Cowboy Courage

Damn. He’d better get out the candles. This was going to be one heck of a storm. The sun had yet to go down, but the darkened sky threatened an even darker night, especially without electricity.

Cole grabbed his shirt and jeans from the countertop and slipped them on. He left the steamy room and returned to the kitchen where he kept a flashlight. Within minutes, he had lit candles and placed them throughout the house.

He wondered how many of his neighbors would be without power. Beth was still afraid of the dark. Using the cell phone he wore on his belt, Cole called the Petersons, wanting to assure himself that his daughter was all right.

“Hi, Cole,” Susan Peterson said, when he greeted her with a question. “No, we’re not having a power outage here. I’ve made spaghetti for dinner, and if the girls help with the dishes, we’re going to bake cupcakes.”

He sighed, and gripped the small receiver. “Good. The electricity is out here. Give me a call if you have a problem.”

“You’re not worried, are you?”

Of course, he was worried. He was a father, wasn’t he? And worry was part of the job description. “I know she’s safe with you.”

Susan laughed. “Good. We’ll talk to you tomorrow, Cole.”

“Yeah, right. Goodbye,” he said, as he hung up the phone.

Alone in the house with a strange woman. Heck, he hadn’t even had a familiar woman here since his ex-wife ran off. Other than Susan Peterson, Beth’s preschool teacher, and Consuela, who helped around the house once a week, he didn’t have many chances to speak to women. Not that it mattered. He and Beth did just fine without having one around on a daily basis.

Lightning cracked and flashed. Of all nights to entertain a stranger. No television, no stereo. What were they supposed to do until bedtime? And how was he going to feed her if she was hungry?

He had an old camp stove in the garage. And a lantern. He hadn’t been camping in ages. It might even be fun, assuming Laurie Smith wasn’t one to complain.

She had yet to come out of the bathroom. What took women so long in there?

Cole crouched before the hearth and lit a fire. Thank goodness he had plenty of wood to heat the house and keep them warm throughout the night.

He was just about to rustle up some food from the kitchen when she walked into the living room, barefoot, a towel wrapped like a turban on her head. His oversized robe covered her tall, lithe body, and her skin bore a pink tinge from the heat of the shower.

Even without makeup or any of the usual feminine accessories to accentuate her looks, she emanated an essence of womanly beauty Cole had never seen before. And he felt a stirring he hadn’t experienced in a long time.

She’d taken a shower alone, and he was struck with a sudden pang of longing, wishing he’d been in there with her. Lathered her body with an expensive bar of nature-scented soap. Run his hands over her slick, clean skin.

For Pete’s sake. He didn’t need arousing images plaguing him throughout the evening. He gave his head a mental shake, hoping Laurie didn’t have a clue as to what he’d been thinking. What was the matter with him? He wasn’t looking for a one-night stand. And this woman wasn’t going to be around long enough to see if an attraction was mutual or lasting.

“Electricity went out,” he said, trying to find a safe topic of conversation.

“I noticed.” She glanced around the room, her eyes settling on the candles he’d placed on the mantle and the glass-topped coffee table. “It looks as though you’re prepared.”

“I used to be a Boy Scout,” he said, hoping he didn’t sound trite or…. Or what? Like an adolescent with hormones raging out of control?

She smiled softly. “What was it like?”

“What was what like?” Being a Boy Scout? Or a randy teenager? Cole had a hard time keeping his mind on a decent conversation when his libido wanted to reach for the tie on the robe she wore and pull her to him, open the terrycloth gap and slip his hands—

“Being a Boy Scout,” she said. “Camping, fishing, hiking. Tying knots.”

Knots? Like the loose one that held that robe together? He didn’t answer for fear he’d stammer like a teenager under the influence of testosterone.

“I’d always wanted to be a Girl Scout, but my aunt didn’t think it was appropriate.” She sighed, her eyes wistful and momentarily lighting upon the fire he’d built. Then she returned her gaze to his. “Did you get to go on any camping trips?”

“Quite a few.”

She nodded, a glimmer of admiration in her eye.

When her stomach growled, he remembered she’d carried her lunch out of the Long Shot and felt derelict in his duties as a host. “I left your sandwich in the kitchen. I can get it for you, or you can share my meal. I thought I’d set up a camp stove on the patio and fix something to eat.”

