As I drove out of the lot, I frowned at the big truck taking up so many spaces. Someone was likely compensating for some deficiency in his ego.
Not my problem. I drove as fast as legally possible to a large, sprawling house in a prestigious gated community. My stomach clenched the closer I got.
The kid under that roof taxed all of my special-needs skills. But the little boy’s parents were a whole different challenge. I had shown up once in my standard wacky wear and the woman’s haughty stare had withered me in my knee-high socks. Then the dad… The sky was the limit for my anxiety whenever he was around. The more sedate and boring I dressed, the more Mr. Woods hit on me—often in front of his wife.
If I didn’t know any better, I’d just assume rich people sucked, but as my past proved, bad behavior wasn’t confined to any particular income bracket.
I parked in the large circular drive, jumped out, and trotted to the door.
I took a moment to compose my breathing and pat stray hairs down before I rang the bell. The door swung open.
“Miss Tilly,” greeted the housekeeper, Berta.
“I’m not late!” I smiled and rushed past her toward Charlie’s muffled cries.
“It won’t matter,” Berta murmured.
The first time Berta had made such a bold comment, I had almost dropped in surprise. But unlike me, who stuck around for Charlie, Berta could move on and find a new job. A trustworthy housekeeper was in high demand. It was harder for me to find clients who’d pay me the wage I requested and for long-term work.
“Miss Tilly. You’re finally here.” Mrs. Woods’s nasal voice rang off the walls.
I squared my shoulders as Mrs. Woods’s heels clacked against the marble floor into the entryway. I half expected “The Imperial March” to play in the background, but Charlie’s wails would’ve drowned it out.
The woman’s snide gaze evaluated me and, from the crease in her brow, found me lacking. Like usual. Charlie’s cries hit a crescendo, then died down. I twitched to run to him but had to finish with my employer.
Mrs. Woods pushed her auburn hair off her face and I blinked. Had the woman’s hand been shaking?
“He’s in fine form today.” Mrs. Woods bypassed me and started up the stairs. “You’d better get in there before he hurts himself.”
I jogged to the special room Charlie’s parents had set up for him. Inside, the five-year-old was rocking in the corner, self-soothing. His wails had subsided. I rushed to his side but didn’t touch him. He wasn’t always open to physical comfort. He drew in on himself and turned away. After several minutes, I coaxed him out. From the blank look in his eyes, I shouldn’t be too ambitious in my teachings today.
Okay, so calm playtime instead. I could make it educational.
Charlie snatched up an alphabet block and I frowned. A red welt was swelling at his temple. It’d be black and blue in a few hours. Dang. Had he hurt himself before I’d gotten in here? He wouldn’t tolerate ice, so I continued with what tutoring I could.
Once my hour was up, I stepped out and called for Berta.
When the woman came into view, I pointed up the stairs. “Think I can talk to her?”
Berta scoffed. “Are you kidding? Charlie’s evening nanny arrives in ten minutes. Mrs. Woods is out for the count.”
My shoulders slumped. “Can you tell her that Charlie must’ve banged his head during his fit?”
“Of course, of course.” Berta dropped her voice. “Go on home. She doesn’t pay you for her deadbeat-mom hours.”
I coughed back a chuckle. “I can hang around for ten minutes. It’s no problem.” Charlie might seem like he was in his own world most of the time, but he didn’t need to be alone constantly. I doubted the nanny did more than sit and do her homework and ward off Mr. Woods’s advances—or not. I played with Charlie for fifteen more minutes before his nanny arrived and I updated her.
Back out in the late-spring air, I inhaled a long, deep breath. For the first time, I felt optimistic. I’d meticulously plotted and saved to pay back every cent that the center had sunk into my failure of a childhood. Now I could hand it over and get a date with Flynn in the process.
A smile spread across my face. Things were finally starting to look up.
Chapter 2
Flynn
I straightened the bow tie of my tux. My stomach somersaulted and I bounced in my wingtips. Each minute that went by in the small back room of Arcadia felt like an hour. In a few minutes, I’d have to go out and strut down the runway while women fought over me. Please, let my plan work. I could not spend eight days with Crazy J.
