Barreling Through Christmas: (Sweet Western Holiday Romance) (Rodeo Romance Book 4)

by Shanna Hatfield

  “I’m sure I have at least one pair. Why?”

  “No reason.” Randi gave Paige a nudge toward the door. Within ten minutes, they stepped inside the vendor show and looked around. Still early in the day, the crowds had not yet descended on the convention center.

  The two sisters wandered from booth to booth, hoping to catch a glimpse of the cowboy with the exceptional caboose. They showed several vendors the photo Paige had on her phone, but no one claimed to know him. Most of them gave them strange looks, like they were some sort of perverted psychopaths.

  Defeated after a morning of no success, Randi patted Paige on the back as they made their way to the exit. “Come on, Paige. We’re in a city full of every kind of amusement you could imagine. I think we should have a little fun.”

  “You do know I’m here for work and not pleasure, don’t you?” Paige grinned at her sister as they stepped in line to get a taxi.

  “I do know that, but no one said we can’t mix the two. Let’s check out one of the other cowboy vendor shows. If we, by chance, happen to take a little side trip or two on our way there, who’s going to tattle?”

  “Who, indeed?”

  Randi insisted they stop at a large casino known for its elaborate holiday decorations. They dined at a buffet, which was so good even Paige couldn’t find anything to complain about, then they rode a tram past several other properties.

  After wandering through another large casino, they made their way to the next cowboy Christmas vendor show. They’d only gone down one aisle when Paige sucked in a gasp of air and pointed to a man who walked past them on a bisecting aisle.

  “It’s him, Randi!”

  Her sister spun away from the booth where she admired country scenes painted on old saws and milk cans. Her gaze followed Paige’s pointing finger.

  “Oh, my goodness. It’s him!” Randi grabbed her hand. “Come on. Let’s see if we can catch him.”

  They worked their way through the crowds, keeping the man’s black cowboy hat in their line of vision. His dark green striped shirt stood out as they made their way through the crowd, then he turned down an aisle and disappeared.

  By the time they reached the aisle, he was nowhere in sight. Randi climbed up on a nearby bench and looked around, hoping to catch a glimpse of him. The only green shirt she could see was on an old cowboy walking with a cane.

  “Rats!” she said, jumping down. “We lost him again.”

  “At least we know he’s still in town. He could be one of the rodeo competitors, which means we have a good chance of seeing him again.” Paige craned her neck trying to see through the throngs of people around them. “Let’s keep looking. He didn’t just disappear into thin air.”

  “No. I’m sure he’s around here somewhere.” Randi pointed toward an aisle they hadn’t explored. “Let’s split up and meet at the front doors in an hour. If I find him, I’ll text you.”

  “Good idea,” Paige said, heading in the opposite direction.

  She walked up and down each aisle, hoping to catch sight of the cowboy. Something about the way he moved plucked at her memory, but she supposed it was from watching him the previous day and the hours she spent staring at his back view on her phone. She’d tried to identify a blurry spot on the back of his belt, but hadn’t any luck in deciphering it if it was a name or an image. If she could get another photo of him, perhaps she could capture something telling that would help reveal his identity.

  With the man’s muscular build, she envisioned him as a bareback rider, or maybe a roper. He wasn’t burly enough to be one of the men who wrestled the steers, and he was taller than most of the bull riders she’d seen the previous evening before the stupid clown ruined her experience at the rodeo.

  As though thoughts of him suddenly conjured his presence, Paige groaned when she looked up and saw Cooper sitting at a booth across the aisle. Before she could disappear in the crowd, he noticed her and rose to his feet, hurrying around the booth.

  “PP, honey! How are you, sweetheart?” he pressed a noisy smack to her cheek, careful not to get his makeup on her.

  She grimaced and tried to step away from him, but he settled a hand on her waist and pulled her closer. By then, a small crowd had formed around them, watching to see what Cooper would do with the pretty woman who suffered from acute embarrassment by the attention lobbed her way.

