Was she ill?
He let the curtain fall back in place. There were two other contestants waiting backstage with him. One of them was a farmer he didn’t know and the other was Trey, Laney’s ranch hand.
They didn’t formally greet each other, but Austin knew that Trey remembered him, even though whenever he was over at Laney’s house, he barely spoke to him.
“I’m not digging this at all,” Austin remarked, forcing the worry out of his voice. “What about you?”
Trey hooked a finger and pulled at his collar. “I didn’t have anything else to do tonight.” He cracked his knuckles. “Besides, a free meal and a free girl, what more could a man want?”
How about some dignity and self-respect, Austin thought.
“I’m hoping to find a wife,” the farmer piped up.
“I’ve already got one in mind,” Austin replied. As soon as the words were out, he regretted them. His matrimonial plans were not meant to be discussed in front of two men he didn’t even know.
Trey cracked his knuckles again. “She’s a good woman,” he said without looking at Austin.
Austin couldn’t have agreed more. Laney was Trey’s boss, but she was his future. It was up to him to prove that he was the right man for her.
Suddenly, there was a round of applause. Austin heard the mayor of Granger introduce himself and say a few words. A thundering applause was heard and Austin knew that Samara was now onstage.
The curtain rose.
The three men stepped forward.
Austin took a deep breath.
Showtime.
* * *
Laney sat next to Brooke at the table reserved for the Browards. Every place setting had a name tag, and in front of every plate there was a small paddle.
Grandpa Charles picked up his paddle. “When I was growing up, these were a lot bigger,” he whispered. “I remember when my father—”
Steven cleared his throat. “Dad, now is not the time to relive your disciplinary moments,” he interjected in a low voice.
Grandpa Charles sniffed and retorted, “Tell that to my backside!”
All of the Broward men started laughing hysterically.
“Hush!” Gwen reprimanded. “The auction is starting.” She looked around the table at Lydia, Brooke and Laney. “Ladies, get your paddles ready.”
“I’m the only one who’s going to be bidding at this table,” Laney announced. “The rest of you are happily taken.”
Brooke nudged her with an elbow. “You go, girl. You bid for your man.”
Laney smiled. “And I intend to win.”
* * *
Austin lifted his left hand and shaded his eyes. It was difficult to see under the stage lights, but he had to try. He had to find Laney.
In front of the stage, there was a large dance floor and behind that were the tables, all of which were completely filled. When the curtain had risen, he’d lost sight of the Broward table, but now all he had to do was look for the most beautiful woman in the room.
Seconds later, he spotted her sitting between Brooke and Gwen, and he exhaled in relief. He was too far away so he couldn’t see the expression on her face.
But he was glad she hadn’t left. She was still there.
And even better. She had a paddle in her hand.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” Samara announced, “we have a very exciting evening planned for you all. When I arrived in Granger several months ago, I was so enamored with the story of Wes and Lydia Broward, who first met during your annual Cowboy Auction, that I decided to reprise the event tonight for charity.
“Ladies may bid on their choice of three of Granger’s most attractive and eligible bachelors, while the men—” Samara paused dramatically “—may bid on the grand prize—one glorious evening out with me.”
The room erupted into a combination of applause, hoots and hollers.
“May the best woman—and man—win,” Samara said dramatically.
Squeals of excitement pealed through the air as the first bachelor stepped forward.
“Dylan Tyler is a farmer and a brand-new resident of Granger. He’s thirty-three years old, five feet nine inches tall, weighs a hundred and ninety pounds and he loves to ski and watch movies. Sounds like a guy after my own heart. Let’s start the bidding at one hundred dollars.”
After a slight hesitation, paddles started flipping all over the room as the auctioneer called out the ever-changing price of the gorgeous farmer. It didn’t take long for a lucky lady to win Tyler at the closing bid of one thousand dollars.
Next, Samara leaned into the microphone and called out Trey’s name. She gave his stats and explained that although he, too, was new in town, he was a pro at managing Laney’s stables.
“Break a leg, man,” Austin grunted out of the side of his mouth.
Trey stepped forward, but looked back at him and glared, as if he’d been insulted by his comment.
“Bidding for Trey will begin at five hundred dollars. Who wants a date with this handsome hunk who loves horses?”
For a second, recalling how he was unsure what role other than ranch hand that Trey played in her life, Austin feared that Laney would bid for him. But as far as he could tell, under the lights, which were getting hotter by the minute, her paddle remained down.
It took longer for Trey’s bidding to be complete, but finally Samara announced that he’d been “sold” for twenty-five hundred dollars to bidder number thirty-five.
“Congratulations, Dr. Kate Simmons. I understand you’re Granger’s only veterinarian. I’m sure you and Trey will enjoy talking for hours about your love for animals.”
Austin glanced quickly over at Samara, who seemed to be really enjoying herself.
Yet it struck him as odd that Samara knew a lot about each contestant and he wondered how she’d come about the information. He knew a lot could be learned from the internet, but these two men were new in town, plus, they didn’t strike him as the type to be using Facebook or Tweeting their time away.
