The Cowboy Code (9 page)

J
oe 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 to 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.

“There's nothing to apologize for.”

“But you're in my program, and I shouldn't have—”

She wanted him to stop talking. “Go, get out of the rain. You're drenched.”

“I'm on watch. You never know what mischief the kids can get into. Hopefully, they're tired enough to just sleep.”

She nodded. “Well, good night.”

“Good night.” He turned to leave, then turned back on the next clap of thunder. “I think we have to talk to Dan the first thing in the morning.”

“I know, and I'm dreading it.”

 

It rained all night and a fine drizzle put a damper on the morning. Everything was muddy and wet.

Maggie heard from Ronnie that a fight had broken
out between two of the boys—Matt and Alex—that resulted in them rolling in the mud way too close to the horses' hooves.

“In my day, we'd put boxing gloves on both of them and let them duke it out,” said Quint. “But apparently the state of Wyoming frowns upon that kind of thing these days.”

“I'm going to let a jury of your peers figure out what to do with you two,” Joe said. “The staff and I are going to butt out.” He turned to the remaining participants. “So, I'd like the eleven of you to huddle quickly and decide on an appropriate punishment.”

Maggie stood in the circle with the rest of the participants. In direct contrast from Matt and Alex wanting each other's blood a little earlier, the others were subdued and serious.

After a while, they settled on a punishment. Matt and Alex would have to work together putting up everyone's tents and taking them down for the next four days.

Maggie thought it was fair. And when she, as the elected jury foreman, told Joe their decision, he was more than pleased.

“I like it a lot, Maggie,” he said. “It works on many levels.”

“What worked was your idea of self-governing,” she said, pushing back a wet lock of hair.

“Well, we'd better get going. Maybe we can
escape this rain.” He looked up at the sky with its swirling wisps of black and gray clouds. “But it doesn't look good.”

“We'll do the best we can.”

He beamed and she thought her heart was going to melt.

But her mood dissipated when she remembered their kisses in her tent last night. It could never happen again.

She approached Danny. “Can we talk for a minute?”

“'Bout what?”

“About Joe and I and last night.”

He shrugged. “You and the boss man can do what you want.”

“Danny, it's not what you think—”

“I'm not stupid, Aunt Maggie. It's exactly what I think,” he said. “And everybody here knows what's up. I hear about it all the time.”

“They're still teasing you?”

“Yeah,” he snapped.

Maggie laid a hand on his shoulder, and for once he didn't pull away. “I'm sorry. Do you want me to talk to Joe? He could get them to stop.”

He looked at her in horror. “No! Don't do that. Don't do anything!”

“Whatever you want, but if it happens again, tell me and I'll handle it.”

He shifted from one foot to another, and didn't answer. She knew he'd never snitch, as he'd call it.

“I apologize, Danny. It won't happen again. I don't want you to be teased, and I don't want to hurt you.”

“I have to take care of my horse,” he said, as if he hadn't heard her.

She dropped her hand from his shoulder. “I'll see you on the trail.”

“Yeah.” He turned to leave.

“Danny…” He turned toward her. “Just remember that I'm never going to leave you, and I'm never going to pick a man over you. I love you. Please believe me.”

“Okay. See ya.”

It seemed that his shoulders lifted a bit, and a worry line disappeared from his forehead.

Maggie made a promise to herself that she would always put Danny first. That's what he deserved, and that's where he belonged.

And that's what she owed her sister.

And if her being with Joe bothered Danny, she'd have to end their relationship.

 

The rain had stopped, and after breakfast Joe instructed the cowboys to move everyone out so they could get to their next camp-out point.

He'd arranged for Danny and Maggie to ride drag
with him, and motioned for them to hold back to let the rest of the train proceed.

“How's it going, Dan?” Joe asked.

“Okay.”

“Making friends?”

“Some.”