  “I was much better before I saw you,” Paige said in a quiet, strained voice. “Please unhand me Mr. James.”

  “Aw, sugar, you’re gonna make me think you don’t like me much if you be that way,” Cooper said, gently guiding her away from the booth.

  The man’s brute strength, coupled with the fact he was nearly a foot taller than she was, compelled her to go meekly where he directed. Much to her surprise, he guided her out a side door where very few people were around. He motioned for her to sit down on one of three chairs that had been placed outside for those who wanted to get a breath of fresh air.

  Reluctantly, she took a seat and he sat down beside her. Dismay radiated from her when he took her hand in his and gave her a pleading look.

  “I wanted to apologize, Miss Porter. My joke last night was at your expense and I hope you know it was all in fun. I didn’t mean anything by it.”

  She glared at him, refusing to accept his apology. “And that’s why you decided to call me PP a few minutes ago and refer to me as your girlfriend again?”

  He grinned, making deep crinkles line his eyes while twin brackets framed his mouth. Even with his makeup on, she couldn’t help but notice he had a great smile.

  “Well, you know, it’s all just part of the act, but I am sorry if I upset you in anyway.”

  “Humph!” She continued to glare at him, wondering if she could somehow guilt him into helping her.

  “Come on, Miss Porter. Surely there’s something I can do to earn your forgiveness for my transgressions.”

  She gave him a long, studying glance. In fact, she almost smiled when he shifted uncomfortably on the chair, as though her observant perusal left him unsettled. “Well, there might be one thing…”

  “Name it.” He leaned back in the chair and stretched out his legs, crossing his arms over his chest.

  “I’m trying to find someone. I think he might be a rodeo contestant or somehow connected to the rodeo, but I don’t know how to get in touch with him.”

  “Do you have a name? A photo?” Cooper asked, wondering who the woman could possibly be trying to find.

  Paige took out her phone, tapped on the screen, and then held it out to him. “I’m trying to locate that man.”

  Cooper stared at the photo. It took every bit of restraint he possessed not to laugh aloud. He wondered what in the world Miss Paige Porter wanted with the cowboy in the image and why she’d snapped photos of his behind.

  “Why do you want to find this particular guy?” Cooper asked, returning the phone to her. “He could be a serial killer or something. A girl can’t be too careful, you know.”

  She glared at him and stuffed the phone back in her purse. “Do a lot of serial killers hang out at these Christmas vendor shows?”

  “Well, no, not that I know of,” he admitted. “But if you want me to help you, then you better fess up why you want to find that dude.”

  Paige brushed an imaginary speck of lint from her black slacks and straightened her already perfect posture. “He, um… that’s to say, I need…” She cleared her throat, glanced at Cooper, and then dropped her gaze to her shoes. “I need a model for my client’s new clothing line. After searching through hundreds of potential candidates, the man in the photo is the one that will best represent my client.”

  Intrigued, Cooper stared at her. “What type of clothing line? Is it western clothing? Urban? Something in between? Designer or casual?”

  “It’s a new western line of clothing. He’ll have shirts and a few accessories, but the focus of the line is jeans.”

  Copper laughed. “So you’ve been scoping out butts all over t
own? Is that it? And this guy has the one you like the best? Man, that’s sick, girl! That borders right on the outskirts of Pervertville.” He gave her a long glance. “All business on the outside and freaky deviant on the inside. Wicked!”

  Offended, Paige rose to her feet. “If you aren’t able to help me, that’s one thing, but I don’t need your judgment or insults.”

  “Oh, sit down, Paige,” Cooper put a hand on her arm and drew her back to the seat she’d vacated. “I didn’t say I wouldn’t help you, but this whole thing strikes me as a little odd. You have to admit, it’s not every day someone goes around snapping photos of strangers’ backsides, on a quest for a jeans model.”

  “Admittedly, it does sound a little peculiar when you put it in that light, but I assure you it is above board. The designer is willing to pay handsomely for the right model and I just know this man will be perfect. The problem is that I need to locate him before I leave town and get him to agree to come to Portland to meet the designer then do a trial photo shoot.”

