Read Online Bachelor at Her Bidding (Bachelor Auction Book 2) by Kate Hardy - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Kate Hardy
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being close by so he could be there right away when his grandmother needed him. “Anyway, I like living in Marietta.” That bit at least was true. He had good memories of the small town where he’d grown up, and everyone had accepted him back from Bozeman without too many questions.
“You’re a good man, Ry,” she said softly. “Your mom, your dad and your grandpa would be so proud of you.”
The lump in Ryan’s throat felt a mile wide. “Uh-huh,” he mumbled. “Gram, I’m going into town to drop this off a bit later.” On impulse, he added, “Would you like to come with me? Maybe we could put some flowers on Grandpa’s grave.” It would do his grandmother good to get some fresh air. Plus, apart from the time she spent at the care center, she rarely wanted to leave the house nowadays, and that worried him.
“Thanks for asking, honey, but I’m a little tired,” Phyllis said – just as he’d half-expected her to.
Maybe she was right. It was cold and there was still snow on the ground, so the churchyard would be slippery underfoot. Better not to take the risk. But, even so, he worried about her. “I’ll put some flowers on for you,” he said.
“That’s pretty,” Phyllis said, pointing to the croquembouche . “Is that for us?”
Exactly as she’d asked only a couple of minutes before – and even the intonation was the same. His heart sank. She was definitely getting worse. Just a little bit every day, but it was adding up. Like when she’d written out a second batch of Christmas cards, identical in every way to the first – fortunately he’d seen them and promised to go to the mailbox for her, and quietly put them away in a closet.
He couldn’t really leave her on her own. He’d have to ask their neighbor to come and sit with her before he went out.
He made a quick call to Rocco’s Italian first. “Hi – it’s Ryan Henderson,” he said when Ella, one of the wait staff, answered. “I know you have a booking this evening for Rachel Cassidy and five others, and I wondered if I could drop off a surprise birthday cake for her this afternoon.”
“So your date last night was enough of a hit for you to make a cake for her?” Ella teased him.
Well, of course she’d know where he’d spent yesterday evening. Even if Ella hadn’t been at the bachelor auction, she would’ve heard about what had happened. The whole town was buzzing about how much money they’d raised and how Molly could at last talk to a contractor about the work she needed done on the house. “It wasn’t a date. It was a birthday dinner,” he said firmly. “But the people Rachel’s eating with tonight are the ones who bid for the dinner at the auction, so I thought it would be nice to make something they could all enjoy. Y’know, as a kind of thank you. Though I know it’s a bit impertinent to ask.”
“Because they’ll eat your cake instead of ordering dessert from us?” Ella asked. “Ry, in the circumstances, I think we can live with it. Though if you’re feeling guilty enough to make some of those red velvet cupcakes for the poor, put-upon waiting staff here…”
He laughed. “I can take a hint, Ella. Consider it done – and thank you.”
It didn’t take long to make a batch of cupcakes. Then he dropped round to see their neighbor, Mrs. Rodgers. “Can I ask a huge favor, please? Would you keep an eye on Gram for half an hour while I deliver something in town and put some flowers on Grandpa’s grave?”
“Of course I will, Ry. Any time.”
He still felt guilty for asking. For making other people take on his responsibilities. Which was why he hardly ever asked anyone. It felt wrong .
As if his feelings showed on his face, Mrs. Rodgers said softly, “Phyllis has been a good neighbor to me all these years, and it’s nice to be able to do something back for her for once. Go. Take as long as you need.”
“Thank you.”
He delivered the croquembouche to Rocco’s, along with the
“You’re a good man, Ry,” she said softly. “Your mom, your dad and your grandpa would be so proud of you.”
The lump in Ryan’s throat felt a mile wide. “Uh-huh,” he mumbled. “Gram, I’m going into town to drop this off a bit later.” On impulse, he added, “Would you like to come with me? Maybe we could put some flowers on Grandpa’s grave.” It would do his grandmother good to get some fresh air. Plus, apart from the time she spent at the care center, she rarely wanted to leave the house nowadays, and that worried him.
“Thanks for asking, honey, but I’m a little tired,” Phyllis said – just as he’d half-expected her to.
Maybe she was right. It was cold and there was still snow on the ground, so the churchyard would be slippery underfoot. Better not to take the risk. But, even so, he worried about her. “I’ll put some flowers on for you,” he said.
“That’s pretty,” Phyllis said, pointing to the croquembouche . “Is that for us?”
Exactly as she’d asked only a couple of minutes before – and even the intonation was the same. His heart sank. She was definitely getting worse. Just a little bit every day, but it was adding up. Like when she’d written out a second batch of Christmas cards, identical in every way to the first – fortunately he’d seen them and promised to go to the mailbox for her, and quietly put them away in a closet.
He couldn’t really leave her on her own. He’d have to ask their neighbor to come and sit with her before he went out.
He made a quick call to Rocco’s Italian first. “Hi – it’s Ryan Henderson,” he said when Ella, one of the wait staff, answered. “I know you have a booking this evening for Rachel Cassidy and five others, and I wondered if I could drop off a surprise birthday cake for her this afternoon.”
“So your date last night was enough of a hit for you to make a cake for her?” Ella teased him.
Well, of course she’d know where he’d spent yesterday evening. Even if Ella hadn’t been at the bachelor auction, she would’ve heard about what had happened. The whole town was buzzing about how much money they’d raised and how Molly could at last talk to a contractor about the work she needed done on the house. “It wasn’t a date. It was a birthday dinner,” he said firmly. “But the people Rachel’s eating with tonight are the ones who bid for the dinner at the auction, so I thought it would be nice to make something they could all enjoy. Y’know, as a kind of thank you. Though I know it’s a bit impertinent to ask.”
“Because they’ll eat your cake instead of ordering dessert from us?” Ella asked. “Ry, in the circumstances, I think we can live with it. Though if you’re feeling guilty enough to make some of those red velvet cupcakes for the poor, put-upon waiting staff here…”
He laughed. “I can take a hint, Ella. Consider it done – and thank you.”
It didn’t take long to make a batch of cupcakes. Then he dropped round to see their neighbor, Mrs. Rodgers. “Can I ask a huge favor, please? Would you keep an eye on Gram for half an hour while I deliver something in town and put some flowers on Grandpa’s grave?”
“Of course I will, Ry. Any time.”
He still felt guilty for asking. For making other people take on his responsibilities. Which was why he hardly ever asked anyone. It felt wrong .
As if his feelings showed on his face, Mrs. Rodgers said softly, “Phyllis has been a good neighbor to me all these years, and it’s nice to be able to do something back for her for once. Go. Take as long as you need.”
“Thank you.”
He delivered the croquembouche to Rocco’s, along with the
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