The Cowboy Code

by Christine Wenger

  Her stomach roiled. Didn’t he get it? Didn’t he know what was at stake?

  Chapter Nine

  Joe popped the snaps of his cuffs and rolled up the sleeves of his shirt. If ever he hated a job, it was putting together a tent. Right now, it looked like orange-and-yellow roadkill.

  Looking over at Maggie’s space right next to his, he noticed that her tent was lopsided. A slight breeze would render it uninhabitable. She’d obviously missed a step in the directions.

  She held the directions close to her face, mumbling to herself. “I can do this. I can do this.”

  The boys were busy putting up their tents, too. They were sleeping four to a tent, plus a cowboy with them to chaperone. He assigned them carefully, trying to break up some of the cliques that had already formed. At least they were working together as teams, helping each other, figuring out the directions.

  But Maggie was alone, and she’d have to bunk alone. Joe had purposely picked a spot near hers, just in case she needed something. Cougars and bears, along with other potentially dangerous wildlife, roamed here.

  Who was he kidding? He just wanted to be near her.

  He touched the gun that he carried concealed on his side and felt for the bowie knife that hung from his belt buckle. Both were the cowboy’s best friends when in a jam, and nothing was going to happen to the thirteen people who were in his charge.

  He looked over at Maggie and realized that he was always looking at Maggie. When she wasn’t nearby, he’d look for her to appear. Somehow, in the short time he’d known her, she always made his day brighter.

  Her tent looked much better now. Maybe he ought to offer her a bribe to put up his!

  But he didn’t have to. She walked toward him, smiling, her hips swaying, her hair blowing in the breeze. He could look at her long legs all day, every day.

  “Need help, Joe?”

  “Sure.” He didn’t, but he wanted to be with her. “Would you put that center pole together for me?”

  “I’d be delighted.”

  She bent over to pick up the poles, and her jeans pulled taut over her backside. He let out a puff of air, and forced himself to concentrate on laying the nylon flat on the ground.

  When she handed him the pole, his hand closed over hers. She jumped slightly.

  Had she noticed the spark between them, too?

  She diverted her eyes from his and went back to the pile of poles. “I’ll connect the rest,” she said, bending over again.

  He wanted to make love to her.

  The thought rushed into his consciousness and caught him unawares.

  But it was true. He wanted to make love to Maggie, but he couldn’t. He wasn’t the type to have casual flings and walk away. When he made love to a woman, it meant something.

  He thought it had meant something with Ellen, but apparently she hadn’t felt the same. She’d hurt him…badly. And just when he thought he’d recovered from her betrayal, in walked Maggie McIntyre, Broadway star and guardian of one of the boys in Cowboy Quest.

  So a relationship between them—physical or otherwise—wouldn’t work. No way.

  It had to be business only. No more fantasies, no more seeking her out, no more sitting by her or walking with her.

  Could he do it?

  What was with Joe, Maggie wondered as she helped Cookie serve sloppy joes and a big salad. She thought they were going to sit together for supper, but he’d left her in his dust, muttering some excuse about going over the duty roster for tomorrow.

  She’d got the impression that he was only being partially honest with her.

  Thinking back, he started acting strange when she’d volunteered to help him with his tent. Very strange.

  And he’d abandoned the tent project just as soon as they’d started. What was so hard about sliding his main pole into the smooth opening?

  Oh!

  She felt her cheeks flame. Oh, no! How could she have been so stupid?

  And what was with the writers who made up the tent assembly instructions? Was that their idea of a joke?

  She chuckled. Then she outright laughed. Then she doubled over. If anyone was watching her, they would think something was wrong with her.

  Poor Joe, she thought.

  She had to apologize to him and explain that she had just been oblivious to the entire thing.

  Had it been that long for her that she didn’t even realize what she’d been reading?

