Her Cowboy Knight (7 page)

Just then, the older man looked up and spotted Gabby and Cooper. “Well, what have we here? Who’s this, daughter?”

“Da, this is Cooper Harris. He owns the ranch where I’ve been working.”

Cooper stuck his hand out to shake William’s hand. William looked down at Cooper’s other hand, which was holding Gabby’s, and raised one eyebrow. “Nice to meet you. Name’s William McGrath.”

Gabby headed into a tent to change, but stopped at the door to say, “Guys, be nice.”

William lowered his chin. “Just hurry, and never mind what we’re about out here.”

* * *

Gabby turned and ducked into the tent, leaving Cooper standing looking at the men holding swords. He smiled slightly. “So… do I need one of those?”

The woman from the RV said, “Liam, Seamus, Declan, Leo, leave him be.” She turned to Cooper. “You must be Gabby’s cowboy that has the camp buzzing. I’m Moira McGrath.”

Cooper eyed the petite woman with black curls so similar to Gabby’s. “Very pleased to meet you, ma’am. I’m Cooper.”

Gabby came out of the tent then, dressed in a tunic, tights, boots, and slapping on a floppy hat. She stopped short when she saw her mother. She looked from her mother to Cooper, then back to her father, and stepped between Cooper and her family.

One of the group, a tall red-haired man introduced as Gabby’s uncle Declan, said, “So are we going to work t’day, or are we lazyin’ about?”

Gabby turned to grab Cooper’s hand. Moira said, “Actually, Gabby, you run along and do your show. I’ll entertain Cooper for you.”

Gabby just stared at her mother. Cooper leaned down, gave her a kiss, and shoved her toward her uncle with pat on the bottom. Gabby turned as red as possible as she headed toward the others.

* * *

Declan put his arm around her. “So tell me about the cowboy, darlin’.”

Gabby gave a goofy grin. “I kind of like him, Uncle Declan.”

“In just a week?”

“It doesn’t even feel like it’s only been a week. I just… He’s…”

Declan squeezed her to him. “He looks like he might be a bit to handle, but he looks like he might feel the same. You know your Da will feel him out and make sure he’s got his head on straight.”

Gabby rolled her eyes. “I’m more worried about Mother right now.”

Declan laughed. “You’ve got a point. Have heart, honey, he looks like he can handle himself, and if he can’t, he’s not for you.”

Gabby sighed. “But I want him, Declan.”

“I know you do, darlin’, but let your parents do their jobs, aye? It’ll make them feel better.”

* * *

Cooper eyed the woman in front of him as the mob headed off to work. “No offense, ma’am, but I almost think I’d have fared better with the swords.”

Moira laughed and threaded her arm through his. “Come along, cowboy, let me show you around our daughter’s world and let’s have a chat. So tell me about this last week and why you were holding my daughter’s hand as you walked in the gate this morning.”

Cooper stopped and looked her in the eye. “Nothing like cutting straight to the point, is there? I won’t lie, we’ve butted heads a few times, but I’m very interested in your daughter, and not just as an employee.”

Moira’s dimpled smile didn’t deceive him at all; she was much more intimidating than the big man with the sword. “My daughter is a very headstrong girl. I can only imagine that you will have some interesting times.” She stopped to get them a cup of soda in a collectable mug. “I would love to say that it all comes from her father’s Scottish ancestry, but I’m afraid she also inherited my flash Irish temper as well. Just have a care for her heart, aye.”

Cooper swallowed and said, “I appreciate that, ma’am. I appreciate that she has people looking after her.”

Moira said, “People with swords. Never forget the swords.”

Cooper gave a slow grin and said, “Miss Moira, I don’t think they meant me to ever forget the swords.”

Moira said, “Well, we are theatrical people, to some degree, although I would not discount the swords if you ever hurt my daughter.”

Cooper nodded solemnly. “Noted.”

Moira said, “But that is enough of that. I have a handsome cowboy to myself for the day, and I intend to show him my world.”

Moira proceeded to show him all around the Ren Faire: colorful booths, dancing girls, street performers, musical acts, comedians, falconry, sword acts, whip demonstrations, acrobats, a girl who threw knives with deadly accuracy… all a swirl of activity and energy.

