Bootscootin' and Cozy Cash Mysteries Boxed Set (Books 1-6)

by Scott, D. D.

Focusing on quieting the cloud of emotions tumbling through her heart, Roxy took a deep breath.

  At least Zayne knew about the Baudlins’ betrayal and could go to the contest judges with the information. That is, if he wanted to. As of yesterday, he hadn’t made-up his mind how to handle Jack and his father. He’d chosen instead to spend the last two weeks before the contest deadline attempting to salvage his Brandywines.

  Roxy pulled the stopper out of the bottom of the tub, draining her sorrows with the bath water. She wrapped her body in a fluffy pink towel.

  If success was happiness, she thought, then what was the best way she could merge their worlds? Country music and Manhattan weren’t exactly strangers. There was always honky-tonkin’ in the Big Apple. And she’d brought the Big Apple’s style to Music City USA along with a gorgeous grapevine and beautiful box-step.

  Life was meant to be fun, for her and everyone else on the dance floor. It was time Roxy cut her losses and threw her own curves into the mix.

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Hello, Nashville,” Roxy spoke into the saloon’s speaker system, thrilled by the packed house she commanded. “It’s time for the announcement you’ve all been waiting for.”

  She took-out the envelope the Tomato Festival Chairman handed her before she went on stage. “Drum roll, please.”

  The house drummer laid his sticks against his snare, tapping them slowly at first, gradually picking up speed until it was impossible to tell when one stick was down and the other lifted from the drum.

  Roxy’s nerves rolled with the beat. Her pulse raced in an even heat with the snare.

  A silent hush fell over the crowd.

  Roxy exchanged a lingering look with Zayne, a message of reassurance and love only the two of them could decipher. She wasn’t sure which role was more stressful — supporting the one you love when their dreams are at a crossing point or being the one in the partnership waiting to see which path was opening and which was closing for the love of your life.

  Right now, she’d pick the supportive role as the bigger point of angst. She’d never felt so helpless. There was absolutely nothing she could do for Zayne except be there for him and with him. No matter which path they were about to journey down, they’d make it together.

  Roxy really didn’t care whether she ended up a dancing queen or the Red Rocket Brandywine Tomato Princess. She’d make sure she had time for both, along with maintaining her belt buckle empire and keeping her cowboy happy. When she was at the height of her game, why give up her neurotic energy level?

  Opening the envelope, Roxy took a deep breath. As she removed the certificate inside, her hands shook. This was it. The new direction of their life written in fancy script on the certificate she was about to read.

  She paused a moment, not just for dramatic effect, but to give herself time to soak in the answer to her life’s riddle. She’d finally figured it out.

  Success was happiness.

  And the look she’d exchanged with Zayne had shown her what happiness in her world consisted of.

  It really didn’t matter whether or not Zayne won this contest. He’d beat the odds just like Roxy had. He’d stared down impossibility and turned it into his own successful reality.

  But there was more than that, Roxy now knew. Much more. They’d achieved their dreams by relying on each other.

  Roxy, once the queen of doing things her way or no way, had taken the biggest risks in her life. She’d counted on people. She’d allowed them to help her go for the gusto. And they’d caught her when she’d taken a tumble…or two. She’d also been there for them. Yes, success had brought her happiness. But achievement didn’t mean a damn without people to share her joy.

  “Ladies and Gentlemen, the winner of this year’s Best Hybrid Tomato Contest is…”

  Roxy read the name on the certificate. Her heart leapt out of her chest and onto the dance floor.

  “The Neon Cowboy’s own…Zayne McDonald.”

  The look on Zayne’s face wrapped around Roxy’s soul and would forever be a permanent fixture in her heart. She’d never forget the sweet, tender relief washing over his face and his shoulders finally relaxing. When his sexier-than-sexy grin reaffirmed its place, Roxy’s spirit soared. She planned to spend a lifetime and then some keeping that look she loved from fading.

  As Zayne stood and approached the stage, the crowd went wild.

  Roxy couldn’t keep her excitement contained any longer. She ran down the stage steps, meeting him halfway across their dance floor. This time, she managed to skim across the divots in the floor he’d rescued her from not too far in their past. Her life was finally built on solid ground.