My phone rang and I jerked it from my pocket. My nerves were going to kill me. “Halstengard.”
My biggest client greeted me on the other end. “I know it’s the weekend, but I’d like to touch base with you on the bank project.”
“Of course,” I said because whatever John Woods wanted, John Woods got. “How’s—”
Before I could rattle off a time, a shriek on the other end of the phone pierced my eardrum.
John swore. “Guess it’ll have to wait until Monday. The nanny has the night off and my kid’s melting down.”
“Not a problem, sir.” I wasn’t ashamed to kiss ass when my company name and fifty million were on the line. “Just give me a couple of hours’ notice. I’ll be at my lake cabin all next week, but it’s close enough to the cities I can meet you.” I’d made sure I had good cell reception at my vacation home just so I could be accessible to clients.
“Yeah, okay, maybe I’ll call tomorrow.” The wails grew stronger. “Ah, shit. Monday at eleven, at your office.”
“Monday at eleven.” I hung up and tucked my phone away. At least my date would get a vacation if I couldn’t, which was why I’d chosen a lake getaway instead of the Caribbean. I was never far from work, and I tried not to quit working, just like I avoided being home alone with nothing to do. Idle time only let my mind think about the past, and the present I couldn’t forget.
A knock on the door jolted me out of my reverie. I opened it to a pretty brunette with a dress laminated over her banging bod. My backup plan.
“Becky, thank God.”
Her brows knit together and she tilted her head. “Flynn.”
“Okay, it’s just like my text said, all you have to do is outbid everyone. I’ll cover the cost. I’ve already arranged it with the owner.”
Wes had oozed disappointment and shaken his head, but something about my insistence had registered. “I’m not hiding this from Mara, but I’ll kill you if Tilly finds out you duped her.”
I could live with that.
My soon-to-be vacation buddy narrowed her eyes on me. “Mm-kay.”
I flashed my most dazzling grin. “I’ll make it worth your while, Becky.” She knew how well we worked together in bed, it was why I’d chosen her for my desperate SOS. Whether she slept with me again, I didn’t care. She’d get a vacation and Tilly wouldn’t waste her money on a guy who wasn’t interested in her—and she’d never know.
Instead of a smile in return, Becky scrutinized me for a moment before sauntering away.
I swallowed a moment of guilt. Of course, I didn’t want to hurt Crazy J’s feelings. She always seemed to have the best intentions, but then she blatantly stomped all over the limits. I couldn’t let her win out of pity, couldn’t delude myself that she’d be able to walk away after spending one-on-one time together, not after the way she crushed on me in high school and the way she reacted after seeing me again. This was best for her.
Then why did I feel like what I was doing was insulting and seedy?
It was a little underhanded, and I owned it. I always owned my work. The plan had been laid out for Becky in my message before I’d agreed. She knew what she was getting into, but I had to admit I was afraid Tulip—Tilly would find out. If she did, then dammit, I’d explain it. I didn’t run from the hard times. Not anymore. I had built my business from the motherfucking bottom with a nail gun, and I’d done it
all honestly.
Wes popped into the doorway. “Ready, bachelor number five?”
I straightened my tie for the twentieth time. I wished I could’ve roamed the floor and worked the crowd, but Mara had felt that might start too much drama. She’d passed the flyers around with our stats and the details of our getaways. Now for my debut.
I followed Wes to the showroom. Blinking into the dim crowd of people, the nervous flutter that preceded my almost-cured stuttering problem flared. Hopefully, I wouldn’t have to speak.
Wes took a stance in front of the microphone and I posed next to him. I scanned the audience but couldn’t find Crazy J. I mentally reprimanded myself. Probably should try to call her Tilly. Didn’t feel right. Tulip fits her much better. A bright flower that bloomed despite the dullness around it.
God, was I going to start spouting poetry?
I kept searching and finally found Becky, her spectacular cleavage on display. I shot her a smile, but she just narrowed her eyes at me and looked around. Was she searching for the crazy lady I’d described?
