“Five hundred and one!”
Lila again.
Jack shot her a grateful look. “Thank you.” He was surprised Lila was bidding on him. He thought she’d moved on to the love of her life, but maybe that relationship had gone sour.
“Don’t thank me yet,” she said. “I’m still deciding if I want you to mow my lawn or cook me dinner.”
Jack smiled. “Well, I can do both.”
“I know,” she said with a wink. Maybe she was just being nice and helping him out so he didn’t have to go out with someone…problematic. He would owe her and that was okay with him. Lila was his friend.
“Six hundred,” Ashleigh said smoothly.
Jack groaned. “This is escalating in a direction I do not support.”
“Six hundred and one!” Marcy called, sounding desperate.
Jack was sort of rooting for Marcy over Ashleigh. Between the two choices of rock or hard place, both women were tricky. Still…
“Six fifty!” someone offered.
“Seven hundred,” Ashleigh said, like she was ordering coffee.
The crowd oohed.
Jack leaned toward Aunt Dixie, who had unconcealed glee shaping her features. “You’re enjoying this way too much.”
She grinned even wider. “Oh, immensely.”
Jack shook his head. “I’m being auctioned off like a used truck.”
“A very desirable used truck.”
“Still used.”
She patted his cheek. “But with low mileage.”
Jack blinked. “I don’t think that means what you think it means.”
Landon was taking bids left and right, the bounty for Jack’s bachelorhood growing with each shout.
“Eight hundred!” Lila shouted.
“Eight fifty!” Marcy followed.
Ashleigh didn’t hesitate. “Nine hundred.”
Jack pointed at her. “Seriously. Why?”
She shrugged one shoulder. “Because I can.”
“That is not a good reason.”
“It is if I win. I have such grand plans for you, Jack.”
Space potatoes.That was not good.
“Nine fifty!” someone called.
