Guardian Bride (20 page)

Snake lay against the pillow, feeling about as lively as a

slug.

"There's plenty to do before we start building, so don't

worry about talking to her tonight," Kid said.

"Talking to whom about what?" Summer asked as she

entered the tent.

Snake sought energy deep inside, but he was as empty as

hollow log.

"You, about the new house," Kid said, and then with a

wave, he disappeared out the flap.

Summer frowned as she stepped closer.

It seemed to weigh fifty pounds, but Snake lifted his hand,

encouraging her to step closer. "Hi."

"Hi." She sounded guarded.

He took her fingers when she was close enough, and

gritting his teeth, found the ability to scoot his hips over to

make as much room on the narrow cot as possible. "Sit

down."

She set a lantern on the table. The tiny flame behind the

glass globe flickered. "I need to check your wounds."

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"I know, but you can do that sitting down." She carried a

hesitancy he'd never seen before. Worry splattered his

insides. "It's going to be all right. I know the fire was scary,

but no one was injured, we have to be thankful for that."

Her fingers shook beneath his. He pulled, off balancing her

enough that she landed on the cot. The movement caused

shoots of pain, but he ignored them. Wrapping his hand

around the back of her neck, he tugged until their faces met

nose to nose.

"I don't even want to imagine how awful it could have

been if you hadn't smelled the smoke when you did."

She nibbled on her bottom lip as if she tried to keep

herself from speaking.

"Aw, sweetheart," he whispered, and kissed her—several

times before she relaxed and her lips moved in unison with

his. The action spurred a rejuvenation of his energy reserves.

Despite the fact he didn't want to, he stopped their kisses

before either of them grew too overheated. His reserve wasn't

that deep.

A flush covered her cheeks, making her look healthier than

when she'd entered the tent. "There," he said, kissing the tip

of her nose. "That's better. And now I'll let you look at my

wounds."

A smile parted her lips. "You'll let me?"

He nodded.

She gave him a haughty look. "Do you honestly think you

could stop me?"

"Do you honestly think I'd ever want to stop you?"

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Careful of the lit lantern, she pulled the table closer, but to

his delight, didn't move off the cot. She leaned closer,

examining the wound in his chest before dabbing the area

with a small square of cotton. "You tore open almost every

stitch."

"I know. Just bandage me up, I'll be fine."

"Sometimes things aren't fine. No matter how hard we

wish they were." She smoothed ointment over the healing

bullet hole. Her touch was soft, gentle, and caring.

"Why do I have a feeling you're not talking about my

injury."

She shrugged and laid a piece of material over the wound.

He lifted his shoulder and arm so she could wrap a strip

around his back to keep the bandage in place. After she tied it

off, she rose to her feet.

He caught her hand. "Where are you going?"

"Nowhere, but you need to take off your britches so I can

bandage your leg."

"No, it's fine."

Her look said his protests were useless. He glanced about.

"Give me the sheet off that bed."

"No, you have your own sheet."

He doubted he could stand long enough to take off his

britches, let alone climb back into bed quick enough for her

not to get a glimpse of how his body reacted to her. It may

be more worn out than a twenty-year-old work horse, but his

lust was as hearty as a stallion in its prime.

"Lift up," she said. "I'll pull the covers out from beneath so

you can cover up as you undress."

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He had the feeling it was she who was now doing the

teasing but didn't quite know for sure. If he was certain that

Bug or August wouldn't come barreling in, he'd not only drop

his britches, but entice her to shed her clothes as well—

exhausted or not.

"Up," she said, gathering a corner of the blankets. He

arched and in one swift movement, she had the blanket and

sheet out from beneath him and floating down to rest upon

him.

He had no choice but to wiggle out of his pants, and hold

the sheet tight over his mid-section as she bandaged and

wrapped his thigh. When she finished and flipped the blanket

back over his leg, he grabbed her waist and pulled her down.

She landed on top of him and instantly pushed her hands in

the mattress, lifting her weight off his leg.

"Snake, let me go. You're gonna make your wounds start

bleeding again."

"I don't care." He kissed her lips. "I won't bleed to death."

His tongue ran along the open space between her top and

bottom lips. "I've got a wonderful, beautiful doctor at hand."

"I'm not a doctor," she whispered, keeping her lips on his.

Her nearness had remarkable energy and healing power.

He plunged his tongue into her mouth. The need, the want,

building inside could no longer be sustained. The vibrations of

her belly pressing into his groin overcame any pain her slight

weight caused his leg.

He settled his hands on the small, firm mounds of her

backside. Squeezing and caressing them, he pressed her

deeper onto him. She moaned and wiggled her hips. Their

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kisses went from hot, merging tongue lashes to soft pecks

and back again several times. Heat swirled and his blood

pounded, growing excited and begging for the ultimate.

A small voice shattered their connection.

"They're kissing again," August said.

"Oh, yeah? Well the rest of us need some sleep," Bug

declared.

August's words had made Summer giggle, but Bug's had

her leaping from Snake's arms so fast he couldn't stop her.

He did manage to grab her hand before she flew to the door.

"Give us a couple more minutes, will ya, Bug?" Snake asked,

increasing the hold he had on her wrist.

"All right, but someday, you're gonna owe me. Big."

"I already do," Snake said, never taking his eyes off

Summer. "Sit down."

