Boot Hill Bride (29 page)
"She's a beauty," Skeeter said.
Howard pulled his eyes from Randi and reached a hand up
to pat Kendra's tiny back. "Yes, she is, but I told you that the
day she was born."
"Not my daughter, well, yes, she is, too, I mean your
wife," Skeeter said, laughing at each word.
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Howard could swear his face was sunburned by the heat
eating at his cheeks, but he stared his brother down and
proudly proclaimed, "Yeah, and she's mine, all mine."
Skeeter chuckled and slapped his back. Their laughing
lasted until Skeeter grew a touch somber.
"You made a good choice. I was a mite worried after
meeting her pa and step-mother."
An icy chill, brought on by extreme loathing, rippled his
spine, and before he had a chance to comment, Kendra lifted
her face.
"Daddy," she said, pointing a chubby finger across the
lawn, "water."
"Yes, sweetheart, that's a water fountain. Do you want to
see it?" Skeeter asked.
"Uh-huh," she nodded.
"Walk with us." Skeeter slapped Howard on the back.
"Where are her parents now?"
Howard, ambling beside his brother, let out a loud, tell-all
sigh. "I don't know. They haven't been back since that
newspaper article came out."
"Well, I wish I could say you've seen the last of them. But
I think we both know you haven't."
"You're right there," Howard agreed, letting out a slight
groan. "How much money did he try to weasel you out of?"
Skeeter let out a rough laugh. "I told him the only way he
was getting any money out of me is if he'd take Buffalo Killer
to Washington." He lifted both eyebrows. "The Fulton's left for
Dodge the next day. Course by then, Buffalo Killer had
already let it be known what he thought of politicians."
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Howard joined Skeeter's good natured laugh, almost
wishing he'd been able to witness just how Buffalo Killer had
shared his thoughts.
They arrived at the fountain, and Kendra scooted out of
Skeeter's arms when he knelt down.
"Not too close, now, sweetheart." He glanced up to
Howard. "So what's the plan for when they return?"
Howard shrugged. "I honestly don't know, I've been so
busy getting this place ready for the grand opening, I haven't
had time to figure one out yet."
Skeeter let out a low whistle and stood up. Keeping his
voice low so Kendra couldn't hear he said, "I knew I should
have let Buffalo Killer scalp him."
Howard would have responded, if he could have thought of
something to say.
Kendra had knelt beside the pond. "Daddy, fish!"
Skeeter crouched down, splashed a hand in the water, and
then gave Howard a baffled glance. "What kind of fish you got
here?"
Howard knelt on one knee, fluttered his fingers in the
water, showing Kendra she could do the same.
"Gold fish." Gesturing across the yard with his head, he
added, "Snake ordered them from New York City for Randi to
have in her pond."
Skeeter bellowed with laughter again. "And you thought I
was crazy when I built a bar for Lila in our kitchen. I think
little gold fish take the cake brother."
Howard sat down on the short brick wall surrounding the
pond and patted the space beside him. "Kendra, tell Daddy to
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take off your shoes and socks. You can dangle your feet in
the water." He glanced to Skeeter and then back to the red-
headed angel between them. "These little gold fish won't hurt
you none at all."
Kendra plopped on the ground and stuck both feet up to
Skeeter, who was laughing like a jackal.
In the tent, Randi sat on the cot, cooing at Charles while
Lila pinned a fresh diaper around his chubby waist.
"You're as handsome as your uncle," she said. When the
baby smiled, she giggled and added, "Yes, you are, and you
know it."
"That he does," Lila said. "Be careful, he's just as
charming, too. In no time he'll have you jumping to his tiniest
whimper."
"I won't mind at all," Randi admitted.
Ma stepped forward and gathered up the soiled diaper. "I'll
take this outside and wash it out."
"I can do that, Ma, you don't need to," Lila said.
"I know I don't have to," Ma said. "I want to. You two stay
here and get acquainted."
Lila chuckled as Ma disappeared out the door. "Sometimes
I can't believe that's the same woman who tied me to a chair
and made me marry her son."
Randi had to giggle as well. "I know what you mean." She
tickled Charles beneath the chin. "I was practically naked
when we got married. I didn't dare ask for clothes."
"No!" Lila gasped. Her green eyes wide, yet twinkling. "I
didn't know that! You must tell me all about it."
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"You wouldn't believe it," Randi said. Though she wouldn't
change a thing about her life, she did have to admit her
wedding was a bit unorthodox.
Lila picked up the baby and twisted him about so he sat on
Randi's lap and sat down beside them on the cot.
"Trust me," she said. "I'm the queen of unbelievable
stories." Tickling the baby's tummy, keeping him satisfied to
sit where he was, she continued, "Come on, spit it out, and I
want all the nitty-gritty details."
Randi wrapped her hands around Charles's pudgy waist,
bouncing him about. Feeling as if she'd run into someone
who'd been a friend her entire life, she started at the
beginning, the point where she snuck out of Danny J's, and
relived her wedding night for her new sister-in-law.
They were laughing to the point tears streamed down their
faces when Ma and the men, Howard now carrying Kendra,
entered the tent.
Wiping at the tears on her face, Lila whispered, "Oh, wait
until Jessie hears, she is going to love that story as much as I
do."
Indescribable warmth filled Randi, as if she'd drunk a full
gallon of happiness. She'd never had anyone to laugh with, to
share secrets or stories with, and realized it had been a great
loss.
