Page 6 of Singled Out

“Helen Wainsworth,” Chance said. His tone dared me to comment, but I had no intention of saying anything about Helen. She might be close to eighty years old, but she was a sweet, spirited lady who attended every home football game.I was a big fan of hers. “Eighteen hundred dollars.”

“I wonder where she wants you to take her,” Luke said, sounding genuinely curious.

“I guess we’ll find out soon enough.” Chance glanced toward the doors to the ballroom, where the auction was still going on. “Maybe we’ll hit the season opener together.”

“Be sure to come say hello,” I teased.

“So Harper Ellison,” Knox said to me. “I don’t really know her, but she seems age-appropriate and attractive.”

I laughed. “Says the guy who’s marrying someone a decade and a half younger than him.”

“Quincy’s only fourteen years younger,” he said, grinning that damn grin he always got when he talked about his nanny turned fiancée.

“Harper’s my boss’s daughter,” I told Knox, because the others already knew.

Anyone who’d gone to Dragonfly Lake High in the past twenty years knew. Which, come to think of it, probably made dating challenging for Harper. Bob Ellison was a personable guy, but that didn’t mean messing with his daughter, whether you were a student at his school back when she was or one of his employees at any time, would be a good idea. I couldn’t remember ever hearing about her having a long-term relationship. It had never mattered to me, but now I wondered.

“Ahh, dicey territory then,” Knox said.

“Dicey’s a good word for it.”I glanced at my watch. “How many more do they have to go?” I gestured toward the ballroom as another round of applause sounded.

“There were only about five left after you, right?” Chance glanced around the room, full of stand-up cocktail tables. A few other people besides the prey, er, bachelors were already out here, mingling and drinking. The doors opened, and a cluster of four women came out, animatedly discussing one of the recent auctions. “Looks like it’ll be soon.”

At that moment, both sets of double doors opened, and people streamed out, noisily talking about the bachelors as well as the silent auction of goods donated by residents and businesses. The service staff stood up straighter and busied themselves taking orders for cocktails and distributing water.

Knox headed toward Quincy and his brother and Everly. Chance put on his charmer smile and went to meet Helen as she appeared in the doorway.

“I think I need one more drink,” Luke said. “Can I get you one?”

I shook my head. I could relate to his uneasiness, but I didn’t intend to be here long enough to finish one.

I watched for Harper Ellison, wanting to take care of our date details quickly so I could leave.

When I turned to look the other direction, though, instead of Harper, I came face-to-face with her father. There was nothing of his usual friendly openness on his face.

“Coach,” he said.

“Good evening, sir.”

“Do you have something to tell me about my daughter?”

I let out what I hoped was an innocent-sounding, reassuring chuckle. “No, sir. I’m as mystified as you by what happened.”

He studied me for a few seconds. Took a swallow of his wine. “You don’t have anything going on with her?”

“I don’t really know your daughter personally. I was shocked by her bid.”

“Where’d she get that kind of money?” he asked.

“I have no idea about that either.”

He eyed me for another while. “My first thought was that you’d fronted her the money.”

“You can’t be serious,” I said.There was no hiding that I was financially comfortable from my NFL days, but my boss sure as shit should know me better.

His shoulders lowered slightly, and his demeanor became more relaxed.“I don’t suppose I am. It just doesn’t make sense. But then a lot of things that girl does don’t make sense. Her name’s on every last gray hair on my head.” His tone had lightened up a bit, conspiratorial instead of accusatory.“She’s got some explaining to do.”

I tended to agree, but I’d prefer to get a separate explanation. As much as I wasn’t interested in dating my boss’s daughter, I also didn’t care to be lumped in with her father as an older guy. Although I was older, I wasn’t old enough to be her father. I wasn’t sure why that mattered, but it did. Maybe it was ego or maybe just that nobody wanted to feel old, particularly in the eyes of a beautiful woman.