by L. P. Dover
My father led me into his office where he already had my golf clubs cleaned and ready to go; they looked brand new.
“You know you’re going to kick my butt, right?” I said, laughing.
Chuckling, he picked up my bag. “I doubt it. My mind hasn’t been fully in the game these days.”
We walked down the hall and out the back door toward the pro shop to get us a golf cart. There was already one waiting for us with his golf bag sitting in back. After he strapped mine in beside his, we hopped in the cart. There were a lot of people out on the course which made me happy.
“Are you nervous?” I asked softly. Ever since he found out he had cancer, I’d gotten the impression that he intentionally tried not to talk about it. Maybe it was denial? All I knew was that he never brought up the subject, almost as if it didn’t exist. He placed his hands on the steering wheel and looked out into the distance. A few seconds passed by, and he still hadn’t said a word. “Dad?”
With a heavy sigh, he closed his eyes. “Of course I’m scared, Clara. It’s not easy going from thinking you’re fine to finding out you have cancer all through your body.”
Swallowing hard, I reached over and placed a hand on his arm. “I know, Dad. You’re going to get through this.”
His jaw clenched and he nodded. “I’m going to try. I don’t want it to end just yet. Someone has to walk you down the aisle when you decide to get married. That’s the only thing left on my list of things I want to do before I die.”
Lips trembling, I tried my best to smile. By the rate I was going, marriage wasn’t anywhere in my near future. “I’ll make sure you do that,” I said, trying to lighten the mood. “Just find me a decent man to marry first.”
“Hopefully it’s not Adrian Norwood,” he mumbled under his breath as we started on our way to the first hole. He was never a big fan of Adrian … or any other guy I’d dated over the years. The only one he ever approved of was Zac, and we all knew how that ended.
I rolled my eyes. “Adrian’s not in the running. We’re both headed in different directions.”
I could see the relief on my father’s face. “Good to know. There’ll probably be some handsome young gentlemen at the auction tomorrow. We’ve had some nice families move into the area over the years. Maybe you’ll meet someone.” We stopped at the first hole, and he got out to grab his driver.
I also got out so I could stretch. One thing that did give me a sense of relief was knowing that Zac wouldn’t be there. The thought of meeting someone who wasn’t part of the A-list crowd was something I needed.
“You know what, Dad, I think that sounds amazing. I’ve been getting tired of the arrogant socialites in my crowd these days.”
Chuckling, he walked up to his tee box and teed up his ball. “I bet. Those guys probably aren’t man enough to be put on auction in our town.”
Adrian definitely wouldn’t. “You got that right,” I agreed.
My father was always the one people bid on most. Mainly because he was excellent at marketing strategies. I learned everything from him. Out of each Snowy Creek family, there needed to be one member to volunteer for the auction. It wasn’t mandatory, but everyone loved to participate. Afterwards, there was a huge party where we all ate and had a good time. I used to love watching people fight over my dad. The week after the auction was when the participants had to pay up. For my dad, he would always go to the winner’s business and help them with their marketing plans. He’d do it for a whole week just like all the other participants had to do with their winners. Some people would have to plant flowers for the people who bid on them, do their grocery shopping, or other chores like that. It all went to a good cause so nobody ever complained.
My father hit his ball and it went straight down the fairway. “Good shot, Dad. So, question … how are you going to auction yourself if you’ll be in chemo next week?”
Blowing out a sigh, he got back in the cart and drove me to my tee box. “I won’t be participating this year. The doctor told me I’ll be pretty run down. My mind won’t be as sharp, and I don’t want people bidding all their money on me when I know I won’t be in my right mind.” My father had helped so many people in the town over the years with their businesses, and I was just as good as he was. It didn’t take long to figure out what I needed to do. We stopped at my tee box and I smiled. My father looked at me curiously. “What are you thinking about?”
“Why don’t I get put up for auction? I would hate to see the children’s hospital not get those extra thousand dollars because you’re not entering. I’m just as good as you, if not better.”
