“He hated to back out at the last minute.”
“If he resembles the Hulk, it was a wise move,” Cassidy said matter-of-factly. “For these events, handsome, not hulk, is what brings in the money.”
Tim’s gaze lingered for a moment on the pretty blondes, sensual brunettes and one dazzling redhead getting their hair and makeup done. It slid to the group of young men standing together talking.
Other than Liam-the-absent, the guys on the chopping block tonight weren’t his buds. These men were businessmen and ski industry people, at least five or six years younger than Tim. His social circle—and hers—was composed primarily of medical professionals and young entrepreneurs with a few attorneys and social workers tossed into the mix.
Cassidy fell into the entrepreneur bucket. She owned a successful hair salon—Clippity Do Dah—in downtown Jackson. In the past year she’d expanded into doing hair, nails and makeup for events, such as weddings and other special occasions.
“I’m not sure exactly what I’m supposed to do.” Tim shoved his hands into his pockets and rocked back on his heels. “Liam just told me to show up.”
“Lexi Delacourt is coordinating tonight’s fund-raiser. You know Lexi.”
“Of course.” The lines of strain on Tim’s face eased.
Lexi was a mutual friend. She was also as classy and elegant as they came. The pretty social worker brought that class and elegance to anything she touched, which meant the auction wouldn’t be sleazy. Or at least as non-sleazy as bidding on another human being could be.
“I’ll take you to her.” Cassidy looped her arm through his, congratulating herself on so quickly finding a reason to touch him.
As always, being this close sent blood coursing through her veins like warm honey. Though Cassidy normally preferred bright colors and flash, Tim’s brown trousers and cream-colored shirt suited her just fine. In fact, on him she found the subdued colors incredibly sexy.
Cassidy glanced down, wondering if he liked her bright orange skirt that resembled a tutu—complete with tulle—topped by a clingy lime tee. The outfit was one of her faves.
“This way.” Cassidy tugged on his arm.
His feet remained firmly planted. “You’re busy. I don’t want to interrupt.”
Cassidy looked at him blankly.
Tim gestured toward Zippy, who was busily applying another layer of color to her mouth.
Cassidy approved of the young woman’s efforts. After all, could lips ever be too red?
“No worries.” She tugged again, more firmly this time, and he moved with her, the faint intoxicating scent of his cologne teasing her nostrils. “Zippy is the last woman up, so I have plenty of time.”
He nodded. “I just didn’t want to disturb you.”
She smiled to herself. What would he say if she told him everything about him disturbed her, but in only the very best of ways? Cassidy barely resisted the urge to ask. Instead, she steered the conversation in another direction. “How are Esi and Elle?”
Tim cocked his head and stared as if she’d spoken a language he hadn’t yet mastered.
“Oh, you mean Esther and Ellyn.” Warmth filled his eyes the way it always did whenever he spoke of his daughters. “They’re well. Spending the evening with Grandma and Grandpa.”
“I bet your mother had a coronary when she heard you were filling in for Liam tonight.”
Cassidy didn’t have to be a fly on the wall to know how that discussion had gone down. Suzanne Duggan, retired schoolteacher, helicopter grandmother and all-around pain in the butt would never approve of her doctor son participating in anything as gauche as a bachelor auction, even if it was for a good cause.
“She didn’t say much.”
Tim may have kept his tone offhand but Cassidy wasn’t fooled. Mama bear had definitely given him a few hard swipes of her tongue.
“What did Jayne think?” This time it was her tone that was carefully neutral. To complete the trifecta, she paired the voice with an interested expression and a slightly raised brow.
“Jayne?”
“Jayne Connors,” Cassidy prompted.
“I didn’t think to mention it.”
Relief surged, as sweet as a bottle of cold beer on a hot summer day. Obviously Tim and Jayne were still casual, though Cass had to wonder for how much longer. It was hard to miss the desire in the librarian’s eye whenever her gaze landed on him. Not-so-plain Jayne clearly had Dr. Duggan in her crosshairs.
“...for such a good cause.”
Cassidy realized that while her mind was tripping down the plain-Jayne path, Tim had been speaking. Thankfully, thinking on her feet was a specialty of hers. After all, as a hairdresser, she spent a lot of time on her feet.
“Raising money for the new Women and Children’s Center is something I fully support,” he continued. Compassion filled those hazel eyes. His caring nature was one more check in his positive column. “For such an affluent community we have so many women and children who struggle...”
For a second, her throat constricted and breathing came hard. Instead of remaining stuffed away in a rarely opened file cabinet in her head, the comment brought her own childhood front-and-square.
Cassidy plucked the disturbing memories from her head, shoved them back into the file cabinet and firmly shut the drawer. The past had no place in her life. She was all about the present and the future.
“Lexi is right there.” Cassidy gestured with her free hand, wishing the auction registration desk had been farther away. She wasn’t ready to release Tim back into the world. These one-on-one times were rare and the warmth of his skin beneath her fingers an unexpected pleasure.
“I should speak with Lexi.” Yet he made no move to step away.
Though Cassidy sometimes wondered how she could be the only one to feel the sizzle that was so blatant whenever they stood close, she wasn’t foolish enough to entertain the thought that Tim hesitated because he wanted to spend a few more moments with her. He was simply uneasy about what he’d agreed to do and was trying to put off beginning the process for as long as possible.
“I have this image of standing up there and not getting a single bid.” He emitted a slightly embarrassed chuckle. “I’m a middle-aged dad. Who’s going to bid on me?”
Tim wasn’t fishing for a compliment; he wasn’t that kind of guy. He obviously had no idea just how appealing he was to the opposite sex.
“You’re thirty-four. You’re successful. You’re hot.”
He laughed. “Yeah, right.”
“If it will ease your mind, I’ll start the bidding,” she promised him. “Kick things off.”
Gratitude flooded his face. “You’d do that for me?”
“Hey.” She punched him in the shoulder. “We’re buddies.”
Okay, perhaps that was a stretch, but saying it felt incredibly good.
“You’re a very nice person.” His gaze lingered on her face so long that her lips began to tingle. For a second, she had this crazy thought he might kiss her.
Instead he squeezed her shoulder and strolled off in Lexi’s direction.
* * *
After Cassidy finished making Zippy even more stunning, she took a few moments to touch up her own makeup and hair.
The auction of five women and five men had already started. The order had been predetermined beginning with a female and following