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

by Shanna Hatfield

  “You gots lots of scars,” Skylar observed. “I gots a scar, too,” the boy said, pulling down the neck of his pajamas to reveal a thin, red scar traveling vertically down his chest.

  “That’s a badge of honor, Skylar, a battle wound that you survived. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.”

  The boy’s big brown eyes shone with pride.

  “Okay, you can ask one more question then I have to go.” He looked around the group and pointed to a shy little girl who barely raised her hand.

  “What question would you like to ask, Avery?”

  The little girl glanced across the room at Nick, then leaned toward Cooper. She cupped her little hand around one side of her mouth and whispered, “Is Santa Claus really a cowboy?”

  Cooper bit back a laugh and nodded, keeping a serious expression on his face. “You bet he is! How else would he wrangle all the reindeer hitched to his sleigh?”

  Although a few of the youngsters glanced at him with dubious looks, most of them stared at Nick with open curiosity.”

  Cooper stood and walked over to his grandfather. After turning his back to the children, he dropped his voice. “They think you’re Santa, Gramps. Can you play the part as we leave?”

  “Sure, son,” Nick said, handing Cooper the empty box that had held all the gift bags.

  Cooper set the storybooks inside it then turned back to the children. “You all have a very happy Christmas and get well soon.”

  “Thanks, Super Cooper!” the children clapped and cheered.

  “And you all be good little boys and girls. I’ll be back soon and I expect to find you all on your best behavior,” Nick said, waggling his big, gnarled index finger at the children.

  Their heads bobbed up and down in agreement. Nick smiled and grasped his belt with both hands, did his best to make a pooch belly, then let out a few hearty “ho, ho, hos” before he and Cooper left the room.

  “Bye, Santa,” the children called. Their giggles and excited chatter carried down the hall as Nick and Cooper walked with Mrs. Haynes.

  They were nearly back to the elevator when Cooper stopped, recognizing a voice. He backed up a few steps and stared into the room of the little girl who’d nearly shredded what remained of his heart with her sweetness.

  Paige sat by the child’s bed, quietly reading a story while Randi stood at the foot of the bed, sketchpad in hand, doing a portrait of the little girl.

  Quietly, Cooper moved just far enough into the room to watch Randi capture the innocent spirit of the child. The way she drew the little one made it seem as though the child’s soul had moved on to heaven while her body lingered behind.

  Emotion clogged his throat and he listened in silence while Randi worked and Paige read a story about a little angel who just couldn’t quite stay out of trouble.

  Neither one of the women noticed him, but the girl in the bed turned her head away from her rapt attention to Paige’s story and saw him lingering by the door. Her eyes brightened and she weakly lifted a hand to wave at him.

  Paige glanced over her shoulder, staring at him in shocked surprise while Randi smiled.

  “Cooper! What are you doing here?” Randi asked, hurrying over to give him a hug.

  “I always come right before Christmas and do story time with the kids.” He nodded to the child in the bed. “Miss Madeline wasn’t quite up to joining us today, but we had a good visit earlier.”

  “Cooper gave me a pony,” the little girl said, nudging the pony on the covers beside her.

  “And a fine pony it is, too,” Randi said, moving over to admire the toy. She gave Paige a strange look and tipped her head toward the door. “Isn’t it nice of Cooper to bring her a pony, Paige?”

  Paige nodded and glanced at Cooper again.

  Randi moved back over by Cooper and noticed the older man in the hallway with the program director. “Hello, sir. I’m Randi Martin. If I had to guess, I’d say you must be Cooper’s grandfather.”

  “You guessed correctly. I’m Nick Charles,” he said, taking Randi’s hand in his and giving it a warm shake. “That’s quite a talent you have there.” He motioned to the sketchpad in her hand.

  “Thank you, sir.” Randi glanced down at the drawing. “It’s something I like to do for families who, um… you know, might need a keepsake someday.”

  The lump of emotion rose in Cooper’s throat again at the words Randi didn’t say. If she was there, drawing a portrait of the child, it most likely meant Madeline didn’t have much time left on earth.

