Darn Good Cowboy Christmas by Carolyn Brown

long strides.
    â€œI’m putting up Christmas before Thanksgiving. Want to come help?” Liz asked icily.
    â€œHell, no! I’ve got better things to do and so do you.” Becca touched Raylen on the shoulder.
    Raylen shrugged off her hand. “Maybe so, but I’m going to help out a neighbor and then the whole month of December when I’m busy as the devil she’s going to be exercising horses.”
    Becca pulled out a chair to sit at their table. “You are an idiot, my friend.”
    â€œBe careful. You might not want to be friends with an idiot,” Raylen teased.
    Liz left them to their bantering and took their order to Jasmine.
    â€œThat hussy better not steal my help this afternoon,” Liz mumbled.
    â€œHelp with what?” Jasmine asked.
    â€œHe said he’d help get my Christmas boxes down from the shelves in the barn and she’s out there working her wiles on him,” Liz said.
    Jasmine shook her head. “Don’t pay any attention to her, Liz. The show is all for Ellen and Nellie’s benefit. They’ll play cards on Friday night with her great-aunt from down in Chico and tell that they saw her flirting with Raylen. Great-aunt will call Becca’s daddy and tell him. He’ll be happy that she’s not seriously interested in his new foreman, who is that guy out there with the dark hair and the come-hither-to-bed look in his eyes. And all will be good on that ranch. Meanwhile, back at the soap opera, she’ll be spending her nights in the bunkhouse with the hired help while Daddy entertains visions of merging two big ranches.”
    â€œA female Blaze, only Aunt Tressa don’t care who he marries or if he’s a playboy the rest of his life,” Liz said.
    â€œWho is Blaze?” Amber asked.
    â€œHe’s a crack-jack mechanic who takes care of the carnival equipment. He’s so sexy that he ought to be a carnival attraction. Women flock to him like flies on a fresh cow patty. And that’s exactly what he is: a bunch of bullshit! But he’s a nice piece of eye candy and he can charm the hair off a frog’s ass, so women don’t have much chance when he smiles at them. He’s my best friend and when Blaze gets here, Miss Becca’s liable to get an acute case of roundheelitis and fall into his bed.”
    â€œHow about your bed? Raylen going to warm it up?” Amber asked as she loaded a tray of dishes into the dishwasher.
    â€œWhat in the hell made you ask that?” Liz asked.
    â€œA blind person could see the vibes between you two.” Amber giggled. “And not every man in Montague County would offer to haul old boxes down off a shelf. You might be the fortune-teller, but you can’t see what’s right in front of your face.”
    â€œYou want a job with a traveling carnival? With that kind of imagination, Aunt Tressa could turn you into a fortune-teller in no time.” Liz teased.
    Amber shook her head. “No thank you. I’m goin’ home.”

Chapter 6
    Liz turned slowly and sure enough, Raylen was leaning against the doorjamb leading into the tack room. Her sixth sense hadn’t failed her, or maybe she should call it her lust sense because every time he was anywhere near, a warm liquid feeling oozed down into her stomach. Smudges of dirt were smeared across his forehead, he had hat hair and a band on his forehead where his straw cowboy hat had rested all day, and his jeans were dusty and his chambray shirt sweaty. And her pulse still quickened at the sight of him.
    â€œGemma said to tell you she’s sorry. Ellen and Nellie walked in just as she was finishin’ up with her last old gal and asked if she had time to cut Nellie’s hair and style Ellen’s, so she won’t be here for another couple of hours,” Raylen drawled. “I’m also supposed to tell you we’re havin’ a party next Monday night in my barn. We do it every year for