Cowboy, Undercover

by Vicki Tharp

  Jack wiped the drool off his chin and released the catch on his booster seat. “Is this where we’re sleeping?”

  “Not sure which cabin yet. You can leave your backpack here until we know for sure.”

  They climbed out and knocked on Gil’s door, but when there was no answer, they followed the sound of voices farther down the two-track road toward the older cabins. Boomer and Sidney’s cabin was the hangout, where since the early years on the ranch many campfires had been lit, beers drunk, and white lies told.

  The night was clear, the mass of stars almost close enough to touch. In the distance, Boomer’s donkey brayed. Dink, Jenna’s old cattle dog, trotted up out of the darkness, and pulled his lips back and greeted Jack with a toothy doggie smile. Jack ruffled Dink’s fur and chased him down to the campfire, leaving Tessa to follow behind.

  “Hey, munchkin.”

  “Quinny!”

  Quinn got up from one of the logs surrounding the fire and met Jack with some sort of complicated handshake thingy that ended with a chest slap and a hip bump. “Sidney’s got food if you’re hungry.”

  Jack ran off because even though he’d eaten dinner not long before Tessa had picked him up, the kid always acted like he was half starved.

  “Hey,” Quinn said, meeting her at the end of the road. “How are you doing? Gil told me about your house.”

  She didn’t want to talk about her house or her ex. But this was Quinn, her co-pilot, her partner, her friend. They’d already clocked a lot of hours of airtime together. They relied on each other, and like that first ever flight they’d taken together, they called each other on their bullshit, cementing their friendship.

  “Been better.” She shrugged. “Been worse, too. Nothing a solid eight hours of sleep won’t make a little better.” She pointed over her shoulder. “Did Mac say which cabin she was putting us in?”

  “You don’t want to hang out?”

  “I want some Z’s.”

  Over Quinn’s shoulder, she watched Jack poke at the fire with a long stick, sending a cloud of burning red embers into the air. Jack giggled and poked some more.

  “Jack,” she called out. “Be careful.”

  “I’ve got him.”

  Tessa stepped around Quinn to see Gil on the edge of his folding chair, a finger stuck through Jack’s belt loop in case he should stumble.

  Tessa offered Quinn an apologetic smile. “We really should—”

  “Aw, come on.” Quinn took her hand and tugged until she was forced to take one large step and then another. “Sidney has chocolate, and marshmallows and—”

  Chocolate. “Sold.”

  Quinn grinned. Her partner didn’t always play fair. Tessa fell into step beside him and joined the group around the fire.

  “You made it.” Jenna was sitting on a blanket, one of the logs used for seating at her back, Dink already curled up and snoozing beside her.

  Boomer sat on the adjacent log, his prosthetic off, his crutches on the ground beside him. Tessa leaned in, and Boomer gave her a peck on the cheek. “Gil was telling us about your night.”

  Her mind shot to the sight of Gil beneath her, the way he’d filled her, satisfied her. Had Gil told—

  She shot a glance at Gil, there was a spark in his eyes, but his face gave nothing away. “It was…quite the night.”

  “Sorry I missed it,” Boomer said.

  “I’m not.” Sidney came out of her and Boomer’s cabin, a tray in her hand loaded down with all the fixings for S’mores. “We’ve had enough excitement for one lifetime.”

  “You don’t miss it?” Jenna asked Boomer. “The danger unfolding. The adrenaline flowing, the heart racing.”

  “Yeah, but—”

  “I can’t wait to hear this.” Sidney was tiny, but mighty and gave Boomer a look that said he was a few misstated words away from sleeping in the dog house.

  Quinn took the tray from her, and Boomer snaked an arm around her waist and plopped her on his lap. “Yeah, but, this is better.”

  Sidney gave him a quick smack on the lips. “Nice save.”

  “Can I have one, Mom?” Jack stood beside Gil, who’d speared three marshmallows on a long slender stick.

  “Sure, let me—”

  “We’ve got it.” Gil stood and motioned Tessa toward his chair, “Have a seat.”

  Tessa loaded up her own stick with a couple of marshmallows and commandeered Gil’s seat and stuck her marshmallows into the fire. Gil sat on the log beside her, Jack dangling from his arms between Gil’s bent legs, his stick rotating in the fire.

