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

  “Tell me again why we have to stop by to see Dexter?” Randi asked, following Paige across the lobby of the building where her sister’s boyfriend lived. Randi and Dave made no secret of the fact they both disliked him.

  “I promised I’d say goodbye before I left, that’s why. I’ve been so busy the past few days, I’ve hardly had time to talk to him on the phone. I don’t want Dexter to get the idea I don’t care about him.” Paige punched the elevator button that would take them to Dexter’s floor.

  Randi grinned and waggled her blond eyebrows, very similar in shade and shape to Paige’s. “I think you’re feeling guilty about the reason for this trip and are paying Dexter a pity visit.”

  “It’s not a pity visit!” Paige huffed as they stepped off the elevator and made their way down the hall. “If you can’t be nice, go wait in the taxi.”

  Her sister held her hands up in a gesture of innocence. “I’m always nice.”

  Paige gave her a warning scowl, then knocked on Dexter’s door. She waited and knocked a second time before he opened it. Rather than greet her with a smile or enthusiasm, he yawned widely and rubbed his eyes.

  “Hi, Paige. What are you doing here?” he asked, not bothering to open the door wider.

  “I’m leaving for Las Vegas. I told you I’d stop on the way to the airport to say goodbye,” Paige said, unable to hide a hint of irritation from creeping into her voice. “I’ll be gone for a week and I’m not sure if I’ll have time to call you while I’m there.”

  “Oh, that’s right,” he said, stepping back and opening the door to them. “Do you want to come in?”

  “We really don’t have time for that,” Paige said, reaching out to grasp Dexter’s hand in hers.

  Before she could touch him, he moved both hands behind his back. “You know how I feel about germs, Paige.”

  Randi started to say something but snapped her mouth shut at a quelling look from her sister. Paige turned back to Dexter. “Take care of yourself and have a good week. I’ll call you when I return.”

  “Okay. Bye.” Dexter waved one hand at her before shutting the door in her face.

  A long, irritated sigh rolled out of Randi as Paige spun around and started down the hall. “Why do you date that loser dweeb?”

  “He’s not a loser or a dweeb,” Paige said, clearly agitated. “Dexter is incredibly intelligent. All brilliant people have quirks.”

  Randi shook her head as they stepped into the elevator. “A quirk is one thing, but Dexter is something else. He’s such a freaky germophobe, he works from home to avoid coming in contact with other humans. He has his groceries delivered so he never has to set foot in a store. The moron is lucky to be employed by a company that doesn’t care where he does the computer work, as long as he completes it on time. Besides, he looks like a total goofball with that wad of stringy hair on top of his head and his shirt collar buttoned up to his chin. And don’t even get me started on that ridiculous purse he carries.”

  “It’s not a purse! It’s a knapsack.” Paige glowered at her sister as they stepped off the elevator and returned to the waiting taxi. “And he is not a goofball. Dexter has a sensitive head and dislikes going to the barber. He wears his shirts buttoned up because he frequently has Skype meetings with his manager and wants to look professional.”

  “And here I thought it was just part of his weirdo charm,” Randi commented, drawing another glare from Paige. “There’s nothing professional about the wimpy man you are dating, Paige, no matter how much you try to convince yourself of that. His jeans are skinnier and tighter than anything I own and his pointy shoes make his feet look like jet skis. Most of the time, he appears like a kid dressed up for a bad Halloween party, not a responsible, working adult.”

  “That will be enough commentary about Dexter,” Paige snapped. “I know you and Dave don’t like him, but once you get to know him better, you’ll see he’s very smart and has big plans for his future.”

  Randi muttered something Paige couldn’t hear, so she chose to ignore it.

  They rode the remainder of the way to the airport in silence. The driver pulled up at the curb and set out their luggage, and then gave them both a long glance. “Are you two twins?” he finally asked.

  “No.” Randi laughed. “But you aren’t the first person to ask.”

  “Well, you certainly do look alike.” The man tipped his head to them and got back in his car.

