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

by Shanna Hatfield

  “No, Cooper. We started down this road before. You made your choice when you let Sloane slobber all over you right in front of me. You’ve probably got women like Sloane at every rodeo you attend.”

  Fury puckered twin vertical lines between his brows while a muscle bunched in his chiseled jaw. He took another step closer, completely boxing her in at the dresser. “You know what, Paige? I’ll tell you the truth. Women come on to me at rodeos, at gas stations, even at the grocery store. I can’t help that. Just because they’re attracted to me, doesn’t mean the feeling is mutual. It certainly doesn’t mean I’m doing anything wrong. What you saw with Sloane was entirely one-sided.”

  “So you’re saying you didn’t kiss her right in front of me at my office?”

  “She kissed me, but you are completely missing the point!” Cooper raked a hand over his head and blew out a frustrated breath. “What about you? You have Poindexter. How am I supposed to feel, knowing you’re just toying with me? When it’s all said and done, you’ll go back to your boyfriend.”

  She refused to meet his gaze, staring at her bare toes. “I broke up with Dexter a while back.”

  His knuckles grazed her chin and he pushed it up until she had to look at him. “You did?”

  A brief nod.

  “Why?” Cooper asked, keeping his fingers beneath her chin so she couldn’t duck her head again.

  “Because it was time.” That was true. She sure wasn’t admitting to Cooper that she couldn’t get thoughts of him out of her head. Or that after meeting him, all other men paled in comparison.

  “Okay.” He reached behind her and lifted the jar of chunky green facial scrub. “Did I really just eat stuff you use on your face?”

  A giggle floated out of her. “You did. How did it taste?”

  “Not great, but the chips kind of hid the flavor.” He smirked and set the jar back on the dresser. “I’m glad you’re here, Paige. Gramps said you’ve been to visit a few times.”

  “I enjoy spending time with Nick.” She shrugged as if that should explain her presence at the ranch. “Despite everything, I appreciate you letting us do the photo shoot here and being our main model. Elliott is so excited, he can hardly contain himself.”

  Cooper chuckled. “I can imagine.” He backed up a few steps and studied her a long moment.

  Paige blushed as his perusal traveled from the top of her still damp hair to the pink polish on her toes.

  A devilish smile filled his face as he winked at her. “Looking good there, PP. Maybe you should become a pajama model.”

  Paige glanced down at her pink flowered tank and matching knit cotton shorts. The realization that her face was bare of makeup and very few clothes separated her from Cooper made her flush an even deeper shade of red.

  Cooper turned as though he planned to leave the room, and Paige released the breath she’d been holding. Then she felt his arms around her as he drew her tight against his chest and placed a kiss on top of her head.

  “Sleep well, sugar.”

  He rushed out the door, closing it quietly behind him.

  Paige sank down on the bed, her wobbly knees no longer able to hold her upright. How would she ever make it through the next few days, spending every waking moment in Cooper’s presence without losing her heart to the man?

  If she cared to admit the truth, he’d owned it from the moment she first met him in Las Vegas.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Cooper stood outside Paige’s bedroom door, fighting the urge to go back inside, sweep her into his arms, and love her with all the fiery passion she stirred in him.

  He’d spent the last six months wondering what he’d done to get on her bad side. Oh, he knew she’d seen Sloane kissing him back in January, but he didn’t give it much thought. At least he didn’t until Paige refused to see him or talk to him again.

  It wasn’t his fault Elliott’s awful assistant couldn’t keep her hands or lips to herself. He’d done nothing to encourage Sloane and hadn’t participated in the kiss. In fact, if Paige had taken time to observe the situation objectively, she would have seen that he was trying to push Sloane away.

  Since then, the only communication he could get out of Paige was an occasional text message concerning the modeling job. Even then, the messages were reserved and professional.

  Hurt and angry she’d think so little of him, he’d decided it was best to forget about Paige Porter. She’d been dating that sissified dork anyway.

