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

by Shanna Hatfield

  Celia raised an eyebrow and glared at him as he jumped off the stage. “I don’t know what you think you’re doing, Cooper, but that poor girl may never recover from your shenanigans.” She waved a hand behind her to where Paige looked as though she might hyperventilate.

  “Aw, she’ll be fine. I think she needs to loosen up a little. Can you think of a better way to shake things up for her than hanging out with me?”

  Kash thumped him on the back. “There’s shaking things up and then there’s dumping things upside down and inside out. From the look on her face, you may have taken things a little too far.”

  “Nah,” Cooper said, unwilling to admit he might have traumatized Paige. Randi clearly enjoyed the performance, if the smile she couldn’t wipe off her face was any indication. “I’m not worried about it.”

  Celia shook her head. “Perhaps you should be, my friend. We’ll catch you later, if she doesn’t throttle you after putting her on the spot like that. Seriously, Coop? A keister contest?”

  He grinned. “It was funny, though.”

  Kash chuckled. “A little.”

  Cooper left his friends and walked over to where Randi fanned a daily event schedule in front of Paige’s pale face.

  “Is she okay?” Cooper asked, hunkering down in front of the two women.

  “Oh, she’ll eventually recover,” Randi said, smiling at Cooper. “That was so much fun. How did you get those guys to do that? Is it something you rehearsed?”

  “No, but they’ve been around me enough to go along with my plans. I do favors for them sometimes in exchange for their participation in my random, unscheduled dance-offs, competitions, and other tomfoolery.”

  “Is it really going to be on TV?” Randi asked, absently fanning air in front of her sister’s face.

  “Probably.” Cooper placed a hand on Paige’s knee. She jerked and involuntarily kicked at him, but his quick reflexes came into play. He twisted to the side before her foot connected with him. “Are you okay, Paige?”

  “Okay? Am I okay?” she asked, her voice an indignant whisper. “Are you insane, Cooper James? Of course, I’m not okay! You just publicly humiliated me… again! That was… you were… those men could have…” Paige lunged to her feet, grabbed her bag, and marched away from Cooper.

  He scrambled upright and followed her as Randi hurried to keep up with them both. “Paige, wait!”

  She ignored him and continued walking. He caught her hand and pulled her to a stop near a booth selling vintage western apparel. The colorful scarves and shirts paled in comparison to the two bright spots of color staining Paige’s cheeks and the fiery sparks shooting from her eyes. If her look could have killed him, Cooper had no doubt he’d be rolling on the floor in the throes of death.

  “Do not touch me, speak to me, call me, text me, or in any way contact me, humiliate me, or even think about me again, Mr. James. Goodbye!” Paige spun on her heel and walked away with her back straight and her head held high, anger emanating from her every step.

  “She’ll get over it, Cooper. It really was awesome, even if none of the guys were the one she’s looking for.” Randi patted his arm. “Thanks for that. I haven’t had so much fun in ages.”

  “You’re welcome,” Cooper said, walking with her toward the exit. “Are you sure Paige will be okay? I didn’t think about how upset she’d get. I just thought she’d, you know, laugh it off or something.”

  Randi shook her head. “Paige is not the laugh it off type. She’s more of the barely laughs at all type. It’s good for her to have her precisely ordered little world shaken up once in a while.” She paused before stepping outside where Paige waited to catch a cab. “If you do happen upon that guy, we’re staying here.” She quickly wrote the hotel name and room number on a piece of paper she pulled out of her purse and handed it to him.

  “Thanks, Randi. Will you be at the rodeo tonight?” He pushed the door open and held it for her.

  “That was the plan, although she might not calm down enough between now and then to go. If we do attend, I would suggest leaving her alone for the time being.”

  “Yeah, I gathered that much.” He offered her a slightly chagrined look. “See you later.”

  Randi nodded then hurried to catch up to Paige as she moved to the front of the line. Three hours later, Paige was still so angry with the rodeo clown, she’d attempted to take out her frustrations on a treadmill and heavy bag.

