Luther had smiled then. “This isn’t over. Don’t think you can play these games forever.”
She’d sat on the doorstep for the rest of the night, huddled in a blanket, too scared to stay in the house. The moment her mother had arrived home from night shift at the hospital, Lily had launched herself at her, sobbing and crying. Wrapping her arms around her mother, desperate for her protection, Lily had blurted out her story. Belinda had pushed her off, insisting Lily calm down, a frown on her face. Then she’d accused Lily of making stories up to get attention. All the while, Luther had stood in the open doorway, the light behind him turning him into a dark, menacing silhouette, watching silently. Intimidating her mother just by being present.
Lily had been so desperate she’d appealed to Darren, dragging him from his bedroom, insisting he corroborate her story. He’d looked her in the eye and told her he didn’t know what she was talking about. Then her mother had sent her to her room.
Sitting on her bed, sobbing and terrified, Lily had come to a brutal understanding. If she stayed, her stepfather was going to have his way with her. No one was going to stop him – her mother was too damaged, too broken to stand up for Lily. The only hope Lily had was to escape. And so she had, packing her most precious, important belongings into a backpack and climbing out the window.
And now Luther was trying to claim her, to be a part of her life again.
Well, it damn well wasn’t going to happen. She didn’t want his money. She might need it, but she wasn’t going to take it, not in a pink fit. Her chin came up as an idea hit her – she’d give the money to Molly and Josh. Ten thousand dollars would do amazing things for them, make a huge difference.
Satisfaction thudded in her belly as the idea took a hold in her mind. This was the perfect solution. Molly could put the money straight on the mortgage. Or she could put it toward the fund for Josh’s new wheelchair. Hell, there were any number of ways the Dekkers could use the money, and all of them were good and worthy and useful.
The only problem would be getting Molly to accept it. Lily had practically had to arm wrestle her friend into letting her organize the auction. As she’d said to Molly at the time, pride was all well and good, but sometimes she had to let people help her. That was what community was all about. Unfortunately, Lily suspected the argument wasn’t going to cut it with Molly a second time around. She could practically hear her friend arguing now.
No, Lily would have to find some other way to give the money to Molly and Josh.
Via the auction, for example.
The idea exploded in her brain like a Catherine Wheel, beautiful and fiery and perfect.
Yes. That was what she’d do – buy a bachelor with her unwanted legacy, because that way Molly couldn’t say no without saying no to everything they’d achieved here tonight.
Except the auction was nearly over, with just one bachelor still on the auction block. Urgency rocketed through Lily as she focused her full attention on the events unfolding on the makeshift stage. Relief hit her as she realized Buck was still talking, his hand pointing to bidders in the audience as buyers took their shots at securing Beau Bennett.
“Two thousand two hundred. Two thousand two-fifty…”
Lily took a step forward, her body quivering with a rush of adrenaline. “Ten thousand dollars,” she called out, her voice clear and firm and very loud.
A collective gasp rose up as everyone reacted to her outlandish bid. Heads turned, including Molly’s, but Lily steadfastly refused to look at her friend. She could see Andie staring at her, too, but she didn’t take her gaze from Buck’s.
“Did I hear ten thousand?” he asked, eyebrows raised.
“That’s right, ten thousand,” Lily confirmed.
“Do I have any other bidders?” Buck asked, his eagle-eyed gaze scanning the room.
Everyone was too busy being stunned to do more than breathe and stare.
“Sold, to Ms. Taylor for the mighty sum of ten thousand dollars,” Buck announced, banging his gavel down onto the podium.
The buzz of conversation and speculation filled the room. Lily was burningly aware of Beau’s laser-like regard from the stage, the intensity of his gaze a palpable thing, but she refused to look at him as what she’d done sank in.
She’d just bought her nemesis in front of the whole town for a huge wad of cash.
Luckily she was good at living things down, because this one was going to be a doozy.
Chapter Four
‡
Beau didn’t take his gaze off Lily as she slipped into the crowd. She might think she could disappear, but he had a good vantage point from the stage, and he used it shamelessly, tracking her dark head as she made her way slowly through the throng. Every few steps, someone stopped her to stay something, slapping her on the back or questioning her curiously. Lily kept a bright smile pinned to her lips and steadfastly refused to look his way, even though his gut told him she was aware of his regard.
She’d just paid ten grand for him.
Ten. Grand.
He still couldn’t quite believe it. He stepped off the stage the moment Lily started up the stairs to the second floor. He yanked at his tie and undid the top button on his collar as he excused his way past tables full of women, half of whom were now standing to go mingle with one another.
“You must be feeling pretty good right now,” McKenna Sheenan said as he slipped past her table.
The women sitting either side of her eyed him speculatively, all wearing big grins. Clearly wondering what he had that was worth so much money.
“It’s a worthy cause,” he said.
“Lily must want you real bad,” McKenna said. “Ten thousand is a lot to live up to, Beau.”
“Like I said, it’s a good cause.”
He kept moving, pretending he didn’t notice McKenna’s knowing smirk. He took the steps two at a time when he reached them. Upstairs was also crowded, and it took him a moment to spot Lily. She was making her way toward the short hall which led to the room where he’d changed. He went after her, determined to run her down.