  “Portland? You’re from Portland, Oregon?” Cooper asked, shocked by this revelation. He lived on a ranch about an hour from Portland, at least he did when he wasn’t out on the road traveling from rodeo to rodeo. He had no idea the lovely, albeit edgy Paige Porter practically lived in his backyard.

  “Yes. I grew up there. Randi and her husband live south of the city, but I have a condo close to my office.”

  “Where does your sister live?”

  “Newberg. It’s just…”

  Cooper grinned. “I know where it is. I was raised just out of St. Paul.”

  Paige’s jaw dropped. “Oh, my goodness! You are almost a neighbor to Randi and Dave.”

  “Yep. Small world, isn’t it?” Cooper leaned back in the chair again, contemplating how to get to know Paige better. The more he talked to her, the more she intrigued him.

  “It certainly is,” she said, further studying his face.

  “So, you’re trying to find this guy, who you think will be a perfect model. Where did you see him?”

  “Randi and I saw him yesterday at the vendor show at the convention center. The crowds are so hard to maneuver through and we’re both somewhat height challenged, so he disappeared before we could catch up to him. We saw him here a little while ago, but he got away from us again.”

  “That’s rough,” he said, pretending to give the matter some consideration. “Why don’t you text me that photo and I’ll see what I can do to help you out.”

  Paige smiled at him, a genuine smile full of warmth and appreciation that made Cooper’s heart do a back flip in his chest. He rubbed the spot, wondering if he’d taken leave of all his senses. He’d just given himself a lecture the previous day about not getting tangled up in any more relationships, yet here he was doing his best to get closer to a very pretty girl.

  “What’s your number?” she asked, pulling her phone out of her purse. He gave her the number and she quickly tapped it in then sent him the photo. “Now you’re all set.” She glanced at her watch and stood. “I promised Randi I’d meet her five minutes ago. I better go. Thanks you for your help, Cooper. I really do appreciate it.”

  “No worries, Paige. I’ll catch you later.”

  Chapter Six

  Cooper managed to keep from humiliating Paige at the rodeo that night. Although the announcer asked him in a private conversation if he really had a new girlfriend, Cooper assured him he didn’t, saying he picked on a girl he ran into right before the rodeo.

  The following afternoon, however, he couldn’t quite help himself when he saw Paige and Randi wandering through one of the big vendor shows. Cooper hustled over to a stage area where rodeo stars and other personalities connected to the sport were interviewed for special television broadcasts that ran throughout the rodeo.

  He convinced the producer of the show to allow him to commandeer the stage for an impromptu performance. Amused with his mischievous plans, the producer readily agreed. Cooper quickly rounded up half a dozen guys who were generally good sports and game to participate in one of his pranks.

  Once they knew what he wanted them to do and what time to show up at the stage, Cooper called Paige. When she answered the phone, it was all he could do not to laugh at his devious plans.

  “Hey, PP, it’s Cooper. I think I may have located your guy. He said he’d be willing to meet you at the Cowboy Christmas show if you can be here in twenty minutes.”

  “Oh, my gosh, Cooper. That’s wonderful. Is it the one at the convention center?”

  “Yep, that’s the place. Go all the way through to your right until you get to the stage area. He’ll be waiting there.”

  “Randi and I are already in the building. We’ll be right there. Thank you so much, Cooper. I appreciate your help.”

  “Oh, don’t thank me yet. This may not be the right guy.” Cooper disconnected the call before he snickered and gave himself away.

  In a rush, he raced out to his pickup and grabbed a duffle bag with one of his clown outfits and makeup, then hurried to change. People who’d noticed him excitedly planning something trickled into the area, eager to witness whatever spectacle he presented.

  Paige and Randi arrived to find him in full makeup, wearing a vibrant gradient print shirt with black shorts, energetically pacing back and forth near the stage.

  The two sisters hurried over to him. “Is he here, Cooper?”

  “Well, I wasn’t exactly sure if I found the right guy, so I invited a few others to join him. I’m sure one of them has to be the guy you’re looking for.”

