EPILOGUE
The student center ballroom had been transformed with string lights, a makeshift stage, and rows of folding chairs filled with excited students—mostly female.
A buzz of anticipation hung in the air as I squeezed into a seat near the front row, clutching a small purse filled with a wad of cash I’d brought to support Foster.
“I can’t believe the guys agreed to do this,” I muttered to Sam, who sat beside me practically vibrating with excitement.
“Are you kidding? This is going to be epic,” she replied, scanning the crowd. “Every sorority on campus is here. The hockey guys are going to make a fortune.”
I fidgeted nervously with the auction paddle I’d been given at the door.
“You have enough money, right?” Sam asked, eyeing my small purse.
I nodded. “I brought two hundred dollars. That should be enough, don’t you think?”
Foster and I had been dating for nearly seven months now, and while we’d agreed I should bid on him—because as captain he had to participate, but didn’t want to go on a date with anyone else—neither of us expected the bidding to go too high. After all, everyone knew we were together.
Sam’s expression turned doubtful. “Mmm, maybe.”
My stomach dropped. “Everyone knows we’re a couple. Would another girl really bid on him?”
“Hopefully not, but some girls like chasing what they can’t have,” Sam said with an eye roll.
Before I could respond, the lights dimmed and music started pumping through the speakers. Ava Dumontier, Drew’s twin sister, walked out on stage with a beaming smile. She seemed completely in her element.
“Welcome, everyone, to the first annual Clark Fork University Hockey Bachelor Auction,” she announced, her voice booming through the microphone.
“I’m Ava Dumontier, your emcee for the evening.
All proceeds tonight go directly to supporting our hockey team’s travel and equipment costs.
Remember, you’re bidding on a date with these fine gentlemen, nothing more.
And now, for the moment you’ve all been waiting for. Let the bachelor bidding begin!
“Let’s get this show on the road with bachelor number one—the man, the myth, the legend—Liam ‘the Hot Irishman’ Farrell!”
Liam strutted onto the stage to the tune of “I’m Too Sexy,” wearing jeans and a tight black T-shirt that showcased his athletic build. He grinned and flexed dramatically, causing several girls in the front row to squeal.
Ava read from a card. “Liam is a sophomore defenseman from Montana who enjoys long walks to the refrigerator and has been known to quote poetry when drunk. Ladies, the starting bid is twenty dollars. Who wants to try their luck with the Hot Irishman?”
The bidding for Liam started immediately, with paddles shooting up across the room. It quickly escalated, finally ending at $175 when a pretty blonde in the back won him. Liam winked at her as he left the stage.
Several more hockey players were auctioned off, each introduction more ridiculous than the last. The crowd was getting rowdier, and the bids were climbing higher than I’d anticipated. My palms began to sweat as I realized my $200 might not be enough after all.
“Next up,” Ava announced, “we have the strong, silent type—Harrison ‘Gordy’ Gordon!”
Gordy walked out looking slightly uncomfortable but managed a small smile. Unlike some of the others, he’d kept it simple with jeans and a dark button-down shirt that brought out his gray eyes.
“Gordy is our star goalie who stops pucks with the same efficiency that he stops conversations with his dry wit. Starting bid is twenty dollars!”
The bidding for Gordy was competitive but not outrageous, ending at $120. He looked relieved when it was over, giving a polite nod to the girl who’d won him.
“And now,” Ava said, building suspense, “our team captain, the man with the moves both on and off the ice—Foster ‘Candy Kane’ Kane!”
My heart jumped into my throat as Foster walked onto the stage.
He was wearing dark jeans and a blue Henley that made his blue eyes pop.
His hair was slightly tousled, and he had that easy smile that had first caught my attention years ago.
He looked confident but not cocky, giving a small wave to the audience.
“Foster is a junior business major who can skate backward faster than most people can run forward. When he’s not leading our team to victory, he enjoys hiking, reading, and making his girlfriend blush—which, as you can see, he’s doing right now.”
The spotlight suddenly found me in the crowd, and I felt my face flame as everyone turned to look. Foster grinned and winked at me, which only made me blush harder.
“Starting bid is twenty dollars, though I think we all know where this one’s going to end up,” Ava added with a knowing smile.
I raised my paddle immediately. “Twenty!”
“Twenty dollars from the girlfriend,” Ava confirmed. “Do I hear twenty-five?”
“Fifty dollars!” called a voice from the back.
I turned to see Brittany Armstrong, looking perfectly polished in designer clothes, her paddle held high.
Sam nudged me. “Ugh, that girl annoys me.”
“Seventy-five,” I countered, trying to keep my voice steady.
“One hundred,” Brittany shot back without hesitation.
My stomach churned. This was escalating faster than I’d expected. I raised my paddle again, hoping to end this. “One fifty.”
“Two hundred,” Brittany said, smirking in my direction.
I swallowed hard. That was all the money I’d brought. I looked up at Foster, who was watching the exchange with a furrowed brow.
“Two fifty,” said a deep voice beside me. I turned to see Gordy sliding into the seat on my other side, pressing cash into my hand.
“What are you—”
“Just bid,” he said quietly.
I raised my paddle. “Two hundred and fifty.”
“Three hundred,” Brittany called, looking less confident.
“Three fifty,” came another voice as Liam appeared, stuffing more bills into my hand.
My eyes widened as I realized what was happening. The hockey guys were pooling their money to help me win. My smile grew as I watched Brittany’s wither.