  Zayne picked her up, tossed his cowboy hat into the air then twirled her in circles. Even after he set her on her feet, Roxy’s body, a bundle of joyous energy, seemed to continue twirling, spinning months then years into their future.

  She had it all, Roxy thought, taking Zayne’s hand.

  Before she could continue basking in just that fact alone, they were rushed by Kat and Lily, Jules and Audrey, and Cody and Damian. In one steadfast human circle, Roxy’s new family took center stage. Draping their arms across each other’s shoulders, they bowed their heads into the center of the circle. No one said anything. No words could do justice to the emotions of their moment. What they’d accomplished together, not one of them or even two could have done alone.

  By simply being there for each other, sharing the glory days as well as the dog days, the triumphs and the tragedies, the successes and the failures, they were all responsible for this success.

  Roxy had opened her heart and made room for the love she’d once been afraid to let-in. Her body overwhelmed by the thought of what would have become of her if she’d never found the courage to follow her dreams, she shuddered.

  Zayne kissed her cheek then broke their familial circle long enough to go to the stage and accept his award.

  Once upon a time, Roxy would have feared the gap left behind by the physical absence of someone she loved. Not anymore. She could finally take comfort that her family loved her enough to come back. And better yet, even when they were physically apart, their hearts and love kept them strong and together. No more over-priced, surrogate au pairs providing love for a paycheck. Roxy had a real family to welcome her home. She’d no longer accept for-hire substitutes.

  • • •

  Taking the microphone, Zayne’s hands shook while he looked out at the crowd.

  In his brief silence, he took the time to not only compose his thoughts but to bask in his victories. And he wasn’t thinking about his newfound tomato king reign. The victories he contemplated were much more important to him and always would be.

  He rested his gaze on the two women who completed his world. His mom and Roxy stood together, their arms wrapped around each other, neither one of them talking. Too bad he didn’t have his camera. Even with a photo to prove it, he’d have a hard time believing something could render those two simultaneously speechless.

  Speaking of speeches, he was so mesmerized by his girls’ silence, he almost missed the quiet chants of the saloon’s crowd. Once the noise made a grand crescendo into an anxious roar coupled with the clinks of silverware to frosted-glass beer mugs, Zayne caught on.

  Speech, speech, speech, the crowd cheered.

  Zayne cleared his throat and brought the microphone to his mouth.

  “Wow. Not only am I speechless. But the festival committee should be congratulated for rendering my two favorite ladies the same. That, my friends, is truly remarkable,” Zayne said to the crowd’s rowdy hee-haws.

  He then raised his microphone in salute of his mom and Roxy who raised their mugs right back with eat-shit grins replacing their beautiful smiles.

  Noting their contagious, ornery spirits, Zayne’s insides bubbled-over with a zest for the humor in life he often didn’t take time to enjoy.

  “And speaking of remarkable, I’m honored to have been able to help bring my dad’s Red Ro
cket Brandywine dreams to ketchup bottles across the country.”

  Zayne could hardly fight back the tears rimming his eyes. Finally seeing his goal achieved, Zayne wondered if even his manly man dad wouldn’t have broken down.

  “This one’s for you, Dad.”

  Starting with one stimulus Zayne never would have expected to initiate the celebration, the crowd went wild. Jack Baudlin stood, lifted his mug, and with a voice soft at first, but more robust as the crowd picked up his efforts, began to chant ‘Kent, Kent, Kent’.

  A thunder of boots hitting the saloon’s hardwood floors joined the voices. Every higher decibel reached brought Zayne’s tears closer to spilling. Seeing his mom and Roxy’s pride already flowing, Zayne released his emotions, allowing his tears to find their way over his cheekbones before they rolled off his McDonald jaw line.

  “There are a few additional people I’d like to mention tonight, without whom, I wouldn’t be up here accepting this contract,” Zayne said bringing one hand to his brow bone to shield the spotlights while he searched the crowd. “Cody, Damian, Jules, Audrey…and let’s see…Lily. Where are you guys?”