“A camp stove?” Her hand went to her stomach as though she meant to hold back another pang of hunger, but her eyes brightened like a kid’s at Christmas.

Somehow, Cole didn’t think the classy lady he’d seen at the gas station would get excited about cooking over a butane flame. She’d appeared sophisticated, certainly not the kind to like hot dogs stuck on a straightened coat hanger and dangled over a fire. Or to enjoy eating melted s’mores and sipping strong coffee from a tin cup. But apparently, she had a childlike spirit of adventure. He grinned. “I’ll bring in the stove and we can camp out, right here in the living room.”

You’d have thought he’d offered to take her to dinner at the Ritz by the way her smile lit the room. “It sounds like fun.”

And interestingly enough, Cole thought so, too.

In record time, he had the sliding door open, the cook stove lit and two ribeyes sizzling in a cast-iron skillet.

Laurie sat upon the floor in front of the fireplace, legs crossed and her knees peeping out of that darn robe. She’d taken the towel off her head and run a brush through the wet strands, allowing them to dry by the heat of the fire.

The light of the flames glistened off the gold tresses, and when she leaned forward, the robe gaped open, revealing a soft mound of flesh that would fit easily in a man’s hand. He tried to remind himself that he wasn’t attracted to model-thin women, that his ex-wife had grown too thin, right before she’d run off. But there was nothing thin or lacking softness in the rounded flesh that was just visible through the robe.

Cole found it nearly impossible to stay on task. Just how on earth was he supposed to watch over two steaks when a nearly naked woman sat just beyond reach? He might have achieved the rank of Eagle Scout, but he certainly wasn’t prepared for this.

Maybe Kerri-Leigh had been right. She’d once told him he needed to find a woman who would agree to a commitment-free sexual relationship. But Cole was from the old school. He thought sexual relationships should have a few strings attached. And besides, he sure as hell didn’t need to complicate his life with a woman right now. Especially one who was out of his league.

“Cole, are you sure there’s nothing I can do to help?”

Help what? Relieve his crazy longing? No, Laurie Smith could only offer temporary assistance and long-term remorse. He chided himself for letting his mind wander from a polite discussion to thoughts he shouldn’t have. He knew the only help she meant was with the meal. “No, the steaks are done, but you can set the table.” He nodded toward the big glass coffee table in front of the sofa.

Her eagerness surprised him. What was going on in her head? he wondered. Was she some kind of adventuress who had never experienced the reality of middle class? Cole hoped not. He’d tried damn hard to shake a redneck upbringing. Still, he didn’t belong in her world, not even for one rainy night.

“The table’s ready,” she called out happily from the living room.

A candle served as a centerpiece, and paper towels had a double role as place mats and napkins. Her smile appeared sincere, and Cole hoped she wasn’t like Marie Antoinette, who had set up a peasant village in the back of the palace so she could play the part of a milkmaid.

He carried the steaks into the living room on the tin plates he kept stored in the garage with the camping gear.

A battery-operated lantern sat on an end table and cast a soft light around the room, but it was Laurie’s happy glow that drew his attention. “Umm. It looks good,” she said. Her eyes glistened.

For some reason he couldn’t quite figure out, it pleased him to know she found pleasure in the camping ambiance. And it surprised him. He wanted to know more about this woman. “So, what brings you to Texas?”

Her smile waned, and she reached for the paper towel that lined her lap. “Nothing in particular. I suppose I’m just passing through.”

Cole’s brow furrowed. “Sounds like you’re running away from something.”

The childlike pleasure left her face, and she twisted the napkin in her hands. “I guess I am at that.” She glanced up at him, green eyes big, luminous. Waiflike.

Cole wanted to ask, from what? Or from whom? But he wasn’t one to pry. Besides, he valued his privacy and could understand her desire to do the same. Still, he couldn’t help his curiosity. Maybe she would find a lonely, stormy evening conducive to talk.

Rain pounded the roof and windows, the wind blew through the trees, the fire crackled while burning hard oak logs, yet the two strangers continued to eat in silence.

Then, for some reason known only to her, she began to speak. And Cole found himself listening intently.

“I was engaged to be married,” she began, “to a man who thought I’d make a good wife.”