  Nick smiled at Randi. “Cooper didn’t mention he’d recently met any artists.”

  “Oh, he was too busy tormenting my sister in Las Vegas,” she said, pointing to Paige. “Apparently, she swallowed her tongue a few moments ago.”

  Madeline’s eyes widened and she stared at Paige. “Did you really swallow your tongue?”

  Paige stuck out her tongue at her sister.

  Randi laughed. “Nope, it’s still there.”

  Paige stood and walked over to the doorway. She held out a hand to Cooper’s grandfather. “It’s nice to meet you, sir. Paige Porter.”

  “The pleasure is all mine, Ms. Porter.” Nick kissed the back of her hand and winked at her.

  “Hey, Gramps, take it down a notch,” Cooper said, scowling at his grandfather.

  Nick laughed and stepped into the room, waving at Madeline. “You be a good girl, sweetheart.”

  “I will, Santa,” the child said, smiling tiredly.

  “We better finish this up,” Randi said, moving close to the child’s bed. “If you two don’t have plans, maybe we could meet for lunch in an hour at the restaurant down the street.”

  “That sounds great,” Nick said before Cooper had time to answer. “We’ll see you there.”

  He grabbed Cooper’s arm and pushed him into the hall as Paige watched them leave.

  “That’s the girl?” Nick asked quietly when they were alone in the elevator heading down to the lobby. “The one that left you flummoxed?”

  “I’m not flummoxed, Gramps,” Cooper groused. “Who uses that word, anyway? Flummoxed. It sounds like an ox is getting ready to do something slightly illegal and definitely terrible.”

  Nick shook his head as they ambled across the lobby. “Don’t you try teasing your way out of this, son. I want to know more about that girl up there.”

  “There’s not much more to say than what I already said. She’s in love with someone else. End of story.”

  Nick snorted and raised one bushy eyebrow. “Oh, that is most definitely not the end of the story. She’s so besotted with you, she couldn’t even talk, Coop.”

  “Besotted?” Cooper grinned. “Geez, Gramps. Where are you pulling the words from today? You have some vintage lingo guide stuffed in your shirt pocket? Or did you renew your subscription to the retro word of the day?”

  Nick scowled and thumped Cooper on the back as they reached the pickup. “I don’t have a guide in my pocket or a subscription, smarty. They are good words, though. I’ll toss another one at you — smitten. Try that one on for size because it’s exactly what you are for Miss Paige Porter. If it was written any plainer on your face, it would be in bold, bright print, tattooed across your forehead.”

  Cooper scowled. “I already told you, Gramps, she’s got a boyfriend.”

  “Horsefeathers. That girl is as gone over you as you are over her. She just doesn’t realize it yet.” Nick set the box in the backseat of the truck and slid onto the passenger seat while Cooper retrieved a duffle bag with a change of clothes from the floor behind his seat. “She’s a pretty little thing, though. Kind of reminds me of your grandmother. And her sister is a real hoot. That wild mane of hair makes her look a little like a lion, don’t you think? I bet her husband has his hands full with that one. Do you think Paige is…”

  Cooper huffed in irritation. “So help me, Gramps, if you say one more weird thing, I’m taking you straight home. What did you get into at breakfast this morning?”

&nbs
p; “Nothing, son. Now, go change your clothes. We’ve got two pretty women meeting us for lunch and you can’t take them out with that makeup all over your face.”

  Chapter Eleven

  “I’m going home.”

  Randi grabbed Paige’s arm in a death grip and refused to let go. “Over my dead body.”

  Paige glared at her sister. “If you don’t let go of me this instant, that can be arranged.”

  Randi rolled her eyes and tugged Paige down the sidewalk in the direction of the restaurant where they were supposed to meet Cooper and his grandfather. “You’re coming with me, like it or not.”

  Although she continued walking with her, resigned to the inevitable, Paige smacked at Randi’s hand. “Can’t you say I have a headache or something? Would it kill you to make up a plausible excuse for my absence?”

