When Roses Collide

Chapter Twenty

She peeked over Becca's shoulder to see him trying to maneuver his way around Desi, who kept in step with him back and forth until it looked like they were dancing an odd kind of waltz.

"Sorry cowboy, no card carrying member of the purple headed custard chucker's club allowed," Desi taunted.

Becca tried to smoother a chortle behind her hand and ended up snorting while Harley had to swallow her giggles when she spotted Travis's open jawed expression.

"Purple headed...what's it?" He asked, his eyebrows shocked to the top of his forehead.

"This is girls talk cowboy and that salty yogurt slinger you're carrying behind your zipper, makes you ineligible to attend."

Travis snorted. "Does Max know you're off your leash, again?"

"Ha, ha...stay awake all night thinking up that one? Don't you need to go back out on the prairie to practice your social skills on whatever poor heifer you're dating?" Desi crossed her arms over her chest, narrowing her eyes at him.

"For someone who doesn't know squat about cows, you sure are educated in bullshit." Travis sneered as he loomed over Desi.

"Have you signed up for the Rancher's Rodeo yet, Travis?" Becca thrust a flyer over the top of Desi's head and under his nose, breaking up the two spitting cobras. "There's a bunch of new changes this year you might want to read up on. Unlike last year where the hands had to pay for each event they wished to enter, this year the rancher's make one donation of five thousand dollars."

"That covers all the entry fees, stable space, individual ranch advertisement in the rodeo program and what not. For an extra fifteen hundred you can get a board painted by the high school art club and have it up in the arena." Becca charged forward, barely drawing a breath and rivaling the best auctioneers out there.

"That money doesn't go to the charity, but to the high school art club for supplies and future field trips. They try to raise as much money as possible throughout the year with smaller fundraisers, car washes and such, but this could really give them a boost. We are encouraging as many ranches who can afford the extra expense to do it. If they can raise enough money, they will set some of it aside for future scholarship awards."

"As you can see," she reached over Desi's purple head and tapped the flyer, "there isn't a set charity for the event this year. The ranchers couldn't agree on just one, so instead they are letting each individual ranch decide on a charity of their choosing to sponsor. Whichever ranch team scores the highest point percentage, wins and their charity of choice receives all proceeds from the rodeo."

"Minus, of course, any costs the rodeo committee acquired setting up the event. But, this year has been a block buster year for donations and people have been extremely generous. The committee has really out done themselves, so there will be very little out of pocket expense." Becca batted innocent baby blues and finally took a breather.

Harley couldn't help the tiny giggle that escaped as she and the rest of the little group stood in wonderment of the whirlwind who was Becca. Even Desi seemed to have been momentarily stunned and turned speechless.

"Sounds like a lot of fun," Harley commented as she watch Travis gradually recover from being bulldozed. She reached out, grabbing a flyer from Desi.

"Oh...it's a real hoot, but fairly predictable on who is going to win." Desi managed to find her voice again. "Which ever ranch wins, gets the bragging rights for the year until the next rodeo." She rolled her sandy eye's heavenward.

"Who won last year?" Harley decided to ask, even though by watching the comical display on Desi's face, she already had a fairly good idea who.

"I did," Travis quickly replied.