by Reese Ryan
Ryan shrugged. “I’m not interested in parading across the stage for a bunch of desperate women to bid on, like I’m a side of beef.” He glanced apologetically at his friend, Tripp. “No offense, man.”
“None taken.” Tripp grinned proudly, poking a thumb into his chest. “This ‘side of beef’ is chomping at the bit to be taken for a spin by one of the lovely ladies.”
Tessa elbowed Ryan in the gut, and an involuntary “oomph” sound escaped. “Watch it, Bateman. We aren’t desperate. We’re civic-minded women whose only interest is the betterment of our community.”
There was silence for a beat before Tessa and Gail dissolved into laughter.
Tessa was utterly adorable, giggling like a schoolgirl. The sound—rooted in his earliest memories of her—instantly conjured a smile that began deep down in his gut.
He studied her briefly. Her curly, dark brown hair was pulled into a low ponytail and her smooth, golden brown skin practically glowed. She was wearing her typical winter attire: a long-sleeved plaid shirt, jeans which hid her curvy frame rather than highlighting it, and the newest addition to her ever-growing sneaker collection.
“You’re a brave man.” Ryan shifted his attention to Tripp as he leaned down and lined his stick up with the cue ball. He drew it back and forth between his forefinger and thumb. “If these two are any indication—” he nodded toward Tess and Gail “—those women at the auction are gonna eat you alive.”
“One can only hope.” Tripp wriggled his brows and held up his beer, one corner of his mouth curled in a smirk.
Ryan shook his head, then struck the white cue ball hard. He relished the loud cracking sound that indicated a solid break. The cue ball smashed through the triangular formation of colorful balls, and they rolled or spun across the table. A high and a low ball dropped into the pockets.
“Your choice.” Ryan nodded toward Tessa.
“Low.” Hardly a surprise. Tessa always chose low balls whenever she had first choice. She walked around the table, her sneakers squeaking against the floor, as she sized up her first shot.
“You know I’m only teasing you, Tripp. I think it’s pretty brave of you to put yourself out there like that. I’d be mortified by the thought of anyone bidding on me.” She leaned over the table, her sights on the blue two ball before glancing up at her brother momentarily. “In fact, I’m proud of you. The money you’ll help raise for the Pancreatic Cancer Research Foundation will do a world of good.”
She made her shot and sank the ball before lining up for the next one.
“Would you bid on a bachelor?” Ryan leaned against his stick, awaiting his turn.
He realized that Tess was attending the bachelor auction, but the possibility that she’d be bidding on one of them hadn’t occurred to him until just now. And the prospect of his best friend going on a date with some guy whose company she’d paid for didn’t sit well with him.
The protective instinct that had his hackles up was perfectly natural. He, Tripp and Tessa had had each others’ backs since they were kids. They weren’t just friends, they were family. Though Tess was less like a little sister and more like a really hot distant cousin, three times removed.
“Of course, I’m bidding on a bachelor.” She sank another ball, then paced around the table and shrugged. “That’s kind of the point of the entire evening.”
“Doesn’t mean you have to. After all, not every woman attending will be bidding on a bachelor,” Ryan reminded her.
“They will be if they aren’t married or engaged,” Gail said resolutely, folding her arms and cocking an eyebrow his way. “Why, Ryan Bateman, sounds to me like you’re jealous.”
“Don’t be ridiculous.” His cheeks heated as he returned his gaze to the table. “I’m just looking out for my best friend. She shouldn’t be pressured to participate in something that makes her feel uncomfortable.”
Tessa was sweet, smart, funny, and a hell of a lot of fun to hang out with. But she wasn’t the kind of woman he envisioned with a paddle in her hand, bidding on men as if she were purchasing steers at auction.
“Doesn’t sound like Tess, to me. That’s all I’m saying.” He realized he sounded defensive.
“Good. It’s about time I do something unexpected. I’m too predictable...too boring.” Tessa cursed under her breath when she missed her shot.
“Also known as consistent and reliable,” Ryan interjected.
