“I do. If she were here right now, Les, what do you think she’d say to you, sitting here and keeping these men from their work?” He frowned, then laughed a little. “I have a feeling that you know exactly what she’d say.”
“Yes. She’d tell me to get up off my fat ass and get my shit together. Then she’d hit me in the back of the head, telling me how hungry she was, and ask what was for dessert. She so loved dessert when she was younger.” He looked at her. “Did she still? As she got older, did she order pie before her meal?”
“Every time we had a meal together, she’d start with the dessert. When we went out, people would have to make sure that was the way she wanted her meal. Nothing was usual about her.” Les said there never had been. “You and I should have a piece of pie in her honor. That would be a wonderful tribute to a wonderful person.”
“I like that idea, Sid. I would love to have dinner with you and that husband of yours some night soon.”
He looked back at the Stanton men. When he stood up, she did as well. Making their way to the dinner in the house that the Stantons had provided for them all, Les turned to her again.
“Bryn had a life insurance policy that was doubled if she was murdered. I’d like for you to take it.” She shook her head. “Wait, just let me tell you what I want. I want you to take the money and set up some kind of college assistance fund for kids like her, who might be a little short on rent or even utilities. I’d like for you to oversee it for kids to be able to use it for emergencies. I know that my little girl was safe with you helping her. But there might be others out there that aren’t so lucky to have a friend like you. I only have one request. I’d like for you to call it the Bryn Mackenzie Foundation. That would be just the ticket.”
“I can do that. It would be my pleasure to do something like that for you and her.” He nodded and looked over her shoulder. She looked too and saw that Walker and his sisters were talking and passing around the newborn. “Les, if you hang around here, which I’m to understand that you are, I was wondering if you’d be a grandpa to my children as well.”
He hugged her again.
Sidney had never been much of a hugger. Even after spending all her time with a professed best hugger Bryn, she’d shy away from such shows of affection. But since being around the Stantons, another group of best huggers, she’d come to see why they did it all the time.
To her, it felt like the person giving you the hug was embracing you. Not just with their arms, but their love. Support. Even their envy, perhaps. She could feel that despite a hug being so up close with a person, it also served as a way to have someone whisper things in your ear. Profound things that you simply needed to hear in that moment. Even if it was to say “I love you” or “you did a great job.” Hugging Les back, she hoped that he was getting the same feelings that she did from him. Love.
Everyone was meeting in their house for some food. They still had nothing to sit on much in the way of furniture but did have each other to talk to. She was glad now that she’d been able to borrow a few things from the high school, such as some tables and chairs—they’d at least not have to eat standing up. So long as they took turns having a seat around the four tables that had been brought.
“The auction is the day after tomorrow. Are you packed up and ready to go?” Sidney told Wyatt that she was ready. “Good. After everyone leaves here tonight, you and I will take a day to drive to it. See some sights and have some fun, just the two of us.”
She loved that idea. And if they got there a little too early, she was sure that one of them could find something for them to do to burn up their time. And a few calories while they were at it. Yes, she had the best of the best with this family. A wonderful man to cater to her every need, and who loved her more than anyone else had in her entire life.
Chapter 9
Wyatt couldn’t believe that so far they’d gotten each piece they’d wanted at the auction. They’d be able to fill out three bedrooms with beautiful oak furniture and beds. Also, some odds and ends for the rest of the house.
Sidney had been able to snap up some lawn furniture that only needed a little work to be perfect. She kept telling him that she’d made the best deal with buying the six chairs for ten bucks. A competition was on now, and he was going to beat her at all costs. So far, that wasn’t working out. Wyatt had gotten the corner cabinet for the dining room, but he’d paid just a little more than he wanted. But he did get a beautiful inlaid reception desk for fifty dollars that would be perfect in his new offices.
At the box lots, he watched his parents bid against each other until the auctioneer caught it and made the necessary corrections with them. Then he laughingly told them that they needed to be standing next to each other if they didn’t want to pay double for something.
Mom and Dad were holding hands now. Wyatt wasn’t sure if Dad was holding Mom’s hand to keep her from bidding, but he didn’t figure that was the case when Dad was raising his hand more than Mom had been. They were having fun too, and to him, that made the trip to come here today worth it.
Going into the house, Wyatt entered the room where they were auctioning off some more bedroom furniture. It was then that Wyatt found out that the house was for sale as well. It wasn’t that far from home, he thought, but he had no idea what he’d do with it if he were to buy it. But he was listening intently for what all came with the house and five thousand acres.
The house was a big farmhouse that had had improvements over the years. There were actually ten nice sized bedrooms that had been added to the main house when the children had come along. Two ponds were included, an orchard, as well as a well house that was more than enough to keep the house in water, even during the dry months. Buying the furniture in the two bedrooms, he realized that he’d gotten a deal on them when the auctioneer shook his hand. Wyatt had only paid ten dollars for the white wicker bedroom suite. Then only twenty for the solid oak set that he could see in one of the bedrooms near the stairs.
Just as they were entering the dining room, Wyatt was thinking about making his way out of the overcrowded room when he got a look at the table and chair set. Christ, it was beautiful. More than that, he thought about what Sidney had said about thinking of later down the line with his family. The auctioneer—he thought his name was Jerry—was telling them about the set in the room.
