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

Author:Shanna Hatfield [Hatfield, Shanna]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Shanna Hatfield
Published: 2016-12-01T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Thirteen

“Who’d you say was coming for lunch today, Gramps, besides the usual suspects?” Cooper asked as he set three additional plates on the dining room table.

“I didn’t.” Nick winked at his grandson as he stirred a pot of chili in the open, airy kitchen.

Last spring, they’d knocked out the wall between the kitchen and dining room, creating one big light-filled space they both liked.

Cooper straightened and stared at the older man. “Are you gonna tell me?”

Nick shook his head. “Nope. I’m not. You’ll find out soon enough.” He gave Cooper an observant look. “But you might want to take a shower before they get here. You smell like you’ve been wrestling with the bulls.”

“Maybe that’s because I was,” he said, glancing down at his manure-flecked jeans. “I wish they’d learn to play nice with each other instead of getting into shoving matches. Doctoring a cantankerous bull isn’t high on my list of fun activities.”

“I appreciate you helping the boys while I made lunch. Now, hurry it up or you’ll still be in the shower when our company arrives.”

Cooper started for the stairs and looked back at Nick. “And the mysterious company would be…?”

Nick shook a spoon at him. “Still not telling. Go!”

Cooper chuckled as he took the back stairs two at a time and hurried into his bathroom. He took a quick shower and shaved, since he hadn’t bothered to do so since Christmas. Thoughts of meeting Paige’s boyfriend made anger and jealousy simmer bitterly in his stomach. The woman was nothing but trouble. In fact, after she accused him of throwing himself at her, he was through wasting another moment of thought on her.

Because of her, he’d most likely suffer acute humiliation when all his friends saw him, in particular his jean-clad posterior, in a bunch of advertisements next year in Las Vegas.

He’d back out of the deal, but he’d given his word, even if he hadn’t yet signed on the dotted line.

Maybe he could make Paige angry enough she’d let him off the hook. As Cooper hurried to dress, he thought about the ludicrous amount of money the designer was willing to pay. Truthfully, he couldn’t turn it down.

Although their ranch did well, it would be stupid to turn his back on that kind of money. With what he made from the one modeling gig, they could purchase a new piece of equipment, implement changes to their cattle herd that he and his grandfather had discussed, or build the new hay shed Gramps had been talking about the past year.

No, Cooper wasn’t in a position to turn down the money. Additionally, he wanted to see Paige again, no matter how much it galled him to admit it.

The woman had somehow worked her way under his skin. Despite how much he denied it, he kind of liked having her there.

At the sound of the doorbell ringing, Cooper tamped his feet into boots and snatched a shirt from his closet. On the way down the stairs, he slipped his arms through the sleeves and threaded a belt through the loops of his jeans.

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