Cole cocked his head to the side, not sure what she was going to say. He hated to think she’d done the same thing to her fiancé as his wife had done to him. “I take it you didn’t want to make him a good wife.”

“Oh, but I did,” she began. “I’d have done anything for him. I’ve always been compliant, easy to get along with. In fact, too compliant and easy to get along with.”

Cole wasn’t following her reasoning, but he didn’t say anything. He just sat there like a high-priced shrink.

“That’s apparently what he liked about me.” She offered a weak smile. “He’s having an affair with a married friend of mine.”

“Ouch,” Cole said.

Laurie set her fork down and placed her elbows on the table. “You know, if I’d been deeply in love with him, it would have been devastating. As it is, I just feel used, betrayed. Taken advantage of.” She searched his face as though looking for understanding, and he hoped she found it. “For fifteen years, I’ve tried hard to do everything expected of me, to show my appreciation to my aunt for adopting me.”

“What happened to your parents?”

“I never knew my dad. When Mom died, I was orphaned and alone. According to Aunt Caroline, she rescued me from foster care. And she never let me forget it.”

Cole wondered how his daughter would feel if something happened to him. He’d done everything in his power to ensure his ex-wife would never have custody of Beth. But, should something happen to Cole, his daughter would most likely end up in the system. Unless, of course, Kerri-Leigh managed to get her life in order first, but that possibility didn’t provide him with much comfort. As much as he loved his sister, she didn’t always make the right choices. Without Cole, Beth’s options were limited. “Foster care must have been tough.”

“Losing my mother was worse. And scary.”

Cole nodded, feeling sorry for another motherless child. But life wasn’t always fair. He’d learned that early.

Laurie stood. “I had hoped Aunt Caroline would be like a mother to me, but it never happened.” As though trying to change the subject, she began picking up the plates and plastic ware. “I’ll wash the dishes.”

“I’ll help.” Cole grabbed the lantern and led the way to the kitchen.

As Laurie followed him, she found it hard to believe she had revealed so much to a man who, only hours ago, had been a complete stranger. He wasn’t much less of one now, but he’d been a good listener, and there weren’t many people who had ever really cared about her feelings or desires. In fact, other than Cole tonight, Michael Harper was the only one in recent years who’d cared. Michael was one of the finest doctors around and a good friend, but she couldn’t very well go to him now. It was his wife who was having an affair with Daniel.

Laurie placed the dishes in the sink and found a bottle of soap on the counter. She turned on the water and watched the bubbles form.

“I was going to take the stove back to the garage,” the tall, lean cowboy said as he sauntered back into the kitchen. “But I had another idea. How about some hot cocoa?”

Laurie looked up, amazed at the way his presence filled the room. Cole McAdams was a striking man, with dark hair that curled at the nape of his neck. Clad in denim, he appeared strong. And heroic. Blue eyes softened his angular features, and Laurie was touched by his suggestion. “I haven’t had hot chocolate in years. It sounds great.”

“Well, it’s standard camp fare, assuming you can handle instant. All we need is hot water.”

“I don’t suppose you have the kind with little dehydrated marshmallows, do you?”

He offered a charming smile. “No, but I’ll get some for next time.”

“Thanks,” she said.

“For promising to get the kind with marshmallows?”

“No. For listening to me wallow in self-pity.”

Cole lifted her chin with the callused tip of his finger, sending a sensual shiver from her head to her toes. “You didn’t wallow. You just explained why you’re passing through.”

His eyes, dark blue pools with a depth she hadn’t expected, studied her intently. Then he slowly lowered his mouth to hers.

Chapter Three

Laurie wanted to pull away, to place her hands on his broad chest and push him back, but something deep within drew her to him, and she lifted her mouth to reach his.

The kiss began gently, sweetly, his lips tentatively brushing hers. A kiss that promised tenderness and friendship. But suddenly, Laurie wanted more. Needed more. Unable to stop herself, she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him to her. Brazen, maybe, but for a single moment in time, she wanted to feel desired. Whole again.

Reason and good sense begged her to stop, but a bruised and battered feminine ego won out. She needed to know she could stir a man with longing. This man, and right now. In a daring move, she opened her mouth, welcoming his entrance. As their tongues began to mate with a deep, vigorous hunger, Cole pulled Laurie flush against him. She felt the hardness of his erection, sensed the depth of his need.

