Capturing Christmas Read online

  Determined to speak to her before the rodeo ended, he planned to catch up to her at some point after the parade. There was a barbecue near the rodeo grounds, a carnival, and a variety of photographic opportunities. If he looked hard enough, he was sure he would find her.

  After he and his crew reached the end of the parade route, they returned to the rodeo grounds and gave the horses some loving care before going their separate ways.

  Kash was grateful to have such good men on his payroll. Other than his brother, he trusted them all to carry out any and every detail to the best of their abilities. Without them, there wouldn’t be a Rockin’ K Rodeo Company.

  Quickly ducking into the travel trailer, Kash changed into a pair of cargo shorts and a T-shirt, trying to find some relief from the heat. He donned a ball cap then headed over to the park to enjoy the barbecue lunch.

  If luck was with him, he’d run into Celia while he was there. He’d only taken a few steps outside the trailer when one of the rodeo committee approached him with some questions. One thing after another kept him from reaching the park. By the time he texted one of the guys to bring him back a sandwich, it was time for him to get ready for the final night of the rodeo performance.

  Despite the soaring temperatures, his animals performed like top athletes in the arena. Silently, he cheered for his bucking broncs as they put the riders through their paces. One of his favorite horses burst out of the chute with an amazing amount of air beneath his hooves.

  Kash noticed Celia among the photographers snapping photos and wondered if she’d caught any good shots of the ride.

  While the rodeo committee introduced dignitaries before the barrel racing started, Kash noticed Celia hanging out by the arena gate with a handful of other people. He started her direction but stopped when a reporter wanted to interview him about his award-winning stock.

  Quickly wrapping up the interview, he hurried to the bucking chutes where his bulls lined up ready to perform.

  Right after the rodeo ended, Kash helped load his animals into the waiting trailers to start the long drive home. He’d drop them off, catch up on paperwork while he was at the ranch, then take another group out on the road to the next rodeo.

  None of their animals competed in more than four rodeos a month, working mere minutes. It kept them well rested and made them excited to climb inside the trailers and head to their next rodeo.

  As the last bull moseyed into the cattle truck, Kash caught a glimpse of a redhead out of the corner of his eye. Celia walked toward the park with another woman.

  “Mark, make sure everything is ready to roll. I’ll be right back.” Kash jumped off Tru and hastily looped the reins around a fence panel then jogged after Celia.

  He caught up to her halfway to the park.

  “Celia! Celia, wait!” She turned and looked at him in wide-eyed horror. Quickly grabbing her friend’s hand, she hastened her pace.

  “Celia?” Kash ran to catch up to her, stepping in front of her so she had to either stop or plow right into him. She swerved and kept walking. Confused and flustered by her odd behavior, he rushed to catch up and gently touched her arm. “Celia? What’s going on?”

  She yanked away from him, taking a step back. Fear glimmered in her eyes and repugnance rode her face. With no earthly clue what had put it there, he shoved his hands into his pockets, waiting for an explanation.

  “Is this him?” the blonde beside her asked.

  Celia nodded.

  The woman slapped Kash across the face so hard he thought it might leave a permanent handprint.

  “Hey, what was that for?” He rubbed his stinging cheek.

  “Don’t play innocent with me, Kash. I warned you the other night to stay away from me and leave me alone and I mean it.” Celia glowered at him.

  Bewildered, he had no idea when she thought she’d seen him. “The other night? What night?”

  Celia scowled. It was bad enough Kash acted as if he’d done nothing wrong, but his pretense that he couldn’t remember what he’d done infuriated her. “The night of the big barbecue when you… when you…” Her voice cracked and tears filled her eyes. “Just leave me alone, Kash.”

  She turned and walked away but her friend fisted her hands on her hips and glared at him. “She had dozens of splinters in her back from the way you shoved her against that tree, you brute. You’re lucky she didn’t call the police. Stay away from her.”

  “But I wasn’t even here that night.” Kash glanced from the woman to Celia’s retreating form. “Celia! Let me explain. I think you have me confused with…”

  The little blonde reached up and slapped his other cheek for good measure then marched after Celia.