  If anyone had a right to be upset about the whole situation, it was he. Paige could have told him long before he ever kissed her in Las Vegas that she was seeing someone. But she hadn’t. Instead, she’d kissed him with every bit as much fervor and longing as he’d shared with her.

  Gratified to hear she’d finally broken up with Dexter, his gut clenched as he thought of her dating someone equally as awful. All she’d said was that she’d broken up with Dexter, not that she wasn’t dating anyone else.

  A glance at the door made him reach out for the knob, but after a few seconds, he dropped his hand to his side.

  When she walked out of the bathroom, fresh from the shower with her skin glowing, Cooper’s mouth flooded with moisture. She looked so soft, so feminine, and so incredibly wonderful, his senses had gone into overdrive.

  He liked seeing her without a speck of makeup on her face, with her hair damp and mussed. And her hair had smelled like some delicious ambrosia. He’d wanted to bury his face in it and inhale great breaths of the alluring fragrance.

  Although he tried to leave the room without touching her, he couldn’t do it. That one hug, with the feel of her body held so close to his, ignited a fire he thought he’d banked months ago. The embers of it flickered and burned. Rather than stoke it, he needed to put it out for good.

  Paige had made it clear she wanted to stick to a professional relationship. The next few days would tax every bit of restraint Cooper possessed if he planned to follow her wishes.

  Anxiety gnawed at him with a foreign, unwelcome feeling, leaving him slightly queasy. Or maybe it was her facial scrub. Thoughts of what he’d eaten made him swallow back a gag.

  Despite himself, Cooper chuckled as he made his way down to the kitchen.

  “What’s so funny?” Irma asked as he filled a glass with water and drank it in a few long swallows. He refilled it and took a seat at the table.

  “Paige.” Cooper smiled at the older woman as she set a warm piece of pie in front of him.

  She grinned and pointed to the pie. “If you’d rather, I can get my jar of night cream and a spoon.”

  Cooper scowled at his grandfather, irritated the man had tattled on him.

  Nick laughed. “I couldn’t keep something that funny to myself. Serves you right for bothering that girl. I told you to stay away from her tonight.”

  “I know, Gramps, but I had to see her.” Cooper hated to admit it, especially to himself, but he’d missed Paige with a ferocity he’d never have imagined possible. He’d left the rodeo that afternoon the minute he had everything packed and drove like a mad man to make it home tonight just so he could see her before everyone arrived for the photo shoot.

  “Like what you saw?” Nick asked, suggestively waggling his bushy white eyebrows.

  Cooper took a big bite of pie so he wouldn’t have to answer.

  Irma and Nick both laughed at him. Not in the mood to be on the receiving end of their teasing, he finished the pie and bid them both a good night.

  Early the next morning, Cooper rose while it was still dark out and quietly made his way down the stairs.

  “Bless that Irma,” he whispered in the predawn light as he inhaled the rich scent of coffee and poured himself a cup. As he took a drink, he opened the mudroom door and stepped onto the porch. He took another deep drink and gazed out over the ranch, glad to be home.

  “Good morning,” a sultry, feminine voice said from beside him

  Coffee sloshed out of the cup when he jerked in surprise, nearly scalding his hand. He
glanced over at Paige as she sat in an old wicker chair with her feet drawn up on the edge of the seat, knees raised, and a cup of coffee held with both hands.

  She lifted one arched brow, then took another sip of the rich brew.

  “What are you doing out here?” he asked, shaking coffee off his hand then wiping his fingers on his jeans.

  “Enjoying the peace and quiet. I love this time of day when everything is stirring to life.” She pointed to where the sun began climbing over the hills in the distance, filling the sky with sherbet-hued ribbons of pink and orange.

  “I figured you’d sleep until noon,” he said, feeling the need to goad her, even if he couldn’t say why. It threw him off kilter to see her looking so at home on the back porch, like she belonged there. No matter how many times he’d dreamed of seeing her there, it wasn’t meant to be. Not when she so clearly wanted nothing to do with him, beyond his agreement to model her client’s stupid jeans.