“Last, but certainly not least, we have up for auction—Austin Johns. The rules forbade me to bid, otherwise I’d have this delicious man all to myself. Austin hails from Dallas, Texas, and word around town is that he’s going to be hitching his horse and riding off into the sunset soon, so ladies, get your paddles ready for this hot multimillionaire. We’ll start things rolling with bids of one thousand dollars.”
Austin stepped forward and his eyes caught hers, or at least he thought they did. But even though he was in a different position onstage, he still couldn’t see her face too clearly. Worse, the paddle he’d seen in her hand previously was no longer there.
There were butterflies in his stomach as the bidding started. Slowly at first, and then to Austin’s amazement, it quickly gained momentum. Paddles were flipping all across the room, waved in the air by women young and old. The bid amount quickly escalated to ten thousand dollars.
Suddenly, Laney’s paddle shot up and his heart beat faster as he realized that she must have hidden it on her lap. Austin grinned as she held it high and steady in the air. “Can I get fifteen thousand dollars for this young man? Going once, going twice...” the auctioneer cried out.
A roar went through the crowd as a paddle in the back went up, but Austin couldn’t see who held it.
“Fifteen thousand dollars! Can I get twenty thousand dollars for Mr. Austin Johns?”
“How does fifty thousand dollars sound?”
“Miss Broward,” exclaimed the auctioneer. “Fifty thousand dollars? This is unprecedented. Are you sure?”
Laney got up from her seat and walked onto the dance floor, the paddle held high in her left hand.
She looked up at Austin onstage and their eyes met. “I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life.”
Laney smiled and turned back to face the audience, her paddle held high and her baby bump front and center for all to see. Austin’s heart swelled with pride at her courage and lack of fear.
“I bid fifty thousand dollars for Mr. Austin Johns!”
“Going once, going twice...sold to Miss Laney Broward.”
The crowd erupted in raucous applause while Austin made his way offstage toward Laney. He gave her a quick embrace when what he really wanted to do was kiss her. “Are you crazy?” he whispered in her ear. “Fifty thousand for me?”
She smiled and laid her warm hand against his cheek. “Are you saying you’re not worth it?”
He pulled her even closer. “You know I am, but what I want to know is why?”
Laney grabbed his hand and led him away. “Not now. We have to go back to our seats. It’s time for Samara’s auction.”
Chapter 14
Backstage, Samara watched Austin embrace Laney on the dance floor as jealousy lit her insides on fire. She would have liked to have someone as gorgeous and kind as Austin for herself. But it was clear he only had eyes for Laney.
“Here’s your mirror, Samara,” Lydia said, who’d just arrived to help. “I know how important it is for you to look your best.”
Samara grabbed the object from her former assistant. “So nice of you to show up for my event, Lydia.”
Lydia didn’t even flinch. She was used to Samara’s outbursts. “I wanted to see for myself,” she responded quietly. “I can’t believe you’re still in Granger.”
“When I said I was committed to being here, I meant it. Now that I have Wes’s property, I’m in negotiation with Meredith Palmer to buy her half of the Palmer Ranch.”
“I had no idea.”
“Yes, I’ve offered her an insane amount of money to buy the place, far more than it’s worth, but the woman hasn’t even budged yet. She told me that your future brother-in-law, Jameson Broward, wants it, too.”
Lydia shook her head. “I don’t know, Samara. Maybe she’s not interested in selling.”
Samara laughed and handed the mirror back to Lydia.
“Darling, how naive can you be? Everyone has a price. Even your soon-to-be husband. You better go back to your seat. It’s time for the main event.”
Lydia backed away, inwardly thankful that she was no longer working for Samara, glad that she’d removed herself from having to deal with the vengeful look that always seemed to be present in the movie star’s eyes. As she hurried back to the Browards’ table, she wondered who would be Samara’s next victim.
Through a slight gap in the curtain, Samara peeked out at her invited guests, at the media that were recording her every move tonight and finally, her eyes settled on the Broward family.
The day had finally arrived. The moment she’d been waiting for her entire life.
A deep murmur rumbled through the crowd as Samara pushed back the curtain and took to the stage again.
This is for you, Momma.
* * *
Gwendolyn patted her husband on the arm. “Don’t think for one second that you will be lifting that paddle,” she warned.
Steven caught her hand and kissed the ridge of his wife’s knuckles. “I already know what it’s like to sleep on the barn floor. I don’t want to spend the rest of my life there,” he joked.
“Hush, you two lovebirds,” Laney admonished, jerking her chin toward the stage. “She’s about to say something.”
Samara cleared her throat and adjusted the microphone.
“First, I’d like to thank all the fine people of Granger for their hospitality toward me these past few months. I’d always heard that small towns were welcoming, but I really didn’t believe it until I came to live here. I have truly felt welcomed. There’s a simplicity here and an innate goodness that I find extremely humbling, and coming from L.A., I probably needed a good dose of both. And for that, I thank you.”
