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crazy. “Thank you.” Knowing he was a stranger. “Thank you so much.”
    But he was solid and his feet were on solid ground. “Thank you.”
    So were hers. “Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you.”
    She needed him to know she appreciated it. “Thank you, thank you, thank you.”
    “You’re welcome. It’s all right. You’re safe.” His arms came around her so naturally she could have cried. It might not even be a bad thing to cry. It might help wash her face.
    It went on way too long before she gathered her composure enough to let go of her death grip. Life grip was really a better way to describe it.
    She raised her eyes to look into his and saw such kindness. “Hi. I’m Shannon Dysart.”
    “I’m Gabe Lasley.” He lifted one hand and touched her chin. There was a little dent in it, and Gabe looked at that dent for what seemed a bit too long. “Uhhh… how did you say you got up there again? And how did you come to be stranded? And what are you doing out here in the wilderness? And why are you—”
    “I need to excuse myself for just a minute, Gabe.”
    Gabe’s brow furrowed.
    She knew the man had waited a long time to question her, but she really did need a moment of privacy.
    He must have figured out what she meant, because his face went bright red.
    “Okay. I’ll go… check my horse.” He turned away and almost dragged her off her feet.
    Shannon realized she was, in fact, still lassoed. She started fighting with the noose, which was handy. Now she didn’t have to see him blush.
    Gabe noticed the rope wrapped around his own waist.
    If ever a couple could say they had the ties that bind, it would be Gabe and her.
    He unwound his side of the rope. They both got free about the same time. Then he rushed over to his horse, a pretty chestnut that was standing only feet away, in no way needing to be checked. Gabe firmly turned his back.
    Shannon raced for a moment of necessary privacy. She returned and faced his black-as-midnight eyes. “I’ll tell you everything. But we need to be on our way to town.”
    “It’s too late tonight. We’d be riding in the dark inside an hour. Not safe.”
    “Well, we can’t stay out here.”
    “We have to. There’s no choice.”
    Shannon really didn’t want to go to fussing at the man moments after he’d saved her life, but she had no other course of action. “I can’t spend the night with a man out here. It wouldn’t be proper.”
    Gabe arched a brow until it disappeared into his Stetson. As if to uncover that arch, he pulled his Stetson off his head and scowled at her while he gripped the brim with both hands and held it to his chest. “I would never do anything to shame you, Shannon. In fact, I think it’s insulting that you’d say we can’t stay together.”
    “But we
can’t
stay together.”
    “I am a Christian man, Shannon Dysart. I would never dishonor a woman. I wouldn’t harm you. In fact, if you will think back long and hard to… oh, about
five minutes ago..
. you will realize I would do whatever is necessary to protect you, or any woman, from harm.” Gabe frowned until the downward curve of his mouth was a match for his moustache.
    Shannon wasn’t handling this well, but it had been a long day. She was clean out of tact. “I apologize, Gabe. It’s not that staying out here… What I mean is… I… I trust you. I’m not saying you’d… you’d…” She fell silent as a shocking parade of improper things trampled through her exhausted brain—throwing herself into his arms foremost among them.
    “Let’s get you something to eat. Then I’ll build a fire and we can bed down… uh… I mean… get to bed… That is we can… can…
settle in
.” Gabe was strangling his hat.
    And the poor hat hadn’t done a thing. Neither had Gabe, except save Shannon from a slow, painful death by inches from thirst and hunger.
    And here she stood insulting him. “It’s not that anything sinful would go on, Gabe. I do trust you.