  Cooper had both dreaded and looked forward to the photo shoot for Lasso Eight. On one hand, Elliott Flynn had agreed to pay a ridiculous amount of money for Cooper to model as well as use the ranch. Only a crazy person could turn down what he felt like was relatively easy money.

  All he had to do was stand around and let them photograph him in the clothing Elliott designed. Elliott had even taken Cooper’s suggestions to make the jeans more comfortable for riding and every day ranch work and revamped the original designs to add a relaxed fit line in addition to what the man called his classic fit line.

  A month ago, Cooper had arrived home for a quick stop between rodeos and found a box full of clothes from Lasso Eight. He took them on the road to test them out. After wearing everything, he decided he liked the fit and look of the clothes, and told Elliott as much.

  The modeling didn’t bother him, neither did having the camera crew at the ranch.

  However, the impending arrival of Sloane made him decide he’d probably earn every penny Elliott was paying and then some. Despite the many times he’d made it clear he wasn’t interested in a relationship of any sort with the pushy woman, she wouldn’t take no for an answer.

  Sloane’s failure to listen to him was sure to create waves with the woman intent on keeping a professional distance from him.

  He glanced down at her golden hair as it fell in loose waves around her face, highlighted by the early morning sunlight.

  She appeared so sweet and lovely, the sight of her squeezed painfully at his heart. He wanted to see her on the porch every morning, sipping coffee with him as they talked about the day ahead.

  At her cool look, he leaned against a porch rail. “Do you always rise so early?”

  “Most of the time. There are never enough hours in the day to get everything accomplished.” She glanced up at him then returned her gaze to the horizon. “Besides, I didn’t want to miss a sunrise like this.”

  He glimpsed the tropical colors filling the sky and smiled. They did have incredible sunrises and sunsets at the ranch. “Did you make the coffee?”

  She nodded. “I didn’t want to disturb Irma, but I needed a little caffeine boost. Last I checked, it’s quite a drive to the nearest coffee shop.”

  “That it is,” Cooper said, smiling at her. “It’s good coffee. I thought your sister said you don’t know how to cook much.”

  “I don’t, but coffee is a matter of survival.”

  He laughed and she smiled. Suddenly, the tension that had stretched between them eased.

  “Did you…”

  “Do you…”

  They both spoke at once, but Cooper tipped his head to her. “Ladies first.”

  “I was just going to ask if you have any questions regarding the photo shoot or video.”

  “Not right now. I’m sure I will later.” He glanced at her over his coffee cup. “I do have a request, though.”

  “I’ll do my best to accommodate it,” she said, smiling at him. “What can I do for you?”

  It was on the tip of his tongue to suggest she come closer so he could kiss her a few — or a million — times.

  Rather than voice something that would no doubt cause her to withdraw again, he grinned. “Is it possible for you to keep Sloane away from me? I can’t stand that woman and I’d much prefer her to not be around.”

  Paige nodded her head. “I’ll see what I can do, but Elliott rarely goes anywhere without her.”

  “Like a trained guard dog,” Cooper muttered.

  “What was that?” Paige asked, hiding her smile behind her coffee cup.

  Aware she’d heard him loud and clear, he smirked. “I do have another request.”

  “Yes?”

  Cooper glanced up, trying to gauge if his grandfather was up yet, hoping the older man was still asleep and not listening to their conversation. “I’d really like to have Gramps in a few of the photos. He’s fit for his age and I think he’d do a good job representing Elliott’s line for older men.”

  Paige smiled. “I’d thought about asking him, but wasn’t sure if he’d do it. I think it would be so fun to dress him in a red shirt and have him do some holiday poses for us. He could totally be Santa Claus with that white hair and beard.”

  “See, you know what I’m talking about.” Cooper held out his cup toward her with a warm smile. “I’ve been telling him ever since he let his hair and beard grow long that he could totally be Santa, but he won’t listen to me.”

  “Well, let’s make it happen.”

