Destiny's Last Bachelor? (13 page)

“I guess my only concern is what Dean has planned for his date,” Bonnie said. “Rumor has it some of the dates are very extravagant. Even romantic. Do you think we should tell him about this to make sure it’s appropriate?”

Priscilla thought back to what Leeann had said earlier. She had to admit she was very curious, but she trusted Leeann’s judgment. “I don’t know what Dean has planned yet, but Leeann told me it’ll be fine if Holly decides to go through with the bidding. Perhaps we should wait to say anything to Dean until Friday night, just in case she changes her mind at the last minute.”

“Something my daughter has been known to do. A woman’s prerogative I guess, even if that woman is only nine years old.”

They agreed to keep Holly’s plan a secret for now, and Priscilla went back outside and started for the dining hall when she spotted the little girl walking toward her. “Hey there, what did you do with my sister?”

“I left her sitting on the back porch. She says her feet are killing her. I told her that her shoes are pretty, but all wrong for camp,” Holly said. “I’m going over to see my mom now.”

Priscilla grinned at the assessment and thought for a moment about asking her again if she was serious about bidding on Dean, but she figured Holly’s mother would probably talk to her and there were still a few days before the auction. She would check with her one more time before then.

* * *

Her sister had disappeared again.

By Wednesday Jacqueline had become bored with Destiny and had started pestering Priscilla to head up to Jackson Hole. Jacqueline had found a world-class spa facility that was open year-round and she just had to visit. Priscilla had made it clear she couldn’t leave town, not with the auction only two days away.

Not that she would admit it to her sister, but another reason she hadn’t wanted to leave was that she still hadn’t found the opportunity to spend time with Dean. They’d managed a quick hello on Tuesday afternoon before Jacqueline joined them, flirting with him the entire time they talked. This time the jealousy was quite real, an emotion so foreign to her—even after the whole Jonathan mess—that she had no idea how to deal with it. But there was no doubt the strain was back on their sisterly relations, as Priscilla felt compelled to keep Jacqueline under very close supervision. Then Dean had once again been called to the veterans’ center and Priscilla hadn’t seen or talked to him since.

Yesterday morning, the day before the auction, her sister had begged off going to the camp, claiming a headache, but by the time Priscilla returned later that afternoon, Jacqueline had left behind a note stating she was on her way to the spa and would be back in a couple of days. Priscilla had been livid over her sister’s behavior, but by the time Jacqueline had left her a voice mail this morning saying she was in spa heaven, Priscilla had been too busy working out the final details for the auction to care.

Now, pacing backstage at the Blue Creek Saloon, Priscilla pushed aside any thoughts of her sister and concentrated once again on tonight’s event. She was thankful for the headset she wore that, despite the noise, allowed her to communicate with Leeann, the girls manning the ticket booth and Racy, who was working upstairs with her sound and lighting people.

The bachelor auction had been going strong for just over two hours and the evening had been a rousing success. The place was packed, from the booths and tables to the rows of chairs that surrounded the runway. Everyone was having a wonderful time and from Priscilla’s quick figuring, the winning bids for the bachelors were going on average from two hundred to four hundred dollars each. She was so proud of all the hard work that everyone had done to make this night go so perfectly.

Well, not quite perfectly, as they were two bachelors away from the end and Dean still hadn’t made an appearance. But according to Bobby, who’d spoken to him earlier today, Dean promised he’d be here.

Making sure the microphone on her headset was set to mute, Priscilla peeked out from the side curtains, easily picking out Holly and her mother, who sat in the very front row on the right side of the runway. The little girl was determined to bid for Dean, and the plan was for Priscilla to join them just before he took the stage. Thanks to word-of-mouth among the bidders, the little camper was—fingers crossed—going to get her man.

“If he shows up.” Dropping the curtain back in place, Priscilla leaned against the wall, hugging her leather portfolio to her chest. So far, Dean hadn’t been seen in the building. In fact, he hadn’t been in town for the past three days. “She will get her man if he shows up.”

“You wouldn’t be talking about me, would you?”

Priscilla spun around. There he was, looking impossibly handsome in a set of blue surgical scrubs that showed off his six-foot-plus frame to perfection. His hair was damp and he’d recently shaved. A clean outdoorsy scent clung to him that was so sexy Priscilla just stood there and stared.

“I can’t believe...” Her throat tightened, but lifting her chin helped her to force the words out. “I’m so glad you could make it tonight.”

