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

by Shanna Hatfield

  “Riding in a wonderland of…” drifted across the screen in bold letters as Shaun and the other cowboys Paige had contracted rode into view, joining Cooper. The word “snow” appeared in soft, faint letters that melted into the digital snowflakes falling on the screen. It made it seem like the word snow was a humorous afterthought to the wonderland of handsome cowboys.

  Randi beamed as she turned to Paige. “You really are brilliant. You know that, don’t you?”

  Paige blushed under her sister’s praise. “Thank you. I tried really hard to be creative and original with this campaign.”

  “So far, so good. We saw the commercial on TV last night. It was so fun to watch it, knowing the guy who was in it.”

  Dave pointed to a large gathering of women who’d been ogling the screen. “Cooper and the guys seem to be a hit, at least with the women in town. How does that sell guy clothes, though?”

  Randi placed her hand on his arm and gave it a pat, as though he was the dumbest male on the planet. “Because all those women want to buy the clothes that will make their men look like that. And if they don’t yet have a man, they’ll be keenly interested in finding one who’ll wear the clothes that will…”

  “Make them look like that,” Dave said, grinning at the two sisters. “I get it. It’s just, not all of us look like Cooper.”

  “I still think you’re the most handsome man I’ve ever met,” Randi said, standing on her tiptoes to give Dave a kiss.

  In the past, their public displays of affection would have annoyed and embarrassed Paige, but not any longer. Especially when Dave placed a loving hand on Randi’s belly.

  “I’m starving,” Randi said, turning back to Paige. “Let’s go find some lunch, and then I want to take Dave to see the aquarium.”

  As they walked toward the entrance of the casino, they overheard a young woman gushing about Cooper. “I’d sure like to lasso that Lasso Eight guy. I bet your hands would sizzle right off if you ever got close enough to touch that fine…”

  Randi laughed aloud and gave Paige a sassy smile. “Well, Paige, since you still have your hands, I assume Cooper’s keister didn’t sizzle them right off.”

  Paige’s face turned red and she shook her head. “What makes you think I’ve had any contact with something that lethal?”

  Even Dave laughed as they strolled inside.

  Later that night, the three of them sat at the rodeo, watching a commercial for Lasso Eight as it played in the pre-show advertisements.

  This one featured Cooper and all of the other cowboys blurred in the distance with a flurry of snowflakes blowing across the front of the screen. As the cowboys moved toward the camera, the view shifted to bring them into sharp focus. All of them had their heads tipped down, hats hiding their faces. The line of cowboys dressed in Lasso Eight styles stood with their thumbs hooked in their front pockets, then Cooper raised his head just enough to see that trademark cleft in his chin and a come-hither smile.

  “Here We Come…” flashed across the screen followed by Lasso Eight’s logo and information.

  The crowd buzzed in excitement over the mystery man in the ads, speculating who it might be. Some thought it was one of the rodeo contestants. Two women sitting behind Paige argued over which celebrity the company had talked into modeling for them, convinced it was the star in a new action film.

  Randi squeezed Paige’s hand while Dave grinned. “Nice job, lil’ sis. If you wanted to get everyone talking about Lasso Eight, mission accomplished.”

  Paige jumped when someone sat down beside her. She looked over and bit back a sigh as Cooper waggled his eyebrows at her. Dressed in his clown costume, with full makeup, she wondered what he was up to. She knew he wasn’t the clown chosen to work the event, because the rodeo committee picked someone different every year.

  Dave smiled and reached around his wife and Paige to shake Cooper’s hand. “Nice to see you, man.”

  “You, too, Dave. It’s been awhile.” Cooper grinned at Dave then shifted his attention to Randi, breaking into a broad smile. “And look at you, little mama. The last time I saw you, you were only out to here.” Cooper held his hand out in front of him.

  “Wait just a minute.” Paige scowled at her sister. “When did you two see each other?”

  Randi rubbed her hand over her tummy and glanced from Dave to Cooper, carefully avoiding eye contact with her sister. “We, um… might have had Cooper and Nick over for dinner once or twice.”

