Page 67 of Smoke Show

Laughter spilled from me. He looked so pained by the admission.

"Be careful, Brady. That's not the only way I grow on you."

"Easy, Tiger. You can’t threaten me with a good time. That's what I'm counting on."

Something about his hungry expression stilled the laughter in my chest, sending an altogether different buzz roiling under my skin.

Clearing my throat, I slid into my jacket, locking the door behind me as I followed Brady out to his SUV.

Brady shadowed me through the final setup details in the auditorium, then stood by my side as I welcomed guests at the registration table. I lost track of him as the caterers circulated, offering canapes, while I worked alongside Gwen to check in the stragglers.

We'd limited attendance to one-hundred ticketholders for our first auction, trying to balance attendance relative to the donations we'd received. We had eight tables full of silent auction goodies up for grabs in addition to the bachelor dates. Almost every business in Campfire had donated, along with a few in the more rural parts of the county. The Campfire council had chosen the evening's charity carefully – something meaningful and relevant to the season. Winters in eastern Washington could be incredibly cold, with frequent snow, and heating costs verged on the obscene. The foundation we'd chosen provided assistance with heating bills, and I couldn't be more pleased with our choice.

Once registration closed, I sought out Brady, spotting him standing with Ivan and Zander in a corner, surveying the crowd.

"Eve, I'd like to lodge a complaint." Zander's expression was stern, but mischief lurked in his eyes as he acknowledged my arrival. "Mrs. Mallory pinched my ass, then had the gall to say she wastesting the merchandise." He rubbed his flank. "I'm not a piece ofmeat."

"Relax, Zander. If you were, you'd be the byproducts they use in cheap dogfood," Gwen said, catching the tail end of his complaint as she joined our group.

Ivan hooted and Brady cracked a smile. Gwen looked elegant, clad in a knee-length red dress that swished around her legs when she walked. Makeup muted her freckles, and she’d swept her hair up in a sleek knot.

Zander seemed at a loss for words, his jaw dropping when Gwen patted him on the hip. He drank her in, leaving his plate of appetizers totally unprotected. Gwen snagged a cheese toast from his plate, popping it into her mouth. That seemed to wake Zander up, and he shied back, protecting his plate.

"Mayor tax," Gwen said cheerfully.

"Why am I the only one who has to give up food to you?" Zander grumbled, snagging a snack of his own and chewing it furiously, as if afraid his appetizers would disappear if he didn't inhale them.

"Because Ivan and Brady are already sharing their plates," Gwen said.

"What if I don't want to share?"

"That, right there, is your problem, Nemitz."

Ivan cleared his throat, pulling Gwen's attention from her stare-down with Zander.

"What time is the auction starting again?" Ivan asked.

"Six," I said, supporting his transparent bid for a subject change.

He glanced at his watch. "Okay, then. We should probably mingle a bit more." He puffed up his chest. "I've gotta do everything I can to drive up my package price."

Zander rolled his eyes at his brother. "Sure, bro. Everyone knows you're taken now. You'll be lucky if Izzy plonks down twenty bucks on your sorry ass."

"Hey," Ivan recoiled, rubbing his chest. "Rude. And not true." He pointed at his brother. "I bet I bring in more thanyoutonight."

"How much?" Zander asked.

Ivan's eyes narrowed. "How about if I win, you have to clear out of the apartment for a week so Izzy and I can have some privacy."

Zander looked momentarily hurt by his brother's request, before bluster took over. "And ifIwin, you have to handle all emergency calls for a month."

Ivan thrust out his hand. "Deal."

They shook, staring each other down, and I shook my head, turning to Brady.

"I'mrealglad you're not a Nemitz."

Brady's eyes shadowed, and I cursed myself for the thoughtless remark. He probably wished his brother were here, that they could do the same stupid shit that Ivan and Zander got up to.

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