“I said from the beginning I’d do this shindig of yours, right?”

Priscilla nodded. “Yes, you did. I hope your patient is okay.”

Dean shrugged and for a moment it looked as if he had the weight of the world on his shoulders. “We thought he was...okay. He was saying the right things and doing the right things, but then his life got complicated. Again. I’m just glad I was there when he needed me.

“Not that this is what I planned to wear tonight—” he grinned, attempting to lighten his mood as he gestured to himself “—but it was the only clean outfit I had with me in Cheyenne. I grabbed a quick shower, changed and drove straight here.”

“You look good.” Boy, did he ever. “The outfit, I mean. It’s fine.”

Dean’s gaze darkened as he looked down at her. “You look pretty fine yourself.”

Priscilla blushed under his heated gaze. “Thank you.”

“I guess our crazy schedules haven’t allowed us to spend much time together, huh?”

“I’m so sorry. I really wanted to accept your invite—”

He moved in close and pressed a finger to her lips for a moment, rendering her speechless, before he dropped his hand away. “No more apologies. We’ll find time for that date, okay?”

Priscilla nodded, hoping he was right.

“So, where’s that sister of yours?” He backed up a step and looked around the backstage area. “I figured she’d be working alongside you tonight.”

Jacqueline was the last thing Priscilla wanted to talk about right now, especially with Dean. “Oh, I’m sure she’s out somewhere causing havoc and having fun.”

He turned back to her, confusion crossing his features. “I don’t understand. Are you mad at her? I mean, I know you have the right to be mad at her. At least, I think you do. But I was under the impression the two of you had worked out your problems.”

“If you’re referring to my ex-boyfriend, yes, the problem has been resolved. In fact, he and I were done and over with a long time ago. It just took me a while to see it.”

His mouth curved into a devastating smile. “That’s good to hear.”

“But Jacqueline is...well, she’s her own unique person. It’s hard to know exactly what she’s— What I mean is, I’m not sure she’s ever going to— Oh, enough about her.” Priscilla casually waved her hand as if it was that easy to dismiss her sister. It wasn’t, but she was determined not to let Jacqueline spoil this. “So, you’re the last bachelor of the evening and you’re on next. This is your spot here, and then the curtains will open—”

“Look, before I go out there, I want you to know I had my doubts about this whole crazy idea in the beginning. When I found out you were from Beverly Hills and what kind of events you’ve done in the past, I’ll admit I was worried tonight might turn into...I don’t know, something outrageous and over-the-top. A circuslike atmosphere that didn’t fit the small town of Destiny or its people.” Dean’s smile went from devastating to sheepish and back again. “When I’m wrong, I say I’m wrong.”

Priscilla basked in his approval, enjoying the warmth she saw in his gaze. Dean started to say something else, but she raised a finger, signaling her need for silence as she listened to Leeann masterfully handle the bidding for the gentleman who was on stage, just as she’d done all night long. Loud applause filled the air, signaling his time on stage was coming to an end.

Priscilla decided right then that Dean deserved to know about Holly’s plan to bid on him. It wasn’t fair to have him walk out on that stage and find out no one would be trying to win him except for one little girl. “Listen, it’s almost time for you to go on, but there’s something I have to tell you.”

“Is it about my date package?” Dean asked. “I know starting the evening with an early dinner out at the winner’s choice of one of the local restaurants isn’t very creative, but I hoped the horse-drawn carriage would be considered a nice added touch.”

“No, that’s not what I was going to say, but that sounds...wonderful.”

And magical and perfect. Priscilla had decided not to find out what Dean’s package would be. She would just be surprised when she heard it for the first time tonight, and quite honestly she didn’t want to know what she’d be missing out on, as there was no way she would bid against Holly.

Now she knew. A carriage ride with Dean.

“Priscilla, are you there?” Racy’s voice filled her earpiece. “Can you hear me? I think we got a situation out here.”

Priscilla thumbed the microphone. “What kind of situation?”

“Your sister has just made a grand entrance and now she’s making her way through the crowd. And she’s not alone.”

Priscilla’s heart sank to her stomach. “What do you mean Jacqueline’s not alone?”

The noise level from out front grew even louder and Racy had to raise her voice to be heard. “You better come out and see for yourself.”

Priscilla pushed past Dean and headed for the front of the stage, but he was right next to her. They moved to the curtained area behind the podium where Leeann was standing and looked out into the bar.

