Shotgun Bride (3 page)
24
Shotgun Bride [The Quinter Brides Book One]
by Lauri Robinson
The pitch of Sammy's bark changed. Kid stilled and turned.
"Someone's here?" He looked from the dog to the door.
"Who'd be out on a night like this?" Sammy growled. The hair on the back of Kid's neck tingled as it rose to stand on end. "You've got to be kidding me." Sammy only growled like that when one of his brothers was at the door. The dog didn't care for any of his four younger siblings.
With a heavy sigh, Kid crossed the room, opened the door, and stepped into the night, the wide porch roof protecting him from the pouring rain.
Soaked to the gills, Skeeter and Bug stomped up the front steps. "Hey, Kid. How was Dodge?" Bug took his hat off and shook the water from it.
"Fine, what are you two doing here? There's a serious storm brewing." Kid hung the lantern on the peg outside the door, glancing at a sky filled with long, sharp flashes of lightning. Far off thunder rumbled like an old man snoring.
"Yeah, we heard you was home and just thought we'd be neighborly." Skeeter removed his hat and shook his head. Water flayed from his mop of dirt-blond hair.
"Yeah sure, what's Ma need?" Kid rubbed his forehead. Their overly friendly banter did little more than irritate.
"She needs you to come over to our place ... tonight." Bug replaced his wet hat.
Sammy pressed against the back of Kid's knee. A low growl came from his snarled lip. Kid patted the dog's head, but kept his leg between the dog and his brothers. "I'll ride 25
Shotgun Bride [The Quinter Brides Book One]
by Lauri Robinson
over in the morning. I just got home. I'm too tired to deal with whatever it is tonight."
"Ma said we can't come home without you," Skeeter said.
"Then don't go home. You can sleep here."
"Really?" The hope in Bug's young voice was clearly evident. The youngest of the five brothers, had turned sixteen this past spring. Of all his brothers, Skeeter, Snake, Hog, and Bug, Bug was his favorite. The one he held the most hope in becoming a man, making a go at life.
Skeeter's leg shot out and kicked Bug in the shin. "No, we can't spend the night. Ma needs you now, Kid." In one swift movement, he stepped forward and grabbed Skeeter's skinny shoulder. Sammy shot out the door. His bared teeth came within inches of Skeeter's leg as another deep growl emitted. Kid ignored the dog and gave Skeeter's arm a hard squeeze. "I've told you before, Bug's not a punching bag for you. Keep your hands and feet off him." Skeeter backed away from both Kid and Sammy, stopping before he slipped off the porch stairs. "S-sorry, Kid. I-I ain't hit him for a long time." He shook his head and pointed to Bug. "Ask him. Bug, tell Kid I haven't hurt ya lately. Tell him I've been nice." His voice sounded like a screeching fiddle.
"He's telling the truth, Kid. He ain't hurt me none since you told him to quit picking on me," Bug said. Kid rubbed the back of his neck. Sammy growled again, and Skeeter's shivering increased. He was too tired to put up with his brothers and mother tonight. Whatever she needed would have to wait until morning. It couldn't be too important anyway, nothing ever was.
26
Shotgun Bride [The Quinter Brides Book One]
by Lauri Robinson
Stephanie Quinter was a rough, but simple woman. Try as he might, he couldn't refine her. Couldn't make her see there was more to life than living in a shanty and raising a crude crop of grain every year, just as he'd never been able to convince his father of anything different. Twelve years ago, on his sixteenth birthday, he'd left home to claim his own lot of land. In reality, Kid hadn't gone far, just a few miles to the plot next to his folks, where he built a soddy. But in his mind, he'd traveled to the other side of the universe and began to study up on owning cattle. Two years later, when the cattle drives started to roll into Dodge from all directions, he'd been ready to buy the leftovers, the cattle too puny to sell to the stockyards, as well as the pregnant and young ones. Then in the winter, when the prices were high, and the inventory low, he sold them to the yards himself. By then he'd nurtured them into top of the line cattle. The Triple Bar Ranch now had a good base of breeding stock, a fine house, two barns, and several outbuildings. His dream of being a cattle baron was so close to becoming a reality, he could almost claim it. Low growls pulled his mind back to the porch. Kid slapped his thigh, when Sammy looked his way, he pointed to the open doorway. The dog's tail fell between his back legs and with his head hanging low, he ambled into the house. Sammy's action made a twinge of guilt creep across his chest. He didn't want the dog to think he was in trouble, but he couldn't talk to his brothers with the constant barking and growling. "Good dog," he said as he closed the door behind the lab.
