Roping Her Christmas Cowboy

by Rebecca Winters

  He smelled wonderful. Nikki loved the feel of his hard jaw against her cheek. It sent darts of awareness through her body. The temptation to turn her head and kiss his compelling mouth was killing her. Toly didn’t let her go and she could have stayed in his arms all night.

  “If you hadn’t been involved with someone else, we could have relaxed like this before an event long before now,” he whispered into her hair.

  Her heart jumped to think he might have been thinking about her on a more intimate level over the last few months too. Still, he’d never let her know. They’d all been friends and she knew Toly kept his cards close to the chest. But the way she was feeling right now, he had to know she didn’t want to be anywhere else.

  They both heard a car door slam at the same time. “That’ll be Mills,” she murmured in silent protest. His arrival had saved her from making a fool of herself in a grand way.

  She eased herself away from Toly and hurried back to the kitchen. He followed her. The time spent with him for the last hour had been a bit of heaven she hadn’t wanted to end. Last night her anger had flowed like lava. Tonight she was mush in Toly’s arms.

  If her brother had seen them dancing together with no air separating them, it would have shocked him and she wouldn’t have blamed him for that reaction.

  Mills opened the door and came in the kitchen. “Hey, guys.”

  Nikki eyed her brother. “There you are! I heard you had to buy a new pair of gloves.”

  “Yep. One of them got ripped. I found a new flex knit kind that are thinner and easier to work with. Not so much bulk.” He stood at the sink to wash his hands.

  “Do you wear that kind too?” she asked Toly.

  He sent her a slow smile, as if he too was remembering what was going on before Mills came in. “No. Since I’m the header, I have to have the heavier Kevlar glove for protection.”

  “I didn’t realize. You learn something new every day.” She turned to Mills. “We’re glad you’re back.”

  “Come and sit down, dude. Our dinner’s in the oven waiting for you and we’re starving.”

  “I got held up with a couple of friends.”

  “That’s okay. You were gone longer than we thought, so we started a card game. Your sister beat me.”

  Toly took out the roast and put it on the table. Nikki could see he’d arranged potatoes and carrots around it and they’d cooked in the juice. Her own mother couldn’t have done it better. “That looks scrumptious.”

  “I need a lot of protein along with carbs.”

  She’d witnessed that at dinner last night when she’d wished they could have spent all night together. “Don’t we all, and plenty of snacks throughout the day.”

  It was fun to eat and talk shop with the top team roper cowboy on this year’s circuit. With the kind of regimen they had to keep, there was nothing to explain. They could read each other’s minds.

  Besides not being completely in love with him, this was yet another reason she could never have married Ted. It would have meant giving up the world of horses. Being with Toly like this let her know more than ever that being with a man like him was the life she wanted.

  Toly slanted her a glance. “I was hoping the three of us could play another set of cards before we have to leave for the center.”

  “I’d like that too.” She struggled to keep the throb out of her voice.

  “It’s too late,” Mills muttered.

  Well...that solved that.

  Nikki’s brother was being impossible. Trying to lighten the mood she said, “Tomorrow I’ll cook dinner just to make it fair. You guys will eat in our rig. I can plan our meal a little earlier so we can play a game of pontoon before we leave for the arena.”

  Toly nodded. “I hope you meant that, because now that you’ve offered, I’m not going to let you out of it.” His tone excited her. She saw a glint in Toly’s eyes, thrilling her more than anything because it meant the feelings she was experiencing weren’t only on her part.

  “Mills?” she prodded him. “Does that sound good to you?”

  “Sure.”

  Sure? He wasn’t only depressed, he was downright rude. “I like to cook,” she continued, “and it will give Toly a break. Maybe my brother will even volunteer to help me?” she said to get a reaction, but none was forthcoming. They settled down to eat and she passed Mills some blueberry muffins.

  “Don’t mind if I do.” He took one and devoured it, but he was unusually quiet.