As the kiss intensified, he ran his hand along the side of her neck, his fingers reaching just inside the edge of the robe. His callused hand against her already tingling skin shot a jolt of heat and desire through her, weakening her knees.

This was crazy, foolish, but she’d never felt like this before. Nor had she imagined a physical reaction or yearning so strong. She leaned into Cole, her fingers splaying in his hair and pulling their lips closer yet.

A moan sounded low in his throat, and she realized they could end up on the floor in no time at all. And for some reason she couldn’t explain, she wanted just that. Hot, fast and furious. Something to keep her mind off her damaged pride and lost dreams.

But Laurie knew she needed more than a wild, passionate one-night stand. Reason finally spoke up, reminding her this man was a stranger, someone she wouldn’t see again. And as much as she would like to escape her emotional pain with physical comfort, lovemaking should be something they both chose to do, not a brash decision meant to temporarily mend a broken heart.

Laurie pulled back, breaking the mind-spinning kiss. And in a ragged, husky whisper, she told him to stop. “I’m sorry,” she said as he released her.

He raked his fingers through his thick, dark hair and stepped back. “No, I’m the one who’s sorry. I don’t want you to think I was trying to take advantage of your vulnerability.”

She shook her head, unwilling to allow him to take the blame for something she knew she had instigated. “I’m the one who took advantage of your kindness by allowing a friendly kiss to get out of hand. I don’t know what got into me. I’m usually very reserved.”

“It’s hard to predict a person’s behavior when they’ve been hurt by the one human being that should be trusted.” He smiled sagely. “After my wife left, I tried to find healing in a physical relationship.”

“Did it help?” She tugged at the gap in her robe and pulled the sash tight.

“Some, but the pain and anger doesn’t ever seem to go away for long. I’m not sure it ever will.”

Laurie knew what he meant. Her own sense of loss and betrayal went far beyond what Daniel had done to her. In a way, she had betrayed herself by not standing up for her beliefs, her own desires. So she nodded at his comment, then reached into the sink, intent on finishing the dishes.

They worked in silence for a while, but as she rinsed the soap from the pan that had warmed canned pork and beans, she decided to offer Cole the same chance to talk as he had provided her. “How long have you been alone?”

“Nearly two years, but I’m not alone.”

Laurie nearly dropped the slick pan back into the sink. Earlier, she had guessed Cole had a woman living here, someone to help keep the place so neat and clean. Men, by nature, she assumed, weren’t tidy and organized when it came to housework. “Who lives with you?”

“Beth.”

Laurie’s heart fell. She’d been so careful not to mention Daniel by name. Keeping his fame and high profile a secret, perhaps, but also trying to keep him a stranger. But the woman who lived with Cole had a name. She was real, and Laurie had kissed her man.

Shame for the intimacy they’d shared squeezed her conscience. She was no better than Denise, Daniel’s lover and Dr. Michael Harper’s wife. Feeling too much like “the other woman” for her own liking, Laurie offered an apology. “I had no idea you were involved with someone. I never would have kissed you like that.”

Cole’s deep-throated laugh eased the tension. “I’m involved all right. Beth is my five-year-old daughter.”

Relief flooded Laurie’s heart, not just because she no longer felt as though she’d been a part of something sordid, but for some reason, she was glad Cole wasn’t involved with a female older than five, even if she did plan to leave as soon as the rain stopped.

The cleanup was quick and easy, but by the time Cole had put away the last of the plates, Laurie yawned. She’d been without sleep for more hours than she could remember and she half expected to crash the moment her head hit the pillow.

“If you want to turn in, I can show you to Beth’s room.”

“Thank you. I’m ready to drop in my tracks.” As Laurie followed Cole out of the kitchen, she tugged at his arm, and he turned. “Can I have a rain check on the hot cocoa?”

He grinned broadly, blue eyes crinkling at the corners. “How about breakfast?”

“Perfect.”

He ushered her down the hall and opened the door to a pink, doll-filled bedroom. “Make yourself comfortable, and I’ll see you in the morning.”

Then he set a candle upon the nightstand and left Laurie alone.