"What's so funny?" Skeeter asked. He stepped forward and
with one finger wiped a final tear from Lila's face with pure
endearment.
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"Oh, nothing that concerns you," Lila said, winking at
Randi, before she rose to kiss Skeeter flat on the lips in front
of Ma and everyone else.
Randi tried to tug her eyes away, not wanting to gape at
their open devotion, but she couldn't, a part of her wished
she could be so bold. Sure she and Howard kissed a lot, but
in front of others it was always a short, soft peck of affection,
not the deep, engrossed kissing Lila and Skeeter were doing.
Howard glanced from her to his brother, and then slapped
Skeeter on the back.
"Why don't you wait until you check into my hotel for
that?"
Lila started laughing and pulled her lips off her husband's.
"Aw, Hog, if you want us to see your hotel, all you have to do
is ask nicely and say pretty please."
Randi felt her mouth drop. Lila didn't seem embarrassed in
the least. Nor did anyone else, not even Ma. Her gaze settled
on Howard. He was smiling at her, and his eyes held that
sparkle that made her stomach roll with pleasure. He held out
a hand. She stood, shifting Charles onto her hip as if it was
natural, and took his hand.
"What do you think, should we show them the hotel?" he
asked.
Unable to speak, since her mouth was drooling, wanting to
be kissed, she nodded.
He led her out of the tent. Kendra in his arms, Charles in
hers, they began to cross the yard, not once looking back to
see if the other's followed—who of course did.
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While they were several steps ahead of everyone else, he
whispered, "If we weren't holding their children, I would have
showed them how kissing is done. I'm sure we are much
better at it than they are."
She started to laugh, and by the time they arrived at the
hotel, the whole tribe was laughing and joking with such
companionship the air itself seemed happy. Thrilled to be part
of such wonder, Randi happily guided the large group on a
tour.
Once Skeeter and his family were settled in one of the
comfortably furnished hotel rooms, Randi set about making a
meal fit for royalty.
The kitchen was still under construction, so the family was
enjoying the benefits of her hard work on the outdoor tables
near Ma's tent when another wagon rolled in. She knew even
before the introductions started that it had to be Kid and
Jessie. Ma's description of blond hair hanging past her waist
and a smile as angelic as a child's, described Jessie
completely, and the oldest Quinter brother was the spitting
image of Bug, just a tad bit older looking. Their children,
three-year-old Joel, and four-month old Winifred, gained as
much attention as Kendra and Charles had before the family
settled back around the table to consume the meal.
"Hog Quinter!" Jessie exclaimed, still swallowing her first
mouthful of steak.
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Randi peered across the table. The woman had another
piece of meat dangling off her fork, and a distressed
expression twisted her glistening blue eyes. Randi glanced at
her own plate. Snake had planted a large patch of herbs for
her, and she'd used some on the meat, along with
mushrooms and a small amount of brandy. She tossed a look
across the table, searching to see if anyone else was upset by
the meal.
"What?" Howard answered, chewing with more show than
politeness allowed.
"Why don't I have this recipe?" Jessie replied, poking the
fork in her mouth.
Howard wrapped an arm around Randi's shoulders and
showered her with a loving gaze. "Because," he said, "even I
don't have it."
Lila giggled. "I wrote down every move she made. I'll let
you copy it," she said to Jessie.
Jessie's brows furrowed. Her perplexed gaze went to Ma,
who started laughing and shook her head. With a sweeping
gestured, the older woman pointed across the table, pulling
Jessie's eyes back to Randi.
A wide smile grew on the Jessie's face. "You made this?"
she asked.
Randi wasn't sure if she wanted to admit it or not.
Howard's arm around her shoulders tightened. "She sure
enough did."
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Jessie started giggling, and her friendly smile landed on
Randi. "This is absolutely wonderful," she said, pointing at her
plate. "And I can't believe Hog married a woman who can
cook. If he hadn't taught me to cook Kid would have died
from lack of nourishment by now."
"And Skeeter," Lila was quick to add.
"Really?" Randi asked, looking at her husband, whose face
had grown extremely red.
"Yes, really," Kid and Skeeter declared, bringing a round of
laughter from the entire table.
"You told me about your cookbook idea, but you never said
you
taught
others how to cook," Randi said, somewhat
frazzled. She wasn't really sure why, but for some reason it
concerned her. Her mind raced. Had he told her at some time
over the past month and she'd forgotten? She did recall that
he once said he liked to cook, that was why he wanted to
build the hotel.
"No, no, I didn't," Howard admitted, sounding indifferent.
Unable to let the subject go, she asked, "Why?"
He laid down his fork, and right there in front of Ma, and a
table full of others, he kissed her, deep and passionately
enough to make her head swirl and her blood race. Besieged,
she could do nothing but join him, match the fervor of his
embrace with all the enthusiasm singing in her soul.
When he broke the kiss, and while the world was still a
foggy, spinning haze around her, he said, "Because from the
first meal you cooked, I knew you were a better cook than I
could ever hope to be."
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It took her a moment to gain her equilibrium and make
sense of what he'd said. "Oh," she mumbled, mainly because
she felt the need to answer in some mundane way.
The meal continued, and Randi tried to stop thinking about
cooking, but a hole grew in her stomach. After everyone ate
their fill, and the women started to clean away the dishes,
Howard pulled her aside.
"Are you all right?"
She nodded. "Of course, I'm all right."
"You've been awfully quiet," he said, examining her from
head to toe with a deep stare.
She bit her lip, not wanting to say something she might