  She returned to the living room to find her sister sitting in front of the television with tears streaming down her face, laughing hysterically as she watched the replay of Cooper’s performance. In between her peals of laughter, she tried to talk to Dave on the phone.

  Paige picked up a pillow and tossed it at Randi, then stormed off to her room.

  A bouquet of fragrant roses sat on the dresser across from the bed. Paige admired the red and white buds that actually smelled like roses instead of hothouse chemicals. She sniffed deeply. When she straightened she noticed a card poked out of the bouquet on a little plastic pick.

  She opened the envelope and read the brief message.

  My apologies, Paige, for any undue suffering I caused you. I’m sorry.

  Cooper

  Still furious, Paige wasn’t quite angry enough to throw away the flowers. Dexter thought flowers harbored any number of hidden germs and never sent them to her. Paige certainly wasn’t going to toss out such a lovely, expensive bouquet, even if they did come from that detestable, arrogant, conceited, annoying, undeniably fun clown.

  Now that the worst moments of mortification had passed, Paige could almost see the humor in the situation.

  Almost.

  She wondered what he thought would happen when he put her in the spotlight like that. He should have learned from the prior moments he’d humiliated her it wouldn’t do anything to endear him to her.

  Then again, she was the one who had asked for his help. Or had he offered? At any rate, she’d wanted his assistance and he’d given it. Although the posteriors that shook all over that stage were nice, none of them compared to the one she wanted for Elliott’s model.

  If she spotted that cowboy again, she would tackle him before she let him get away.

  The thought that the man might not be interested in modeling never occurred to her. He simply had to agree to her offer. When he did, she could start planning the décor for her corner office and making contacts for finding a place to live in L.A.

  A soft knock at the door made her turn her attention from the roses to her sister.

  Randi held out a plate with a piece of rich chocolate cake surrounded by a pool of slowly melting ice cream. “I come with a peace offering,” she said, looking repentant. “I’m really sorry I laughed, Paige. I know how upsetting the whole thing was for you and I’m truly sorry.”

  Paige took the cake and sat down on her bed. “You’re forgiven,” she said, taking a bite of the cake and closing her eyes to savor the indulgence. The decadent aroma of the chocolate mingled with the light fragrance of the roses, creating a pleasant combination. “However, that stupid, vainglorious rodeo clown is not forgiven.” She tipped her head toward the roses. “I don’t care how many beautiful roses he sends, I’m not speaking to him again.”

  “No argument here.” Randi held out a hand to Paige. “Come on and watch a Christmas movie with me. There’s a marathon of them running on one of the channels and all that sappy sweetness will take your mind off rodeo clowns, jeans, and cute guys shaking their backsides in front of you.”

  Paige sighed and rose to her feet. “How could I turn down an invitation like that?”

  “Exactly.” Randi squeezed her shoulder as they walked down the hall to the living room. “You have to admit that one guy, Shaun, was super cute.”

  Paige shrugged and grinned. “I thought Sam had better moves, though.”

  Chapter Seven

  “Guess what?” Randi bounced on Paige’s bed, drawing her from much needed sleep.

  Half the night,
she’d tossed and turned while visions of the rodeo clown’s smile and twinkling blue eyes danced through her thoughts. As much as she loathed Cooper James, she couldn’t imagine why he’d torment her every time she closed her eyes and tried to fall asleep.

  Completely exhausted, she’d only slept a few hours when her sister vaulted onto her bed, bringing her instantly awake. Paige yawned and rolled over, pushing the hair out of her face. “I have no idea, so you might as well tell me.”

  “You know the winery where Dave works?”

  Paige nodded, trying to force both eyes to open at the same time. “Of course. Dave’s worked there as the facility manager for what, six or seven years?”

  “Seven, but that’s not the point.” Randi continued bouncing until Paige shoved her to one side, making her topple onto a pile of pillows.

  “What is the point, exactly?” Paige grumbled scooting back until she sat propped against the headboard.