  Yes. It had been a long time—three years, to be exact—and it had been Jean-Paul Gordon, an actor she’d met in rehearsal. Jean-Paul had been climbing the ladder to success, and he thought that he could get fame and publicity by sleeping with her. They were linked in the New York gossip columns, but the news never reached Los Angeles, which was Jean-Paul’s goal. He eschewed the old adage that any kind of publicity was better than no publicity at all.

  He’d hurt her deeply, and as time went by, she’d healed. But his betrayal made her more cautious, more guarded and less willing to trust her heart.

  She was already enamored with Joe Watley, and it wouldn’t take much for her to succumb to the sexy cowboy. But she had Danny to think of—she didn’t want him to think that she was rejecting him for Joe or anyone else. Besides, she wasn’t the type to have a fling…or was that just what she needed?

  Maybe Joe was the guy to have a fling with. But the timing was certainly off.

  There would never be a good time—not when she was in Cowboy Quest, with Danny and everyone else watching their every move.

  She stole a glance at Joe. With his formfitting jeans she could see his hard thighs, his taut butt and how his tooled leather belt cinched his trim waist. He always wore a big, gold oval belt buckle, a trophy from his rodeo days.

  He looked rough and rugged and…hot.

  The dishes were done and put away, and she noticed everyone gathered at the nightly campfire. She walked over to join the group. A short, nervous kid with wire-rimmed glasses—Troy, she thought—picked up a lawn chair from a stack, opened it and gestured for her to sit down.

  “Thanks, Troy.”

  Troy wasn’t one of the guys that Danny hung out with, but Maggie wished he would—he seemed to be a nice, thoughtful kid. She wondered what had happened to bring him to Cowboy Quest, but didn’t ask. If they wanted to share something about their past, fine. Otherwise, she kept her conversations with the other boys light.

  She accepted a marshmallow on a stick and put it over the fire. Before it finished toasting, she felt a fat raindrop hit her head, and heard more sizzle in the fire as the skies opened.

  “Everyone to their tents. This rain is going to be heavy,” yelled Quint.

  By the time she made it to her tent, she was soaked clear through. Turning on the battery-powered lantern, she decided to change and get out of her wet clothes.

  Joe ducked into his tent for his rain slicker and plastic cover for his hat. He’d make the rounds to see if everyone was okay, but as soon as he stepped out of his tent, he froze.

  Mesmerized, he watched as Maggie—or rather the silhouette of Maggie—took her bra off. He could even make out the curve of her breasts and the peaks of her nipples when she moved.

  Lifting up her hair, she stretched, then hung her bra over a pole in the middle of the tent.

  He really should stop watching—and at least warn her that she was so visible—but his feet wouldn’t move. It was as if some unknown force had glued him to the ground.

  She hung her wet shirt over the end of her cot, and was slipping into a dry one. He had to warn her. If anyone else was looking, it would be embarrassing.

  Walking to the front of her tent, he said her name as quietly as possible over the roar of the rain. “Maggie.”

  “Who is it?”

  “Joe. I have to talk to you.”

  “Uh, wait a minute.”

  He could hear rustling, as if she was pulling on clothes. He could only hope…

  “Come in.”

  He helped her with the zipper
on the opening of the tent and entered. Thankfully, she had been assigned a tent that he could stand up in.

  “What are you doing here?”

  He didn’t know how to begin. He noticed her lantern. The two of them would be silhouetted now. Not good.

  “I just wanted to tell you that with the lantern, you can see every move you make in here. I saw you undressing…”

  “Oh, no! Don’t say any more.” She turned the knob of the lantern, and they were in complete darkness. “I didn’t know. Do you think that any of the kids saw? What about the cowboys?”

  “Probably just me. I was going to make my rounds, that’s how I noticed.” When lightning flashed, he could see her lips, thin with worry, and it struck him that he’d like to kiss them back into a smile. Maggie looked so much younger and freer when she smiled.

  She stood facing him. “That was a stupid mistake on my part. I should have realized.”