  Paige glared at her sister, feeling deceived.

  Aware of her wounded feelings, Cooper bumped her shoulder with his. “It wasn’t anything, Paige, really. They just invited Gramps and I over out of pity because Irma was out of town visiting her son. Another time was purely accidental, when I ran into Randi in town.”

  Pleased her sister and brother-in-law liked Cooper enough they’d continue their friendship with him, she still felt like they’d somehow betrayed her. Conflicted and confused, it wasn’t the time or place to sort out her jumbled feelings.

  Not when Cooper’s unique manly scent filled her nose and invaded her senses. His warmth penetrated her side. Every time his arm brushed hers, tingles raced through her body and threatened to short-circuit her brain.

  “You still didn’t say why you are dressed like that,” she said, studying the shorts that fell below his knees and the shirt that hung well below his attractive posterior, completely hiding it.

  He leaned closer to her and dropped his voice to a whisper. “If I came in my regular clothes, I thought the gig might be up. I figured this way you can keep the mystery alive and well.”

  Stunned by the fact he’d put on the costume just to help her out, she gaped at him. “That’s so nice of you, Cooper. Thank you.”

  “Well, I figured it was the least I could do since Elliott paid for this nice seat for me, as well as put me up in a posh suite and gave me a rather hefty expense account. He does know I always come anyway, doesn’t he?”

  Paige smiled. “He does. But you might as well take advantage of being his golden boy while it lasts. And be sure you use that expense account. He wouldn’t have given it to you if he didn’t want you to use it.”

  “I’m fixin’ to get footloose and fancy-free!” Cooper teased, lifting a foot and wiggling it in the air.

  The people around them laughed, staring at Cooper, wondering why he sat with them instead of being out in the arena.

  Paige had never sat by Cooper through a rodeo. He stayed beside her, offering informative comments, telling jokes, and cheering loudly for his friends when they rode.

  During the bull riding, he sat forward on the edge of his seat, intently watching each cowboy. He whistled loudly when a man named Huck finished a brilliant ride with a flying dismount, landing on his feet at a run.

  Paige recalled seeing one cowboy named Chase ride back in July. The cowboy was probably close to her age, in his late twenties, but it was hard to tell at this distance. Cooper seemed to know him well, though, as he talked about the great year his friend had experienced on the circuit and how he thought he had a real shot at taking the championship title.

  All four of them cheered loudly when Chase scored an eighty-eight point ride.

  Up until then, Paige hadn’t noticed familiar faces sitting over one aisle and down a few rows. “Isn’t that Celia and her family?” Paige asked, pointing to a head of bright red hair.

  Cooper grinned. “Sure looks like it. Have you met her brother?”

  Paige shook her head. “No, but Celia has mentioned him several times.”

  “Then we need to introduce you.” Cooper sent a text message and grinned when Celia turned around and waved at him. His phone beeped when she sent him back a text. “They’ll wait for us after the rodeo.”

  Paige truly liked Celia and Kash. She’d even met Kash’s twin brother several times. She’d heard Celia talk about her brother and his family, and also his brother’s best friend.

  She looked forward to meeting them all. As soon as the c
rowd cleared out, Paige and Cooper stood and made their way over to where Celia sat with three other couples and their children.

  Cooper greeted everyone with big smiles, shaking hands with the men, kissing the women on their cheeks, and picking up a little boy who beamed at him with adoration.

  “Cooper!” the boy said, wrapping his arms around his neck.

  “Hey, Gideon! How are you doing? Are you keeping things going at your ranch?” Cooper leaned back and tweaked the child’s nose.

  “Yep,” Gideon nodded. “Daddy and I get ‘er done.”

  Everyone laughed at the child’s comment. Cooper handed the boy to his father then lifted a sweet little girl with blue eyes and black curls into his arms. “And how is Miss Gracie?”

  “Spoiled,” Celia said, jiggling the toddler’s foot, eliciting a smile. The little one held out her arms to her aunt and Celia gladly took her.