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Shotgun Bride [The Quinter Brides Book One]
by Lauri Robinson
He turned to his brothers in time to catch a glimpse of a flat board swinging through the air. Kid ducked, but it was too late. Pain exploded across the side of the head. "Shit!" he exclaimed the moment before everything went black.
* * * *
The storm had grown. The way the wind and rain beat against the outside of the wooden shelter made Jessie wonder if the shanty would withhold the weather. Lightning regularly lit the windows, simultaneously thunder made the glass pane shake. The constant booming and rattling made her head hurt even more. Anger and disbelief had triggered the blood pounding in her temples to grow into deep, throbbing pains. Her protests of becoming anyone's wife had fallen on deaf ears. The other two Quinter brothers, Snake and Hog, had returned earlier, soaking wet, and towing a preacher and sheriff. The hope that grew at seeing the pot-bellied lawman quickly diminished when Stephanie Quinter presented her case, and the sheriff agreed the woman was acting within the law.
Tears hadn't fallen—yet. All the deals her brother had been involved in couldn't compare with this last one. He was literally trading her for a horse.
A horse!
When her wrists were finally untied, she would tear him apart. Shred him from limb to limb. Feed his carcass to the buzzards... The door flew open and stalled her thoughts. The other brothers had returned. Skeeter and the younger boy, she now knew was named Bug, struggled to carry a large man, who twisted and bucked like a wild animal in their arms, through 28
Shotgun Bride [The Quinter Brides Book One]
by Lauri Robinson
the open doorway. Jessie ignored the wind and rain as she twisted her tied wrists, feeling lucky only her hands were tied. This man was bound from head to toe. Ropes not only tied his hands behind his back, but they were wrapped around his body from shoulder to ankle, and a wet bandana covered his mouth. The material puffed as indistinct mumbles came from the man.
Stephanie hit Hog, or maybe it was Snake, on the back of the head. "Get up and help your brothers." Her hand caught the other brother on the back swing. "You get the door." Their chairs uprooted as they jumped to do as instructed. It took all four of them to get the bound and gagged man into a chair at the table next to her. One produced another rope and wound it around the man's legs and chest, securing him to the chair. The wooden legs bounced and skidded across the floor, making the chore very difficult. It took several minutes for the task to be completed. Across the room, the sheriff appeared to hide a grin as he watched the battle. Her eyes went back to the chair on her right. The man's chest heaved with each breath and large drops of rain dripped from the dark hair hiding his face.
Suddenly, his head snapped up, forcing the locks to flip back and making Jessie struggle to breathe. Eyes, more menacing than those of the Dodge City gunslinger Russell had hoodwinked, glared at each of the Quinter brothers. Skeeter, Bug, Hog, and Snake tripped over one another as they backed away from the man and the chair. His muffled words were unrecognizable, but the meanings made clear by the way the cloth over his mouth bulged. Jessie glanced to the 29
Shotgun Bride [The Quinter Brides Book One]
by Lauri Robinson
trembling brothers, agreeing each needed to fear for their life.
The room became extremely quiet. Under her lashes, she snuck another peek at the man. The side of his face was red and swollen. A large gash, from his temple to the top of his cheek, oozed blood. She gasped. "Mrs. Quinter, this man is bleeding."
Stephanie Quinter rushed forward. The man tugged his head away from the woman's touch. "What did ya do to him?" Her voice sounded more harsh than usual. She hurried to the counter by the stove and snatched a piece of cloth. From a shelf above she gathered a few other items then scurried back to the table.
"Skeeter did it, Ma. I didn't," Bug said.
"He's wasn't gonna come, Ma. I had to knock him out." Skeeter defended his actions.
Stephanie started to wipe the blood away. The man jerked again. "Hold still!" she instructed. His back became stiff in the chair, and his nostrils flared with each breath. "Did ya have to use a two-by-four?" the woman asked.
