First to Bid: A Bachelor Auction Romance (Unraveled Book 2)

by Marie Johnston

  “I, uh… Did a lawyer get ahold of you?”

  I draped one hand on the doorknob and the other on my hip. “You’ll have to be more specific, Flynn. I suddenly have a lot of lawyers in my life.”

  “Her name is—”

  “Luna something or other. Yes. I don’t want your charity.” But, dammit, I needed it.

  “She’s yours. Let her defend you. I get what I did was—”

  “What’d you do, Flynn?” I wiggled my fingers by my ears. “Lemme hear it. Because,” I barked out a laugh, “it’s not like anyone else has. Did you know Wes and Mara knew nothing about us? It’s almost August, Flynn. What’s that make it? Like, two months since we first had sex?”

  “I told you that I’m a private man.”

  “You weren’t supposed to be private with me. I told you my story at the cabin and you neglected to clarify that your sister didn’t die. That you’re paying off your mom—”

  “I’m not bribing her to stay quiet.”

  I wanted to hear the whole story, but I had enough drama in my life. “It’s not my business. I’d just urge you to develop a relationship with your sister. For her sake and yours, but not for mine.”

  He nodded, a muscle jumping in his jaw. “Tilly, I’m sorry.”

  “Yeah, I’m sure you are.” I could hardly look at him or I’d soften. Had he slept any the whole weekend? “Look, I’ll work out a payment plan to reimburse you for Luna’s legal fees. I have to pay Mara back first.”

  “You don’t owe me anything. You deserve an apology.”

  “And you already gave it. Thank you.” I yawned and it wasn’t for effect. “I’ve been up all night and I’m very tired. Thanks again, Flynn.”

  “Tilly, d-d-don’t block me out. We can get through this, together. I-I love you.”

  I stilled and met his earnest emerald gaze. Why was the admission hard for him to say? Did he even know what love should be like? I could crumble and throw myself into his arms, and I had a strong impulse to do just that. But while he might love me, he still wasn’t offering things my upbringing had taught me to treasure, like respect, trust, and honesty. The drive to move heaven and earth to take care of the one you loved.

  Flynn might love me, but he lacked the rest.

  “And I love you, too, Flynn. But you know what? It’s not enough. My parents loved me, too. I truly think they did. No, you’re nothing like them, but in a way, you are. I want your acceptance. I want your respect. I want you to make an effort at a real relationship. You love me. I believe you love your sister. But until you learn how to be in a relationship of any kind, I can’t do this.” I swiped at a tear rolling down my cheek. Flynn’s expression grew bleak. “I fought for my childhood and now I have to fight for my adulthood and I won’t settle for pretty words. I…I want to know I’m safe with you.”

  “I got the lawyer…”

  She leveled her gaze on him, let him see how serious she was. “Did you do that after I was arrested?” His silence was my answer. “Do you know what that tells me? That you waited to see if it’d all blow over and you could save your precious account. So your lawyer is too little too late. And I understand if you pull her help because it’s not winning me back. But I’m done being your little secret.”

  Stepping back to shut the door, I risked one last glance.

  His hair stuck up in all directions, shadows hung under his eyes, and his shoulders drooped. He was far removed from the brawny roofer of a few weeks ago. “Tilly. I’ll do anything.”

  I swallowed hard. “You had your chance. You had so many chances,” I said raggedly.

  The door clicked shut. I hung my head.

  That should’ve been the hardest thing I had to do, but it wasn’t even close.

  Chapter 16

  Tilly

  Three months later…

  I wrung my hands together. Was it too obvious? My old boss couldn’t give me my original job back, but I was in his office begging for anything else he had available.

  A yawn snuck up on me. I tried stifling it but had to cover my mouth. Months on the night shift and it was still brutal on my system. Add in weekdays full of cleaning rooms at a hotel and it equaled no days off.

  Mr. Person watched me carefully. “The charges were dropped, you say?”

