Boot Hill Bride (22 page)

plumbing."

"Lots of places out east have indoor plumbing. The White

House has had indoor plumbing since the eighteen-thirties."

Snake pointed to the pedestal. "I'm going to go start

pumping, you tell me when the water starts coming out."

"All right."

He walked toward the windmill. "I made this here door to

cover the hole under the mill, so no one will fall in."

"That's a good idea."

Snake glanced back over his shoulder. "Wish me luck."

She laughed. "I wish you all the luck in the world. But I

know it's going to work."

He lifted the door and pushed it aside, then disappeared

into a hole in the ground. She glanced back and forth

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between the pedestal in the pond and the spot where he'd

disappeared under the windmill. Within minutes, a gurgle

sounded and then water began to bubble out the top of the

pedestal.

"It's working!" she shouted excitedly. "It's working!"

Water quickly filled the top basin and began to cascade

into the second, and then the third before it flowed onto the

bricks covering the bottom of the pond. Snake didn't crawl

back out, so she moved closer.

"Snake? I said it's working!"

"Great!" echoed out of the hole.

She walked over to peer down the hole. It was fairly deep,

and he crouched atop a large barrel, pumping a hand pump.

"Don't you want to see it working?" she asked.

"I have to keep pumping until it fills up the first time."

"Oh." She glanced back to the pond where water continued

to flow over the three basins. It was too bad Snake couldn't

see how well it worked. After all he was the one who built it.

Gathering her skirt, she plopped onto the ground and lowered

her legs into the hole. "Here, let me pump for a bit so you can

go check to make sure it's working properly."

He glanced at her, excitement shining in his eyes, but

instead of agreeing to her request, he grimaced.

"I don't think Hog would like that."

"Don't think he'd like what?" She landed on top of the

barrel beside him.

"You in this hole for one. Pumping water for the other." He

pointed to the ladder she'd used to climb down with his free

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hand. "You best climb back out," he said without slowing the

rhythm of the pump handle.

"Oh, for heaven's sake. I've been pumping water since I

was three." She took a hold of the handle and started to

pump. "Go on now, go see how it looks."

He glanced to the top of the hole, and then back to her.

She could tell he fought a hard battle. He really wanted to

go see it but didn't know if he should.

"Go on," she encouraged.

A smile that made his eyes snap filled his face. "All right.

I'll be right back, just keep pumping, slow and easy." He

watched her motions as he pulled his hand away.

"I've got it. Go on!"

"Thanks, Randi." He scrambled up the ladder and over the

edge.

"You're welcome!" she shouted, figuring he was already

halfway to the pond. Leaning back against the wall that had

been reinforced with bricks, she continued lifting the handle

up and down. The round windmill was directly above. Metal

bars had been bent and intertwined like a skein of yarn. The

wind flaps were spooned to catch the smallest of breezes. As

she watched, it took to flight twirling and twisting. It was

uniquely lovely, and once again, she found awe in Snake's

knowledge.

He was so silly, thinking Howard wouldn't want her

pumping water. Good Lord, she'd helped do everything else,

why on earth would he care if she helped with this?

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The thought had no sooner formed when a dark shadow

fell over the opening above. She glanced up and smiled at the

man staring down at her.

"Hello," she said with all the brightness she felt in her

heart.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Howard literally

growled.

The sound shocked her and made her nerves go raw at the

same time.

"Excuse me?" He'd never used that tone with her before.

He crouched, stretched a hand toward her. "Get out of

there."

She kept pumping. "No, I'm helping Snake."

"Snake doesn't need your help. There's a yard full of men

he can ask." He waved his hand. "Now come on, get out of

there."

"No." The tips of her ears were on fire, and her breath

intake increased. She really had no idea why she was so

angry with him, other than his tone, and the fact he told her

to get out of the hole.

Why would he tell her to get out of the hole? The past few

weeks he'd made a point of asking for her opinions, asking for

her assistance. She glared up at him, pumping the handle

with hard thrusts.

"Snake asked
me
to help him, and
I am
."

He jumped into the hole. "Not any longer, you're not!" He

grabbed her around the waist and shoved her upwards.

She screeched, and her arms flayed.

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Snake caught her upper arms and tugged, lifting her out of

the hole.

"Sorry, Randi, I didn't think he'd like it."

Her hands balled into fists, she planted them on her hips.

"I don't really care what he likes and doesn't like."

Howard appeared before her eyes, as if he'd leaped out of

the pit in a single bound.

"Oh, you don't do you?" His face had become extremely

red.

"No, I don't!" She twisted, trying to break the hold he all of

sudden had on her arm.

He drew a ragged breath through his nose. The sound

filled the air snapping around them. His lips parted, and he

blew the air out slowly.

"Ran-di," he said, drawing her name into two very long

syllables.

It reminded her so much of how Belinda said her name,

the frustration burning her chest emitted with a loud,

"Ohhhhh!" She met his dagger-filled eyes with matching

ones.

"Let go of me this instant, Howard Quinter, or you'll be

sorry."

He lifted an eyebrow in a very mocking way. "I'll be

sorry?"

She raised her knee and drove it between his legs. It didn't

make a direct connection to his groin, but was close enough

to make him release his hold.

"I warned you," she shouted, hitching her skirt and

running as fast as possible to the campsite.

