you go out drinking last night?”
“No. I think it’s the tuna sandwich I got from the gas station late last night on my way back in from Dallas.”
“How many times have I told you? Gas station food after midnight? No bueno.” She stood with her hands on her hips, looking down at her brother who looked like he might erupt again at any minute.
Austin Charles Noble III loved food almost as much as he loved his family. And usually he had a stomach like a tank. Impervious to just about anything. So whatever he’d eaten had to have been pretty bad.
“I’m taking you to Urgent Care.”
“No, I just want to go to bed. If I can sleep it off for a few hours, I’m sure I’ll be fine.” He forced a smile, then immediately clutched his belly and cringed. “I’ll be good as new for the bachelor auction.”
“Shit. The bachelor auction.” Tess repeated the words. It was the next night. And as green at the gills as Tripp looked, there was little chance he’d be ready to be paraded on stage in front of a crowd of eager women by then. The way he looked now, he probably wouldn’t fetch more than five dollars and a bottle of ipecac at auction.
“Here, let me help you back to bed.” She leaned down, allowing her brother to drape his arm around her and get enough leverage to climb to his feet on unsteady legs. Once he was safely in bed again, she gathered the remains of the tainted tuna sandwich, an empty bottle of beer, and a few other items.
She set an empty garbage can with a squirt of soap and about an inch of water beside his bed.
“Use this, if you need to.” She indicated the garbage can. “I’m going to get you some ginger ale and some Gatorade. But if you get worse, I’m taking you to the doctor. Mom and Dad wouldn’t be too happy with me if I let their baby boy die of food poisoning while they were away on vacation.”
“Well, I am Mom’s favorite, so...” He offered a weak smile as he invoked the argument they often teased each other about. “And don’t worry about the auction, I’ll be fine. I’m a warrior, sis. Nothing is going to come between me and—” Suddenly he bolted out of bed, ran to the bathroom and slammed the door behind him.
Tessa shook her head. “You’re staying right here in bed today and tomorrow, ‘warrior.’ I’ll get Roy and the guys to take care of the projects that were on your list today. And I’ll find a replacement for you in the auction. Alexis will understand.”
Tripp mumbled his thanks through the bathroom door, and she set off to take care of everything she had promised him.
Tessa had been nursing her brother back to health and handling her duties at the ranch, as well as some of his. And she’d been trying all day to get in touch with Ryan.
Despite his reluctance to get involved in the auction, he was the most logical choice as Tripp’s replacement. She was sure she could convince him it was a worthy cause. Maybe stroke his ego and tell him there would be a feeding frenzy for a hot stud like him.
A statement she planned to make in jest, but that she feared also had a bit of truth to it. Tessa gritted her teeth imagining Lana, and a whole host of other women in town who often flirted with Ryan, bidding on him like he was a prize steer.
Maybe getting Ryan to step in as Tripp’s replacement in the auction wasn’t such a good idea after all. She paced the floor, scrolling through a list of names of other possible options in her head.
Most of the eligible men that came to mind were already participating, or they’d already turned Alexis and Rachel down, from what Tessa had heard.
She stopped abruptly mid-stride, an idea brewing in her head that made her both excited and feel like she was going to toss her lunch at the same time.
“Do something that scares you every single day.” She repeated the words under her breath that she’d recently posted on the wall of her office. It was a quote from Eleanor Roosevelt. Advice she’d promised herself that she would take to heart from here on out.
Tessa glanced at herself in the mirror. Her thick hair was divided into two plaits, and a Stetson was pushed down on her head, her eyes barely visible. She was the textbook definition of Plain Jane. Not because she wasn’t attractive, but because she put zero effort into looking like a desirable woman rather than one of the ranch hands.
She sighed, her fingers trembling slightly. There was a good chance that Alexis and Rachel would veto her idea for Tripp’s replacement. But at least she would ask.
Tessa pulled her cell phone out of her back pocket and scrolled through her contacts for Alexis Slade’s number. Her palms were damp as she initiated the call. Pressing the phone to her ear, she counted the rings, a small part of her hoping that Alexis didn’t answer. That would give her time to rethink her rash decision. Maybe save herself some embarrassment when Alexis rejected the idea.
“Hey, Tess. How are you?” Alexis’s warm, cheerful voice rang through the line.
“I’m good. Tripp? Not so much. I think he has food poisoning.” The words stumbled out of her mouth.
“Oh my God! That’s terrible. Poor Tripp. Is he going to be okay?”
“I’m keeping an eye on him, but I’m sure he’ll be fine in a few days. I just don’t think he’s going to recover in time to do the bachelor auction.”
“We’ll miss having him in the lineup, but of course we understand. His health is the most important thing.” The concern was evident in Alexis’s voice. “Tell him that we hope he’s feeling better soon. And if the auction goes well, maybe we’ll do this again next year. I’ll save a spot in the lineup for him then.”
“Do you have anyone in mind for a replacement?” Tessa paced the floor.
“Not really. We’ve pretty much tapped out our list of possibilities. Unless you can get Ryan to change his mind?” She sounded hopeful.
“I considered that, and I’ve been trying to reach him all day. But just now, I came up with another idea.” She paused, hoping that Alexis would stop her. Tell her that they didn’t need anyone else. When the woman didn’t respond, she continued. “I was thinking that I might replace my brother in the lineup.” She rushed the words out before she could chicken out. “I know that this is a bachelor auction, not a bachelorette—”
“Yes!” Alexis squealed, as if it were the best idea she’d heard all day. “OMG, I think that’s an absolutely fabulous idea. We’ll provide something for the fellas, too. Oh, Tessa, this is brilliant. I love it.”
“Are you sure? I mean, I like the idea of doing something completely unexpected, but maybe we should see what Rachel thinks.” Her heart hammered in her chest.
She’d done something bold, something different, by offering to take Tripp’s place. But now, the thought of actually walking that stage and praying to God that someone...anyone...would bid on her was giving her heart palpitations.
“That’s a good idea, but I know she’s going to agree with me. Hold on.”
“Oh, you’re calling her now?” Tessa said to the empty room as she paced the floor.
Rachel Kincaid was a marketing genius and