  “Yes.” How’d I explain it and leave my personal life personal? “Um, the company the accuser was blackmailing,” my heart wrenched just thinking of Flynn, wondering what he was doing now, “took on the case, and after a thorough investigation, they discovered that Charlie’s mom, the child’s mom, was abusing him.”

  It was over. My lawyer had even heeded my wishes and discussed the legal ramifications about lying to law enforcement with my parents. They’d retracted their claims and promised to never think about me again.

  Yay, me. If it weren’t for Mrs. B, I would be absolutely and completely alone in the world.

  Mr. Person pushed up his glasses, his features grim. “How is Charlie doing?”

  “Good, actually. His dad’s a piece of work, pardon my opinion, but at least he’s fighting for his son.”

  “What company was he blackmailing? Excuse the questions, but what you went through doesn’t happen every day, thank goodness.”

  “Halstengard Industries.” It hurt to say it. I wrung my hands. “They parted ways, I guess.” Flynn’s lawyers had been excellent. The best money could buy, and unlike Mr. Woods’s county attorney, honest. And when Mr. Woods found out his wife was behind Charlie’s injuries, he’d diverted his attention to his divorce and trying to keep his wife from getting half their assets.

  “Have you picked up any tutoring?”

  I smiled sadly. “No. I’ve notified my former clients, but none of them have taken me back.” They’d moved on to another tutor, or the seed of doubt had been planted and they couldn’t bring themselves to trust me again. I couldn’t dwell on it. If I ruminated about all I’d lost in the last few months, I’d wither away in depression.

  “Sorry to hear. You excel at working with the kids.” He spread his hands and my hopes sank. I knew what was coming next. “I’m sorry. We filled your position and we have a full house. Not even a paraprofessional slot open. I’ll certainly keep you in mind, and don’t hesitate to use me as a reference.”

  I hid my dismay behind a smile and thanked him for his time. All of this could’ve been done over the phone, but I knew he’d wanted to meet with me and gauge how I’d changed, see if I was someone he’d offer a job to again.

  I wandered out of the school where I used to spend my days. None of my kids were in the halls and I hadn’t the heart to request a visitor’s pass. Seeing them with their new teacher would be more bitter than sweet. I could only be so optimistic.

  But I still had my teaching license and a clear record. That was a start.

  This was my first full day off that didn’t include legal meetings. Whatever should I do?

  Stop at Arcadia? Now that I had some change in my pockets, I could buy myself a pick-me-up. Mara had been paid back and Luna had said that if I tried to reimburse the law firm, it’d be a financial headache and to please let them keep it pro bono.

  Only it hadn’t been. Flynn had footed the bill.

  How was he doing?

  Argh. I only asked myself that fifty times a day—on a slow day.

  I’d meant it. I loved him. But after my childhood, security came first.

  Had he gone back to old habits and women like Becky?

  No, no shopping today. Mara called and checked on me constantly, but I needed that distance. The difficulty in not asking about Flynn grew harder each time.

  For the end of October, the weather was lovely. I wore an old cardigan and slip-ons that I often didn’t get to wear when teaching because they were too boring. A walk, perhaps? I’d go home and change shoes and enjoy the weather before the wind turned so cold it hurt my face to be outside.

  A refreshing walk sounded better and better as I drove home. I jogged inside and tossed off
my sandals. In my room, I found socks in the basket of clean laundry I had no time to fold because I was always working. Stuffing my feet into my shoes I breezed outside and—

  Ran into a solid chest.

  “Whoa. Is there something wrong?”

  That voice vibrated through my body straight down to my toes. I gasped and looked up. Flynn’s hands were on my shoulders.

  Flynn’s hands were on my shoulders?

  I jerked out of his reach and stumbled over the doorstep. He caught me again.

  “Sorry,” I said and righted myself far out of his reach.

  He seemed reluctant to let me go, or perhaps that was my wishful thinking.

  An old shard of fear stuck in my throat. Was it not really over? Had it been a dream that I’d gotten some semblance of my life back? “What are you doing here?”

  “I came to pick you up. I need to show you something.”

