Rough Rider (Hot Cowboy Nights, #2)(35)

“No. Not exactly,” Janice replied. “But he did ask me to the concert tonight. It’s why I’m here. I was just lookin’ for something—”

“Please tell me you’re not buying that,” Rachel said.

Janice flushed.

“I’m so sorry!” Rachel’s hand came over her mouth with an embarrassed laugh. “That didn’t come out right at all! I just mean the colors totally wash you out. You have such pretty hair and eyes. You should wear jewel tones. Blues and greens. It was part of my queen training you know, learning to make the most of color. Come here. Let me show you.” She grabbed Janice firmly by the elbow and steered her to another rack. “These colors would be incredible on you.” She pulled a sexy tie-dyed sundress off the rack and held it up. Her brows furrowed in a long appraising look. “Maybe this one would be better yet.” She snatched a long colorful T-shirt off another rack. “You need to showcase those long legs.”

Janice wondered what the shirt had to do with her legs. “Would I just wear it with my jeans?”

“No silly!” Rachel giggled. “With your boots! It’s a dress.”

“A dress?” Janice protested. “It would barely cover my ass.”

“And I promise the cowboys wouldn’t mind a lick! But if that bothers you, just wear some cotton leggings under it. Trust me. I know these things. I promise you won’t recognize yourself when I’m done.”

Janice grimaced. “That’s what I’m afraid of.”

Rachel ignored the remark and shoved several more garments into her arms before steering Janice back into the dressing booth. “Just give these a try, will you?” She glanced down at Janice’s well-worn brown ropers. “Got some dress boots?”

“No. Just another pair of ropers.”

“Nothing with a bit of heel or a splash of color?”

Janice shook her head. “Nope. Solid tan.”

“You know they’ve got some really cool dress boots here. Let me go take a look for you while you’re putting those on. What size do you wear?”

“Eight and a half. But I really can’t af—”

Rachel held up a hand. “Just humor me, OK? This makeover thing is kind of a hobby of mine.”

Janice fumed at the idea that she’d unwittingly become the rodeo queen’s charity case but entered the dressing room anyway. She barely had the brown skirt pulled off before more clothes flew over the dressing room door—a gypsy-style peasant dress, a sexy slim-fitting halter dress, and a denim miniskirt with buckskin fringe with a matching denim bustier top.

An hour later, Janice had to reassess her entire estimation of Rachel Carson. She really wasn’t the spoiled little bitch-girl Janice had always believed her to be. Rachel seemed genuine about her desire to help. They had never run in the same circles and had never even had a true conversation before today, but Janice knew the rodeo queen had plenty of other things she could have been doing besides helping a fashion-backward stock hand pick out a dress.

Now that Janice had seen another side of her rival, she grudgingly confessed that Rachel’s appeal ran deeper than her flawless skin. She couldn’t help liking her and understood why Dirk was so taken with her…by her. Although they’d split, there was no doubt in Janice’s mind that he truly was taken—whether he realized it yet or not.

“You’re working the rough stock, right?” Rachel asked.

“Yeah. I brought a few bulls.” Janice wondered where this was going.

“Then you’ll be seeing Dirk, right?”

“I’m sure I’ll be seeing him eventually.”

Rachel chewed her lip. “Do you think maybe you could give him a message for me?”

Janice almost laughed aloud at the irony of becoming Rachel’s emissary.

“Could you tell him I’d like us to talk? We really didn’t get much chance last night.”

Janice bit her tongue. They were too busy “making up” to talk?

“I’m staying at the Cheyenne Marriott.” Rachel pulled a card out of her purse and scrawled her room number on the back, then handed it to Janice. “I’d appreciate it if you’d give this to him. We have a lot to work out, but I’m sure you know how it is with these bullheaded cowboys.” She winked.

“Yeah. I’ve been around a few in my time,” Janice replied woodenly.

She’d been right about Dirk and Rachel getting back together. It was past time for a reality check. Cowboys like Dirk belonged to rodeo queens like Rachel. While stock hands like Janice… Although Grady’s foul mouth and rough ways certainly didn’t qualify him as Prince Charming, Janice’s dirty jeans and callused fingers hardly gave her the makings of a fairy princess either. Grady’s goal was to make it to the top in the bull-riding world and he probably had the talent to get there. Janice’s own ambition—to join the big league of bull contractors and take her bulls to the finals—was compatible with that. It might not be a match made in heaven, but they were both focused, hardworking, and goal driven. Was she settling? Maybe, but she was pragmatic enough to accept reality.

Janice stuffed Rachel’s card into her back pocket and left the boutique shortly after that. She carried two shopping bags, her heart hammering with a mix of excitement and guilt. Today’s shopping spree had set her back.