Cowboy to the Core

“Are you a doctor?” someone asked.

“I’m a combat medic.” He turned to the crowd. “Stand back a bit. She needs air.”

The hovering bystanders retreated a few inches as two young girls pushed through them. “Mom! What happened?”

“It’s okay, Celeste. I’m fine.” The woman’s voice was uneven, and she swayed when she tried to get up.

“Whoa, there,” Marcus said, reaching out to steady her. “Take it slow.”

“Did you fall?” the other girl questioned.

“She passed out,” someone volunteered.

Another onlooker pointed her finger at Marcus. “He’s a combat medic, trained on the battlefield. He knows what he’s doing.”

The woman was standing now, and she shook loose of Marcus’s protective grasp. “I just fainted,” she insisted. “Believe me, I’m fine.”

Maybe, but from what Marcus had seen, that wasn’t the full story. He‘d been looking right at her—okay, checking her out—when the clerk had brushed by him and held up a long green dress for the woman to admire.

Instead her face had twisted into the kind of agonizing pain he’d seen on soldiers when they’d taken a direct hit. Not the kind of reaction one would expect from a woman eyeballing a ball gown in a Renaissance festival shop.

“You should at least let me check your pulse again,” Marcus said.

“Yeah,” the girl who’d called her “Mom” agreed. “He’s a medic. That’s practically a doctor.”

“I don’t need a doctor or a medic, Celeste. My pulse is terrific.”

She tossed her head and looked around as if searching for the nearest escape route. When she spotted the exit, she started toward it.

The girls followed her. Marcus tagged along behind them, though he wasn’t sure why. He didn’t usually chase after women who were trying to avoid him, but then he seldom met one who hotwired his spine the way this one had. Actually, that was probably a reason to run the other way. But then his buddies in the SEALs had always said he was a danger junkie.

Once they were outside the shop, the woman pulled a tissue from her pocket and dabbed away the beads of sweat that had formed on her forehead.

“Are you sure you’re okay, Mom?”

“I’m certain.”

“Well, then why did you faint?” the other girl asked.

“Good point,” Marcus added.

She glared at him, her brows raised as if questioning why he was still hanging around. “Low blood sugar.”

“Since when do you have problems with blood sugar?” Celeste protested. “You sometimes go all day without eating.”

“Well, I’m hungry now,” she said, obviously trying to dismiss her daughter’s concern. “We should have lunch and choose our dresses for the party later.”

So the woman was lying about her medical condition, but something had happened to make her fade to black—or rather to a ghostly white—back there. None of his business, he told himself. He didn’t listen.

“Food sounds good,” Marcus said. “How about I join you? That way I’ll be there in case your blood sugar level doesn’t regulate quickly enough and you require medical assistance.”

Her face reddened as if she knew he’d caught her in the lie. Still, she didn’t give an inch. “I’ll be fine, Mr…”

“Abbot,” he interrupted. “Marcus Abbot, but call me Marcus.” He extended a hand.

Surprisingly she took it. Her grip was warm, but firm, and it struck him that he liked the way her small hand fit into his. And there was a hint of that heat again—more a slow burn than a jolt this time, but still bewitching.

She exhaled sharply and seemed to relax a tad. “I’m Dani Baxter.”

He liked the name. It suited her. Confident, but a little quirky and sophisticated at the same time. And he noted there was no little gold band on her left hand.

“This is my daughter, Celeste, and her friend Katie.” Dani touched the shoulder of each girl as she introduced them.

“We’re here for a wedding,” Celeste said excitedly. “It’s our first time at the festival.”

“Mine, too,” Marcus said.

“Don’t you just love it?” Katie asked.

“It’s definitely looking up.”

“Do you live around here?” Celeste asked.

“In Dobbin.”

“I’ve never heard of it.”

“It’s a small town, just a few miles down the road.”

“We live in Austin,” Katie said. “You said you were in combat, but you look like a cowboy. So which one are you?”

“A former serviceman and a cowboy to the core.”

“Do you have a ranch?” Celeste asked.

“No, but I live on one.”

“With horses?”

“Lots of horses.”

“Wow!”

“Yeah,” Katie interjected. “I love horses.”