  Nikki smiled at Toly. “You really are a great cook.”

  “At least I’m good for something.”

  Upset at Mills by now she said, “You two looked great out there today carrying our flag. I’ve never been more proud.” Her heart had swelled with pride to watch the two of them race into the arena like the champions they were. Tonight there’d be fireworks and ear-deafening cheers from the packed center.

  “You didn’t look so bad yourself,” her brother finally murmured.

  “Well thank you for the overwhelming compliment. On that note, I’m going to go in the bedroom and get ready before we drive over to the arena.”

  If any of them won a gold buckle tonight, they’d pick them up at the South Point Hotel. Every night after the Wrangler National Finals, the public could watch the Go-Round Buckle Presentations. She had no doubts Toly and Mills would come in the top winners, but a first-place win for her was iffy.

  “Hurry—” her brother interjected. “Otherwise we’ll be late for the parade. I’ll drive us over.”

  She had it on the tip of her tongue to remind him he was the reason they needed to rush now. But she held back and noticed that Toly had already started to clean things up.

  “Give me a minute to put on my gear and I’ll meet you outside.” Nikki had a special Western shirt to wear with fringe and the ProRodeo insignia. After running a brush through her hair and applying lipstick, she was ready.

  On the way out of the trailer, she reached for her white cowboy hat and put it on. Toly held the door open for her. “If you don’t know it yet, you take my breath away,” he whispered.

  Much as she wanted to believe it, she was afraid to, not after her brother had told her Toly was the ladies’ man on the circuit and always had been. How many other women had he said that to over the years?

  She hurried out to the car where Toly was already standing. In a low voice he said, “With your long legs, you should sit in front.” On that note he opened the front passenger door for her. No woman could be immune to the smile he flashed at her. “I’ll sprawl across the backseat. Shall we go?”

  Nikki climbed in and fastened her seat belt while she contemplated his flirtatious comments that took her mind off the coming event. Toly had a way of completely disarming her.

  They were off to the Mack Center where the crowds were just about impossible to get through. Mills had radar eyes and found an empty space behind the center where all the trailers were parked.

  This is it, Nikki Dobson. It’s what they’d all killed themselves for and dreamed of. She got out of the car and they made their way into the rear of the building.

  When they reached the inside, the three of them had to part company. She lifted her eyes to them. “Good luck, you guys.”

  “The same to you,” they called after her.

  Her heart was in her throat as she hurried off to mount her horse and line up in the alley prior to the parade.

  Tonight Nikki had decided to ride Sassy, her palomino. In her tan Western shirt, they matched. As her father had once said, this horse had shown sass from the beginning, prompting Nikki to give her that name. She was a showstopper and handled crowds and noise like a trooper. Not only that, she was fast and would explode down the alley into the arena.

  Andy and Santos met her at the stalls. They had her horse saddled and brid
led with her softest bit to prevent pain from the rein tension. She walked up to Sassy and pressed her face near her ear. “Tonight’s the night we’ve been working for, my girl,” she crooned. Her horse nickered. “I know you’re going to give me your all.”

  She fed her a Pony Pop from her pocket and Sassy chomped away, causing the three of them to chuckle. It was time. She pulled her gloves from her pocket and mounted her horse. Sassy had been through this routine earlier in the day and knew what was coming.

  Making a clicking sound, she led her horse through the aisle to the back of the center where everyone was lining up according to their event. Nikki passed several of her competitors. They all smiled and looked fabulous. She swallowed hard to think she’d reached this milestone.

  She looked for Toly, but couldn’t see him because his group would be entering the arena long before hers. The music had started and the announcer was welcoming everyone to the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. Between the noise and the fireworks, in her opinion, there was no buildup or excitement like it anywhere in sports.

  Nikki patted Sassy’s neck and kept talking to her while they waited in place for their turn to come. She spotted Laurie up in front carrying the Texas flag. It was almost their turn. “Remember what we’re here for,” she whispered to Sassy. “There’s no horse like you. Act like someone and show your stuff!”

