KILLER COWBOY CHARM

by Vicki Lewis Thompson

  "Listen, before we talk about anything else," she said, "I want you to know that I didn't put Mel up to those remarks this morning. I'm not trying to trap you into some long-term relationship. I—"

  "You're not?" He pushed away from the wall and walked toward her. Two steps and he was within touching distance.

  She looked into his eyes and their two weeks apart disappeared. Suddenly she was back at the Circle W, where they'd made love in front of the fire, in the shower, in his four-poster bed. At least she'd been making love. She couldn't speak for him. In his case, maybe it had only been sex.

  With the kind of longing she felt right this minute, breathing became an afterthought. Mostly she wanted to kiss him. But she didn't know what he wanted. She decided to go for the light-hearted approach. "I'm not trying to hog-tie you, as they say out west."

  He didn't smile. "I was sort of hoping you might be."

  Now she really couldn't breathe very well. "You … were?"

  "Yeah." His gaze grew tender. "I meant to lead up to this, but I might as well say it straight out. I seem to have fallen in love with you, and I—"

  "You have?" Her heart beat frantically. This was far more than she'd dared hope for.

  "I know it's ridiculous, with me being a cowboy in Arizona and you being a big star, but there it is. I can't seem to help myself. I've tried talking myself out of loving you, but it doesn't work."

  Emotion tightened her throat, but she cleared it away because she had important things to say. "Please don't talk yourself out of it. Because I seem to be in love with you, too."

  Joy flared in his eyes. "Really?" She nodded.

  "Do you want to be?"

  "Yes. Yes, I do."

  "That's a start." He reached for her.

  She moved happily into his arms, back where she belonged. "We can build on it, don't you think?"

  "Yeah. We can definitely build on it."

  When he kissed her, he blotted out all the lonely days and nights she'd spent without him. She'd given up dreaming of his kiss, and now, miracle of miracles, his kisses were back.

  Were they ever. In no time she started wondering if they could get it on right here on the floor. Probably a really bad idea. Someone would find out, and that wasn't how she wanted to end her career with this studio.

  Clint seemed to have come to the same conclusion, because he released her and stepped back to gasp for breath. "We should probably be a little careful. We have a tendency to get carried away."

  "Right." Trembling, she fought for control when all she wanted was to rip those jeans right off him.

  "And we have some details to work out."

  "I know. But you're here! I thought everything was hopeless, but then you came to New York, so maybe it's not so hopeless."

  Some of the joy left his expression. "But I can't live here all the time, Meg. What you said on the show is right. I don't want to leave the Circle W. My thought was to try and earn some money and find out if there was any chance for us, but I'm still an Arizona cowboy."

  "I know, which is what I love about you. I wouldn't expect you to live here. That's what I meant when I said that on the show."

  "But I'll visit," he said at once, relief in his voice. "I'll visit a lot. Tuck can handle the ranch so I can come to New York at least a couple of weekends a month. We'll make it work, I promise."

  "How about this?" She caught both of his hands in hers, deeply moved. He was willing to sacrifice so much for her, and he wouldn't have to. "I'm ready to try Hollywood, Clint, but that doesn't mean I have to live there. Lots of Hollywood people live somewhere else."

  "Like Arizona?"

  "Uh-huh. That is, if you think you could stand to have me hanging around the ranch when I'm not working on a—"

  "Good grief, woman." He pulled her into his arms again. "I want you to hang around, all right. Hang around constantly. Be there when I'm building a fire in the living room, when I'm taking a shower, when I'm so hot for you I'm ready to explode."

  She wiggled against him. "Like now?"

  "Exactly like now. You'd better figure out where we can go that has a bed in it. I'd suggest my hotel room, but I'm sharing with Denny."

  "And I'd suggest my apartment, but this is the day they're treating our entire building for bugs, and we're not supposed to be there all day!"

  "And I'll bet you have things to do." He cupped her bottom and held her tight against his erection.

  "I do, and they all involve getting horizontal with you. Maybe we should just rent a hotel room."

  "Good idea. We'll—"

  A knock at the door made them jump apart

  "You guys still in there?" called Sharon.

  Meg straightened her clothes and went to the door, but she only opened it a little way. "Hi, Sharon."

  Sharon laughed, as if she knew exactly what had been going on a minute earlier. "I wanted to warn you that a bunch of reporters are outside, hoping to catch a glimpse of Mr. Killer Cowboy Charm, as we've suggested they call him."