It was painful to talk to kids like Danny when they were tight-lipped and unresponsive. The boy had talked up a storm the day before, when they were leading the way.

“Dan, if you have something that's bothering you, I wish you'd tell me,” Joe pushed.

Silence.

Maggie made a disgruntled noise. “You didn't like the fact that Joe was in my tent. Right?”

Silence.

“It's bothering you,” Joe pushed. “Spill.”

“How would you like it if everyone talked about you?” Danny snapped. “Called you Joe's pet and Joe's stepson? You wouldn't like it either.”

“I know it's tough to have people call you names,” Joe said. “But what's in it for them? Usually, they just want to press your buttons and watch you unravel.”

Silence.

“Do you think I'm right, or not?” Joe asked. “I'd like to hear what you think.”

“I don't know.” He shrugged. “Maybe you're
right. Besides, what names would they ever call you? You're big. You can beat them up.”

“I wasn't always this big. I was your age once, you know. And I was small for my age, like you.”

“You were?”

“Yeah.”

Maggie cleared her throat. “Danny, you know I'd never abandon you, don't you? Even if I date someone or go out with someone, I'll never leave you.”

“Not even if you get married?”

“Not even then.” Maggie smiled. “You're stuck with me, Danny. You might as well get used to it.”

“Ignore the others,” Joe said. “If you don't react, eventually they'll figure out that they're not getting to you, and they'll stop.”

“You don't have to live with them. You don't have to be in this program,” Danny said, quietly.

“What do you think you can do to not let them bug you?”

“I don't know. If I knew I'd do it.”

“Let me ask you something first. Are you enjoying Cowboy Quest so far?” Joe asked. “Or do you still think it's lame?”

He shrugged his shoulders.

“C'mon, Danny. No one else is around. No one will think you're not cool. Talk to me and your aunt.”

Danny leaned over to pet his horse. “I—I do like
Thunderbolt. And I like riding. And some of the guys are cool.”

“But some aren't, and that's okay,” Joe said. “And Cowboy Quest isn't perfect, huh? I understand that. But you like it.”

He nodded.

“So why don't you accept the positive, ignore the negative and have a great time with your horse and with riding?” Joe could almost see the wheels turning in Danny's mind, so he continued. “And the rest is no one's business. Right?”

Danny met Joe's eyes for the first time. “Right.”

“Cool. Anything else you'd like to get off your chest?”

“Nope.”

“If there was, you could always write in your journal. Nothing like getting things off your mind by writing them down. Journal writing helps you sort things out by yourself if that's what you'd rather do. That's why journaling is part of Cowboy Quest.”

“Yeah.”

“Okay, Dan. Go hang out with your pals. And if you need to talk, I'm here.”

“I'm here, too, Danny,” Maggie said.

“Okay.”

As Danny walked his horse forward to join his friends, Joe wondered if the boy really heard what
he had to say, and if he could deflect—or ignore—the comments from his peers.

Joe figured that he could start a general discussion about peer pressure around the campfire. Maybe it would help Danny and some of the other boys.

He hated to single anyone out, but he knew he'd have to have another conversation with Brandon Avery. He couldn't prove anything yet, but he suspected that Brandon let the horses loose or was behind it somehow. Dan and Rick were probably involved, too.

“What do you think, Maggie?” he asked. “Did we reach him?”

“I'm almost positive that you did.” She paused. “And you know, a few days ago I'd never have admitted even that. I didn't have much faith in you or your wranglers.”

“And now?” Joe asked.

“Danny's at least listening to you.”

“Have faith. It'll work out. Danny's a good kid. He has a lot of potential.”

Maggie held up a hand, fingers crossed. “I hope you're right, Joe. I really do. I want to believe that more than anything.”

Joe felt confident that the Danny issue would right itself, but what about Maggie and him?

He wanted her again. But how could they be together? He didn't want to sneak around. If they
were caught, that would put her in another awkward situation with Danny and the rest of the boys.