  I stared at him. He came to pick me up when I happened to have a day off, the first in months? “Mara told you I was home.”

  He nodded.

  God, he looked good, but where was the suit? It was the middle of the week. He was wearing jeans and a cable-knit sweater that folded over at the neck. Very stylish, very casual. Very unlike Flynn.

  “Aren’t you working today?” I asked.

  “Yes, that’s why I’m here. Come on.” He turned and walked to his truck like he expected me to just follow. More like he knew the curiosity would get to me and I’d do what he asked.

  The pang of seeing his truck sitting at my curb again was too much. He opened the passenger door and cocked his head toward it. Movement inside caught my attention. There was someone else in there.

  The curiosity angle worked. My legs started moving.

  “I hope you don’t mind if we have company.” He’d lost the light tone.

  I reached the door and peered in. “Oh. Hi.”

  A woman was in the back. She was blond, like Flynn, but her hair was chopped at chin length. One hand curled into her abdomen and she canted to the side as she sat.

  “Lynne,” Flynn called over my shoulder, “this is Tilly, the girl I told you about.”

  “I— You—” Tilly shook her head. “Hi, Lynne.”

  I hadn’t expected Flynn to see his sister. Ensure she was in a good home, maybe visit once to ease his guilty conscience, but Lynne was here, in his truck.

  Lynne made a soft noise and raised her functioning hand a few inches from her lap.

  “She says hi,” Flynn said.

  “Hello.” I waved in return and climbed inside. I turned to his sister. “Now you need to tell me why you’re out joyriding with your brother.”

  The door shut behind Tilly. The corner of Lynne’s mouth lifted in a smile, her gaze tracking her brother around the truck. She gestured to the driver’s side.

  “Flynn’s idea, huh? I have to admit, my curiosity is killing me.”

  Flynn hopped in and shot me a grin. He twisted back to give Lynne a wink before he threw the pickup into drive.

  What was he up to? This Flynn reminded me of the guy at the lake. The one who’d let down most of his guard and watched movies and even eaten some carbs. This Flynn looked like he only had a six-pack instead of an eight-pack and like he got home at a decent time many nights of the week.

  When we got back on the road, I peeked at him, but it was like looking into the sun. I was back in his truck, surrounded by hints of his cologne. Memories jarred me. Laughter, love, sex. He’d taught me how to fish.

  “I can’t do this, I’m sorry.” I even reached for the door handle while we were moving. “You can just drop me off here.”

  “Tilly, please. This is about more than you and me.”

  That stopped me. My moment of panic passed, and I drew in a deep breath. “Okay. Why don’t you fill me in on what’s going on in your life?”

  “As you can see, I tracked down Lynne. My lawyer worked with my mom.” He spoke under his breath, “Bought her out.” He switched back to regular volume. “And I found a private group home for her where they even put her to work. Right, Lynne?”

  Lynne murmured her agreement.

  Flynn nodded. “She’s a greeter at a store close by the home. I’ve hired an organization that’ll take her to work and help her through her shift.”

  I shifted in my seat so I could see both Lynne and Flynn. “That’s awesome, Lynne. You’ll have to tell me where and when you work so I can stop by.” And I would, no matter what I had to buy.

  Flynn’s voice dropped. “How’ve you been, Tilly?”

  I stayed where I was. I wasn’t sure what Lynne could understand, but I didn’t want to exclude her. “I work two jobs and have no life. But I’m not in jail, thanks to you, so things are well.”

  “Mara said you had an interview for your old teaching position.”

  “It was more of an ‘I’m dying to know what happened’ than an interview.”

  “That sucks.”

  “Yeah.”

  We fell quiet. Occasionally Lynne would make a sound that I couldn’t decipher, but Flynn would chatter back to her about buildings they were passing, guessing at what she’d been trying to tell him.

  He pulled up to a vacant lot on the edge of town. There were a few surrounding businesses, office spaces mostly, and a gas station on the corner.

  “Where are we?”

