Guardian Bride (19 page)
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Guardian Bride
by Lauri Robinson
The sun was barely up when people started to arrive.
Sheriff Turley was first, he nodded to her as he rode in, but
didn't stop his horse until he was beside Snake, who, despite
the fact she'd told him over and over he shouldn't be, was
helping Bug pull down the few standing house timbers.
Summer wrapped the old coat Ma found for her to wear
tighter around her chest, and followed the path the horse and
rider made through the debris. She stopped beside Snake
before the Sheriff had dismounted. Snake leaned against the
plow horse hitched to the charred beam, now lying amongst
the mass of others, and she wondered which pained him
more, his injuries or his heart.
"Anyone hurt in the fire?" the Sheriff asked.
"No, luckily we made it through just fine." Snake twisted,
his gaze following that of the sheriff's to the burnt
homestead.
"How many other places did it hit?"
"None." Sheriff Turley shook his head. "Took out some
grassland, that's how I heard about it. The train engineer saw
it around two this morning."
"Did the train start it?" Summer asked.
Snake reached over and took her hand, pulling her closer
to his side.
"No," Turley answered. "It was full blown when he saw it."
"Lightning?" Snake asked.
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The sheriff shrugged. "I haven't checked it out yet. Wanted
to ride along its trail first, see if anyone was injured."
"It died out just east of the hill." Snake nodded toward the
cellar hill. "The rain came."
The sheriff pointed at the plow horse. "I'll take over for
you. You can't be healed yet."
Snake shook his head. "Sometimes there ain't time to be
sick. And this is one of them. I can't let you take over for me,
but I'll let you help."
"Good enough." Sheriff Turley slapped his horse on the
romp, and as the animal ambled away, he rolled up his
sleeves.
Snake brushed a quick kiss across her lips before he
asked, "Can you set another plate for breakfast?"
"Yes, your mother keeps hauling stuff out of the barn like
it was a mercantile."
"It's all the stuff we used in Dodge while helping Hog build
his restaurant."
"She explained that." Summer couldn't help but voice her
concerns. "You need to rest a bit. You've been up since the
fire hit."
His hand that had been resting on the back of her neck
slipped forward, and he tugged on her earlobe. "Like I told
Turley, sometimes there just ain't time to be sick. Don't worry
about me. I'll be fine."
"I can't help but worry about you. You certainly don't."
The pad of his thumb caressed her cheek. "That's because
I have too many other, very important people to spend my
time thinking about."
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The clink and clank of a wagon caused them both to turn
to the road. It was Kid and Jessie, who were soon followed by
Eva and Willamina, and then wagonloads of people Summer
had never met before rolled in. The crowd quickly organized
themselves. Summer, after feeding the ones who were
hungry with the few provisions Ma gathered, began to worry
about a lunch meal.
The Zimmerman's, Rodney and Dora, as well as their
parents arrived before noon. As if her worries had been
heard, their wagon held a buffet of foods Summer had never
imagined.
Rosalie Zimmerman, though dressed in white seersucker,
was as no nonsense as Ma. Within minutes of pulling in, she
had tables arranged and people eating in shifts so the
clearing of the house ruins wasn't interrupted. Even Maisy
helped tug the charred wood away, and not once did Summer
see the animal sitting on her haunches.
Summer was washing another load of never ending plates
when August tore across the yard, shouting at the top of his
lungs, "Grandma! Grandma! You gotta come see this!"
Ma stopped him before he plowed into the table of eating
workers. "What is it August?"
"You just gotta come see. You, too, Summer." He waved a
hand at the crowd. "All of you, come look!"
A haphazard crowd formed behind August who pulled Ma's
hand. Summer walked beside them, wondering when August
had started to call Stephanie Grandma. Though she knew the
woman didn't mind, she couldn't help but consider how
appropriate it was, and what the others must think of it.
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"Careful!" Bug shouted as they drew nearer the shambles
that had been the front porch. "Watch where you step."
They climbed over and around unrecognizable piles until
they stopped near Bug, Snake, and Kid. Grinning from ear to
ear, the men stepped aside. A white sheet of canvas, with
barely a dusting of ashes came into view. It's cleanliness
amongst the charred black heaps stood out like a beacon on a
stormy sea.
"Oh, my." Ma's hands went to her chest. "My stitching
machine." She swooned, but Jessie on her far side, and
August still clutching her hand, kept her upright.
An arm wrapped around Summer, and she met the
sparkling green eyes of her husband. A swirl let loose in her
insides. So many people had asked about her husband's
health today, she'd started to think about him in that manner
as well.
Bug on one end and September on the other, lifted the
white canvas and revealed a remarkable sight. There wasn't a
mark or scorch anywhere on the sewing machine. Ma stepped
closer, running her fingers over the wooden cabinet. She
turned then and hugged August against her bosom.
Tears popped in Summer's eyes. Her little brother hugged
Ma back. The love August had found expanded Summer's
heart. Snake tugged, and she let her head fall against his
shoulder. She sensed more than felt the kiss he planted on
her hair.
"It was the last gift she got from Pa. It was right after the
grasshopper plague. The little beasts had left our blankets
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and curtains little more than rags, and Ma needed to sew new
ones."
Summer lifted her head as he continued, "It was delivered
a month after he died. He'd gone to Dodge to order supplies
and died on his way home."
A shower, colder than last night's storm, poured over her.
