by Elle James
Selena’s father nodded. “Yes, sir.”
Before long, conversation flowed, laughter rang out and the room filled with warmth and love.
Ann Grayson broke through the laughter with a statement, drawing attention to herself, “Chance, I understand you’ve volunteered to be a bachelor at the Annual Cowboy Auction at the Ugly Stick Saloon.” She turned to face Rider. “Rider? What about you?”
All gazes fixed on Rider.
Rider’s cheeks reddened “I didn’t plan on going to the cowboy auction.”
His mother tilted her head and narrowed her eyes. “It’s for a good cause,” she said. “Why not volunteer?”
“Ha!” Lily laughed. “He’s afraid of the women.”
Rider stiffened. “I’m not afraid of the women.”
Chance clapped him on the back. “You should be.” He chuckled. “Last year, they got into a cat fight over one of the cowboys.”
“They wouldn’t fight over me.” Rider shook his head. “Besides, no one asked me to volunteer.”
Lily leaned forward. “Really? That can be remedied.” She grinned. “I’m on the nominating committee.”
Selena grinned at the look on Rider’s face. He held up both hands as if in surrender. “I’m sure you have plenty of cowboys who’ve already volunteered for the auction. You don’t need me.”
Lily shook her head. “We can always use good lookin’ cowboys. You’re not half bad, even if I am your sister. That’s it… You’re on for tomorrow night.”
Selena ducked her head, hiding her smile.
“I can’t believe I just got suckered into being a part of the cowboy auction.” Rider groaned. “It’s nothing but a meat market, and all the men are sides of beef.”
Chance clapped him on the back. “It’ll be fun. Hopefully, a young cute thing will bid on you.”
“More like Mrs. Cleyburne will bid high enough to win me.” Rider grimaced. “I can’t imagine a date with Mrs. Cleyburne.”
Chance, Nash, and Beckett all laughed.
When dinner was over, Selena gathered plates from the table and carried them to the sink.
“Let me help,” said Rider’s deep familiar voice behind her.
“I can get this,” Selena said.
“I’ll wash. You can dry.” Rider lifted a dry dish towel and handed it to her. He filled the sink with warm soapy water and, one by one, washed the dishes.
Selena’s mother finished clearing the table and storing the food in containers in the refrigerator. When she was finished, she came to the sink. “I can take over now,” she said.
Selena shook her head. “No, Mama. You go rest. You’ve worked hard. I can take care of the rest of these dishes.”
“At least, let me take care of washing the dishes so that Rider can go enjoy his family.” Mrs. Sanchez tried to take the wash rag from Rider’s hands, but he blocked her with his body.
“I really can wash a dish or two,” said Rider. “I took care of my own dishes when I lived in Dallas, and I’m sure I could do it again.”
Selena exchanged glances with her mother and shrugged. “If he wants to do dishes, let him.”
Rider chuckled. “Yes, please. Let me.”
Mrs. Sanchez wiped the table and hung the wash rag in the laundry room. She walked back through the kitchen, her gaze scanning the countertops for any other dishes to clean. “Well, then I guess I’ll leave you two to it.”
Everyone else had gone out of the kitchen into the living room, leaving Rider and Selena at the sink washing dishes. The silence stretched between them as Rider washed and Selena dried and put the dishes away. “You know you don’t have to do the cowboy auction,” Selena said. “I’m sure you can back out and still save face.”
“I don’t really think I have a choice,” Rider said. “When Lily gets something in her mind, she doesn’t let go.”
Selena chuckled. “Lily does have a strong will. It will take her far in life.”
“I feel sorry for the guy she falls in love with.” Rider grinned. “I hope he has the balls to stand up to her when he needs to.”
“You know, you could just donate the money and skip the auction altogether.” Selena set another plate in the cabinet and turned to face him.
Rider shrugged. “I could, but then Lily wouldn’t get a kick out of seeing me on stage, stripping my shirt off for the ladies.” Rider grimaced. “I really don’t look forward to doing that.”