  “Why do people think we look like twins?” Paige asked, rolling her suitcase to the curbside check-in. “You’re almost five years older than me and we couldn’t be more opposite if we tried.”

  “True, but we have the same face, eyes, hair color, build, smile, and laugh. Just because you’re wound a little too tight and determined to always look like you just stepped out of a meeting on Wall Street, and I prefer a more free-spirited approach to life, doesn’t mean others can’t see the similarities.”

  Paige took in Randi’s thick, wavy hair that often made her think of a lion’s mane. Wild and untamed, the long locks fell halfway down her sister’s back. Randi dressed in jeans with flowing, colorful tunics, tights with flowery dresses, and chunky sweaters with slim skirts and boots.

  Although she wouldn’t be seen in any of her sister’s attire, Paige admitted Randi had an unusual flair with fashion that matched her lifestyle as one of the region’s most popular portrait artists.

  With a preference for suits, clean lines, and neutral tones, Paige strived to maintain a polished appearance at all times. Even now, as they waited to go through the security line at the airport, she’d styled her hair in a tidy French twist. Her makeup was minimal, her clothing spotless and precisely pressed.

  “You know what your problem is?” Randi asked as she removed her black knee-high boots and dumped them into a plastic bin along with her watch and laptop.

  “No, but I’m sure you’ll tell me.” Paige carefully set her shoes in one bin, her handbag in another, and her laptop in a third container.

  “You need to loosen up and enjoy the moment.” Randi gave her a long, observant glance. “Life is going to pass you by while you’re fussily hanging out on the sidelines with Mr. Man Bun.”

  It was on the tip of Paige’s tongue to admonish her sister, but Randi stepped through the security scanner out of earshot. Rather than argue with her, Paige decided to let the matter go. She and Randi had never seen eye to eye on anything, but they loved each other and would always be there for one another.

  Paige hated going through airport security and avoided flying as much as possible because of it. However, sometimes air travel was a necessity with her job. Like now.

  She’d just stepped through the security scanner when a hulking man blocked her way. “We need you to step over here, miss,” he said, motioning for her to move over to where two female agents waited.

  “What’s wrong?” she asked, wondering why she’d been singled out. Randi gave her a concerned glance as she tugged on her boots and gathered her things.

  “We need to do a waist to knee check,” the man said, ignoring Paige’s horrified look as he spoke to the female agents.

  “Would you like to do it here or in private?” one of the women asked, directing her question to Paige.

  “Neither,” she said, casting a frantic glimpse to her sister.

  “Ma’am, if you want to clear security, you have to comply. Failure to do so can result in any number of things, none of them pleasant and all guaranteed to keep you from reaching your destination,” one of the women said.

  “Private, please.” Paige steeled herself for the ordeal ahead. The two women escorted her behind a screen. One watched while the other completed the security check.

  “All good to go. Have a pleasant flight,” said the agent who’d done the screening.

  Mortified by the pat down, Paige’s neck muscles tensed as she forced a tight smile and nodded her head with cool politeness. “Thank you.”

  When she rejoined Randi, her sister held all their b
elongings, including Paige’s shoes in her hands.

  Paige hurried to slip them on, slid her jacket back over her sleeveless black sheath dress, and snapped her watch in place.

  “That was horrific,” she whispered to her sister as they made their way to their gate.

  “Oh, don’t be such a wuss. You were one of many they pulled aside. Some old woman stood right there in front of everyone and let them do a neck to waist pat down. She kind of acted like she enjoyed it. It’s probably the most exciting thing that’s happened to her in a long time.”

  Unable to suppress the amusement the expression on her sister’s face created, Paige smiled. “Indeed.”

  Shops throughout the terminal offered a selection of holiday gifts. Many of them played cheerful Christmas music, enticing travelers inside their stores.

  With her single-minded focus on work, Paige had nearly forgotten Christmas would arrive in three weeks. After her parents were killed in a freak train accident back east when she was sixteen, it had been just her and Randi, and then Dave.

