about.”
Jake wrapped an arm around her waist and drew her up against him almost possessively. “What brings you all the way to Wyoming?”
The Ranger’s expression sobered. “Can we have a word in private?”
“Darlin’?”
She smiled. “I don’t mind.”
Jake stepped aside to speak to his friend. Not far enough to keep their conversation secret.
“I’ve been hot on Deke’s tail for the past two weeks.”
Deke? Brianna’s ears perked up.
“Lost him a couple of days ago,” the Ranger admitted with a frown.
“Damn it, Lafferty,” Jake muttered with a glance her way. “You might have mentioned that sooner. Shit. I have to get Brianna out of here - today.”
“I’m not leaving,” she said stubbornly.
“The hell you aren’t! And why are you listening in on our conversation? It was supposed to be private.”
“Then maybe you two shouldn’t speak so loudly,” she pointed out.
“You might not wanna get her too riled up while she’s holdin’ that rifle in her hand,” Lafferty noted with a grin.
“I’m damn well gonna paddle her ass with that rifle if she doesn’t stop being so gawddamn stubborn,” Jake growled as he walked over and removed it from her hand.
She planted her hands on her hips. “I’d like to see you try.”
“Yep,” Hank Lafferty nodded. “She’s the perfect woman for you.”
“That’s what I keep trying to tell him,” she said with an I-told-you-so smile aimed Jake’s direction.
Jake muttered several curses. “Does either of you get the seriousness of the situation?” Grabbing Brianna by the arm, he headed for the corral.
“What are you doing?” she said, struggling to break free of his grasp.
“Getting a horse for you.” He glanced back at Lafferty who was following right behind them. “You’re gonna take Brianna back to town with you and keep her there until tomorrow’s stage comes.”
“But I’m not ready...”
“I’ll send your things on another stage,” he said, ignoring her protests.
She jerked free and slipped through the corral fence in a flutter of skirts. “I’m not leaving. I landed here,” she said pointing to the spot, “for a reason. Fate sent me to you, Jake Dawson. You need-”
Her words were cut off by the sound of a gunshot. Wood splintered as the bullet clipped the top rail of the corral fence. Brianna shrieked.
A second gunshot rang out.
“Brianna!” Jake cried out as he scrambled over the corral fence to get to her.
There was an odd, burning sensation in her arm. She looked down at the blood on her sleeve and then up just as Jake reached her, shielding her with his body. Everything went into slow motion around her.
Jake fired into the distant woods. “Keep your head down,” he said, his words tight with emotion.
“You’re gonna pay for killin’ my brother, Dawson!” Deke Johnson hollered from his hiding place along the edge of the woods behind the barn. “And I’m gonna start with your wife!”
“You’re gonna have to go through me to do it,” Jake snarled, firing again.
“You’re gonna have to go through two of us,” Hank hollered as he sprinted away from the tree he’d taken cover behind.
Deke fired, missing the Texas Ranger as he cut behind the barn.
Jake fired again. “Hold on, darlin’,” he said as he shielded her with his body.
A second later, a volley of gunshots rang out in the woods. Deke burst out of the pines and made a run for new cover – the wagon.
Jake rose up and fired another shot. Deke stumbled and fell, slamming into the side of the wagon.
“Got you, you bastard,” Jake muttered as he stood.
Lafferty moved in for a closer look, nudging Deke’s lifeless body with the toe of his boot. “Deader than a doornail,” he shouted.
Jake lowered his gun with a heavy sigh. “It’s finally over.”
Brianna got to her feet, swaying unsteadily. “Jake...”
He turned, all color draining from his face as his gaze dropped to her bloodied sleeve. “No,” he
Jake wrapped an arm around her waist and drew her up against him almost possessively. “What brings you all the way to Wyoming?”
The Ranger’s expression sobered. “Can we have a word in private?”
“Darlin’?”
She smiled. “I don’t mind.”
Jake stepped aside to speak to his friend. Not far enough to keep their conversation secret.
“I’ve been hot on Deke’s tail for the past two weeks.”
Deke? Brianna’s ears perked up.
“Lost him a couple of days ago,” the Ranger admitted with a frown.
“Damn it, Lafferty,” Jake muttered with a glance her way. “You might have mentioned that sooner. Shit. I have to get Brianna out of here - today.”
“I’m not leaving,” she said stubbornly.
“The hell you aren’t! And why are you listening in on our conversation? It was supposed to be private.”
“Then maybe you two shouldn’t speak so loudly,” she pointed out.
“You might not wanna get her too riled up while she’s holdin’ that rifle in her hand,” Lafferty noted with a grin.
“I’m damn well gonna paddle her ass with that rifle if she doesn’t stop being so gawddamn stubborn,” Jake growled as he walked over and removed it from her hand.
She planted her hands on her hips. “I’d like to see you try.”
“Yep,” Hank Lafferty nodded. “She’s the perfect woman for you.”
“That’s what I keep trying to tell him,” she said with an I-told-you-so smile aimed Jake’s direction.
Jake muttered several curses. “Does either of you get the seriousness of the situation?” Grabbing Brianna by the arm, he headed for the corral.
“What are you doing?” she said, struggling to break free of his grasp.
“Getting a horse for you.” He glanced back at Lafferty who was following right behind them. “You’re gonna take Brianna back to town with you and keep her there until tomorrow’s stage comes.”
“But I’m not ready...”
“I’ll send your things on another stage,” he said, ignoring her protests.
She jerked free and slipped through the corral fence in a flutter of skirts. “I’m not leaving. I landed here,” she said pointing to the spot, “for a reason. Fate sent me to you, Jake Dawson. You need-”
Her words were cut off by the sound of a gunshot. Wood splintered as the bullet clipped the top rail of the corral fence. Brianna shrieked.
A second gunshot rang out.
“Brianna!” Jake cried out as he scrambled over the corral fence to get to her.
There was an odd, burning sensation in her arm. She looked down at the blood on her sleeve and then up just as Jake reached her, shielding her with his body. Everything went into slow motion around her.
Jake fired into the distant woods. “Keep your head down,” he said, his words tight with emotion.
“You’re gonna pay for killin’ my brother, Dawson!” Deke Johnson hollered from his hiding place along the edge of the woods behind the barn. “And I’m gonna start with your wife!”
“You’re gonna have to go through me to do it,” Jake snarled, firing again.
“You’re gonna have to go through two of us,” Hank hollered as he sprinted away from the tree he’d taken cover behind.
Deke fired, missing the Texas Ranger as he cut behind the barn.
Jake fired again. “Hold on, darlin’,” he said as he shielded her with his body.
A second later, a volley of gunshots rang out in the woods. Deke burst out of the pines and made a run for new cover – the wagon.
Jake rose up and fired another shot. Deke stumbled and fell, slamming into the side of the wagon.
“Got you, you bastard,” Jake muttered as he stood.
Lafferty moved in for a closer look, nudging Deke’s lifeless body with the toe of his boot. “Deader than a doornail,” he shouted.
Jake lowered his gun with a heavy sigh. “It’s finally over.”
Brianna got to her feet, swaying unsteadily. “Jake...”
He turned, all color draining from his face as his gaze dropped to her bloodied sleeve. “No,” he
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