The Bachelor Auction(75)
Besides. He would do anything. Anything.
For Jane.
“What will you give me if I help you?” She sobered, her expression suddenly all business.
Brock met her stare and paused, then said, “A damned good show.”
At that she threw back her head and laughed. “Like grandfather, like grandson?”
“I’d like to think I’m less stuffy…”
“Oh honey.” Her voice dropped into a husky whisper. “You have absolutely no idea.”
Yeah, that was too much information.
“So you’ll help me win the woman I love?”
“Oh, I’ll help you all right, and I’ll do it out of the goodness of my heart.” She patted him on the shoulder. “And for the simple fact that while I despise your family as competition, I would be bored to tears without it—plus, that grandfather of yours.” She rubbed her hands together and smirked. “He’s quite…wonderful, isn’t he?”
“When he isn’t trying to control everyone and everything? Yes.” Brock spoke without thinking.
“Oh honey.” She patted his hand. “That’s just us grandparents worrying about the future. Besides, something tells me that my involvement will make him happier than you could possibly imagine.”
“Oh?” That piqued his interest. “How so?”
Her smile was warm. “Because it will make you happy—and despite what you think—that’s all he’s ever wanted.”
Brock didn’t know what to say to that.
She seemed to pick up on his hesitation and shrugged. “You’ll have to make sure the media believes it. I hope you haven’t been having any secret rendezvous with the girl, or texts since you’ve returned from the ranch that they can grab a hold of.”
He exhaled. At least he’d done that right. “No, no. I’ve been waiting until I spoke with you. Until you agreed.”
She harrumphed. “Well, now that I have, it’s just going to get harder. No direct contact.” She drew out the word ‘direct.’ “Until the night of, got it? No funny business. The last thing we need is for this to look like a set-up.”
“I swear. I’ll do anything for her.”
“I know.” She winked. “That’s what makes this so romantic.” She paused. “You do realize the favors I’ll have to owe people, the negotiations that will have to take place in order for this to fully work?”
Brock swallowed back his anxiety. “I do.”
“Well, I have been known to manipulate in my day…I guess this just means I’m back in the game.”
He suddenly had the sinking feeling that he’d re-created a monster.
“Your grandfather…”
“Leave him out of this,” Brock snapped.
“Hmm.” She merely stared at him. Hard. As if trying to figure him out. “You know, he isn’t as bad as he seems.”
Brock let out a breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding. “I know, I just. I can’t lose her.”
The corners of her mouth worked into a bright smile. “Then leave it to me. Trust me to do what I do best.”
“And what’s that?”
“Why…” She winked. “Everything, of course.”
Chapter Thirty-Eight
The auction was tomorrow.
Jane tried to ignore the pain in her chest.
Clearly, he was going through with it.
Without her.
Two days had passed and there’d been no word from Brock. She wanted to trust that he was dealing with it, but, really, part of her was already so depressed that she still hadn’t heard from him that all she wanted to do was sob into her ice cream and watch crap TV.
With a grimace she walked over to the freezer and pulled out some Rocky Road, then took a seat on the couch. After the fight with her sisters they’d come home, grabbed some of their things, and told her yet again not to wait up.
She was pretty sure they were still going to the auction.
Without her, unless she used the money that was burning a hole in her pocket to buy a ticket to the dinner.
She groaned.
Did she really have a choice?
Her own sisters were sacrificing everything to go.
They’d see Brock.
Brock.
Another groan escaped her lips. Why hadn’t he texted her?
Had he stood up to his grandfather?
Was he happy? Sad?
Why the hell did she care? She was sad. She was eating Rocky Road.
With a frustrated sigh she dug her spoon in.
And then.
Her doorbell rang.
“No!” she yelled. “Not more.” Probably because even though she was going crazy, the last thing she wanted was for another visit from the media. They’d been relentless all day, since it was the night before the auction.