Priscilla couldn’t believe her eyes. Hopeless bewilderment rushed through her before it morphed into a smoldering anger.

There stood her sister on the edge of the dance floor, draped in a floor-length fur coat of all things, despite it being a hot July evening. The two men with her looked very familiar even though Priscilla had no idea who they were or where they came from. One was a photographer, his flash going off like Fourth of July sparklers as he aimed his camera around the room. The other was operating a handheld recording device, his in-your-face attitude telling Priscilla he was a reporter.

Jacqueline had returned and she’d brought the paparazzi with her.

Chapter Eleven

“W
hat the hell is going on?” The chaos raging out in the main area of the Blue Creek Saloon had Dean turning to Priscilla. “What is your sister doing? Holding a press conference?”

Priscilla sighed and took a step back, releasing the curtain. “I have no idea what Jacqueline is up to. She left town a couple of days ago—”

“Left town? When I spoke with her on Tuesday all she could talk about was the auction. How excited she was to be helping you and all these great ideas she had.”

“Yes, well, my sister has been known to change her mind...rapidly. She’d talked about going to a spa in Jackson Hole. How she got there...how she got back...and why those people are with her—”

“Are you telling me you didn’t plan this? That this isn’t some publicity stunt cooked up by the two of you—”

“No! Of course not! The editor from Destiny’s local weekly paper is here to do a story, but not this!”

He wanted to believe her. He’d meant what he said about his concerns over how tonight would turn out. In the back of his mind, he’d wondered if Priscilla would try to pull something out of her Beverly Hills lifestyle, like bring in a big-name bachelor celebrity or who knew what else, but he’d seen how hard she’d worked to keep the auction low-key and focused on the town and their support of the camp.

The paleness of her features told him she was upset at what her sister was doing out there, but she didn’t seem completely surprised by it. “Did you expect her to pull a stunt like this?”

“Nothing my sister does surprises me anymore.”

Dean rubbed at his jaw, suddenly wishing he’d grabbed a cold beer before coming backstage. “Well, what are we going to do now?”

Priscilla turned away and put a hand to her ear as she spoke into her headset. He couldn’t make out her words, but then she looked back at him and said, “You’re going to get out there on that stage and we are going to finish this auction. I’ll take care of this.”

Before Dean could say another word, she whirled around and stomped away, putting one determined, sexy high heel in front of the other. And damn if he didn’t take a moment to admire how the little black dress she wore showed off her toned arms and legs to perfection. Her hair was down, the golden waves loose and flowing around her shoulders. A quick inhale filled his head with her fresh, summery perfume even after she had disappeared from view.

Dean had hoped to get here early enough tonight to talk to her, maybe even set a date for dinner, but that would have to wait, especially now. At least he’d been glad to hear her assertion that things were finished with her ex-boyfriend. One less thing to worry about, but he still wasn’t clear as to exactly why her sister had suddenly shown up in town.

And why she was out there acting like a starlet at a red-carpet premiere.

Something about the whole setup put him on edge, reminding him how far removed Priscilla’s world was from his, no matter how well she seemed to be fitting in. Hell, he’d almost...

Nolan Murphy, the oldest of the Murphy brothers and the architect who’d designed Camp Diamond, walked past, yanking off his tie. “What a mess. I’m glad that’s over. Of course, Liam’s not going to let me forget he got a higher bid then me. And my kids aren’t going to be happy when they find out I’m going on a date with the high-school vice principal.” He gave Dean a light punch in the arm. “Hey, Zip, wake up. You’re on.”

Dean saw two elderly women, regulars at the weekly bingo night, waving frantically at him as they held open the center curtain. He joined them, and seconds later they shoved him out onto the stage, their hands precariously close to his backside. A spotlight hit him square in the chest as Leeann’s voice filled the air.

“And, ladies, here he is...Destiny’s last bachelor! Let’s hear it for Dean Zippenella!”

Loud applause and a few whistles and catcalls filled the air, but Dean still managed to hear a loud whisper coming from one of the ladies behind him.

“Move that cute butt of yours down the runway. Pronto.”

He obeyed, and the cheers grew louder as Leeann continued reading his bio.

