Smokin' Hot Cowboy Christmas

by Kim Redford

  “Please don’t be disappointed if none of this comes to pass. The Buick Brigade does what they want when they want.”

  “If nothing comes of this, I won’t blame you, and I’ll be okay with it.”

  “Good.”

  She leaned back in her seat. “It’s just that there’s so much creativity in this county, so many interesting people…and I’ve only scratched the surface.”

  He said nothing, absolutely nothing, as he felt his gut clench. She liked it here. He was supposed to make sure she didn’t like it here. How unlucky did he have to be to make one mistake after another with her?

  He needed to regroup. He needed to get his head on straight. He could hardly think, straight or otherwise, with her anywhere near him. She was sweet. She was funny. She was clever. She was tough. She was kind. She was beautiful, in so many different ways. She had to be the answer to every man’s prayers…or the single item on their Christmas wish list.

  He felt like banging his forehead against the steering wheel, but that’d probably send them over the cliff into the muddy Red River. The Buick Brigade would never forgive him if he let anything happen to their latest favorite. If it wasn’t for Homer, they wouldn’t even be here. Why did he ever get involved with homing pigeons in the first place? But that was years ago. Who knew it’d come to introducing Belle to Destiny…and everything that might eventually entail? He had to think past this debacle.

  Maybe he could undo his bad luck on Saturday. If he set his mind to it, he bet he could make her miserable. When they danced, he could step on her feet so they hurt. When they ate, he could drop food on her clothes so she looked like a slob. When they drank, he could spill beer on her shirt so she stunk. She’d be so unhappy she’d insist he take her straight home. Now there was another good idea…he could fix the truck so they had trouble about halfway home and they had to walk the rest of the way.

  All in all, he felt better about Saturday night…almost lighthearted, in fact. Nobody could ever accuse him of being unlucky after he gave Belle the worst night of her life. She might even leave straightaway, not bothering with the party or redoing the house or charming the Buick Brigade. He’d be crowned the luckiest cowboy in the county for his actions. He grinned, feeling quite sure this plan would finally change his luck from bad to good.

  “About Saturday night—”

  “Not to worry,” he said. “I’ve got everything under control.”

  Chapter 15

  A few days after the trip to Destiny, Belle sat at her patio table in late afternoon with her laptop in front of her. She enjoyed the warmth of the sun and the vision of squirrels scampering up and down and around the trees in her backyard. She also kept an eye on the sky…just in case there was a new message from the Buick Brigade. So far she’d heard nothing from them since her visit to Doris, but she was ever mindful of their presence.

  After being on the phone and internet with her corporate headquarters through the week and into the weekend, solving problems and delegating duties, she enjoyed simply sitting there and thinking up ideas for her growing list of “101 Uses for a Bandana.” Besides, it took her mind off that evening, when Rowdy planned to take her to Wildcat Hall. She hoped it was still a good idea.

  She hadn’t even seen him since he’d dropped her off after Destiny, explaining that he had pressing matters at his ranch that took precedence over her ranch. Life in the country. Most folks had more than one job or a job and a ranch and…who knew how many irons in the fire.

  She glanced over her shoulder at the house and had an uneasy feeling things still weren’t going well with the renovations. How did she hurry Rowdy? She had no idea. So far, he was her best bet for getting anything done, but when he disappeared for days, she became concerned about the situation. She really needed the roof repaired at least. She’d already begun downsizing her original goals, accepting that stuff might not get done. If it came to it, she was practical enough to realize that she might have to go with whatever was completed by the time of her party…either that or give up the idea entirely, and she wasn’t willing to admit defeat at this stage of the game.

  She might be able to make the party work if she scrapped indoors and went for outdoors. She might not get her patio constructed by that time, but the grass was dry—if it didn’t rain—and could be cut short. Surely she could locate wooden picnic tables and square bales of hay harvested last summer. Both would do for her Western bandana theme and be eye candy, too. She could count on that simplicity being workable…at least she hoped so.

  With that alternative solution in mind, she turned her thoughts back to bandana uses. She needed more ideas. She thrummed her fingertips on the tabletop. Wait…that was the ticket. Napkins and placemats. They could be coordinated in matching colors or mismatched colors for more oomph. And they’d be perfect for her outdoor Christmas party, if that was the way she ended up having to go.

  She typed in the two words and then leaned back and stretched her back. Actually, she wouldn’t mind a bit of dancing to ease out the kinks of the week. She was so focused on the upcoming holidays that she wasn’t getting enough exercise. She could use a bit of horseback riding, too. All in all, she was beginning to ease back into country mode…and realizing that she’d missed it.

  If she was going to get the local community behind her ranch and other ideas, she needed to reach out to them. The honky-tonk would go a long way toward that process. She wished she had Daisy Sue in tow because that would put her in a good position to make friends with the Steele-Duval family.

  She scratched her head in irritation. No Daisy Sue. No Kemp. How hard could it be to find one registered Angus cow in Texas or even farther afield in other states? If her ramrod didn’t check in again soon, she was going to have to send out a search party for a man and a cow.