The crowd responded by applauding and there were a few catcall whistles, too.
“But I did find a few similarities between Granger and my life in Hollywood, where things aren’t always as they seem. And people aren’t always as honest as they claim to be.”
She paused again, waiting until she could feel the suspense building in the room, until all eyes were upon her. “There is one person in this town whom I feel it is my duty to expose. One person who has been fooling you all for years. His name is Steven Broward.”
Samara smiled inwardly as a crescendo of alarm rolled through the crowd and some people started murmuring amongst themselves. She waited until the room was quiet and began to speak again.
“Steven Broward is a liar and a phony.” She gestured toward the Browards’ table. “This so-called devoted family man, whom you all know as one of Montana’s most upstanding citizens, abandoned one of his children without remorse.”
To the people in the audience, it seemed as though Samara was glaring at every person sitting at the Broward table, but her stare was only meant for one.
Gwen could feel Samara’s eyes on their table. She glanced over at her husband, fright in her eyes, and grabbed his arm. “What’s going on, Steven? What’s Samara talking about?”
Steven couldn’t look at her. He could only stare back at the woman onstage, at this person who had insinuated such terrible things about him. Things that weren’t true. He felt chilled to the bone at her accusations.
His lips quivered. “I have no idea.”
He broke away from his wife and his body twisted in his seat. It seemed as if all eyes in the ballroom were fixated on him. He’d always been a quiet man, an introvert, and always shunned the spotlight.
Now Samara had drawn him into some kind of sick web, and he wanted desperately to get out, but he didn’t know how.
Steven twisted back and faced his family. Wes, Jameson and Laney all had questions in their eyes, but they were waiting for him to get his head together. They knew their father well enough to know that he needed time to gather his thoughts.
He loved them all so much. Jameson for his staunch loyalty to the ranch, Wes for his innovative mind and Laney for her courage and ambition.
They were all his, born as the result of the intense love for his wife, Gwen. A love that, because of the nature of their arranged marriage, had taken a while to bloom but had fully blossomed.
He didn’t want to lose her now.
Steven grabbed Gwen’s hand and squeezed it, for into the cloud of his thoughts, Samara’s voice struck through.
“I am Steven Broward’s daughter,” she announced. “I am the one he abandoned.”
Her words nearly knocked the breath out of his lungs. What was she talking about? He had only one daughter, Laney.
Steven looked up to the stage, at the woman glaring down at him, and finally, he could take no more. He stood up in his place, nearly causing his chair to fall over and clenched his hands into fists.
“This is insane. You’re lying,” he said, hardly believing the savageness in his voice. But he couldn’t help it. This woman seemed bent on not only destroying him, but everything he and his father and grandfather before him had built.
Gwen pulled on his tuxedo jacket. “Sit down, honey. Don’t play into her games.”
“I can assure you that this is not a game, Mrs. Broward,” Samara responded in a snide tone. “I was conceived thirty-four years ago, just before you and your husband married. My mother’s name was Georgia Jackson.”
Steven felt the blood drain from his face.
Georgia Jackson. His first love.
He hadn’t thought about her in years. But suddenly the memories started flowing back. Her body, thin and lean like the dancer she’d wanted to be, and her voice as deep and as sexy as Eartha Kitt’s, and all the nights he’d stolen away from the ranch j
ust to be with her.
His father and mother had not approved of Georgia. They’d never said the words, but he’d known they’d thought she was “common.” Georgia had stars in her eyes and her feet pointed straight toward Broadway.
Much as he’d tried to hide their relationship, her parents must have known about it. Back then, Granger was even smaller than it was today and rumors traveled like tumbleweeds. They’d wanted him to marry a woman more suitable, someone who loved ranching as much as he did, and although he’d loved Georgia, he was young enough to succumb to the pressures of his family.
So, he’d broken up with his first love and began pursuing Gwendolyn, who came from a wealthy family just like he did. Georgia promptly left town and was never heard from again.
Steven felt Gwen’s hand clutch at his arm and his throat worked nervously. He had no idea what to say to her or to his children.
“My mother told me that she was Steven’s first love. He had sex with her, then he broke her heart by abandoning her and marrying you,” Samara said, leaning into the microphone, her voice dripping with venom.
She continued to address Gwen. “How does it feel to come in second?”
“That’s enough, Samara!” Steven shouted, vaguely aware that cameras and likely smartphones, too, were capturing his every word. “I’ll not have you speaking to my wife that way!”
Steven glanced down at Gwen, whose eyes were filling with tears. He could only imagine what was going through her mind right now. Although he’d been honest with Gwen about his parents’ wishes from the start, he’d never really discussed his relationship with Georgia.
Gwen pulled her hand away. “Is what she saying true, Steven?”
He leaned over the table, so he could get a closer view at Samara. She had Georgia’s thin yet curvy body and medium skin tone. He couldn’t see what color her eyes were, but when he really looked at her, he saw that she was the spitting image of her mother.
Loving Laney Page 16