  Reaching behind the front seat, he pulled out a roll of paper. “Lynne, do you mind if I hop outside with Tilly and explain everything?”

  Lynne lifted her hand like before.

  “Thanks, Sis.” Flynn hopped out and rushed to my side of the vehicle.

  I raised a curious brow at Lynne but the girl had already gone back to staring out the window. The door opened, and Flynn offered his hand to help me out. I fortified myself against the strength and warmth of his grip. He didn’t release my hand as he led me around to the front of the pickup. When he let go to spread out the paper, I missed the contact.

  I seized the moment of privacy. “May I ask—how was the reunion?”

  His gaze flicked to the windshield. Lynne still gazed outside as if fascinated by the scenery. And if she’d been stuck inside for years, she probably was.

  “I don’t think she knew me. I…” He clenched his jaw and scowled at the hood of the pickup. “It was hard for me. The last time I’d seen her, she’d almost drowned again in the bathtub. I was bathing her and trying to clean her chair at the same time and left her alone too long.”

  I laid a hand on his arm. “That was when you left home?” He’d only been sixteen. The poor kid. No wonder he’d been so traumatized. His mother had probably laid all the blame at his teenage feet. He’d probably felt that Lynne was better off without him and had justified his absence with his guilt. “She’s a survivor and you were a kid.”

  He nodded, his throat working as if he didn’t trust himself to speak.

  “But she knows you now. That’s obvious.”

  A smile lit his handsome face, chasing away the shadows of the past. “She loves to go for rides. I steal her every weekend. Her communication’s limited, but I’m learning.”

  “I’m very happy for you.”

  “The tour of my office scared her, I think, but now she’s like a celebrity when she visits.”

  I gaped at him. He’d gone from not telling anyone about his sister to the red-carpet treatment. My Flynn? “I mean it. I’m happy for you.”

  He cleared his throat. “So that’s us, but we’re here for you.” He gestured to the empty space. “We are at the future Center for Specialized Development. That’s just a preliminary name so we had something to call the project.”

  “What?” I peered closer at the sheaf of large papers he held. Blueprints. On one sheet was the image of a building with three wings, and between each wing was a small courtyard. “Wait, what?”

  “I’m building your tutoring center. And it needs a manager.”

  I stared at him. At the blueprints. At the vacant lot.

/>   “Or you can hire a manager if you just want to teach. Either way, the place is yours.”

  “Mine,” I squeaked. “How can you give me a building?”

  “Halstengard Industries will provide the scholarships. You figure out the details.”

  “How— Why?”

  “Because I love you, Tilly. And I’ll do anything for you, even stay away for three months while I figure this business out and talk myself into being okay if you turn me down. One thing I learned looking into places where Lynne can live in a well-rounded environment is that there’s a serious lack of resources. The community needs a center like this, one that doesn’t have to worry so hard about keeping the doors open, one where the clients don’t have to sit and wonder how the hell they’re going to pay for it. With or without me by your side, the place will be your baby.”

  “Mine?”

  He still loved me. I shook my head. This was too much. Information overload. I went from fighting not to collapse in despair to having my wildest dreams handed to me. I should turn it down, but that’d mean handing over the care of all the future kids to someone else. Giving this up, now that I knew it existed and could be my project, was too much. But accepting it, accepting him, overwhelmed me.

  “I’m serious, Tilly. It’s yours to run, no strings.”

  “It needs a different name” was all I could say. It confirmed nothing. I wasn’t ready to commit to either him or the center.

  “Take all the time you need. I’ll be patient. Persistent, but patient. By the way, Wes and Mara have set up a scholarship for families, too.”

  Wes was loaded. A place like this, with the continual support of those two businesses? Unreal. “You’re unbelievable.”

  “I also have a standing contribution set up for the Center for Abuse Recovery. Each year, they’ll receive a donation in your name.” He ran his finger along the design. “I wasn’t sure about the layout. I had a lot of meetings with other therapy places and came up with this.”

  The man who worked twelve- to fourteen-hour days on his own business? “When’d you have time for all this?”