"Thanks. Did you find the place okay? I know my driveway can be a little tricky." Bernie's driveway was long and winding and it was easy to miss the entrance off the main road.
Melissa laughed. “Yes, but I did drive right by it at first and had to turn back. It's a really cute house. How long have you had it?"
"Almost six years. My brother and I sold the one that we grew up in and I used my share of the money to buy this place." It was a small house, but it had everything she needed, and it was all hers. She loved the privacy that she had from being set back off the road, but the driveway could be challenging in winter weather. But unless it was a really bad storm, her SUV had four-wheel-drive that could go through almost anything.
"I'm ready to go, if you are?" Bernie said.
Twenty minutes later Melissa, pulled into the parking lot closest to the barn building. It looked like there was already a good crowd gathered. When they walked inside the barn, the band was playing soft, jazzy music and tuxedo-clad waiters strolled by carrying platters of hors d'oeuvres.
Bernie looked around the room for familiar faces, and found Lily and her husband Cody standing by the bar. Lily waved when she saw them, and they made their way over to her and joined the line for a drink. She looked gorgeous as well in a long, flowy cream dress and bright red heels. It was a great color on her, with her long, wavy, caramel brown hair.
Lily was just chatting with her husband Cody for a moment. She was actually on duty tonight as this was her event to cover. After they oohed and ahhed about each other's outfits, Lily scanned the room quickly and seemed satisfied with what she saw.
"Everything looks great. It looks like things are going well,” Bernie said
"So far so good," Lily agreed and then added, "all the Weston’s are here, except Kelsi, of course.”
"You might not see her for a while," Melissa said. "My college roommate had twins, and she said the first year was a blur. She hardly left the house at all; it was just too much work."
"I bet she'll find a way to get out and about soon," Bernie said. "Kelsi is too social to stay home for long."
"True. Plus she's going to want to show off those babies soon. I can't wait until she brings Willow and Victoria around,” Lily said.
Bernie and Melissa ordered a glass of white wine and when they went to walk back to where Lily was standing, Bernie noticed that she was talking to a woman with long, black hair. She handed Lily a sheet of paper. Bernie caught the tail end of their conversation.
“Thanks, Helen. I’ll make sure we make the audience aware of the update.” The woman nodded and rushed off to speak to someone at a nearby table. Lily looked at Bernie. “Well, that’s interesting. One of the doctors that was going to be in the auction is stuck at the airport and someone you know is filling in.”
“The only person I know that works at the hospital is David.”
“Exactly.” Lily grinned. “That should be fun to watch!”
“I can’t believe he’s doing it,” Bernie said.
“I’m sure it wasn’t his idea. Nice of him to fill in, though,” Lily said. “I have to go make sure everyone is having fun. You should grab some of the appetizers. The candied bacon bites are a big hit and the spinach and sausage stuffed mushrooms are awesome.”
Bernie’s stomach rumbled in anticipation, reminding her that lunch was hours ago. She and Melissa wandered around, saying ‘yes’ to every server that passed by with something interesting on their platter. People were starting to sit at tables and Bernie guessed that the dinner service would be starting soon. The seating was open and as they started heading toward the tables, Bernie saw Jaclyn waving at them from a large round table near the stage. She motioned them to join her and Simon, and they were happy to do so.
“Jaclyn, you look lovely,” Bernie said as she slid into the seat next to the older woman.
“Why, thank you. This is my favorite fancy dress.” She looked pleased by the compliment, but it was true. The dusty rose shade of the dress brought out the pink in her cheeks and the white of her hair. Simon looked just as elegant in a charcoal gray suit.
“You ladies both look very beautiful,” he said.
“They do, don’t they?” Wade said as he walked over and gave Jaclyn a hug and shook Simon’s hand. “Do you have room for Maddie and me?” he asked.