However, Cooper could feel the excitement of the whole festival focusing toward the end of the long rows of buildings and tents. All of the events drove most of the crowds to the main event at the end of the row—the Joust Arena.

Moira guided him to seats in bleachers fairly early; there weren’t many patrons seated yet, just some people who had obviously come early in order to get prime seats, as they had.

Moira said, “This is the hot ticket item, and we can watch them as they prep. I’m kind of excited, really. I haven’t taken the time to watch this as a spectator in a long, long time.”

Before long, Gabby stalked out, confidently checking all of the gear: rings, quintains, lances, barriers, etc. She walked the field to make sure the area was safe for the horses. She glanced up in the stands and saw Cooper sitting there. She gave a wave and a smile.

Gabby’s brothers also stepped out, both walking horses. Gabby turned her head and went to join them, all business. She checked equipment on the horses. Meanwhile the crowd started filling in around Cooper and Moira. Crowd control started showing up as well, leading the cheering in front of the stands, and Moira said, “Come on, cowboy. Join in the fun. Just for today. I won’t tell any of your cowboy buddies.”

Cooper laughed at her. “Ma’am, I don’t care about them. They cheer for cars going around in circles, so I guess I can cheer for make-believe knights.”

So Cooper cheered when prompted, stomping his feet and doing ‘ye old wave.’ Gabby went back into the backstage area and more activity happened on the field with the squires and field hands and crowd stokers.

Pretty soon, an announcer came over the loudspeaker. “Ladies and gentlemen, lords and ladies… please welcome our best squire demonstrating some training moves. Let’s makes some noise!”

A black horse with blue trimmings came bursting out of the stable door, barreling toward the far end of the field. It took Cooper a moment to realize that it carried Gabby in a fine chainmail and a royal blue velvet tunic and tights. She was stunning and Cooper’s breath literally caught. Gabby wheeled the horse tightly at the end of the arena, grabbed a lance from the squire, and barreled toward the rings at the center of the ring. She hit her targets with deadly accuracy… all three of them. At the end of the arena, she wheeled back around, rearing for affect. The crowd went crazy, at the urging of the crowd stokers.

Gabby settled her horse, squared her lance, and went for another target, this time at the quintain. Again, she hit with the dead center of the target, leaving the quintain spinning like a child’s top.

At the end of the arena this time, Gabby acknowledged the crowd with a raised lance and slow turn of her horse, a stately move that let the crowd know that this time they were in for something special. She took her time handing off her lance to a squire. She reached to her side, pulled the sword from her scabbard, and raised it in salute to the crowd, brandishing it over her head.

“Lords and ladies, please let’s have absolute silence so both horse and rider can concentrate.”

As the field hands set out the equipment, Cooper could see what she would be attempting, and he felt his protective instincts start to rise. Moira put her hand on his arm and said, “Trust me, cowboy. She is in very little true danger. Her father has trained her very well, and she rides with extreme skill. Have you not seen that this week?”

Cooper colored a little, but didn’t answer.

Gabby kicked her horse forward and sliced at a series of targets on either side, hitting every one, then stabbing her sword into the last one and retrieving it on a blinding spin maneuver. She kept her body in constant fluid motion, the moves rehearsed and perfected, a martial artist in her own right. At the end of the arena, again she saluted the crowd, she and her horse took a bow, and then she wheeled and barreled toward the stable.

“Lords and ladies, the amazing squire in blue! In but a moment, the king will share with you his favorite entertainment, the joust!”

Cooper relaxed only when Gabby was no longer visible and the stable doors had closed. The next time the doors opened, William rode out in finery followed by the man with blond hair and another man. The crowd rousers whipped the crowd into a frenzy, based on their color knight, turning it into a competition in order to engage the crowd. The knights performed a little skit with the ‘king of the festival’ deciding who would fight in the competition. The knights competed in a choreographed joust with the crowd cheering when prompted.

Kids around Cooper were entranced, but Cooper just watched Gabby, who had moved to the front of his section and had the crowd on their feet cheering for the blond man, Leo, who Cooper noted with some aggravation was pretty good-looking in his finery and handled a horse pretty well, too. Gabby moved to work with the knight on ring tosses and the pair worked in perfect unison, obviously a union of much practice. Cooper’s eyes narrowed even more.