  If you didn’t know Gil, you might think twice about approaching him. From his imposing frame, the thick beard, the black dragon tattoo curling around his forearm, he could come across as intimidating. But Jack had warmed up to him almost immediately. Maybe Jack could sense Gil’s inherent goodness. The stick dipped down, and Jack’s marshmallows burst into flames.

  “Ho, now.” Gil chuckled and grabbed for the stick, yanking it from the fire. “Blow.”

  Jack blew but giggled too hard to be effective. Gil helped with one big burst of air.

  “Oh, man.” Jack’s little face scrunched up. “We ruined them.”

  Quinn broke a graham cracker in half and loaded one with four squares of chocolate. “Naw, those are perfect.”

  Gil handed Jack the stick and loaded the marshmallow onto the graham cracker and gave the S’more to Jack. “Squeeze.”

  Jack squeezed. The cracker broke. Jack laughed, as cracker and marshmallow and chocolaty goo oozed onto his fingers.

  “Easy there, Squirt.” Gil laughed and caught a corner of the treat as it dropped. He popped it into his mouth and licked the sticky mess off his thumb and forefinger.

  Tessa eyed him, remembering how Gil’s mouth had felt on her, how that talented tongue had left her wanting more. While her head told her that Gil was nothing more than a fling, her body protested. It wanted him in her bed, over her, under her, and in her. But undoubtedly that was the lust talking.

  Gil caught her staring, and the corners of his mouth tipped up, knowing where her mind had gone. “Tessa.” Gil’s voice was low, intimate.

  “Yeah?”

  “Your marshmallow’s on fire.”

  It took a moment for Gil’s words to register, but he was already reaching over, lifting her stick from the fire. A flaming ball of melted marshmallow dropped into the blaze, the marshmallow sizzling as it hit the white-hot coals below. Dang.

  Gil extricated himself from Jack’s sticky hands, and he reloaded her stick. He stood there by the fire, rotating her marshmallow over the heat, toasting it to a golden, gooey goodness, looking seven kinds of hot himself, in his low-slung jeans, his tight T-shirt, and his tattered ATF baseball cap turned backward on his head. If Jack weren’t there, and if she wasn’t exhausted, she might find a dark corner to drag him off to.

  No. That wouldn’t do. They’d had sex, great sex. While the helo sex might not have been more than scratching an itch and fulfilling one or two fantasies she’d had over the years, she’d needed that connection after the night they’d had, and to say that she didn’t want more would be a lie.

  But she didn’t know what else she wanted from Gil. She wasn’t looking for a relationship. But the idea of a fuck buddy, a booty call when the fancy struck or the stress and the adrenaline and the hormones had red-lined, somehow didn’t sit right with her either.

  “Here you go.” Jack handed her a carefully crafted S’more that he and Gil had made.

  “Thanks, babe.” Melted chocolate dripped onto her fingers as she bit into the sugary treat. She fanned a hand in front of her mouth. “Hot, hot.”

  She swallowed, and Gil handed her his bottle of water. She took a quick sip, cooling her tongue and the roof of her mouth. As soon as Gil sat back down, Jack was climbing all over him like his own personal human jungle gym.

  Jack had gone from holding his legs up and dangling from Gil’s thighs to climbing up his back. Currently, he was kneeling on Gil’
s shoulders, his hands in Gil’s for balance.

  “Jack, go sit with Dink and give Mr. Gil a break.”

  “Ah, Mom, we’re having fun, right, Mr. Gil?” Jack leaned over, balancing on his stomach on the top of Gil’s head, his arms and feet straight out like Superman.

  “Sure, kid.”

  “Jack.”

  Gil and Superman Jack turned toward her. Gil said, “Really, we’re fine.”

  The pure joy in Jack’s smile squeezed her chest. Jack was naturally a happy kid, but even riding the horses hadn’t put that kind of smile on her kid’s face.

  She had to tread with care.

  As much as Jack needed a father figure, what he needed more was to not get hurt. She couldn’t bring just anybody into their lives. She didn’t want to see Jack get attached to Gil and then feel abandoned all over again when whatever this was between the two of them didn’t work out.