“Of course we do. And that sister of yours, too. If she’ll ever look this way, we’ll get her over here, too,” Jaclyn said as she frantically waved to get Dani’s attention. Finally, she succeeded and Dani and her fiancé, Travis, joined them as well. Maddie looked very pretty in a soft yellow dress and Dani looked stunning in a shimmery midnight blue one that made her eyes stand out. All the Weston’s had those same, icy blue eyes.
“I haven’t been to anything like this in years,” Maddie said. She looked relaxed and happy.
“How’s Vivian?” Bernie asked. Maddie’s daughter was eight and was a sweetheart.
“She’s good. She helped me pick out my dress and my shoes. I think she was more excited about me getting dressed up than I was.”
“She has excellent taste,” Wade said. A look passed between Wade and Maddie that warmed Bernie’s heart. They were so madly in love. Bernie was thrilled for both of them, but especially Wade. There had always been a tenseness about Wade that was gone now. He had a big job and a stressful one, but he managed it better now and he seemed happier than she’d ever seen him.
“Did you hear that David is going to be one of the doctors they are auctioning off?” Bernie asked Wade.
He set his beer on the table and looked surprised. “Seriously? That doesn’t sound like him.”
“Lily said it’s a last minute change. He’s filling in for someone.”
“Oh, poor guy. I bet he’s dreading it.” Wade grinned. “This will be entertaining.”
Jaclyn’s eyes lit up. “Why don’t you bid on him, Bernie?”
“Oh, I couldn’t possibly. I don’t have that kind of money, anyway,” Bernie said with a laugh. She couldn’t imagine bidding on someone for a date, no matter how good the cause was. Plus, she knew that sometimes bids at charity fundraisers like this could go into the high hundreds or even thousands.
“I’d be terrified that no one would bid,” Melissa admitted.
“Oh, that’s silly. You’d be fighting them off,” Simon assured her.
“It’s very brave of everyone who is doing it,” Maddie said.
For the next hour or so, they enjoyed a delicious dinner of sliced tenderloin and there was a table overflowing with an assortment of tempting desserts that they all helped themselves to afterward. Some of them—Jaclyn, Wade and Bernie—made a second visit to the table. But the raspberry thumbprint cookies were so good that Bernie had to have another. She was just stirring a drop of honey into her tea when Lily took the stage to let them know that the live auction was about to begin. She turned the microphone over to Helen, the woman with the long hair, and she told them how it would work.
“We have three lovely single nurses and three gorgeous and very single doctors that are eager to go on a dream date with the highest bidder. So get out your checkbooks and let the bidding begin!” A beautiful, curvy young woman with long, blonde hair and a friendly smile joined Helen on stage. She nodded at her and said, “First up is Candice. She’s twenty-five, and has worked with us since she graduated with her nursing degree from the University of Idaho. Candice loves to dress up for a night on the town, but she also loves all outdoor activities, particularly snowboarding. Do I have a first bid of three hundred dollars to start things off?”
There was a long moment of silence and just before it began to feel uncomfortable, a familiar voice called out “Three hundred!” Bernie turned and saw her brother Jack sipping a beer at a back table full of his guy friends. He must have come in just as they were sitting down to dinner.
“Do I have any other bids?” Helen asked.
“Four hundred!” From another guy at Jack’s table.
�
�Five hundred!” Jack countered.
Every guy at Jack’s table made a bid for Candice until finally, they let Jack have it at twelve hundred dollars.
“And we’re off to an excellent start! Thank you very much.”
The next two nurses went for even higher amounts and then the bidding began for the doctors. Bernie held her breath as the first name was called. She was nervous for David and wondered how he was holding up. The first two doctors both went for record amounts, much to Bernie’s amusement. Who knew that single women would pay so much for a date? The two women that won were both successful older women and they looked like they were having a great time.
