Guardian Bride by Lauri Robinson Read Free Book Online Page A

answered.
    "Then who did?"
    "Your mother."
    "Ma?" Again he sounded as if she hadn't told the truth.
    "Yes," she assured. "There wasn't anyone else here,
    except August and September."
    "How'd I get here?"
    "I brought you."
    "Really?" he sounded skeptical. "For some reason I
    thought it was Kid or Bug. Where'd you find me?"
    Summer bit her lip, wondering how much to say. She most
    certainly couldn't tell him his father, Jonas Quinter, was her
    guardian angel. At least that's what she called him. For the
    past ten years, he'd came to her when she needed him, told
    her where to find things, how to make ends meet when they
    were miles apart, as well as many other things.
    She swallowed and met the gaze coming across the room.
    Snake no longer looked furious. He behaved quite amicable,
    friendly even, considering the position he was in. Injured and
    married, all because of her.
    A cool breeze blew in the window and flowed over her. It
    was as soft and gentle as being cloaked in pure silk must be.
    A calming sensation grew from the pit of her stomach,
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    Guardian Bride
    by Lauri Robinson
    swelling to encompass her. She sighed. Jonas was here, and
    would help her through the conversation.
    "Not long after you left, I-um-I had a feeling something
    was wrong. I borrowed one of your horses and followed you."
    She held back the part where she camped close enough to
    hear him breathe that night, or how she stayed back the next
    morning, fearing he'd sense her. "Before I caught up with
    you, I heard shots. Two men on horses were chasing you. I
    fired at them, but they were too far away to hit. They took off
    in the other direction, and I chased your horse down. After I
    pressed some bandages to your wounds," she didn't bother to
    tell him the bandages were actually her petticoat, "I tied you
    in your saddle, and we rode all day to get back home."
    He didn't comment so she continued, "Stephanie was the
    only one here, besides the children. She rode to town to get
    the doctor. He said the bullet was close to your heart, and he
    didn't know if you'd survive the surgery to take it out." She
    paused, biting her lip until the pain made her stop.
    "Stephanie said we had to get married before he started
    working on you."
    "Why?"
    "She said since you hadn't made it to Dodge, the win
    hadn't been claimed."
    "So?"
    Summer swallowed. Stephanie must have explained it
    better, because that night it made more sense. It had seemed
    like it was their only option—then. Now, she didn't feel quite
    as confident. "Well," she said, checking the back of her mind
    for more details. "If you'd never claimed the win, Sam
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    Guardian Bride
    by Lauri Robinson
    Wainwright would be able to come and take September. But if
    you and I were married, it would be the same as if you'd
    claimed the win, and Wainwright's win would be void."
    "And this had to happen before I had surgery?"
    She nodded. "In case you died."
    "Jesus," he swore under his breath.
    Summer flexed her toes, giving herself something to do.
    The story did sound a bit callous—even to her ears. At the
    time she'd have agreed to just about anything, fearing he'd
    soon expire. And it hadn't been because she was worried
    about herself or September. It had been him. She couldn't let
    Snake die, not because of her. Her family had already killed
    one Quinter. Jonas didn't hold it against her, but the rest of
    the family surely would.
    "The preacher wouldn't perform the ceremony until you
    agreed to it," she offered with condolence.
    A frown pulled on his face, and his eyes moved about, as if
    he tried to remember. Glancing back her way, he asked, "Was
    I awake?"
    "N-not really. But you're mother, the preacher, and the
    doctor kept asking if you agreed and you finally nodded." She
    looked at her shoes. Dust from the field covered them. She
    flounced the hem of her skirt over her toes. "The preacher
    performed the ceremony while the doctor dug the bullet out
    of your leg."
    He cursed again, quietly, and