Things were good the way they were. He liked that Tessa followed a routine he could count on. His best friend’s need for order balanced out his spontaneity.
“I know, but lately I’ve been feeling... I don’t know...stifled. Like I need to take some risks in my personal life. Stop playing it so safe all the time.” She sighed in response to his wide-eyed, slack-jawed stare. “Relax, Rye. It’s not like I’m paying for a male escort.”
“I believe they prefer the term gigolo,” Gail, always helpful, interjected, then took another sip of her drink.
Ryan narrowed his gaze at Gail, which only made the woman laugh hysterically. He shifted his attention back to Tessa, who’d just missed her shot.
“Who will you be bidding on?”
Tessa shrugged. “I don’t know. No one in particular in mind, just yet. The programs go out in a few days. Maybe I’ll decide then. Or... I don’t know...maybe I’ll wait and see who tickles my fancy when I get there.”
“Who tickles your fancy?” Ryan repeated the words incredulously. His grip on the pool cue tightened.
He didn’t like the sound of that at all.
Two
Tessa followed the sound of moaning down the hall and around the corner to her brother’s room.
“Tripp? Are you all right?” She tapped lightly on his partially opened bedroom door.
“No!” The word was punctuated by another moan, followed by, “I feel like I’m dying.”
Tessa hurried inside his room, her senses quickly assailed by a pungent scent which she followed to his bathroom. He was hugging the porcelain throne and looking a little green.
“Did you go out drinking last night?”
“No. I think it’s the tuna sandwich I got from the gas station late last night on my way back in from Dallas.”
“How many times have I told you? Gas station food after midnight? No bueno.” She stood with her hands on her hips, looking down at her brother who looked like he might erupt again at any minute.
Austin Charles Noble III loved food almost as much as he loved his family. And usually he had a stomach like a tank. Impervious to just about anything. So whatever he’d eaten had to have been pretty bad.
“I’m taking you to Urgent Care.”
“No, I just want to go to bed. If I can sleep it off for a few hours, I’m sure I’ll be fine.” He forced a smile, then immediately clutched his belly and cringed. “I’ll be good as new for the bachelor auction.”
“Shit. The bachelor auction.” Tess repeated the words. It was the next night. And as green at the gills as Tripp looked, there was little chance he’d be ready to be paraded on stage in front of a crowd of eager women by then. The way he looked now, he probably wouldn’t fetch more than five dollars and a bottle of ipecac at auction.
“Here, let me help you back to bed.” She leaned down, allowing her brother to drape his arm around her and get enough leverage to climb to his feet on unsteady legs. Once he was safely in bed again, she gathered the remains of the tainted tuna sandwich, an empty bottle of beer, and a few other items.
She set an empty garbage can with a squirt of soap and about an inch of water beside his bed.
“Use this, if you need to.” She indicated the garbage can. “I’m going to get you some ginger ale and some Gatorade. But if you get worse, I’m taking you to the doctor. Mom and Dad wouldn’t be too happy with me if I let their baby boy die of food poisoning while they were away on vacati
on.”
“Well, I am Mom’s favorite, so...” He offered a weak smile as he invoked the argument they often teased each other about. “And don’t worry about the auction, I’ll be fine. I’m a warrior, sis. Nothing is going to come between me and—” Suddenly he bolted out of bed, ran to the bathroom and slammed the door behind him.
Tessa shook her head. “You’re staying right here in bed today and tomorrow, ‘warrior.’ I’ll get Roy and the guys to take care of the projects that were on your list today. And I’ll find a replacement for you in the auction. Alexis will understand.”
Tripp mumbled his thanks through the bathroom door, and she set off to take care of everything she had promised him.
* * *
Tessa had been nursing her brother back to health and handling her duties at the ranch, as well as some of his. And she’d been trying all day to get in touch with Ryan.
Despite his reluctance to get involved in the auction, he was the most logical choice as Tripp’s replacement. She was sure she could convince him it was a worthy cause. Maybe stroke his ego and tell him there would be a feeding frenzy for a hot stud like him.
