hug and kissed his cheek. Bug slapped
him hard enough on the shoulder he almost tumbled off the
bed. His nephew, Joel, ran across the room on chubby little
legs, and Snake caught the child moments before he jumped
up on his bad leg. Placing the child on his good one, he
hugged Joel and realized just how lucky he was that he didn't
die. Overall he had a good family. A damn good family.
Ma hung back, a nervousness he'd never seen before
flittered about her. He stared at her until she couldn't help
but meet his gaze. No matter how mad he was, she was his
60
Guardian Bride
by Lauri Robinson
mother, and damn-it-to-hell, but he loved her. He grinned
and winked at her.
Ma let out a little squeal and hopped across the room. She
wrapped both he and Joel in a hug. "Don't scare me like
that," she said. "My heart's getting too old for such
shenanigans."
"It wasn't all my fault." He kissed her wrinkled cheek.
"But, I'll try to not let it happen again."
"You do that." She pinched his chin. "I need my boys, all of
them."
Kid lifted Joel from his knee when Ma stepped aside.
"Come on, little brother. We'll help you out to the table." He
handed the child to Jessie. "Supper's almost ready. Bug, get
his other side."
Summer had disappeared. Snake searched the room for
her as his brothers half-carried him to the door.
"She's cooking," Kid whispered in his ear.
"Yeah, thank God," Bug said in the other.
Both of his brothers hooted like jackals. When they
lowered him into a chair, Snake would have laughed, too, if
their rough movements hadn't made his chest and leg hurt
like hell. No one else restrained themselves, and soon
merriment filled his mother's house.
The meal had been delicious, certainly not prepared by Ma,
Snake conceded. Her foods were either raw or burnt. She'd
never mastered that in-between stage. They'd never noticed
it growing up, not until Hog started cooking anyway, and they
all got a flavor for what food should taste like. Ma said it was
because she didn't like cooking. Which was no surprise given
61
Guardian Bride
by Lauri Robinson
she was always in her bedroom, kicking away on her stitching
machine. The thought made his gaze wander to Summer.
A silver colored skirt flanked her hips and fell to the floor,
streamlining her trim form, and a pristine white blouse was
tucked into the waist line. The ties of an apron, long and
white, dangled from the big bow tied in the small of her back.
She and Jessie stood at the sink, doing dishes, talking as they
washed. A single white ribbon held Summer's long black hair
together at the nap of her neck. The glistening strands flowed
down her back like a long rope, swaying now and again as
she moved.
An odd, not unpleasant sensation filled his chest, and he
frowned, wondering what it was. Another consciousness, that
of being watched, tickled his spine, and he turned slightly.
September Austin, as light as her sister was dark, glared
at him across the table. Snake raised a brow, staring back at
the young girl with her faded blue eyes and wheat colored
hair. The girl had yet to speak to him, even when he'd
greeted her earlier; she'd merely sent him a quick and
somewhat disgusted glance.
He smiled and gave her a slight nod. Her eyes narrowed,
and she grabbed the plate in front of her holding a piece of
peach pie they'd had for desert. The legs of her chair scraped
the floor loudly as she pushed away from the
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