  Assisting Zayne’s search, the follow spot operator panned the crowd, hitting on gold in the center of the room. Still in their protective, love-filled circle stood Zayne’s posse, their mugs and glasses raised.

  “Thanks guys. And gals too. I’m so lucky to have you in my life.”

  “We’re the lucky ones,” Lily hollered, raising her glass a bit higher than the rest and winking at her future son-in-law.

  Well, she didn’t know yet that he’d be related to her in that way, but she would soon, Zayne promised himself.

  “Thank you, Lily. But for the extra practice, I’m going to start arguing with you now,” Zayne said then laughed. “I’m the lucky one.”

  He turned his attention to his mother and Roxy, taking comfort in the fact that just the site of them soothed his rattled nerves. How he’d ever do a prime time television show when standing in front of one room of people made him a wreck he wasn’t quite sure. But, just like his mom and Roxy had given him, he’d give it his all.

  “Mom,” Zayne began, feeling the reassuring squeeze in his heart muscle always experienced thinking about or talking to her, “I’m at this point in my life because of your unconditional love, encouragement, and never ending support. If I can give to my family and friends what you’ve given me, only then, regardless of my future in the tomato business or any other endeavors, only then, will I have truly succeeded.”

  Before he was too overcome with emotion to continue, which would give Cody and Damian way too much material to use on him for decades, Zayne turned to Roxy. When their eyes met, he knew that look would last for a lifetime as would their love.

  “And finally, Roxy, the woman I didn’t know I needed ‘til you totaled my tomato truck and continued falling at my feet.”

  Seeing Roxy’s eyes narrow into that ‘you’re-an-asshole’ slit got Zayne all fired-up. Unless he got that twinkle-filled, mischievous uprising out of her, he wasn’t doing something right. And he’d learned long ago he thrived on that look like he thrived on her.

  “I don’t know what I’d do without you. You’re my everything. And I’m going to spend a lifetime proving it to you. I love you, Roxy Rae Vaughn.”

  Reading her delicious lips that she loved him too filled Zayne’s heart with the most natural rhythm he’d ever moved-to.

  • • •

  As the cameras rolled and the spotlight dimmed, Roxy’s tummy did the same acrobatics as the night eight months ago when she’d stood in this same place with Zayne, ready to perform their first dance as partners.

  With their family and friends lining the edges of the saloon’s floor, they waited for the director to cue the music. As Anne Murray’s soft voice filled the room, asking “Could I Have This Dance”, Zayne took Roxy’s hands, leading her into a fluid and magical Two Step.

  Not needing to concentrate on the dance, Roxy sang the words in her mind. Her body fell into place beside Zayne’s without any conscious effort. They’d practiced this number for weeks, along with several others, anxiously learning the ropes of starring in their own show.

  With Cody, Jack Baudlin and Santos running the farm, satisfying Zayne’s contractual obligations with the ketchup world, Zayne had not only been able to commit to the dance show, he’d also taken on several couples for private dance lessons. His bootscootin’ cowboy efforts were paying off big time, making him happier than Roxy had ever seen him.

  And even though Roxy was busier than ever with Raeve, there was no way she wouldn’t make time for dancing with the man of her dreams. After two-stepping, she’d fallen in love with him, and they were continuing to build their future one dance at a time.

  Without the support and talents of Kat, Audrey, Damian, and her mother, Roxy would never have rebuilt Raeve in the saloon. Kat, Audrey and Damian’s support hadn’t surprised Roxy at all, they had been there for her from the get-go. But Lily Vaughn had become quite the anomaly of her past life. She’d become a caring — sometimes overbearingly caring — mother and an outstanding sales associate.

  Between Audrey and Damian’s marketing and construction talents and Kat and Audrey’s no-customer-left-behind sales tactics, Raeve was making a huge name for itself in the country music apparel industry.

  In just three months, they’d transformed the gift corral into Raeve’s new home, just in time for the release of the Buckles Me Baby Spring Collection and the world premier of Deena Mettles next video in which she’d be wearing Raeve from head-to-toe.

