Wrangled and Tangled (Blacktop Cowboys 3)

Intrigued, Tierney asked, “What types of items?”

“A woman outside of Laramie makes soy and beeswax candles. They’re beautifully packaged in glass jars and the scents are to die for. Another woman in Rawlins designs the most unique wire jewelry I’ve ever seen. A husband and wife team from Sheridan raises sheep. The wife spins, dyes and weaves stunning decorative items out of the wool. There’s a company outside of Moorcroft called Sky Blue that manufactures all-natural beauty products.”

When Tierney didn’t immediately respond, Harper blurted, “I’m sorry if I’ve overstepped my boundaries telling you what to do.”

“You haven’t. I’m happy you’ve given this so much thought. You’re on to something, Harper. Something big.”

Her eyes lit up. “You can’t possibly know what that means to hear you say that.”

“I think I do,” she murmured. Just once she’d like to have that same type of “atta girl” from her boss.

“Anyway, what were you looking for when you came in?”

“Something I wouldn’t normally wear, but not so far out of the realm of my normal style that I’d feel weird wearing it.” She sighed. “Sounds vague, doesn’t it?”

“No.” Harper looked thoughtful. “I’ll be right back.” She was gone maybe two minutes and returned with a wad of red fabric. “I found this last week. It’s retro, but not Western, so I wasn’t sure what to do with it.” She fluffed out the dress and Tierney’s breath caught.

The style was a 1940s glam cocktail dress. The upper half was velvet and boasted a keyhole neckline. Long sleeves made from chiffon ended at the wrist with a tiny satin band. A shirred piece of chiffon separated the velvet top from the bottom. The fitted satin skirt ended below the knee, and a ruffle of red netting finished off the dress.

“This is gorgeous. My God. It’s—”

“Perfect for you. For the community Christmas party.”

Tierney glanced at Harper. “You think so?”

“It’s red. It’s sexy. It’s totally you. And my former clients will be dancing the cha-cha, seeing you in this dress.”

“Really? Why?”

“They’ll feel you went all out, in every aspect, to make sure the party is a special event. Because make no mistake, this party means the world to them.”

“Oh, you’re good, Harper. Very good.”

“Thank you.”

“How much?”

Harper bit her lip.

“No discounts,” Tierney warned. “Pretend I walked in off the street, saw this and had to have it. How much?”

When Harper rattled off the amount, Tierney raised her eyebrows. “That’s . . . not discounted at all.”

“It’s vintage Chanel couture. I found it at an estate sale in Colorado in a box of draperies we bought for our house. When I got home I researched it, and wished I was six inches shorter, thirty pounds lighter, and two dress sizes smaller because I would’ve kept it. But it’s ideal for you.”

“I love it. I can’t wait to try it on.”

“I can’t wait to see the look on Renner’s face when he sees you. He’ll be speechless.”

How could Harper know about them? Casually, Tierney said, “What makes you think he’ll care?”

“Because you annoy him.”

She stared at her.

Harper laughed. “No one annoys Renner. Nothing fazes him. But you? You faze him.”

She’d certainly done a bang-up job of annoying him today.

Harper headed to the dressing room. “I’ll get started on writing up the sale while you’re trying this on.”

“Give me time to call the bank so I can take out a loan,” Tierney said.

“It’ll be worth every penny.” Harper’s eyes were on Tierney’s feet. “Do you have the right shoes? Because I have a pair in the back that might work.”

“Oh, you are good, Harper. Very good. Bring them into the dressing room.”

Chapter Twenty-six

The impromptu shopping trip bolstered Tierney’s spirits and vastly improved her mood.

She wasn’t sure how to fix the Renner situation. She’d watched him covertly as he’d spent the evening mingling with the guests. Knocking back a drink. Shooting pool. Giving her no chance to talk to him.

Actions speak louder than words anyway.

A lightbulb pinged in her head and she knew exactly what to do. Ten minutes before last call, she snuck into his trailer. His bed was neatly made and she felt no guilt whatsoever about stripping down to the bare essentials and messing it up.

But as she waited in the pitch dark, she wondered if she’d made a mistake. Given what’d been going on with Janie, maybe Renner kept guns strategically located in case of an intruder.

With that thought, Tierney threw back the covers and raced into the living room, just as Renner stepped through the front door.

“Tierney?”

“Hey. Ah . . . surprise! I was in your room, but got a little paranoid you might shoot me. I’m never sure who’s packing heat out here. I think even docile Dodie has a pistol in her purse.”

Renner snorted and hung up his coat. As he removed his boots, he flicked a glance at the bloodred platform heels on her feet. “You were wearing them shoes in my bed?”

“No.”

He rested his hands on his hips. “Okay. I give. Why are you half-nekkid in my house at ten o’clock at night?”