  Paige beamed and squeezed Randi’s hand. “Where are they?”

  “If you take a seat, right there in the front row, they’ll be right out to see you.” Cooper pointed to an empty row of seats right in front of the stage. He’d had to enlist Kash and Celia’s help in shooing people away from the row. Although he didn’t tell them what orneriness he was about, Celia warned him whatever he was scheming would most likely get him into trouble.

  He’d worry about that later. For now, he had something fun planned that would entertain most everyone in attendance. Deep down, he knew it wouldn’t entertain Paige, but he couldn’t stop himself from proceeding with his plans.

  Assured Paige and Randi had a great view from their seats, he cued the camera operator and hustled back to where his friends waited for his signal.

  Cooper raced out onto the stage and took a big bow as people clapped and cheered.

  “Hey, folks, we have something special planned, so everyone come on over and watch,” Cooper said, speaking loudly into the microphone and watching as more people crowded into the area. Kash and Celia took seats near Paige and Randi in the front row.

  Paige gave him a dubious glance, but Cooper was in too deep now to stop.

  “Did you know when clothing designers launch a new line of clothes, particularly jeans, they come to places like Las Vegas and scout out models?” He looked around the crowd and nodded his head up and down. “Well, it’s true. I happened to meet one of the scouts and she’s been searching high and low for the perfect model. In fact, she thought she spotted him a few times, but he disappeared before she could get his name. All she has is a photo of his departing form, so I told her I’d help her find this fellow with the happening hiney.”

  Cooper glanced at the men waiting to step onto the stage. “Without further ado, may I present our first ever Keister Contest!”

  Whistles and roars of laughter filled the area as six men rushed onto the stage and tipped their hats to Paige and Randi.

  “Turn around guys. She don’t care about those purdy faces. She wants to see those rear ends!” Cooper grinned as Paige transitioned from excited to a petrified state. Humiliation stained not only her cheeks a bright apple shade of red, but also her entire face and down her neck.

  The six cowboys on the stage turned around and shook their denim-clad behinds in Paige’s direction as funky dance music blasted around them.

  Cooper moved next to t
he one at the far left of the line. “This is Wigglin’ Willie.”

  The cowboy proceeded to wiggle his rump in a series of moves that made the crowd erupt in laughter.

  Cooper nodded to him and moved to the next in line. “Shakin’ it Shaun.”

  The cowboy shook his posterior in several dance steps then winked over his shoulder at Paige before taking his place back in line.

  “Next we’ve got Slidin’ Sam.”

  The cowboy executed a few steps of the electric slide before returning to his position in line.

  “Give it up for Hammer-time Hal.”

  The cowboy executed a series of dance steps that would have made MC Hammer jealous, had he been there to witness it.

  “Booty Bob is up now,” Cooper said, disturbed when Paige’s face changed from red to an alarming shade of white.

  He tamped down his concern and moved to the last cowboy in line. “Last but not least is Twistin’ Tom.”

  When all six cowboys had strut their stuff across the stage, Cooper grinned and joined them as the song “Everybody Dance Now” played. The men on the stage could have been part of a choreographed routine for the effort they put into their dance moves.

  The crowd cheered and clapped when the song ended.

  Cooper looked over at Paige. It appeared as though she might faint, although Randi wore a broad grin with a mirthful expression.

  “Well, PP, is one of these bootylicious guys the cowboy you’ve been searching for all over town?”

  Paige shook her head and Cooper grinned, aware that none of his friends was the cowboy in question.

  “Shoot, fellas! You went to all that work and she isn’t even going to choose one of you.” He turned back to the crowd. “But it was a contest, so we need a winner.”

  One at a time he pointed to the guys while the crowd clapped. The women in the crowd cheered the loudest for Shaun, so Cooper handed him a $50 gift card for a restaurant in town. “Thank you, guys for participating in our first Keister Contest!” Cooper high-fived his friends and waved at the crowd as the cowboys wandered off.