Beautiful Bandit (Lone Star Legends) by Loree Lough Page A

voice, and he turned around. “Just pull back on the hammer, aim, and fire.” He forced a grin. “Just be sure you’re aiming at the man you hope to stop, not me.”
    Dinah nodded, which told him she knew it would take only minutes for the riders to hitch their mounts out front, and that, seconds later, they’d burst through the door. He then realized that he had only minutes to teach her a thing or two—lessons that could very well save her life. And, quite possibly, his, too. He gripped Dinah’s shoulders and gave her a gentle shake. “Did your mama ever say, ‘Do as I say, not as I do’?”
    Another nod.
    “Well, keep that in mind once they’re inside, in case I have to do or say something that doesn’t seem to make sense. I think we’ll be all right.”
    “Y-you think we’ll be all ri—”
    “What did I promise you out there on the trail?” he interrupted her.
    The way she stood there, trembling and blinking up at him, told Josh he’d been right. Brutal bandits—or outlaws of some sort—had been responsible for her predicament and her paranoia.
    “You said….” She licked her lips and straightened her shoulders. “You said I’d always be safe with you.”
    The thundering hoofbeats stopped.
    The riders had arrived.
    In no time, they’d step inside and shake the rain from their coats. Could he convince her in the next few seconds to trust him completely? “Did you believe me?”
    She bit down hard on her lower lip. “I did. And I believe you now, too.”
    “Good. Then follow my lead. Got it? And quit lookin’ so all-fired scared. We’ll just pretend to be a nice married couple who came in here to wait out the storm. Bandits are like cougars; if they smell fear, they’ll be all over you.”
    Dinah took a gulp of air and let it out slowly as the door burst open and slammed against the wall.
    In all his years, Josh had never seen a larger man. Rain poured down his coat in torrents and formed puddles between his muddy boots. He was chewing a thin twig that extended out of the right corner of his dark-mustached mouth, and, in one swift move, he shrugged out of his slicker, exposing a rifle—and a badge. “Gus Applegate,” he said, extending a beefy hand toward Josh.
    Josh breathed a silent sigh of relief as he gripped it. The encircled silver star was all the proof he needed that these men were Texas Rangers.
    “Sorry ’bout the mess, ma’am,” Gus said to Dinah, stepping into the center of the room as his comrades stomped inside behind him. “I’d sure as shootin’ like to know who riled ol’ Mother Nature, ’cause that’s one powerful-bad storm out there!” As the door closed behind the last of the Rangers, he said, “So, what brings you nice folks out here in this weather?”
    “Just heading home from doing business in San Antonio,” Josh said in as casual a voice as he could.
    Gus gave Dinah a quick survey. “Long way for a purty young thing like this to ride.” He scowled at Josh in disapproval. “And dangerous, to boot.”
    “Tried to talk her out of coming with me,” Josh said, shrugging, “but—”
    “No need to say more,” said the second Ranger. “Women. Can’t live with ’em, can’t live without ’em.” Chuckling at his own joke, he stuck out his hand. “Shorty McAllister. And you are?”
    “Neville,” Josh said, shaking it. “Josh Neville.”
    The third man stepped up and offered his hand, too. “Name’s Ephram Bradley, but, mostly, folks just call me Stretch.”
    “Not ’cause he’s tall, mind you,” Gus put in, “but ’cause he can take two hours to tell you what he ate for breakfast.”
    After a moment of jovial laughter, all three hung up their coats and hats. They leaned their rifles against the wall, Josh noted, but kept their sidearms. Not that he blamed them. It was reassuring to have his own Colt belted to his hip.
    “What sorta business put you in San Antone, if you don’t mind my askin’?” Shorty said.
    Josh had witnessed a