A statement she planned to make in jest, but that she feared also had a bit of truth to it. Tessa gritted her teeth imagining Lana, and a whole host of other women in town who often flirted with Ryan, bidding on him like he was a prize steer.
Maybe getting Ryan to step in as Tripp’s replacement in the auction wasn’t such a good idea after all. She paced the floor, scrolling through a list of names of other possible options in her head.
Most of the eligible men that came to mind were already participating, or they’d already turned Alexis and Rachel down, from what Tessa had heard.
She stopped abruptly mid-stride, an idea brewing in her head that made her both excited and feel like she was going to toss her lunch at the same time.
“Do something that scares you every single day.” She repeated the words under her breath that she’d recently posted on the wall of her office. It was a quote from Eleanor Roosevelt. Advice she’d promised herself that she would take to heart from here on out.
Tessa glanced at herself in the mirror. Her thick hair was divided into two plaits, and a Stetson was pushed down on her head, her eyes barely visible. She was the textbook definition of Plain Jane. Not because she wasn’t attractive, but because she put zero effort into looking like a desirable woman rather than one of the ranch hands.
She sighed, her fingers trembling slightly. There was a good chance that Alexis and Rachel would veto her idea for Tripp’s replacement. But at least she would ask.
Tessa pulled her cell phone out of her back pocket and scrolled through her contacts for Alexis Slade’s number. Her palms were damp as she initiated the call. Pressing the phone to her ear, she counted the rings, a small part of her hoping that Alexis didn’t answer. That would give her time to rethink her rash decision. Maybe save herself some embarrassment when Alexis rejected the idea.
“Hey, Tess. How are you?” Alexis’s warm, cheerful voice rang through the line.
“I’m good. Tripp? Not so much. I think he has food poisoning.” The words stumbled out of her mouth.
“Oh my God! That’s terrible. Poor Tripp. Is he going to be okay?”
“I’m keeping an eye on him, but I’m sure he’ll be fine in a few days. I just don’t think he’s going to recover in time to do the bachelor auction.”
“We’ll miss having him in the lineup, but of course we understand. His health is the most important thing.” The concern was evident in Alexis’s voice. “Tell him that we hope he’s feeling better soon. And if the auction goes well, maybe we’ll do this again next year. I’ll save a spot in the lineup for him then.”
“Do you have anyone in mind for a replacement?” Tessa paced the floor.
“Not really. We’ve pretty much tapped out our list of possibilities. Unless you can get Ryan to change his mind?” She sounded hopeful.
“I considered that, and I’ve been trying to reach him all day. But just now, I came up with another idea.” She paused, hoping that Alexis would stop her. Tell her that they didn’t need anyone else. When the woman didn’t respond, she continued. “I was thinking that I might replace my brother in the lineup.” She rushed the words out before she could chicken out. “I know that this is a bachelor auction, not a bachelorette—”
“Yes!” Alexis squealed, as if it were the best idea she’d heard all day. “OMG, I think that’s an absolutely fabulous idea. We’ll provide something for the fellas, too. Oh, Tessa, this is brilliant. I love it.”
“Are you sure? I mean, I like the idea of doing something completely unexpected, but maybe we should see what Rachel thinks.” Her heart hammered in her chest.
She’d done something bold, something different, by offering to take Tripp’s place. But now, the thought of actually walking that stage and praying to God that someone...anyone...would bid on her was giving her heart palpitations.
“That’s a good idea, but I know she’s going to agree with me. Hold on.”
“Oh, you’re calling her now?” Tessa said to the empty room as she paced the floor.
Rachel Kincaid was a marketing genius and an old college friend of Alexis’s. She’d come to Royal as a young widow and the mother to an adorable little girl named Ellie. And she’d fallen in love with one of the most eligible bachelors in all of Texas, oil tycoon Matt Galloway.
“Okay, Rachel’s on the line,” Alexis announced a moment later. “And I brought her up to speed.”