Snake's gaze was still on the machine. The crowd around
them chatted and congratulated Ma on the finding, but
Summer's ears heard nothing but the silence that lingered
after his words.
Swallowing, and afraid because she already knew, she
asked, "How?"
"How what?" he asked, still gazing at Ma's joyous
behavior.
"How did your father die?"
"Murdered. Someone shot him in the back and robbed
him." His gaze was now on her. "Over near Cimarron."
Her heart, wrapped around her throat, threatened to
strangle her.
"Summer! Summer come take a look! It's as good as new.
Not a burn mark to be found!" Ma waved a hand.
"Go on," Snake lowered his hand to the middle of her back
and gave a slight shove.
"It's a miracle to behold," Ma said, grabbing her hand and
pulling her closer.
"Yes, yes it is," Summer agreed. The smile on her face was
as false as fool's gold. Inside, she was as cold as snow. The
dread bubbling in her stomach said Snake knew. Somehow
he'd discovered July Austin had killed Jonas Quinter.
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The crowd closed in on them, fawning over the sewing
machine as if it was brand new. Gobbled up in the moving
and placement of the find—in the barn where it would be
safe—and then the feeding of workers, it wasn't until the sun
hung low in the sky that Summer caught a glimpse of Snake.
Half of her wanted to go to him, to say how sorry she was.
The other half—full of shame—wanted to hide in a place
where he'd never find her, assuring she could never hurt him
again.
The crowd cleared out. Shouting promises of returning in
the morning, wagons left the yard in a long trail. As the last
one rumbled down the driveway, Bug took one of Snake's
arms, and Kid the other. The brothers assisted Snake's
hobble toward the big water tub that had saved his and
September's life.
Again, Summer had the desire to go to him, to assist him,
but the fear wouldn't allow her legs to move.
"We have his bed ready," Jessie said, placing a hand on
Summer's shoulder. "And I have bandages laid out. I noticed
blood on his shirt and pants. I'm sure he tore open his
stitches."
"I tried to make him slow down this morning." The pain
Summer held made her voice squeak.
"I know. We all did. Sometimes it's just too hard for men
to listen." Jessie took her elbow. "I'll show you where I put
everything." Walking across the yard, she continued, "For
now, I'm afraid, it's boys in one tent, girls in the other. I tried
to convince Ma that you all should stay at our place, but she
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refused. Kid tried the same reasoning with Bug and Snake,
but they refused, too."
For lack of anything to say, Summer nodded. Her mind
had been a fuzzy mess all day. Though busy, keeping the
food and coffee plentiful and hot, she'd barely comprehended
all of the work happening in the front yard. Not far from the
barn, Jessie led her into one of the two tents set up. Three
cots filled the area.
Jessie moved to a small table near the furthest one. "Here
are bandages and ointment, and some pain powder. It's all I
had at home. I wasn't sure what to bring this morning."
"This is fine. Thank you for thinking of it."
The wail of a baby had Jessie moving to the doorway.
"That will be Winifred telling me it's time to eat. Dora
Zimmerman has done such a wonderful job of watching the
children today. September, too, the two of them seemed to
have hit it off."
Summer followed Jessie out of the tent, not commenting
because, wallowing in self-pity she'd barely noticed where
September and August were all day.
"Hey," Jessie patted her arm. "Don't look so sad. In no
time a new house will be built, and Snake will be as healthy
as that plow horse he loves so much."
"Plow horse?" Summer asked.
"Yes, Gunter, the lead horse that pulled the thrashing
machine."
Summer didn't know he loved his plow horse. There were a
zillion things she didn't know about Snake—but there was one
thing she did know. Her father killed his. There was no hope
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for the two of them to even be friends with that between
them.
Aching from head to toe, Snake let his brothers lower him
into the tub of water. He'd refused at first, but Jessie had
insisted he take a bath before bed. And whatever Jessie said,
Kid did. Snake loved his sister-in-law and appreciated her
concern, but he'd rather it had been Summer insisting his
wounds were cleaned before bed. If there were any stitches
left, which he doubted since the trickle of blood had oozed
down his chest, arm, and leg for most of the day, he wanted
Summer to be the one to bandage them.
He sank beneath the water, letting the depth not only take
his breath away, but kick his self-pity in the ass. She'd
worked as hard as he today. Every time he caught a glimpse,
she was cooking or washing or doing some other task to keep
the dozens who'd came out to help fed.
He surfaced and glanced about. The fire was devastating,
no doubt, but the comrades that descended upon the farm to
help was more than any man had a right to hope for. Friends
and family alike had not only pitched in, but promised to be
back tomorrow. And they would be. He had to be grateful for
that and not wallow in how the incident pulled he and
Summer apart. The remembrance of falling to sleep with her
head on his shoulder and inhaling the sweet delicate scent of
her had lingered in the back of his mind all day. It was a
memory to cherish, and he would until it could be repeated
night after night. He grinned then, realizing they'd have a
lifetime to make up for a few weeks of inconvenience.
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Somewhat renewed, he scrubbed the soot from his body
and then let Kid and Bug help him out. He tugged on his
britches and boots and though he tried to walk, his brothers
more or less carried him to the tents.
"You get some sleep, little brother," Kid said. "I'll be back
first thing in the morning with some house plans." He paused
near the door. "Or do you want to talk to Summer first? Some
women may not like to live with their mother-in-law."