  Insulted, mad, and ready to throttle his brother, Kash strode back to where his crew waited.

  “Wow, boss. I don’t think that little lady liked you very much,” Mark said as he handed Kash Tru’s reins. “In fact, I’d say neither one of them care to speak to you.”

  “The redhead is the girl my brother attacked. She thinks it was me.”

  Mark stared at Kash. “And you know her?”

  “Yep, I do. I have a good idea exactly what happened. When I get my hands on Ransom, he’s going to wish he’d left that particular female alone.” Kash swung back into the saddle. “Let’s get these trucks on the road home.”

  Rattled and shaky from her encounter with Kash, Celia didn’t care about watching the fireworks. Rather than follow the crowd, she skirted around them with Kelly on her heels.

  “Hey, girl, slow down a minute, would you?” Kelly panted as she struggled to keep up with her.

  “Sorry, Kel. I just… seeing him made me… Oh, I hate that man!” Celia plopped down on a swing. The children had abandoned the playground equipment once the first firework exploded overhead.

  “You failed to mention he’s incredibly good-looking and smells like sin in a bottle.” Kelly took a seat on the swing next to Celia. “Not that it matters, when he’s such a stupid, horrid man.”

  Celia had spent the entire week avoiding Kash. She’d seen him multiple times but managed to stay far enough away from him, he couldn’t talk to her. Once, she looked up from snapping photos during the bull riding to find him staring at her. His face looked soft and tender, like the Kash she thought she knew, not the beast she’d encountered the other evening.

  Maybe he was one of those guys who turned mean when they drank. She didn’t plan to stick around and find out. He’d broken her trust. Nothing he could say or do would regain it.

  Regardless, when he’d caught her a few moments ago, he seemed like the Kash she’d first met. He even smelled like she remembered — that wintery, woodsy scent that made her want to curl up with him in front of a fire despite the sweltering heat of early July.

  Either Kash Kressley was an incredibly talented actor or he had a split personality. Honestly, he appeared to have no idea what she and Kelly were talking about when they brought up what he’d done to her the other night.

  In fact, if she didn’t know better, she’d say he looked bewildered and upset. The flash of pain in his blue eyes had been unmistakable.

  None of it made any sense to her. She leaned forward and buried her face in her hands.

  “What is it, Celia?” Kelly rubbed her back. “If you’re worried he’ll come back, I don’t think he’ll try anything tonight.”

  “No, it’s not that.” Celia sat up and sighed. “It’s just… he’s like two completely different people. The guy the other night was so cocky, arrogant, and malodorous. The Kash I met before, the one from tonight smelled…”

  “Like rugged temptation wrapped in Christmas romance with a dash of old leather?” Kelly shrugged at Celia when she frowned at her. “What? I can’t help it if I noticed. How does a guy who spent so many hours around all those animals in this heat still smell so good?”

  “I don’t know, but do you see my point? It’s like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. One of them is a sweet, caring gentleman and the other is a sme
lly, obnoxious monster.”

  Kelly toed the ground and stopped her swing, looking at Celia. “Is there any way you could have been mistaken about who you saw the other night?”

  “No. I called him Kash and he answered. However, he didn’t seem like himself. He was so charismatic and overly friendly. When he smiled, I couldn’t see it in his eyes.”

  “See what?” Kelly asked, staring at Celia.

  She shrugged. “The light. When Kash smiles, there’s this light in his eyes. It’s like little pieces of his soul are reflected there.”

  “Wow! You’ve got it bad, girlfriend, for a guy who practically mauled you.”

  “Why do I keep getting involved with idiots?” Celia leaned toward Kelly and pointed to her forehead. “Do I have a tattoo on my forehead or something? Is there a sign visible only to unbalanced guys who are certifiably crazy?”

  Kelly laughed and got to her feet. She held a hand out to Celia. “No, you weirdo. Come on. Let’s go watch the fireworks. When they’re done, we can stuff ourselves with salted caramel ice cream and M&M’s. I bought a jumbo-sized bag this morning.”

