Hope’s Highest Bidders

13. Cole

13

COLE

I t’s crazy to think Sassy has lived next door to me all these years. I’ve forced myself to stay away from her, and now I can’t even imagine letting her drive into town by herself. This crazy need to claim her is getting out of hand.

I always go to the cattlemen’s meeting. Usually, I pick up Delilah, we have dinner, go to the meeting, and then I take her home. I wasn’t lying when I said I hadn’t slept with her in years. I haven’t. And she really is just a friend, but I can understand why Sassy has a hard time believing it. Small town gossip definitely goes rampant sometimes.

I pull up to Sassy’s house at a quarter to six. I make my way to her front door and knock. Amos answers the door, and a big smile comes on his face when he sees me. “Cole, it’s good to see you, son. What are you doing here this time of night?”

I smile and walk through the door he’s holding open for me. I shake his hand. “Good to see you, Amos. I’m here to pick up Sassy.”

Right at that moment, Sassy comes in. “Yeah, we’re going into town to get something to eat. Can we bring you anything back, Amos?”

I catch on that she’s not wanting to tell Amos about the cattlemen’s meeting. It will be weird not seeing him there. But I am caught off guard when she calls him Amos. “What are you doing tonight, Amos?”

He looks grudgingly toward Sassy. “Well, it looks as if I’ll have the house to myself tonight finally. I’ll probably watch a little television, drink a beer, and maybe go shoot a bit.”

“Uh...” I start but don’t finish.

Sassy rushes toward me, and all thoughts of Amos drinking and shooting guns vanishes. “We should go... we don’t want to be late for dinner.”

I nod and say bye to Amos, but he’s already got his eyes on the television in front of him. I follow Sassy out the door, and she lets out a breath. “Don’t worry, the nurse is here. I’ve hid all the guns from him, and thanks for not telling him about the cattlemen’s meeting. Today is an off day, and I know if he went it may set him off.”

I shrug and open the passenger side of my truck for her. “He seemed okay. He knew who I was.”

She bites onto her lower lip, and I realize what I just said. Fuck. “Sassy...”

She waves me off. “It’s fine. Today he thinks I’m the help.” She does a little laugh to try and hide the pain she’s feeling.

“Aww, honey.”

She holds her hand up to stop me. “No, don’t. Don’t feel sorry for me. I’m fine.”

I nod my head. “I know you are.” And because I can’t stop myself, I lean in and press my lips to hers.

I back away, and she’s looking at me with surprise. I’ve kissed her before—hell, I’ve had my tongue in her pussy—but a kiss for comfort surprises her. I’m definitely doing something wrong.

The drive to the meeting doesn’t take long. Sassy is quiet most of the ride, and even though she’s never been to a cattlemen’s meeting before, she fits right in. Almost everyone knows her already, and it’s obvious by the way the other people react to her that she’s respected in the ranching community.

“Sassy Reid!”

Sassy and I both turn at the man’s voice. The only difference is I’m scowling and she’s smiling ear to ear. They embrace in a hug, and the man lifts her feet off the floor. It takes everything in me not to pull her out of his arms. “Aaron James. I haven’t seen you since we graduated! How is college?”

The man’s face turns red. “It was okay but not for me. I made it two years and decided I’d rather come back and help run the family ranch.”

Sassy seems excited. “So you’re back! I bet your family is happy to have you home.”

He shakes his head and opens his mouth just as tonight’s speaker announces that we’re going to start. Sassy and Aaron mention talking after the meeting, and Sassy sits down next to me, smiling ear to ear.

When she finally looks at me, she seems taken aback by the scowl on my face. She looks around and then asks, “What did I miss? You okay?”

I force my eyes off her and to the front of the room. I feel her shrug her shoulders and do the same. She has no idea that just seeing her hugging an old friend is enough to make me come unglued. I’ve never been a jealous person, but with Sassy, I’m learning all kinds of new things about myself.

Sassy pulls a notebook and pencil out of her purse, and I watch as she focuses on the speakers at the front. I usually pay attention at these things, but Sassy’s nearness and the scent of her strawberry shampoo has me off kilter.

The speaker talks about the price of beef, new testing for local water sources, and the current state of hay after the small drought we had, and Sassy writes it all down.

