him.
"Why? Did he ask you not to?"
"No. He offered to pay me for my help."
"Did he make lots of money from the rancher for his
bushels of corn?"
"No, the rancher never made good on his bet."
He went silent again, and Summer's stomach churned,
believing he must be remembering another bet. The hand
holding hers moved. His thumb softly ran up and down the
underside of her wrist, causing an array of tingles to zip up
her arm.
"I told Fulton he could repay me by buying interests in the
first flour mill they were opening in the city. He kept his word.
I own one fourth of the mill that Bug and Eva took the wheat
to."
"Does your family know that?" she asked. The fact he'd
told her things he'd never told anyone else filled her with a
sweet, heady sensation. No one had ever told her a secret
before and it seemed like a very special gift.
"No."
"If you own interest in the mill, why did you sell your
wheat to the mill in Dodge?"
103
Guardian Bride
by Lauri Robinson
His hand left her wrist, and she swallowed at the absence.
He took a swig of coffee before answering, "Because I
don't believe in keeping all my eggs in one basket. The mill in
Dodge is buying my wheat for seed, to sell to farmers. It's a
hybrid I created, so therefore I can set my own price. The mill
in Garden is a flour processing mill. The grain I sent there will
be turned into flour for us to use, not for resale."
"Because you own shares in it, do they process your wheat
for free?"
"No. I pay like everyone else does. The difference is I earn
profits off processing my own wheat, as well as every other
bushel they mill."
"Oh," she answered, rubbing her wrist that still fluttered
from his touch.
"What about you?"
"Me?"
"You must have a secret or two."
She had enough secrets to fill a bushel basket twice over.
Her bottom lip trembled as she wondered what one to tell
him, figured it was only fair. She certainly couldn't tell him
she knew his father—well Jonas' spirit anyway—and she
couldn't tell him how July had killed his father. There were a
million other small things she kept to herself, but nothing
overly interesting.
His eyes had settled on her as he waited patiently. For
some reason, the secret that ate at her like lye sprang
forward. "I don't know who fathered me."
"You don't?"
104
Guardian Bride
by Lauri Robinson
"No. I don't know if I'm Osage, Arapaho, Wichita, or
Pawnee. I don't even know if he was from one of the tribes in
this region or some other."
"Why not?"
"My mother never told me." Tears formed in the back of
her eyes, but she held them at bay. "She started to once, but
July heard her. He hit her until she was unconscious. I never
asked after that."
"Bastard," Snake muttered under his breath, but she heard
it. He took her hand again. "You don't remember your father
at all?"
"I only remember July. I don't know when nor where he
and my mother met, if it was before I was born or after." She
shrugged as if it didn't matter, but deep down, it did. It
always had. "I used to make up tales to tell people when
they'd asked, especially other children when I was young. But
after mother died..." The lump in her throat made her stop.
"What? After your mother died..." He lifted her hand and
rubbed her knuckles with the point of his chin.
The contact eased the gloom bearing down. "I guess it
didn't matter anymore. I had September and August to take
care of, which left very little time to worry about me and my
past."
"I'm sorry," he whispered. His hold drew her closer.
"You're sorry? Why? None of it's your fault."
"I know, but I'm sorry you've been hurt by it. I'm sorry
you didn't have a wonderful, happy childhood."
"Did you?" she asked. "Have a wonderful, happy
childhood?"
105
Guardian Bride
by Lauri Robinson
"For the most part, I think I did. It was hard to lose my
father, but"—he shrugged—"we had each other. We all got
through."
A lump formed in her throat—guilt at knowing
"Why? Did he ask you not to?"
"No. He offered to pay me for my help."
"Did he make lots of money from the rancher for his
bushels of corn?"
"No, the rancher never made good on his bet."
He went silent again, and Summer's stomach churned,
believing he must be remembering another bet. The hand
holding hers moved. His thumb softly ran up and down the
underside of her wrist, causing an array of tingles to zip up
her arm.
"I told Fulton he could repay me by buying interests in the
first flour mill they were opening in the city. He kept his word.
I own one fourth of the mill that Bug and Eva took the wheat
to."
"Does your family know that?" she asked. The fact he'd
told her things he'd never told anyone else filled her with a
sweet, heady sensation. No one had ever told her a secret
before and it seemed like a very special gift.
"No."
"If you own interest in the mill, why did you sell your
wheat to the mill in Dodge?"
103
Guardian Bride
by Lauri Robinson
His hand left her wrist, and she swallowed at the absence.
He took a swig of coffee before answering, "Because I
don't believe in keeping all my eggs in one basket. The mill in
Dodge is buying my wheat for seed, to sell to farmers. It's a
hybrid I created, so therefore I can set my own price. The mill
in Garden is a flour processing mill. The grain I sent there will
be turned into flour for us to use, not for resale."
"Because you own shares in it, do they process your wheat
for free?"
"No. I pay like everyone else does. The difference is I earn
profits off processing my own wheat, as well as every other
bushel they mill."
"Oh," she answered, rubbing her wrist that still fluttered
from his touch.
"What about you?"
"Me?"
"You must have a secret or two."
She had enough secrets to fill a bushel basket twice over.
Her bottom lip trembled as she wondered what one to tell
him, figured it was only fair. She certainly couldn't tell him
she knew his father—well Jonas' spirit anyway—and she
couldn't tell him how July had killed his father. There were a
million other small things she kept to herself, but nothing
overly interesting.
His eyes had settled on her as he waited patiently. For
some reason, the secret that ate at her like lye sprang
forward. "I don't know who fathered me."
"You don't?"
104
Guardian Bride
by Lauri Robinson
"No. I don't know if I'm Osage, Arapaho, Wichita, or
Pawnee. I don't even know if he was from one of the tribes in
this region or some other."
"Why not?"
"My mother never told me." Tears formed in the back of
her eyes, but she held them at bay. "She started to once, but
July heard her. He hit her until she was unconscious. I never
asked after that."
"Bastard," Snake muttered under his breath, but she heard
it. He took her hand again. "You don't remember your father
at all?"
"I only remember July. I don't know when nor where he
and my mother met, if it was before I was born or after." She
shrugged as if it didn't matter, but deep down, it did. It
always had. "I used to make up tales to tell people when
they'd asked, especially other children when I was young. But
after mother died..." The lump in her throat made her stop.
"What? After your mother died..." He lifted her hand and
rubbed her knuckles with the point of his chin.
The contact eased the gloom bearing down. "I guess it
didn't matter anymore. I had September and August to take
care of, which left very little time to worry about me and my
past."
"I'm sorry," he whispered. His hold drew her closer.
"You're sorry? Why? None of it's your fault."
"I know, but I'm sorry you've been hurt by it. I'm sorry
you didn't have a wonderful, happy childhood."
"Did you?" she asked. "Have a wonderful, happy
childhood?"
105
Guardian Bride
by Lauri Robinson
"For the most part, I think I did. It was hard to lose my
father, but"—he shrugged—"we had each other. We all got
through."
A lump formed in her throat—guilt at knowing
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