He’d captured the girls’ interest, but Dani was a harder sell. “You really should let me check your pulse again.” This time when he reached for her wrist, she extended it.

“Back to normal,” he said. Actually it was fast, barely noticeably so, but he decided to claim responsibility for the higher rate.

“See,” she said, “just a harmless fainting spell, as I said. Nothing to worry about.”

“Most likely,” he agreed, “but I suggest you take it easy for a while. How about I buy you and the girls some lunch? Strictly as a medical professional looking after your health,” he teased before “no” formed on her full, red lips.

“Thank you, but you’ve done more than enough.”

“In that case, you should offer to buy mine,” Marcus said, interrupting her protest with an argument he hoped she couldn’t refuse.

A hint of a smile touched her mouth. She was weakening.

“Okay,” she said. “Lunch it is. Choose your junk food booth.”

Her color had returned, adding a healthy glow to her cheeks. She was damn good-looking. On a scale of one to ten, she might even top out at an eleven. But it was that episode back there where she looked as if she were dealing with the Devil that really had him going.

He’d bet a week’s pay she was in some kind of trouble.

Dani strode away toward the nearest row of food stands. Back straight, head high, hips swaying. The view was every bit as good from the back as it had been from the front. Gorgeous and intriguing.

Yep. She needed him. She just didn’t know it yet.

WITH FISH AND CHIPS and cold soft drinks in hand, Dani and Marcus settled at a wooden picnic table tucked under a tree next to a face-painting kiosk. The girls had taken their food and gone to catch the end of a juggling act a few yards away.

Marcus’s presence flustered Dani. Partly, she decided, because he was too virile for comfort. But mostly because she was pretty sure he was about to hit her with questions she couldn’t answer.

The fainting spell was a first for her. Even her worst psychic visions only stunned her, but all anyone ever noticed was that she lost her concentration.

Which meant this probably had nothing to do with her abilities. Perhaps she had spent too many hours out of town on business. She needed to slow down, and not let this green dress scenario ruin the whole festival experience.

“Great day for an outing,” she said, going for a light tone that she didn’t quite reach.

“The weather is definitely cooperating.”

Marcus delved into his food as if he were starving. She picked at hers, her usually hearty appetite nonexistent. She was almost convinced the episode in the shop hadn’t been a trance with deeper meaning, so why couldn’t she shake it from her mind?

“You’re not eating,” Marcus said. “Don’t you like the fish?”

“I do. It’s a bit salty, but the flavor is good.”

“But you have something else on your mind?”

He was much too perceptive. “I was just thinking of my friend’s wedding,” she lied.

“Do you disapprove of it?”

“Not exactly. I’ve never met the groom, but the bride has two failed marriages on her resume. I know I’d be scared to death to go for a third.”

“All marriages scare me.”

“Does that mean you’re single?”

“I am now. My first attempt crashed and burned.”

“Ah, that explains the fear of commitment.”

“Let’s just say I know enough to avoid playing catch with a hand grenade. What about you? I don’t see a wedding band.”

“I’m divorced.”

“Stupid man.”

“Thanks. He wouldn’t agree. He likes to trade up.”

“Oh, one of those gotta-have-this-year’s-model type.”

“You got it. And you?”

He grinned. “My pickup truck is practically an antique.”

Dani took a bite of the fish. Crispy crumbs of coating sprinkled her blouse. She brushed them away with her napkin. Marcus used his to dab at a tidbit that must have stuck to her chin.

His hand lingered a moment too long, and a tingle of awareness shot through her. Not psychic but pure sensual attraction. To her credit, she knew the difference. Well, most of the time she knew the difference.

She poked a fry into her mouth and nibbled while she put things in perspective. Even if she were receiving genuine psychic messages—which she didn’t believe—there really was nothing she could do about it. She couldn’t identify anyone involved. Case closed.

She might as well enjoy the moment. The fascinating cowboy whose smile and easy mannerisms promised any manner of sexual pleasures would be out of her life in a matter of minutes.

That was fine, too. As nice as it might be to sample his virility, she simply didn’t have time to add the complications of a long-distance relationship with no chance of succeeding to her extremely busy life.

