Bringing Home the Bachelor

by Sarah M. Anderson

  “I don’t know. I’d put most of the stipend in savings for Seth to go to college. If I start digging into that…I could maybe make it through part of the summer.” Summer was the most important time to be there for the TAPS girls. Summer—with no school, no schedule—was when most of the girls got pregnant. It’s when she’d gotten pregnant.

  There was a long pause. Jenny couldn’t guess what Josey was thinking. She’d never asked Josey for money before. Yes, Josey’s very wealthy and very white grandfather had left her a trust fund—but she’d used almost all of it to pay for the school’s construction. True, she was married to a very rich man, but Ben had also basically paid for the shop and all the equipment in it. She wasn’t comfortable asking them for more.

  At least, she was not comfortable asking them to cut her a check. But she was open to other ideas. If anything, the numbers man of the Bolton family should have some good ideas on how to fill the money gaps. Ben and Josey were a financial power couple. Josey was a professional corporate fund-raiser and Ben was a Chief Financial Officer. If anyone could get her out of this mess, it would be the two of them.

  True to form, Josey said, “We can make sure you get something when we auction off the bike Billy’s building.”

  “Yeah…about him.”

  “What about him? Is everything okay?”

  “It’s fine. Sort of.”

  “Jenny…”

  Josey was as close to a sister as Jenny would ever have, which meant that there were very few things Jenny could hide from her. “Why didn’t you tell me that Billy had an arrest record?”

  “Oh, that.”

  “Yes, that.”

  “I didn’t tell you because it wasn’t important.” When Jenny scoffed at this, Josey went on, “I mean it. He was arrested three times for public drunkenness, brawling and assault, which goes with public drunkenness and brawling, I think. But the last time was about ten years ago. He got probation and community service. Once he started seriously building bikes, he cleaned up and turned his life around.” Josey dropped her voice to a whisper. “I know you’re worried about him—he can seem really dangerous, but…”

  “I’m not worried. He doesn’t scare me.” That defense was out before she could think better of it, and the thundering silence that followed was way, way louder than anything else Josey could have said.

  Dang it. She’d overplayed her hand.

  “How did you find out about his arrests?” Josey’s voice was carefully casual—too casual. She probably could have pulled that tone on a stranger, but Jenny knew better. Josey was suddenly very interested in what Jenny thought of Billy.

  She wouldn’t be able to come up with a cover story on the fly that would convince her cousin. “He told me.”

  “Really.” It wasn’t a question. Jenny knew what Josey was going to say next before she even said it. “He doesn’t usually tell people about that. He only told me because I ran a background check on him before I let him near the school and he didn’t want me to be shocked.”

  Jenny could see Billy trying to have that conversation. “Well, he told me.”

  She left it at that. Anything else she said at this point would just further highlight the whatever-it-was that was going on between her and Billy.

  Another pause. “Is something going on between you two?”

  “Of course not.”

  How on earth could she entertain the notion of having a relationship with a man who’d been sentenced for public drunkenness? She was a responsible woman. She couldn’t let Seth hang around someone who was a bad influence. Heavens, she shouldn’t be hanging around with such a bad influence. Even if she really wanted to.

  “He’s spending a lot of time with Seth. Building the bike after school. I’m just checking. That’s all.”

  “Uh-huh.” She wasn’t fooling Josey. “Listen, I’ll start beating the bushes for more funding and you let me know if you have any other questions about Billy.”

  Jenny could hear the smile in Josey’s voice. Part of her wanted to tell Josey all about the two kisses, about the way he brought her tea and got Seth to do chores, even at home. Part of her wanted to pump Josey for any and all information.

  But a bigger part of her didn’t. To talk about something made it real, and the whole thing—especially that kiss tonight—still had a dreamy feel to it. If Jenny told Josey, Josey might tell Jenny’s mom, and the news that she was “involved” with Billy would filter its way through the school and the rez.