“Dean is a transplant to our fine little town—all the way from the shores of New Jersey—but you’d never know it with the way he has fit right into Destiny. He’s dressed tonight in those dashing medical scrubs, à la Dr. McDreamy, because he just got off work as a physical therapist at the veterans’ center in Cheyenne. A former decorated soldier, he works with our brave military men and women who have been injured in service to our country. He’s also one of our newest volunteer firefighters and was instrumental in the design and creation of Camp Diamond, the reason we’re all here tonight.”

Dean had to admit he felt a little silly as he made his way down the runway. He smiled and waved, but the spotlight shining in his eyes made it difficult for him to see anything, including if Priscilla had gone to talk to her sister. He certainly hoped so. He’d gotten the impression when he arrived tonight that the evening was a big success. The last thing he wanted was for something, or someone, to turn things ugly.

“The lucky winner will enjoy dinner at a restaurant of her choice in town, and she’ll arrive in style, as Dean has secured the use of a restored American buckboard buggy that will be pulled by a gleaming white horse. After dinner, there will be a beautiful ride in the countryside to Winchester Farm and a sunset hot-air-balloon ride—”

“That’s enough—we’re sold!” a feminine voice called out from Dean’s left. “Let’s start the bidding!”

The swell of applause from the crowd showed they agreed as bursts of lights came from numerous cameras. By the time Dean made it to the end of the runway, he found himself wondering what Priscilla thought of his date package. When he’d mentioned the horse-drawn carriage backstage, her eyes had lit up and her smile had softened. He knew how much she liked horses, which was why he’d chosen to include the carriage ride as part of his package.

She’d said before she wasn’t going to bid on any of the bachelors tonight, but would she stick to her word? Would she perhaps bid on him? They certainly had a lot to talk about.

“Okay.” Leeann’s voice once again came over the sound system. “As you know, ladies, those of you who have already won a date this evening aren’t allowed to bid again. Our minimum bid for each bachelor is fifty dollars.... Do we have any opening bids?”

“I bid fifty dollars.”

Dean jerked his head, looking over his right shoulder at the row of ladies sitting there. Why did that voice sound familiar? And why did it sound so young? Almost like a kid’s voice? Thankfully, the spotlight was gone and the house lights were raised a bit, making it easier for him to see out into the crowd. Before he could zero in on the bidder, another feminine voice filled the air.

“Fifty bucks? Oh, we can’t let such a hunky prize go for such a measly amount.”

Dean looked back toward the end of the runway, easily spotting Priscilla’s sister, who stood right in front of him with a cocktail in one hand and a numbered paddle in the other. She raised her glass at him in a salute and the flash from the photographer filled the air with more bursts of light.

“I bid five hundred dollars.”

* * *

Five hundred dollars? What was her sister thinking?

Priscilla had come out from the backstage area and tried to get to Jacqueline, but the place was just too crowded, and too many people had stopped her, wanting to talk. As soon as Dean had stepped out from behind the curtains, Priscilla made her way to where Holly sat with her mother, just as she had promised. She’d hoped Jacqueline didn’t have any other stupid antics up her sleeve.

She’d been wrong.

A collective gasp had gone out from the crowd at her sister’s outrageous bid. Only one of the other bachelors tonight had gone for more than that amount—Liam Murphy and his helicopter ride to Jackson Hole, of all places, had been won for the grand total of six hundred and twenty-five dollars.

“What does that mean, Mommy?”

Priscilla looked down at Holly and then at Bonnie, reading the confusion on the little girl’s face and the disappointment on her mother’s.

“Remember when I explained to you how an auction works?” Bonnie asked her daughter. “Whichever person bids the highest amount wins.”

“But I only had ninety-two dollars and thirty eight cents in my piggy bank,” Holly said, before looking down at the tiny purse in her lap. “I guess that means I won’t get to go for the buggy ride or the balloon ride with Mr. Dean.”

Priscilla clenched her hands tightly in her lap, wanting nothing more than to get ahold of her sister and shake some sense into her. It was bad enough she’d shown up with members of the press in her back pocket, but to place a bid? At the moment, Priscilla couldn’t remember if she’d ever told Jacqueline about Holly and Dean and the plan to let the young girl win the auction. Not that it mattered. Deep inside, Priscilla knew her sister would’ve gone ahead and placed the extravagant bid anyway.

“We have a very generous bid of five hundred dollars for our last bachelor.” Leeann spoke into the microphone, but when Priscilla looked up, she found Leeann looking right at her. “Do we have any other bids?”