She shook her head. The way her chest heaved with each

breath told him she was as heated as he.

"I won't kiss you, I promise. There's something I have to

ask you."

Wary, she looked him up and down.

He chuckled. "I take it back. I can't promise I won't kiss

you, but I do need to ask you something. Sit down."

She sat. "What is it?"

"I've been planning on building a house for sometime but

kept putting it off because I figure one day soon Bug will be

going off in search of oil seeps and that'll leave Ma alone. I

know she can take care of herself, but I never liked the idea

of her being out here all by herself. Now that the house burnt,

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I'm thinking about building one that's large enough for all of

us, you, me, August and September, and Ma."

Her stunned looked caused more than a touch of

apprehension. He squirmed. "I know living with your mother-

in-law may not be ideal. But if you agree to it, I'll talk to the

other boys and maybe once in a while she can go stay with

them for a bit."

She shook her head.

He nodded. "I understand."

"No," she said with quivering lips. "No, you don't

understand."

"I do," he assured. "And I'm sorry. It was foolish of me to

ask."

Tears trickled from her eyes. She pressed a hand against

his mouth when he attempted to speak. "No," she said. "You

don't understand. It wasn't foolish of you to ask. It was

admirable. It's just that I'm the last person who should have

a say in who lives where."

He pulled her hand from his lips, kissing the fingers as he

wrapped them in his grasp. "The last person? How do you

figure that?"

"It's your house. It's Ma's house. It's not mine."

"Yes, it is. Well, it's ours. Yours and mine and August's and

September's and yes, Ma's—if that's all right with you. Kid

and Bug think it's a good plan, and they think Hog and

Skeeter will be happy knowing Ma won't be alone once Bug

leaves."

"I think it's a wonderful plan."

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He let out a long sigh. "Then it's all right? You won't mind

having your mother-in-law living with you?"

Tears fell from her eyes faster than he could wipe them

away. This is exactly what scared him—how a woman could

confuse a man to the point he didn't know if he was going

north, south, east, or west.

"Honey," he said, somewhat exasperated, "I don't know if

you're crying 'cause you want Ma to live with us or if you

don't want her to live with us." He quit trying to wipe away

the tears and cupped her cheeks. "Can you help me out

here?"

She sniffled and rubbed her nose with the back of one

hand. "I'd love to live with you and Ma in your new house."

Her sniffles turned into sobs again, making her voice squeak

and crack. "And I'm sure August and September would love

it, too. But are you sure you want us?"

"Want you? Yes, I want you. I want you to live with me. All

of you, forever and ever." He kissed her forehead. "It's

settled then. I'll tell Kid to bring over some house plans for us

to look at."

"Are you still kissing?" August asked from the other side of

the tent flap.

"No," Snake answered. "Summer will be out in a minute,

buddy."

She rose and he couldn't stop her from slipping off the

bed. He smiled when she did stop, halfway across the tent,

and turned around to face him. The seriousness of her face

made his grin fade. "What is it?" he asked, wondering if she'd

already changed her mind.

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"What if...what if there's something about me or August or

September that you can't live with? What then?"

For some odd and unexplainable reason, the image of his

father's watch formed in his mind. He could almost hear the

faint tick-tock it made. "Has Kid said something to you?"

She shook her head. "Kid? Like what?"

"Nothing," he said. If Kid had said something, she wouldn't

have to ask what it was about. "You worry too much. Go on

now so August and Bug can come in and get some sleep." He

smiled, and if he didn't think he'd fall flat on his face, he'd

have walked across the tent for one more kiss. "You get some

rest, too."

Despite the fear wrenching inside her, Summer nodded

and turned to flip open the tent flap. She patted August's

head as he ducked under her arm in his rush inside. He'd

been ecstatic to hear about the boys and girls tents. It was

surprising he'd held out as long as he had to claim his spot

beside Snake and Bug.

The cool night air, though fresh, still held the acrid scent of

fire. She didn't go to the tent she'd share with Ma and

September, instead Summer made her way to the water tub.

The dress she wore was one Jessie had brought, along with

things for everyone else, including the children. She had no

idea how or where the woman had found things to fit

everyone. At the time, she'd been too thankful to ask.

The outfit wasn't overly dirty, but beneath it, she felt as

soot covered as the ground. After laying the dress beside her

borrowed boots on a nearby bench, she climbed into the tub

and started to scrub. It wasn't until her skin started to burn

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that she realized she'd never be clean. For the dirt and grime

wasn't on the outside. It was on the inside where July Austin's

actions left her too filthy to live.

With a force that left her gasping, tears burst from her

eyes. She rarely cried, years ago she learned tears didn't

help. The force of the gush was so hard she wondered where

all the water came from.

"You doing all right in there?" Ma's voice sounded from

behind.

Summer sucked in a breath. "Y-yes." She attempted to

disguise her tears by splashing her face.

"Crying's not a sign of weakness, Summer. It's a sign of

strength. It's the body's way of getting rid of old, no-good

feelings and giving room for new, healthy ones to grow." Ma

stared off in the distance, as if contemplating what she said.

"Sometimes we have tears of joy, like I did when I saw my

stitching machine. But you know what? Those tears do the

same thing. They release happiness so there's room for more

happiness to grow." The woman patted the side of the tub. "I

brought you a towel. But take your time. I'll leave a lamp on

for you."