Tailwind (Love By Design 4)

I kept repeating the mantra, “This is all for charity.” Under my breath so I didn’t have to cut someone eying up my pet doctor. Chase looked good in his tux and Kristen looked pleased to be selling him off to the highest bidder. I bet she would have made a good madam back in the day with a brothel of her own. The upside and perhaps the only upside to this night from hell was the animal shelter they were helping would benefit. The director Kiara worked hard putting together an animal therapy program for kids that sounded really cool.

“You know I hear he got his career ending injury during a blow job in a car and not from football.”

I turned to give the woman sitting next me a withering stare. It’s like these small town people had no concept of boundaries, none whatsoever.

“Annnd…this isn’t awkward at all.” I fluffed my ponytail so I wasn’t tempted to punch her. I doubted Chase would find that hilarious the same way I would.

“Seriously, Becca, you’re making this uncomfortable.” Taylor sat down next to me grinning kindly. I was grateful for a friend, even a new one.

“What’s her deal?” I asked thumbing in her direction clearly ignoring my own boundaries to keep this peaceable.

“Oh, she dated Chase briefly and left him when he busted his knee, which was during a game by the way in case you were wondering.”

“So no nefarious blow jobs.”

“Nope.”

“Good to know and thanks.” We bumped shoulders and continued to watch the auction. Guy after guy was led up on stage wearing something suggestive.

Taylor’s fiancé sported a hardhat and went shirtless. She of course won him after a tense standoff between the girls at the coffee shop who seemed to have pooled their money together.

A firefighter and cop both sported their uniforms to a bevvy or sighing women.

The pub owner sported lederhosen and nice legs offering up a steak dinner and a beer tasting.

There were more but I only had eyes for one.

Turns out my sexy vet was worth a pretty penny. Even I with my Manhattan trust fund, though recently cut off, I was still outbid. Sexy grandma with the wicked lavender dye job would be taking my man on a dinner date while I curled up with my three fur balls of Satanic decent, rocky road ice cream and Netflix.

Kristen joined us as the evening was drawing to a close. Her eyes looked excited at all the donations that would be going toward the animal shelter in town and repairing a fence for the dog park.

“How did you not win my brother tonight?” Kristen checked her clip board while Taylor and I exchanged looks.

“Well, I left my Valentino purse back home with my good wallet so three hundred dollars was kind of my limit to be fair.” My allowance was still cut off from mom and dad.

“Ugh and what is Becca doing here? I can’t stand that girl.” Kristen clicked here pen and I had second guesses about whether or not she might stab the girl. If she did, I totally had her back on that one.

“Tell me how you really feel about her.” I teased. I had no shame egging this on if only to see what a judge’s daughter was really capable of when poked.

“Oh I’d rather she didn’t. Come on let’s go before she blows her top off and we have to peel Becca from the floor.” Taylor grabbed my arm and pulled me out of the auditorium to stand in the hallway where we could breathe air not tainted with the essence of Jean Naté and Shalimar.

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Once my nose cleared I thought twice about Chase’s sister left to her own devices.

“Are you sure we should leave Kristen in there? Alone? With Becca?” I didn’t know Chase’s sister that well, but this seemed like an incident waiting to happen with her twitchy pen fingers.

“Hope for the best and prepare for the worst?” Shrugging, Taylor had a way of making the inevitable seem not so bad even if it was the apocalypse in nature.

“Something like that.” We waited a full ten minutes before Chase appeared in the hall carrying his suit in a garment bag over his shoulder. I had hoped he’d still be wearing it, but there was nothing like a good button down Henley and dark jeans to make a girl turn into a pool of goo. I would always love an expensive crisp suit but something down to earth about Chase had me jumping ship to root for the small town boys.

“Ready to go, ladies?” Chase slipped his arm around my shoulder pulling me in tight. He smelled like a mix of subtle cologne and puppy. It soothed my frayed nerves.

“Where’s your date stud?”

“Oh she had to get back to the retirement home before they collected on her insurance.”

“Pfft. That poor woman. You’re only after her for her money.” I slapped his rock hard chest playfully and he returned the favor by tickling me.