Page 83 of Pressure Point

“One seventy-five!” a voice called from the back of the crowd, barely audible.

“Two hundred,” the lady countered.

“Two fifty.”

The old lady huffed, wiggling in her seat as if to steel herself. “Three hundred.”

“Four hundred dollars!” the voice in the back shouted.

Liam squinted, trying to see who was there. He saw the crowd that was standing by the bar shuffle slightly, as if they were moving out of the way of someone. Was the mystery voice trying to make her way to the front?

“Five hundred dollars!” the old lady shouted, rising to her feet.

Liam swiveled toward her, momentarily forgetting about the disembodied voice over by the bar. Five hundred dollars. What the hell did this lady want him for that she felt it was worth five hundred dollars?

“Oh no, please. Five hundred is my limit.”

Liam froze. That voice. Now that it was closer and not shouting to be heard over a crowd, he recognized it immediately. In fact, he should have recognized it before. Because it was the sweetest voice he had ever heard in his life. The one that had filled not only his dreams but his fantasies since the day he’d met her.

Avery.

What was she doing here? And wait, was she…bidding on him? That wasn’t possible…was it? Her plan had been to bid on Dash. But that was before. Before she had stopped the kiss and ran after him.

Liam’s heart felt like it could explode as he whipped around, eyes locked on the adorable redhead who was making her way to the stage. No, not to the stage. To the old lady.

Avery was too cute for words, her face scrunched in concern as she hurried as fast as she could, the satin of her dress moving easily with her as she tried not to trip on Bunz’s uneven floors in those stupid heels. He bit his lips, trying not to laugh, remembering their conversation that night on the couch and how she thought he was laughing at her. And maybe he was just a bit. He couldn’t help it though—she made him happier than he could ever express.

“Um, hi,” she said to the lady, her back turned to him. Liam had to strain to hear her over the hum of side conversations that had started up. “This is going to sound crazy, but I need you to retract your bid. Five hundred is my limit. I can’t afford to go above that.”

“So I win.”

“I mean, yes, in theory, but ummm…I really, really need to be the one who wins him. It’s kind of important.”

“How important can it be if you can’t outbid me?”

“I need to tell him I love him.”

* * *

And just like that, Avery had said it out loud.

For all the world to hear.

Of course, for all her practicing on the way over, she never imagined that the first time she used the L word would be to the random little old lady, but here she was. She had no idea if Liam had heard her, but she didn’t dare turn around and look at him. She needed to focus on getting Grandma here to back down so she could do this properly. Just like she had been rehearsing.

“And I need him to move furniture,” the little old lady insisted.

Seriously? She has to be kidding…

Avery looked the woman up and down. No, she probably wasn’t kidding. There was no telling how old this woman was. It had been hard to tell across the room, but now that they were up close, Avery couldn’t help but notice that she looked frail enough that even Avery could have broken her in half. But if all that was standing in her way was an afternoon of moving furniture, then Avery was sure it could be arranged.

“I promise you, ma’am, he will move whatever you need to the moon and back…twice, if you just let me win this.”

Grandma rose to her feet, her eyes wandering up and down Avery, as if she were appraising the prize pig at the county fair. She pressed her lips into a harsh line, squinting her eyes.

“You said you love him?”

“I do,” Avery said, letting out a sigh of relief. “And I did something really, really stupid. This is my chance to make it right.”