Priscilla reached for Holly’s hand and gave it a quick squeeze. “Let’s get you that date.”

Holly nodded with enthusiasm, but it was her mother who spoke. “You don’t have to do this. That’s a lot of money.”

Yes, she did. Yanking off her headset, Priscilla held out her hand to the young girl, who grinned up at her and quickly placed her bidding paddle in Priscilla’s palm.

Priscilla raised the paddle into the air and called out, “Six hundred dollars.”

The crowd started cheering again, but all Priscilla could focus on was the shocked look on Dean’s face as he stared back at her. Then she stole a glimpse at Jacqueline, who had one hand on her hip and the other one curled around the glass at her lips.

Six fifty.
Jacqueline mouthed the amount, knowing full well no one could hear her, but Priscilla had been able to easily read her sister’s lips.

Did she think this was some sort of game? There was no way her sister could know all that had happened between her and Dean over the past month. If she did, she wouldn’t be doing this now. Not after the remorse she’d shown over her involvement with Priscilla’s ex. Priscilla desperately wanted to believe that, but deep inside she just wasn’t sure. She shook her head in warning. Would it work?

“Six fifty,” Jacqueline repeated, this time loud enough to be heard above the noisy crowd.

Priscilla stood. “Seven fifty.”

“Eight fifty.”

A hush settled over the room except for a few muted whispers here and there. Priscilla could only guess the townspeople were trying to figure out who these two strangers were that were battling for a date with one of their own. And bidding such crazy amounts. Although most people probably recognized her from the past month she’d spent in Destiny, Priscilla was still an outsider. An outsider who was determined not to let her spoiled sister have her way.

An outsider who wanted to make a little girl happy.

Priscilla glanced up at Dean again, who stood there, arms crossed over his chest, not looking very happy with the bidding war that was going on. She would explain everything to him. After she won.

“One thousand dollars.” She gripped the bidding paddle tightly in her hand. There was no need to raise it in the air. Not with everyone in the room staring at her and Jacqueline.

“Heck, for that amount of money, Dean can go out with both of them,” a man called out from somewhere deep in the crowd and everyone laughed.

Everyone except Dean.

“How about it?” Jacqueline move forward a few steps, the photographer and the reporter on her heels. “You ready to take on the Lennox sisters? Twelve hundred and fifty dollars.”

The revelation that these two women were siblings carried through the crowd like a storm cloud racing across a leaded sky. Mortified at being the center of attention, Priscilla struggled not to meet anyone’s direct stare, but in the process her gaze clashed with Dean’s again and held for a long moment.

He then turned away. Dropping his arms, he held them out as if he was surrendering and addressed the crowd. “I don’t know about taking on the two of them. I might not have the strength.”

Laughter filled the air.

“Hey, you better make sure she likes dogs, Zippenella. Or should it be that your dog likes her?”

Dean laughed along with everyone else, but Priscilla had heard his husky chuckle often enough in the past month to easily deduce it was forced this time.

“Well, we all know that Daisy has gotten better at making friends lately thanks to Miss Lennox.” Dean turned and gestured at Priscilla. “What’s that song about sisters? You know, how they think and act as one?”

The laughter and applause was loud again, but Priscilla could hear in Dean’s voice that he hadn’t been teasing. Did he really believe what he’d said? It didn’t matter. She had to end this and it had to be now.

“Two thousand dollars.” The laughter faded enough so that Priscilla could easily hear Dean swearing under his breath about her high bid, but she kept her gaze on Leeann, willing her to finalize things and put them out of their misery.

“We have a bid of two thousand dollars. Going once...going twice...” Leeann paused, as was the standard practice, but when silence filled the air she banged her gavel on the podium. “Gone!”

A cheer rose from the crowd as everyone got to their feet, applauding. “Ladies and gentlemen, this concludes our auction,” Leeann continued, her voice strong as she spoke into the microphone. “Bobby and I would like to thank everyone for your generous contributions to Camp Diamond. Please stay and enjoy yourselves for the rest of the evening.”

The noise level in the bar grew even louder as the crowd began to disperse. Priscilla released the breath she hadn’t even realized she’d been holding and then was grabbed around the waist in a pint-size hug.

“Oh, thank you, thank you! I can’t believe you did that for me.”

Priscilla dropped to her knees and returned Holly’s exuberant hug. “You’re most welcome, sweetie. I’m sure you’ll have a good time with Mr. Dean.”