  On the other side of her, she caught snippets of conversation between Boomer, Sidney, Jenna and Quinn, something about the bust from the night before, but her focus was on her son. And Gil.

  Gil trapped Jack’s hands at his side and rolled him off his head and shoulders, catching Jack in his arms. Gil’s cap tumbled off, and Jack scrambled to get it. Jack plopped it on his head, his eyes almost disappearing beneath the now mangled brim.

  Gil held out his hand. “Let me see.”

  Jack handed over the hat, and Gil reshaped the brim. Then he readjusted the strap on the back and tossed it back to Jack. “Try that.”

  Jack turned the bill around and placed it on his head backward the way Gil had. Yeah, the kid who had to tie his shoes just the right way and wear his backpack on both shoulders and his baseball caps frontwards because that’s how the pros wore them, voluntarily turned his cap the other way. Because that’s how Gil wore his.

  Oh man. Tessa was already in trouble.

  “Looks good, Squirt.”

  “Can I have it? I already have an FBI, a DEA, and a sheriff’s cap, but I don’t have an ATF one.”

  “Jack, you can’t ask—”

  “It’s okay,” Gil said, “Plenty more where that came from.”

  “If you’re sure,” Tessa said.

  Gil nodded. Jack’s face broke into a huge smile. He stuck his fist out, Gil tapped down on the fist, then Jack tapped Gil’s, then they fist bumped then brought their hands back, their fingers out, Gil and Jack both making a little explosion sound.

  “All right, all right, you two,” Tessa said. “Time for bed.”

  Jack frowned. “Awh, maaan.”

  Gil glanced up at her and grinned. It was salty and sexy and damn…

  “Not you.” She gave Gil’s shoulder a gentle shove. “You, young man. Tell everyone goodnight.”

  Jack went around the group, giving hugs and fist bumps. Dink woke up and stretched.

  “Goodnight, little man,” Jenna said. Then to Tessa, she said, “I put sheets and comforters on the beds in the cabin next to Gil’s. Mia Mann, my newest veteran, is supposed to be in sometime tonight—”

  “We don’t have to stay here, we can—”

  “It’s fine,” Jenna said. “It’ll only be a day or two. Mia can either bunk in the cabin with you or I can put her on a cot in my office in the barn.”

  Boomer massaged the end of his stump. “I’ll have a look at your back door first thing in the morning. Shouldn’t be too much of a problem to fix.”

  “Thanks, I appreciate it.”

  “I’ll walk you up,” Gil said.

  Jack jumped up and down. “Yay. Can you give me a ride?”

  Gil squatted down and reached a hand over his shoulder. “Put your foot on my thigh and climb aboard.”

  Before Tessa could object, Jack scaled Gil the way Kong scaled the Empire State Building, latching his hands around Gil’s neck for support. Gil boosted Jack higher to keep from choking.

  “Thanks,” Tessa said to Gil as they made their way to the cabin. “You don’t have to do that.”

  “I wanted to.” Something in the way he said that made her think he might want more.

  At her Jeep, they retrieved Jack’s backpack and her overnight bag. While Jack went into the bathroom to change into his pajamas, wash his hands, and brush his teeth, Tessa turned down the bottom bunk while Gil worked on the top one for Jack.

  “You never said how your visit to the hospital went.”

  “Rivera’s not out of ICU. I spelled Isaac’s parents for a bit. He woke up…” Gil went quiet, refolded the top sheet back and fluffed up an already fluffy pillow.

  The muscle in his jaw clenched, and he stared straight ahead. Tessa stood and touched his arm, and he wrapped it around her. She held him tight. Gil was a big man. A powerful, stoic, man. But this was Isaac. His best friend.

  “I basically had to tell him he might never walk again.”

  He leaned against the bedpost, settling her between his legs, linking his hands behind her back. There was nothing sexual about it. This was about comfort, about letting him know he wasn’t alone. “It was…” The words came out tight, and he swallowed hard.

  “Tough?”

  His chuckle came out harsh as he shook his head, finally meeting her gaze. “That doesn’t even begin to describe it.”

  “I wish I could have been there for you.”

  “Nothing would have made telling Isaac that kind of news any better, but thanks. I appreciate that.”

