When Roses Collide

Chapter Sixty-One

Harley snorted a laugh as a group of buckle bunnies tottered by them in high boots made for fashion and not functionality. Each wore tight shirts cut low enough to show plenty of cleavage yet still be short enough to allow their belly button rings to flash in the sun.

"Hey, cowboy." A bleach bottle blond pulled down her sunglasses and gave Bo a flirtatious wink and a light wiggle of fingers as they walked by. The extra sashay of her hips in jeans so tight you could read her daddy's Visa card numbers through her back pocket didn't escape Harley's attention.

Nor did it seem to escape Bo's.

But, Harley gave him credit. He didn't say a word, just gave the girl a polite nod before turning to fidget with his lariat rope, but Harley could see his eyes following that ass as it wriggled out of sight.

Laughing, Harley shook her head and put her hands on her hips, arching an accusing brow at Bo. "Nope. Nothing ever changes," she teased.

"What?" he grumbled, suddenly very interested in looping his rope.

"You might want to go chase her down and remove your eyeballs from being plastered to her backside. Or were you just checking for more glitter?"

"Cojeme!" Diego whooped with a wide grin, nodding his Stetson towards the departed girls. "There was a mucho beautiful view." He gave Bo a quick elbow in the ribs as he walked by to heft Harley's saddle up on the pullout saddle rack on the side of the trailer. "Did you see those chicas, amigo?"

Bo snorted. "I'm old, but I ain't blind," he muttered under his breath.

Diego threw his head back and barked a laugh. "This is not what it looked like to me yesterday when you couldn't toss that rope of yours around a steer to save your life during practice, si?" Throwing Bo a smirk over his shoulder, he started checking every strap, buckle and tie on the saddle.

"Listen you Frito Bandito..." Bo's retort was cut off when a red dually pulling a sleek horse trailer pulled up next to them. "Oh fucking wonderful. What the hell is lover boy doing here?" he mumbled under his breath.

"Bo! Be nice,' Harley hissed at him.

Travis backed his trailer skillfully into the tight spot next to hers. Though her heart did a happy little skip at seeing him again, she was also surprised. According to the parking lot map and assigned spaces, the spot allocated next to them was for the Golden Creek Ranch. The Dusty Rose was supposed to be parked clear across on the other side of the arena. Harley narrowed her eyes at the dually. What the hell was he up to?

Curious, she walked around her rig in time to see Brady stepping out.

"Hey, Miss Harley!" With only a few quick strides of his long legs, Brady caught her up in a bear hug that lifted her boots clean off the ground. "I haven't seen you in ages," he proclaimed, spinning her in a tight circle.

"It's good to see you too, Brady," Harley said, returning his enthusiastic embrace with one of her own. He'd come a long way from the guy who used to shy away from hugs.

"When you're done manhandling my woman, would you mind making yourself useful and unload the horses?"

The sound of Travis's deep growl had a flush spreading under Harley's skin as Brady finally set her boots back on the ground with a little thump.

"Yes, sir, boss." Brady chuckled giving him a slight eye roll only Harley witnessed. "I'll see you around." With a tip of his hat and light tap on her nose, he sauntered off to the back of the horse trailer to do his boss's bidding.

"Now, how about you show me some of that lovin'?" Travis ambled up to her and opened his arms wide. He was dressed in a pair of well-worn blue jeans and a light blue denim shirt, tucked behind his DR belt buckle. The color heightened the cobalt sparkle in his eyes gleaming out from under his ever present black felt hat pulled low over his brow.