wasn’t about to stop for it.
Without the leather cap, her appearance softened. She looked more like a female, with soft brown hair the color of a fawn’s pelt. Too bad it was cut short. Women should have long hair. It looked nicer. He would be sure to keep that opinion to himself or she might throw one of her hammers at him.
“You finished ogling me?” Her words were slurred but she was awake.
“Nope. It’s the first time you haven’t been talking at me. Good Lord, woman, but you could talk the bark off a tree.” He looked down into her eyes. “I hope I’m going the right direction but you passed out before you could give me details on how to find the Garza ranch.”
She tried to sit up and gasped. “Shit.”
“That’s another thing. You sure as hell cuss a lot for a female.”
“Oh why don’t you shut up, Ranger. Hell, man, I can’t imagine the outlaws you chase are on their Sunday best behavior.”
She had a point yet he didn’t concede it. If she was mad, she wouldn’t pass out again.
“I found a trail back yonder, maybe fifty yards from that big tree in your yard. I’ve been following it and hope like hell it’s the right direction.” He didn’t see anything that told him there was a big hacienda nearby.
“It’s the right way. Stay on the trail until you hit the creek, then follow it north about a mile. There’s a bridge across that leads into the ranch. There will be men at the bridge with guns. Don’t shoot them. Mr. Garza protects his property.” Her face relaxed and she snuggled into his chest. “You have nice skin.”
“Jesus.” He regretted not putting on another shirt. The woman was out of her mind with pain and that made her spout nonsense. “I won’t shoot anybody unless they shoot at me.”
“That’s a good policy.” She put one blood-crusted hand on his arm. “Can I call you Caleb? It’s such a nice name.”
He choked on his own spit. “You are really going to regret everything you just said. Probably want to throw yourself in the forge to purge it from your memory.”
She giggled, startling him. “Your lashes are ridiculously long, did you know that? Do you feel a breeze when you blink?”
He shifted her in his arms, wondering if it were possible another woman had taken her place in the tree. Where was the tough Aurora Foster who had kicked his ass a few hours ago? The silly girl who had taken her place put him completely off balance. He knew what to do with a stubborn woman, but a flirty one? He had no clue.
“Don’t make me tell you to shut up again. Stop talking now. You need to save your strength.”
She stuck out her tongue. He shook his head and kept quiet. The blood loss or the knock on the head from falling out of the tree made her foolish. Either way, she would regret what she said if she remembered it. He regretted it already and it wasn’t coming out of his mouth.
The easy assignment to push off a squatter had turned into a strange battle with an unusual woman and now a life-threatening situation. A ranger was prepared for anything, but this went beyond any of that. For God’s sake, she was flirting with him. He had no idea how to respond to it. She was the least feminine woman he’d ever met.
Lights flickered in the distance. Even with her ramblings, it appeared he had headed in the right direction. Soon she wouldn’t be his problem any longer. He would make sure whoever Garza was, he didn’t allow her to return to her property. Somehow he would get word to his commander and they could come in and do what they needed to. Caleb would make sure her things were taken care of, as much as he could. The forge and anvil weren’t going anywhere unless they had a team of twenty mules to use.
“What happened?” Her eyes rolled toward him, glassy and unfocused.
“You fell out of the tree.” He kneed Justice into a faster pace, eager to get to the doctor and help the woman. She was getting worse by the minute.
“Who are you and why
Without the leather cap, her appearance softened. She looked more like a female, with soft brown hair the color of a fawn’s pelt. Too bad it was cut short. Women should have long hair. It looked nicer. He would be sure to keep that opinion to himself or she might throw one of her hammers at him.
“You finished ogling me?” Her words were slurred but she was awake.
“Nope. It’s the first time you haven’t been talking at me. Good Lord, woman, but you could talk the bark off a tree.” He looked down into her eyes. “I hope I’m going the right direction but you passed out before you could give me details on how to find the Garza ranch.”
She tried to sit up and gasped. “Shit.”
“That’s another thing. You sure as hell cuss a lot for a female.”
“Oh why don’t you shut up, Ranger. Hell, man, I can’t imagine the outlaws you chase are on their Sunday best behavior.”
She had a point yet he didn’t concede it. If she was mad, she wouldn’t pass out again.
“I found a trail back yonder, maybe fifty yards from that big tree in your yard. I’ve been following it and hope like hell it’s the right direction.” He didn’t see anything that told him there was a big hacienda nearby.
“It’s the right way. Stay on the trail until you hit the creek, then follow it north about a mile. There’s a bridge across that leads into the ranch. There will be men at the bridge with guns. Don’t shoot them. Mr. Garza protects his property.” Her face relaxed and she snuggled into his chest. “You have nice skin.”
“Jesus.” He regretted not putting on another shirt. The woman was out of her mind with pain and that made her spout nonsense. “I won’t shoot anybody unless they shoot at me.”
“That’s a good policy.” She put one blood-crusted hand on his arm. “Can I call you Caleb? It’s such a nice name.”
He choked on his own spit. “You are really going to regret everything you just said. Probably want to throw yourself in the forge to purge it from your memory.”
She giggled, startling him. “Your lashes are ridiculously long, did you know that? Do you feel a breeze when you blink?”
He shifted her in his arms, wondering if it were possible another woman had taken her place in the tree. Where was the tough Aurora Foster who had kicked his ass a few hours ago? The silly girl who had taken her place put him completely off balance. He knew what to do with a stubborn woman, but a flirty one? He had no clue.
“Don’t make me tell you to shut up again. Stop talking now. You need to save your strength.”
She stuck out her tongue. He shook his head and kept quiet. The blood loss or the knock on the head from falling out of the tree made her foolish. Either way, she would regret what she said if she remembered it. He regretted it already and it wasn’t coming out of his mouth.
The easy assignment to push off a squatter had turned into a strange battle with an unusual woman and now a life-threatening situation. A ranger was prepared for anything, but this went beyond any of that. For God’s sake, she was flirting with him. He had no idea how to respond to it. She was the least feminine woman he’d ever met.
Lights flickered in the distance. Even with her ramblings, it appeared he had headed in the right direction. Soon she wouldn’t be his problem any longer. He would make sure whoever Garza was, he didn’t allow her to return to her property. Somehow he would get word to his commander and they could come in and do what they needed to. Caleb would make sure her things were taken care of, as much as he could. The forge and anvil weren’t going anywhere unless they had a team of twenty mules to use.
“What happened?” Her eyes rolled toward him, glassy and unfocused.
“You fell out of the tree.” He kneed Justice into a faster pace, eager to get to the doctor and help the woman. She was getting worse by the minute.
“Who are you and why
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