One elderly woman seemed to be bidding purely to make her bridge club jealous.
When she wondered why she hadn’t seen Lynne’s hand fly up yet, she glanced over at the bar and caught her mouthingDon’t you dareat Minka. But Lynne did eventually raise her paddle when the numbers got good and high but started to stall.
The elderly—and now tipsy—woman who’d been trying to impress her bridge club yelled, “Four hundred!” and the crowd cheered. But Lynne called her bluff.
“Four hundred fifty,” Lynne countered, hiding her grin behind her champagne glass.
“Five hundred!”
“Six!”
“Seven!”
Lynne kept her paddle to herself.
The room roared with laughter and applause as Mayor Pennington leaned into the mic. “Well! Our firefighters may put out flames, but apparently, they’re starting a few tonight,” she teased. “Mrs. McAllister, I expect pictures—and a chaperone.”
Lynne raised her hand again, eyes twinkling. “Eight-fifty.”
The older woman gasped, then lifted her paddle one last time. “Nine hundred!”
“Going once. Going twice. Sold!” Mayor Pennington cried, banging the gavel she’d somehow acquired for the occasion. “To Mrs. McAllister! Come collect your prize beside the stage. Next firefighter, please.” She turned to Mrs. Ellery behind her and squealed, “I didn’t realize this would be so much fun!”
Ethan leaned toward Cali, their arms touching, as the switch to the next auction item happened. “Did anything catch your eye?” he asked. “You bidding tonight?”
“A little something,” she whispered. “I really wanted that porch swing, but there’s no way to get it home.” Before he offered to cart it there for her, she added, “Plus I can’t really afford it,andit seems to be the talk of the night. Outside of Leo. But if everything goes like Leo’s auction, I may not even win my second pick.” She sighed. “But that’s okay. It’s all for the cats.”
“I doubt every item is as hot as Leo,” Ethan quipped. “What else do you want?”
Cali hesitated. She felt like if she shared, Ethan would do something chivalrous, like try to win it for her. “Promise you won’t bid on it if I start losing, just to make me feel better,” she said.
Ethan grinned. “You know me too well. But sure, if that’s what you want.”
“Okay, so there was a little keepsake box with a top that slides open.”
“The one with the cats carved on it?”
“Yes, exactly. I’d love to have that, whether it’s for Charley’s old collar or some of my grandmother’s jewelry.”
“Sounds perfect,” he said.
Cali side-eyed him. “Don’t bid on it.”
“I said I wouldn’t.” He scoffed, still smiling.
They pushed through most of the items up for auction, with the biggest bids going to the porch swing, just as Cali suspected, and a beautiful farmhouse dining table—won by Mr. Winslow, the owner of Candlewick Orchard. Cali swore she caught Minka glancing around the room in a panic, searching for his son Grady. But just as soon as the thought registered, Minka was behind her phone again.
Finally, just when Cali thought they might have forgotten about it, the auction for the keepsake cat box started. She won it easily, as by that time most of the town had already spent its money and enthusiasm on other items up for auction.
“I guess you didn’t have to warn me not to rescue after all,” Ethan commented.
“No, but one can never be too careful. You’ve got a habit of rescuing things that don’t need saving,” she reminded him.
The crowd hushed, and Mrs. Ellery and some of The Nine gathered behind the mayor on stage. Mrs. Ellery took the microphone. “I have some excellent news for you all. The official numbers are in. Tonight’s grand total will fund30 stray cats from intake to adoption. That’s approximately 85 months of foster care for anyone in Autumn Ridge willing to open up their home to foster. Food, litter, meds, vet visits—the Nine Lives Club can now cover all of that.” The crowd cheered. Cali leapt to her feet in surprise. Mrs. Ellery waited for everyone to settle before she went on. “In plain terms, this fundraiser was a huge success. Every bid tonight turned into full bellies, vet visits, and safe sleeps. So if you see a stray cat, please tag us on social media using one of Minka’s hashtags or call me or the Autumn Ridge library and ask for Cali Jacobs. Let any one of us know, and we’ll rally to get it some shelter and food.”
More clapping, more cheering. The town’s enthusiasm for their win seemed to match the enthusiasm of The Nine.
“Congrats, congrats!” the mayor said, taking the microphone again. “Before we leave, may I also say a few more words? You all know how much I love to do it.”
