Darn Good Cowboy Christmas (21 page)

Liz kissed Raylen on the cheek. “I'm going to show the girls the fortune wagon, and then we're going to set up toys in the dart gallery. When you get this done, come and find us. We want the trial ride on the wheel.”

Blaze couldn't take his eyes off Colleen. Standing up she was even more stunning than she'd been sitting down at the café. She was taller than Gemma but not by much, putting her at just about five feet four inches. Just the right height for him to walk beside comfortably with his arm around her shoulders. Kind of like how Raylen and Liz fit together. He shook that picture out of his mind. He didn't want to like Raylen, and he didn't want Liz to really fall for the cowboy even if he did know how to use a screwdriver. He wanted her to come back to the carnival, not put down any more roots in Ringgold.

Both men watched the women walk away. Raylen itched to slip his arm around Liz's waist and let his hand drop to cup her butt. Blaze's mouth went dry just looking at the way Colleen filled out those tight jeans and the way her hips rotated with every step in those cowboy boots.

“Well, guess we'd best get to work,” Raylen said hoarsely.

“Yep,” Blaze agreed, glad that Raylen couldn't read his mind. If he'd known how Blaze was looking at his sister, he'd use that screwdriver in his hand for a helluva lot more than putting a ramp together.

Thursday night of a carnival was usually the slowest one. Friday night business picked up and Saturday night it was booming. The Bowie gig was always touch-and-go with the weather. It rained and was so cold that only the brave at heart succumbed to their whining children and brought them to the carnival; or else it was unseasonably warm and everyone wanted one last fling before winter set in. Feast or famine was what Tressa called it.

Liz could hardly sleep on Wednesday night and awoke long before the alarm clock went off on Thursday. Like every opening day, her first thought was weather. She raised the blinds in her bedroom to nothing but darkness and groaned. The sun hadn't even started to rise yet. She checked her laptop for the weather update to find that it hadn't changed since the night before. Eighty percent chance of rain, cold front moving in, and enough wind to bring the chill factor down.

And there were voices in her house!

She tiptoed down the hallway to the kitchen to find Hooter and Blister following Raylen's every move. “What are you doing here?”

“You talkin' to me or the livestock?” Raylen asked.

She sat down at the kitchen table. “You.”

“You've been on the go so much this week that I haven't got to see you except when there was a hundred people around us. I'm making coffee. I was going to bring it to you in bed,” he said.

She hugged him from behind. “That's so sweet. I missed you too.”

He turned around, dropped a kiss on the top of her head, and led her by the hand to the table where he sat down and pulled her into his lap. “So what's the agenda for tonight?”

“Have you heard a weather forecast?” she asked.

“What's that got to do with anything?”

Tonight was the night and he felt like a kid on the way to the candy store. Surely to hell the weather wasn't going to prevent her from doing that dance again.

“In the carnival business, everything,” she answered.

“Guess it's more like ranchin' than I thought. I was plannin' on plowin' up the last forty acres surrounding you today, but there is already a fine mist out there, and the weatherman says rain all day, and the temperature is supposed to be around fifty with a wind chill factor of forty degrees,” he said. “What does that mean for you?”

“It means business will be slow,” she said.

He stood up with her in his arms and set her in another chair. “Coffee is ready. Weather-wise, the rain stops at noon tomorrow and the sun pops out. The cold front we've got today won't move out until Sunday, so the weather is staying in the high fifties with a wind chill five to ten degrees below that.”

She sighed. “Slow carnival this week.”

He put a mug of hot coffee in front of her and pulled his chair around so they would be closer. She left her coffee sitting and curled up on his lap, wrapping her arms around him and snuggling so close that she could listen to his heartbeat. Forget the carnival, forget the café. Peace enfolded her like soft, feathery wings and she wanted to stay right there forever.

“You promised me a dance tonight. Rain got anything to do with that?” Raylen asked hoarsely.

“I've been looking forward to dancing for you for days,” she whispered into his ear.

His lips found hers in a passionate kiss that melted the peace and replaced it with red-hot desire. He slipped a cool hand under her knit pajama top and gently massaged her back before moving around to cup a breast.

She gasped and pulled back. “Raylen, much as I'd like to go where this would lead us, darlin', I've got to get ready for work.”

He nuzzled down into her hair. “Five more minutes.”

A quick glance over his shoulder at the clock said it wasn't happening. “Can't or I'll be late.”

She pushed away, stood up, and bent down to plant a steaming hot kiss on his lips where tongue met tongue, producing enough heat to burn away the rain and clouds. When she stood up, Hooter was staring at them, head cocked off to one side. Blister had jumped up on the counter, not six inches from Raylen's ear, and meowed loudly.