  He wished she wouldn’t stand so close. He could smell the freshness of the rainwater on her skin, on her hair.

  “Well, I’d better get back to my rounds,” he finally said.

  “It sounds awful out there.” She brushed her hair back with a hand. “Are the horses okay?”

  “Ronnie has probably checked them already, but I’ll double-check.”

  “Let me go with you.”

  “That’s not necessary. You’ll just get wet.”

  “I don’t want to stay in this tent in a storm. I’d rather be…with you.”

  That was all he needed to hear. He pulled her close to him, and before he could think about it or change his mind, he tasted her lips.

  She sighed softly and he took that as a sign that he should continue. Slanting his lips over hers, he felt as if he were falling over a steep cliff with no chance for survival.

  Joe Watley sure could kiss.

  Maggie kissed him with a hunger she’d never felt before. Heaven help her, she wanted to taste him—and she wanted more.

  His lips were warm, sweet, and she wanted him out of the wet rain slicker. She wanted to toss his cowboy hat away so she could run her fingers through his thick, black hair.

  “Take it off, Joe,” she ordered, tugging on his coat.

  “Mmmm…” he said, shrugging his coat off. It landed on the beige nylon floor.

  His lips never moved from hers, but he did take his hat off. It landed on top of his coat.

  Running her hands over the soft flannel of his shirt, she could feel the hard muscles of his chest and arms. She ran her fingertips over his face, his high cheekbones, the set of his jaw, the arch of his brow.

  And she still wanted more. She wanted to see him, all of him. Without his shirt and his snug jeans, belt and big buckle. She wanted to touch every inch of him.

  But Joe was taking things slowly—and she was ready to scream.

  “More,” she said. His hands moved to the hem of her shirt. “Yes. Yes.”

  Was the cold air puckering her nipples, or was it the heat of his hands?

  He ran his calloused fingers over her sides, her stomach and the undersides of her breasts. His thumbs rubbed her nipples until they became even harder. When his warm mouth closed over one, she moaned, a roll of thunder drowning out her voice.

  It had been so long. Too long.

  He pulled the shirt over her head, and teased her other nipple with his mouth and tongue. It was exquisite torture.

  “I want you,” Joe said softly. He sucked on her earlobe and she thought she was going to faint right then, right there.

  “Yes. Oh, yes.”

  A crack of lightning illuminated the tent, and she wondered for a moment if their silhouettes could be seen.

  They should stop.

  But all she cared about right now was the hunk of a cowboy who wanted her, whose lips were tasting her, loving her, making her knees weak and her mouth dry.

  The whinny of a horse and another noise outside made them both stop and listen.

  “Hey, Joe! Joe, are you in your tent? Joe?”

  Danny.

  It was as if someone had thrown a cold bucket of rain on them both. Joe quickly buttoned his shirt and slipped back into his coat and hat. Maggie tugged her sweatshirt back on.

  “I’m in here,” Joe said, unzipping the door of Maggie’s tent and sticking his head out. “What’s up?”

  “Ronnie wants you. Some of the horses got spooked and ran away in the storm,” Danny said.

  “Thanks. I’ll get right on it,” Joe said.

  “Come in, Danny.” Maggie finger-combed her hair back into place.

  “No, thanks.”

  His voice was accusatory, sarcastic. He knew exactly what had been going on.

  “Danny, listen to me,” Maggie pleaded, but she didn’t know what to say. It didn’t matter, Danny was gone.

  “I have to go, Maggie.” Joe turned toward her. “I’m sorry.”

  He was sorry? Sorry for what? For the best foreplay she’d ever had, or because they’d been caught?

  Probably both.

  She nodded. “Good night, Joe.”

  As he dashed into the rain, Maggie collapsed on her cot. What a mess. What a freaking mess.

  Chapter Ten

  Joe figured that he should just resign and let Ronnie or Quint take over Cowboy Quest. Or maybe one of his pals, Jake Dixon or Clint Scully, would have time.

