Destiny's Last Bachelor? by Christyne Butler Read Free Book Online Page B

her if he was married? He tightened his grip. “Didn’t I make that fact clear yesterday?”
    A light flush colored her cheeks. “Yes, you did. My apologies.”
    Bobby laughed. “Are you kidding? Zip will be one of Destiny’s last bachelors.”
    One elegant eyebrow lifted. “Zip?”
    For a reason he couldn’t figure out at the moment, Dean didn’t want her calling him that. “It’s a nickname. But call me Dean.”
    She blinked once, the pink tinge on her face deepening as she focused her attention back on Bobby and Leeann. “Would you say that the single-to-married ratio is fairly balanced in Destiny?”
    “I guess so,” Leann answered. “I never really thought about it much.”
    “What about male versus female? I’m hoping Mr. Zipp—Dean—isn’t truly the town’s last bachelor?”
    “Oh, yeah?” Dean asked. “Why is that?”
    “Well, you would need at least a dozen to make this worthwhile.”
    “I’m confused,” Bobby said. “A dozen what?”
    “Bachelors,” Priscilla announced with a bright smile. “A bachelor auction, with the ladies bidding for a night on the town with the men of their choice, could be just the event you’re looking for.”

Chapter Four
    T he surprise in Priscilla’s blue eyes told him laughter was the last thing she expected in response to her idea, but Dean—and thankfully, Bobby was chuckling right there with him—couldn’t help himself. “Are you serious?” he choked out after pausing to catch his breath. “Okay, I’m sorry. I can see you are, but a bachelor auction? That’s—”
    “Wonderful!” Leeann scooched to the edge of the sofa and leaned toward Priscilla. “I think it’s a perfectly wonderful idea.”
    “You do?” Dean and Bobby spoke in unison.
    Bobby’s amusement instantly faded to disbelief. “Really?”
    “Of course!” She turned to her husband, staring at him as if she didn’t understand how he didn’t see the big picture. “There are plenty of unmarried men in Destiny who can participate. Many of the ranches must have single cowboys. Heck, Maggie and Landon have expanded their place so much over the last year they’ve got at least three or four men who are unattached.”
    “Does that include Willie? He’s got to be pushing eighty,” Bobby said. “Hey, wait a minute, you said you’ve never thought about the unmarried men in this town.”
    “I haven’t. Until now. And yes, Willie could be included. There shouldn’t be an age limit. What about the sheriff’s department? I’ve been away a few years now, but I know there’s at least a couple of single—” Leeann broke off, turning back to Priscilla. “Divorced men count, too, right? Single dads are okay?”
    “Uh, yeah, sure.” Priscilla looked surprised by the question, but then she recovered. “I mean, of course, divorced men and single dads would be fine. Being currently unattached would be the only prerequisite, I’d imagine.”
    “Do you really think ladies are going to bid on a man?” Dean asked, the whole concept a bit mind-boggling for him. He was all for the female sex taking the initiative, but this? “For a date?”
    “Are you kidding? They’ll love it. It’s like the old Sadie Hawkins dances back in high school! You remember? Where the girls get to invite the boys?” Leeann asked.
    “How could I forget? It was one of our first dates,” Bobby said. “Of course, that invite didn’t cost you anything.”
    “Just a lot of sleepless nights and a healthy chunk of my teenage pride over the fear you’d say no. Now, where to hold such an event?” Leeann paused, biting down on her bottom lip for a moment. “We would need a place big enough— Oh, I know! The Blue Creek Saloon! It’s a big place with a huge dance floor and a stage. Would that work?”
    Priscilla glanced his way for a moment. Was she remembering his offer of the best burgers in town, maybe?
    “I don’t know what the facility looks like, but a stage would work best for this sort of