Liz giggled. “I think they're tellin' us that we'd best stop now or else I'll get fired.”

“I am very fired up.” Raylen looked down.

“So am I, but…”

He scooped her up and carried her to the bedroom, quickly stripped her pajama bottoms off while she unbuckled his belt and unzipped his jeans. “A quickie, Madam Bellybammy?”

“Oh, yes!” She jerked his jeans down and guided him into her.

A dozen thrusts later he collapsed on her. She wiggled from under him in one easy move and jogged to the bathroom, started the shower water, threw off her pajama top, and stepped into the tub before the water was quite warm enough. She took the fastest shower she'd ever had in her life and had a towel around her when the door opened.

“Cold shower. Didn't you…?” he asked.

“Oh yes, darlin', very much so, but I've got to rush.”

He wasn't helping, standing there naked. Broad chest inviting her to snuggle up to it; muscular biceps to hold her tightly; lips to kiss until she was panting; sexy eyes to sink into as he made love to her. One touch. One kiss. One word and they could spend the rainy day in bed.

“Okay, kiss me and I'll see you tonight,” he said.

She tiptoed and the towel fell off.

He ran hands down her sides, stopping at her waist and bending to kiss her sweetly. “I want to hug you but you are all clean and I smell like hot sex. I'll see you tonight. Mind if I use your shower?”

“Not at all.” She remembered the shower sex at his place and wished she could get right back in there with him.

She made it to the café five minutes before opening, grabbed a cup of coffee, and wolfed down two bacon biscuits.

“Does rain mean a slow day in the café business like it does in the carnie world?”

Jasmine poured a cup of coffee. “Not at all. If the ranchers can't work, they come to the café to talk ranchin', religion, and politics. So get ready for a very busy morning. I've got extra biscuits on the pans ready to put in the oven. They'll be orderin' sausage gravy and eggs to get the chill off. What happens to the carnival?”

“If it's rainy and cold, folks stay home. No amount of whining or begging from their kids can get them out in the nasty weather. We'll have a slow night and, according to the weatherman, the rest of the week is going to be chilly. If it's not raining, we might have a fairly decent weekend to finish up the year,” she explained.

“You said ‘we,' Liz. You're not completely cut away from it, are you?” Jasmine said.

“No, but I'm workin' on it. I've been growing these wings for twenty-five years. I can't get rid of them in a month,” she said.

“That's understandable and honest. Time to open the door. The parking lot is already half full. Get ready for a rush,” Jasmine said.

Liz picked up her apron and tied it around her waist. She wondered if Raylen was still in her house, if he'd left Hooter and Blister inside, if he ever told Becca about their sex life. That made her frown. Surely he didn't tell personal things, even if Becca was his friend. She damn sure wasn't sharing the intimate things about their relationship with Blaze, and he'd asked plenty of questions.

It was a hectic morning that gave way to a busy lunch rush. Closing time came before Liz realized that she hadn't seen Ace, Colleen, or Gemma all day. Colleen had said she'd only come over from Randlett for the day so that wasn't a surprise, but Ace and Gemma always ran through at least once a day.

Liz grabbed the broom after she'd wiped down all the tables and made sure the salt, pepper, sugar, and pepper sauce bottles were refilled. She swept and Jasmine mopped.

“You don't have to do this,” Liz said.

“You need to get out of here and spend time with your family. I'll get my cakes done for tomorrow's dessert and then us girls are coming to the carnival,” Jasmine said.

“Really! I can't wait for you to meet Momma and Aunt Tressa. Colleen and Gemma came by last night and helped me stock the midway. And Aunt Tressa made Raylen work with Blaze on the Ferris wheel.”

Jasmine stopped and leaned on the mop. “Talk while you sweep. I knew they were all coming, but we've been too busy to gossip.”

“I was afraid they'd kill each other. I sure wouldn't want to have to work with Becca, like Raylen had to work with Blaze, but they got along all right. Then when they got it finished, all five of us did the debut ride. Tressa ran the controls and let us go around about a dozen times before she declared it was ready for use.”

“Keep going. Who rode in each bucket?” Jasmine asked.

“Blaze rigged it so that he and Colleen sat together,” Liz said. “I'm worried about that. I've told you about him and his womanizing.”

“Who sat with you?”

“Raylen on one side and Gemma on the other,” Liz said.

“You want someone interfering with you and Raylen?” Jasmine asked.

“Hell, no!”

