Noah stuck his hand in the air. “Twenty thousand dollars.”
Silence fell over the crowd. All eyes turned toward the other bidder.
“Twenty-eight thousand.”
The audience went wild. Claps and cheers rang out across the room. Even Pastor John looked as though he was astounded that anyone would buy a painting for that amount of money.
“Silence, please,” John yelled into the room. He looked at Noah. “Do we have another bid?”
Cassie bit her bottom lip, half-praying that Noah shook his head. The oil painting was stunning, but paying more than twenty-eight thousand dollars was ridiculous. For most people, it was a down payment on a house, a new vehicle, or enough groceries for two years.
“Thirty-five thousand dollars.”
The roar from the crowd drowned out John’s response.
Cassie dropped her chin to her chest. Oh, my Lord. That amount of money would pay The Welcome Centers utility, phone, and grocery bill for an entire year. They could buy new blankets and sheets, and replace the washing machines and dryers.
John’s gavel was banging so hard against the desk that it sounded like a machine-gun, spitting bullets across the room. “Quiet, please!”
No one was listening, except the man two rows behind them.
When most of the noise had died down, a deep voice yelled, “Thirty-seven thousand dollars.”
Cassie grabbed hold of Noah’s hand. “Don’t do it.” She looked at Noah, pleading with him not to increase the bid. “It’s an incredible painting, but that amount of money—”
“Is nothing compared to what I earn,” Noah whispered in her ear.
She closed her eyes, scrunching them tight as she waited for what he’d do next.
“Forty thousand dollars,” he yelled.
Mass hysteria descended over the room. John tried to bring order to the chaos, but no one was paying him any attention.
Noah squeezed her hand. “Breathe.”
“I can’t,” she yelled back. “It’s too much money.”
“Order! Order!” John’s voice boomed across the room.
Cassie would have laughed if it weren’t Noah who had placed an astronomical bid on the painting.
“Do we have any more bids?” John yelled.
The audience gradually calmed down, waiting to see what happened.
The man behind Cassie and Noah remained silent.
Her shoulders relaxed and she breathed a sigh of relief. At least Noah wouldn’t be spending any more money on—
“Forty-five thousand dollars.” The man behind them yelled.
Pastor John’s mouth dropped open. He looked at Noah. “Do we have another bid?”
Noah shook his head and Cassie slumped in her chair. Thank goodness it was over.
“Sold to the man in the blue sweater,” John yelled. “Congratulations.”
Noah leaned against her shoulder. “What’s next?”
