hold it in, and reached over to pat her hand. "Jessie, you'll never have a reason to fear me. I promise. We'll get to know each other as friends. Not as husband and wife. I don't have time for a wife right now." He really didn't have time for a friend either, not one that needed as much as she apparently did, but it was too late to dwell on that now.
"You don't have time for a wife?" She pulled her fingers out from beneath his and wrapped them around the cup, using both hands to lift it to her lips. "I'd have thought you'd 62
Shotgun Bride [The Quinter Brides Book One]
by Lauri Robinson
want a wife to help you. This is a big house to take care of, besides all of your ranching."
"I don't use much of the house except the kitchen and my bedroom, so the upkeep isn't much. And I pay Stephanie to come and give it a good cleaning every once in awhile."
"Why do you call your mother Stephanie?"
"Because she's not my mother. My mother died when I was five." Kid pushed away from the table, needing something to occupy his hands, they itched to touch hers again. "Are you hungry?"
"N-no, I'm fine. The coffee is good."
"Well, I am." He moved around the kitchen, placing a pan on the stove, and gathering eggs from the basket on the other end of the counter. He didn't mind sharing the story of his life and talked while he worked.
"We lived in St. Louis. She and the baby died. I don't really know what happened, since no one ever talked about it. One day she was there, the next she wasn't." He cracked a few eggs into the pan. "One day, my dad was gone too. I lived with an aunt and uncle until I was ten. Then out of the blue, my father showed up and brought me out here. That's when I met my new stepmother and brother. Skeeter wasn't much more than a baby, two or so, and Stephanie was pregnant with Snake."
It had been a long time since he'd thought about his younger days. Kid flipped the eggs and listened to them sizzle for a minute. "There's some bread and jam in that cupboard if you'd like some with your eggs."
63
Shotgun Bride [The Quinter Brides Book One]
by Lauri Robinson
"Oh, oh, I'm sorry." Jessie jumped from the table and scurried to the cupboard.
"There's nothing to be sorry about. I just thought you might like some," Kid said. She moved about quickly, gathering the bread and jam while he piled the fried eggs on two plates. A smile formed, sharing a meal with someone was nice.
"It was like that with my parents too. Like you said, one day they were there, the next they were gone." She found silverware and glasses and carried them to the table.
"How did they die?" Kid set the plates on the table.
"Cholera."
"Heard of that. Bad news." He motioned for her to sit.
"How old were you?"
She smoothed the worn material over her knees after taking a seat. "Eight when they died, it was ten years ago," she said, a lonely little sigh escaping her lips after the words. Kid sat, picked up his fork, and began to eat. That would make her eighteen, older than he thought. He'd have guessed sixteen at the most.
Looking between him and the food, she asked, "There's something I hope you don't mind my asking about." It must be serious. Kid laid his fork down and nodded. "Of course I don't mind. Ask whatever you want."
"Well, it's about your—your brother's names." Her face puckered into that painful look again. "There a little, um, odd?"
Kid laughed. "Yeah, they are. Our dad did that."
"Named you?"
64
Shotgun Bride [The Quinter Brides Book One]
by Lauri Robinson
"Well, gave us all nicknames. My name is Kendell, but Dad always called me the kid. He said Skeeter was as pesky as a mosquito. His real name is Steven. Snake-as sneaky as a Snake, is Scott. Hog, 'cause he grunts like one is Howard, and Bug, because he was as cute as a bug in a rug, is Brett."
"Oh. Kendell?"
"Yes, after my mother's father."
"And Steven, Scott, Howard and Brett."
"Yup, the Quinter boys," he said.
"Jessie is a nickname too," she admitted.
"Oh? What's
"You don't have time for a wife?" She pulled her fingers out from beneath his and wrapped them around the cup, using both hands to lift it to her lips. "I'd have thought you'd 62
Shotgun Bride [The Quinter Brides Book One]
by Lauri Robinson
want a wife to help you. This is a big house to take care of, besides all of your ranching."
"I don't use much of the house except the kitchen and my bedroom, so the upkeep isn't much. And I pay Stephanie to come and give it a good cleaning every once in awhile."
"Why do you call your mother Stephanie?"
"Because she's not my mother. My mother died when I was five." Kid pushed away from the table, needing something to occupy his hands, they itched to touch hers again. "Are you hungry?"
"N-no, I'm fine. The coffee is good."
"Well, I am." He moved around the kitchen, placing a pan on the stove, and gathering eggs from the basket on the other end of the counter. He didn't mind sharing the story of his life and talked while he worked.
"We lived in St. Louis. She and the baby died. I don't really know what happened, since no one ever talked about it. One day she was there, the next she wasn't." He cracked a few eggs into the pan. "One day, my dad was gone too. I lived with an aunt and uncle until I was ten. Then out of the blue, my father showed up and brought me out here. That's when I met my new stepmother and brother. Skeeter wasn't much more than a baby, two or so, and Stephanie was pregnant with Snake."
It had been a long time since he'd thought about his younger days. Kid flipped the eggs and listened to them sizzle for a minute. "There's some bread and jam in that cupboard if you'd like some with your eggs."
63
Shotgun Bride [The Quinter Brides Book One]
by Lauri Robinson
"Oh, oh, I'm sorry." Jessie jumped from the table and scurried to the cupboard.
"There's nothing to be sorry about. I just thought you might like some," Kid said. She moved about quickly, gathering the bread and jam while he piled the fried eggs on two plates. A smile formed, sharing a meal with someone was nice.
"It was like that with my parents too. Like you said, one day they were there, the next they were gone." She found silverware and glasses and carried them to the table.
"How did they die?" Kid set the plates on the table.
"Cholera."
"Heard of that. Bad news." He motioned for her to sit.
"How old were you?"
She smoothed the worn material over her knees after taking a seat. "Eight when they died, it was ten years ago," she said, a lonely little sigh escaping her lips after the words. Kid sat, picked up his fork, and began to eat. That would make her eighteen, older than he thought. He'd have guessed sixteen at the most.
Looking between him and the food, she asked, "There's something I hope you don't mind my asking about." It must be serious. Kid laid his fork down and nodded. "Of course I don't mind. Ask whatever you want."
"Well, it's about your—your brother's names." Her face puckered into that painful look again. "There a little, um, odd?"
Kid laughed. "Yeah, they are. Our dad did that."
"Named you?"
64
Shotgun Bride [The Quinter Brides Book One]
by Lauri Robinson
"Well, gave us all nicknames. My name is Kendell, but Dad always called me the kid. He said Skeeter was as pesky as a mosquito. His real name is Steven. Snake-as sneaky as a Snake, is Scott. Hog, 'cause he grunts like one is Howard, and Bug, because he was as cute as a bug in a rug, is Brett."
"Oh. Kendell?"
"Yes, after my mother's father."
"And Steven, Scott, Howard and Brett."
"Yup, the Quinter boys," he said.
"Jessie is a nickname too," she admitted.
"Oh? What's
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