He bit his bottom lip in concentration. “I haven’t really thought about it, but I guess we’ll have to go back to the site where we landed. I bet…” His eyes brightened with sudden insight. “… I bet we need to parachute off that cliff where we almost hit.”
“Hmmm. Sounds logical. Does Pablo still have your harness and the parachutes?”
He thought a moment. “Yeah. I saw them when he started to set up camp.”
“Then we should be okay.”
They exchanged a hopeful smile.
She lifted her chin then. “Just remember, I’m still the officer in charge.”
“No, you’re not. The ground rules changed the moment we landed in this time warp. You are Helen Prescott, and I’m Rafael Santiago. Just two people trying to survive… together.”
She started to argue, then stopped herself. Perhaps she had been too rigid in the past. “Trust, right?” She held out a hand for a shake to seal the agreement.
“Right.” He shook her hand solemnly, then ruined the businesslike nature of the gesture by turning her hand over in his, and kissing the palm. She made a low hiss of protest.
“I couldn’t help myself.” He grinned boyishly and released her hand, which tingled with the imprint of his lips. She pressed it tightly with her other hand, but the tingle remained.
She fought for her usual emotionless poise. “All right. We’ve got to follow Army guidelines, view this as any other landing within enemy lines,” she said, all business now.
“Huh?”
“You know. The Army survival manual. Live by your wits, but rely on basic skills.”
Rate groaned. “Here we go again.”
She tried to recall the specific instructions. “Make decisions quickly. Improvise. Adapt. Remain cool, calm, and collected. Be patient. Hope for the best, prepare for the worst.” She felt really good about remembering so much from the manual… until she looked at Rafe.
He was shaking with laughter. “You are a real piece of work, Prissy. Do you really believe all this crap?”
She stiffened. “Okay, Mr. Know-It-All, what’s the plan?”
“First, we sleep together on this blanket tonight.”
“Oh, Lord, we’re back to that again.” And the tingle on her palm raced up her arm, out to her breasts, and then, slam dunk, down to her groin.
“Trust, Helen. Remember?”
She eyed him suspiciously.
“We have to pretend we’re married. No, don’t look at me like that. I don’t mean make love, or put on a show for these creeps. Although, if you want to make love, I’m willing.”
“Cut it out, Rafe.”
“I’ll try,” he said with an exaggerated sigh. “Anyhow, what we need is time. Their belief that we’re married will put them off for a little while. That, and your demonstration of how you’ll karate chop their privates if they touch one hair on your… hmmm… you know, not your chinny-chin-chin.”
She inhaled sharply at his vulgarity. He didn’t notice her reaction and went on. “We can make our move tonight, after they fall asleep. This is as good a place as any to ditch them.”
“And head back to our landing site?”
“Uh, not right away,” he said evasively.
“But, Rafe, we have to be careful. Don’t forget that they believe you’re the Angel Bandit, and there’s a price on your head. Geez, in this primitive time period, the authorities might really hang you.”
He waved her concerns aside. “I’ll be careful, but I can’t go back right away.” He avoided looking at her directly.
“Why not? Spill it, Rafe. What exactly do you have in mind?”
“Oh, hell! You’re not gonna like this — ”
“Tell me,” she demanded icily.
He held her eyes defiantly. Helen could bitch and moan all she wanted, but he’d be damned if he backed down from this one. It was too important. “If I have the dumb luck to land in 1850, I’d be a fool not to turn it into good luck, and…”
“And?”
Rafe hesitated, watching Helen’s stubborn chin lift to the sky. He’d been avoiding this moment, but he couldn’t put it off any longer. “And I’m headed for the goldfields. We’ve landed in the middle of the Gold Rush, for God’s sake. I’m not going back to 1996 without a load of gold in my pockets.”