“Three sixty,” Brittany countered, her voice taking on a whiny edge.
Drew materialized behind me, leaning down to whisper, “We got you,” as he added more cash to my growing pile.
“Three seventy-five,” I called, my voice stronger now.
“Four hundred,” Brittany said, her jaw tight.
This girl could not take a hint.
Sam pulled out her wallet. “Those hockey boys saved my drunk ass more than once. Here,” she said, adding her own money to my stack. “Make it five hundred.”
I looked at my friends in disbelief before turning back to raise my paddle. “Five hundred dollars.”
A collective “ooh” went through the crowd. Foster was trying to suppress a grin on stage with his hand rubbing over his mouth, but his eyes gave him away.
Brittany hesitated, then raised her paddle, but before she could say a word, Sam stood up and turned to face her, fixing her with the most intimidating glare I’d ever seen Sam give anyone.
The entire room went quiet as they stared each other down.
After what felt like an eternity, Brittany slowly lowered her paddle, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment.
“Damn, she’s fierce,” Gordy whispered with a hint of admiration in his voice.
“Going once…going twice…sold to Abby Walker for five hundred dollars!” Ava announced triumphantly.
The crowd erupted in applause as Foster jumped off the stage and made his way to me. He slid his hand through my hair and pulled my mouth to his, kissing me fiercely so there wasn’t a single doubt who he belonged to.
“That’s my girl,” he murmured when he finally broke the kiss.
“I had help,” I admitted, gesturing to the hockey guys and Sam.
Foster looked around at his teammates and nodded in appreciation. “I owe you guys.”
“You’d do the same for us,” Gordy said simply.
I laughed, still overwhelmed by what had just happened. It wasn’t just about winning the auction—it was about the way everyone had rallied around me. For someone who had spent most of college feeling invisible, it meant more than they could know.
Foster kept his arm around me as we settled back to watch the rest of the auction. Drew was up next, and Ava took particular delight in introducing her twin brother who jumped up onto the stage from where he’d been sitting near me.
“Next up, we have my brother, Drew ‘Monty’ Dumontier. Despite being related to me, he’s actually not terrible at hockey.
He enjoys long walks on the beach and getting caught with his pants down in inappropriate places—wish I were kidding.
Starting bid is twenty dollars—though personally, I wouldn’t pay more than ten. ”
Drew flipped her off discreetly as he walked on stage in jeans and a tight-fitting white T-shirt. He had the same easy confidence as Foster but with an added edge of mischief in his smile.
And in a move that surprised absolutely no one, he wasn’t on the stage for thirty seconds before he pulled his shirt off and showed off his six-pack abs.
The bidding began enthusiastically after that, with several girls competing. When it reached $200, most dropped out, leaving just two bidders—a blonde sorority girl I vaguely recognized and a pretty redhead.
“Oh, fuck, is that Harper Tinsley?” Foster whispered beside me.
I knew a little about the feud between Drew and Harper from what Foster had told me. Something about their families having been enemies for generations, and Drew’s failed attempt to prank her by plastic-wrapping her car a few months back. I hadn’t met Harper myself, but I’d seen her around campus.
“Two twenty,” Harper called, her voice clear and confident.
“Two forty,” the blonde countered.
“Three hundred,” Harper said without hesitation.
The blonde hesitated, then shook her head and lowered her paddle.
“Sold to Harper Tinsley for three hundred dollars!” Ava announced, looking as surprised as everyone else.
Drew’s expression was priceless—a mixture of shock, suspicion, and something that looked a bit like eagerness. He stepped off the stage and approached Harper, who was sitting with a small group of music students just two rows behind us.
Drew leaned down to speak to Harper, his usual cocky demeanor nowhere to be found. He was smiling at her, and there didn’t seem to be any snark or malice in it like I expected for two people who were supposed to be rivals.
“I’m surprised you bid on me,” he said to Harper. “Where do you want to go for our date? Dinner? Movie? I know a great spot by the river.”
Harper’s laugh rang out, clear and musical. “Oh, Dumontier, I don’t want to date you. I wouldn’t date you if you were the last man alive.”
Drew’s smile faltered. “Then why—”
“I need an assistant for my recital next weekend,” she explained, her eyes glinting with mischief. “Someone to fetch coffee, carry instruments, hold cue cards, and act as my personal hype man. You’ll be perfect.”
Drew’s face fell. “You’re shitting me.”
“I even had a special shirt made,” Harper continued, pulling a folded T-shirt from her bag and holding it up. It was black with “#TinsleyHypeCrew” printed across the chest in bold white letters.
The group around us erupted in laughter as Drew stared at the shirt in horror. Even Foster couldn’t contain his amusement.
“That’s cold,” Liam commented, shaking his head.
“That’s brilliant,” Sam corrected.
I couldn’t help but agree. There was something admirable about Harper’s creativity—and the way she’d managed to turn the tables on Drew so effectively.
Foster laced his fingers through mine, and I let myself lean into him, laughter still bubbling in my chest. Around us, the ballroom was alive with music, voices, and joy.
I was surrounded by people who’d become family, and was happier than I ever could’ve imagined, despite all the loss I’d experienced.
I watched Drew sit back down, still holding the T-shirt like it was radioactive. Across the aisle, Harper smiled to herself and casually tucked her curly hair behind one ear, completely unbothered.
I wasn’t sure if Drew looked more confused or intrigued.
Probably both.
Something told me that Drew and Harper’s story was just beginning.
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