“Oh, crap.” Bianca grunted. “You’re right. I need two more. Dang it. Give me some options.”
Bristol ran through faces in her head, tried to think of who else Bianca could add, but couldn’t come up with anyone. Most of the men she knew were married with children because that was her business and all.
“Do you think Callen Mosier would be interested?” Bianca asked.
“Callen?” Bristol didn’t know Callen well, but he was good friends with Rex, her oldest and dearest friend. Callen’s family owned the hardware store in town, and she’d talked to him on occasion, but never at length.
“Last I heard, he was datin’ some city girl,” Bianca explained, “but they broke up. He’d be perfect.”
“If you say so.” Bristol figured anyone was perfect at this point. At least as far as Bianca was concerned.
“What about Reese Tavoularis?” Bianca suggested.
“He is officially off the market.”
“Seriously? When did that happen?”
Bristol wasn’t entirely sure as to the timeline, but she’d seen Reese and Brantley Walker out and about a few times lately and there was some definite chemistry there. Although it seemed they were pretending otherwise.
Clearly not needing a response, Bianca continued, “Fine. What about Cassius King?”
“Really? You want that hot-headed cowboy in your auction?”
“Personally, I think he gets a bad rap. If not him, what about Rafe Sharpe?”
“No,” she said quickly. “Not Rafe.”
“Ohh-kay.”
Bristol would not go into the reasons for leaving Rafe alone, so she focused on Cassius. “I think Cassius’ll do. I’m sure he can mind his manners for a little while. He’ll be the youngest in the group,” she told Bianca. “But why not?”
“Fine. You twisted my arm. I’ll drop in at the hardware store and talk to Callen, then I’ll see if I can track down Cassius.”
“He works for Jeremiah Tucker. On his ranch.”
“Perfect. If he’s not there, I’m sure he’ll be at Moonshiners on Friday night when I go in for a celebratory drink.”
“What are you celebrating?”
“The fact that I’ve got the auction filled up, of course.”
“Will you be ready by Saturday?”
“Yep. Easy peasy.”
“You still plannin’ to have the stage set up outside?”
“Yes. Not too far from the haunted house. Cross your fingers the weatherman holds true to his word. It’s supposed to be nice. Might as well take advantage of it.”
“I’ll help you any way I can,” Bristol told her friend.
“You can start by celebratin’ with me at Moonshiners on Friday,” Bianca said, sounding somewhat distracted now.
“I’d love to. I’ll call the girls. See if they wanna come.” It was the first Friday night in a long time that she didn’t have babysitting plans. In fact, because of the fall festival, she’d kept the entire weekend open.
“Perfect. Friday at eight?”
Bristol noted it on her calendar so she wouldn’t forget. “I’ll be there with bells on. But we’re also meetin’ for breakfast one day this week. You promised.”
Bianca grumbled. “I know. Up with the chickens. Yes, we’ll meet for breakfast. Just tell me which day when you figure it out.”
“I will.” After disconnecting the call, Bristol leaned back in her chair and briefly wondered if Kaden and Keegan would be at Moonshiners on Friday. Then she snapped out of it and remembered she didn’t want them to be.
Or so she tried to tell herself.
*
Keegan spent the morning working on one of the Walker Demo trucks, giving it a much needed oil change, then shifting hats and helping Ethan out with some of the paperwork. Although he wasn’t as quick with the numbers as Kaden, he could hold his own. Not exactly his favorite thing to do, but he knew it had to be done.
After spending three hours holed up in the office, he ventured out to grab lunch for him and Kaden, brought it back. They ate in their makeshift break room—toolbox for table, stools to sit on—then they both went back to work.
It was the same thing they did every single day. A routine they’d somehow fallen into. When they’d first offered to help out with Walker Demo, it had been before Ethan and Beau had the triplets. A temporary gig until something else came along. That was a year and a half ago. Then they’d agreed to stay on when Ethan told them he was hoping Beau could stay home with the babies. On most days, Keegan didn’t mind it. Work was work, and since he was good with an engine, it wasn’t too bad.
Didn’t mean he wasn’t dreaming of the day they were working for themselves. It wasn’t that he was all that hyped on the idea of a business on Main Street, arcade or otherwise. No, Keegan still held out hope of owning a small cattle ranch, running it with his brother. Some days he felt the itch so bad, he wanted to toss the wrenches and go in search of something bigger. Unfortunately, he knew Kaden would spend hours talking his ear off, convincing him this was where they belonged for now, so Keegan knew better than to get all twisted up inside.
He was just about to bring up the subject again when a voice sounded from just outside the bay door.
“I hope to God y’all are decent in there.”
Keegan glanced over at Kaden. “You think she’ll say that every time she stops by?”
“If she’s smart she will.”
“Ain’t no one naked off in here,” Keegan announced, heading up to greet their boss.
Autumn Jameson stepped into the building, a Walker Demo cap on her head. She pulled it off, used her fingers to tousle her short, multi-hued, curly hair, and offered a winning grin. “Figure it pays to be cautious.”
“Oh, trust me, it does.”
Keegan had walked in on Ethan and Beau a couple of times during the time he’d been working here. It wasn’t that he cared what they did when they were alone, but he’d learned the hard way that Ethan expected to be left alone if he was caught—quite literally—with his pants down. None of that oops, you caught us, better get dressed stuff for Ethan. No, sir. Which led to the awkward part, having to leave and come back, timing it perfectly. And then pretending you didn’t get an eyeful.
“What brings you by?” Kaden asked, getting to his feet as he crumpled his paper sack and tossed it into the garbage.
“Just checking in. Thought I’d see if you needed me to get anything.” Her brown eyes scanned the interior of the building. “Or maybe y’all needed some help.”
Keegan chuckled. He had learned early that Autumn did not have a problem getting her hands dirty. In fact, he was pretty sure she enjoyed it more than running the business.
So when she offered, he did his best to take her up on it.
“Got one machine that’s givin’ us trouble,” he said, shooting a quick look to Kaden, warning his brother to shut it.
“Yeah?” She sounded relieved and more than a little hopeful. “What’s the problem with it?”
He motioned to the backhoe that continued to give them shit.
“Is that the same one we worked on before?”