  “Everyone, I want you to meet Paige Porter, the mastermind behind all the Lasso Eight ads. This is her sister, Randi, and brother-in-law, Dave.” Cooper placed a hand on her shoulder, making Paige wonder if the heat of his touch would melt right through her blouse.

  “It’s so nice to meet you all.” She smiled as Celia introduced her brother, Cort, and his wife, Kaley. Their son, Jacob, grinned as he shook her hand. The rosy-cheeked cherub Celia held belonged to Cort and Kaley, and was the reason they were unable to attend the rodeo the previous year.

  “I’m Tate Morgan,” a dimple-cheeked cowboy greeted her with one hand on the waist of a beautiful brunette who was obviously expecting a child. “This is my wife, Kenzie, and that chatterbox next to Jacob is our son, Gideon.”

  Cooper then introduced her to a bull rider named Huck Powell, his wife, Mara, and their three children.

  “Man, I thought you were for sure going to take the high score tonight,” Cooper said, thumping Huck on the back. “Chase is gonna give you a run for your money.”

  “Don’t I know it,” Huck said, smiling at his friends. “After I win this year, maybe I’ll retire next year.”

  Katie Jo Powell sighed with typical teenage drama and rolled her eyes at her father. “You’ve said that every year for the past four years, Dad. None of us are buying it.”

  The group laughed. Together, they made their way outside and wandered toward the taxi line that was slowly moving.

  “Why are you dressed like a clown, Coop?” Celia asked as she bounced Grace in her arms. The baby’s sweet giggles made them all smile.

  “I’m in disguise until the fashion show on Thursday.” He bent his knees and pretended to hide behind Jacob, drawing laughter from the two youngest boys.

  “Disguise? What are you talking about?” Cort asked as they inched forward.

  “We’re trying to keep the identity of the guy in the Lasso Eight ads a secret until the fashion show. If I showed up here at the rodeo in normal clothes, it wouldn’t take long for people to figure it out.”

  “So, you’re going to spend the entire time dressed in your clown gear?” Tate asked.

  Cooper shrugged. “Not the entire time. Just a good part of it. Really, I don’t mind. I like talking to the kids and signing autographs. I even arranged to visit the children’s hospital here in town tomorrow. No biggie.”

  Once again, Paige admired what a good man Cooper James had turned out to be. Some people might think with all his teasing and joking, he would be a jerk, but that was the farthest thing from the truth.

  Generous and big-hearted, she had no doubt he’d take a bunch of goodies to the hospital to share with the kids. She made a mental note to contact Elliott about donating some child-sized T-shirts with the Lasso Eight logo to the children’s hospital in Portland and the one in Las Vegas.

  As she watched Cooper interact with his friends, Paige decided she had to figure out a way for him to run around without being dressed like a clown. It wasn’t fair to him. Even if he said he didn’t mind it, she knew from past conversations that he didn’t enjoy wearing the makeup.

  Ideas came to mind as they waited in line. Just before they all piled into the waiting taxis, Cooper ruffled Jacob’s hair, tweaked Gideon’s nose, then waved to everyone. “I’ve got wheels to drive, so I’ll catch you all later. Stay out of trouble!”

  Paige watched him leave, wondering what she’d do when it was time to go home, back to her solitary existence. One she didn’t want to face without Cooper.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Cooper took a deep breath, overcome with nerves. He’d rather face down two-thousand pounds of angry bull than walk out on the stage with more than a thousand pairs of female eyes ogling him like the sweetest piece of chocolate on the planet.

  Calling on every bit of inner fortitude he possessed, he said a little prayer that he’d survive. He bounced on the balls of his feet and shook his hands to loosen up a bit.

  By some miracle, those speculating over the identity of the mystery man in the Lasso Eight ads hadn’t figured out his identity.

  A national news station had jumped on the bandwagon and broadcast a human-interest story about revealing the identity of the unknown cowboy at the fundraising luncheon today. Gramps had called and teased him about setting hearts aflutter all over the country.

  Cooper didn’t care about generating interest in all those women. There was only one woman whose heart he wanted to make race and she was standing on the other side of the stage, going over last minute details with Shaun and the other models.

