Page 26 of Savage Rancher
"I see." Garrett's eyebrows climb toward his hairline. “And you all were here the whole time?”
"The whole time," Jake confirms, his voice hard.
"And we can confirm that," Mason says from his position by the counter.
Luke clears his throat. “Is this where I point out that you probably checked out who we were when we walked into your town last week? So you know who we are, what we’ve done, and how we’re decorated.”
“I know,” Sheriff Garrett admits with bitter reluctance.
I turn to Jake. “How decorated are you?”
The sheriff frowns. “You don’t know?”
Luke laughs. “They’re getting to know each other, but it hasn’t involved much talking yet.”
“Luke,” Jake says, the warning implicit.
Garrett studies us for a long moment, his eyes moving from me to Jake to Mason and Luke and back again. I can see him weighing it, calculating, trying to decide what to believe.
He and Dad were good friends, and Harper, the apple of his eye, and I are besties, so I know he’s going to trust me. Maybe I should feel guilty about that, but I don’t. Not when I went to him, and he couldn’t—wouldn’t—help me, and certainly not given he willingly helped Dad run Jake out of town.
Finally, he nods slowly. "Alright. I appreciate you clearing all that up."
"Is there anything else you need?" Jake asks.
"Not right now." He pulls out a business card and hands it to Jake. "But if you think of anything, give me a call."
"Will do."
Sheriff Garrett heads for the door, then pauses and looks back at me. "Emma, I never thought I’d say this, but it’s a good thing your dad isn’t here to see you."
Ouch. The words hit hard. I feel a stab of pain before the anger engulfs it. I have to physically stop myself from throwing my coffee mug at his head. Instead, I lift my chin and stare him down. "If Dad were here, I think he’d surprise you. I think he’d be proud of the hero Jake’s become."
He glanced at Jake, his skepticism clear. Then he nods once and leaves. The door closes behind him, and for a long moment, nobody moves.
Then Luke lets out a low whistle. "Public nudity. Jesus Christ, Emma."
"It worked, didn't it?" I'm shaking now, the fight draining out of me all at once.
Jake pulls me against his chest, his arms coming around me tight, bolstering me. "You alright?" he asks against my hair.
“Are you?” I counter, my voice muffled against his bare chest.
He kisses the top of my head.
I pull back enough to look up at Jake. His eyes are dark and intense, and something in them makes my breath catch.
26
JAKE
She lied for me—to protectme.
No one’s ever protected me, except my team, of course. Not my dad, not the sheriff, not my teachers.
I inhale her. Familiar. Soap. Sun. Woman.
Mine.
