A Cowboy's Christmas Luck

By KC Burn

Jonah Beecham is a down on his luck cowboy, stuck in Vegas with no money, no job, no friends, and Christmas rapidly approaching. Although he'd been promised a job as a bullfighter, the job falls through, and he'll be sleeping in his truck for Christmas. In a fit of desperation, he drops a coin in an old-fashioned slot machine and wins enough to put gas in his truck… plus a little something extra. Rather than press his luck, he decides to leave the casino, but the universe isn't done with him yet.

Zach Evans is a television writer from Los Angeles who loves all things cowboy. He's in Las Vegas to do some research at an end of year rodeo event. Too wary to approach any of the sexy cowboys he sees, he finally takes a chance when he bumps into Jonah. 

Spending the next week in Zach's bed might seem like Jonah's luck has changed, but when Jonah realizes he's falling for a man who lives in a city where none of his skills are employable, he's got a choice to make. Fear of the unknown will cost him Zach, but accepting that the universe has more luck in store for him might be more than he can handle.

• Language: English
• Publisher: KC Burn
• Release date: Aug 12, 2023
• ISBN: 9780998180779

Book preview

Chapter 1

Jonah Beecham stared up at the imposing facade of the Venetian Resort. It had been only a day since the National Finals rodeo ended. Cowboys, cowgirls, and wannabes still swarmed the strip, most of them wearing clothes that looked exactly like his. But he was sure his worn and faded clothes told everyone he didn’t belong here, more obvious than all the neon lights on the Vegas strip.

He wasn’t a fucking coward. His job required him to face off with 1,500-pound bulls to distract them from goring thrown bull riders. But walking through the casino’s elegant entrance? A million times scarier. Jonah squared his shoulders, muscles creaking like an old rocking chair. Two weeks of sleeping in his truck had been almost as hard on his body as the actual bull fighting.

Now that the rodeo was done and dusted, there wasn’t one single fucking job to be had. Any more time in his truck and he might lose his fucking mind. But inside the Venetian, Kenny Cooper wanted to meet with him, finally. The job he'd been pursuing for the past year was at last in his grasp. Kenny had said if he learned how to be a bullfighter, the two of them could work the rodeo circuit together. Jonah hadn’t wanted to leave his job at the Cooper Ranch, but Kenny had convinced him it was the best way for him to advance his career.

Fuck it. Jonah strode in, shoulders squared. There were a few subtle Christmas decorations, a nod to the swift approaching holiday, but not as overwhelming as he would have expected. Some sort of perfumy artificial scent bit at his nostrils, tickling at his throat. Probably was supposed to smell like wealth, but he barely suppressed a sneeze. Allergic to money, Jonah was, or so it seemed.

The Venetian employees looked him over like they could sense his wallet was empty, like the knife edge between his bank balance and overdraft was plastered on his forehead.

Heat flooded his cheeks but Jonah ignored his embarrassment as best he could. Once he was well away from the check-in desk, and the throng of well-dressed people waiting in line, Jonah slowed his pace to get his bearings. Each of the Vegas resorts probably employed more people than lived in the tiny Wyoming town both he and Kenny called home. On top of that, all the tourists. If he weren't so fucking broke, he'd be fascinated by the sea of humanity.

It didn't take long to find directions to the bar where he was supposed to meet Kenny, but it took a helluva lot longer to walk there.

The fancy round bar sat smack in the middle of a bunch of slot machines, and didn’t look like the sort of place that served Budweiser. He circled the bar, and peered around the neighboring slot machines, but there was no sign of Kenny. That fucker was always late.

There wasn’t any reason he shouldn’t splurge on a drink – he’d have a job soon. And drinking was far better than lurking around the bar.

Jonah climbed into a seat and waited. And waited. The bar was busy, and the bartender flirtatious, but Jonah didn't mind. The seat was comfortable, and the white noise of the slot machines was surprisingly soothing.

Just as hope started to bloom that he'd be able to avoid ordering an expensive drink before Kenny showed up, the bartender finally made her way over.

What can I get you? Karen, according to her name tag, winked and leaned toward him.

Jonah kept his eyes carefully averted from her impressive cleavage. He could admire a spectacular rack with the best of them, but he didn't want to give her any false impressions.

What's good, ma'am?

She giggled. You cowboys. Always with the ma'am. Our specialty is a Bloody Mary, but we've got some great tequila based cocktails, if you'd prefer.

Some of Jonah's tension released, and his shoulders dropped. A Bloody Mary he could deal with. I'll have a Bloody Mary, please.

Coming right up.

His drink arrived swiftly, along with the bill. The whopping fat bill. He could have gotten six or seven burgers, double-double even, from In-And-Out, for that price. But tomato juice and a celery stick almost made a meal, didn’t it?

Jonah pulled out a five and a twenty and laid it on the bar. Less than two hundred left in his account, not even enough to fill his truck twice. Cutting it close. But Kenny has promised him a job.

He took a tiny sip of his drink. A job and a kick ass cocktail. Before Jonah had left the Cooper Ranch almost a year ago, he and Kenny had found just about every deserted or hidden corner of the property and hooked up. They hadn’t been a couple. Not when they were both in the closet, and with no romantic feelings involved. But they'd been compatible in the sex department, for sure.

Sex had been in short supply over the past year on the rodeo circuit and Jonah missed it. There had been offers, but he’d either been too damn tired or too nervous about getting his ass kicked to accept many of them. He expected he and Kenny would pick up where they left off. He’d recognized a long time ago that having a boyfriend, being out and open, wasn’t something that could happen for a broke cowboy in Wyoming. Getting his wick licked on the regular was about all he could reasonably expect.

New job, good booze, and getting laid. Like Christmas had come early. Taking another sip, he relaxed even further, letting his worries dissolve in the controlled chaos of the casino.

A hearty slap on his back mid-swallow had him coughing and sputtering. He spun around to find Kenny snickering.

Jonah bit the inside of his cheek to keep from cussing, and dredged up a half-smile.

Didn't mean to scare you, Jo-Jo.

Jo-Jo? Where’d that nickname come from? Damned if he’d let that stick, but he’d take the issue up after the job was settled. No sense pissing Kenny off now.

Hey, Kenny.

Kenny looked good. Rested, polished, and he’d obviously only been an observer at the recent rodeo events. Even the smoothest roping, barrel race, or bull ride left tended to leave bruises and scrapes. But Kenny's father had groomed him to be a land baron, not a working cowboy like Jonah.

Jonah slugged back half of his drink. The sooner they got business out of the way, the sooner Jonah could broach the subject of celebrating in Kenny's hotel room. He might have a couple of celebrations in him, even, before he crashed. Kenny was nothing if not greedy.