The door behind us bangs, and everyone in their seat turns around. It’s Delilah, and she smiles and waves as she comes in the room. “Sorry, everyone. Didn’t mean to interrupt or be late. My usual ride bailed on me.”

She finds me in the room and smirks at me. I know she’s only joking, and I shake my head at her. She comes to my aisle and passes Sassy and then me to sit in the vacant seat next to me. I feel Sassy tense, and I do my best to pay attention to the front of the room, but it’s useless. It’s like I can see the exact moment that Sassy makes the connection of who the woman is sitting next to me.

Sassy turns to look at me, and Delilah smiles at her, leaning across me with her hand on my knee. “Hey, you must be Sassy. The reason I lost my ride tonight.” She laughs as she says it. “I’m Delilah.”

All the blood seems to drain from Sassy’s face. She grimaces and turns back toward the front. Fuck me, this can’t get any worse. I know there’s nothing between Delilah and me besides friendship, and she didn’t mean anything by it, but obviously Sassy is hurt.

I turn to her. “Sassy, honey...”

She clenches her eyes shut and shakes her head, whispering, “Don’t... please.”

I slam my mouth shut and try to pay attention the rest of the meeting. Delilah is looking apologetic, Sassy is looking as if she wants to be anywhere but here, and I’m caught in the middle. As soon as the meeting is over, Sassy is on her feet making her way to the door. I reach for her, but she shrugs me off. “I need to go to the ladies’ room.”

I let her go, and Delilah follows me out of the row. “I guess I shouldn’t have opened my damn mouth. I’m sorry, Cole. I didn’t mean...”

I shake my head. “It’s fine. I’ll explain to Sassy.”

She nods, squeezes me on the arm, and makes her way across the room. I stare at the door that Sassy went out of and decide to follow her. I go down the hall and wait outside the ladies’ bathroom.

There’s no one in the hallway and I stand out here for a good five minutes before finally knocking on the door and pushing it open a little. “Sassy? You okay in there?”

Silence.

I push the door open farther. “Sassy!”

When no one answers, I walk in and look under the stalls and see no feet. “Fuck!”

I open my phone and call her. She doesn’t answer.

I text her. Sassy, where are you at?

I go down the hall and outside. She’s not waiting by my truck. I look up and down the street and nothing. She’s not walking, and she couldn’t have gotten far. I call her again, but she doesn’t answer. Then I text her. Sassy, please, I’m worried. Where are you?

I wait just a few seconds and text her again. Please.

Finally, the bubbles light up, and I let out a breath of relief. If she’s texting me, she’s at least physically okay. I got a ride from Aaron. You can now give Delilah a ride home .

Fuck me! I fucked this up.

I’m in my truck and heading toward home in an instant.

I run red lights and stop signs, and by the time I get on the open road toward our ranches, I floor it. I pull into her driveway with gravel flying.

When I stop, I see Aaron James sitting on Sassy’s porch drinking what looks like a glass of iced tea.

I’m out of the truck and up on the porch in an instant. “Hey there, thanks for giving Sassy a ride home.”

He’s oblivious to what’s going on. Sassy is sitting on the porch swing, eyeing me warily while Aaron drinks his tea. He swallows. “Sure thing, no problem.”

Because I don’t know any other way, I go and sit down next to Sassy on the swing. “Did you tell Aaron our good news?”

She gives me the look. Something like a cross between How dare you? and You’d better not , but I don’t listen because right now, I want the whole damn town to know, and if I have to tell each person I come across, I’ll do it. “Sassy and I got married a few days ago.”

Aaron chokes on the sweet tea. Sassy makes a move to help him, and I get up and slap him on the back. “You okay?”

He chokes again. “Uh yeah, no, Sassy didn’t tell me the good news. Congratulations.”

I sit back down and smile at him under the porch light. “Thanks. We appreciate that.”

Aaron doesn’t hang out after that. He finishes off his tea and makes an excuse to leave before he hightails it out of here.

As soon as he’s in his truck, Sassy turns to me with her eyes raging and her hands held tightly together in her lap. “You’re telling everyone we’re married.”

“We are,” I deadpan.

She crosses her arms over her chest. “Oh yeah? Did you tell Delilah?”