  Even though it had been fourteen years since she’d blindly followed a boy over the edge of reason, everyone would say, There goes that boy-crazy Jenny Wawasuck again. Some people never change.

  No. She’d worked too hard to become a respectable woman to let a couple of revelatory kisses muck up the works. Her first job was taking care of Seth. Her second job was guiding the TAPS girls into adulthood. Her third job was teaching. That was all she had room for in her life.

  “Don’t worry,” she said with certainty. “I won’t.”

  *

  Ben paused when Josey’s phone rang, but after she answered it, he sank the eight ball to win the round. Billy grunted in disgust. Normally, he could whip his brother at pool, but his game was off today.

  And he knew why.

  Then Josey sprinted—as fast as a woman in her condition could sprint—over to her and Ben’s bedroom. What if it was Jenny? Was she calling her cousin to check up on him?

  He felt ridiculous. What kind of man told a woman he was going to ask her out—later? It was nothing short of lame. But Jenny had a way of getting under his skin and muddling up his thinking.

  Which probably explained what he was doing at his brother’s place, playing pool instead of working on a bike. But it had been either this or hit a bar and get stupid, and Billy was done being stupid.

  He hoped.

  Once Josey was safely out of earshot, Ben started on him. “What’s on your mind, bro?”

  “What?”

  Ben grinned at him. He smiled a lot more now than he used to. In fact, since he’d met Josey, he’d seemed happy. “You look lost in thought. It’s a bit different from your usual seething.”

  Nothing like being the punch line in your own life. “Bobby give you that joke?”

  “Take it easy. I’m just asking. If not as your brother, then as your financial partner.”

  Billy racked the balls. “Speaking of financials…”

  “All safely invested. Been a little rough in this economy, but you’re still firmly in the black. Why?”

  Part of him wondered if he could just cash in some chips and cut a check to the school, specifically for Jenny’s program. “How hard would it be to cash some out? Fifteen or twenty grand?”

  Ben gave him a stricken look. “The financial penalties would be steep, man. I could move some around but it’d take me a few months. It’d be best to wait until next year—for tax purposes.”

  Damn, that was a long way off. All that money just sitting in the bank where he couldn’t touch it. When Ben had told him about his most recent investment opportunities, he’d explained that the cash would be locked up tight for a while. Billy just hadn’t realized how tight that would be.

  He changed the subject—again. Sooner or later, Ben would catch on. “How’s the remodel going?”

  Now that Josey was expecting, they were making some changes to the huge, open space that was their loft home. Off the bedroom, walls that went all the way up to the ceiling now boxed in a baby’s room.

  Ben stared at him for a second before answering the question. “Good. On time and under budget.” That was the thing Billy liked about Ben. Ben would let him dodge a conversation bullet, whereas Bobby would reload and come up firing. “How are things going at the school?”

  “Okay, I guess. I think I scare the kids a little.”

  Ben broke, sinking a stripe. “You scare the hell out of everybody, dude.”

  Billy used to believe that. “Not everyone.”

  Ben
missed his shot. “What?”

  Damn it, he should have kept his mouth shut. Too late now. Because he didn’t know what to say, he lined up a shot.

  Ben waited until after he’d sunk in the four ball before starting in on him. “Who is she?”

  Was there any way around this? Probably not. If Jenny wasn’t talking to Josey right now, she’d talk to her later—Josey was supposed to be at the school in a couple of days. And Billy doubted that Josey wouldn’t tell her husband that her cousin was messing around with his brother.

  He gave it his best shot. “Bobby wants to auction me off, man. A bachelor auction.”

  Ben nodded, seemingly willing to let the “who” question slide. “I heard. Could raise a lot of money for the school.”

  Money that Jenny needed for the pregnant girls. Money that Don needed to keep the boys from getting the girls pregnant in the first place. Money that neither of them had, which meant that more kids would wind up screwing up their lives like Billy had.

  He hadn’t lied to Jenny. He wasn’t a nice guy. If it had been any other woman in the world telling him she needed money, he probably wouldn’t have even bothered to respond. But it wasn’t any other woman. It was Jenny. He couldn’t believe he was even considering this crazy plan to save her little program.