  “It would.” Randi grinned as they neared the restaurant. The outside looked like a rustic cabin with big peeled logs and massive double doors. She pulled one open and motioned for Paige to precede her.

  “You’re the worst sister ever,” Paige said as she walked by her.

  “Someday, you’ll eat those words,” Randi muttered under her breath, following her sister.

  The scents of cinnamon, roasted meat, and holiday cheer filled the air as they stepped inside. Decorated with a bear theme, the restaurant went all-out for Christmas, even placing a Santa hat and snowflake-patterned fleece scarf on the life-sized wooden bear that greeted patrons next to the hostess station.

  Cooper and Nick stood from the bench where they’d waited as the two sisters entered.

  “Hi,” Randi said with an enthusiastic grin. “It’s so nice you could meet us for lunch.”

  “Thanks for asking us,” Nick said, motioning to the hostess that the rest of their party arrived. She quickly escorted them to a table where Nick and Randi somehow maneuvered so Paige had to sit next to Cooper.

  Politely, he held out her chair and waited for her to take a seat before settling down beside her. He hung his hat off the back of the chair and nodded to Randi. “What you do for those kids and their families is amazing.”

  Tears glistened in her eyes as she spoke. “It’s nothing, really. I had a friend who lost a little girl. She told me several times how much the last portrait I drew of Hannah meant to her, so I decided to do what I could for other families. When she can, Paige goes with me and reads to the kids. It helps them to relax and keeps them distracted while I sketch.”

  “You girls make a good team,” Nick observed. He gave Paige a studying glance. “Did you have a good time in Las Vegas? Cooper mentioned meeting you there. It’s kind of funny how you run into people who are practically neighbors when you’re a thousand miles from home.”

  “It is really funny,” Randi said, jumping in before Paige could speak. “The other thing that’s just weird is my husband works with a girl who is dating the twin brother of a stock contractor who’s married to a rodeo photographer and she’s a friend of Cooper’s.”

  Nick tried to follow all the connections, but got lost after twin brother and looked at Cooper for an explanation.

  “Ransom’s girlfriend works with Randi’s husband,” Cooper said.

  “Ah,” Nick said, nodding his head in understanding. He looked back to Randi. “Did you have an opportunity to see any of Celia’s work?”

  “We did. She had a few photos on display at an art show we attended. She’s really good,” Randi said, giving the menu a perfunctory glance then setting it aside.

  “Randi’s very talented, too,” Cooper said, studying his menu. “She does landscapes and portraits.”

  “Well, if what I saw today was any indication, you’ve got a lot of talent, young lady. Do you have a job outside of painting?”

  “No, sir. Painting is what I do for a living. I wake up blessed every day to have a career doing something I love so much and a husband who supports and encourages me.” Randi smiled at the older man.

  “What about you, Miss Porter? Cooper said something about advertising?” Nick shifted his focus to Paige.

  “Yes, sir. I work for Conner Creative. It’s an advertising agency with offices in Portland, Seattle, Los Angeles, Salt Lake City, and Phoenix. We work with a variety of clients.” Paige nervously toyed with her menu, wishing she were anywhere other than sitting at a table beside Cooper James.

  In the time she’d been home from Las Vegas, she’d done her best to forget all about him, to shove the memories of his striking blue eyes and engaging smile from her mind, not to mention his hunky form. She’d tried to pretend he hadn’t thoroughly captivated her, even with his tendency to tease and humiliate her.

  She wouldn’t even allow herself to think about the heated, passionate, world-rocking kisses they’d shared. Thoughts of them made her overheated, antsy, and filled with a sense of longing and loss that defied explanation.

  In an effort to convince herself Cooper was one of those “what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas” moments, she’d gone to visit Dexter, determined to be more observant of her boyfriend’s charm.

  Only Dexter had greeted her with a half-hearted peck to the cheek and a reminder to remove her shoes at the door so she didn’t carry germs into his apartment.

  His skinny burgundy jeans, shiny pointy-toed shoes, and wad of hair on top of his head annoyed her for some unexplained reason. After thirty minutes of listening to him go on and on about a video game he’d been playing for the past week, she made an excuse and left while visions of the cleft in Cooper’s chin and the luscious fullness of his bottom lip tormented her mind.

