“Did you leave me? It shows you’re still connected,” Kailey said.
“Thank you for all this. You really moved mountains.”
“That’s why you keep me around. I’m sending the itinerary to you. Stop worrying and go be you! Get your man, brother. Be charming. You’ve got this.”
Nothing more than sheer tenacity had Greer forcing himself to leave the security of his vehicle. He walked the length of the Ruthe Jackson Center building. His stride was full of confidence even under all this worry and reservation. His life’s happiness depended on his ability to win Dallas over. He had never been this unsteady before. Thankfully, Skye stood in the doorway with an instant grin when he opened the door.
“He doesn’t suspect a thing. Come this way.” By the path she took, she had cased the joint beforehand. She snuck him past the ticket attendants, down another hall, then through a side entrance. The dimly lit oversized room was filled with guests, most sitting at the many large round tables. Servers worked discreetly to remove dinner plates as the auction took place on a small stage at the back of the room. Skye took him to the front of the room and whispered in his ear. “He’s number nine. I think most of these are husband and wife pairs. Stay here until it’s time. I’ve got to get back. He’s nervous.”
“Thank you for this.” Greer reached for her arm, giving a gentle, appreciative squeeze. She had gone above and beyond to help get him ready for this weekend. He owed her everything and would most certainly make up this debt as soon as his heart settled down and he could think properly again. She gave a nod, looking genuinely pleased, and left him there.
Oh hell, Greer was nervous. He could feel the heat creeping up his neck. He had to find a way to calm down. Greer forced his cool, collected facade in place, pushing his hands inside his slacks pockets to keep from fidgeting.
The next fifteen minutes may have been the longest of his life.
=?=
Everything that was said after Mrs. Haven called Dallas’s name was drowned out as he rose and took the dread-filled steps toward the stage. Humiliation roared like a freight train inside his head. Dallas’s practiced smile and measured steps were all rehearsed. He wondered if the audience could see evidence of the heat rushing up his cheeks. He did not like these types of things at all. How he continually ended up right here, mocked all his efforts of always wanting to be a good guy. He had to learn how to say no.
Pockets of his scripted introduction pierced through the sounds of his thumping heart.
BikeBro.
Recent donation.
Local business.
Okay, he had this. Dallas took a steadying breath and climbed the final step to the stage. He wished he’d remembered this sacrifice last night when he and Donny had been warring. Being here tonight had to mean he wasn’t the complete lump of nothing his brother claimed him to be.
Dallas headed to the rehearsed marker on the stage. The bright beaming spotlight focused on him as the lights in the audience were dimmed, casting the rest of the room in shadows. He waited while Mrs. Haven continued her witty monologue. She was exceptionally good at engaging the audience. She read his interests, kept it light, and added one of her own: long walks on the concrete beaches of Epic Water Park. Of course, she’d promote a local attraction.
An older female’s bid of ten dollars came from the other side of the room where he’d been sitting even before Mrs. Haven set the opening bid. The bidder’s eagerness caused a low-level chuckle to permeate the room. He couldn’t see who made the offering, but Skye’s voice rang out next, taking the bidding to twenty dollars. Someone in the middle of the room shouted thirty dollars.
Of course, he couldn’t see any of the bidders, but he recognized the voice as the woman who’d bought him last time. Skye outbid her by going to forty dollars. The far side of the room again upped the bid, calling out fifty dollars. Skye raised her offer by another ten dollars.
The small increments were a good sign for his wallet. This whole thing should tie up soon, and maybe they wouldn’t ask him back if he didn’t hit the hundred-dollar mark.
“Five hundred dollars.”
Dallas whipped his head in the direction of that all too familiar voice. A battering ram couldn’t have bowled him over more than the force of Greer’s alluring voice. How was he still on his feet? He couldn’t see Greer, but his heart sure seemed to know the path. It lurched from his chest, doing a happy dance on its way across the large room. Seconds felt like days. What was Greer doing there?
“Now we’re talking,” Mrs. Haven exclaimed proudly. Dallas looked back at her. She had her hand covering her brow to shield her eyes from the lights as she tried to see who had made the astonishing offer. “Shoot, I wish the lights were on so I could see.”