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Knox touched Cole’s shoulder. “We think he likes Hanna as more than a friend, but he’s never confirmed it.”
Cole’s eyes widened. “Ah. I didn’t realize. Then there’s only one thing to do.”
“And what’s that?” I asked, picking at the label on my empty beer.
“You have to be the highest bidder,” Cole said simply.
That would mean declaring to everyone that I didn’t want her to be with anyone else. It made me nervous. There wouldn’t be any turning back after I made that move.
“That’s your plan, isn’t it?” Knox asked.
“I don’t know.” A muscle in my jaw spasmed.
“You’re going to watch her go on dates with other guys?” Emmett asked, his voice level and reasonable, when I knew if it were Ireland being auctioned off, he’d lose his mind.
“Marley’s throwing the hot tub in as one of the dates,” I said, unable to confirm my thoughts on the matter.
“What if they don’t bring a bathing suit?” Cole tipped his head back as if he were looking at the stars, but his eyes drifted shut. “This is going to be the best date ever. I’m bidding on that hot tub.”
I wanted to get into the hot tub with Hanna. I wanted to spend one-on-one time with her when I wasn’t worried about not crossing lines or personal boundaries. I’d always been careful to stay out of her personal life when it came to men, but no more. I didn’t have a lot of time before the auction to ease her into the idea of us.
The conversation drifted toward the end of the season, how many trees we had left, and whether we’d shorten the hours when things slowed down closer to Christmas. There were always last-minute shoppers to consider. We’d never figured out a good way to slow things down because there was always someone wanting a tree or a gift that last week. It meant long hours for us the whole season. But with Cole here this year, I’d been able to cut back.
Knox touched my arm. “Seriously, you need help to come up with a plan?”
I sighed. “I think I’ve got it. I just need to speed things up. Hanna said she was going to start dating, and I have no idea when that will be. I figured I had until January, but now I have this auction to worry about.”
Knox clasped my shoulder. “Whatever you need, we’ll help you.”
My mouth was dry. “Make sure she doesn’t end up in the hot tub with anyone else.”
Knox grabbed another beer from the cooler we kept outside when we gathered and handed it to me. “That’s all you. I can’t interfere with the bidding. You have to be the highest bidder.”
I unscrewed the cap and tipped the bottle to my lips. The cool liquid soothed my dry throat. “What if the bidding gets out of hand, and we’re talking thousands of dollars?” I had some money saved, but I’d rather use it for something else, like a vacation.
“This is supposed to be fun. I don’t think the girls meant for it to be like that.”
His explanation didn’t make me feel any better. Shortly after, I excused myself to get the carriage from the neighbors’ property. Knox took Sarah and Addy out on it when he first met her, and I figured Hanna and Ember would enjoy it, too.
I grabbed a few throw blankets from Mom’s house and put them in the carriage. The air was cooler than when we arrived. Everyone had drifted to the porch to watch my progress.
“Are we going on a ride?” Addy asked Knox.
“No. I think this carriage ride is for Ember and Uncle Sebastian.”
“Can I go, too?” Addy asked, holding Knox’s hand, pleading with him.
I stepped in because Knox had a hard time saying no to her when she used puppy eyes. “I’m taking Hanna and Ember this time. They’ve never been.”
“Oh. Okay,” Addy said.
Her expression dropped slightly, and Knox said, “We’ll watch a movie tonight instead.”
Addy smiled slightly, hopefully forgetting all about the carriage ride. The rest of my family said their goodbyes and went to their trucks to go home.
I helped Ember into the carriage and then turned to find Hanna standing next to me. “Are you sure you want me to go with you? It might be nice for just you and Ember to go.”
“I want you to see the farm, remember? If you’re going to be living here and helping with the events, it’s helpful if you know what’s here.”