She finished her meal with a lot more enthusiasm than she’d begun it. Once she’d wiped the grease from her mouth and hands, she wadded the napkin and started to get up.

Marcus reached out and wrapped his hand around her arm.

Her breath caught on the intake. “My pulse is fine,” she said, though she was pretty sure it was racing. No way she could deny such a dynamic attraction. “And I really do need to get back to the girls. We’ll have to pick up the pace if we want to cover the festival before sundown.”

“About the fainting spell…”

She shook her head, feeling more confident now that she’d thought the incident through. “Not going there again, cowboy.”

“Fair enough, but take this.” He pulled a business card from his pocket and pressed it into her hand. “Call me anytime. I’ll come running.”

“What, running and not riding up on a white steed? Where’s your festival spirit?”

“The steed can be arranged.”

“It sounds incredibly tempting,” she admitted, “but we‘re only here until tomorrow afternoon, and the wedding activities will take most of our time.” She slipped the card in her pocket without looking at it.

“If I can help with anything, don’t hesitate to call.”

“I won’t.” Nor could she imagine a situation in which she’d need the services of a cowboy. Well, there was one, but that involved the romantic entanglement that she had zero time for. She started to gather the trash.

“I’ll take care of it,” he said. “Go enjoy the festival, but don’t lose that card.” He stood and then in a suavely, smooth move touched his lips to hers.

Heat shot through her in waves, and it was all she could do not to melt into his arms. Fortunately, his lips didn’t remain on hers long enough to give her the chance. She walked away while she still could, much too aware of the card and phone number that lay buried in the pocket of her new designer jeans.

Once she’d put a few yards between them, she glanced back and found Marcus still standing in the exact same spot as she’d left him. Their eyes locked, and he smiled and tipped his hat. Her heart flipped in response.

“Dani!”

The squeal jolted her out of her momentary sensual relapse. To her rear might be a gorgeous cowboy, but in front of her was Bethany Sue. Not the same Bethany Sue she remembered, however.

The pudgy ally she’d known for years was absolutely svelte now. And radiant. She positively glowed.

The two collided in a genuine hug. “You look great,” Dani said when they separated from each other and stepped back.

“Thanks.” Bethany Sue did a catwalk turn for her to get the full effect. “I owe it all to Arnie. He persuaded me to quit smoking, start working out and to eat healthy.”

Dani was sure she owed part of the new her to a plastic surgeon, but she let that ride. More power to her for taking control of her body and her life.

“I can’t wait to meet the lucky groom.”

“You’ll love him. He’s a body builder and personal trainer. A real hunk! But not all muscle. He’s got brains, too.”

“He sounds fascinating.”

“He is. And he’s dying to meet you. I’ve told him all about you, my friend. The winner of the state math competition and karaoke queen.”

“Oh, God, that was so long ago. Can we just go with mother and buyer for Duran Muton?”

“You look far more like a model than a buyer. But speaking of motherhood, where is Celeste? She did come, didn’t she?”

“She and a friend. They’re over there, absorbed in a juggling act.” Dani nodded toward the crowd seated on concrete benches shaded by a web of net and intertwined branches.

“Great. I’ll catch up with both of you at the dinner tonight. I’m rushing off right now to reconfirm the setup for the tables and to make sure they have plenty of champagne . Everything will be outdoors.”

“Perfect weather for that. Is there anything I can do to help?”

“No, just enjoy yourself, unless…” She hesitated.

“This doesn’t have anything to do with the guy you wanted me to meet, does it?”

“No,” Bethany assured her. “But you’ll probably be begging me to fix you up once you see him.”

“Don’t count on it. So, how can I help?”

“Arnie’s sister is supposed to sing at the ceremony, but she woke up this morning with a terrible headache and a fever. She thinks she may be coming down with the flu.”

The one thing worse than a blind date. “I haven’t sung in front of an audience in years.”

“You’re kidding, right?”

“No, and it’s not that shocking, Bethany. I was never that good.”

“Yes, you were. If there had been an American Idol back then, you’d have won in a landslide.” Bethany glanced at her watch. “I have to go, but consider singing for me at the ceremony, please. It’s just two songs. We’ll talk more tonight. Gotta run.” She gave Dani a parting hug.

