Page 4 of Tempting Promises
The auctioneer announces that they are calling forward the steer we were interested in. I nudge Olivia and point to the steer she has circled eleven times. She pulls out the paddle and I sigh. Looks like I’m buying a cow today.
Charlotte clears her throat. “You’re looking at that steer?”
I turn my head to see hers right there, reading over my shoulder. Great. “Maybe, why?”
She shakes her head and shifts back in her seat. “No reason.”
The hair on the back of my neck stands. She wants that steer. She wants it, and I want nothing else but to thwart whatever she wants. Like buying the land I just did. While I wanted to expand the farm, I wasn’t planning on moving on it right now.
When that plot came up for sale, I went back and forth, until I heard Charlotte put an offer in as it’s between both our farms. Another plot like that wouldn’t come up until who knows when. My farm is smaller than most in Sugarloaf. I do all right, but we’re not a major operation at this point.
I brought Micah on as manager last year, and since then, we’ve increased revenue month over month and he convinced me I should start thinking of adding more land so we can increase our cattle.
“Are you planning to bid on that steer?” I ask.
“Not sure.”
Yeah she is.
Olivia looks to me with curiosity on her face.
“You can make the first bid when I tell you, then Ineed the paddle.”
“Why?”
I smile. “Because Uncle Rowan is going to kick Charlotte’s ass. Don’t tell your dad I said ass—twice.”
Olivia nods and then holds on to the paddle like a lifeline. Even if I don’t win, which I will, it’s fun seeing Liv happy.
The bidding begins as paddles are lifted and Olivia is watching me, waiting. I’ve learned that, when it comes to the auction, patience is key. I need to see who else is bidding and use a strategy to not let the bidding get out of control.
I turn back to Charlotte, who is sitting with her back straight. Her hand lifts and then drops. She’s totally going after this steer.
I go to give Liv the signal, but Charlotte bids before me. As soon as the auctioneer goes around again, I give Liv the thumbs-up.
She throws the paddle up in the air with a lot of enthusiasm and beams when he points to her.
Charlotte groans, and I turn to see her green eyes filled with frustration. “Ugh, you.”
God, this is fun. I lift my baseball hat in a howdy gesture, knowing it’ll further irritate her.
She raises her paddle, taking the high bid again. Charlotte is the opposite of her sister in every way. You’d never know they were related based on their looks. Aurora is tall, skinny, blonde with brown eyes. She’s pretty, but she’s got nothing on Charlotte.
Charlotte is stunning, arresting, fucking breathtaking. Until she opens her mouth and the hate for me falls from those pouty lips.
She’s short—maybe comes up to my pecs—and is dark haired with green eyes. She’s a spitfire and no one can banter like her.
Another person enters the bidding, probably because the two of us are bidding, so they either want to drive up the price for fun or they think that, since we’re both going after it, this steer is worth something.
I lift the paddle, feeling something in my gut that there’s something special about this steer.
And then Charlotte does.
Of course she’s going to make this painful. Even if she doesn’twant this steer, she’ll enjoy making me pay higher than he’s probably worth.
I bid again.
She does too.