  “The point is that Kelly, you remember her, don’t you? She’s the tasting room manager. Anyway, she is dating a guy whose brother is a rodeo stock contractor. The brother and his wife are here in Las Vegas. Kelly thinks they might be able to help you locate our potential model. Kelly’s boyfriend, his name is Ransom, said his brother knows most all of the rodeo athletes and his wife has a bunch of connections, too. She’s a rodeo photographer.”

  “That’s great, Randi!” Paige smiled at the unexpected gift of good news her sister had just delivered. “How can we connect with them?”

  “I asked Dave to give Ransom your cell phone number to send to his brother. Also, Ransom is going to text you his sister-in-law’s name and contact info. Isn’t that awesome?” Randi sat up and bounced a few more times, making Paige grin.

  “It is awesome. I thought Kelly was dating some guy who worked for a football team?” Paige said, tossing back the covers and sliding off the far side of the bed.

  “She is. He used to be in the stock contracting business with his brother, but he quit last year so he could work for the football team. Kelly is one of his sister-in-law’s good friends.” Randi jumped to her feet. “I think we should do something super fun today and not worry about the model guy. If you weren’t here for work purposes, what would you like to do?”

  “I’d love to go see the white tigers and then tour the Titanic museum,” Paige said, catching some of her sister’s enthusiasm. “And while we’re at it, making this a play day, you might as well let me borrow a pair of your jeans and a shirt. I don’t feel like being a business executive today.”

  Randi squealed. “This will be such fun!”

  After visiting the white tigers and watching dolphins play, the two sisters took in the Titanic museum, ate lunch at a restaurant owned by a popular Food Network chef, then strolled through an upscale shopping area.

  Neither of them purchased anything, but they had fun trying on clothes and window-shopping.

  “I have an idea,” Randi said, grabbing Paige’s hand and dragging her outside to catch a cab. They visited another cowboy Christmas vendor show, one they hadn’t yet attended. “You have to get a pair of jeans and some boots, Paige. Let’s go to the rodeo tonight, just for fun. We’ve got great seats and if you let me give you a cowgirl makeover, Cooper won’t even recognize you.”

  Although Paige started to protest, she decided, for once, just to go along with her sister’s plans. “Okay! Let’s go for it.”

  They left the vendor show with several bags and hurried back to their hotel room.

  When they emerged for the rodeo two hours later, Paige wore a pair of dark blue jeans, square-toed boots with flowers and vines stitched into the soft brown leather, a pastel Aztec-patterned blouse, and a glittering turquoise and silver necklace. Randi insisted on doing Paige’s makeup, applying more eyeliner and eye shadow than she normally used.

  Rather than style her hair in a typical updo, she’d allowed Randi to tousle her shoulder-length locks into chunky waves that framed her face and completed her transformation from uptight executive to fun-loving cowgirl.

  “You look amazing!” Randi exclaimed when she finished and stepped back. “Wait until those rodeo guys get a look at you, baby girl. They’ll be tripping over their tongues and drooling all over themselves. Maybe we should call ahead and let one of the vendors know they should stock up on rib bibs.”

  Randi hadn’t called her baby girl in years. For the first time in a very long time, Paige felt happy and carefree. “I’m fairly certain that won’t be necessary.”

  “Take a look in the mirror, Paige. You won’t believe what you see.”

  Afraid if she saw her reflection she might wipe off the makeup and change, or decide not to go to the rodeo, Paige shook her head. “No. I’ll wait until we’re at the rodeo to take a look.”

  Surprised by Paige’s reaction, Randi shrugged. “Suit yourself, but I’m snapping a photo of you. Dave won’t believe it unless he sees it.”

  “Fine,” Paige said, posing with her body turned at an angle to the cell phone Randi held up to capture a photo.

  “Give me one of those seductive looks, like I see in the ads you orchestrate for that lingerie company.” Randi offered her sister a goofy look. “You know the ones I mean.”

  Paige crossed her eyes and stuck out her tongue, making her sister laugh. Randi snapped a few photos then wiggled her hand at Paige. “Come on. Just do one ‘I’m gorgeous and I know it’ pose. Please?”

