table.
Snake continued to watch as the younger sister carried her
dish to the sink. As soon as she set it on the counter,
September turned back to the table.
"August," she snapped haughtily.
62
Guardian Bride
by Lauri Robinson
"Uh?" The brother, who'd all but plastered himself against
Snake as soon as he sat down, looked up, chewing the food in
his mouth with all his might.
"We have chores to do," September said, moving to the
door.
"What chores?" Snake asked.
She ignored him. "August!"
"I ain't done eating yet."
September, her blond curls bouncing, stormed across the
room and reached for the boy's plate. "You can finish it later."
August clutched the plate with one hand, shoveling the pie
in his mouth with the other. His mumbled answer couldn't be
understood, but his actions proved he didn't want to go.
"What's so important it can't wait until he's done?" Snake
asked, placing a hand on the boy's shoulder.
September's glare became downright hateful. Her little
nose wrinkled up, and her eyes all but fired buckshot. "We
don't take charity from anyone. We work for our keep."
Snake, taken aback, couldn't come up with a response
quick enough. Or maybe Summer, used to the girl's behavior,
was just that much quicker.
"September," she said with warning. When the girl looked
at her older sister, Summer continued, "You can wait until
he's done with his pie."
"He is done." September grabbed the now empty plate off
the table. She stomped across the room and plopped the dish
on the counter. Her gaze snapped to her brother, and she
tipped her head to the door.
63
Guardian Bride
by Lauri Robinson
"Come on, partner, I'll help you," Bug said, lifting August
from his chair.
The glare September sent Bug wasn't any too friendly
either. "We don't need help. We know what needs to be
done."
Kid stood. "Jessie and I should head home. Bug, would you
mind harnessing the horses while I help Snake back into bed?
"
"Sure. You want me to help get him back to bed first?" Bug
asked.
"I'll help," Summer said from her stance near the sink.
The slam of the door, behind September as she bolted
outside, rattled the windows.
Summer, drying her hands on her apron, glanced toward
the door. Jessie laid a hand on her arm. "I'll go see if I can
help her. You help Kid with Snake."
Snake had never been around children much, his nieces
and nephew were little more than babies, but he'd been
around plenty of pissed off people before, and something had
September Austin madder than a hornet. And the fire blazing
in her young eyes had told him her sting would be much
worse than an insect's.
"I don't need any help. I can get back to bed on my own,"
he said.
Shouts of, "No!" filled the room. Summer at least had the
decency to sound nervous. While Ma, Kid, Jessie, and Bug
sounded downright rude. Annoyance vibrated his spine, he'd
been shot, but he wasn't some kind of an invalid. With his
good hand, he pushed away from the table and planted both
64
Guardian Bride
by Lauri Robinson
feet on the floor. Agony raced up his leg, he tried to ignore it,
grasping the edge of the table. Everyone stepped forward.
Snake leveled a steely gaze at the crowd.
Kid hooked an arm around his good elbow. "Come on."
Snake wanted to protest, but his injuries said whether he
liked it or not, he needed help getting back to bed. To make
matters worse, he needed to use the water closet.
Sometime later, after he'd grudgingly asked Kid to help
him restore his britches before his older brother helped him
back into his bedroom, Snake laid his head on the pillow and
closed both eyes. His shoulder and leg throbbed as if a good
sized mule kicked him every other second. He gritted his
teeth, breathing through the pain as Kid slid his pants off.
"You need some medicine?" Kid asked, covering Snake's
legs with the sheet.
Snake shook his head.
"It'll help. I have it right here."
His eyelids flew open. Had Summer been in there
Snake continued to watch as the younger sister carried her
dish to the sink. As soon as she set it on the counter,
September turned back to the table.
"August," she snapped haughtily.
62
Guardian Bride
by Lauri Robinson
"Uh?" The brother, who'd all but plastered himself against
Snake as soon as he sat down, looked up, chewing the food in
his mouth with all his might.
"We have chores to do," September said, moving to the
door.
"What chores?" Snake asked.
She ignored him. "August!"
"I ain't done eating yet."
September, her blond curls bouncing, stormed across the
room and reached for the boy's plate. "You can finish it later."
August clutched the plate with one hand, shoveling the pie
in his mouth with the other. His mumbled answer couldn't be
understood, but his actions proved he didn't want to go.
"What's so important it can't wait until he's done?" Snake
asked, placing a hand on the boy's shoulder.
September's glare became downright hateful. Her little
nose wrinkled up, and her eyes all but fired buckshot. "We
don't take charity from anyone. We work for our keep."
Snake, taken aback, couldn't come up with a response
quick enough. Or maybe Summer, used to the girl's behavior,
was just that much quicker.
"September," she said with warning. When the girl looked
at her older sister, Summer continued, "You can wait until
he's done with his pie."
"He is done." September grabbed the now empty plate off
the table. She stomped across the room and plopped the dish
on the counter. Her gaze snapped to her brother, and she
tipped her head to the door.
63
Guardian Bride
by Lauri Robinson
"Come on, partner, I'll help you," Bug said, lifting August
from his chair.
The glare September sent Bug wasn't any too friendly
either. "We don't need help. We know what needs to be
done."
Kid stood. "Jessie and I should head home. Bug, would you
mind harnessing the horses while I help Snake back into bed?
"
"Sure. You want me to help get him back to bed first?" Bug
asked.
"I'll help," Summer said from her stance near the sink.
The slam of the door, behind September as she bolted
outside, rattled the windows.
Summer, drying her hands on her apron, glanced toward
the door. Jessie laid a hand on her arm. "I'll go see if I can
help her. You help Kid with Snake."
Snake had never been around children much, his nieces
and nephew were little more than babies, but he'd been
around plenty of pissed off people before, and something had
September Austin madder than a hornet. And the fire blazing
in her young eyes had told him her sting would be much
worse than an insect's.
"I don't need any help. I can get back to bed on my own,"
he said.
Shouts of, "No!" filled the room. Summer at least had the
decency to sound nervous. While Ma, Kid, Jessie, and Bug
sounded downright rude. Annoyance vibrated his spine, he'd
been shot, but he wasn't some kind of an invalid. With his
good hand, he pushed away from the table and planted both
64
Guardian Bride
by Lauri Robinson
feet on the floor. Agony raced up his leg, he tried to ignore it,
grasping the edge of the table. Everyone stepped forward.
Snake leveled a steely gaze at the crowd.
Kid hooked an arm around his good elbow. "Come on."
Snake wanted to protest, but his injuries said whether he
liked it or not, he needed help getting back to bed. To make
matters worse, he needed to use the water closet.
Sometime later, after he'd grudgingly asked Kid to help
him restore his britches before his older brother helped him
back into his bedroom, Snake laid his head on the pillow and
closed both eyes. His shoulder and leg throbbed as if a good
sized mule kicked him every other second. He gritted his
teeth, breathing through the pain as Kid slid his pants off.
"You need some medicine?" Kid asked, covering Snake's
legs with the sheet.
Snake shook his head.
"It'll help. I have it right here."
His eyelids flew open. Had Summer been in there
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