  That’d be bad enough, but she’d have to admit to her family that she’d lost her ranch foreman and a prize cow. Oh, how they’d laugh, but in the end, they’d help her. If she could avoid it, she didn’t want to go through the embarrassment. After all, she was CEO of Lulabelle & You, so she was known to be on the ball within the industry as well as with her family. Something about Wildcat Bluff County was making her edge toward feeling out of control…and she needed to reverse that trend.

  When her phone rang, she grabbed it, as always hoping it’d be Kemp saying he’d found Daisy Sue. And this time it was Kemp calling…

  “Okay,” he said. “I’ve got good news and bad news. Which do you want first?”

  “Good. Tell me you found her.”

  “Nope.”

  “Then what’s the good news?”

  “Daisy Sue wasn’t auctioned off, at least not from the closest place to Aunt Dotty’s ranch.”

  “And he’d go there?”

  “Lester always likes easy, and that’s the easiest place for him to sell a cow.”

  “Okay. She wasn’t sold. Now what?”

  “The bad news,” he said. “I called Lester’s burner phone and finally somebody answered…but it wasn’t my cousin. A cowgirl he’d hooked up with at a rodeo—about like I’d thought—said he’d left in a hurry for the next rodeo and forgot his phone.”

  “That’s some cousin.”

  “Tell me about it.”

  “Do you have any clue to his whereabouts?”

  “I got the name of the next rodeo where he’s supposed to be,” Kemp said.

  “You can meet up with him?”

  “If he actually goes there, I’ll find him.”

  “What if he doesn’t?”

  “I’ll start calling his friends and making the rodeo circuit. He has to turn up somewhere.”

  “But what has he done with Daisy Sue?”

  “It’s the burning question, isn’t it?” Kemp sighed into the phone. “If I thought it’d do a bit of good, I’d apologize again. I am right sorry. Now all I can do is stay on the trai
l of Lester—”

  “That cousin.”

  “I’m beginning to wonder if we’re kin at all.” And Kemp clicked off.

  Belle took a deep breath. If Kemp’s story wasn’t so ridiculous, she’d think he was making it up. Still, she’d heard stranger things, so she might as well believe it. And hope he caught up with his cousin soon.

  About that time she heard Rowdy’s rackety old pickup pull up out front. Maybe he’d get a little more painting done on the house before dark…and their sort-of date-that-wasn’t-a-date. She needed to decide what to wear. For sure, it’d be something from her new line because she always had promotion in mind, no matter the circumstance.

  “Howdy.” Rowdy tipped his cowboy hat as he rounded the corner of the house.

  She just sort of froze at the sight. He looked good—way too good, if she wanted to admit the truth of the matter—in Wranglers with ripped knees. A leather belt with a big, shiny rodeo buckle emphasized his narrow hips. He must have gotten hot or something because he’d unbuttoned his denim shirt a time or two, revealing a line of dark blond hair that drew her eyes to a broad expanse of muscle that just begged to be fondled, caressed, licked…she stopped her thoughts right there.

  She crossed her legs and then uncrossed them as she tried to ease the heat, the tightness that always came at the sight of him. If he ever touched her or she touched him, she knew the heat would blaze into a wildfire that might consume them both. She wished she didn’t want it, but she did, and it’d been a long time coming…a man who flat-out set her on fire. She really shouldn’t go out with him tonight because she just didn’t trust herself—or him, from all indications of his interest—to keep their minds on the business at hand.

  “How’s your day going?” He gave her a hint of a smile with a touch of dimple.

  “Fine.” She gestured toward the chair on the other side of the small table so he’d feel free to join her. “Kemp just called in a report.”

  “From the look on your face, I take it he still hasn’t found Daisy Sue.”

  “Not yet…first he has to find the cousin.”

  “Twisting in the wind.” Rowdy shook his head as he sat down. “Ready for tonight?”

  “No. I mean, I will be, but not yet.”

  “Me, too.”

  “I’m getting a little concerned about the pace of our renovation.”

  “I don’t blame you. I’m doing my best.” He looked down and then back up at her. “You know…you could put off your Christmas party and introduce your ranch next year. Spring is a pretty time.”

  “Spring!” She sounded horrified because that was the way she felt about the idea. “That’s way too late.”

  “Just an idea.” He shrugged. “Are you sure you like the idea of Lulabelle & You Ranch anyway? Daisy Sue is still missing. That sets Storm Steele and her entire family on edge.”

  “I know. I’ve been reading about how Fernando is pining away on his website and hoping the love of his life will be home in time for Christmas.”

  “Well, that’s about the size of it.”

  “There’s still time. If I don’t hear from Kemp soon, I’ll take action.”

  “What kind?”

  “I could get my family involved in it. They know lots of cattle folks around the country.”

  “Your family?”

  “Yeah. I’ve got three Tarleton brothers, and one’s about as cocky as the other. Nobody messes with them.” She noticed Rowdy turn a little pale, so maybe she’d described the trio in the wrong way. “I mean, they’re kindhearted but a little protective of their only little sister.”

  He nodded, cutting his blue gaze to the side. “I wouldn’t involve them yet. Like you said, there’s plenty of time.”