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Near Ma's tent, she chanced a glance over her shoulder

and saw him talking with Snake. They weren't really talking.

Howard was waving an arm toward her and shouting at his

brother. She paused, questioned if she should run back to

protect Snake. Before she made up her mind, Snake threw

his hands into the air and climbed back into the hole. She

twisted and stomped into the tent.

"Land sakes, girl, what happened to you?" Ma's startled

gaze settled on the front of her dress.

Streaks of green and brown covered the entire front of her

yellow dress.

"Oh!" she screeched with frustration and frantically wiped

at her bodice with both hands.

"You're only making it worse." Ma stood from her stool and

grasped her wrists. "Stop, you're smearing it all over. What

happened?"

Randi squeezed her eyes shut, refused to let her anger

turn her into a blubbering idiot. It didn't work, the tears

pushed their way out and with a mewing sound she crumpled

onto Ma's cot.

Ma sat beside her, rubbed her back until the tears flowing

from her eyes slowed.

"There, now, feeling better?"

"No," Randi declared.

"Want to tell me what happened?"

"I don't know." Randi shrugged.

"I'm a good listener," Ma said, still rubbing her back.

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Randi gave a half-hearted smile. "I mean I don't know

what happened. I was just helping Snake, and he yelled at

me."

Ma stiffened. "Snake yelled at you? Why that little

whipper-snap. He knows better. I'll—"

"No," Randi supplied, "Not Snake. Howard."

"Hog yelled at you?" Ma sounded like it was unbelievable

he'd do such a thing. "Why?"

"I don't know. I was down in the hole, pumping the water

for Snake."

Ma held up a hand. "Down in what hole? The one Snake

dug for the windmill?"

Randi nodded.

"Honey," Ma started, handing over a handkerchief

embroidered with yellow flowers. "Dry your eyes, and let me

tell you a little bit about men."

Randi attempted to keep a startled look from racing across

her face. It didn't work.

Ma, all five feet of her, shook with good humor.

"I not only raised five good men, I was married to the best

one that ever stepped foot on this earth." She nodded. "Land

sakes, that man made my heart sing, and all it took was the

faintest smile, or to see a glimmer in those big brown eyes of

his and I was quivering in my boots."

"You were?"

"Yes, I was. We women are funny that way, how we let a

man get so deep in our hearts it practically bleeds just for

them." She patted Randi's hand. "But let me tell you, men are

worse."

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"They are?"

"Yes, they are. Men got this way of thinking that they have

to protect their woman all the time. And if Hog yelled at you

'cause you were down in that hole, he was most likely scared

you'd get hurt."

"Hurt? I was perfectly safe."

"You knew that, but he didn't. He was probably conjuring

up all kinds of things that could happen to you. Snakes could

have been hiding down there, or some nasty spiders. One of

the water lines could have broken, or that pump spring let

loose."

"I never thought of any of those things," Randi admitted.

Ma nodded. "Most likely, none of them would have

happened. But you see, a man likes to know his woman is

safe all the time. When something happens to her, whether

he could have prevented it or not, he blames himself. Loving

you is still new to Hog, and he's still learning the ins and outs,

but I gotta say he most likely won't get any better. His pa

never did. That man watched me like a hawk from morning

'til night. Probably the whole time I was asleep as well. God, I

miss him. Suspect I will 'til the day the Good Lord takes me

to meet up with him."

The words of Hog loving her had caused all the air to leave

her lungs, and Randi had to rub her chest to get the organs

moving again. When air seeped in, and she found her voice,

she said, "Hog loves me?"

Ma frowned. "Yes, he loves you."

"He never said he loves me."

"So?"

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"So?"

"Randi that man loves you as much as his pa loved me.

No, the man didn't say it constantly, not with words anyway.

Didn't have to. The look on his face said it loud and clear

every day."

Her heart was thumping so hard, she wondered if there

were two of them beating in her chest. Randi frowned.

"He yelled at me because he loves me?"

"Of course. Do you think he would have yelled at any other

woman for being down in that hole?"

She shrugged.

Ma shook her head. "He wouldn't have. I know that for

certain."

"Why didn't he just ask me to climb out?"

Ma let out a guffaw. "When a man thinks his woman is in

danger, his instincts take over, kinda like a cornered wolf. I

think something inside their brain just snaps or maybe quits

working."

Randi let the words sink in, wondering for a moment

before she asked, "Is it that way with all men?"

Ma shook her head. "Nope. Just the good ones. The bad

ones, they don't care about anyone 'cept themselves. Not

even their women."

A chill ripped up Randi's spine, and she glanced at Ma,

somehow knowing they both had thoughts of her father.

Ma patted her hand. "I gotta say something here, child."

Randi nodded, clenched her hands.

Ma took a deep breath, gave her head a quick shake. "My

Hog loves you. Won't ever let anything happen to you. And

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you got yourself a passel full of brothers now, who love you

just as if you were born their sister. But not all men are as

good as my boys. There's some mean ones out there. I think

there's been one whose been a hurtin' you for some time

now. So, I want you to stick close by, make sure one of the

boys is always near ya. That ways you'll be safe." She patted

her hand. "With my boys around, you'll always be taken care

of, darlin'. Always."

Randi shivered as if a goose had just ambled over her

grave.

Sweat poured down his back. Howard shifted the load on

his shoulder and marched up the flight of stairs. Huffing in