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I nodded. “She kept calling and calling over Christmas when Grandfather was having me do that internship with him. Grandfather answered and told her that she would always be inconsequential.”
“No.” Grandmother looked appalled. She hung her head. “Your grandfather was a hard man sometimes.”
“I know.”
We got to her room, and I opened her door for her.
“What are you going to do?” she asked.
I shrugged. “What can I do?”
“You can chase that woman. That’s what you can do.”
“How?”
She squinted and then snapped her fingers. “You can go to the date auction at the church tonight.”
“She’s definitely not going.”
“You just go. I’ll work my magic.”
I didn’t know what that meant, but I knew my grandmother had her ways. “Okay.”
She shooed me away. “Go get ready.”
Chapter Seventeen
Melody
I had no idea what I was doing at the date auction. Gretchen had marched over to the shop and forced me to come.
“I’m not happy that I’m here right now. I’m not going to be someone’s date.”
“Maybe you need to bid on someone,” Gretchen replied.
“I’m not bidding on anyone.”
Gretchen smiled and held up a credit card. “I have it on pretty good authority that you are going to bid on someone.”
“No, I’m not. Whose credit card is that, anyway?”
Gretchen pushed through a plethora of people. This place was packed. “This credit card belongs to Mrs. King.”
“What are you talking about?”
Gretchen laughed. “It was sent over to me earlier today. I also got a call from Mrs. King, asking if I would make sure that you came to this auction with me and that you bid on Charles.”
I was stunned. “What?”
Gretchen nodded. “The lady likes you.”
I had no idea what to do with this information. Honestly, I hadn’t really thought about his grandmother over the years. Until the other day, when he had mentioned that she had boughta doll from my doll shop, I had assumed that his grandmother had hated me as well. “This is crazy.”
As if the universe wanted to play a joke on me, Pastor Lee finished auctioning off someone I didn’t recognize and said, “I’ve been saving this date for the end. As many of you know, the King family suffered a great loss many years ago. It was a loss that they turned for good. They are the ones who set up the foundation for cancer research. Their Christmas gala in two days will fund a cancer wing at our own hospital, making it possible for many families within a two-hundred-mile radius to get the care they need without going to the bigger cities. I saw Charles on Sunday and strong-armed him into agreeing to be one of the dates for tonight.” He chuckled. “I wasn’t sure if he would come, but he’s here. Ladies, are you ready to bid?”
There was an audible rustling from the crowd, followed by laughter and clapping. Someone called out, “Yes, we are!”
Pastor Lee leaned into the microphone. “Let’s start the bidding at two hundred dollars.” Immediately, someone called that out. As if Pastor Lee had suddenly turned into a professional auctioneer, he said. “Three hundred dollars.”
