Page 50 of The Feud

“Fifteen hundred,” Michelle calls out, very calmly but loud enough to be heard over the crowd.

Everyone turns to Diane who opens her mouth but Ethan’s voice bellows, “Enough!”

The ballroom falls silent and Ethan turns to Harry. “I’ll pledge ten thousand dollars right now to take myself off the block.”

My jaw drops at the staggering amount Ethan is willing to part with to stop this lunacy. But Diane isn’t deterred.

“Ten thousand, five hundred,” she says and everyone gasps.

Slowly turning his head, cool green eyes move from Harry out into the crowd and lock on Diane. “You can make that bid, Diane, and I’ll let Harry accept it, but I’m not going on a date with you. I didn’t sign up for this bachelor auction, so I don’t have to abide by the rules,” Ethan says. The silence is so heavy, I expect everyone is holding their breath, including me. Ethan then turns to Harry. “Ten thousand. Take it or leave it.”

“Sold!” Harry yells with a flourishing arm pump. “Ten thousand dollars for… well… for Ethan to buy himself. Now that’s how you raise money, folks.”

The room erupts into cheers and everyone at the Blackburn table stands to give Ethan an ovation. Trey and Wade laugh hysterically onstage and I turn to see Diane storming out of the room, her cohort trotting along behind her.

Ethan casually strolls off stage and when he passes my sister, he says, “Thanks for trying.”

“I would have paid more,” she quips.

“Wasn’t going to let you do that.” He then grins at her. “But if you want to buy another horse, feel free.”

“I’m good,” she says with a laugh and then hands the paddle to me. “Here’s a memento for the evening.”

I roll my eyes at my sister but accept the paddle. Ethan eyeballs it and I shrug. “I still have twenty dollars in my purse. Maybe I can get another Blackburn brother.”

“Funny,” Ethan mutters and holds my chair out for me to sit.

The rest of the Blackburn family have already returned to their chairs, except for Trey and Wade who are still onstage. Harry Hagen resumes the auction and the tempo stays fast and the money rolls in. The men up there are clearly having a good time, hamming it up by flexing muscles and making fun of each other. We cheer on the winning bidders and an amazing thirty-seven thousand dollars is raised, although ten of that is Ethan’s.

Dessert is served along with after-dinner drinks, the evening winding down. I have so much fun learning more about the Blackburn family and by the time we’re ready to leave, I have a lunch date set up with Ethan’s mom and a drink date set with Kat, which will also include Michelle. I get a shameless, flirty invitation to dinner from Wade, which is quickly quelled by a very pointed glare from Ethan across the table. Fi slaps a hand backward against Wade’s chest. “Now leave your brother be, will ye? He’s been through enough tonight.”

That, of course, causes Wade to cackle and another round of jokes circulate about the ridiculous pledge Ethan made to get off the auction block.

“I can’t believe that woman signed me up,” he grumbles, and gives me another apologetic look. I’ve gotten plenty from him tonight, but I think it’s funny.

Kat snickers before draining the last of her wine. “Diane is not going to appreciate the way the gossip mill will go crazy with this. I bet your public slap-down has already made the rounds. I’m almost looking forward to her lesson at the barn on Tuesday.”

“She’s a paying customer,” Ethan rebukes his younger sister. “Don’t rub it in.”

“Oh, I won’t,” Kat says with a devilish smirk. “But I will be sure to talk up what a great evening we had getting to know Marcie.”

My face heats not only from the direct compliment, but the indirect statement that Ethan’s family sees me as important. I mean… this is only our first date and while I’ve had such a great time, it’s been a family affair. It’s not like it was romantic or anything.

“As lovely as it’s been hanging out with you fine people,” Ethan announces as he stands from his chair, “I’m going to escort this lady home as she has an early start tomorrow.”

This surprises me because I told Fi earlier tonight that I have a seven a.m. meeting with my administrative staff and need to finish up a PowerPoint presentation before then. I hadn’t realized Ethan was listening as he’d been engaged in conversation with Trey at the time.

And while I would gladly take a late night out with Ethan so I could get to know him even better, I am tired and I still have work to do.

I stand and glance around the table, receiving warm smiles in return. “It was really nice spending time with you tonight. Thank you for letting me join.”

“Our pleasure,” Tommy Blackburn says. He’s been the quietest throughout the evening and I take him to be more the observer in the family who sees things the others don’t because they’re too busy talking. That’s exactly how Ethan is, but the other Blackburns are extroverts, fighting to talk over one another. “We hope to see you again soon.”

“And thanks for all ye’ve done for Sylvie,” Fi adds. “She’s a different child this past week.”

This pleases me so much. I’ve gotten plenty of updates from Ethan but it’s nice to know that something I did has had such a positive impact on so many people. “She’s a bright, resilient and caring girl. She would’ve gotten to the right place eventually.”

“Aye, but with your guidance, ye removed the stress of her having to fumble her way through. So again, thank you.” Fi inclines her head and Kat reaches out to take my hand, squeezing it affectionately.

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