Cowboy to the Core

“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.”

Not surprising since she hadn’t even told him the why as yet. “How about I pick you up at seven-thirty?”