“You weren’t kidding about doing something unexpected.” There was a hint of awe in Rachel’s voice. “Good for you, Tess.”
“Thanks, Rachel.” She swallowed hard. “But do you think it’s a good idea? I mean, the programs have already been printed, and no one knows that there’s going to be a bachelorette in the auction. What if no one bids on me? I don’t want to cause any embarrassment to the club or create negative publicity for the event.”
“Honey, the bachelors who aren’t in the auction are going to go crazy when they discover there’s a beautiful lady to bid on,” Rachel said confidently.
“We’ll put the word out that there’s going to be a big surprise, just for the fellas. I can email everyone on our mailing list. It will only take me a few minutes to put the email together and send it out,” Alexis said.
“Y’all are sure we can pull this off?” Tess asked one last time. “I swear I won’t be offended if you think we can’t. I rather you tell me now than to let me get up there and make a fool of myself.”
“It’s going to be awesome,” Alexis reassured her. “But I’m sensing hesitation. Are you second-guessing your decision? Because you shouldn’t. It’s a good one.”
Tessa grabbed a spoon and the pint of her favorite Neapolitan ice cream hidden in the back of the freezer. She sat at the kitchen island and sighed, rubbing her palm on her jeans again. She shook her head, casting another glance in the mirror. “It’s just that... I’m not the glamorous type, that’s for sure.”
“You’re gorgeous, girl. And if you’re concerned...hey, why don’t we give you a whole beauty makeover for the event?” Rachel said excitedly. “It’ll be fun and it gives me another excuse to buy makeup.”
“That’s a fantastic idea, Rachel!” Alexis chimed in. “Not that you need it,” she added. “But maybe it’ll make you feel more comfortable.”
“Okay, yeah. That sounds great. I’d like that.” Tessa nodded, feeling slightly better. “I was gonna take tomorrow off anyway. Give myself plenty of time to get ready. But I’m sure you both have a million things to do. I don’t want to distract you from preparing for the auction, just to babysit me.”
“Alexis is the queen of organization. She’s got everything under control. Plus, we have a terrific crew of volunteers,” Rachel piped in. “They won’t miss us for a few hours. I promise, everything wi
ll be fine.”
“Have you considered what date you’re offering?”
“Date?” Tessa hadn’t thought that far in advance. “I’m not sure. I guess...let me think about that. I’ll have an answer for you by tomorrow. Is that all right?”
“That’s fine. Just let me know first thing in the morning,” Alexis said.
“I’ll make a few appointments for the makeover and I’ll text you both all the details.” Rachel’s voice brimmed with excitement.
“Then I guess that’s everything,” Tessa said, more to herself than her friends. “I’ll see you both tomorrow.”
She hung up the phone, took a deep breath, and shoveled a spoonful of Neapolitan ice cream into her mouth.
There was no turning back now.
Three
Ryan patted the warm neck of his horse, Phantom, and dismounted, handing the majestic animal off to Ned, one of his ranch hands. He gave the horse’s haunches one final pat as the older man led him away to a stall.
Ryan wiped his sweaty forehead with the back of his hand. He was tired, dirty and in desperate need of a shower.
He’d been out on the ranch and the surrounding area since the crack of dawn, looking for several steer that had made their great escape through a break in the fence. While his men repaired the fence, he and another hand tracked down the cattle and drove them back to the ranch.
He’d been in such a hurry to get after the cattle, he’d left his phone at home. Hopefully, his parents hadn’t called, worried that he wasn’t answering because he’d burned down the whole damn place.
He grumbled to himself, “You nearly burn the barn down as a kid, and they never let you forget it.”
Then again, his parents and Tess and Tripp’s seemed to be enjoying themselves on their cruise. Their calls had become far less frequent.
Who knows? Maybe both couples would decide it was finally time to retire, give up ranch life, and pass the torch to the next generation. Something he, Tessa and Tripp had been advocating for the past few years. They were ready to take on the responsibility.
