Page 15 of A Package Deal

“Excuse me?” Nelie looked around, grateful no one was nearby. Haven’s grapevine would be in full swing with this juicy morsel.

“You know, at the thing.” Piper looked serious.

“What thing?” Chet asked, strolling up with a cardboard tray and handing them each a cookie and a hot chocolate.

“What was it, Ava?” Piper asked, scrunching her face in concentration. Ava sighed heavily. Nelie still didn’t know what those two were hatching, but it was clear Piper had botched Ava’s plan.

“We were hoping you’d bid on our dad at the auction,” Ava muttered, looking hopeful but anxious. Chet groaned and Nelie’s stomach clenched. He’d hate being in Haven’s annual bachelor auction to raise money for the hospital and local youth enrichment programs. The auction had grown bigger each year, drawing both local women and women from Saint Paul and Minneapolis. Hart Haven even offered special hotel rates and packages that night so the women could stay in town and not make the hour-long drive back to the metro. She’d always thought the auction had been a good idea. Until now.

“Why are you in the auction?” Nelie felt territorial, and she didn’t like it. She also didn’t like that he’d just asked for another chance with her, but he was putting himself out there for the highest bidder. That sounded like a man who wanted to play the field, not one who wanted to settle down.

“Mrs. Hart called. Croix dropped out.” Chet took a sip of his cocoa and frowned. It was watery, subpar, cocoa, but he sounded unhappy about being roped into Haven’s social event of the winter.

Nelie forced a smile. “Mrs. Hart will stop at nothing to make a successful auction for the hospital, but it’s good to know she’ll draw the line at auctioning off married men.”

“She’s hard to say no to.” It sounded like he was apologizing.

“Impossible to, if it’s something she wants or believes in.” Nelie tore her eyes from his and looked at the girls. “How do you two know about the auction?”

They grinned under their chocolate mustaches. “It was in the newspaper,” Ava said.

“We saw your name listed in the big ad.” Piper threw her arms wide. “So, will you pretty please with chocolate syrup on top, bid on our dad?” Piper clutched her hands in front of her, pleading with Nelie. Chet looked like he wanted to be anywhere else, and Nelie wanted to join him.

“I-I wasn’t planning on going.” Nelie tried to make sense of the jumbled emotions in her. She hated the idea of another woman spending the evening with him, but if she bid on him, she’d be leading him on—until she figured out what she wanted—letting him think she was giving them a second chance. Jealousy was a terrible reason to go, and even if she wanted to go, who would she go with? Most of her friends were married.

And she’d feel stupid. Nelie wasn’t a young woman with hearts in her eyes looking forThe One. And she wasn’t an older widow looking for companionship. Mrs. Hart recruited men of all ages to appeal to the ticket holders.

She’d even recruited Gus once, who’d bellyached nonstop leading up to the event, but once there, he’d enjoyed it. Mrs. Hart, however, hadn’t asked him again. Nelie suspected she’d been jealous of the woman from Woodbury who’d won Gus and who’d had the pleasure of his company over dinner and a local theater production.

Who would bid on Chet?Would it be a divorcee who already had children getting the chance to maybe, someday, add Ava and Piper into the mix? Or someone younger hoping for a daddy romance? Nelie’s stomach soured. She tossed her remaining cookie and cocoa in the trash can, shoving her hands into her parka’s deep pockets.

“But could you?” Chet asked.

Chapter 10

“Igotthis,boss.Go!”Eric nudged Nelie aside as she pulled the basket from the fryer.

“Unless you cloned yourself, you don’t. I can’t afford to have you back here at the fryer. I need your pretty face out front.” Nelie didn’t budge.

“I called Dakota. He should be here in about five minutes. Kid’s been practicing. He can handle it.” Eric sprinkled salt on the fries. Nelie frowned. She didn’t like throwing people into the deep end, especially with the fryer. It was old and cantankerous, a bit like Gus, which was probably why she hadn’t replaced it yet. Pete, a senior in high school, had been doing a fine job during weekend lunches, but to handle a Saturday night? That was a trial by fire. The only saving grace in this was that her regular fry-guy had made it to the bathroom before spilling his guts. If she’d hustled in the shower, she would have been out the door and Eric would have had to deal with the crisis. “We’ve got this,” he told her.

“Fine.” Nelie carefully slipped the apron over her head, tossing it in the dirty laundry bin. She slid her arms into her wool coat and grabbed the tiny purse next to it.

“Hey, Nelie.” She turned back to him. “You clean up good, but you might want to lose the hairnet,” Eric pointed at his head. His laughter followed her out the back door as she carefully removed the cursed net, stuffing it in her pocket. She’d spent a lot of time, and hairspray, convincing her straight, fine hair that an up-do was just a fancy ponytail.

She sprinted toward her car. So far, the evening had been a disaster.Stupid men, she thought as she pulled out of the parking lot. If not for Chet and his,But could you?plea, she could have stayed. If Pete didn’t show, or he wasn’t ready for the task, they’d need to shut down the fryer. She’d lose revenue and disappoint customers. She hated that. And if her regular guy had called in to say he wasn’t feeling well—which was her policy—she could have found a qualified replacement. Eric’s off-hand comment that shecleaned up goodhad only awakened the butterflies in her stomach.

It was several blocks to the Hart Hotel, and she would have walked if she wasn’t wearing heels. She loved walking Main Street and peeking into the storefronts. The antique store always featured something classy and expensive that would clash with the comfortable mish-mash of furniture in her apartment. The resale clothing store changed displays often depending on the owner’s mood. Nelie never knew what that candy store had in its windows—she was always too focused on buying a stash of gummi coke bottles and Jordan almonds. There was a small hardware store and a pharmacy. A few smaller restaurants. Further up the street, past the Hart Hotel, was Ruthie’s Retreat and then the main marina. The only major business on the riverside of Main Street was the Hart Hotel flanked by its rose garden and the town park with its playground, picnic tables, and a few boat launches. The sidewalks were empty now, but by summer it would be elbow-to-elbow with tourists.

Nelie cursed as she hit another red light.Breathe. You won’t be that late. She’d splurge on valet parking and hope Chet wasn’t one of the earlier bachelors to be paraded in front of the women.

Nelie handed her keys to the attendant and hurried into the Hart. She raced down the halls, following the signs to the event as she unbuttoned her coat. Nelie handed it to the girl at the coat check but then backtracked when she realized she hadn’t grabbed her coat’s tag. She slipped it into her purse and snagged a glass of champagne from a passing waiter.

The auction had started, and Nelie hoped she wasn’t too late. For the umpteenth time since the ice castle, she wished she’d answered Chet’s question. Instead, she’d walked away, grabbing the girls and leading them toward the ice maze, tossing,Are you coming?over her shoulder. Nelie had been torn, unsure of what to say. She wanted to bid on him and give them a second chance, but what if she wasn’t careful? What if he overheard another conversation? Nelie didn’t want to risk her friendships, but darn it, she deserved a slice of happiness, too.

Which is why she stood in the crowded ballroom feeling hot and sweaty and like she was about to throw up, but that could have been the too-tight shapeware. She was also cranky and tired thanks to the fryer incident and sleepless nights.

She was scared. Scared that she might let something slip and he’d investigate. Scared that he’d ask questions, making her question her life. Scared that Ava and Piper already had a permanent place in her heart. Scared that she’d need to choose. Scared that sayingyesto them meant sayingnoto something else, even though she had no idea what that would be. Scared that she felt so happy around him, when he wasn’t annoying her. Scared that if she didn’t try again, losing Chet would be the biggest regret of her life. Nelie didn’t want regrets. She wanted Chet.

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