“I’m seriously out of practice,” Dani called after her.

Bethany either didn’t hear or chose to ignore her. Dani imagined it was the latter. She’d protest again tonight, but it would be a wasted effort. Bethany was not one to take no for a final answer, and it would be pretty crummy to refuse a bride in distress.

The good thing was that other than Celeste and Katie, she would neither know the guests nor have to face them again after she murdered the music.

Murdered. Even thinking the word gave her chills after this morning’s hallucinations. They’d been so intense that Dani had actually felt the thrust of the blade as it punctured the walls of the chest and sliced into the victim’s heart—as if it were happening to her.

In broad daylight. Eyes wide open, at least they had been until she’d passed out.

“You should have seen the jugglers, Mom. They were funny and really good.”

Startled, Dani jumped and then spun around to face the girls.

“Are you okay?” Katie asked. “You look kind of pale.”

“Eeks, you do,” Celeste agreed. “You’re not going to faint again, are you?”

“I’m not pale. I just haven’t gotten enough sun lately. Today’s the day for it.”

“Where’d the cute cowboy go?” Katie asked.

“Who needs a cute cowboy when I have you two? Now tell me about the jugglers.” She forced the disturbing memories to the back of her mind. She had to get a hold of her emotions and regain her stability before she turned this whole weekend into a fiasco.

“The jugglers were really cool,” Katie said, thankfully changing the topic of conversation. “They even juggled fiery batons.”

“And they threw a knife and chopped the end off a carrot a woman was holding in her mouth.” Celeste used her hand to show how close the knife had come to the woman’s nose. “I never would have trusted them to try that with me.”

“Good for you,” Dani said. “Any ideas what we should do next, or should we just walk and take in the sights?”

“A boy sitting next to us said we should be sure and go to the jousting exhibition,” Katie said. “He said it’s all staged but that it looks real and sometimes the guys get knocked off their horses.”

“And you can cheer for whichever rider you want to win,” Celeste added, then turned to watch a rickshaw go by that was being pulled by a scantily clad slave lad. The pseudo lord and lady riding in the cart waved.

“This is so neat,” Katie said. “Like taking a time machine into the past. I can’t wait until we get our costumes for tonight’s party.”

Dani wasn’t quite up to that yet. She checked the program and her watch. “The next jousting exhibition is at one o’clock. That gives us twenty minutes, if you want to make that performance.”

“Let’s do it,” Celeste and Katie said in unison.

A few seconds later they’d checked the map and were on their way across the festival grounds to the day’s next adventure. The girls hurried ahead but stopped frequently to peek at wares on display outside of the shops—jewelry; sandals; pewter, fire-breathing dragons cast in stone. Some findings were far more authentic than others. All of them captured the Renaissance spirit.

The spirit of revelry started to dissolve Dani’s misgivings about having come here today. Maybe the warning was just for her not to buy a green dress for the party or wedding. No problem there. She’d go in her jeans first.

But suppose someone else wore that dress to the party, maybe even Bethany Sue?

She shook her head to clear it, then stood perfectly still when she got this disconcerting feeling that someone was watching her. She turned. No one was paying her the slightest attention, not with two busty wenches posing for pictures near the beer stand.

If she was going to be this jumpy all weekend, she should just pack it up and go home. Or perhaps she should have held on to the sexy cowboy a while longer, even invited him to the party tonight as her guest. A new image took hold in her mind, this one of her in Marcus Abbot’s arms, dancing beneath a star-studded sky.

The slow burn that settled between her thighs sent a quick flush to her cheeks. Lusting after strangers was not her style. She had to get out more. It had been months—no, make that a solid year—since she’d had any intimate contact with a man.

With good reason, she reminded herself. Her last date had been a miserable exercise in how much boredom she could endure.

As a group of sexy wenches passed, a young teenage boy walked up to her and stuck out a note. “I’m supposed to give you this.”

Dani took the slip of paper and read the message that was printed in black ink.

Beware of the dark knight.

The boy started to walk away. She slipped the note into her pocket and hurried to catch up with him. “Why did you give me that?”

“That man back there asked me to.”

“What man? Show me.”

He looked around. “I don’t see him now, but he was standing right back there by that tree a minute ago.”