“You could spike the audience with someone who has your donation in hand and let her bid on you and win you, and that way you know who you’re getting, and you don’t have to go on a date with her since you’re paying.”
Rider tipped his head to the side and stared down at Selena. “You know, that’s not a bad idea.” He didn’t mention that he’d had a similar conversation with Selena.
“Do you have a lady in mind?”
Rider emptied the dishwater from the sink and dried his hands. “Well, it can’t be a family member, or the audience would know what was going on.”
“You could ask my landlady Lola Engel,” Selena offered. Before she finished talking, Rider was shaking his head.
“No. From what I understand, she’ll be bidding on Chance. She’s had a thing for him for months now. She’ll bid every dollar she has to go out on a date with my brother.”
Selena grinned. “I guess she has been pretty blatant about her attraction to Chance. I hear she stages some pretty elaborate emergencies to get the fire department to come out on his shift.”
Rider nodded. “I don’t know what she sees in him. He’s got to be at least ten years younger than she is.”
“It might just be that the heart wants what the heart wants.” Selena smiled. “Apparently Lola’s heart wants Chance.” She dried the last plate, set it in the cabinet and hung the towel across the rail on the stove. “Well, I guess I’d better get back to town.”
“Can’t you stay a few more minutes? If I remember correctly, there might be a meteor shower this evening,” Rider said. “I have a couple of lounge chairs out on the porch if you care to join me. We can drag them out into the yard and see if we can spot any of the shooting stars.”
Selena nodded. “I remember lying out under the stars at night during the meteor showers. One night, we counted thirty-seven altogether. That was a pretty magical night.” Selena recalled lying there in the darkness, just her and Rider. His brothers and sister had all given up too early and had gone back into the house. But she’d stayed with Rider to watch the meteor shower as it lit up the sky.
“That was a pretty impressive night, wasn’t it?” Rider led the way to the back door and held it for Selena as she walked through. Her shoulder brushed against his chest, sending a tingle of awareness across her skin and down her spine.
She hurried through and out onto the deck.
Rider grabbed the two folding lounge chairs and carried them out into the yard.
Selena hesitated. When they were kids, lying in the dark on the ground beside each other, it had been as natural as breathing. Now was a little different. Why was it different now? She studied the man as he straightened and waved a hand toward one of the lounge chairs he’d prepared. He’d grown into a very handsome, broad-shouldered man, with twinkling eyes and a thick head of hair. She could not deny the attraction she felt toward Rider Grayson. She’d always had a thing for him. And she’d always known she could never act on it. Especially not now, when she was starting Physician Assistant school in January. She had to retain her focus on her studies and be completely immersed in her schoolwork once classes started. She wouldn’t have time for a relationship. And she certainly couldn’t have a relationship with a Grayson brother.
“What’s wrong?” Rider stared down at her in the starlight.
Selena shrugged. “Nothing. I’m just thinking I should be studying, instead of lying in the darkness staring up at stars.”
“You’re very dedicated to your work, and I admire that about you. But sometimes, you really do need to
stare up at the stars. They make you realize what’s really important.”
Selena nodded. “You’re right. It grounds you in reality and makes you realize you’re not the center of the universe, although sometimes it feels like it.”
“I’ll go first,” Rider said. He stretched out on a lounge chair, tucked his hands beneath his head, and stared up at the stars. “Look, there’s one now.”
Selena dropped down to the lounger and laid on her back, her attention on the sky above her, though she was fully aware of the man lying beside her. A flash across the sky caught her attention. “There’s another,” Selena said excitedly.
“And another,” Rider said, pointing at the sky. As they both lowered their arms to the lounge, their fingers touched and entwined, and the next thing Selena knew, they were holding hands in the dark, staring up at the sky.