“Our last doctor of the night is David. And he’s a good sport because he wasn’t originally signed up for this but is doing us a very big favor by filling in for Clark, who is stuck at the Denver airport.” There were a few moans in the audience before David walked out. Apparently Clark had a fan club. “Come on out, David.” He joined Helen on stage and smiled. He looked a little nervous, but also very handsome in a black suit and maroon tie. “David is one of our top doctors, a real leader in the ER. We’re lucky to have him. And one of you lucky ladies will have the opportunity to spend an evening with him. Shall we start the bidding at five hundred dollars?”
“Five hundred!” A voice called out and Bernie was dismayed to see that it was Lindsey, David’s ex.
“Oh, I don’t think that’s a good thing,” Wade muttered to Maddie, but Bernie overheard it and agreed.
“Seven hundred!” Another woman called out. She was older and sitting with the other two ladies who had won the earlier bids. Bernie knew her as a very demanding and at times difficult client at the ranch, especially the spa. Her name was Eloise, and she ran a very successful real estate office in Riston and was a bit of a diva.
“Poor David, if she wins,” Bernie said. Wade heard her and nodded in agreement.
A few others placed bids and once it got over fifteen hundred dollars, only Lindsey and Eloise were left bidding. When the bidding reached two thousand dollars, Lindsey dropped out and Eloise looked triumphant. Until Helen asked if there were any other bids.
Wade whispered something in Maddie’s ear and she raised her hand and said, “Twenty-five hundred.”
Eloise’s head spun around and her eyes narrowed. “Twenty-six hundred!” she called out.
“Three thousand!” Maddie countered.
“Thirty-one hundred,” Eloise said, with less conviction.
“Four thousand!” Maddie called out.
Eloise’s jaw dropped, and then her mouth shut and she stayed silent.
“Any further bids? No? Congratulations! Sold for four thousand dollars and the highest bid of the evening. The hospital thanks you for your generosity. Enjoy your date!”
“That was nice of you,” Bernie said.
Wade laughed. “I had to save him. And it’s for a good cause.”
The band started to play again now that the auction was over, and a few couples made their way onto the dance floor. Jaclyn and Simon were among them. Dani and Travis, too. Melissa went off to find the ladies’ room as David walked over to their table and Wade gave him a high five.
“I can’t thank you enough. I was really worried that no one would bid, to be honest,” David admitted.
“No problem. I would have placed the bid myself, but that would have looked a little weird.” They all laughed at that. The band started to play a new song, and Wade turned to Maddie. “Shall we?”
“I’d love to.” She stood and Wade took her hand, and then smiled at Bernie and David. “Why don’t you two come join us?”
David looked surprised but said, “Sure. Are you up for a dance?”
“Why not?” Bernie followed David to the dance floor, and he took her hand and pulled her in closely as it was a slower song. He was a good dancer and they moved gracefully around the floor. “You did well up there. I would have been terrified,” she said softly.
“I was terrified. Couldn’t you see my knees shaking?”
Bernie laughed. “That was so nice of Wade. I was surprised to see Lindsey bidding, though.”
David sighed. “I wasn’t, actually. A friend of mine overheard her talking to a friend at the gym. It’s not me she wants so much as a doctor. She has this dream of being married to a doctor or someone equally important, never working again and hanging out at the local country club. Even if we did marry, that wouldn’t be her life. So I’d say we both dodged a bullet.”
“Yikes,” Bernie said.
“I know. Funny how you think you know someone. Maybe that explains why our connection was never as strong as I’d hoped it would be.”
That made sense. It wasn’t the person that interested her as much as the potential lifestyle she thought she might acquire.
“I’m sorry that she said that,” Bernie said. It couldn’t have felt good to hear.
“Me, too.”
The song ended, and they made their way back to the table where Wade and Maddie were just sitting down. Jaclyn and Simon returned a moment later. Bernie noticed that Melissa was chatting with Lily and Dani at another table.
David sat in the seat next to her.
“I should get going soon. I told Clark I’d take his early morning shift tomorrow, too, as it looks like all flights are cancelled tonight.”
“Oh, that’s too bad,” Wade said. A moment later he added, “The two of you looked good dancing together.”
