Free Badland Bride by Lauri Robinson Page B

better than to have her ride over."
    "He tried, Ma, but I insisted we ride. I thought we needed to get here as soon as possible.” Jessie lowered herself into the chair at the end of the table. Her husband's hands settled on her shoulders and she reached up, resting a hand on one of his.
    "Now, what's going on here?"
    "These here two are gonna have a baby,” Stephanie said, pointing to her and Skeeter. “And no grandchild of mine is gonna be born a bastard."
    The skin on Lila's cheeks prickled with heat, and she wished with all her might she could just disappear. Skeeter started shouting. The rag over his mouth billowed and rough mumbles filled the room. The ropes binding him strained against his trouncing and his chair legs bounced a time or two.
    "Is that true, Skeeter?” Kid asked angrily.
    Skeeter started to mumble at the same time she jumped to his defense. Fighting the gag, as well as the thick rope wound around her, Lila tried to say none of it was Skeeter's doing, but between the rag and Skeeter's loud sounds, no one could understand her.
    Kid held up one hand. “A simple yes or no is all I need."
    "It's not his baby,” Lila said against the cloth, shaking her head.
    The older brother frowned, clearly not understanding what she'd said, and then glanced to Skeeter.
    He mumbled beside her, long and loud the whole time gesturing with his head. Tails of the billowing white bow tied against his forehead fluttered and fell over his eyes. He flipped it aside, and Lila grimaced, afraid his wound would start bleeding again at his thrashing.
    "Just nod your head,” Kid said, staring at Skeeter. “Yes, she's going to have a baby? Or no, she's not?"
    Simultaneously, she and Skeeter nodded their heads.
    Kid bowed his head, slowly shaking it from side to side. His long, eerie sigh filled the room with a stinging silence.
    Skeeter started talking again, but Lila hung her head. This was somewhat the same scene she'd imagined would happen when her father learned about the pregnancy; and a major part why she had yet to tell her parents. She was a chicken. Hated conflicts; always had—which was probably the reason the whole scheme to catch Pete hadn't worked either.
    "Told ya!” Stephanie slapped the table. “Hog should be back with the reverend any time now."
    "Ma, pregnant or not, you can't keep tying people up at your table and marrying them,” Jessie said.
    "Why not? It worked out just fine for the two of you. I ain't heard either of ya complain a'tall,” the older woman responded.
    Skeeter and Kid both started talking at the same time. Lila tried to block the sounds from entering her ears. Tears threatened to spill behind closed lids, her throat burned, and her head felt like a bee hive—full of angry, humming bees.
    "Hush now! You're upsetting the girl,” Jessie said.
    The room instantly became quiet. All except for the bee's buzzing.
    Jessie's voice sounded again, “Kid, cut the ropes off her."
    "No!” Stephanie insisted.
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Chapter Five
    Skeeter let Kid help him into the chair on the front porch. His head stung as if it was on fire, and his gut churned. He untied the bow flapping across his forehead and unwrapped the bandage circling his scalp. After tossing the blood stained rag on the small table, he ran a hand over the back of his neck, pinching at the tension. He flinched as a new, sharp pain shot up the back of his skull.
    "You doing all right?” Kid asked. “You look awfully white."
    "I'm still seeing stars, among other things,” Skeeter admitted. The wallop from his mother's frying pan was the least of his worries.
    "I wish there was time for you to recuperate, but as Ma said, the reverend's on his way. You gotta tell me what's going on so I know what to do when he gets here."
    He looked up at his brother. Kid leaned against the porch railing, his arms folded over his chest. The oldest Quinter brother had a way of making the rest of them feel like saplings next to a tall