“Was he wearing a cowboy hat?”

“Naw.”

“In costume?”

The kid shook his head. “He was just dressed like a regular dude. Had on a blue polo shirt. That’s all I know.”

A blue knit shirt, like the man she’d thought was watching her in the dress shop. “Did he have dark brown hair?”

“Yeah, maybe. I gotta go catch up with my friends.”

Dani pulled out the note and reread it, growing more perturbed by the second. She stuffed it back into her pocket when she saw the girls approaching.

“Hey, Mom, you dropped this.”

The cowboy’s business card. Dani must have lost it when she was fiddling with the note.

“Marcus Abbot,” Celeste read from the card. “Double M Investigation and Protection Service. No boundaries, No limits. No job too tough.” She handed the card back to Dani.

“Cool. A Rambo,” Katie said.

“I think that means he’s a private detective, not a commando,” Dani said. But the card did advertise protection and no limits. She could hire him. And he’d laugh her right off the planet when she told him she needed protection from a dark knight.

“There’s the jousting arena,” Katie said, pointing dead ahead of them to a huge circular wall adorned by busts.

Beware the dark knight.

A dagger plunged into a woman’s heart.

“Hurry, Mom. We want to get a good seat.”

Marcus’s card felt as if it were burning the palm of her hand, all but making the decision for her. “Go ahead,” she called. “Save me a seat. Something’s come up at work, and I have to make a quick phone call.”

She might have a date for tonight’s party after all.

Chapter Three

Marcus was watching a pair of youngsters being hoisted onto the back of a large and extremely wrinkled elephant when his cell phone rang. The caller ID merely indicated a wireless connection. He punched the talk button. “Hello?”

“Marcus?”

He recognized the voice at once. “At your service.”

“This is Dani Baxter. We had lunch together a few minutes ago.”

A reminder, as if she were that easy to forget. “Glad you called. What’s up?”

Too many seconds of silence followed. “Are you okay, Dani?”

“Yeah. I’m fine. No more fainting,” she added hurriedly.

“Good.” She sounded rattled.

“I was just looking at your card, and I have what may sound like a strange request.”

“Strange is my specialty.”

“I’d like you to be my guest tonight for the prewedding party. It’s on the festival grounds at eight o’clock.”

Not what he was expecting.

“I’ll pay you, of course,” Dani added, as he tried to figure out what was going on here.

“You must be looking at the wrong card. The Double M is not an escort service.”

“I realize that. I’m not looking for an escort. I think—I mean it’s possible—I mean…Look, I’ll explain it all later, but the truth is I’ll feel better if I know the girls and I are in your hands tonight.”

That was more like it. “Are you in danger, Dani?”

“I’m not sure. Probably not. It’s just that…”

The woman was a wreck, and she hadn’t seemed the irrational type. “Are you sure you’re okay? I’m right here on the grounds. I could probably catch up with you in minutes.”

“No. Look, I really can’t talk now, but I’ll explain everything tonight.”

Somehow he doubted that. But even if she continued to skirt the issue, he’d get the truth out of her eventually. That actually was one of his specialties. Women trusted him. He used to trust them. “When and where do I pick you up?”

“We’re staying at a bed-and-breakfast in Magnolia, but you can just meet us here.”

“I’m old-fashioned. I like to pick up my date at her door.”

“This isn’t really a date.”

“Humor me. Besides, I work better with a full lay of the land.”

“I don’t want the girls to know I’ve hired you. I was thinking we could just make it look as if we hooked up at the party.”

So he was to be a secret date. A warning bell sounded. More often than not when a woman was running scared, a husband or lover was involved. “Does this situation have to do with your significant other?”

“No, of course not. I wouldn’t be hooking up, pretend or otherwise, if I had a significant other.”

“It’s been done.”

“Not by me. I’m divorced and have been for years.”

And that was probably all he’d get out of her until tonight. “According to the schedule, the festival is not open at night, so how do I get in to this party?”

“Invitation only.” She sighed. “You’ll have to attend as my guest, so maybe it would be best if you pick me up at the B and B. I’ll think of some way to explain all this to Celeste and Katie, but I definitely don’t want them to know that I’m hiring you.”