  Suddenly her group started to move and they took off down the alley. The thrill of it sent a rush through Nikki’s body. As they poured into the arena, the announcer named each contestant.

  “Here comes Nikki Dobson in second place from the Sweet Clover Ranch in Great Falls, Montana. She’s the former Miss Rodeo Montana riding her palomino Sassy.”

  The crowd went crazy and Nikki had to admit this was one experience she was thankful she hadn’t missed while living on this earth. She raced around to her spot and drew up next to Laurie. At her other side was Portia Landwell, the number three finalist from Nebraska. Before long, all hundred-plus finalists were on display.

  She doubted any of the pageants during the Middle Ages with their knights and pennants were any more spectacular and colorful than the sight of these superb athletic national champions carrying their flags and decked out in all their Western finery. Nikki felt great pride to even be a part of this, no matter if she came in last at the end of the ten days.

  As they left the arena the way they came in, she caught sight of Toly carrying the Montana flag and leading their group with Mills who also carried a flag. Toly was a magnificent sight wearing a black Western shirt and his black cowboy hat. As far as Nikki was concerned, the quintessential male rodeo performer from the Clayton Cattle Ranch left everyone else in the dust.

  Tears smarted her eyes before it was her turn to leave and exit the arena with the speed of the wind. Sassy was in her glory. Nikki had endowed her horse with human feelings. Maybe it was silly, but she didn’t care.

  When she reached the stalls, the first person she saw was Toly. He was still mounted on Snapper, but minus his flag. Their eyes met for a quiet moment. She knew he was seeing the look of elation on her face that illuminated his own countenance. Joy radiated through her being that they were experiencing this once-in-a-lifetime moment together.

  His event would take place before hers, but it wouldn’t be long now. “Go get ’em, cowboy.”

  “I intend to,” he answered in his deep, rich voice. “But I’ll be back to watch you cut circles around those barrels with the precision of a surgeon.” Then he was off to win what she felt sure was their first victory for tonight.

  “Nikki?” Santos called to her. “Are you all right?”

  She turned to look down at him. How could she possibly answer that question when her heart was so full of emotions? The only thing she could say was yes.

  Taking a deep breath, she led her horse down the aisle and walked her around until it was time for her event. There were screens in the back so she could watch the other events. She said a special prayer when she saw Toly and Mills were up next. But she had to wait because the first-place winners had to compete last.

  She couldn’t move as she watched and listened as they flew out of their gates with the steer running between them. Toly threw a butterfly loop with lightning speed and Mills was right there to finish up. The crowd went wild when it was announced they took first. No surprise there. Toly did it in 3.7 seconds and Mills in 3.8.

  Beyond thrilled for them, Nikki mounted her horse and got in line. Soon her event was announced. “You’ve got to fly like the wind, Sassy girl. Here we go!”

  She made a clicking sound and they were off with her heart thudding. They shot down the alley and out into the arena. Her mind was on Toly’s words to cut those precision circles. But as she went around the first barrel, she felt something was wrong and corrected too late, losing time.

  As she rode home, she saw her score and knew it wasn’t good enough to be first. In a few minutes she learned Portia had brought in the top score, with Nikki a disappointing second. This score kept her at her second-place average. Her thoughts flew to Sassy who’d lost time. It meant Nikki had done something wrong, not her horse. Nikki realized she’d been in too big a hurry.

  The guys came to congratulate her. She kept a smile on her face as she congratulated them. “I couldn’t outdo you.”

  “You will,” Toly assured her. “This was only the first night.”

  Mills hugged her and told her the same thing.

  Together they drove to the South Point Hotel. Nikki loved watching them receive their gold buckles to the ear-splitting applause of the audience. She told them that if they wanted to party, she’d take a taxi back to the RV park. Both of them declined, saying they were tired and the three of them drove back to their rigs.