His grin widened. “You’re definitely better, baby girl. You’re a celebrity in this town. Everyone will go crazy when they see you take the stage.”
I grabbed my driver out of my bag. “It’s a deal then. I’ll take your place.”
He beamed. “I’ll let everyone know so they can get their checkbooks ready. Be prepared, because it’s going to be insane.”
I couldn’t wait. In fact, I was actually excited for it.
4
Clara
“I can’t believe you,” Trina said as she laughed into the phone. “You’re really going up for auction?”
My parents had already left for the country club, so I hopped into my mom’s SUV since my car was back in California. “Yep,” I replied, starting up the ignition. “I thought it’d be nice to help out. Might want to try it sometime.”
Trina snorted. “Like I have time. My publicist schedules way too many gigs for me.”
“Yeah, right. That’s a lie and you know it. But speaking of which, don’t you need to head to the studio? You have a commercial to shoot.” It was for a perfume that actually smelled really good. I never booked her for things she wouldn’t endorse.
Trina sighed. “Yeah, I know. I’m just tired. Had a busy night last night.”
Her busy nights included parties with tons of vodka and men. She tried all the time to get me involved in her shenanigans, but I had no interest in bar hopping and having the paparazzi record everything I did. I’d had enough of that when I was with Adrian.
I pulled onto the main road and headed toward the country club. “Might want to slow down, Trina. You’re going to get burned out quick and fast if you don’t.” I had a feeling she was already there, but she loved fame more than anything. Keeping in the spotlight was what she lived for.
Trina laughed. “Not gonna happen. I love my life.”
“All right. Just warning you. Maybe one day you’ll find someone special and settle down.” I could only hope so. Then again, I would feel bad for the guy. I loved her to death, but I couldn’t see her staying faithful. She loved her freedom too much to settle down with just one man.
“I could say the same to you,” she quipped back. “You’re marriage material, not me.” At least she admitted she wasn’t.
The road to the country club was just up ahead. “You never know. Things could change.” I turned down the driveway, and even from the distance, I could see the parking lot was packed. I was actually looking forward to seeing some of the people I hadn’t seen in over a decade. “Trina, I have to go. I’m pulling up to the club.”
“Okay. Have fun. You and I are like royalty there now. Be prepared to be bombarded.”
I rolled my eyes. “It’s just me, Trina. I may have famous clients, but I am not. I don’t mind being in the background.”
“Whatever. Keep telling yourself that. Tell everyone I said hey.”
“I will. Have fun at the shoot.” We said our good-byes, and I drove around until I could find a parking spot. That was how crowded it was. Snowy Creek had grown in the last twelve years. More people had moved to town, and there were businesses opening up every year. I was happy to see it thrive, but eventually, the Snowy Creek I grew up in wouldn’t be so small anymore. That whole small-town vibe was the appeal. I hated to see that go away. Don’t get me wrong, I loved living in San Francisco and being around a ton of people, but there w
as always the part of me that really yearned for the small-town life again.
I walked up to the club entrance, and once inside, I saw my mother pacing the lobby floor, dressed to impress in her sleek, black pants suit and light pink button down. I’d tried getting her to wear flannels and jeans before but she wouldn’t budge. Today, I went back to my roots. I left all my designer clothes in California and brought only my summer Wyoming wardrobe: shorts, boots, sundresses, and cute T-shirts. It felt good wearing my old boots with a pair of denim shorts and a lacy, white top.
My mother tried to control my wardrobe growing up, and of course, that didn’t work. It took a while for her to realize that I wasn’t her, but I think my father had more fun with it than I did. He’d pay me to play around in the mud just so he could see her reaction when I showed back up at home after playing with my friends. How she managed to survive in such a small town was beyond me. She didn’t really have any close friends in Snowy Creek, even after living here for over thirty years. It was probably why she always tried to visit me every weekend. In a way, I felt sorry for her, but she was set in her ways. My father, on the other hand, had plenty of friends. Everyone in the town loved him.