“Then leave Colleen and Blaze alone. They're both grown; and trust me, Colleen can take care of herself. Would you break up with Raylen if you had a brother who took to Becca?” Jasmine went back to mopping.

“No, but I'd sure think about shooting Becca graveyard dead,” Liz said.

“I rest my case,” Jasmine told her.

***

Liz felt right at home in the travel trailer, sitting at the table with her makeup kit and mirrors around her. She wore a long, flowing multicolored skirt, a yellow blouse with billowing sleeves, with a turquoise scarf and beaded sandals. When she finished her makeup, she slipped six strands of different colored beads around her neck, a dozen silver bangle bracelets on one arm, and a tinkling charm bracelet on the other. Then she wrapped a long scarf around her head, tying it in a double knot right above her left ear and letting the ends fall over her breasts.

She was checking her reflection when her mother stepped into the trailer. “You forgot something.”

“I did?”

“Ah, my child. One month and you are already becoming a
gadjo
.”

“I'm not an outsider, Momma. What did I forget?”

Marva Jo pointed at her feet. “Your ankle bracelets. Got to have the tinkling to give the illusion.”

“Thank you,” Liz said.

Marva Jo went to the refrigerator and took out a Diet Coke. “I like your Raylen. He reminds me of your father except that your father had jet-black hair and eyes, like you have. And he was much shorter than Raylen.”

“Then what makes him remind you of my father?” Liz asked.

“The way he looks at you. Just remember we are exotic to a
gadjo
for a little while. It didn't last with your father. It won't last with Raylen. Enjoy it while you have it and then let it go. Kind of like a butterfly on a pretty red flower. Stay until you tire of it and then fly away,” Marva Jo said.

“What if I don't get tired of it?” Liz fastened charm bracelets with little brass bells around her ankles.

“It's not up to you. He'll get tired of it and then you'll find out that the place for you is in the bosom of the carnie. He's the only reason you went there and the only thing that holds you. When it's over, you'll come home. History repeats itself.”

“What if it's five years down the road and we're in a committed relationship?” Liz asked.

Marva Jo kissed her on the forehead, being careful not to mess up her makeup. “What ifs could go on all night. You haven't forgotten the business like you did your ankle bracelets, have you? I wish you could dance tonight, but from what the weatherman says, it's going to be too cold. Such is life this late in the year. Sometimes it's nice and warm, and sometimes we don't even make enough to pay the electricity bill.”

“What did you think of Colleen and Gemma?” Liz asked.

“I liked them but Colleen the best.”

“You got to be shittin' me!” Liz said.

“No, I'm not shittin' you and that's a
gadjo
phrase which proves my point. Now get out of here and go do your job. You've got just enough time to get settled into the wagon and turn on the crystal ball light before your first customer.”

She was on her way from the trailer to the carnival and had just waved at Blaze who was working the controls at the Ferris wheel when she heard someone yell her name. She was surprised to see Austin and Rye not five feet from her.

“I almost didn't recognize you,” Austin said.

“It's me in living color. I'm telling fortunes tonight. Tomorrow night they've got me working the shooting gallery and Aunt Tressa is working the fortunes, then Saturday night I'm back at fortunes. Y'all are brave souls in this weather.”

“This is the only night we get to come, and I love carnivals. Rye took me to a carnival on one of our first dates. I make him take me to one whenever it's close enough. Maddie is keeping Rachel for us,” Austin said. “I don't care if I get wet. I've got dry clothes at home. And you didn't look like that at the Halloween party. You wore a genie outfit.”

Liz smiled. “You're going to have to tell me the story of your romance when I have more time. Maybe we can all get together for a girls' night out sometime. And that outfit was my belly dancing outfit; this is my official fortune telling costume.”

“Name the place and time. Maybe we can have it at my house and you can teach us how to belly dance,” Austin said.

Rye's grin covered his face. “Can the guys have a guys' night out and watch?”

Austin kissed him soundly and giggled. “No, but you'll reap the benefits of our learning, I'm sure.” She herded Rye off toward the Ferris wheel.

Liz noticed the paint was beginning to chip on the fortune-teller's wagon when she slipped inside and got it ready for business. She flipped a switch that turned on the recessed dim lights and another one that lit up the iridescent bulb at the base of the crystal ball. She struck a match and fired up two incense cones, and in a few seconds, the wagon smelled like sandalwood. Then she sat down and touched a button under the table that flipped a sign on the door to “ENTER.” While she was with a customer, she would touch the button again and the sign would flip over to say, “DO NOT DISTURB.”