  Sliding into a smooth grapevine, Roxy also thought about the vines buzzing with interesting tidbits regarding Jules and Cody. Those two had much more cooking than what they were created together in The Neon Cowboy’s kitchen. And when the new full time kitchen manager Kat hired took over in a few short weeks, that gig was up. But Jules had just informed Roxy and Audrey that she intended to take up permanent residency in Nashville, choosing to open her new bakery and catering company here instead of in Manhattan. Roxy couldn’t have been happier for Jules. And Cody was definitely into Jules’ decision.

  As Roxy toured the floor, connected for the end of the song to her fiancé’s hip, she looked anxiously at The Moms, hoping they’d remembered to set out the Blahniks she’d chosen for the final dance of Episode One.

  Kat winked at Roxy, and Roxy’s mother tapped her hand no-way nonchalantly on top of a boot box sitting on Roxy’s director’s chair.

  Seeing her mother’s ring finger empty, a brief pang of regret pierced Roxy’s stomach. Not that she had in any way not supported her mother’s divorce. Her dad had always made it hell for her mom and still was. He was a terrific source of negative energy. And unless and until he acted differently, she and her mother had decided together to remove him from their spheres’ of influence.

  Roxy’s regret came from watching her mother experience the pain and frustration of discovering what it was like letting real love into her life once someone had snuffed it out. Roxy had been there, done that. And she’d be there every step of the way for her mother.

  “I see you three conspiring. What’s that about?” Zayne whispered in Roxy’s ear.

  “You’ll see,” she said kicking-out her boot in perfect time, launching into the final two measures of the song.

  Bowing to the applause of the crowd and the enhanced clap track backing them, Roxy caught a glimpse of a second shoebox setting on a small table off stage right.

  She winked at Zayne. “I think I’ll take five and check-in with wardrobe.”

  “You do that, Princess,” Zayne said, leaning over to kiss her forehead. “In case you’re worried, I had the floor fixed last week. So kick some ass in those fancy shoes you’re about to put on.”

  “If you insist, Cowboy,” Roxy said, pulling off her boots and wiggling her toes in anticipation.

  She exited the dance floor, making her way to The Moms who had cleared the boot box from her chair. S
itting in her seat, catching her breath between numbers, Roxy eyed the box first then The Moms. The anticipation in their eyes amped up Roxy’s curiosity.

  The plan had been that they’d stow away the Blahniks Roxy planned to wear in the boot box so as not to draw any early attention from the show’s wardrobe advisor. Once Roxy’s feet were firmly wedged into the gorgeous shoes she’d picked out, then she would deal with the wardrobe gooroo. Once he saw her in the shoes, he’d more than agree with Roxy’s itsy bitsy sashay around the pre-approved schedule.

  “Well, let’s put our little plan into action, shall we?” Roxy said, expecting Kat and her mother to hand her the fabulous silk and satin, jewel-encrusted stilettos she’d been saving for just such a special occasion.

  Looking up from her not-so-happy feet, having promised them she’d treat them to a professional massage following the show’s taping, Roxy could only thank the heavens she was sitting down. It wasn’t her moms carrying-out her plan. In front of her, down on one knee, was her father, holding the most beautiful Blahnik Roxy had ever seen. With a look in his eyes asking her permission to slip the fabulous shoes onto her feet, Roxy felt like Cinderella.

  “I’m sorry, Roxy,” her father said, sliding the gorgeous, perfectly crafted shoes onto her feet. “I know I’m not real good at this and never have been, but I’m proud of you. Kick ass out there.”

  Roxy stood-up from her chair, letting her feet settle into the shoes and her heart settle inside her chest. Even though he’d seen the smile she couldn’t keep hidden, Roxy never said anything to her father. There’d be time for words later. Right now the man of her dreams was waiting on his partner. And for the first time, Roxy’s father was waiting to see his daughter dance.

  On her way to the floor, Roxy’s mother reached for her arm.

  Gently turning Roxy to face her, she said, “Don’t worry, Darling. When you’re done, we’ll kick his ass together. Although we could probably give him a few points for effort.”

  “Not too many points,” Kat said, hugging both Roxy and her mother. “Let’s make him squirm a bit.”