  “Let’s skip the fireworks and head straight for the ice cream and candy.” Celia looped her arm around Kelly’s and they headed out of the park.

  Chapter Six

  The sun beat down with relentless force the following morning when Kash stomped inside the house at the Rockin’ K Ranch and slammed the front door. It sounded like a sonic boom and rattled the windows.

  His dad hurried out of his office, wearing a concerned frown. Their housekeeper rushed out of the kitchen, wiping her hands on a frilly yellow apron.

  “What in the world made you do that, son?” Frank Kressley asked Kash as he tossed his hat and gloves on a bench near the door. The snaps on his shirt popped open with one tug and he let it drop to the floor.

  He’d driven ten hours straight with only one restroom break to reach the ranch. The entire trip, all he could think about was wrapping his hands around Ransom’s neck and strangling him.

  “Where’s Ransom?”

  “He’s in his room. Your brother never gets out of bed before noon if he can help it.” Frank frowned as Kash took the steps upstairs three at a time. “Kash? Kash! What are you doing?”

  The boys had been in plenty of tussles over the years, but he’d never seen such a look of loathing on Kash’s face. Fear of what might happen drove him up the stairs with Barb, the housekeeper, running right behind him.

  Kash thrust open the door to Ransom’s bedroom with such force, it banged against the inside wall.

  Startled, Ransom rolled over in bed and stared at his brother. He sat up with a cocky grin. “Hey, Kash, how’s your girlfriend?”

  In a blink, Kash put Ransom in a headlock, dragged him down the stairs, and out the front door onto the porch. He gave his brother a shove and lifted his fists.

  “Put up your fists and fight or stand there like the quivering coward you are. Either way, you’re getting what you deserve, Ransom.”

  “Aw, Kash. Calm down. I was just having a little fun. Didn’t do any harm other than ruffle her feathers a bit. And they’re such pretty red feathers, too.” Ransom licked his lips and smirked. “With those big green eyes and pouty pink lips, she is a looker, for sure. And her kisses — man alive. No wonder you were keeping her a secret. That girl is…”

  His head snapped back when Kash’s fist connected with his chin. Shocked that Kash actually hit him, Ransom lifted his hand and swung, missing Kash by mere inches.

  The fight was on. The smack of fists hitting skin and bone along with their grunts filled the otherwise calm morning air. Kash gave much better than he received, but he didn’t duck fast enough and took a fist to his left eye.

  His next punch landed on Ransom’s cheek. Ransom spat out blood before he took another swing at his brother. He caught Kash on the shoulder, causing him to take a quick step back to keep his balance.

  “Don’t you ever touch her again, Ransom. If you even think about it, I promise it will be the last thing you do.” Kash slugged him in the gut. The air whooshed out of Ransom as he dropped to his knees on the porch.

  “Kash! What’s this all about? Quit using him for a punching bag.” Frank grabbed Kash’s arm before he could hit Ransom again.

  Kash shook off his father’s hand and glared at his brother. “Tell Dad what you did!”

  Ransom glanced up at the three faces awaiting his response. His gaze moved from his brother and father to Barb. “As usual, you’re overreacting, bro.”

  “I swear, Ransom. I’m going to…”

  Frank stepped between his boys. He placed a restraining hand on Kash’s chest while scowling at Ransom. “What did you do, son?”

  “Just had a little fun at Kash’s expense, Dad. That’s all.”

  Kash tried to step forward, but his father held him back. “That isn’t all. Doesn’t even begin to describe what he’s done.”

  Aware that Ransom wouldn’t tell him what happened, or come close to sharing the whole truth, Frank looked to Kash. “What did he do this time?”

  “He attacked a girl one evening, pretending to be me. He also made several members of the rodeo committee question whether they should renew their contract with us. There was also an incident with the inspector. He almost refused to admit our stock because he caught Ransom kissing his wife.”

  Frank sank down on one of the Adirondack chairs on the porch and looked from Kash to Ransom. “Let’s start at the top. Ransom, did you attack a girl?”