This was not how she’d planned for this night going. In fact, it was much better than what she’d envisioned. Unfortunately, she couldn’t allow herself to enjoy it too much. Nothing between her and Rider could ever be more than just friends. They were worlds apart in their dreams and aspirations, as well as in their heritage. Rider had returned home to Hellfire to stay. She’d be leaving in January for two years. Who knew what would happen in that time? Rider could find a woman to love, get married and have a child in just two years. Meanwhile, Selena would be nose-deep in her books learning how to be a Physician Assistant with no time to spare for a relationship.
For that moment, however, she chose to ignore what the future might hold. Her hand in his was all that mattered. His fingers closed around hers, big, strong and warm.
“You know, I’ve been thinking about your suggestion,” Rider said.
“What suggestion?” Selena asked.
“The one about having someone bid on me with my donation.” He turned toward her. “Would you do that for me?”
Selena’s heartbeat ratcheted up. When he looked at her like that, she’d do anything for him. But she couldn’t tell him that. “You want me to bid on you at the cowboy auction tomorrow night?”
“Yes. You’re the only one I can trust.”
“How much are you willing to bid?”
“As much as it takes to keep anyone else from winning the bid,” he said.
“That could go pretty high.” Selena’s hand squeezed his. “Are you sure?”
“I’m sure. The thought of having a date with Mrs. Cleyburne gives me the willies.” He chuckled. “Whereas, a date with you would be a lot more palatable.”
“If I’m using your money to bid on you, you wouldn’t have to take me out on the date,” Selena reminded him.
“I wouldn’t want anyone to think I had bid on myself,” Rider said.
“So, we’d go on a fake date to calm any gossip.” Selena nodded. “I’m in.”
“Great.” Rider laid back staring up at the stars. He retained his hold on her hand, squeezing slightly, the warmth spreading from her fingers all the way into her arm and low into her belly.
“You know, I couldn’t see the stars in the sky when I was in Dallas,” Rider said.
“That’s sad,” Selena said.
“They say everything is bigger in Texas. In Dallas, there’s plenty of lights, glitz and glamour. But you don’t have the big sky filled with stars. You don’t see the meteor showers at night. You can’t smell the fresh cut hay or hear the chirp of the cicadas. All you hear is the honking of horns, the sirens blaring and the noise of the city.”
“I’ll miss Hellfire, while I’m gone,” Selena said.
Rider’s fingers tightened around hers. “I’ll miss you when you’re gone.”
The door opened to the house, and footsteps sounded on the deck. “I thought they were out here.” Nash’s voice could be heard.
“I saw them come out earlier,” Phoebe’s responded in the darkness.
“Rider, you out there?” Nash called out.
Rider hesitated before answering, “I’m out here. Tonight’s the meteor shower.”
“Well, when you’re done watching the meteor shower, we’re all having ice cream and cake inside, if you’d like to join us,” Nash said.
The door opened again and closed, and silence surrounded Rider and Selena.
“I guess that’s our cue,” Selena said.
“If you want it to be,” Rider said.
She didn’t want it to be the cue. She’d rather stay there the entire night holding Rider’s hand and watching the meteor shower. But, she had studies to get on with. She had a test coming up in a couple of days that she needed to pour her heart into in order to make a good grade.
“I don’t know about you, but ice cream sounds good.” Selena rose from the lounge chair, pulling him up with their joined hands.
Rider stood beside her in the darkness. “When did you grow up, Selena?”
“While you were playing the stock markets in Dallas,” Selena said, still holding his hand.
“I don’t know how I missed it.” Rider lifted her hand and pressed his lips to her knuckles. “You’re still the same ol’ Selena. But, better.”
“I’m still the same old Selena.” She gave a hint of a smile.
“I know you’re going to be busy with school for the next couple of years. When you do get ready for a relationship, don’t settle for anything less than the best. You deserve it. Life is too short to settle for second best.”
“I’ll remember that.”
Rider offered his arm.