  After taking a deep breath, Paige allowed herself a moment of indulgent dreaming, picturing Cooper James without his clown makeup. His entrancing blue eyes beckoned to her and that big, warm smile was all for her.

  “Oh, my gosh, Paige! You should model some of that company’s stuff. This is unbelievable.” Randi scrolled through the series of images she’d captured, selecting three to send to her husband. “Why don’t you let yourself look like this all the time?”

  “I have a professional image to uphold and a career that is finally heading the right direction. I’m not messing that up, no matter what. It’s fun to dress like a cowgirl for a day or two, but then I have to get back to business.”

  Randi sighed and stuffed her phone into her purse. “You do know it doesn’t have to be all one way or the other. You can relax your business persona a bit without jeopardizing your career. Why not shake things up a little?” Randi executed a few exaggerated wiggles of her backside.

  Paige giggled. “I don’t need to shake things up with you around. Being around you is like living in a snow globe that is constantly being tilted one way or another.”

  Randi bowed and waved her hand in a grand flourish. “I’m happy to be of service.”

  “Come on, you nut, let’s go to the rodeo.” Paige grabbed her hand and the two of them hastened out the door.

  At the rodeo venue, the two sisters hurried inside and made their way to a booth selling some of the best hamburgers and fries they’d ever eaten. Quickly placing their orders, Paige waited for their food to be prepared while Randi visited the restroom. When two guys bumped into her from behind, she almost lost her balance.

  “Sorry,” one of them said, reaching out to grab her arm to keep her from tipping into the woman standing in front of her.

  Paige glanced over her shoulder and bit back a frown. The man who suddenly let go of her arm was one of the cowboys who’d danced on the stage with Cooper.

  He stared at her with interest. “Honest, this isn’t a cheesy come-on line, but haven’t we met somewhere before?”

  She nodded her head. “Your name is Shaun, right?”

  His smile broadened. “That’s right.”

  “You danced with Cooper on the stage at the convention center, didn’t you?”

  His eyes widened and he bent toward her, studying her face. “Are you the business lady Cooper was teasing?”

  “That would be me,” Paige said, forcing herself to smile. “Cooper is not on my list of favorite people right now.”

  The cowboy laughed and slapped his friend on the s
houlder. “Oh, heck. Cooper wouldn’t know what to do if he didn’t have at least half a dozen women ready to shoot him on sight at any given time. I’m Shaun Price.” He held out a hand to her. “It’s nice to meet you.”

  “Paige Porter.” She shook his hand, feeling her fake smile slide into a natural one. “It’s nice to meet you, too. I have to admit, you’re a really good dancer.”

  He laughed. “Aw, Cooper’s always up to something. It’s fun to help him out. He’s good about returning the favors.” Shaun took a step back and let his gaze travel from the top of her head to the toes of her boots. “You sure look different tonight than you did then. If you ever want to go out dancing, give me a call.” He pulled a business card from his pocket and handed it to her.

  Paige had no intention of going dancing with the handsome cowboy or anyone else, but she was flattered by the invitation. “I’ll keep that in mind, Shaun. Thank you.”

  “So, are you here alone?” he asked as the line crept forward.

  “No. My sister is around here somewhere. She should be back soon.” Paige smiled at the two cowboys. “Have either of you ever done any modeling?”

  “Modeling? Like for a magazine or something?” Shaun offered her a puzzled look.

  “Exactly.” Despite her usual reserved demeanor, Paige wondered if the boots on her feet or the tousled state of her hair had affected her brain. Boldly, she walked in a circle around the two cowboys, studying them from every angle then giving them a teasing smile. “You both could do well at it.”

  Shaun laughed and the other cowboy blushed at her perusal. “Depending on what you want us to model and where, we might be interested.”

  “Great!” Paige handed Shaun her business card and discussed her ideas as they moved forward in the line. Randi appeared just before it was Paige’s turn to pick up their food.

  “Hey, weren’t you at the dance thing Cooper orchestrated,” Randi said, smiling at Shaun.

  “I was, ma’am.” Shaun tipped his hat to Randi. “You must be Paige’s beautiful sister.”