Sure enough, she slipped into the room where he’d left his clothes, pushing the door shut behind her. He reached it seconds later, not bothering to knock before he followed her inside. Lily spun to face him as he entered the room, and for a moment they simply stared at each other, what had just happened hanging in the air between them.
“Want to tell me what that was all about?” he finally asked.
“Relax, it’s nothing personal. I wanted to donate some money to Molly, and I knew she wouldn’t take it any other way.”
“So you bid on me?”
Out of all the guys she could have picked.
“Don’t worry, I don’t want the date. You’re off the hook.”
He frowned. “So you just paid ten grand for nothing?”
“It’s a donation. I never expected to get anything out of it.”
He shifted his weight. He had been a reluctant recruit to the auction, and he was more than happy it was over – but it didn’t sit right with him that Lily had laid out so much money for nothing.
“It’s okay, Beau. This works out great for both of us – I get to help Molly, and you get to walk away. Everyone’s happy.”
“Except you bought my date. For a lot of money.”
She frowned. “So?”
“So, you should get what you paid for.” He couldn’t just let it slide. He’d agreed to do the auction and offer up a date, and it would feel as though he was reneging if he took Lily up on her offer of an easy out.
She gave an incredulous laugh. “You want to take me skiing?”
“I want you to get what you paid for.”
She shook her head. “I don’t want it. I didn’t buy you or your date. I just wanted to help Molly out and you were the only bachelor left.”
He raised his eyebrows, surprised by the admission. And maybe a little offended.
“The donation was kind of a last minute decision,
” she admitted grudgingly.
He studied her, trying to work out what was really going on. “Ten grand is a lot of money. You must have inherited a shed load if you can spare that much to help out a friend.”
“You could say that.” Lily’s gaze slid away from his.
“I did just say that. I note you didn’t agree with it, though. How much was this inheritance of yours, anyway?”
She gave him a sharp look. “None of your business.”
“You made it my business when you dropped a ton of money on me in front of the whole town.”
“I don’t know why you’re getting your panties in a wad over this. We both know you didn’t want to do this. You should be thanking me, not hassling me.”
“First of all, I don’t wear panties. And I’m not hassling you. I just want to know what’s going on.”
Lily eyed him belligerently. Her cheeks were pink, her arms crossed over her chest.
“I never realized you were so nosy. You and Cora Bartlett should get together sometime.”
“Quit stalling, Taylor.”
She gave a frustrated, put upon sigh. “The money is from someone I never wanted to hear from again, okay? I don’t want it, and I’d rather put it to good use than reject the bequest. Happy now?”
He made a decision.
“We’ll have to leave early to get to Big Sky Resort in time for a good run. When are you available?”
“Why are you being such a hard ass about this?” she asked.
It was a good question, and he had no idea what the answer was. He only knew he’d watched Lily run herself ragged for her friend all night and it felt wrong for her to give so much and walk away with nothing to show for it.
“I told you, I don’t back out. Do you?”
She rolled her eyes and huffed out her breath, putting on a big show of being exasperated.
“This is ridiculous.”
He took a step closer, knowing how she’d react. “What’s wrong? Don’t tell me you’re afraid?”
She tensed, and her arms tightened across her chest, but she didn’t take the step back he knew she desperately wanted to take.
“Of skiing? Hardly. Fine, if you want to do it, it’s no skin off my nose. I’ll check my diary and let you know when I’m free.”
He smiled. “If you’re thinking I’m going to let it slide if you leave it long enough, you might want to think again.”
She gave a dismissive little flick of her head, as if to say she’d wasted enough time on him.
“I’m free next Saturday.”
“Great. I’ll pick you up at seven. Do you have ski gear?”
“Yes.”
“Wear it.”
As he walked to the door, Lily muttered something under her breath. He couldn’t be certain, but he thought it might have been “you’re not the boss of me”. He dragged his tie off and stuffed it into his jacket pocket as he made his way across the crowded room to the bar.
Given Lily’s patent reluctance to go on a date with him and his own reservations where she was concerned, next Saturday looked as though it was destined to be a disaster.
And yet he was still going to go through with it, come hell or high water. Which either made him a glutton for punishment, or a stubborn bastard. Or – most likely – a combination of both.
Catching Dillon’s eye as he bellied up to the bar, Beau signaled the need for strong liquor and tried not to think about how good Lily Taylor was going to look in a ski suit.
*
It took lots of maneuvering, but Lily managed to avoid talking to either Molly or Andie for the rest of the night. Every time she saw one of them heading her way, she ducked into the kitchen or the ladies or used the nearest gaggle of women as a screen while she made her get away. She knew she wasn’t going to be able to avoid them forever, but she simply didn’t feel up to a friendly interrogation tonight, not after Beau’s not-so-friendly one.