“You and Maddie did, too,” Bernie said, wondering what Wade was up to. He had a gleam in his eye as he looked at the two of them.
“So, since neither Maddie or I can cash in that expensive date that we bought,” Wade began as Jaclyn leaned in to hear better, “I’ve decided to give you to Bernie, as a bonus. She’s been doing a great job lately and she deserves a night on the town.”
Bernie’s jaw dropped and David looked equally stunned.
“So, that’s that. Maddie and I need to get home to relieve the sitter.” They both stood and Wade grinned. “Have fun, you crazy kids!” Bernie and David were speechless as Wade and Maddie walked off. But Jaclyn wasn’t.
“Well, isn’t that just fantastic!” She clapped her hands together in delight. “The fairies told me this would be quite an evening.”
Bernie turned away from Jaclyn and faced David. “We really don’t have to do this, you know,” she said softly. It was so awkward for both of them and she was sure that he couldn’t be happy about it.
But he surprised her by smiling and saying, “No, of course we do. Wade paid a lot of money for this date, so we are going to make the most of it. How does next Friday work for you?”
Bernie thought for a moment. “Friday’s fine.”
“Good. Any restaurants you hate?”
She laughed. “No, I’m easy. I like just about everything.”
“All right. Where do you live?”
“Eighteen Hummingbird Lane.”
“See you next Friday at seven.”
“All right.” She watched him walk away as Melissa returned to take her seat.
“What was that all about?” Melissa asked.
“You’ll never believe it.”
Chapter 6
Bernie met her brother Jack the next morning after yoga class for a late breakfast at Kelsey’s Kafe. Jaclyn and Simon were walking out as Bernie walked in.
“What a fun night we had!” Jaclyn said when she saw her. “Please come see me soon after your big date. I want to hear all about it!”
“I will,” Bernie promised her—especially as it was likely to be her one and only date with David. But maybe it wouldn’t be so bad. He did seem to be a little friendlier, recently. And it would be interesting to learn more about him.
“Is the counter okay?” Jack asked as she sat down next to him. A waitress that Bernie hadn’t seen before set a steaming cup of coffee in front of Jack and then poured one for Bernie as well. The waitress was a beautiful girl, but Jack barely seemed to notice. His attenti
on was focused on adding a pile of cream and at least six sugars into his coffee.
“It’s fine. Late night last night?”
Jack grimaced. “You could say that. We closed the place and then went downtown to shoot some pool. Jimmy lives right on Main Street, a short walk from the pub, and I crashed there last night. All of us went over, actually, and were up late solving all the world’s problems.”
Bernie laughed. Jack and his friends loved to discuss politics and other issues until the wee hours.
“You should have come with me to yoga class. It’s good for your circulation.”
Jack groaned. “My circulation wanted to stay in bed. You get up much too early.”
Bernie was an early riser. She loved the peace and quiet before the day got underway.
“What are you going to have? Something greasy and terrible for you?” She knew her brother well.
“Of course. I’m thinking a grilled sausage, egg and cheese sandwich, side of bacon and double home fries. That should do the trick.”
Bernie’s stomach flipped over at the thought of it.
“I suppose you’re getting something healthy like a bowl of fruit and yogurt?”
Normally, that was what she would get.
“Actually, blueberry pancakes sound pretty good to me today.”
They put their order in, and Jack opened up the newspaper that he’d brought with him and started fiddling with the Sudoku game. Bernie hated that game, but Jack loved it. He’d always been good with numbers.
“So, do you know that nurse that you bid on?”
Jack put his pencil down and looked up. “Candy? Yeah, she’s the little sister of one of the guys at our table. We wanted to make sure she didn’t get stuck with some loser.”
“Oh, so it’s not going to be a real date? You’re just being nice?”
“I paid twelve hundred dollars for a date. I’m not that nice. Yeah, I’d like to get to know her better, see if maybe she might be ‘the one’.”
Bernie's Birthday (River's End Ranch Book 22) Page 3