“Believe it or not, folks, this table can expand out to seat twenty-eight people comfortably. It’s easy to break down and even easier to set up.” He turned the crank at one of the legs and laughed when it didn’t move all that well. “Just a little tender, loving care, and you can be the envy of every big family gathering that you have. There are fourteen chairs here now, and the other fourteen are in the attic. Yes, you will have to get them out of there on your own, I’m sorry to say. There is a double-wide china hutch, as well as all the linen that you could want for entertaining. It’s all in good shape too, let me tell you.”
Of course, the auctioneer started out at four grand. Even at that price, Wyatt thought it was a steal. As he started coming down, he kept saying that everything must sell, and it would be a shame if no one was able to walk away with this baby.
Still, he came down. One couple asked about having help with delivering it to their home. “I’m sorry, ma’am. The advert for this auction said that if you couldn’t take it today, then it would be sold with the house. I’m truly sorry.”
When he got down to twenty dollars for all thirty some pieces of it, Wyatt started to raise his hand. He just couldn’t allow that table to not be in his home. The auctioneer looked at him, right in the eye, and smiled.
“If you give me five bucks for it all, Dr. Stanton, you can take it with you today.” Wyatt said that he’d take it. “Good job. Thank you very much for that. I think you’ll have to call in your brothers for this one.”
Not only did he get everything in the dining room, but he was able to get all the di
shes that went with it, forty place settings, and silverware that had a large S on each piece. Wyatt even got the chafing dishes, all twelve of them, as well as so many glasses he was sure they’d never have to buy any again.
Just as he was talking to the realtor about the land, his dad and mom came in with Sidney. They were talking about how Sidney had managed to get a pie safe for next to nothing, as well as a beautiful rocking chair and a rocking horse made from oak.
“You thinking of buying it, son?” He told Dad that it was a nice farm. “I was out walking the fields earlier. I’m telling you, if I were your age, you couldn’t have kept me from buying it. Of course, it’s about an hour from our home, but it is a nice place.”
He only had to look at Sidney to know that she wanted it as well. There was something so homey about the place. The house was absolutely what he’d had in mind when he’d been house hunting. A farmhouse with character.
“What do you think?”
Sidney nodded, and they went out into the yard to read over the specs on the house. As they were going over them, he reached out to Christian to see what he could find out about the home.
Man, that is a good looking house. Okay, let me see what it has besides five thousand of the prettiest wooded acres that Ohio has to offer. That’s what the realtor put in the paper. Christian told him more than what was on the specs, and he related the information to his parents and Sidney. Something else that you should know is that the house has its own water supply, as well as gas. You have all the rights to all the oil that is there as well. And at the last sales of it, it looks to me like there is a great deal to be made from just selling off that. How much are they asking?
It’s going to be bid on like the rest of the place. Tell me, what’s the best price I should pay for this place? As well as what is the highest I should go if I really want it? Christian told him that he couldn’t be one hundred percent sure, but acreage around the area was going cheap, so that would be all he could tell him to go by. So you’re saying no more than two million.
That’s what I’d pay for it. You have all the rights to the place. I’d make sure of that right away. And that alone would make it worth an additional million. Are they selling it in lots or the whole thing? He told him what the auctioneer had told him. All or nothing. You want it, Wyatt. I’d certainly come up and visit you weekly just to be able to get away with the family. Hell, you’d never even have to know that we’re there.
He and Sidney talked it over, and they decided that they really wanted it. Then he told her about the dining set he’d gotten. She was so impressed, she told him that she was going to call him champion bidder from now on. As the time drew closer for the auction to begin for the land, he thought about living here. Working here too.
He’d just gotten himself his own practice. Of course, he had already planned on not working every day. Wyatt could spend three days a week at the office, then he’d be home for four. Sidney could do the same thing. Her projects with Mom could be done from anywhere. He knew that he was getting much too excited about the house. There was a chance that he could lose out on the bidding, but he really wanted this place and all that went with it.
“If you get the house, you won’t have to carry all this stuff the two of you bought back to your other home.” Dad laughed when Wyatt frowned at him. “Son, if you want me to, I’ll go around poking people who try and outbid you on this place.”
“Do you think many people are going to bid on it?” Dad said he didn’t know. “I’m just going to bide my time and hope that the deal isn’t too good to be true. I would feel better if Christian was here, wouldn’t you? I mean, he’d be able to tell me right away if I was being swindled or not.”
Ten minutes before the auction on the land began, not only did Christian show up, but he told Wyatt that he’d read over the contract with the purchase. The auctioneer had gladly faxed it to him.
“This contract is on your side. Everything that you’ve been told about the place is in there. Water rights, oil rights, as well as gas rights that are already going into the house. I’ve also been told that someplace on this property are horses. Ones that were part of a rescue about ten years ago. For the most part, they’re wild, but they’re a part of the sale as well.” The auctioneer started telling the crowd what Christian had told him. Then he told them that there was a reserve on the place, but not too much to worry about. “The reserve is less than three hundred thousand dollars, Wyatt. The family that owns this place is a couple who have no children to fight over things, and they only want enough to be able to buy them a little home in Florida.”
