Strings of the Heart (Runaway Train #3)(27)

“I don’t blame you on that one. Who are you here with?”

“Rhys McGowan.” When her blue eyes widened, I quickly said, “He and my brother are bandmates.”

“Ah, yes, Rhys McGowan. He grew up to be such a cutie pie, didn’t he?”

With warmth flooding my cheeks, I replied, “Yes, he did.”

“Thinking of betting on him this evening?”

“Um, well…” I wasn’t sure if Rhys wanted me to make our plans known.

“He’s a hot ticket, honey. If it were me, I wouldn’t have to think twice.”

“Yes, I am planning to bet on him.”

Vivian smiled. “Good for you. Now hold my spot a minute while I run and grab a bite to eat. I’m famished.”

“Sure.”

Two more bachelors were auctioned by the time Vivian returned. “Who is next?”

I glanced down at the program. “A Jackson Marshall.”

Shifting her plate to her left hand, she said, “Oh, thank God, I didn’t miss him.”

“Is he your boyfriend?” I asked casually.

Vivian hooted with laughter. “Oh honey, maybe forty years ago I would’ve tried to get my hooks into him, but he’s young enough to be my grandson.”

“I’m sorry.”

She waved her hand that held a canapé. “Don’t be. There is a reason why I want to bet on him.”

Rhys interrupted my thoughts by saying, “Going once, going twice, sold for one thousand dollars.”

As applause erupted around us, Vivian leaned in to whisper in my ear. “Jackson’s father was arrested awhile back for absconding with investors’ money—total white-collar criminal, if you get my drift. The one thing that people in Savannah society prides themselves on are being close-minded, unforgiving ass**les. It doesn’t matter that Jackson is an upstanding young man with a 4.0 GPA at Vanderbilt. Most people here would love to see him ostracized, even though he couldn’t help, nor was responsible for, what his daddy did.”

At that moment, Rhys called Jackson’s name. When he strode up to the podium, my eyes bulged in surprise. It was as if Chace Crawford had entered the room. Jackson’s blue eyes sparkled as he glanced into the crowd. “Oh my,” I murmured.

Vivian chuckled. “I forgot to mention how handsome he was, didn’t I?”

“Just a little.”

Taking the microphone, Rhys read off a biography about Jackson that of course made him sound entirely too good to be true. When he finished, Rhys said, “Now let’s start the bidding at five hundred.”

Silence reverberated around the room. As Jackson’s beaming smile receded a bit, Rhys cleared his throat. “Do I have five hundred?”

As Vivian drew in a breath, I shot in front of her. “Five hundred!” I blurted before I could stop myself. It didn’t matter that I didn’t have five hundred dollars or that I didn’t even want to begin to explain to my parents why the charge on my “emergency” credit card was actually for a bachelor auction.

A gasp went up in the crowd, and Rhys blinked at me a few times like he wasn’t sure he could believe what he was seeing. Jackson, meanwhile, broadened his smile and winked at me. I ducked my head as my cheeks flushed.

“Well, well, look at you,” Vivian whispered.

Cutting my eyes over to hers, I replied, “I couldn’t help it. I felt so bad for him up there.”

“Never fear, honey. I’m about to put all these narrow-minded ass**les in their place.” She grinned. “I just hope you don’t mind if I outbid you.”

“Oh no, please do. My bid was simply a moment of impulsive stupidity.”

I then shifted my gaze back to Rhys who appeared to have finally recovered from my outburst. It seemed that I had gotten the ball rolling on some bets for Jackson. “We have nine hundred. Do I hear a thousand?”

With a wave of her hand, Vivian said, “Ten thousand dollars.”

My mouth gaped open in shock while chatter buzzed around us. Jackson grinned and shook his head at Vivian. Rhys coughed. “I believe that was for ten thousand dollars?”

“That’s right, sugar,” Vivian drawled.

“So we have ten thousand for Jackson Marshall. Do I have eleven?” He then had the audacity to look at me and raise his brows. When I scowled back at him, he laughed. “That’s ten going once, twice, and sold to Mrs. Vivian Percy.”

As faint applause echoed around us, Jackson came striding toward us. He pulled Vivian into a bear hug. “Thank you, Miss Vivian. You once again have managed to be far too generous when it comes to me.”

She gave his cheek a smacking kiss. Rubbing her lipstick off him, she said, “I think it was just enough.” She winked at me. “I’m sure that’ll have their tongues wagging all night, especially when Jackson here goes for the highest price all evening.”

“I do appreciate it. And I hope you’ll let you me take you out for dinner and drinks—all on me, of course,” Jackson said.

“I would be honored. I’d love to catch up with you about how college is going.” Vivian snapped her fingers. “Oh my, I just remembered that Jules will be here for a visit in a few weeks.”

Jackson smiled. “I’d love to see her.”