  The last person she expected to see at the hospital was Cooper. Yet, there he was, in full-on clown mode, bringing the children holiday cheer.

  It didn’t surprise her in the least that he would visit the children and bring them little gifts. One of the nurses commented about the bags full of goodies he brought the children when he visited and how much the kids enjoyed them. The contents of the bags weren’t cheap. Paige figured he’d dropped a few hundred bucks on the gifts he’d given the children that day.

  She’d seen a few bags in Las Vegas similar to the ones he left with the children today and wondered if he gave them out to children there, too.

  The man was impossible for her to decipher. He had no problem teasing an adult to the point they were utterly humiliated. He could banter with anyone at any time and didn’t seem to possess a serious bone in his body. Then he did something sweet, like reading to sick children at the hospital.

  Clearly, his grandfather doted on him. Most everyone spoke well of him, even if they’d been on the receiving end of one of Cooper’s jokes.

  Covertly, she studied him, deciding Cooper had to be one of those rare people magnets — someone who drew people in without even realizing the power they held over others.

  Well, she’d been drawn to him once, but it wouldn’t happen again. From now on, she’d keep things between them strictly professional.

  Firm in her resolve, she looked up and found three sets of eyes staring at her, waiting for a reply to a question she hadn’t heard.

  “I’m sorry, I guess I let my mind wander.”

  “And I know where it went,” Randi mumbled.

  Paige glared at her then looked at Nick. “My apologies, sir. Would you mind repeating your question?”

  “I just asked why it was you went to Las Vegas and how it all involves Cooper.” Nick offered her a smile nearly as charming as those his grandson freely tossed around.

  Paige grinned, realizing Cooper inherited part of his charisma from the white-haired man on the other side of the table. “I have a client who is launching a new western clothing line for men. He needed an authentic cowboy to model the clothes. With the number of cowboys in town during the rodeo, he figured Las Vegas would be the best place to find just the right model.”

  Nick laughed. “Kind of like shooting fish in a barrel.”

  The two women offered him puzzled looks and Nick waved a hand at Paige. “Go o
n with your story, honey. So you went to Vegas to find a model, but how did you run into Cooper?”

  “We’d just arrived in town and went to one of the Christmas vendor shows where there seemed to be an abundance of cowboys in attendance. We didn’t have to search too long until I spotted someone I thought would be the best representative of my client’s clothing line.”

  Nick nodded. “And that was Coop?”

  “Yes, sir. Before we had a chance to speak with him, he disappeared into the crowd, so we spent the next several days trying to catch up to him.”

  “How in the world did you ever find him in all those thousands of people if you didn’t know who he was?” Nick asked, intrigued by the story, although he’d already heard Cooper’s version of it.

  Paige blushed and Randi giggled.

  Cooper settled his arm across the back of Paige’s chair and smirked. “She took a picture of my backside and ran around asking everyone if they’d seen it. I’m surprised it wasn’t on the nightly news for all the people she asked about it.”

  Humiliation stained Paige’s cheeks with bright spots of color. She took a long drink of her ice water, trying to cool her rising temperature.

  Nick laughed. “Now that’s a funny story.”

  Paige scowled at Cooper and shifted slightly away from him. “What Cooper failed to tell you is that I asked him, while he was in disguise as a clown, if he knew who the cowboy was in the photo and he pretended he didn’t know. If it wasn’t for Celia’s help, I’d never have found him.”

  Nick shook his finger in a scolding manner at Cooper. “I bet you saw an opportunity to hang out with these two pretty girls and played it for as long as you could.”

  Cooper grinned. “Something like that, Gramps.” He placed a hand on Paige’s back, making her jump at the contact. “All’s well that ends well, right?”

  Paige wanted to run out of the restaurant. It was bad enough sitting next to Cooper with his tantalizing, masculine scent overriding the delicious food aromas around her. But the feel of his hand, splayed against her back was about to push her beyond the edge of reason.