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Chapter26
Luke wandered down the main street the night of the auction. He’d told Bailey this morning that he would only be the single bachelor up for sale as a last resort if someone was sick or they needed to make more money, which he doubted would happen.
A night with the Robbins sisters was being auctioned. That alone would draw in the dollars.
He’d looked at his phone so many times since Quinn had walked away from him. Wanted to call her and didn’t want to. Because I think you could hurt me, Luke Trainer. In fact, I think you could break my heart, and you don’t want my heart.
Her words had been on repeat inside his head all day.
I think you’re a coward for taking the stance you have.
That had cut deep, and about 3:00 a.m. he’d realized she was right. He was a coward.
“Luke, could you help me?”
“Why are you still open?” He followed Mrs. L into her shop. “Aren’t you coming to the auction?”
“I’ll leave after this.”
He found himself up a ladder minutes later, getting boxes down off a shelf.
“That Quinn is nice. Did you know she flies?”
“Like Superman, do you mean?”
“Har har.”
Mrs. L wore something he would call a sweater dress in a dog shit color that he guessed was meant to be pumpkin.
“You get that dress online?”
“I did. Color’s nothing like what they showed in the picture, but I think it works.”
“No doubt about it,” Luke said, handing down another box. “Shame you’re not being auctioned tonight; they wouldn’t need anyone else.”
“Boy, you are so right.”
He laughed.
“Quinn is a sweet girl. She could do with a makeover and someone to point her in the right direction about style—”
“No, she doesn’t. She’s perfect the way she is,” Luke said before giving what he’d just said any thought at all.
Mrs. L’s smile was very cat got the cream.
“What?” He glared down at her.
“You like her.”
“What’s not to like?”
“No.” She waved her fingers with long, fake nails at him. They were black. “You like her.” The emphasis was on the word like.
“Sure I do. So do a lot of people in town. We done with the boxes?”
“She’d never hurt you, Luke. It’s not in her.”
Mrs. L’s face was turned up to look at him.