When my mother saw me, there was a look of worry on her face.
“You okay?” I asked her.
She nodded, but the tension was still there. “I wanted to give you a heads-up.” Taking my arm, she pulled me over to a corner by the fireplace where no one could see us.
“What’s wrong?” I asked, wondering what was going on.
She focused in on something over my shoulder. “Zac’s parents are here, and I knew they’d be coming out of the media room soon. I didn’t want you to be caught off guard.”
And just then I heard laughter and voices behind me. I glanced back at the group of people and there were Zac’s parents along with Roger and Patty Fulbright, the owners of Fulbright Hardware. Martin and Eva Ward looked exactly as I remembered them. For a time, they were like second parents to me. Zac had the same dark hair and hazel eyes as his mother. His father used to have brown hair, but now it was all gray. Seeing them again brought back all sorts of memories. I didn’t hate them like I did Zac, but I didn’t know if I had it in me to talk to them.
“Thanks, Mom,” I said, moving more out of the way so they couldn’t see me. “I should’ve known I’d run into them.”
My mother scoffed. “Let’s just hope they don’t bid on you in the auction.”
It was against the rules for anyone in the immediate family to bid on their own family members. Even if my father was the owner of the club, there was nothing he could do. The townsfolk had made up the rules and they couldn’t be broken.
More people had walked through the door, and once it started to die down, my mother and I snuck into the ballroom. My father was up on stage, wearing a pair of jeans with his cowboy boots and short-sleeved blue and green plaid flannel shirt, talking to a group of men he always played golf with. He smiled and laughed along with them. One thing I loved about my dad was that he was always full of life. He could talk to anyone and make them laugh.
“How do you think next week will go?” I asked, keeping my voice low.
She kept her gaze on my dad, and I could see the pain in her eyes. “I don’t know. He’s determined to do what it takes to beat this, but he’s up against stage four cancer. I’m trying to stay positive, but it’s hard. I don’t know what I’ll do if something happens to him.”
I wrapped my arm around her shoulders. On top of being my dad, he was also one of my best friends. Losing him would mean losing a part of my soul. I wasn’t ready for that. “We just have to be there for him,” I murmured. “Make whatever time he has left some of the best moments of his life.”
The other men walked off the stage, but my father stayed and tapped the microphone. “Good afternoon, everyone. Welcome to our annual Snowy Creek auction. For those of you who are new to the town, this should be a pretty fun event.”
Looking around, I realized there were some new faces I hadn’t seen before, but I recognized the majority of them. My old fifth grade teacher, Mrs. Long, glanced back at me and waved with a big smile on her face. In doing that, she’d garnered the attention of others who, in return, waved at me.
My mother leaned down and whispered in my ear, “Word spread really fast about you being auctioned off. I wouldn’t be surprised if you go for ten grand.”
I snorted. As much as I’d love to see the money go to charity, there was no way any of the local business owners could afford that. I would be happy to have any amount donated to charity, even if it was just one hundred dollars.
I focused back on my dad who continued with his speech. “Every year, one member from the local families put themselves up for auction. Take for instance, when I participated the past thirty years, my marketing skills were what people bid on.” He pointed over at Leon McIntosh. “And Leon here is an expert at fence repair. I know there have been a lot of you needing his services here recently.” Then he nodded over at Zac’s parents. “We also have Martin Ward who has many skills.” There were lots of nods in the crowds. Zac’s dad dabbled in many things. He was a farmer, horse trainer, and woodworker. The man worked every day of the year just so he could put food on the table.
“All right, are we ready to get started?” my dad called out excitedly. The crowd erupted in whistles and cheers. He waved for David Banter, the man who’d been the auctioneer for as long as I could remember, to take the stage beside him at the podium. David was also one of the town’s medical doctors. They shook hands, then my dad handed him the microphone and a gavel. “Take it away, Doc.”
