Deke alone.
Rifle in hand, she slipped out of the barn and moved along the outer wall toward the corral. When she reached the end of the weathered building, she peeked around, her gaze searching for Jake.
Much to her relief, she spotted him standing about ten yards away from the cabin. The rigidness she’d seen in his posture when he’d left the barn had eased visibly. His gun hand dropped to his side and he started toward their unexpected visitor in long, quickened strides.
The man on the horse said something to Jake in greeting. A second later, he was off his horse, grinning as he walked toward Jake.
Relief swept through her as the two men fell into a fleeting embrace. Jake knew this man. She stepped away from the barn, drawing the stranger’s gaze her direction.
Jake turned, a dark brow lifting. A deep frown furrowed into his brows as she moved toward them. “I thought I told you to stay in the barn until I told you it was safe to come out.”
“I was bettering the odds,” she announced, motioning to the rifle in her hands. “Two against one.”
“Gawddamnit, Brianna,” he growled. “You shoot about as well as you cook. Are you trying to get yourself killed?”
“Then it’s a good thing I’m so fucking good in bed,” she snapped. So she couldn’t cook and she hadn’t done very well shooting at the targets he’d set up for her. He didn’t have to announce her failures to the world.
The stranger looked Jake’s way with a snort, drawing a scowl from Jake.
“You shook his hand,” she added in her own defense. “I doubt you’d have done that if he were a threat to you.”
The man beside him chuckled. “Sassy. I take it this is the wife I heard rumors about in town.”
“Word travels fast,” Jake muttered. His gaze dropped to her blouse and his eyes rounded.
She glanced down. “Oh, shit.” She hurried to button her blouse back up.
“Bad timing on my part I see,” Jake’s acquaintance said with a grin. “Should’ve figure, you two being newlyweds and all.”
“It’s not what you think,” Jake attempted to explain.
“What I think,” he said, his gaze moving over her again in a more thoroughly assessing manner, “is that you’re one hell of a lucky man to have found yourself a wife like her.”
“We’re not married,” Jake said. “She’s here, but it’s not by choice.”
The man’s thick brows shifted into a menacing scowl. “You’re holding her here against her will?”
“No,” Jake replied with a sigh.
“That’s a damn good thing,” the man replied. “I’d hate to have to shoot a friend.” He flashed her a toothy grin. “Jake here and me rode together with the Rangers. Should still be ridin’ together,” he added, his gaze shifting to Jake.
“I’d trust this man with my life,” Jake admitted with a nod.
The Texas Ranger held out his hand to her. “Name’s Hank Lafferty.”
“Hank?” Jake repeated, a dark brow lifting.
“Lafferty to most folks,” the man replied. “But you can call me Hank.”
“Brianna,” she said, sliding her hand into his much larger one.
“Pretty name for a pretty gal.” He shook his head. “I have to say I never thought any woman would be able to hog-tie my boy here, but I can certainly see why he finally decided to give up his rough riding ways.”
Hank Lafferty was a smooth talker and a flirt, but she liked him. And she couldn’t blame him for not believing what they’d told him. “It’s nice to meet you, Hank .”
“Brianna’s here because she fell back through time and landed in my corral.”
Hank turned to her. “Has he been drinking?”
She shook her head. “No.” Apparently Jake did trust this man implicitly. “I’m not sure how it happened, but somehow I really did fall back through time and land here.”
He studied them carefully and then shrugged. “Reckon you two are free to dress up the way you met any way you want. With a filly as pretty as her, keeping her is what you gotta worry
Rifle in hand, she slipped out of the barn and moved along the outer wall toward the corral. When she reached the end of the weathered building, she peeked around, her gaze searching for Jake.
Much to her relief, she spotted him standing about ten yards away from the cabin. The rigidness she’d seen in his posture when he’d left the barn had eased visibly. His gun hand dropped to his side and he started toward their unexpected visitor in long, quickened strides.
The man on the horse said something to Jake in greeting. A second later, he was off his horse, grinning as he walked toward Jake.
Relief swept through her as the two men fell into a fleeting embrace. Jake knew this man. She stepped away from the barn, drawing the stranger’s gaze her direction.
Jake turned, a dark brow lifting. A deep frown furrowed into his brows as she moved toward them. “I thought I told you to stay in the barn until I told you it was safe to come out.”
“I was bettering the odds,” she announced, motioning to the rifle in her hands. “Two against one.”
“Gawddamnit, Brianna,” he growled. “You shoot about as well as you cook. Are you trying to get yourself killed?”
“Then it’s a good thing I’m so fucking good in bed,” she snapped. So she couldn’t cook and she hadn’t done very well shooting at the targets he’d set up for her. He didn’t have to announce her failures to the world.
The stranger looked Jake’s way with a snort, drawing a scowl from Jake.
“You shook his hand,” she added in her own defense. “I doubt you’d have done that if he were a threat to you.”
The man beside him chuckled. “Sassy. I take it this is the wife I heard rumors about in town.”
“Word travels fast,” Jake muttered. His gaze dropped to her blouse and his eyes rounded.
She glanced down. “Oh, shit.” She hurried to button her blouse back up.
“Bad timing on my part I see,” Jake’s acquaintance said with a grin. “Should’ve figure, you two being newlyweds and all.”
“It’s not what you think,” Jake attempted to explain.
“What I think,” he said, his gaze moving over her again in a more thoroughly assessing manner, “is that you’re one hell of a lucky man to have found yourself a wife like her.”
“We’re not married,” Jake said. “She’s here, but it’s not by choice.”
The man’s thick brows shifted into a menacing scowl. “You’re holding her here against her will?”
“No,” Jake replied with a sigh.
“That’s a damn good thing,” the man replied. “I’d hate to have to shoot a friend.” He flashed her a toothy grin. “Jake here and me rode together with the Rangers. Should still be ridin’ together,” he added, his gaze shifting to Jake.
“I’d trust this man with my life,” Jake admitted with a nod.
The Texas Ranger held out his hand to her. “Name’s Hank Lafferty.”
“Hank?” Jake repeated, a dark brow lifting.
“Lafferty to most folks,” the man replied. “But you can call me Hank.”
“Brianna,” she said, sliding her hand into his much larger one.
“Pretty name for a pretty gal.” He shook his head. “I have to say I never thought any woman would be able to hog-tie my boy here, but I can certainly see why he finally decided to give up his rough riding ways.”
Hank Lafferty was a smooth talker and a flirt, but she liked him. And she couldn’t blame him for not believing what they’d told him. “It’s nice to meet you, Hank .”
“Brianna’s here because she fell back through time and landed in my corral.”
Hank turned to her. “Has he been drinking?”
She shook her head. “No.” Apparently Jake did trust this man implicitly. “I’m not sure how it happened, but somehow I really did fall back through time and land here.”
He studied them carefully and then shrugged. “Reckon you two are free to dress up the way you met any way you want. With a filly as pretty as her, keeping her is what you gotta worry
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