AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I spot Brooklyn, and he immediately finds my gaze and gives me a wink.
I smile back. I have my paddle clutched tightly in my hand, ready to go for it.
“Oooh, Travis is looking really cute!” Georgia whispers as he walks on in his cowboy hat and boots. Just like all the other bachelors since it was kinda cowboy themed tonight.
My eyes are on Brooklyn though. I stare at him under the lights in his dark jeans and button down. He’s polished his tan cowboy boots and hat, and he’s groomed his beard. I can only imagine how good he smells, and I sure as hell know how good he tastes.
I can’t wipe the cheesy smile off my face as he keeps his intense gaze directly at me, giving me serious eyes.
“This is going to be a hoot!” Georgia says next to me excitedly.
I’m surprised by the amount of single guys in Stoney Creek we never knew about. And I can’t help but smile the way Brook, Beau, Owen, Easton and Travis all line up next to each other with a dozen others.
“You sure did a good job of roping everyone in,” Celeste tells her.
“Except Hudson, of course.” Georgia pouts. “It would have been hilarious to see him get palmed off by some man-eater. Dolly Simpson could’ve gone in for seconds.”
Is it just me, or is there some bitterness to her usual chirpy tone?
“Are you sure that’s what you want?” I hear Celeste ask, but I don’t hear Georgia’s response as Verne starts up the auction and the guy before Brook — a local realtor, Hanson Corby — is first under the chopping block. She gives off a quick intro before they’re straight into it.
I have to admit, for a little lady that owns and operates a bakery, Verne sure commands the attention of the room as soon as she gets the mike.
The bidding starts off at twenty-five bucks and goes up in ten to twenty-dollar increments. Hanson is a pretty cute, well-dressed guy, so the bidding gets up to a hundred dollars really fast.
“You should have a go,” I whisper to Georgia. “He’s cute in a suit and tie kinda way.” He’s not wearing a suit and tie tonight, but that’s all you ever see him in around town.
She laughs. “Maybe I will.” She pretends to raise her paddle and Celeste pushes her hand down. “GB!”
“What? He could be Mister Right!”
“Or Mister Right Now!” Autumn giggles from the side of me.
“One twenty-five!” Georgia hoots through her cupped hands. Verne looks our way and acknowledges with a nod as the bids ensue. We can’t contain our giggles. Hanson is looking quietly confident as the bids fly back and forth. He quickly gets up to two hundred with Peggy-Sue in the lead.
“Going once to paddle fifty-five Peggy-Sue Lamont… are we all finished… can I say two hundred and twenty-five?” She looks down towards Georgia, who indicates she’s out.
“Going twice.” Another pause. “SOLD! Congratulations Peggy-Sue!”
The crowd is all in fits of giggles as a round of applause erupts and Peggy-Sue takes a bow, waving to the crowd, and giving Hanson a wide-brimmed smile.
Brook steps forward as Verne gives the crowd a rundown on Brooks’ social standing and a few interesting facts. “Brooklyn spends his days bottling the finest bourbon in the south at Bassett Brothers Bourbon Distillery. He loves horse-back riding ladies, vegetarian cooking, and tending to his garden and animals…”
My mind wanders as her spiel goes on. I dropped by to see Brook when Blake was at school, where we were supposed to be discussing the fast approaching holidays and what we might do as a family this year. Instead, he gave me a very explicit rendition of how he wants to spend his time…. In bed wrapped around me.
I quickly snap out of our graphic morning romp when the opening bid comes out of nowhere before Verne has even started.
“Seventy-five dollars!” Us girls all turn our heads to see Amber Jenkins waving her paddle crazily from the front, not taking her eyes off poor Brook.
His eyes grow wide under the spotlight and flick to me. I press my lips together.
Oh God no, maybe she didn’t get the memo after all.
“One hundred,” a voice behind me calls out. I don’t know where from. Maybe our news hasn’t spread as much as I thought.
“Oh, Lord, you better get in the game.” Georgia nudges me. “Amber is really going to go all out tonight, I can sense it.”
“Are you letting him sweat it out?” Carrie chuckles, leaning forward to look at me across Autumn.
