Page 10 of Eggnog and Edging
"You have my word that I’ll do whatever it takes to win her for the two of us.”
Sincerity and urgency match his wording.
He continues, “I was worried she might find a way to go, so I checked out the rules for the auction and got pre-approved.”
“Good thinking. Text me when you win, and be clear with her that I’ll get there as soon as I can.” I have to give him credit. I just assumed my little sister would be the good girl she always was. Why didn’t I pay more attention when she stood up to us about the auction? Why didn’t I listen to her needs? Why didn’t I tell her how I felt sooner?
“I’ll do what I have to do. There’s a clause that allows her to back out of any situation she doesn’t feel comfortable with.”
Struggling to keep my tone controlled, I say, “I can prove I sent the gifts.”
“I know.”
“Then don’t fuck me while I sit at home babysitting her dad.”
“You have my word, Ryker.”
Chapter 5
Starla
With everything that’s happened in the last week, I can’t believe Bellamie, Jolene, and I have a plan for all of us to get to the auction. It’s too soon to reminisce though, since I haven’t even made it out of my bedroom.
I can’t let anything stop me since it’s too late to find a replacement, although I bet Molly would still jump at the chance.
I flip the switch to turn my ‘On Air’ light on in the hallway, then hit play on one of my videos and turn the volume up.
Not wasting any time, I slide the pane open and push the screen out. How is it that the first time I sneak out of my window I’m twenty-two years old?
My freaking Dad and stepbrother and Cullen are all jerks. To think I had fantasies about Ryker and Cullen, even imagined them both taking me at once. The Christmas Cherry Auction has to work its magic because I’m not settling for a controlling jerk.
Running the plan through my head one last time, I go through the important items. My dress and shoes are waiting for me at the Aubergine Affair, and Bellamie will have plenty of makeup and hairstyling products, so I can travel pretty light. I drop my backpack onto the ground then sit on the sill and slip through.
Loud laughter from the poker players gives me the perfect opportunity to close the window. Not that they could hear the click from the other room, but I don't want to take any chances.
My heart races as I slink past the hedge that’s between our house and the neighbor's. They always keep their windows closed, so I don't have to worry that they’ll notice me appearing on their lawn. But what if someone else sees?
Confidence is key. I stride down their front path like I own it, and thankfully the car I hired shows up right on time. I give myself a mental pat on the back for choosing the neighbor’s address and an electric vehicle to ensure there would be even less sound to draw attention to the road.
But she stops closer to my house than I’m comfortable with—just close enough that if someone was looking out the window, they could see. I hurry into the backseat, gambling that the couple seconds in the dark wouldn’t be enough to be a problem.
Once she has us on our way, I glance over my shoulder several times, hardly believing that I got out unnoticed. We'll see if they figure out I’m gone before the night's over.
But once I'm there, Laz will protect me. He's the owner of the Aubergine Affair, and they're very careful about protecting their patrons and the women who boldly put themselves on the auction block.
His standards are a large part of why I let Jolene talk me into this. I mean, I wanted to do it… Who wouldn’t want a guaranteed happily ever after with the men of their dreams?
I let the driver know I’m not in the mood to chat, then relax and let my mind wander.
By the end of the night, I’ll have been chosen by a group of men who want nothing more than to give me everything I've ever wanted out of life.
I catch myself nibbling on my fingernail.
Is it really that easy? It has been for the last three years of the auction. Of course, we've already had a few hiccups. Me getting grounded, Bellamie thinking she’s in love with a mysterious guy from out of town who dresses up as Krampus, and Jolene becoming guardian of a relative’s kid.
Thank goodness we’ve got each other’s backs or none of us would be making it tonight. We’re doing better than last year, when the women who were going to be auctioned couldn’t get to the club because of the blizzard.
Everything worked out fine. I just hope my version of fine is getting to the auction. I’ve put so much faith in trusting that whoever wins me will be perfect that I might die a spinster if this gets messed up.
