Page 23 of The Cowboy's Surprise Return

Two years ago, according to local gossip. And yet the man was hiding out in Sweetheart Creek. One day Cole would have to get the story from him.

“We need a challenge,” Laura repeated, her tone urgent.

“I don’t know what you mean,” Cole replied.

“Didn’t you read the sheet Karen gave you?”

Cole glanced at the other men, who all shrugged.

Laura rolled her eyes, then stepped closer, her blue cowboy boots helping her to match his height as well as that of several other of the bachelors.

“When we have more than one woman bidding on a candidate, we issue a challenge. The bidders face off, and the winner is paired with you.”

“I like the sound of this,” Maverick said with a rugged grin. He hadn’t shaved today, and the five o’clock shadow contouring his jaw made him look like a hunk any woman with a heartbeat would desire. Karen could have cleaned out the Sweetheart Creek Credit Union if she’d advertised him.

“Find a razor,” Cole retorted.

Maverick smirked and stroked his bristly chin.

“Ideally, your challenge speaks to who you are,” Laura said. “You know, thin the herd.”

“Best joke. That’s my challenge,” Owen said, crossing his arms and tipping back in his cowboy boots. He pointed both fingers at Laura. “You got it? That one’s all mine.” He gave Cole a narrow-eyed look as though daring him to steal the idea.

“Who says you’re going to need one?” Cole asked.

“You did.” Owen looked smug. He was a quiet guy, but once you got to know him… man, he was a pain in the butt. Fun, though.

“Thank you,” Laura said smoothly to Owen, making a note on her clipboard. “I like a helpful man who can think on his feet.” She turned her attention back to Cole, all focused and Zen. And maybe not entirely impressed with him at the moment.

Wasn’t that something he was supposed to be working on? Being a good, helpful guy who didn’t make life difficult for those around him?

On the other side of the curtain, a chant had started up:Challenge! Challenge!

“The women are waiting,” Owen prompted.

Sweat prickled Cole’s spine. He said the first thing that popped into his head. “Arm wrestle.”

Laura watched him for a beat, then headed to the other side of the curtain.

Cole sucked air through his teeth and winced at the lameness of his challenge. Those were women out there, not men.

Owen laughed and slapped him on the back. “Why didn’t you just suggest mud wrestling?”

Cole scowled and crossed his arms. Reinventing himself was difficult. He should have thought of something witty and yet sensitive. Not a wrestling match.

Then again, with a wrestling match, he’d be less likely to win a woman who’d spend the day making eyes at him. She’d hog-tie him and toss him in the back of his truck instead. He shuddered as Karen announced the challenge.

Naturally, she received plenty of groans. He was ready to scratch his name from the list and go home when he heard her voice.

Jackie. She was here.

And she had bid on his number—on him.

Suddenly, despite his vow to focus on nothing but family for the next several months, he wished he’d chosen a challenge so specific that only Jackie Moorhouse could win.

* * *

“Arm wrestle?” Jackie crowed. Okay, this whole auction thing had just got a lot more fun. And now she was even more intrigued about the man behind the curtain.

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