She was relieved when she saw Heath and Andie leave just after nine, closely followed by Molly and Josh not long after. It had started to snow outside, but the crowd in the saloon stayed strong until ten-thirty or so. As the crowd thinned out, Lily started clearing away the auction menus littered on the floor and tables and other auction detritus. She’d only been working for a few minutes when Jason Grey came over and took her by the elbow, leading her to where Reese was holding her coat and handbag.
“Go home. We’ve got the rest of this,” Jason said.
Since there was no arguing with his steely-eyed seriousness, Lily changed her shoes and made the challenging journey through calf-deep snow to her Honda. The drive home was tense, and she let her head drop back against the rest once she’d safely parked in her spot beneath the building.
Scenes from the evening came back to her as she stared at the yellowed headliner in her car. Jett strutting and preening on the stage, working it for the audience. Josh’s delight at all the attention he was getting. Beau’s laser-like blue eyes boring into hers as he demanded the truth.
Thank God it was over. And thank God it had been a success. She hadn’t done a complete tally yet, but she was willing to bet they’d cracked the twenty thousand dollar mark. Molly would officially be able to relax, and Josh would get everything he needed.
Which was pretty cool, if she did say so herself.
Her lips curling into a tired smile, she dragged her sorry ass out of the car and went upstairs. She didn’t waste any time getting cozy once she was safely home, pulling on her warmest pajamas and falling into bed within minutes of walking through the door. It had been a hectic few weeks in the run up the auction, and she was beat.
She slept like a log and woke to the sound of someone knocking on her door. She staggered out of bed, catching a glimpse of herself in the mirror on the back of her bedroom door. Half her hair was up, the other half down, and her make-up was an Impressionist’s blur across her face.
Well, that would teach whoever it was to come calling at – she glanced at the clock on her bedside table – nine on a Sunday morning.
“Give me a break, I’m coming,” she hollered as the knocking started up again.
She had two good guesses who it might be, so she wasn’t surprised when she looked through the spy hole and saw Andie staring back at her.
“You can’t run forever, Lily Taylor,” Andie said.
Lily opened the door.
“I wasn’t running. I was choosing my moment,” she said as Andie sailed past her and into the living room.
“You were ducking and diving like a kid playing dodge ball last night, and don’t deny it,” Andie said.
Her straight, fair hair was pulled up in a high ponytail, her long legs clad in dark denim. In many ways, she looked exactly the same as she always had, but there was a subtle difference in the way she held herself and the way she looked out at the world from behind her clear blue eyes these days. Andie had found love – or, more accurately, love had found her, in the form of Heath, the luckiest man on the planet – and it had given her a new confidence.
“You want coffee?” Lily asked, heading for the kitchen.
Andie stepped into her path. “Tell me honestly – do you have a thing for my brother?”
Lily laughed outright. “Get out of here,” she said, convinced Andie was pulling her leg.
When Andie continued to stare at her, clearly waiting for an answer, Lily blinked.
“You’re seriously serious? You really think I’m so hard up for your brother’s attention that I’d pay a small fortune to get it?”
“Tell me why you did it, then?” Andie asked.
“Because I got this in the mail yesterday.” Lily fetched the letter from her bedroom and handed it over.
Andie scanned it quickly, her expression tightening as she understood its import. Her eyes were soft with concern when they lifted to Lily’s face.
“Are you okay?”
“Of course. But I don’t want his stinking money.”
“God, no.”
<
br /> Lily had to resist the urge to hug her friend then. Andie knew all about Luther, and having her unequivocal support on this decision meant the world.
“I couldn’t think of any other way to get Molly to take the money.” Not that she’d given it that much thought, seeing as she’d pretty much made up her mind on the spot and bid on Beau with her next breath.
“She can hardly say no to your bid without saying no to all of them,” Andie said.
“That’s what I figured.”
“I guess I should give up on the idea that you’ve been secretly harboring a crush on my brother for the last five years, then,” Andie said with an exaggerated sigh.
“As if. No offense, but even if I was interested in dating right now – and I’m not – and even if your brother didn’t hate my guts – which he does – he’s a terrible prospect.”
“I know. He’s almost as bad as you,” Andie said.
“Hey!” Lily gave her friend a playful shove in the shoulder. “Play nice.”
“Come on, you have to admit, your track record sucks just as much as Beau’s,” Andie said, a teasing smile on her face. “In a way, you and Beau are a matched set.”
“No way. Your brother is a commitaphobe who cares more about his business than he does about the women who share his bed. I, on the other hand, don’t share my bed with anyone.”
“That’s what I mean – a matched set. The man whore and the nun.”
Lily headed into the kitchen. “Stop it. You’re making it all sound so romantic, I might swoon.”
Andie followed her, propping her shoulder against the kitchen doorway as she watched Lily measure out coffee.
“So, how did Beau take it when you told him you’d bought him as a smokescreen?”
“How do you think he took it?” Lily asked dryly.
Andie grinned. “He got all pissy and stubborn and insisted on taking you on the date, didn’t he?”
Lily gaped, genuinely surprised by her friend’s insight. “How on earth did you know that?”
“It’s classic Beau. Always thinks he knows best. Always has to win.”
“See, that’s my least favorite of his many unattractive qualities,” Lily said.
Bound to the Bachelor Page 4