  She pressed a kiss to the center of his chest. He smelled of smoke and roasted marshmallows. His hands skimmed up her sides, traced the line of her shoulders, then higher, cupping her cheeks.

  His eyes flicked down to her lips then back up again. “We never got a chance to talk about this morning.”

  She sneaked a glance over her shoulder. Jack still had the water running in the bathroom. “Now’s probably not a good time. Besides, do we really need to talk about it? I mean it was sex, right? No strings. We were two people who needed to blow off a little steam.”

  That concerned look in his eyes hardened, and a crease formed between his thick brows. “Look, I…” His eyes went to her lips again. “Awh, fuck it,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper as he ducked his head down for a kiss. His lips brushed hers then he deepened the kiss, pulling her up on her tiptoes, his tongue—

  “Ew, gross.” Jack scooted through the room as if he were riding a stick pony.

  Tessa stepped back, though Gil seemed reluctant to let her go.

  “Does this mean you’re going to have a baby?”

  “W-what?” Tessa sputtered.

  Gil chuckled.

  “Definitely not,” Tessa said. “I’m done having kids.”

  “Billy said that when two people kiss it puts a baby in the lady’s belly and—”

  “That’s not how it works, Squirt.” Gil picked Jack up and dropped him on the top bunk.

  Jack rolled over and propped himself onto his stomach. “Then how do babies get in there?”

  “Ah…” Gil glanced at Tessa, stark terror on his face. Who would have thought the birds and the bees could bring this man to his knees? He nudged her with his elbow. “Don’t stand there laughing. Help me out, here.”

  Jack’s eyes got big, and his mouth dropped open. “Is Becky Blevins right? She said the dad puts his thingy—”

  Red crept up Gil’s neck, and he looked like he wanted to cover his ears with his hands and run from the cabin.

  “Penis,” Tessa said, “It’s called a penis, right, Gil?” Now she was messing with the big, fearsome, federal agent for grins. She figured that old saying had merit, the bigger they are, the harder they fall.

  He glanced at her with an amused what-the-fuck arch to his brows. Then to Jack, Gil said, “I think it’s late and a little boy needs to go to bed.”

  “But—”

  “Mr. Gil’s right.” Tessa decided a little mercy was in order. “If you’re curious tomorrow, we can talk about it when I get home from work.”

  Jack flopped his head on his pillo
w. “Fiine. But I’m not a little kid anymore. I know the stork doesn’t bring the babies. I’m undecided if the tooth fairy is real. I mean, how is she supposed to—”

  “Jack.” Tessa tried to keep the laugh and exasperation out of her voice. “Go to sleep.”

  She stepped up on the bottom bunk and gave him a kiss goodnight. “Love, you.”

  “Love, you too.”

  Gil socked him gently on the arm. “Night kiddo.”

  “Night.”

  Tessa left the bathroom light on for Jack and allowed Gil to lead her out the front door by her hand. He had a smile on his face and devilment in his eyes.

  8

  Tessa stopped at the edge of the cabin’s porch, staring out at the quarter moon suspended amongst the stars. Gil stepped up and wrapped his arms around her waist, her back to his chest. Voices and laughter filtered up from the campfire. During his stay at the ranch, Gil had come to enjoy everyone’s company, and now considered them friends, but this, right here, standing with Tessa in his arms, her kid asleep in the cabin… this was better. He wanted to pretend, if only for a moment, that they were together. That he had a family.

  That maybe one day he’d have a kid of his own.

  Then he remembered what she’d said in the cabin when Jack had asked her about having another baby. I’m done having kids. It shouldn’t have mattered, but for some reason, it did.

  Tessa leaned into him, resting her head against his shoulder. He linked his fingers with hers across her belly. “Did you mean what you said in there, that you’re done having kids?”

  “I don’t know. Probably. One’s about all I can handle.”

  “That would be a shame.”

  “What does that mean?” She had a this-should-be-good tone in her voice, but he could tell she was smiling when she’d said it.

  He pulled her in tighter against him, loving the way she fit beneath his chin, her ass snugged against his crotch. “Jack’s a terrific kid. You’re a great mom. You not having another kid would be like Hank selling off his prize heifer.”

  “Oh, no,” she laughed, turning in his arms and giving his chin a playful nibble. “You did not just compare me to cattle.”