  "We should go out the back way, then."

  Sharon's smile grew wider. "We?"

  "Yes, we." It felt good to say it. "Can you get me the car service?"

  "I can."

  "And … and make it a limo … with tinted windows."

  "Ooo, baby. You've got it." Sharon winked and closed the door.

  "Thanks." Meg turned to Clint. "Well, now that you're a celebrity, you might as well start acting like one. We're going out the back exit, which is how we spirit away all the big stars."

  "Did you just order a limo? Meg, I don't need a—"

  "That's what you think. Ever made out in one?"

  Slowly his look of concern became one of anticipation. "Nope."

  She held out her hand. "Come on, cowboy. You showed me how it's done in the country. Now I'll show you how it's done in the big city."

  He caught her hand and pulled her close again. "How dark are those tinted windows?"

  She laughed. "Dark enough."

  "This celebrity business may not be as bad as I thought. Okay, one for the road." He gave her a quick kiss. "Oh, and I have a request."

  "Anything."

  "Please don't ever call me Mr. Killer Cowboy Charm."

  She smiled up at him. "How about husband? Would you answer to that?"

  "Oh, yeah." His eyes glowed with happiness. "Definitely."

  "Then I think we have a deal." As the two of them hurried out to the waiting limo, she anticipated the moment they'd be able to slow down and savor the next hour … the next week … the next year … a lifetime. There was no rush now. They had forever.

  * * *

  Epilogue

  «^

  "Here they are, your Mandy and Mel in the Morning co-hosts, Mandy Franklin and Mel Harrison!"

  Meg stood backstage holding Clint's hand. What a surreal experience, to be here and yet not hosting the show. But it didn't bother her one bit. She gave Clint's hand a squeeze, and he leaned down.

  "Miss it?" he murmured in her ear.

  "Not even slightly." She spoke softly so that the mike attached to her lapel wouldn't pick up what she said. Earlier, she'd found out that Mona Swift had left television entirely and was running a PR firm. Meg felt no sense of triumph about that, either. She'd moved beyond petty jealousy.

  Mel's voice drifted through the curtains. "We have two very special guests today, my former co-host, Meg Delancy, and Mr. Killer Cowboy Charm himself, Clint Walker! Evie and I attended their wedding out in Arizona several months ago, and let me tell you, Arizona is beautiful and hot. Nearly died of heat prostration during the ceremony."

  Meg smiled. Their April wedding had been scheduled to take advantage of Arizona's springtime, but summer had arrived early. She and Clint had been married under sunny skies. Very sunny skies, with no shade for the guests. Mel had come back to New York with a sunburn.

  As the intro continued, Meg listened to her replacement, instinctively critiquing her performance. She was excellent. Mandy set
the perfect tone for working with Mel, sassy but never mouthy. She'd last a long time, if the current ratings were any indication.

  Someone tapped Meg on the shoulder and she turned around to find Jamie right behind her. She pantomimed extreme joy and gave him a careful hug that didn't jiggle her mike.

  Clint shook Jamie's hand and smiled. "How's Alison?" he asked quietly.

  "Pregnant. Gorgeous." Jamie had put on a little weight, and he looked extremely satisfied and happy. He'd also been promoted, which was why he had the freedom to come over and talk with them.

  Clint glanced at Meg, a question in his eyes.

  She nodded. The news would be out in a few minutes, anyway.

  "So's Meg," Clint said. Pride stuck out all over him.

  Jamie's eyes widened as he turned to Meg. "Yeah?"

  "Uh-huh." She still got the most ridiculous jolt of happiness every time she thought about their baby. People had kids all the time—no biggie. Maybe by the time she was six or seven months along she'd sing a different tune, but right now, at three months, she felt like doing commercials for motherhood.

  Jamie gave her another hug and shook Clint's hand again. "That's fabulous. What's the due date?"

  "Right about when the movie will be released," Meg said. "We'll probably be back then to plug it, if I can travel."

  "If not, I'll talk Mel and Sharon into letting me come out and interview you at the Circle W."

  "Come anytime," Clint said. "Don't leave it up to Mel and Sharon. Pack your bags and bring Alison."