David looked down at his set of notecards and smiled. “First up, we have Leon McIntosh. Looks like we’re starting this auction off with a bang. Starting bid is twenty dollars.” As soon as Leon walked up on stage, David went straight into auctioneer mode. I had no clue what came out of his mouth, but the price went up. Everywhere you looked hands were being raised. I forgot how fun the auctions could be.
I leaned over toward my mom. “When do I get to go up?”
She smiled. “Your father saved the best for last.”
There were butterflies in my stomach. I’d been in front of crowds of people more times than I could count, but today, I was actually nervous. It was different being in a crowd with people you didn’t know compared to people you’d known since you were little. There was also the pang of guilt in my gut as well. I abandoned everyone in the town when I decided not to come back.
“Sold!” David shouted, slamming the gavel on the podium. He turned to Leon and patted him on the back. “You’ve been sold to Mr. and Mrs. Danforth for six thousand dollars.”
Everyone clapped and whistled as Leon waved and walked off stage. Six thousand dollars was an amazing start to the auction.
“Are you going to bid on anyone?” I asked my mother.
Her smile widened. “You’re damn right I am. Agnes Witherspoon is taking her husband’s place this year and we all know how amazing she cooks.” Agnes used to work at the bank but quit to start up her own catering business. It’d been a long time, but I remembered her quiches very well; they were so good.
David called up another contestant and the bidding began. “How much are you willing to spend?” I wondered.
My mother grinned slyly at me. “Whatever it takes. With your father starting chemo next week, it’ll be nice having some home-cooked meals. I don’t care what it costs.”
I winked at her. “Let’s do it.”
At least the money was going to charity.
There were so many people put up for auction that it took about two hours. All it did was make me even more nervous since I was the very last one. However, we did win Agnes for a total of three thousand dollars. She knew about my father and told us she’d make him all his favorites. I missed being around people like her. You couldn’t find that neighborly type just anywhere.
My father glanced over at me and nodded toward the stage.
It was my time. David switched to his last notecard and smiled. “And last but not least, ladies and gentlemen, is Clara Berkeley, daughter of Diane and Alexander Berkeley. She’s decided to take her father’s place this year.”
Everyone cheered, and my mother nudged me toward the stage. I needed to walk through the whole crowd of people, and several of them touched my shoulders as I did. My father waited for me by the stage stairs and grabbed my hand to help me up.
“Good luck,” he whispered.
I kissed his cheek. “Thanks. Hopefully someone will bid on me.”
He stared at me as if I’d lost my mind. “Oh, they will.”
I went straight to David, who held out his hand. “It’s good to see you again, Clara. It’s been a long time.”
“Yes, it has,” I said, shaking his hand. “I’m glad to be back though.”
David smiled. “Happy to hear it. Are you ready?”
I laughed. “As I’ll ever be.” I peered out at the crowd and smiled at everyone. There were so many people I recognized and I couldn’t wait to talk to them again. I knew where Zac’s parents were and I intentionally didn’t want to look their way, but my eyes went straight to them. I met his mother’s gaze, but then it drifted to the figure behind her, a man dressed in a fitted gray T-shirt and jeans. Zac Ward. The second I met his gaze, the world stopped. He hadn’t changed much over the years, except now he was more muscular. Trina had found out through some of our old friends that Zac trained to be an MMA fighter to help pay his way through college. As much as I wanted to deny it, I’d watched a couple of his fights on YouTube.
His hair was still dark, and even from the distance, his eyes were the same golden hazel color that I always thought was unique. My heart pounded, and I hated myself for allowing him to affect me even now. I never thought I would see him again. The anger and pain I felt from the past came back with a vengeance.
David cleared his throat and it snapped me back to reality. “As usual, let’s start the bidding at twenty dollars,” he announced. And just like that, dozens of hands shot in the air. David called out for a hundred dollars on up to a thousand and the hands were still there.