As the competition went on, the knights moved to jousting. Of course, Gabby’s partner Leo came out on top, but then suddenly the stable doors opened again and another knight came out, all in black and wearing his helm to conceal his identity. Cooper knew this had to be Declan. His part of the story was to ‘challenge’ the blue knight as the bad guy. The crowd booed, but the black knight showed skill and courage and an epic battle ensued that landed in the sand and ended with a sword battle with the blue knight winning as the hero of the joust. The crowd cheered, the king rewarded the blue knight, and the knights all paraded off.

Cooper sat in the stands as the crowd exited, stunned. His Gabby, his magnificent Gabby had managed to surprise him yet again. Danged if she didn’t ride a horse as well as anyone he had ever seen… and he had spanked her for petting a horse. He felt himself grow hot at the embarrassment of it.

* * *

That night, Cooper got an even bigger peek into Gabby’s world. All of the players in the Faire gathered around a central fire and told each other stories of their day. As the night went on, they tried out new material for skits and sang songs. Here and there people sat around sewing costumes and repairing gear while others played games and children slept in their parents’ arms or at their feet.

He learned a little more of the family history as well when he asked, “So, William, how is that you have a Scottish accent, but you served with my uncle?”

William said, “Dual citizenship. My mother’s from Boston, and I was born there. I lived in Scotland until I was eighteen, but relations with my father got… complicated. I enlisted as a protest against him.”

Moira wrapped her arms around his neck. “How’d that work out for you, aye?”

William chuckled. “Parris Island was a bitch.”

Moira looked at her brother. “And what are you laughing about?”

Declan sobered quickly and ducked his head.

Gabby whispered to Cooper, “Declan has his own issues with authority.”

William said, “Gabby…”

“What? I didn’t say anything specific.”

Declan stood up. “Think I’ll wander for a bit. Gabby, why don’t you do your number with your brother?”

Gabby jumped up with her little brother Eamon to do the classic ‘who’s on first’ skit, with a Ren Faire twist. Cooper watched the two of them, cracking up at the fake British accents and pseudo-medieval speech in the old comedy number.

When their skit ended, Gabby walked up to him with the girl from the knife-throwing exhibit. “Cooper, I’d like you to meet my friend, Dezzie, or as you saw her earlier, The Great Desdemona.”

Cooper stuck out his hand. “Remind me not to get on your bad side.”

Dez laughed. “Gabby’s almost as dangerous, to be honest. Never known her to walk around without a knife.”

Cooper raised an eyebrow. “That so?”

Gabby wrapped her arms around his neck. “And don’t you forget it, mister.”

Cooper leaned down to kiss her. Seamus walked by at that point. “Get a room.”

William growled from his chair, “There will be no room getting. Gabby, don’t you think it’s getting a little late? Cooper, I think Leo has a bunk for you in his tent.”

Gabby looked up into Cooper’s eyes and smiled. “My parents are a little old-fashioned… like medieval.”

Dez chuckled. “And they will go medieval on your ass if you touch their baby girl. Night, Gabby. Nice to meet you, Cooper.”

Cooper said, “Nice to meet you, too, Dez. And nice to meet the rest of you. Gabby, can I walk you home?”

Cooper walked Gabby to the door of her tent and turned her to face him. He looked in her eyes. “I’m sorry.”

She gave him a puzzled look. He continued, “For that first spanking I gave you. I should have given you a chance to explain yourself better. I was an ass. Can you forgive me?”

She chuckled. “Well, you had told me to stay away from the horses. To be honest, we don’t let people we don’t know around our horses either. Da would have been just as angry at one of the volunteers for doing something like that. You should have seen what he did to the fire dancers who went near the destriers one time. I understood. Besides, you, um, kind of left me feeling something else for you that night.”

Cooper leaned down to kiss her, then said, “I did, huh?”

Gabby nodded. “Yes, sir, you did.”

They heard rustling coming down the path from the fire, so Cooper gave her one more kiss. “Night, baby. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

* * *

The next morning, Gabby woke up and stretched, smiling as she thought of the day before. Her family had really seemed to like Cooper, and he had enjoyed his day in her world. This might just work.