  "We'll try to do that. Listen, I have to get back to work, but we're looking forward to dinner tonight. Alison's in a cooking frenzy. She and Jose are shooting e-mails back and forth, exchanging recipes."

  "One of these days, the two of them are going to make good on their plan to open a restaurant," Meg said.

  "Yeah, if they can ever figure out whether to do it in New York or Arizona." Jamie turned to leave, still smiling. "See you two later."

  "You guys are on," murmured a young woman wearing earphones.

  Meg didn't recognize her and decided she must be new. Giving her a friendly smile of thanks, Meg took Clint's hand and walked onto the set. It hadn't been that long ago that she'd been in that woman's spot, yearning for a big break.

  Mandy and Mel had moved to the living-room setup for the interview. After hugs and handshakes all around, Meg and Clint sat in two of the armchairs arranged in a semicircle around a low coffee table.

  "So the new movie's in the can," Mel said.

  "Yes, it is." Meg appreciated the support Mel was giving her as she ventured into this new arena. She talked about the movie a little, mentioning her co-stars and the release date.

  "Sounds like a great story," said Mandy, a brunette who looked like a young Sally Field.

  Clint leaned forward in his chair. "It's terrific."

  "Spoken like a proud hubby. And how about you, Mr. Killer Cowboy Charm?" Mel focused on Clint. "I understand that quarterhorse of yours, Gabriel, has done very well for you, so well that you bought that ranch right out from under my good friend George Forester."

  Clint smiled. "We came to an agreement."

  Meg was glad she'd get a tape of this show so that she could watch that smile again and again. Seeing Clint in possession of his beloved Circle W meant the world to her.

  "Just as well it belongs to you," Mel said. "It's too hot for George, anyway. So tell me, is there a movie role out there tempting you off that ranch?"

  "Nope." Clint glanced at Meg. "We have one actor in the family, and there she is. I've had my fill of the limelight."

  "Well, we might have another actor in the family," Meg said. "You never know."

  "I suppose you could be right." Clint started to glow again, the way he usually did when the baby was mentioned.

  "Aha!" Mandy turned to Mel. "I think we just got some significant info."

  Mel looked blank. "What info? That they might have another actor in the family? That could be anybody. Meg's brother-in-law, the one at the wedding who kept doing those impressions, or even her—"

  Mandy put a hand on his arm. "I think Meg's trying to tell us that she and Clint are having a baby."

  "You are?" Mel gazed at Meg, his eyes wide. "The Megster's PG?"

  Meg nodded.

  "Why that's wonderful!" Mel leaped out of his seat to shake Clint's hand and give Meg a kiss on the cheek. "Congratulations! Wow, a movie and a baby." He sat down again and shook his head in obvious wonder. "Little did I know when you left for Arizona last year that you'd end up a Hollywood star, a rancher's wife and a mother, all in under twelve months. You move fast."

  Meg reached over and took Clint's hand. "Actually, my new motto is to take it slow. Sit on the porch, watch the sunset, enjoy the peace and quiet."

  Clint gazed fondly at her. "Exactly."

  "I'm glad it works for you," Mel said. "Personally, I'd go stir-crazy out there in the middle of nowhere. All that time on your hands. Nothing to do."

  Meg fought not to laugh. A year ago that would have been her opinion, too. But with a man like Clint around, nothing to do meant time for … other things.

  "From the expression on her face, I think Meg enjoys that nothing to do part," Mandy said. "Let's not forget that she's living with Mr. Killer Cowboy Charm."

  Mel glanced over at Meg and Clint and flushed. "Uh, well, yes! And this is a G-rated show, so we won't go there! In fact, we're out of time! Sharon's signaling that we desperately need a commercial break. But it's been super having you both on the show. Come back anytime."

  Meg kept her laughter in check through the goodbyes, but when she and Clint were finally headed out the back exit toward a waiting limo, she started to chuckle. "Nothing to do," she said. "He walked right into that one, especially considering we'd just announced the baby."

  Clint helped her into the limo. "Lots of time with nothing to do works for me. I was thinking maybe we could head back to the hotel, because I don't know about you, but I have all afternoon with nothing to do."

  "Same here." She settled into the curve of his arm. "All those empty hours. How in the world can we fill them?"

  He gazed at her. "Give me some time. Maybe I'll think of something."

  "I'm counting on it." Then she pulled his head down for a long, lingering, limo-style kiss.

  * * * * *