The Cowboy

respectable…" His voice trailed off abruptly and he slid a quick glance at Margaret.
    "A nice, respectable businessman? Someone who wears three-piece suits and ties and travels two weeks out of every month? Someone who needs an attractive, self-sacrificing hostess of a wife to entertain his guests while he closes big deals?"
    Rafe winced. "Is that what you thought I'd turn you into? The boss's wife?"
    "It's one of the things I was afraid of, yes."
    "You should have said something."
    "I tried. You never listened."
    "I'm listening now," Rafe said evenly. His gaze locked with hers. "Believe me?"
    Margaret nodded slowly. "Yes," she said, "I think I do."
    Rafe nodded once. "Okay, that's settled. But that doesn't mean I'm going to approve of Winters."
    "Rafe, they don't need your approval. They're quite capable of getting married without it."
    "You think so?" Rafe's mouth twisted. "What if Winters finds out Julie doesn't come equipped with an unlimited checking account and a handful of charge cards?"
    "I don't think he's marrying her for her money."
    "How do you know? You only met him once last night."
    "I liked him. And even if he is marrying her for her money, there's still not much you can do about it. Your best bet is to stay on good terms with your sister regardless of whether her decision is right or wrong."
    "I could always try buying Winters off," Rafe said thoughtfully.
    "I don't think that would be a very smart thing to do, Rafe. Julie would hate you for it. Give Sean a chance first before you try anything drastic. Come to the gallery show with me."
    "Why? What will that prove?"
    "It will give you an opportunity to meet him on his turf, instead of yours. If you're going to have him in the family you should make an effort to learn something about his world."
    "Stop talking as if the marriage is an accomplished fact."
    "Rafe, you're being deliberately stubborn and bullheaded about this. Give the man a chance. You know you should."
    "Yeah? Why should I?" he challenged.
    "I thought giving the other guy a fair chance was one of those fundamental tenets of the Code of the West."
    He scowled ferociously at her. "What the devil are you talking abut now? What's this nonsense about a code?"
    She smiled again. "You know that basic creed you probably learned at your father's knee. The one he undoubtedly got from his father and so on. The one that's supposed to cover little things like vengeance, honor, justice and fair play among the male of the species."
    Rafe swore again in disgust and paced the length of the foyer. He stopped at the far end, swung around and eyed her for a short, tense moment. "You want to play by the Code of the West? All right, I'll go along with that. We'll start with a little simple frontier justice. If you want to manipulate me into going to that damn gallery, you've got to pay the price."
    Margaret watched him with sudden wariness. "What price?"
    Rafe smiled dangerously. "In exchange for my agreement to go to the showing, you agree to let me announce our engagement. I want it official, Maggie. No more fooling around." Margaret took a deep breath. "All right." Rafe stared at her in open astonishment. "You agree?"
    "You've got yourself a deal, cowboy." Rafe gave a shout of triumph. "Well, it's about time, lady."
    He took one long stride forward, scooped Margaret up in his arms and carried her down the hall to the nearest bedroom. This time he took off his boots.

8
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    R afe saddled his best chestnut stallion the next morning at dawn. Out of the corner of his eye he watched with satisfaction as Maggie adjusted her own saddle on the gray mare. He took a quiet pleasure in the competent manner in which she handled the tack and the horse. Connor had been right. His daughter knew her way around a barn.
    Rafe wondered how he could have spent two whole months with Maggie last year and never learned that single, salient fact about her.
    Then again, those two months had passed in a tangled web of sudden, consuming passion mixed with an explosive game of corporate brinksmanship that had involved millions. There had been very little time for getting to know the small, intimate details of his new lover's past. He had been far too anxious to spend what little free time he had with her in bed.
    Money and love were a dangerous combination, Rafe had discovered. A pity he hadn't learned to separate the two before. But, then, in all fairness to himself, he'd never come across the two combined in such a lethal