  If Cooper could survive the advertisement that ran yesterday, he could make it through this fashion show.

  He’d been driving down The Strip to meet Huck Powell’s family for lunch when he’d glanced up and caught another Lasso Eight advertisement. The words, “Just by the pleasure it gives here on earth,” stood out on a leather embossed-looking background before a video showed him leaning against the corral fence. The sight of his shirtless body showcased like a prime slab of beef caused him to swallow the gum he’d been chewing. The shots included just enough of a view of his jeans to cause women to think all sorts of inappropriate thoughts.

  In fact, as he glared at the screen, he barely avoided running into two cars that collided. Not a surprise, women were driving both vehicles.

  After that fiasco, and having to live down Huck and Mara teasing him until embarrassment turned his ears red at lunch, he’d spent the afternoon hiding in his hotel room.

  Much to his surprise, Paige had insisted on taking him shopping the morning after the first rodeo performance. She talked him into buying a few pairs of baggy jeans and sloppy T-shirts, charging the purchases to Elliott’s expense account. In those clothes, with a ball cap on his head, no one suspected he was the unknown model in the snug western jeans. It gave him some freedom to run around the city undetected, even if he hated the oversized clothes.

  Now, as he watched a harried Paige greet Elliott and smile as the man leaned close and whispered something to her, he experienced a mixture of emotion.

  As soon as this fashion show was over, he intended to get Paige alone and insist they talk.

  The last week had given them plenty of opportunity to be together. Although they both pretended otherwise, the attraction between them couldn’t be denied. It sparked and sizzled every time they set eyes on each other, and had increased a hundred fold from what they felt for each other last December.

  When he’d first met Paige, Cooper remembered the inexplicable draw he’d felt toward her, the desire to be with her, the need to know her.

  It was nothing compared to what he felt now. If he had to get down on his knees and beg her to open her eyes and see the possibility of a future together, he’d do it. He’d give up his rodeo career for her.

  Shoot, he’d even move to Los Angeles if that was what she wanted, although he was certain she wasn’t going to leave Portland. Last night at the rodeo, Randi hinted at a change in Paige’s plans. A change that would keep her close to home.

  He wondered what Paige would do if he worked up the courage to
confess his true feelings to her. Cooper released a long breath. If he could march out on that runway and let a thousand women eyeball his backside, he could tell Paige he loved her and couldn’t live without her.

  An enticing fragrance reached his nose right before he felt Paige’s small hand on his arm.

  “Are you ready to do this, Cooper?” she asked.

  “If I say no and run out the back door, what’ll you do?” He tugged on his collar, wondering when it had gotten too tight.

  Paige looked amazing in a simple black lace dress that came to her knees and accentuated her curves. The four-inch black heels she wore elongated her legs and made Cooper think any number of thoughts that had nothing to do with Lasso Eight, and how much he wanted to lasso Paige’s heart.

  When she smiled at his teasing, his heart slammed so hard in his chest, he rubbed the spot. After long months of being convinced she’d ripped his heart out, he was glad to know it still resided in its proper place.

  Their gazes locked and he knew in that moment she still cared, still wanted him, still loved him. Even if they’d never said the words, love was evident in the warm depths of her eyes, the way she tilted her head, the private intimacy of her smile.

  “If you run out on me, Cooper James, I’ll hunt you down even if it takes the rest of my life to find you.”

  “I’ll hold you to that, darlin’.” Unable to stop himself, he bent down and kissed her cheek. “You look beautiful, Paige. I like this new you, not so stiff and all-business.” His hand ran over the thick golden waves dancing around her face. “I really like seeing your hair down, too.”

  Pink blossomed in her cheeks, but she didn’t turn away. Instead, she boldly took a step back and gave him a thorough perusal. “You already know you look like a big, luscious piece of man-candy, and you can’t pretend otherwise.”

  Her cheeks turned completely red when she said “man-candy” and he bit back a laugh. There were so many things he wanted to say to her, but he’d bide his time. “PP, when this is all over, will you do me one favor?” He grasped her hand in his, pulling her a little closer to him.