Guardian Bride (10 page)

"No," Summer admitted. "I don't think you're crazy." She

eased her hold on Stephanie's shoulder and rubbed the spot

consolingly. "Jonas loved you very much."

Stephanie's head snapped up, and her eyes narrowed into

a serious squint. "How do you know his name?"

Locked air in Summer's lungs made her cough. "I-I-

someone must have mentioned it," she lied.

"No, no one would have mentioned Jonas."

82

Guardian Bride

by Lauri Robinson

Summer bit her tongue.

"If anyone around mentioned him, they would have called

him Jay. That's what he was known as in these parts. Jay, not

Jonas." Stephanie stared as if she could see right into

Summer's head. "Even his headstone says Jay."

Summer swallowed, shuffling her feet under the table.

Stephanie's gaze didn't falter, just kept going in deeper and

deeper. Summer lowered her eyes and drew her hand away.

Picking up her coffee cup, she took a tiny sip. "Why? Why

didn't anyone around here call him Jonas?"

Stephanie turned around and stared at her bedroom door

for a few moments before she turned back to Summer. Her

gaze was softer, and a tiny frown had settled between her

brows. "Because," she started hesitantly, "he was known as

Jonas in Missouri." She took a breath and continued, "After

his first wife died, he left there to lead a wagon train west. My

family was a part of that train. We were on the gold rush. The

first one. The big one in California. Jay Quinter was the wagon

master."

She took a swig of coffee and seemed to be more settled

in telling her tale because she'd barely swallowed before

continuing, "From the moment I saw him, I was head over

heels in love. I was sixteen, and he was twenty-six." A wide

smile flashed on her lips. "I tried everything I could to get his

attention." The grin disappeared. "But he was crushed over

the death of his wife and baby. He didn't let it rule his life

though. He led that train through Indian attacks, hail storms,

and blizzards that would have killed us all if not for him. He

83

Guardian Bride

by Lauri Robinson

stayed on with my family that winter, and by spring, I knew I

couldn't let him leave California without me."

Jonas hadn't told Summer any of this. She was in awe and

needed to know more. "What happened?"

Stephanie rose and retrieved the coffee pot from the

stove. While refilling their cups, she said, "He left." Plopping

the pot on the stove, she added, "Without me."

"What?"

Taking her seat at the table, Stephanie laughed, "That's

what I said when I woke up that cold spring morning."

Summer stared at Stephanie until the humor on the other

woman's face tickled her insides. All of sudden Stephanie

Quinter looked younger, happier. Grinning, Summer asked,

"Then what happened?"

"I waited." Stephanie slapped the table hard enough to

make Summer jump in her chair. "He didn't come back for

two years." Stephanie giggled like a school girl, "I was so

mad at him by then I could have shot him. Probably would

have if he hadn't kissed the daylights out of me as soon as he

jumped off his horse."

"Where had he been?"

"He'd gone back to Independence and led out another

train."

Summer had never heard a love story, and truly wanted to

know more. "Had he written?"

Stephanie gave her a skeptical look. "No." She cocked her

head thoughtfully. "But he didn't need to. I knew he'd be

back."

"Had he said so?"

84

Guardian Bride

by Lauri Robinson

"No."

"Then how did you know?"

Stephanie reached over and softly tapped Summer's chest

with the tip of one finger. "In here. I knew he was the man

for me. And I knew he'd be back. We were married the next

day and a week later we left California to settle here."

There was so much more Summer wanted to know, but

she didn't know where to start her questions.

Stephanie made it easy. "He said I was too young when

we met. He also said he'd worried I'd find someone else

before he made it back to California. Men can be so silly

sometimes. I would have waited for him forever. If he'd have

never made it back to California, I'd still be there, a grumpy

old woman living alone."

Summer frowned.

"It's true," Stephanie said, "I'd never have married if he

hadn't come back for me. In those days men out numbered

women ten to one. I had an offer for marriage every week by

men who'd struck it rich and those who didn't have a pot to

spit in. But not one of them lit the spark in me that he did."

Something flared in Summer's chest, as if she knew what

Stephanie referred to. She changed the subject, needing time

to dwell on the warmth filling her insides. "How did you find

this place?"

"He'd seen it on the way out. The Indian raids in Nebraska

were wiping out whole trains, so his second trip out had been

through Kansas. This route was harder because water isn't as

plentiful as it is further north. One day he rode ahead of the

train, scouting, and saw this basin. He said he pictured his

85

Guardian Bride

by Lauri Robinson

family living here. It was tough at first, since there were no

towns, hardly a neighbor within a day's ride, but we settled,

built a cabin, and a year later, he went back to Missouri to get

Kid."

"Kid?"

"Yes. Kid had been living with his mother's family. We

wanted to go get him before then, but Jay wouldn't go until

he was sure Skeeter and I had everything we'd need while he

made the journey." Stephanie laid a hand on Summer's. "You

never said why you called him Jonas."

Summer had forgotten that part. She bit her lip. A

thunderous crash from the other side of the house saved her

from having to come up with another lie. Simultaneously, she

and Stephanie leaped from their chairs to race to Snake's

room.

[Back to Table of Contents]

86

Guardian Bride

by Lauri Robinson

Snake managed to pull the blanket off the bed and cover

his private area before the door flew open. Summer, followed

closely by his mother, flew into the room like two hens—

clucking and wings flapping.

His heart slammed against the walls of his chest as his

eyes settled on Summer's face twisted with concern.

