Nate #2
I lean against my cruiser, watching Ollie sniff around the parking lot as I give him some freedom. I try to offer this to him before each time we get into the cruiser, and he’s gotten used to his exploration time.
It makes up for the times we have to get into the cruiser quickly, when he doesn’t get a chance to relax. Ollie loves his job, but at the end of the day, he’s a dog, and a young one. I try to keep that in mind.
As the German Shepherd sniffs each of the cars in the lot, I look out at the mountains. Most of the peaks on the horizon aren’t actually that far away. The sheer magnitude and the contrast of the snow-capped peaks against a clear blue sky make them appear more distant.
My phone vibrates in my palm with another text.
Rory
You do realize what you've signed up for, right? I can’t believe Dad talked you into this.
Nate
I'm starting to get the picture. I’ve seen the pageant, but it’s been a few years. Trying to think of what to do for the talent portion. No dogs allowed, so can’t use Ollie. What else am I good at?
I can think of a few things…
I don’t think I can do those on stage. Definitely not in front of Jim and Dylan.
Wow, your mind went straight to the gutter, huh?
Ollie peers up at my snort of laughter.
Nate
Guilty. But with a hot girlfriend like you, who could blame me?
Rory
I think you have a few options. We can talk later. But the talent portion is the least of your worries, IMO.
My stomach drops. What could possibly be worse than having to perform some kind of talent in front of the entire town?
That’s a rhetorical question, of course. There are about a thousand insane possibilities in a town like High Lonesome. I’m going to need some details to figure out just how worried I should be.
Nate
What's worse than the talent portion? I’ve been promised that there’s no swimsuit competition.
Rory
No swimsuits, but…the charity event this year. I was talking to Stacey about it earlier today. They’re doing a bachelor auction.
I blink at the phone screen.
Nate
A what now?
Rory
A bachelor auction. All the Mr. Lonesome contestants get auctioned off for charity. Highest bidder gets a date with you, and the contestant who brings in the highest bid wins that event.
I need a minute to process that one.
A date auction?
A date auction?
Even when Ollie trots up to me and presses his nose to my thigh, letting me know he’s ready to go back to work, I haven’t figured out how I feel about this. Not good, obviously.
I open the door for Ollie, who bounds into the back seat with his usual excitement, then type out a reply.
Nate
Please tell me you're joking.
Please. For the love of all things holy.
The reply comes far too quickly.
Rory
Nope. The organizers are all excited about it, too. They think it’ll bring in more money than past charity events. I think they’re right, TBH.
Nate
Well, start saving up your cash. I need you to bid on me and win.
It should go without saying, but the only person I want to date is Rory. Even if it’s for charity.
Nate
Actually, don’t even worry about that part. I’ll pay whatever you end up bidding. Just make sure you win.
Rory
Got it. And thanks for your undying loyalty. But seriously, how did Dad talk you into this whole thing? Are you sure you can’t back out?
He said the competition needs a Kelley.
There's a pause before another text comes through.
Rory
That got to you, didn't it? Him calling you a Kelley.
I knew she’d get it. Despite this ridiculous situation and all of the questions looming in my head about this stupid pageant, I smile at the message because she knows me. The good, the bad, all of it.
And I wouldn’t have it any other way.
My smile grows, the way it always does when I think of Rory. With her by my side, I can handle just about anything. A little town competition is nothing. Hell, I’ll even try to win.
Because despite everything, I have Rory. And soon, if things go my way, she’ll be my fiancée. Then my wife.
Mrs. Aurora Patterson. Has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it?
God, I can’t wait. All I’ve wanted for years is to be with Rory, to make her mine forever.
If Jim and Dylan consider me an honorary Kelley? That feels like proof that I’m almost there.
I slide into the driver’s seat of the police SUV and fasten my seat belt before I tap out a reply to Rory.
Nate
It might have gotten to me a little. But I would have helped him out anyway, you know.
Rory
That's sweet. Manipulative as hell on Dad's part, but sweet that it worked on you.
I can still back out if you want me to.
I mentally cross my fingers.
Please give me a reason to back out.
Rory
No way. You're in this now. I can't wait to see what you come up with for the talent portion.
I should have seen that one coming, I suppose. I trust Rory to stand by me through thick and thin, but at the same time, she’ll never pass up an opportunity to watch me make a fool of myself.
I groan and slip my phone back into my pocket.
It looks like this pageant thing is happening no matter what. So now I need to come up with something to display during the talent portion. It has to be great because I want to win this thing for Rory’s family.
I rack my brain as the engine springs to life and I shift into drive. I’m not certain that I have any talents, at least not that I can showcase in front of the entire town.
In the back seat, Ollie perks his head up. It’s almost like he can tell what I’m thinking.
"Yeah, I know, boy. I'm an idiot.”
I turn out of the parking lot and onto High Street, the main road through town and where most of the businesses are clustered.
The High Lonesome Police Department rarely sends officers out to patrol the streets. There’s not a large area of the town to begin with, and it’s rare that we catch anyone speeding, given the layout of the roads. Hell, I can’t even remember the last time I just drove around like this.
But while I haven’t figured out answers to most of the questions about this pageant, I know I need some alone time to clear my head. If nothing else, I’m hoping to come to terms with the idea that I’ve basically agreed to be auctioned off.
And the talent portion?
I need to figure something out.
And I don’t have much time.