She lifted her chin. “Twenty.”
I glanced at Teller. Was his face paler than usual? I had my own grudge against Riley, and Teller might likely have one as well.
“Oh, say.” Wilna scanned the audience. “Another twenty-grand bid. How blessed are we? Twenty going once... Going twice...”
I ignored the press in my chest, slipped my paddle out of my bag, and waved it. “Twenty-one.” My heart rate jumped. Breathing grew hard as my ribs shrank against my lungs.
The entire audience pivoted in their seats to look at me. My lungs struggled to expand, but I’d had a lifetime of looking unbothered until I snapped. I called on those skills, minus the temper. I kept my expression impassive and lifted my chin.
I dared a peek at Teller. His brows knit together as he considered me.
“Oh.” Wilna’s breath gusted over the sound system. “Say.”
“Twenty-two,” Riley said, her voice hard.
Now I was part of the tennis match. Heads turning from me to Riley.
Teller subtly arched a brow. A challenge.
I flashed the paddle. “Twenty-five.”
Riley’s snarl rang through the crowd. Murmurs grew louder. “Twenty-six.”
Teller stiffened, but his gaze didn’t leave mine.
“Thirty.” I wanted to choke on the word. I had some cushion yet, but if Riley kept going, I’d leave with nothing, not even my pride. After everything I’d been through, I’d managed to salvage some of that. Today might shred it once and for all.
“Thirty-one.” Riley’s glare bored into the side of my face. Heat blasted across my cheeks from the attention in the room focused on me, but I held strong. I could do this. I had to do this.
I did quick calculations on what I could bid, but they all led to the same answer. I couldn’t go over the amount in my account.
My gaze stayed on Teller and I summoned all the confidence possible to volley another bid. “Thirty-two.”
“Thirty-five,” Riley snapped.
Shit. She’d said that way too easily. I had more cushion, but I’d love to leave with some of it. Settling Flatlanders’ debts had wiped out much of what Scott had left me, leaving a meager stash to get the bar up and running. “Thirty-six.”
“Forty.”
Instead of getting loud, the audience went silent.
I was inhaling through a straw. Small sips of air. My brain fogged. I couldn’t do this. It was a lot of money for a man.
But I’d have to find another person to do the work, and after trying to find a realtor to sell my parents’ place, I could envision just how that would turn out. No one who was trustworthy would agree to a job at Flatlanders.
Teller’s jaw was clenched. His gaze slid to Riley and the crease in his brow deepened. He returned his attention to me, but his eyes lightened.
No other contractor would bring me candy. “Forty-five.”
The tightness around his eye eased. I must be imagining things. There was no way he’d want me to win. Unless he assumed that there would never be anything between us. He was right. Just like guys like Teller didn’t joke around with me, they also weren’t interested in me. The one time I thought I had a decent guy, he’d shredded my trust and my heart.
The crowd waited for Riley.
“Forty-six.” Her reply wasn’t as bold as before. I knew the feeling.
Teller’s cheek twitched.
My heart clattered against my ribs. I needed this to be over. “Fifty.” I wished I could proclaim it loud and proud, but I feared it wasn’t enough. If Riley could eke out one more dollar, I’d be done.
