Page 36 of You're the Reason

Jon shook his head, then twisted his stool, so he was facing Seth. “What if you could spend less than a hundred?”

Seth thought about what he already had planned for his first paycheck. “I could afford a hundred.”

Jon looked like he was about to argue but let it go.

“Mayor Jameson,” Jon yelled across the diner. “What did you do with that couch that you just replaced?”

“It’s in my garage.” The mayor ran his hand across his balding head as a frown wrinkled his large forehead. “The stupid thing is keeping me from parking my truck in there.”

“Decent condition?”

“Great. But the missus wanted a gray one and this one was brown. I swear she gets the craziest ideas.” Mrs. Jameson shook her head as she swatted his shoulder.

Jon motioned to Seth with his thumb. “Seth here needs a couch. How much will you sell it for?”

Seth cringed. No doubt with his name mentioned the price would go up.

“He can have it as far as I’m concerned. I just want to park in my garage again. Can you pick it up, son?”

Before he could answer, Luke Taylor spoke from another booth. “I have a truck.”

Seth blinked at the men. Why were they helping him?

“Oh, but I can’t move it until tomorrow.” Luke spoke up again. “Does that work?”

“Yeah. Sure.”

“You wouldn’t need a set of table and chairs would you?” Gary Hoover spoke from a few booths away. “We just got a new set, and I don’t want to mess with selling it. You can have it if you pick it up.”

“That would be great.” Seth cleared his throat. Why did his voice sound so rough?

“Look at that,” Jon said. “Furniture and you still have your hundred bucks to buy another burger.”

“I know what you’re trying to prove, but it won’t work.” If anything, all Jon had done was put him in debt to the whole town. Nothing came free. “I’m not setting up my gym here.”

“Fine.” Jon held up his hands as if to surrender. But Seth wasn’t under any impression he was really giving up for good.

Seth headed toward the door, but Hannah Taylor stood in his path, clipboard in hand. She was built a lot like Grace but with dark hair and dark eyes. If he remembered right from what Jon told him, she was married to Luke and largely responsible for the transformation of the town. “Hey, Seth. How do you feel about signing up for the bachelor auction?”

“I’m sorry. What?” Surely, he hadn’t heard her correctly.

“Our annual bachelor auction. It’s during the Fourth of July festival, and this year we’re raising money for new books for the library.”

He was in favor of new books, but really? “Can’t I just donate?”

Jon slapped him on the back as he passed. “We’ve all been there. It isn’t so bad. Luke snagged his wife at his auction. But my date was with an eighty-nine-year-old woman. Honestly, that’s more likely.”

Seth looked back at Hannah with a solid no way on his lips, but one look at all the grinning, nodding heads around the room confirmed that resistance was futile. Yep, everything came with strings. He took the clipboard, scratched in his information, and handed it back.

“Wooo-wee.” Margret Bunting spoke up from a booth a few feet away where she sat with a group of older ladies who all had their eyes fixed on him. “That horse will sell. I know I’m saving my pennies.”

His eyes darted back to Jon, who seemed to be holding back a smile while he offered a half shrug that telegraphed Told ya.

Hannah bit her lip, no doubt to keep from laughing herself, then slid back into the booth with her husband and kids. “I’ll email you.”

Seth offered a curt nod and hurried out the door. He needed out of there before he got trapped into anything else.

The night was a little cool but not uncomfortable. He shoved his hands in his pockets and hurried across the street to cut across the square. The setting sun cast a golden tone over the town, giving it an almost storybook quality.

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