The people around them were hardly breathing, waiting for what would happen next.
The volunteer shook her head and John smiled.
“Going once…going twice…sold to the man in the gray suit. Congratulations, Noah.”
Strangers reached out to shake Noah’s hand, but the only person he wanted to talk to was Cassie.
But she was being swamped with even more people, thanking her for donating the necklace. She looked overwhelmed and worried. He moved closer, wanting to protect her from the well-meaning people around them.
Without knowing how it had happened, Cassie was becoming an important part of his life.
Chapter 7
After the auction, Cassie and her friends helped Pastor John tidy the room. The auction had raised more than ninety thousand dollars for The Welcome Center. John was thrilled and so was the rest of the community.
“I can’t believe what Noah paid for your necklace,” Megan said to Cassie as she stacked one chair on top of another.
“Or the bid he placed on Natalie’s painting,” Sam said. “If it weren’t for him, the sale price on those items wouldn’t have gone nearly as high.”
Apart from helping The Welcome Center, Cassie had no idea why Noah had spent so much money. As well as taking home her necklace, he was the proud owner of a fancy barbecue and a large box of Brooke’s fudge. He probably earned a lot of money, but what he’d spent tonight was crazy.
“Does anyone know who was bidding against Noah for Cassie’s necklace?” Sam asked.
Pastor John placed the gavel in a wooden box. “Everyone who wanted to bid at the auction had to pre-register. We’ll have the bidder’s name on our database, but I can’t tell you who it was.”
“Could you send them a copy of Cassie’s latest catalog? They might decide to buy another piece of jewelry.”
Cassie appreciated Sam’s suggestion, but she wasn’t sure it was a good idea. “If they want another necklace, they’ll contact me. There must have been something about that piece of jewelry that drew them to it.”
“Maybe it was because a supermodel had worn it on the cover of a magazine,” Megan suggested.
John smiled. “Or they could like pearl necklaces.”
Sam carried two chairs across the room. “At least it was sold to someone Cassie knows. I wonder why Noah bought it?”
Cassie was thinking the same thing. The necklace was an expensive piece of jewelry—the type you’d give to someone who meant a lot to you. Noah wasn’t married, but maybe he had a special woman in his life?
She hoped he’d bought it as an investment. Just thinking about him with another woman made her feel depressed.
Noah walked into the meeting room. “The kitchen is ready for the café staff. Would you like a hand to stack the rest of the chairs?”
Before Cassie could tell him they were okay, John handed him two chairs.
“Thanks. You can put these on the far side of the room. Normally, we would have left everything where it was, but we have a jumping jellybean program in here tomorrow.”
Noah’s eyebrows rose. “Jumping jellybeans?”
“It’s like a junior gymnastics class,” John explained. “While the parents are enjoying church, a team of volunteers keep the preschoolers busy. You’ll have to come along one Sunday. The team is always looking for people who can help.”
The thought of Noah helping little children do cartwheels and forward rolls made Cassie smile.
Noah didn’t look as enthusiastic as John did. “Maybe on my next visit to Sapphire Bay.”
As far as Cassie knew, that wouldn’t be happening any time soon.
“Congratulations on winning the necklace,” Megan said. “Who’s the lucky woman who gets to wear it?”
A hot blush scorched Cassie’s face. Thankfully, Noah was too busy stacking the chairs on top of the others to notice.