“And now we have bachelor number five.” Wes’s deep voice quieted the murmurs in the crowd. Then someone let out a wolf whistle.
My gaze was drawn to the catcaller. Opposite the platform from Becky stood a pretty young woman in a flowery, flowing dress that stood out among the typical cocktail dresses.
Wes’s introduction droned on as I squinted at her. The woman might not be dressed as fancy, but she held herself well. The elegant twist in her light brown hair bared a slender neck, and as much as I wanted to let my gaze drift down her body to what must be spectacular legs, I had to see her face. When she caught my gaze and smiled wide, my heart seized.
Holy. Shit.
Tulip “Crazy J” Johnson. And I’d just checked her out.
I ripped my gaze away and aimed my smile at someone else. Anyone else. Any female from twenty to eighty, I didn’t care. I needed to be on my game and Tilly messed with my mind.
“Now with all that out of the way, who’s going to open the bid at five hundred?” Wes said, both of us looking out at the crowd.
Several paddles rose. But Becky hadn’t moved.
“Do I have one thousand?”
Fewer paddles now. Still not Becky, but she was probably holding out until she had to step in.
Wes played up the crowd and the tension almost stopped my pulse. “Nice, ladies. The Center for Abuse Recovery and Arcadia thanks you all for your generosity. With that being said, who wants a lazy lake vacation for two thousand dollars?”
Three paddles waved. One was a lady as old as my grandma. Another was a cute lady in a tight dress—totally my type. The third was Tulip.
I glanced at Becky. She stood with her arms folded and a brow arched.
I swallowed.
“Two thousand five hundred?” Wes asked.
“Ten thousand, two hundred and twenty-eight dollars,” Tulip called out. “And fifty-five cents.”
My brows popped up. Murmurs of approval passed through the crowd. My first thought was that the odd number was a typical Tulip bid. My next thought was to wave frantically at Becky. Could she hear me yelling “Bid twenty thousand!” in my head?
Wes shot me a rueful look. “Do we have ten thousand, two hundred twenty-eight dollars, and fifty-six cents?”
No paddles went up. Tulip craned her head around, her brow creased with worry.
I caught Becky’s gaze and arched my brow.
She stood on her tiptoes to lean on the stage, her expression was partly pissed, partly smug. “Becky’s my sister, asshole.”
A cold bucket of panic dropped over me. I’d called her the wrong name? Oh, shit. Becky was blond, and she had a sister—Samantha—who I’d slept with a couple of years before I’d hooked up with Becky. I learned later that they were related. Had I mixed up their contact info? Aw, hell, I’d fucked up.
“Sorry,” I mouthed, but it was a piss poor apology. How the hell do I apologize for something like that? It was a dick move. This plan wasn’t supposed to end with someone getting their feelings hurt.
She gave me a fuck off look and spun around, marching through the crowd, leaving my ass behind.
Frantically, I used my eyes to plead with the crowd. I wiggled my tie and forced a tense smile. “Come on, ladies. It’s for a good cause.” I couldn’t stand a week of hero-worship in Tulip’s eyes. Not toward me. I was the last person to deserve it.
“Going once…” Wes called.
“Ladies, ladies. I’m the only bachelor with more than a weekend getaway.” I swallowed hard. I’d gotten Samantha’s hopes up and hurt her. She’d counted on me. Dammit, this was why I didn’t date or do relationships. I messed them all up.
Now Tulip was giving me a look I definitely didn’t deserve, one full of trust and excitement that cut into dark places I couldn’t revisit.
A week, strings-free. That was all I wanted. That was all I could give.
“Going twice…” Wes waited two more seconds before holding his arm out to Tulip. Her eyes were bright and her smile ecstatic. She jumped up and down.
“To the highest bidder goes Flynn Halstengard. Congratulations, Tilly Johnson.”
Tilly
OMGGGGG!!
I squealed and threw my hands up in the air. Flynn’s mouth hung open. Was he in awe of the amount I’d spent on him?