  Holidays always made her long for the days when her parents and grandparents were alive. The memories of those happy Christmas mornings full of family and laughter almost seemed like they belonged to a stranger rather than her. If it wasn’t for Randi’s insistence they do their best to have a jolly holiday, Paige would have buried herself in work and not surfaced until well after the last bit of New Year’s confetti had been swept away.

  Even after twelve years, the loss of her parents caused a crippling ache in her heart anytime she allowed herself to think about them. Feeling the maudlin emotions begin to swell, she turned her attention to the travelers waiting at their gate.

  An older couple sat with their heads together, scrolling through photos on their electronic tablet.

  A man in a business suit performed a balancing act with a laptop across his legs, a large cup of coffee in one hand, and cell phone in the other as he offered rapid-fire advice about the stock market to the person on the other end of the call.

  A woman in a skirt far too short and heels way too high attempted to strut her stuff, but her heels kept slipping on the slick floor, making it appear as though she performed some sort of amateur ice capades dance.

  A harried mother struggled to corral three little ones while her husband dozed in blissful oblivion, his head propped up on a pile of coats.

  “What a jerk,” Paige said in a low voice, tipping her head to the man.

  Randi frowned and looked over at the stressed mother. Without missing a beat, she handed Paige her purse and carry-on bag then hurried over to the woman.

  Paige watched as her sister spoke with the woman, offering her assistance. In no time at all, Randi had enthralled the three children as she took out a sketchpad and pencil from her bag and drew their portraits.

  Admiration for her sister filled her as Paige took a seat and observed the children as they crowded around to watch Randi work her magic.

  By the time they were ready to board, the children hung on Randi’s every word. She gave the portraits she’d drawn to the mother, then hurried over to where Paige waited.

  “The husband isn’t as bad as you think,” Randi said, stuffing her sketchpad inside her bag and taking her things from Paige. “They’ve been here because his mother is in the hospital. He’s sat up with her the past four nights and spent most of the days showing his family around the area. His wife said he was so exhausted, he couldn’t keep his eyes open any longer.”

  “Oh,” Paige said, experiencing a pang of remorse for jumping to conclusions. “Is his mother better?”

  “It sounded like she would be released from the hospital soon.” Randi shifted her bags and handed her boarding pass to the agent to scan.

  Once they found their seats on the plane, Randi settled in with a big smile. “I’m not complaining about flying first class, Paige. This is awesome!”

  “It is nice,” Paige agreed. Elliott had insisted she have first class accommodations throughout her trip and said not to spare any expense.

  On the flight to Las Vegas, Randi and Paige glanced through a stack of information Joe’s assistant had gathered about the rodeo. Elliott encouraged Paige to attend the rodeo several evenings, but she knew there had to be other places to observe cowboys.

  “Oh, this sounds promising, sis,” Randi said, holding out a sheet of paper. “There are several Christmas vendor shows geared to the cowboy crowd. They have autograph signings with some of the rodeo contestants and it looks like they have good attendance. Let’s try one of those when we get into town. It looks like they are open right up until almost time for the rodeo to begin.”

  “That’s a good idea.” Paige dreaded the job looming ahead of her. Within a few hours, she hoped they could find a cowboy who would make a good model. If they did, they could be on their way home tomorrow instead of hanging out in a city full of bright lights and thousands of cowboys.

  What if some of them smelled like manure? At that moment, someone exited the plane’s bathroom and the smell floated in the air. Paige fought down the urge to gag.

  She took a small bottle of lotion from her bag and squirted a little on her hand, rubbing it in and sniffing the pleasant aroma.

  Randi rolled her eyes and shook her head. “You are the weirdest chick I’ve ever met, and I’ve met some doozies. What is it with you?”

  “You know how strange smells bother me. They always have.” Paige inhaled the fragrance of her lotion again and let the light scent, a soothing blend of whipped vanilla and almonds with a hint of jasmine, fill her nose. She took another deep breath then held the back of her hand close to her face.