"Yeah!" Skeeter's eyes grew wide as he nodded his head. The man's chair began hopping toward Skeeter and muffled words came out again. Stephanie tried to stop the chair. "Hold up there, Kid. I gotta get the bleeding to stop." The breath in Jessie's lungs stilled. Kid? This was the man she had to marry? Beads of sweat broke out on her pounding forehead, and the room began to swirl. Bile churned in her stomach. She opened her mouth, searching for a breath of fresh air. It didn't help; the stuffy, stale air offered no relief. 30
Shotgun Bride [The Quinter Brides Book One]
by Lauri Robinson
Every limb grew weak. The throbbing pain in her head faded as she slipped off the chair and a black void overtook her senses.
Kid tuned to the sound of a thud beside him. Reverend Kirkpatrick jumped from his chair and rushed to the body on the floor. The preacher rolled a girl onto her back. Kid glanced around the room. All eyes stared at the tiny body, his gaze copied theirs. Where had she come from?
"Now what did you do?" His mother looked to Skeeter.
"Nothing!" Skeeter lifted both hands in the air. "I didn't touch her. I swear!"
"Bug, get a pillow off my bed. Hog, get me a wet rag," she said. "Dang it, this is turning out to be more work than I imagined." While speaking, his mother ripped long strips of cloth and none to gently, wrapped them along the side of his face, under his chin and back up the other side of his face. Before she tied a knot on the top of his head she said, "I'm gonna take the gag off your mouth now Kid, but be quiet, I gotta tend to the girl."
Kid closed his eyes, wishing it were all a bad dream. Knowing it wasn't, he nodded in agreement and sucked in fresh air when the rag slipped away from his mouth. The bandana landed on the table, and she pulled the bandage tight. Several strands of hair caught in the strips of cloth. He ignored the sting as she twisted and tied the strands together. Simply one more ache among many. What the hell were they up to this time? Once again, he looked toward the girl at his feet. Long, tangled hair spilled across the floor. The strands were a golden brown, like 31
Shotgun Bride [The Quinter Brides Book One]
by Lauri Robinson
buffalo grass in July, not quite yellow, but not quite brown either. Her face was as white as a porcelain doll he'd seen at the mercantile in Dodge. The tiny body lay twisted, stretching thin material tightly across her bosom. The garment was worn thin, and the shoes on her feet had holes in the leather near the toes.
A feeling very similar to seeing a wounded animal, wafted through his chest. "Untie her hands," Kid demanded. His mother flashed him a scowl.
"Now!"
She nodded and did as instructed before slipping a pillow beneath the tiny head. Hog handed their mother a wet rag. Kid gave him a hard stare as he stepped away to stand with the other brothers, near the door. All four looked ready to run. They damn well better, when he got out of these ropes he would beat each one into a bloody pulp.
"Is she all right?" a worried sounding voice asked from near the fireplace.
Kid turned and let his gaze float over the unfamiliar man. He glanced between the stranger and the girl. The man had hair the same color as the girl's. His skin was fair like hers and his eyes held a wide, questioning gaze. But his dapper three-piece suit was in much better condition than her clothes and the boots on his feet held the shine of new leather. Kid took an instant dislike to the man. "Who the hell are you?"
"I'm Russell Johnson." The man nodded his head to the girl. "She's my sister, Jessie." The man's hands were tied behind his back as well. Kid turned toward his mother, his eyes catching those of Sheriff 32
Shotgun Bride [The Quinter Brides Book One]
by Lauri Robinson
Turley on the way. The man nodded at him. Kid ignored it and asked Stephanie, "What the hell is going on?" His mother wiped the wet cloth across the girl's cheeks and said, "I found this here girl to be your wife." It felt as if his eyes popped clear out of their sockets. Air caught in his throat, and his mind went numb, incapable of thinking for a moment.
"She was supposed to be mine, but Ma said I couldn't have her," Skeeter complained.
Kid gave his brother a hateful stare. Skeeter hung his head in a pout. Shaking his head to clear his hearing, Kid took a deep breath and asked, "My what?"
"You need a wife. You can't keep rambling around in that big house by yourself. A good woman is what you need. This here one knows how to read and write. She knows her numbers, and is a pretty little thing. You'll see once she wakes up."
The top of his head felt as if it would explode. The young girl on the floor had to be a consequence to something his family had done. She was most likely nothing more than an innocent bystander. He turned to his brothers. "What have you four done now? I was only gone a week. A mere seven days!"
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Shotgun Bride [The Quinter Brides Book One]