  “So what you’re saying is, you’ve got your eye on someone and being auctioned off to the highest bidder might trash your grand plans?”

  That was his brother Ben, direct and to the point.

  “Screw up my whole life. Bobby was talking about getting a big cable show. I don’t wanna be a reality star. I didn’t want to be a web star. I don’t want any of this.”

  Ben rolled his eyes. “Seriously—that’s what he told you?” When Billy gave him a confused look, Ben began to laugh. “That little jerk. Yes, he’s working on a cable version, but Dad’s going to be the focus—crazy Bruce Bolton and his three crazy sons. You won’t be the only one on camera—hell, you probably will only be filmed when you’re arguing with Dad or Bobby.” He shook his head. “He was trying to get a rise out of you, brother.”

  “Why would he do that? Besides, you know, being Bobby.”

  Ben shot him a look. “Was there a camera nearby?”

  At first, he was going to say no, but then he remembered—the camera Bobby had bolted to the wall of the shop. “Damn. Why does he do that?”

  Ben shook his head, as if he couldn’t quite get a handle on it himself. “He’s got something to prove—at least, that’s what Josey says. I guess he’s got to prove it to us. Or to himself.”

  Billy wasn’t sure he could believe that, but Ben was the straight shooter in the family. Why did Bobby have to prove anything? Yeah, he drove Billy nuts, but they were still brothers. He always had his brothers’ backs. Always.

  “Are you serious?”

  Ben was always serious. “He didn’t mention the real estate deal?”

  “Just that he wanted to sell me to the highest bidder.”

  “Shoot, man. He’s got this whole thing planned out—and you’re a small part of it. Did he at least tell you that Josey thought the bachelor auction was a good idea?”

  Being a small part of it didn’t make Billy feel any better. “Just that she said I could say no. Which I did. I don’t want anyone to buy me.”

  Anyone except Jenny. But he and Jenny didn’t exist on camera. If Bobby were going to auction him off for the publicity, how would she buy him without being on camera? Hell, given the conversation they’d almost had this afternoon, how would she afford him at all?

  “Buy yourself.”

  Billy’s head snapped up so fast he might have sprained a neck muscle. “What?”

  “Rig it.” Ben grinned. “I know a woman who’d be willing to act as your proxy.”

  Billy blinked at his brother.

  Josey walked over and took her seat on a stool. Billy noticed that she seemed more…thoughtful than she had before the phone call. For some reason, that made his ears burn. “What’d I miss?”

  Ben kissed her on the cheek. His hand snaked around her back and rubbed. Then he put his other hand on her increasing belly and patted. Billy would have had to have been blind not to see the way Josey’s face softened as she leaned into Ben’s touch. But he wasn’t blind. Watching that happy little family hurt so much that he turned his attention back to the pool table. Anything not to be reminded of what he didn’t have.

  “You’re going to buy Billy at the auction,” Ben announced, looking smug.

  “I am?”

  “She is?”

  “You are. She is. That is, if you’re willing to cover the cost. Bobby thinks you’re worth a couple thousand. All of which would be tax deductible, of course.”

  Right. Because that was the most important part of this. What the hell was wrong with him that he was even considering agreeing to this madness?

  It got worse. Josey shot him a look. “I’d be happy to give my winning bid to anyone you choose.”

  Billy slammed his pool cue on the table. He knew that Josey didn’t like foul language, so he managed to keep the string of curse words in his head. That had to have been Jenny on the phone, or else someone had to have seen him kiss the hell out of her. Either way, Josey knew.

  A fact that was hammered home when she added, “You know, Ben and I were thinking of having Seth over for a weekend—give Jenny a little parenting break. I’m sure we could coordinate the timing.”

  “Jenny?” Ben’s jaw dropped as he stared at Billy, then at Josey. “Your cousin Jenny?”

