The Cowboy Code. Christine Wenger

Danny so far?”

      “Well, right now, I’d point out that you aren’t going to be around to fight Danny’s battles all the time. He needs the skills to stand up to his peers.”

      She hadn’t done a great job so far, but she had to perform eight shows a week. It was her job. She’d imposed on friends and sometimes hired the best people she could to keep an eye on Danny while she worked, but he still kept sneaking out on them, claiming that he didn’t need “no stinkin’ babysitter.” And that he wasn’t a baby.

      “Okay, Joe. I’ll do it your way, and I’ll keep quiet, and let you handle things. But just be advised that being quiet is not one of my virtues.”

      They walked the rest of the way in silence. At the house, Joe let Maggie open the door and turn on the lights.

      “All okay?” he asked. She seemed a little nervous tonight. Maybe she just didn’t want to stay by herself in a strange house. He wished Aunt Betty hadn’t gone out of town. She could have kept Maggie company.

      “I’m okay,” she said. “But it’s so quiet here. How am I ever going to sleep?”

      “I can fix you a place in the barn if you’d like. It can get pretty noisy out there.” He winked.

      “Uh…no…” She laughed. “But thanks anyway.”

      Maggie looked so very…kissable. The dim hallway light made her golden hair shimmer. He longed to run his hand through her blond locks, to pull her to him….

      A laugh from the bunkhouse brought him back to reality. What was he thinking? She was a participant in his program.

      “Um…good night, Joe.”

      “’Night, Maggie.” He headed down the path, then stopped. “The phone number to the bunkhouse is right by the phone. Call if you need anything—anything at all.”

      He gritted his teeth. That sounded like a proposition, and he hadn’t meant that at all.

      “I mean…uh…” He couldn’t think.

      “I know what you mean, Joe. See you bright and early.”

      She smiled, and the door closed.

      He caught himself whistling as he walked to the bunkhouse. He hadn’t whistled in ages.

      But sleep wouldn’t come. He kept thinking about Maggie, who had a wagonload of trouble she had to deal with. Her heaviest cargo was the smallest kid in Cowboy Quest.

      Would he be able to help her?

      Tossing and turning, he thought about his growing attraction to Maggie and how he had to resist. It would be unprofessional, and a huge complication.

      He had a highly charged program to run, loaded with high-risk juveniles with emotional issues and one interesting woman who was constantly intruding on his thoughts.

      How was he going to keep his mind on business?