  They discussed some ideas for talking Nick into modeling, and confirmed the arrival time of Cooper’s friends who would also model the clothing line. They walked around outside, deciding on the best place to put the food tent when the caterers rolled in, and where to have the entourage of trailers set up.

  Although Nick invited Paige to stay in the house, the camera crew and those working for Elliott would stay in travel trailers. Elliott’s was a luxury model, of course, but a trailer all the same.

  Cooper’s friends would fill the rest of the guest bedrooms in the house. The cowboys would stay through the rodeo and leave the following Sunday.

  It’d be nice to have them at the ranch. Perhaps with everyone there tomorrow, it would help diffuse the intense, barely controllable attraction Cooper felt for Paige.

  Every second he spent with her made it harder and harder not to kiss her senseless. Especially when her fragrance ensnared his senses while those big toffee-colored eyes threatened to suck him into a place he’d never want to leave.

  Unbidden, thoughts of how good she’d felt in his arms last night as he hugged her made him want to lift her right out of the chair. She looked so girlish and cute with her bare toes peeking out of the hem of the sweatshirt she’d tugged over her legs to ward off the early morning chill.

  Sounds from the kitchen drifted out the open windows and Cooper released a sigh. He’d most likely missed out on the last opportunity to spend any time alone with Paige. The photographer and film crew were due to arrive before noon, and the others the following morning.

  “Coop?” his grandfather called, his voice carrying outside.

  “On the porch, Gramps,” he replied.

  Nick opened the door and stuck his head outside. “Oh, there you are, honey. I noticed your room was empty and the bed made. I worried this joker might have scared you away.”

  Playfully, Cooper batted his eyelashes at his grandfather. “That’s not a very nice way to talk about our guest, Gramps. She did her best to poison me last night, but I wouldn’t call her a joker. She’s far too serious for that title.”

  Paige rolled her eyes in mock annoyance while Nick shook his head. “Case in point, Cooper. Don’t you ever know when to be serious?”

  “I do, but right now isn’t one of those times.” He moved away from the porch rail and handed his cup to Nick. “I’ll get started on the morning chores while Irma makes breakfast. Back in an hour?”

  “Yeah, that’ll be fine, son.” Nick watched Paige as she followed Cooper’s every move. When h
e bent over to pet the dogs, color filled her cheeks.

  He chuckled and returned inside. Maybe he didn’t need to stop dreaming of those grandbabies just yet.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Once the photographer and film crew arrived, Paige shifted from her relaxed mood into advertising executive mode. Although she wore shorts and a summery cotton blouse with comfortable tennis shoes, her demeanor was all business.

  Since the caterers wouldn’t arrive until the following day, Irma prepared dinner that evening for everyone. Cooper grilled steaks while Paige helped set a picnic table in the shade of the trees in the side yard.

  The meal garnered rave reviews from the camera crew, who enjoyed the thick, juicy steaks and Irma’s assortment of salads and side dishes. When she offered them warm cherry cobbler topped with pools of rapidly melting vanilla ice cream, they eagerly accepted the dessert. The photographer almost licked his plate clean, then looked sheepishly around the table.

  “This beats take-out any day,” he said, earning several laughs and smiles. The man endeared himself to Irma when he volunteered to help with the dishes.

  Not to be left out, the film crew jumped in and helped clear the table, leaving Paige with nothing to do.

  They’d spent the afternoon deciding exactly where, when, and how to shoot the still shots and video. When everyone arrived tomorrow, they’d be ready and waiting.

  Cooper could have found any number of things to occupy his time, but he lingered outside with Paige and Nick.

  “Why don’t you go for a ride, honey? You look like you could use a little quiet time to enjoy God’s handiwork.” Nick smiled at Paige and took a swig of his iced tea.

  “Thank, Nick. I think I will.” She stood and hurried into the house to change while Cooper gave his grandfather a questioning look.

  “Ride? What’s she going to ride? Did she bring a bicycle with her?” Cooper craned his neck, looking around for a bike.

  “She’s been riding Cupid,” Nick said, staring at something off in the distance so he didn’t have to meet Cooper’s stunned gaze.