Selena slipped her hand through the crook of his elbow and let him lead her back up the stairs into the house. After a small scoop of ice cream and a bite of cake, Selena made her excuses and slipped away into the night, driving back to her little apartment over the garage at Lola Engel’s house.
Her heart squeezed tightly in her chest as she slipped into her nightgown and into her bed. She knew what she had to do, and that all her focus should be on her education. But holding Rider’s hand that evening had opened her up again to the heartache of loving a man who could never love her in return. To him, she was like a sister. To her, he was the love she’d always dreamed of.
CHAPTER 4
RIDER PACED behind the curtain of the stage at Ugly Stick Saloon. The Annual Cowboy Auction was in full swing, and he’d been suckered into being one of the cowboys up for auction.
“What’s wrong, bro?” Chance backhanded him in the gut. “All you gotta do is strut your stuff out there, maybe take off your shirt, and all the ladies will go wild.”
Rider rolled his eyes. “That’s what I’m afraid of. I don’t want the women to go wild. I just want this to be over—with my shirt on.”
Chance chuckled. “In order to bring in the best money for charity, you have to take off your shirt. The ladies love it. And if I’m not mistaken, you might still have some muscles there to show off.” He poked a finger at Rider’s shoulder.
“I don’t care what the ladies will love,” Rider said. “All I promised was to show up. I did not promise to take off my shirt.”
“You guys ready?” Lily walked through the array of men behind the stage. At her side was Audrey Anderson, the owner of the Ugly Stick Saloon.
“Men, I want to thank you all for taking the time and donating your services for the Annual Cowboy Auction. We raise more money for the children at this auction than any other organization in the tri-county area.” Audrey Anderson grinned widely. “The kids deserve it, and don’t worry, we’ll keep it clean.”
Lily grinned at Chance and Rider. “Don’t look so glum Rider.”
“I don’t know how you got me into this.” Rider shook his head.
“Don’t be such a baby,” Chance said. “And just to make you feel better, I’ll go first,” Chance said.
Audrey shook her head. “I have a specific lineup with bios for each of you. I will introduce you one at a time. The good news is, Chance goes before Rider. So, you will have your opportunity to go first.”
“Y’all ready to raise some money?” Lily yelled
over the noise coming from the other side of the curtain.
Chance yelled Yes! along with the other guys.
Rider shook his head.
“Then let’s do it,” Audrey Anderson said.
One by one, she introduced the men. And one by one they strutted out on the stage to the hooting and hollering of a couple hundred women filling the Ugly Stick Saloon. The first guy sold for a whopping seven hundred dollars. Rider was appalled, imagining the draining of his bank account as the different men went for different pledges. He’d given Selena the go ahead to bid as high as she needed to when the auction pulled him forward. The second guy bid out at just short of a thousand dollars, nine hundred and ninety dollars. “Holy shit,” Rider said.
Chance chuckled. “Last year we had one guy go for over five thousand dollars.”
“You’re kidding me, right?”
“Nope, last year he went for over five thousand dollars. A woman from Dallas had come in and bid on him. She was some high-powered executive who needed a date. Anyway, she was willing to pay.”
Lily poked her head backstage and said, “You’re up, Chance.”
“Here goes nothing,” Chance said, and stepped through the curtain, his hands on the hem of his shirt. As soon as he stepped through, he yanked the shirt up over his head. A roar from the crowd made him dance around, grinding his hips.
Rider watched through the curtains, appalled at his brother’s actions. There was no way in hell he was getting out there strutting his stuff and grinding his hips like his brother Chance. The best he would do was walk out on stage with his shirt on and stand there while they bid on him. As he watched, the bidding began. Starting at five hundred dollars. Holy hell, five hundred dollars was the starting point? That was insane.
The bidding jumped from five hundred to one thousand dollars. Within minutes it had gone to two-thousand dollars. By the time the bidding stopped, Chance had exceeded the five-thousand-dollar mark from last year at five thousand five hundred dollars.