  Yup. There was no way around this mess. Only through it. He’d lost control of his own life again. “I’m only agreeing to this on one condition. Whatever I cost goes directly to Jenny’s program.”

  “Deal.” The speed at which Josey agreed let Billy know she’d been planning on that the whole time.

  He felt tricked, but that was tempered by a secondary emotion—excitement. What if this actually worked?

  “Wait—I have another condition. Bobby and his film crew aren’t allowed to tail me when the winner cashes in the date night. Because that’s what it is, right? A date? One whole night?”

  “Jenny?” Ben asked again, not keeping up with the negotiations for possibly the first time in his life. “Jenny Wawasuck? And you?”

  Josey looked worried. “If your brother catches wind of it…”

  Yeah. If Bobby thought he could increase the number of hits he’d get, he’d start following Jenny around. And if he upset Jenny, Billy might not get his date.

  “So don’t tell him. Don’t tell anyone.” Ben seemed to have recovered a little. “Make it a surprise. If no one knows except the three of us, then it won’t get out. We’ll make sure Bobby doesn’t follow you. You do the rest.”

  “Not even Jenny?” He asked this question of Josey, who appeared to think on it.

  “A thoughtful surprise might be really nice. Heaven only knows she hasn’t had enough surprises in her life.” She spoke slowly, as if she wasn’t sure that was the right answer. “No one’s ever whisked her away for a—” she blushed “—a romantic night.”

  Billy wasn’t sure, either. But Ben said, “Knowing Jenny, I bet if you told her you were going to plunk down a couple of grand, she’d throw a fit—even if it were for a good cause. She won’t even let us help her out—there’s no way in hell she’ll let you do this without some serious grief.”

  Billy thought about it. He remembered how she’d tried to pay him back for the tea—and that had cost, what, three bucks? Ben was right. She’d threaten to feed him to the coyotes.

  “Besides,” Ben added, “women like it when you go the extra mile for them.” He grinned at his wife. “I still have a few tricks up my sleeve.”

  Thoughtful. Was this what the world was coming to—Wild Bill Bolton debating romantic, thoughtful surprises? This would kill his reputation if it got out—or got on film.

  “Fine. No one knows but us.” But he was feeling greedy. He didn’t want to wait three m
ore weeks to see Jenny. But he couldn’t do anything that would tip off Bobby.

  Then it hit him. They were making good progress with the bike, him and Seth. They’d have to paint it—but that had to happen at the Crazy Horse shop. The school didn’t have the setup for painting. “What about before then?”

  Ben shook his head. “Man, you are gone.”

  “What do you mean?” Josey asked.

  “If we get the bike done soon enough, I could have them come into town—have Seth help me paint it. Could we all hang out here?”

  The sly smile on Josey’s face was all he needed. “I think we can reach an agreement on that.”

  A bonus day, and one guaranteed night with no classrooms, no kids, no shops and no damn cameras. He’d get one night with Jenny and she’d get the money she needed.

  He could still say no. The bachelor auction would be crawling with the kind of entitled society women he’d been avoiding ever since he’d earned his first million. Bobby would film the whole thing and maybe get his reality show and make Billy that much more famous. He hated being famous.

  Being auctioned off was an assault on his dignity—and that was saying something. He could go back to what he’d been doing for years—building bikes day and night, trying not to look at how freaking happy his brother and sister-in-law were going to be with their new baby.

  He could say no and go back to being left alone.

  To being lonely.

  One night…wasn’t much of a guarantee that he wouldn’t be lonelier after he finished the charity bike and didn’t have an excuse, good or bad, to be out on the rez at the butt crack of dawn every morning.

  Then he thought of the way Jenny stood before him, her hand on the thorn-covered rose tattooed over his heart, without a hint of fear in her eyes. He didn’t expect one date to mean that Jenny would fall into bed with him. But given that last kiss…

  He might be lonelier when it ended, but he was pretty sure someone, somewhere had once said something about it being better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all.

  One night with a woman like Jenny, a woman who was too good, too respectable for the likes of him.