Roping Her Christmas Cowboy. Rebecca Winters

be together. I thought she was the one.”

      “Don’t I know it.”

      Mills planted himself in a chair. “What you don’t know is how devastated she was when she didn’t place in that pageant. For the first two weeks into our relationship, it seemed like all she wanted to do was talk about her disappointment. Then the subject changed when she told me she’d decided to drop out of barrel racing. I’m afraid I didn’t immediately connect the dots.”

      “So what are you saying?”

      He took a deep breath. “I’m not sure, but I’m wondering if it’s because she’s been comparing herself to Nikki and doesn’t want to be around her anymore, which means shutting me out. I guess I never told you Nikki made a clean sweep of all the categories in the pageant, including personality, appearance and horsemanship, and she won the Queen Speech award. The folks would have been so proud.”

      That didn’t surprise Toly, who shook his head. Deep inside he had to admit Nikki would be an almost impossible act to follow.

      “Look, Mills—even if your supposition contains a kernel of truth and she has some envy issues, I can’t comprehend that she would deny herself the happiness you two have found since meeting each other. It doesn’t make sense.”

      “Maybe it does because deep down Denise is more into herself than I’d realized. I found out from my friend José that he went to the same high school with Denise. She was big into barrel racing back then and ran for Miss Teen Rodeo three years in a row.”

      “How did she do?”

      He looked at him. “She never placed in the top three.”

      “Neither did the majority of the other contestants.”

      His friend let out a sound of frustration. “But I don’t think she ever got over it.”

      Toly got to his feet. “If that’s really true, and you believe she’s too obsessed with past failures to see a bright future with you, then she did you a favor by breaking up with you. Let me give you a piece of advice my big brother once gave me. He fell in love with his high school girlfriend and planned to marry her after college.

      “But she met an actor from Hollywood while she was in Europe who swept her off her feet. After she came home, she ended it with Wymon. He thought she’d wanted a ranching life with him. It shocked him to realize he could never have given her what she really wanted. But before he finally got over her, he nursed a broken heart for a long time and grew bitter.

      “I’m telling you this because when I first got into tie-down roping on the circuit—before my brother Roce and I started team roping—Wymon sat me down because he was worried about me. He knew how much I liked the ladies and feared I might get dazzled too soon by a woman who could never love me. My brother feared that if I wasn’t careful, I’d be like he had been and wallow in pain instead of getting on with life.”

      Mills stared at him. “What did he say to you?”

      “To quote him, ‘The last thing you ever want to do is get hung up on one of those rodeo beauty queens. They’re in love with their own image and probably have been all their lives. The dude who’s hooked and can’t see through it is doomed to be an afterthought, if that.’

      “Later on, I realized he’d said that while he was in a bad place, but after hearing what you’ve just told me, maybe there was some truth to his words.” Toly didn’t know what else to say. His friend needed to try to get over Denise or he was going to be miserable for a long time.

      Mills stood up. “In the beginning I would never have thought of her like that. But the more I think about it, there has been a pattern of high expectations and bitter disappointments she can’t get over. Your brother might have had a point when he gave you that advice.”

      “Mills? What’s important is that you move on for your own happiness.”

      “You’re right. Thanks for the talk. I’m sure as hell not going to let her ruin what you and I have worked so hard for. I promise I won’t let you down.”

      Toly patted his shoulder. “You couldn’t do that. See you in the morning. Try to get a good sleep.”

      It was great advice to give Mills, but Toly knew he wouldn’t be falling off anytime soon. He went back to the kitchen, hoping Nikki would come home so they could talk. No doubt some guy was detaining her.

      Starting tomorrow morning, Toly wouldn’t be seeing her for the next three days. He wished they were all driving down to Vegas together, but Mills had never suggested it. From the moment the two of them had starting riding the circuit together, Toly had sensed Nikki was off-limits to him. Naturally he was friendly with her when they were all together here on the ranch, but he kept things professional. That’s why they’d all gotten along so well.

      But Toly wanted more than that. The only thing saving him was the knowledge that the three of them would be together in Las Vegas for ten whole days and nights. He had plans despite what Mills wanted.

      After waiting another twenty minutes while he watched the news on the small TV in the kitchen, he decided Nikki might not be home for hours. Not if that dude at the dealership was holding her up.

      She could sleep in tomorrow while he and Mills had to take off early. So much for a talk with her before he went to bed. That would have to wait. Hell.

       Chapter Two

      At three o’clock on Tuesday afternoon, the airport shuttle pulled up to the magnificent new Cyclades Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. Four huge, white rounded windmills with their pointed brown roofs and blades—the famous trademark advertising the Greek islands—formed the facade around the entrance. A sign on the marquee said, Welcome Wrangler National Finals Rodeo Finalists.

      December 6 was finally here. Nikki climbed out of the limo following her two-hour flight from Great Falls, Montana, and was instantly met with whistles and a barrage of photographers taking pictures. She ought to be higher than a kite to be here at last, on the verge of possibly winning the national championship. But her spirits couldn’t have been darker. Not after the conversation she’d accidentally overheard between her brother and Toly Clayton the other night at the ranch house.

      She hadn’t been able to put it out of her mind and would have given anything in the world for her loving parents to still be alive so she could talk to them about what Toly had said. She was afraid he’d been referring to her when he’d made certain remarks. But there was no such miracle for her and somehow she had to find the strength to get through this experience on her own.

      Being a finalist required she had to be prepared to look the part. That meant wearing specific brands like her white Stetson, Justin cowboy boots, and Wrangler jeans and Western shirt. It also meant putting on a smile when it was the last thing she felt like doing.

      A doorman reached for her two suitcases and accompanied her inside the lobby decorated with Christmas trees and thousands of twinkling white lights crisscrossing the ceiling. She’d almost forgotten the holiday season was upon them. He put her luggage next to her and went back out in front.

      One of the clerks at the counter approached her. “Welcome to the Cyclades Hotel.”

      “It’s good to be here. My name is Nikki Dobson.”

      The clerk’s smile broadened as she signed her into the computer. “You’re one of this year’s barrel racing finalists. Congratulations!”

      “Thank you.”

      “We have the Delos Island suite ready for you and a rental car. When you’re ready to pick it up, their office is down the north hall next to the double doors leading to the indoor pool and gym.

      “If you’ll follow the bellhop, he’ll show you to your room off the east patio. You’ll find literature on the coffee table to answer any questions you might