"What happened?" she asked, arriving at his side.

The erratic thuds in his chest made the pain in his leg and

shoulder all but disappear. Guilt of causing her worry settled

in his stomach. "I-uh..." Not a single comprehensive thought

formed.

"Did you fall out of bed?" Her hands ran up and down his

arms and torso.

He grabbed them before they caught the edge of the

sheet. He wasn't about to tell her he'd thought he could make

it to the water closet, nor did he want her to see what the

sight of her did to him. She sat back on her hunches, and he

balled the sheet, making sure it hid his desire. Using his good

elbow, he wiggled and pushed himself up to sit against the

bed frame.

"Yes, I guess I did." His cheeks burnt with enough heat to

boil water. It was damn hard to be a man while injured from

head to toe.

"Here," she offered, "let me help you get back in bed."

His hand tightened on the sheet. "No. No, I think I'll just

sit here for a minute."

87

Guardian Bride

by Lauri Robinson

"Don't be silly," his mother demanded. "You can't sit there

on the floor." None to gently her fingers dug into his arm.

"Come on, we'll help you get back in bed."

"No." He shook off her hold. "I'm just fine where I'm at."

His mother would have grabbed his arm again, but

Summer reached up and stopped her. "Would you mind

getting him a cup of coffee?" Her big, dark eyes settled on

him. "I'll check his wounds. Make sure the fall didn't tear out

any stitches."

He swallowed the groan bubbling up his throat. Her

closeness made the throbbing in his loins increase. Yet, he

couldn't find the wherewithal to discourage her from touching

him.

His mother turned and strutted out of the room, banging

the door shut as she left.

Summer grinned, and Snake had to smile as well. "She's a

little grumpy in the mornings."

Summer laughed. "Like someone else I know?"

He cast his eyes down. The balled sheet hid what he felt

this morning, and he wouldn't necessarily call it grumpy.

She rose and walked to the dresser where she gathered

bandages, ointment and other such supplies. When she

settled on the floor beside him, she pushed the sheet off his

lower thigh. "I'll start with the leg."

A zing ripped up his inner thigh, jolting his shaft. He

bunched the sheet tighter, and tried to ignore the ache, which

had very little to do with the wound Summer gently cleaned

and prepared for a new bandage. Snake wondered if he'd live

through the morning.

88

Guardian Bride

by Lauri Robinson

She talked as she worked. Her voice, songlike and gentle,

explained how nicely the wound was healing and asked how

he slept. He managed to eek out a comment now and again.

When her fingers flowed over the inside of his thigh, wrapping

the bandage around and around, he squeezed his eyes closed

and tried to imagine she was as bald and old as Doc Sanders.

His mind wasn't so addled that happened so he found himself

wishing his mother would come back with the coffee, her

arrival would surely dowse him like a cold rain.

Summer had finished with his shoulder by the time his

mother arrived, carrying a tray with a mug of coffee and a

plate of scrambled eggs—burnt. He grasped the edge of the

tray as it landed on his lap. Summer glanced at his intake of

breath, her brows furrowed.

He snatched up the cup of coffee. The liquid practically

scalded his mouth and gullet. Who would have ever imagined

healing was more painful than getting shot? He set the cup

down and lifted the fork. Summer left the room with the old

bandages, but his mother stayed with her hands braced on

her hips and staring down at him with a deep, but not

unfriendly frown.

"What?" he asked after eating the small amount of eggs

that weren't scorched.

"Nothing," she said, but quickly added. "I just never

realized how much you look like your Pa. I always thought

Bug and Kid took after him more, but that's just their dark

hair and eyes. You have his features and his build."

Ma never talked of Pa much, and the look on her face

made him wonder if it was because she missed him so much.

89

Guardian Bride

by Lauri Robinson

For years they all thought it was because she was mad that

he'd got himself killed. Now, he wondered if she'd just been

protecting her heart all these years. It was odd for him to

think of such things this morning, sitting on the floor eating

breakfast.

His mind took another route, back to when he'd been

unconscious. His father had been there, he'd swear his life on

it. The fork fell from his fingers. While he'd been out, his

father had told him to nod his head, and Summer had said

he'd nodded in agreement of their marriage before the doc

began surgery.

His gaze went back to his mother. She hadn't been the one

to make him marry Summer. His father had. He lifted the tray

off his lap, handing it toward his mother. "Here, help me get

back into bed before Summer returns."

His mother set the tray on the table he'd toppled earlier

when trying to get out of bed, and reached down to aid his

rise. "Don't know why you're embarrassed. She's been

nursing you for over a week now and has seen all you got to

offer."

"Ma," he groaned, ears steaming.

"Well, she has."

He covered himself with the sheet. "Get me a pair of

britches."

"Why, you ain't going no where?"

"Just get me some pants."

She did as asked, and helped him get them on before she

made her exit.

90

Guardian Bride

by Lauri Robinson

Snake sat on the bed, with one suspender hooked over his

good shoulder when Summer re-entered the room. The gaze

on her face said she was surprised, but she didn't comment

as she went about replenishing the medical needs on top of

the dresser.

A strong, undeniable urge made him break the silence.

"Thank you."

The long, black tresses flowing down her back swished as

she twirled about. "For what?"

For coming into my life.
He frowned, wondering where that

thought had come from and said, "For nursing me."

She crossed the room, and his heart swelled. Was this

beautiful creature really his wife? It was amazing how things

happened. He'd thought he'd never marry. Well, not for a few