  She drummed her fingertips on top of the table. “I’d just as soon not involve my family at all.”

  “Good idea. Let’s cut Kemp some slack. Sometimes things just spin out of control and it takes a while to get them back on track.”

  “I’ve had it happen in my business, but still…this is just one cow.”

  “You’re right. She’s an important one, but still a single cow.”

  “Do you think I should talk with Storm and the Steele family and explain the situation?” she asked.

  “Tell them the truth?”

  “It’s embarrassing, I know, but I don’t want a little girl to be worried all the time.”

  “She’d probably put out a BOLO online for Daisy Sue.”

  “Would that be so bad?”

  “I don’t know. It’s your business that could be affected because it’s your ranch.”

  “I’m just not sure what to do because it’s gone on so long now.” She looked away from him, realizing she was discussing personal and professional business with him. She usually discussed such matters with family or trusted business associates. When had she come to trust him so much? Maybe it was because he was on the scene and he understood the players in a way no one else possibly could. And then there was the fact that he had a soothing effect on her, as if he’d been there, done that, and come out ahead of the game…or maybe it was because he had that cattleman’s ability to calm wildness in animals so that they came to trust him, too.

  “Tell you what.” He eased back in his chair, as if relaxing into the moment. “Folks will turn up at Wildcat Hall tonight. Even if it’s a Saturday night, it’s always family night in the tradition of the old dance halls.”

  “How do you mean?”

  “The halls originated as community centers where families gathered to discuss crops, animals, kids, and the weather. All ages came, from toddlers on up. Of course, there was no day care back then, so they congregated as one big happy family.”

  “Are you saying you think Storm might be there tonight?”

  “Can’t say for sure, but it’s likely the Steele family could show up.”

  “Okay. Maybe I’ll get a chance to talk with them in person.” She took a deep breath, fortifying herself for what was to come. She just needed to get on this horse and ride it to the finish line. She’d faced worse before, and hiding out never solved a single thing.

  “Good.” He gave her a nod of agreement. “Hear anything from the Buick Brigade?”

  “Not a peep. I’m not sure if that’s good or bad.”

  “No way to know.” He glanced toward the barn. “Homer settle in okay?”

  She smiled, feeling happy at now sharing her place with the pigeon. “Thanks for the help getting him situated in the barn. All is well…so far.”

  “You’ll enjoy him.”

  “I think so, too.”

  “Well, I’d better see what I can get done with the little time left today.” He stood up. “Let me know if there’s something specific you want me to fix.”

  “I will.” She had such a long list that she didn’t even bother to mention it, particularly now that she had a secondary plan in mind.

  After he rounded the corner, she looked back at her laptop. She needed another bandana use.

  “Belle!” Rowdy called from the front of the house. “You’d better come here.”

  She jumped up, feeling her heart rate pick up. What now? She quickly walked around the house and saw him standing with his hands on his hips.

  He pointed at the shingle stacks. “Did you hear anything last night?”

  “Like what?”

  “Pickup. One-ton. Vehicle lights. Voices. Loud sounds.”

  “No. I sleep in back…although I did wake up at one point, but I didn’t notice anything except the sound of dogs barking in the distance.”

  “Maybe you need a dog.”

  “Why?”

  “He’d alert you to trouble on your property.”

  “Trouble?” She felt more uneasy than ever at his words.

  He pointed down at an empty wooden pallet. �
��You had a stack of shingles there, didn’t you?”

  She glanced at the other shingle stacks that were still on wooden pallets and then looked back. “Are you telling me that somebody came right up onto my front lawn and stole my shingles?”

  “Not somebody. Shingles are heavy. It’d take several strong men to load up that many shingles in the back of a truck.”

  “That’s not good.”

  “No, it isn’t. I didn’t think anybody would be that bold, but—”

  “If we’re missing shingles, we’ll never get the roof completed in time for my party.” She felt a little sick to her stomach at the bad luck and the fact that strangers had been up to her front door in the middle of the night while she was in a deep sleep.

  “We can order more.”

  “If this happened in Dallas, I’d—”

  “You need to call Sheriff Calhoun and let him know. Other construction sites may be losing equipment or material, too.”

  “Okay. I guess you’re right.” But she didn’t want to waste what little time she had left for house renovations on making a police report.

  Rowdy pulled out his phone again. “Want me to call?”

  “Go ahead.” She leaned against a stack of shingles, thinking how this might impact their plans for the night. “See if the sheriff can come out right away.”

  He gave her a tight smile.

  She returned his smile even though she didn’t feel like it. At this rate, she might need to make even more adjustments to her Christmas party plans…and she wasn’t sure she had much leeway left.

  Chapter 16

  “If you’ll make a report, I’ll file it with the department and a deputy will look into it.” Sheriff Calhoun handed Belle an official form and a ballpoint pen.

  Rowdy watched as she set the form on top of a shingle stack and then glanced back at the sheriff.

  “What should I say?”

  “Just put it in your own words. Write down the last time you saw the shingles, what time you noticed them missing from your front yard, and the approximately value,” Sheriff Calhoun said.