  He’d overstepped his bounds, and his actions were inexcusable.

  He ran to where the rest of the horses were tied, and gave a loud whistle. He doubted if they could hear him over the storm, but he tried it anyway.

  He noticed that the rest of the cowboys and some kids were also looking for the horses. He didn’t want anyone to get lost, but he knew that his staff wouldn’t let the kids out of their sight.

  He whistled as loudly as he could, and Blue Bayou came back. Then Elmer. They were both spooked, and he turned them both over to their riders to pet them and calm them down. Lady was still missing, and from what he could tell, so was Checkmate.

  Walking out farther into the woods, he gave another whistle, then another. Checkmate came, followed by Lady.

  Ronnie ran toward him. “All are present now, boss.”

  “What the hell happened?”

  “I don’t know how they got loose. I know I tied them tight and secure.”

  “Do you think that the kids…” Joe couldn’t finish. He would hate to think that the kids were responsible. If so, he hadn’t done a good job so far of teaching them the Cowboy Code.

  Ronnie adjusted his hat. “I don’t know. Maybe. Maybe not.”

  “I’ll take first watch,” Joe said. “You get all the kids back into their tents.”

  Joe walked back to his tent for a quick change into better boots. It was a real possibility that some of the kids might have freed the horses.

  That would mean that he was really failing. He was letting the kids down, letting the program down.

  He shook his head, feeling like he was hanging on by the tail of his rope. With his mind focused on Maggie so much, had he missed some of the signs that would indicate that the kids were unhappy or were planning to do something so potentially harmful to the animals?

  And then Danny had found him in Maggie’s tent. How could he be so stupid?

  As the storm finally began to pass, Joe realized that the first problem he’d have to deal with was Danny Turner. But he also needed to speak with Maggie first. The two of them could present a united front and convince the boy that nothing was going on between them.

  But that would be a lie.

  He couldn’t tell Danny that he’d lost himself in a crazy haze of lust. But his desire for Maggie was only partially what drew him to her. The truth is that he liked Maggie—a lot.

  But he had his professional ethics to think about. Although her purpose in the program was a bit unusual, she was still in the program. He kept telling this to himself over and over, but clearly it wasn’t sinking in.

  Besides, she’d be hightailing it back t
o New York City just as soon as Cowboy Quest was over. There’d be no chance of getting to know her better…or even taking their relationship to the next level. There wasn’t another level. Maggie was off limits and would soon be headed out of Wyoming.

  But that cliff was sure calling him over….

  Maggie paced the length of her tent, worried about Danny and frustrated about Joe.

  If she closed her eyes, she could feel Joe’s lips on hers, feel the sensual slide of his tongue. How she’d wanted him. She still did.

  But she’d never forget the expression on Danny’s face—disbelief mixed with dread and anger. Before, she’d told him that nothing was going on between her and Joe—now she couldn’t say that anymore.

  Something was going on between them, but what?

  Maybe the passion that they’d shared was just a spur-of-the-moment thing. The rain, the thunder and lightning and the small confines of her tent all made the perfect setting. Feeling Joe’s strong arms around her, knowing that he wanted her…she hadn’t been able to stop herself.

  It was just a moment, she told herself. No big deal.

  But it was a big deal where Danny was concerned.

  She noticed the glare of a flashlight outside. Was it Danny returning?

  “Maggie?”

  Joe’s voice penetrated her confusion.

  She wanted to let him in, to finish what they’d started, but her common sense told her that it wasn’t a good idea.

  “Joe?” she asked. “Do you—?”

  Water sluiced off the hand he held up, from his cowboy hat, down his slicker when she unzipped the tent flap. A flash of lightning outlined his strong body, reminding her of how it felt pressed against hers.

  “I’m not going to come in. I just want to apologize.”

  Her heart did a dive. She didn’t want him to express regret at what happened between them. She didn’t regret what they’d done, only that their being together had upset Danny.