Several hands shot into the air as Aunt Dixie rattled off her spiel like he was a piece of meat instead of a beloved nephew. A few women he didn’t recognize—and some he was already acquainted with, unfortunately—shouted out questions. He had zero desire to go out with any of them tonight or any other night.
If he had to participate in this farce, he needed to find someone neutral. Someone who wouldn’t expect anything more from him than the twenty-four hours his aunt had forced him to agree to.
Jack scanned the crowd for someone—anyone—who could save him from a date with a stranger but he didn’t see his salvation.
It was crazy that he didn’t have a single female friend he could call on in his hour of need. He’d had tons of girlfriends andthoughthe was on good terms with all his exes after they’d gone their separate ways. In fact, several of them were in the audience with their men, cheering on his coming date with the highest bidder. To his knowledge, every woman he’d dated had moved on to a committed relationship or was engaged or married. It had become so common that Jack decided he must be the starter boyfriend for every one of his exes.
He didn’t feel bad about his dating past and he had no regrets. Well, maybe one regret. But tonight, he needed a friendly savior and didn’t see a single, solitary soul who could help him.
The other thing that truly chapped his hide was that he had three single, eligible male cousins who had recently moved to Alienn. But were they here to share the suffering? Nope. Mica, Jett and Jasper Ashcraft were all off planet, on Alpha-Prime at some bauxite mining convention or something.
Suspicious timing in the extreme, if you asked him, but no one had.
Jack pushed out another long sigh, resigned to get through this difficult and unwanted process as quickly as possible.
“Jack Grey!” Aunt Dixie continued. “Local charmer, great with computers, and a certified heartbreaker—”
“Hey!” Jack protested.
“—with a heart of gold,” she added sweetly, then leaned closer to the microphone and made kissy sounds.
Jack dragged a hand down his face. This was his life now.
“All right, ladies,” Aunt Dixie said. “What lucky gal is going to take this one home for twenty-four hours of top-tier company?”
“Depends,” Jack muttered. “Do I get a say?”
“No,” his aunt said brightly. “Highest bidder wins you. That’s how an auction works.” She gave him a side-eye like he should know that.
“Figures.” He understood how auctions worked. He just didn’t want to be part of one.
“Now I’m going to hand you all over to our official auctioneer and master of ceremonies, Landon Markham.” She gestured to the man who bounded onto the stage to stand behind a makeshift podium, microphone in one hand, gavel it the other. “Take it away, Landon!”
He whacked the gavel once on the podium, as if warming up. “What’s my first bid for this handsome young man? How about we start at one hundred dollars,” Landon said to the crowd.
A hand shot up immediately.
“I’ll bid one hundred!” Lila Brent called. They’d dated long ago. She’d been Jack’s rebound date after—well, after his heart had been broken. She had been the first of many women he dated to soothe his wounded soul. They had all been temporary replacements for the one woman he couldn’t have.
Jack pointed at her, trying for an expression of comical disbelief. “You had your turn.”
“And I’d happily have another,” she shot back with a grin.
“One hundred and fifty!” Marcy Simmons chimed in. She was someone he’d rather avoid. He knew one date wouldn’t be enough for Marcy. She was clingy at best, stalker-like at worst and best avoided.
“One hundred seventy-five!” called someone from the back.
“Two hundred!” another voice rang out.
Jack leaned toward the edge of the stage, peering out over the crowd. “Y’all realize I come with baggage, right? Emotional. Possibly physical, if Aunt Dixie keeps feeding me complimentary pie.”
“Worth it!” someone yelled.
“Still friends with all his exes!” another voice added.
“Which should concern you,” Jack said.
“Or reassure us!” Lila countered.
