yours!”
“Dean is not mine. My goodness, this time last week I was wearing another man’s ring.”
“On your right hand after he gave it to you at the end of a business meeting with a let’s-see-where-this-might-be-going speech. Please! We both know you settled for the jerk because he was appropriate and easy and cut from the same expensive cloth as you. Something tells me your Dean is 100 percent the opposite. And that’s a good thing.”
“I just told you—”
“Oh, I’ve got to run! Toodles, darling!”
Priscilla wanted to protest further, but her friend had already hung up. She tossed her phone inside her tote, turned her back to the parking lot and inhaled deeply through her nose, the sweet scent of the nearby yellow rose bushes filling her senses. As hard as she tried to rid her head of her friend’s parting words with each exhale, Priscilla couldn’t help but compare the two men. Other than both being very good-looking, they had nothing in common.
Jonathan was rich, entitled and often so involved with his work it was hard for him to acknowledge anyone else’s time or efforts. Dean, on the other hand, seemed to have just as busy of a life, but from his job at the veterans’ center to his volunteering with the local fire department and the summer camp, his work was centered on other people’s wants and needs.
Including hers?
What did she want? Need? Wasn’t that what she was supposed to discover during this time away from Beverly Hills and the foundation?
* * *
“And in conclusion, we are very excited to announce the auction will take place three weeks from this coming Friday at the Blue Creek Saloon. We’ve already secured several bachelors who are excited to participate in this worthwhile event.” Priscilla paused and glanced at Dean, who stood nearby, in time to see the slight grimace cross his face. She widened her smile and turned back to the packed room. “We hope you ladies plan to attend, and if any of you bachelors out there would like to join us, please let either Dean or myself know.”
“Give us some more names, sweetie!” The loud demand came from a woman who had to use her walker in order to be able to stand up. “Zip is a hell of a catch, but we want to know all our options. Or is that a secret?”
Priscilla hesitated as laughter filled the air. When she’d first started her presentation, it was difficult to judge if she had anyone’s attention. Many in the crowd seemed more interested in getting their supplies for the evening or lining up for food and drinks while she spoke about the camp, the hard work Bobby and Leeann had put into the facility over the past year, and all the good things a place like that did for children.
Then Dean had stepped forward to announce the fund-raiser would be a bachelor auction and that he’d been the first one to sign up. He’d taken some good-natured teasing from the crowd, but soon charmed everyone into listening. Priscilla had then stepped back in and kept her remarks short and sweet.
Leeann came forward and laid a hand on Priscilla’s arm, giving her a quick squeeze. “We don’t want to make any official announcement until we have secured all the gentlemen, but I will tell you that besides Dean, we’ve got three cowboys, two police officers and three local businessmen up for bid, so stay tuned!”
Cheers and whistles came from everywhere. Dean took that moment to gently remove the microphone from Priscilla’s hand. “So I’m not the only prize. Good to know.”
“Oh, we wouldn’t leave you hanging out there all by your lonesome,” Leeann said with a big smile as Bobby joined them. “Now, let’s play some bingo!”
“I’ve got us seats at Elise Murphy’s table. You still feeling up to staying?” Bobby asked, putting an arm around his wife.
“Yes, I feel fine. I think I’ve finally kicked that flu bug.”
“But you’re still going to the doctor’s tomorrow as planned.”
Bobby and Leeann kept talking as
“Dean is not mine. My goodness, this time last week I was wearing another man’s ring.”
“On your right hand after he gave it to you at the end of a business meeting with a let’s-see-where-this-might-be-going speech. Please! We both know you settled for the jerk because he was appropriate and easy and cut from the same expensive cloth as you. Something tells me your Dean is 100 percent the opposite. And that’s a good thing.”
“I just told you—”
“Oh, I’ve got to run! Toodles, darling!”
Priscilla wanted to protest further, but her friend had already hung up. She tossed her phone inside her tote, turned her back to the parking lot and inhaled deeply through her nose, the sweet scent of the nearby yellow rose bushes filling her senses. As hard as she tried to rid her head of her friend’s parting words with each exhale, Priscilla couldn’t help but compare the two men. Other than both being very good-looking, they had nothing in common.
Jonathan was rich, entitled and often so involved with his work it was hard for him to acknowledge anyone else’s time or efforts. Dean, on the other hand, seemed to have just as busy of a life, but from his job at the veterans’ center to his volunteering with the local fire department and the summer camp, his work was centered on other people’s wants and needs.
Including hers?
What did she want? Need? Wasn’t that what she was supposed to discover during this time away from Beverly Hills and the foundation?
* * *
“And in conclusion, we are very excited to announce the auction will take place three weeks from this coming Friday at the Blue Creek Saloon. We’ve already secured several bachelors who are excited to participate in this worthwhile event.” Priscilla paused and glanced at Dean, who stood nearby, in time to see the slight grimace cross his face. She widened her smile and turned back to the packed room. “We hope you ladies plan to attend, and if any of you bachelors out there would like to join us, please let either Dean or myself know.”
“Give us some more names, sweetie!” The loud demand came from a woman who had to use her walker in order to be able to stand up. “Zip is a hell of a catch, but we want to know all our options. Or is that a secret?”
Priscilla hesitated as laughter filled the air. When she’d first started her presentation, it was difficult to judge if she had anyone’s attention. Many in the crowd seemed more interested in getting their supplies for the evening or lining up for food and drinks while she spoke about the camp, the hard work Bobby and Leeann had put into the facility over the past year, and all the good things a place like that did for children.
Then Dean had stepped forward to announce the fund-raiser would be a bachelor auction and that he’d been the first one to sign up. He’d taken some good-natured teasing from the crowd, but soon charmed everyone into listening. Priscilla had then stepped back in and kept her remarks short and sweet.
Leeann came forward and laid a hand on Priscilla’s arm, giving her a quick squeeze. “We don’t want to make any official announcement until we have secured all the gentlemen, but I will tell you that besides Dean, we’ve got three cowboys, two police officers and three local businessmen up for bid, so stay tuned!”
Cheers and whistles came from everywhere. Dean took that moment to gently remove the microphone from Priscilla’s hand. “So I’m not the only prize. Good to know.”
“Oh, we wouldn’t leave you hanging out there all by your lonesome,” Leeann said with a big smile as Bobby joined them. “Now, let’s play some bingo!”
“I’ve got us seats at Elise Murphy’s table. You still feeling up to staying?” Bobby asked, putting an arm around his wife.
“Yes, I feel fine. I think I’ve finally kicked that flu bug.”
“But you’re still going to the doctor’s tomorrow as planned.”
Bobby and Leeann kept talking as
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