  Nikki jumped out of the car ahead of them, needing quiet time to understand how to fix what had gone wrong tonight so it wouldn’t happen again. “I’m so proud of you two, but now I have to get back to my hotel. I need to get up early and exercise the horses before tomorrow night’s event.

  “Don’t forget, you guys. My turn to fix dinner. Come at four!” She hugged her brother.

  Toly followed her to her car. “We’ll be there. If you want to talk now, I’ll come to your hotel.”

  There was nothing Nikki wanted more than to be alone with him, but Mills was waiting for him in their car.

  “Thank you, Toly, but I’d prefer to get back and just crash.”

  “That’s a good plan too. I’ve done it many times. Blot tonight out of your mind and start again tomorrow. But if you want to talk to me earlier tomorrow, you know where to find me.”

  She nodded.

  In an unexpected move, he kissed her cheek and walked away before she got in her car. The touch of his lips on her skin sent tingles of delight through her body. She was still feeling the effects after she got in bed an hour later. Nikki finally fell asleep, longing for the moment when she felt his mouth on hers.

  Chapter Five

  Toly knew Nikki had suffered a huge setback tonight. Second place would never satisfy her, but she’d put on such a great front while they’d been out celebrating, you would never have known it.

  He couldn’t fully enjoy his first-place win with Mills, knowing how disappointed she had to be. As for Mills, he’d been in a bad place for a long time. Now with his sister’s second-place win, he would be worrying over her even more.

  “I’m going to bed, Toly.” No small talk from Mills tonight. That was just as well. Toly wasn’t in the mood for it, either.

  “I hear you. See you in the morning.” He watched Mills walk to the Dobson rig until he disappeared.

  Toly felt like he was in an impossible situation wanting to be a good friend to Mills without revealing what was in his heart about Nikki.

  After reaching for his gold buckle, he locked the car with his set
of keys and entered his own rig. As he walked back to his bedroom, he read the half a dozen texts from family and close friends who’d sent their congratulations. Hail to the conquering hero. His brother Roce’s well-meant message rang hollow. At one time Roce had been his partner until he gave up the rodeo to start veterinarian school.

  Never had Toly felt less jubilant, not when his soul was so torn and conflicted. His interest in Nikki was part of the reason Mills couldn’t pull himself out of the blackness. But there was no way Toly could stop caring about her any more than he could stop the sun from rising in the morning.

  He’d told her he’d wanted to drive to her hotel and talk to her face-to-face. He ached to comfort her. After being with her earlier and dancing with her, he realized that he needed her in his life on a constant basis. But she’d said she’d wanted to go home and crash.

  Had she told him that because her brother would be aware of it? Since they couldn’t be together tonight, his only choice was to do the next best thing. After showering, he got in bed and phoned the Cyclades Hotel. Toly had never asked for her cell phone number, so he had to go through the operator and hoped Nikki picked up. At least he could say good-night to her one more time.

  “I’m sorry, sir, but Ms. Dobson isn’t answering. Do you want to leave a message?”

  He debated for a moment. Maybe she wasn’t in her room yet. Maybe she was, and fighting off deep pain. But when he thought about it, the things he wanted to talk to her about needed to be said in person.

  “No. Thank you.”

  Any conversation with her would have to take place tomorrow. In the morning he’d give Mills some space and go to the local gym he always frequented. He’d work out to strengthen his lower right arm until he felt like dropping. Afterward he’d run his horses through some light exercise while he waited for four o’clock to roll around.

  Knowing he wouldn’t be falling asleep anytime soon, he turned on the TV and watched an old Indiana Jones movie until he knew nothing more.

  * * *

  FUNNY HOW NIKKI had been living to perform at Finals, yet as soon as she’d finished her late Friday morning workout with the horses at the center, she’d rushed to the store to buy groceries for their dinner. This was her night to cook for Toly and wanted it to be special. Knowing she’d be seeing him shortly helped put last night’s second-place finish behind her. She knew what she had to do to come in first.