This was going to be the biggest check I’d ever written and so dang worth it!
Me. And Flynn. For a week!
I’d barely glanced at the flyers for the other bachelors that had made their rounds through all the bidders. But Flynn’s prize package was a week at Lake Webber. It was halfway between Minneapolis and Itasca State Park. I’d never been there, but then I’d never been outside of the Twin Cities and their surrounding suburbs.
Would he teach me how to fish? Ooh, I’d always wanted to go hiking. And boating. Fishing on a boat!
This was the most excited I’d been in my adult life—in my whole life.
Flynn disappeared backstage as Wes wrapped up the auction portion of the night. I worked through the throng of people to find Mara.
Mara was at the counter, accepting checks from the highest bidders. Her cocktail dress had a Batman emblem sewn on the front. I looked down at my thrift-store dress. I hadn’t expected the auction to be as fancy as the black tuxes the bachelors wore and the formal wear of the attendees. But it’s not like I wasn’t used to standing out in a crowd.
If only I had the money to bling-out cool clothing like Mara. At my friend’s encouragement, I’d ordered a few pairs of superhero leggings. The kids got a kick out of them, but they weren’t who I wanted to impress tonight—and I’d known enough not to wear them under my dress.
Mara smiled as I approached. The poor woman must be tired. Mara had taken my idea and done the majority of the work. Her pleasant expression seemed tight, but it must just be fatigue.
“So…you bought Flynn, huh?” Mara asked.
Tilly smiled so wide it could’ve cracked her face in half. “Yes. I can’t wait.”
“About Flynn.” Mara hesitated and glanced at the now-empty stage. “When I met Wes, he wasn’t in a good place in his life. He was angry, self-absorbed, and…frankly, he was an asshole. We had a rough start. Well, we had an awesome start, but our rough patch was a shitstorm.” She pursed her lips like she wasn’t sure how to say her next words. “I get that feeling about Flynn, that he isn’t ready for…a thing with someone else, that life is too much about himself.”
Flynn, an asshole? Had he changed so much over the years? No, a kid who had raced into the girls’ locker room and saved me from littergeddon couldn’t have changed that much.
I flashed my most reassuring smile. “I’m sure he’ll be a gentleman all week. I have faith in Flynn.”
Mara snorted. “Flynn, a gentleman?” She leveled me with a serious stare. “I’ve seen how Flynn can be with women, and I don’t want to see you get hurt.”
A flash of irritation zinge
d through me. Why did people always assume I was an innocent noob? I had experienced the dark side of people, had been betrayed by those who were supposed to love and protect me. Sorry-not-sorry, Flynn could never be as bad as my parents had been.
I dug my already completed check from my purse. “Maybe I’ll be the one breaking his heart.”
Mara looked like she was about to argue, but I didn’t care to hear it. I set the check down and flounced away.
I had thought Mara was a friend who’d treat me like an equal, but at the first chance, she’d used kid gloves, thinking I didn’t know better.
Yes, I was ecstatic to have a date with Flynn. For an entire week! But I was just as excited about the week of vacation. Summers were always difficult, with the absence of my teaching wages. I’d always filled my time with a couple of part-time jobs, places that were willing to hire me for only a few months, or to fill in during holiday breaks. I’d worked my ass off building a clientele for my tutoring business, and for the last couple of years, I’d been able to get by with just my tutoring income and even keep a few weekends to myself. But never had I been brave enough to take an entire week of no pay.
Many attendees were filing out. A few of the winners chatted up their bachelors. I scanned those remaining but couldn’t find Flynn. I hoped it wasn’t too bold of me to explore the hallway that led to the back rooms of Arcadia. Was Flynn back there?
I suppressed a yawn. This was much later than I normally stayed up and I had to get details from Flynn. When were we leaving? What did I need to pack?
Men’s voices emanated from a room on my left, its door cracked open a few inches. I eased in. Wes’s broad shoulders partially blocked a shirtless Flynn.
First to Bid: A Bachelor Auction Romance (Unraveled Book 2) Page 2
