“Hope you have enough money for a ring after you pay her bid. I’m going to put her price at top dollar plus a grand.” Eve smirks at him before strolling off.
“That was a joke,” I rush to tell him.
“It wasn’t a joke.” Crane's hand slips to my hip, gripping me tightly as he lowers his head for a kiss. “I’ve got enough money for both,” he says before claiming my mouth in a kiss, taking my breath away in more ways than one.
21
CRANE
The presentation hall is still abuzz when I stride in. Plenty of bachelors seemed to have left lonely, but there are many more chatting with the bachelorettes they’ve won bids for.
I bypass them and case the table along the back where the mayor sits with Carlton. He has a money pouch in his lap, and from the look of it, there’s plenty of cash inside.
I suppose I’m the last one to pay up. I pull my money clip from my back pocket and hand it to Carlton.
He looks up at me, baffled. “How much of this–”
“Just take the whole thing. Winning bid on Liza.”
His eyes widen, and he drops the money into the bag.
The mayor levels me with a stare. “Where is she?”
“With Eve, getting a drink.”
Her eyes narrow. “She’s all right?”
“She’s great.” I shrug. “I just needed to have a private chat with her.”
“About what?” Now the mayor is smirking a little, though I can tell she’s trying to keep it under wraps.
“Christmas spirit. You know, that sort of thing.”
“She has plenty of that.” Carlton zips up the money pouch.
“I gave her a little more.”
“Mm-hmmm.” The mayor raises a brow, then holds out her hand to Carlton.
He passes her the pouch. “I’m going to lock this up then ask her myself.”
“By all means.” I back up and bump into Mick.
“Watch it.” He frowns at me.
“It was an accident.” The woman on his arm rubs a hand on his shoulder.
He nods. “Yeah. Guess so.” When he looks at her, his face lights up, the gloom fading.
That’s when I know he’s not the one who’s been stalking Liza. There’s no way someone who’s obsessed with her could ever look at someone else like that. I know from experience.
That leaves one suspect. The sheriff who’s walking straight toward me, his brow wrinkled.
Fuck.
“Did he pay?” he asks the mayor.
She gives him a nod, then leaves with the money pouch under her arm.
“Might I have a word?” He asks it like a question, but it’s clear he’ll escalate if I walk away. I’m thinking about doing just that, but then I think of Liza. The last thing she’d want me to do is start shit with this guy, though I suppose I’ve already done that by fucking her against a door as he listened.
That thought makes me smile. “Sure.”
He steps closer, his voice low. “I don’t appreciate what you did back there with Liza. Not at all. I had people telling me to arrest you. You upset the town–at least the pearl-clutching residents. I don’t like that. I don’t like trouble in my town.”
“I understand.” This isn’t going the way I expected. I was thinking more along the lines of chest-beating and him claiming Liza for himself. Except that’s not what has him concerned at all.
“Do you? Because we didn’t have these kinds of shenanigans until you turned up. I’m going to need your word that you intend to be a law-abiding citizen, one who puts the best interests of this community first.”
“I put Liza first.” I’m not going to lie to him. Not when he needs to know where I stand now that I intend to stay here. Whatever stupid plan Mayor McGovern cooked up–it’s over. I’m not taking his photos for him, not framing Liza’s mother. It doesn’t matter how much he pays me–I won’t do anything to hurt my girl.
He considers me for a while, then says, “That’s good enough for me. Liza deserves someone who will always put her first. She gives a lot to this town. It would be nice for her to have someone who gives her as much or more in return.” He sighs. “I thought that might be me.”
I tense, my desire to smash his teeth in shooting up like a geyser.
“But now I see how she lights up for you. I didn’t want to believe it at first. But now I do.” He looks down. “I only hope I’ll find someone like that one day.”
My anger subsides at his frank words.
I hold out my hand. “I’ll always put Liza first. You have my word on that.”
He reaches out and shakes. “Sounds good. Just make sure you treat her right. If you don’t, I won’t be the only one on your case. The whole town will be out with pitchforks and torches. Understand?”
“I’d expect nothing less.” I grip his palm firmly then let go.