Page 24 of Billionaire Bad Boy Auction

She rolled her eyes, but I saw a hint of amusement. “Guess I should be flattered. I’m officially front-page news. I always wanted to be a star.”

“Congratulations,” I said dryly.

She laughed again. The sound made me forget why I was even annoyed with her in the first place. I was blaming her for the auction when it wasn’t her fault at all. I had been in a shitty mood and took it out on her. She was obviously having a shitty week herself. We were a perfect storm.

“Where you headed?” I asked casually.

“Meeting my folks down the block for lunch,” she said, adjusting the strap of her bag on her shoulder.

I hesitated, then shrugged. “I’ll walk with you.”

She raised an eyebrow. “You don’t have to do that.”

“I know,” I said, already falling into step beside her.

We got a lot of looks as we strolled down Main Street on the sunny afternoon. I didn’t miss the stares or the whispers that followed us. Portia didn’t seem to notice—or if she did, she didn’t let it show. She kept her head high. I couldn’t help but admire her for it.

When we reached the café, her parents were already there, seated at a table near the window. They greeted her with a wave. I was going to slink away and order my food, but her dad and I made eye contact. It would be rude to just walk away without at least greeting him.

“Dean Jackson,” her father said, standing to shake my hand. “Good to see you.”

“Mr. Watson,” I said with a nod. “Mrs. Watson.”

Portia’s mother smiled, her eyes crinkling at the corners. “It’s been a while, Dean. How’s your brother?”

“Seth’s… Seth,” I said, earning a laugh from both of them.

Everyone knew Seth.

“How’s business treating you?” Mr. Watson asked.

“Good,” I nodded. “Plenty of work. Summer is always busy. How’s business for you? Selling lots of properties?”

Portia’s dad chuckled good-naturedly, but I caught the way his smile faltered for just a second. “Well, you know how it is in a small town. Slow and steady. But we’re managing. Got the ups and downs like every other market.”

Portia shot me a look, one that clearly said don’t bring it up. I didn’t need her to explain—real estate wasn’t exactly booming in Larkspur Lake, and with Portia’s recent setback, it was probably a sore subject for her family. I nodded, deciding to drop it.

“Well, I’ll let you all enjoy your lunch,” I said, stepping back from the table. “Nice seeing you.”

“You’re not joining us?” Portia’s mom asked, her tone warm but surprised.

I shook my head. “No, ma’am. I’ve got a sandwich calling my name down the street.”

Portia glanced at me, her expression unreadable for a moment before she gave a small nod. “Thanks for walking with me, Dean.”

“Don’t mention it,” I said, turning to leave.

I stopped to look at the menu for the cafe, reconsidering my decision to go back the other way to get that BLT. While I was looking for something that sounded good, I caught a bit of Portia’s conversation with her parents.

“I was excited to get the call that you wanted to pick my brain about selling real estate here,” her dad said.

I glanced at Portia, surprised to hear her father say it. She was smiling, but there was a nervous edge to it, like she wasn’t sure how her parents would react.

“I’ve been thinking about giving it another try,” she said nonchalantly. “Here, I mean. Not in the city.”

Her father nodded. “It’s a good market. Plenty of opportunities if you know where to look.”

I didn’t want to get caught eavesdropping and quickly ordered a cheeseburger when the cashier caught my eyes.

I grabbed my to-go bag and was about to head out when I heard her mother’s voice. “Portia, honey, are you sure you’re ready? You’ve been through a lot. Maybe take some time before jumping back in.”

I paused, the door half-open. I shouldn’t have cared, but something about the way her mother said it made me stop. I glanced over my shoulder and saw Portia’s face tighten for a split second before she forced a smile.

“I’m fine, Mom,” she said. “I didn’t come back here to sit around and feel sorry for myself. I’ve got plans.”

Her father reached over and patted her hand. “That’s my girl.”

I walked out before I could hear more, but her words stuck with me. Plans. She had plans. I wasn’t sure why that surprised me. She was going to jump into the game. Real estate. Here. It sounded like she was thinking about staying in town for a while.

And for some reason, that thought made me feel warm inside. I walked back to my bike and climbed on. Minutes later, I pulled into the garage and killed the engine. My shop was quiet, just how I liked it. I carried my lunch into the office and pulled out my burger. It wasn’t what I wanted, but it would do. As I ate, I wondered what it was going to be like with Portia in town. Would the press keep going after her?

I knew the reporter that was writing the stories. Lila Sinclair. She was a couple years younger than I was. She was a pain in the ass. Someone that often hung out with Seth. I had a feeling her beef with Portia stemmed more from jealousy than anything else.

And that meant she was going to constantly find something to pick at. If Portia was staying in town, I hoped she was ready to deal with more drama.