  “No wonder you and Mr. Man Bun get along so well. You’re both whackadoodles.” Randi nudged Paige with her elbow. “Seriously, how do you two go out on a date? Between his food allergies, both imagined and real, his freakishness about germs, and your smell sensitivity, how do you find a restaurant where you both can relax and enjoy the meal?”

  “We don’t. Most of the time, we eat at Dexter’s place. He doesn’t like to go out unless he has to. I usually end up cooking.” Paige didn’t want to talk about the many boring meals and evenings she’d spent with Dexter. At least with his plethora of phobias, his apartment was always clean and smelled sanitized.

  “Remind me why you waste your time with him,” Randi said, once again trying to get Paige to talk about how her relationship with Dexter was going nowhere.

  Paige didn’t need her sister to point out what she already knew. She didn’t have time to date. She certainly didn’t have time to invest in finding a new boyfriend. Dexter was both familiar and convenient.

  On the few occasions she’d needed a date for an event, Dexter had managed to set aside his anxieties and escort her. Granted, he refused to shake hands and spent most of his time sitting in a corner, playing a game on his phone, but Paige hadn’t minded. Events were great networking opportunities and she didn’t pay much attention to him anyway.

  Adamant that she would not get into an in-depth discussion about her love life, or the stagnant state of it, with her sister, Paige pointed out the window as they approached the runway.

  “This is going to be such fun,” Randi said, grasping Paige’s hand in hers and giving it a squeeze. “I want to go to the Luxor, and the Paris, and watch the fountains at the Bellagio, and…”

  Paige smiled, in spite of her reservations about the trip. No matter how much she didn’t want to be there, at least Randi would enjoy it enough for both of them.

  After exiting the plane, they made their way to the baggage claim where a man in a three-piece suit held a sign with Paige’s name.

  She gave Randi a curious shrug then approached the man. “I’m Paige Porter,” she said, smiling at the man.

  “Welcome to Las Vegas,” he said, speaking with a thick accent Paige couldn’t quite place.

  “Thank you,” she said, continuing to give him a puzzled glance. “Why are you holding a sign with my name?”


  “Your town car is ready for you,” he said, waving a hand behind him toward an exit.

  At least that’s what Paige thought he said. It really was hard to understand him with his accent. “Town car?”

  “Yes. I’ll get your baggage.” He motioned to a luggage carousel as suitcases began rotating around it.

  “Oh, thank you,” Paige said. She and Randi found the carousel with their luggage and pointed out their suitcases. Randi insisted on pulling her suitcase, leaving the man with one free hand. Courteously, he held open doors and guided them over to a black luxury SUV.

  Randi’s eyebrows rose so high, they disappeared beneath her fringe of bangs as he opened the back door and gave them both a hand inside before loading their suitcases in the back.

  Eager to please, the driver chatted nonstop, serving as an unexpected tour guide on the way to the hotel, even if the two sisters couldn’t understand most of what he said.

  “Best breakfast in the world right there,” he said, waggling a finger in the direction of a hotel as they drove past it. “And best dessert there.” His head tilted toward a restaurant.

  Randi grinned and craned her neck, trying to see everything at once. Paige exhibited more decorum, although she felt as giddy as her sister did as they drove down The Strip.

  Before she would have thought it possible, the driver stopped in front of a hotel and parked at the curb. He hurried around to open their door, giving them both a hand out of the vehicle, since both women barely topped five feet in height. He set their suitcases on the sidewalk then left with a wave and smile after Paige gave him a generous tip.

  “We’re staying here?” Randi asked, tipping back her head as they walked inside the marble-floored hotel.

  “Joe said Elliott told him where he wanted us to stay. I had no idea…” Paige glanced up at the lobby ceiling, adorned with a colorful array of blown glass that caught the early afternoon sunlight.

  “It’s amazing!” Randi tugged on Paige’s arm, yanking her toward the line waiting to check in at the front desk.