“Okay.” Armed with the information and support from his family, he waited for the bidding to begin. Sidney came to stand beside him, and he took her hand into his. “Are you sure? I am, but are you sure?”
“I’ve not been as sure about anything other than how much I love you. This is our home, I hope.” He nodded and said that he hoped so as well. “Good. Go get us a farmstead, Wyatt.”
Wyatt had learned a few things at the last auction he’d been to. Never take the first bid that is offered up, and never act like you really want something. Also—and this was told to him by Alma Spencer, the grandest woman he’d ever had the pleasure of hanging around with—if you win something, never gloat. That was considered bad form.
Waiting for the little bidders to have their fun with thinking they were going to get the place for less than ten grand, he waited until the serious players started in. He was nervous, his palms were all sweaty, but he didn’t show it. Dad handed him a bottle of water, and he was tempted to pour the thing over his head, he was that nervous about bidding on this. But he simply took a sip and acted like he did this sort of thing all the time.
Fifteen minutes into the bidding war, the house jumped from ten grand to fifty. He still waited. He’d have plenty of time to bid, he knew. Wyatt was standing right in front of Jerry. There would be no missing his bid.
At a hundred thousand three people dropped out. Then it was left to two men. He’d not put in his first bid yet but was waiting. He was calm now that there were only two people that he’d have to work against. Wyatt waited for one of them to stop bidding. When the bidding got to three hundred thousand, his chance opened up.
He didn’t do as the other man did. Wyatt knew it was an intimidation tactic—holding up his card and not putting it down made it seem as if he was going to pay any price to have what Wyatt wanted. Wyatt wasn’t fooled.
At three hundred thousand, Wyatt paused. He had his own tricks, he thought. The man just laughed at him, as if he was calling him a pussy. It might have been relief, thinking that he’d won, but he didn’t think so. The man was taunting him.
At four hundred thousand, the other man’s card came down. Not that he was giving up, Wyatt didn’t think, but he might be getting close to what he wanted to pay. At four hundred and fifty thousand, Wyatt turned to Sidney. At her nod, he bid the required next amount. The man shook his head and walked away.
Wyatt got the farm for four hundred seventy-five thousand dollars. Instead of celebrating, what he really wanted to do, Wyatt found the other man and shook his hand. He told him that he was sorry that he’d stopped, but it had been a pleasure competing against a good man.
Happy that the other man wasn’t nasty to him, Wyatt went back to his family, picked up his wife, and swung her around. They had just what they wanted in a home. Also, they had a great deal of furniture and things to make it into their own place.
They continued to bid on more of the pieces that were a part of the homestead. Christian sat down with the family, a really nice older couple, and completed all the necessary paperwork. As they were shaking hands on the deal, the missus looked at Wyatt with a cocked brow. Then she asked him if he was one of the Stantons that had dinner with Alma Spencer the night that she’d died.
“We did. My brothers and I were at her auction when we met her
. She was a wonderful person. I wish I could have gotten with her more before she passed away.” Gilly, the woman, said that she and Alma had gone to the same church together and that she was very happy that he’d gotten the house. “I am as well. I had no intention of owning anything other than a few more pieces of furniture to fill out our home in Dresden. But this? This is the best thing that I could have ever hoped for.”
She kissed him on the cheek, and he felt wonderful for it. After that, Gilly showed them some of the things he was sure they would never have been able to figure out on their own. Like the hidden spaces to store things. A way to get to the second floor without going through the entire house to get there. She even showed them how to open up the china cabinet’s secret door, where there were gravy boats, serving platters, as well as a pretty tea set.
“I’m going to love living here.” Wyatt told Sidney that he was too. “We need to start filling out some of the bedrooms, too, don’t you think?”
“Yes, what a good idea. How many children do you want to start with?” She was laughing as she walked away. Wyatt smiled. He’d have to nail her down about that. For him, he thought thirty children might be a good start.
Laughing, thinking about what she’d say to him, Wyatt went to find his mom. He had a favor to ask her. Wyatt wanted to ask her if he and Sidney could host the Thanksgiving dinner this year. The house should be ready by then, he thought.
“Oh, what a nice idea. Yes, you do that. And if you don’t mind, I’ll come up the day before and help out with everything.” Wyatt told her that she and Dad should come up the week before, just to hang out with them. “Oh Wyatt, I do love you to pieces. Yes, I’ll talk to your father, and we’ll figure out the times. This is going to be wonderful, don’t you think? A big country farmhouse to hold us all. I cannot wait.”
As he and Sidney drove back to the hotel that night—they had paperwork to sign in the morning—they talked about the pieces that they’d been able to get and how they’d gotten such good deals. Lying in the bed, it hit him that he owned two homes. He wondered what he’d do with the one in Dresden when he remembered Les had been looking for a large home, to have his own family over. Wyatt decided that he’d talk to him in the morning after the paperwork was taken care of.
Wyatt: The Stanton Pack—Paranormal Cougar Shifter Romance Page 11