She took a slow, deep breath, appreciating the scent of powder and child, and scanned the pretty room. She walked to the bed and carefully pulled back the pink, ruffled spread.

Someday, you’ll have a room of your own, Laurie. A room filled with dollies and teddy bears. Laurie knew her mother had intended to be a part of that promise, but some dreams never did come true.

And although Laurie did get a room of her own in Aunt Caroline’s home, it wasn’t at all like the one she’d imagined. The bedroom boasted a cream-colored satin spread and mahogany antiques. And as Aunt Caroline had expected, Laurie kept it neat and clean. But oh, how she would have loved a room full of little-girl clutter.

When Laurie climbed into bed, still wearing Cole’s robe, she fell fast asleep, her dreams filled with teddy bears and dollies. Bubble gum and hair ribbons. Slumber parties and high-school dances. Dreams of a young girl who grew to be a happy woman.

And of a blue-eyed cowboy with gentle, callused hands.

She slept well, but in the hours before dawn, her dreams took on a more realistic slant. The city council prepared to cast a critical vote on the homeless shelter she had proposed. Daniel and Denise Harper were getting their stories in line, proud of their cunning deceit. Aunt Caroline was beside herself with worry.

And Dr. Michael Harper needed a friend.

Cole had slept like a herd of wild mustangs had dragged him though a rock quarry. But it hadn’t been the electrical storm that could have put a display of fireworks to shame that disturbed him. Or the pounding rain and roaring wind.

Instead, memories of a passionate kiss he hadn’t wanted to end kept him tossing and turning until dawn. And knowing Laurie Smith slept just a few short steps down the hall hadn’t helped him rest any easier.

Unable to sleep, he’d risen before daybreak. After checking Sugar Foot in the barn, he’d trekked through the mud and rain to see how the other horses had fared. By ten o’clock, he’d already had a shower and drunk a half pot of coffee prepared on the camp stove.

He rubbed the dull ache from the back of his neck and glanced out the kitchen window. Since the rain hadn’t let up, he didn’t need to drive out to Old River Road to know he couldn’t make it to the highway. The road always flooded after a rain like this one. He’d used the cell phone to check on Beth, who was thrilled to be able to stay with the Petersons until the water receded.

“Good morning,” Laurie said as she joined him in the kitchen. She wore the same outfit she’d worn yesterday. Apparently, she’d hung it up to dry. It wasn’t nearly as flattering as the oversized robe, but he still had trouble keeping his eyes off her.

“Good morning,” he said. “How did you sleep?”

She held back a yawn. “Great. I was exhausted.”

For someone who claimed to have slept “great,” she didn’t look rested. He wondered if that fiery kiss they’d shared had affected her as much as it had him.

Maybe not, but then again, she probably hadn’t gone without sex as long as he had. She had, after all, been engaged. To a jerk, of course, but even a cheating fool wouldn’t be able to keep his hands off a woman like her.

She never did say what the guy’s name was, but that was just as well. Cole really didn’t want to know.

“Would you like some coffee?” He nodded toward the back porch where he’d placed the stove and tried to be a good host while steering the conversation away from his carnal thoughts. “I can make fresh.”

“Don’t go to any trouble for me. I’ll just have a half of a cup of whatever you have left.” She glanced to the back porch, apparently noting the aluminum coffee pot resting upon the butane stove. “I take it the electricity is still off.”

“Yeah. The rain should let up some by this evening, so I hope the power will kick back on soon.” He didn’t mention the flooded road. No need to worry her. The water would recede in a day or so. It always did.

“I guess we’re in for another camp-out,” she said, offering a shy, one-dimpled smile.

“Looks that way to me.” He attempted to counter with a smile of his own. “Can I get you anything to make you more comfortable? Toothbrush? Razor?”

She nibbled her bottom lip, then brightened. “Can I borrow one of your old shirts? I have a pair of leggings, but no top I’d feel comfortable wearing.”

“Sure,” he said, trying to imagine the kind of tops she’d brought with her. And wishing she’d wear the robe that had taunted him last night. He couldn’t shake the sensual image and wondered how much of what they’d experienced would be repeated tonight.

Not the kiss, his mind warned him. Laurie Smith would be in and out of his life like this thunderstorm.