  Ransom pulled himself onto a chair and wiped the blood away from his lip, swiping it on the leg of his underwear, since that was all he wore. “Attacked is a strong word.”

  “You riddled her back full of slivers, scared her witless, and convinced her it was me.” Kash clenched and unclenched his fist, struggling to keep from pummeling his twin. “You knew, didn’t you? You knew she thought she was talking to me.”

  Ransom chuckled. “Yeah, I did. From the interesting conversation I had with her, she seems to have more than a passing interest in you. At least she did. Once you calm down, you can thank me for keeping you from getting yourself entangled with a nice girl like that. The only thing they think about is marriage and babies and who wants that kind of…”

  Kash knocked Ransom out of the chair and stood over him, seething with anger. “How could you hurt her like that? Her friend said she pulled dozens of slivers out of her back.”

  Frank stood and scowled at Ransom. “Son, what did you do to that girl? I want the truth.”

  “I wanted to mess with Kash a little. When I realized he and the girl were friendly, I kind of pushed her up against a tree and took a few liberties with her. She’s a feisty little thing. Kicked me where it counts, slapped my face, and ran off after telling me to never get near her again.” Ransom worked his jaw to make sure Kash hadn’t unhinged it with the last punch. He got to his feet and leaned against the porch rail. “Too bad for you. It appears your sweet romance was short-lived.”

  A loud whack echoed across the porch when Barb delivered a slap to Ransom’s shoulder. “You’re despicable!”

  She marched inside the house as all three Kressley men watched her departure.

  Frank sighed and returned to his chair. He looked to Kash. “What upset the rodeo committee?”

  “They wanted to clarify a few points in the contract and make sure we were on the same page with all the details. The chairman said Ransom was evasive and refused to answer any of their questions.”

  “I see.” Frank turned to Ransom. “You have anything to add to that?”

  “Nope. I don’t talk paperwork, numbers, or stock details. That falls in my dear brother’s wheelhouse.” Ransom sneered at Kash. “And before you give me an earful about the inspector’s wife, I already told Kash that I didn’t realize she was married. I can’t help it if women find me irresistible.”

  Frank blew out a long breath then gripped his knees with his hands. “Ransom, we’ve talked about
this before. We send you ahead of the stock crew as an ambassador of goodwill for the company. You’re supposed to build confidence in the people who pay us money to be there, not romance their women behind their backs. This is your last warning. If you can’t get your act together, I’ll put the company up for sale. Several people are eager to make offers.”

  “Kash is more than capable of taking over so why do you keep making idle threats?” Ransom asked as he opened the door.

  “Because if you two boys can’t work together, I’m gonna sell. That’s all there is to it.”

  “Well, you better start lining up those buyers because I don’t care about Kash, this company, or what you want. You can all just go to…”

  Kash’s fist connected with Ransom’s chin again. He staggered backward, caught his balance then stomped inside the house. A few minutes later, he charged out the front door with a bag slung over his shoulder. He tossed it in the back seat of the little sports car he liked to drive when he wasn’t on rodeo business, and peeled out of the driveway.

  “How bad is the girl, Kash? Will she be okay?” Frank stood and placed a hand on his shoulder.

  Still angry and worked up, Kash wanted to shout at his father that part of the whole mess with Ransom was his fault. Instead, he shook his head. “Her friend said she pulled a few dozen slivers out of her back. I think Ransom shoved her hard into a tree. I didn’t get any particulars because she wouldn’t talk to me and her friend kept slapping my face.”

  “Who is this girl? You didn’t mention you’ve been seeing anyone.” Frank motioned for Kash to precede him inside the house. They sauntered down the hall to the kitchen where Barb slammed around skillets on the stove.

  “I met her a few weeks ago. She’s a rodeo photographer. Her brother is the steer wrestler who blew out his knee last spring at one of our rodeos.” Kash tried not to wince when Barb grabbed his hand and prodded his bruised knuckles. “She was also the photographer at Tim’s wedding. Her mom had to leave early, so I gave her a ride home. That’s all. It’s not like we’ve even gone out on a date and you know how I feel about getting into a relationship anyway.”