The Rancher Takes A Bride (The Burnett Brides Book 1)

forehead as she glanced between the brothers. "Hello, marshal. Should I be packing my bags for a visit to jail?"
    Travis watched as his younger brother's mouth dropped open at the sight of Rose in his pants.
    "Not that I know of." Tucker cleared his throat. "Though maybe I should lock you up for looking so good in my brother's clothes."
    She laughed, faintly embarrassed. "Because of the fire, this is all I have to wear."
    "If I had anything to do with it, that's all women would ever wear. Sweet, lovely pants that showed—"
    "All right, Tucker, we get your point," Travis interrupted, irritated at his brother's obvious perusal of Rose.
    The sight of his brother ogling Rose made him more than irritated. He felt like punching something. He wanted to yank his brother down to the ground and wrestle, as if they were kids once again, but this time it wouldn't be playing. This time his punches would be for real.
    Rose smiled. "You must have ridden out here for me to read your palm again."
    Travis felt his nerve endings prickle with displeasure. Her lips were turned up into a smile that was genuine, friendly, and reached all the way to her eyes. Eyes the color of a field in springtime that suddenly sparkled with amusement. She'd never smiled at him that way.
    Tucker smiled. "No thanks, ma'am. I think I'll skip this time."
    "Suit yourself."
    Tucker laughed. "I don't think I want to know about my future, even if a pretty lady like yourself would be holding my hand."
    Travis didn't know whether he wanted to puke or growl. The two of them were flirting openly—and this was the man who had locked her in a jail cell. He cleared his throat.
    "Just tell me when you're ready to try again."
    Travis coughed, and the two of them turned and looked at him. About damn time someone realized he was still in the room.
    Eugenia walked into the parlor. "Tucker, I'm glad you came." She hugged him. "I guess you heard about the fire."
    "Heard in town you two had some trouble, and I wanted to come check on you, make sure everything was all right."
    Eugenia took him by the arm and walked Tucker to a chair and began to tell him about the fire. "We had a little mishap with a lantern, which started a fire in the barn. Rose saved all of our livestock and horses that were inside. It was a miracle that no one got hurt."
    Tucker glanced at Rose, astonishment on his face, then at Travis. "Rose? I thought ..."
    "Yes, her real name is Rose Severin. Not Desirée," Travis said irritably.
    "Oh," Travis said, looking confused. "So, Rose, you got all the livestock out. What was my big brother doing?"
    "Once he realized I was in there, he rushed in,"
    "I got there as soon as I could," Travis said crossly.
    Eugenia broke in. "But Rose saw the smoke coming from the barn, and she ran in and released all the animals. Travis ran in after Rose, and together they walked out the barn door just as the roof collapsed from the fire."
    "Glad to hear you're okay, brother." Tucker turned back to Rose. "What about you, Rose?"
    "Oh, I didn't get hurt. Burned my fingers and my dress."
    Tucker laughed. "Is that why you're wearing my brother's clothes?"
    "Yes, since my trunk went to Austin without me, that dress was all I had."
    Eugenia cleared her throat and frowned at her older son. "Travis doesn't want Rose to go to town and do any shopping. She's confined to quarters until the return of my ring, even though she did save our livestock, including his favorite horse."
    Travis glared at his mother. For someone who had had her wedding band stolen, her most precious possession, as she so rightly put it, she wasn't being very cooperative. She was siding with Rose against him, her own son!
    Tucker glanced at his brother, his eyes dancing with mischief. Travis knew that look and it didn't bode well. His younger brother had often been a prankster, and somehow he felt as if he was going to be on the receiving end of one of Tucker's jokes.
    "Since I'm the marshal in town, I overrule my brother's laws. I would love to take you to town shopping, Rose. After helping the family the way you have, I would think that Travis owes you a new dress."
    Rose smiled. "Oh, no, really—that's not necessary."
    "I insist. After all, he's the reason you don't have your trunk," Tucker insisted.
    "Tucker!" Travis warned.
    "You're right. Travis should buy you a new dress, since you lost your last one in the fire," Eugenia acknowledged. "And we all could use a trip into town."
    Tucker shrugged. "I would be