7. Chapter 7

Chapter seven

"Doctor will always trump newspaper guy."

G age finally went home after leaving the bar. The cabin he lived in was built by Lincoln and Rand when they were young men, and it was only accessible by horseback. When Gage was nineteen and ready to move out of the family home, he renovated the small cabin and had a road put in between it and the road to Cooper's barn.

He had added a bedroom and a bathroom over time. And recently refurbished the kitchen. The place was still small. But he loved it. At night, when the weather allowed it, he slept with the window open and fell asleep to the sound of the creek fifty yards from his back porch. It was remote, quiet, and perfect for a guy who preferred his own company over anyone else's. Except for maybe his brothers and Clementine.

He parked the truck under the three-sided garage next to his vintage Mustang. He only drove the car when there was no snow or ice on the roads, which was generally April through October. Although this year, the snow came early.

Gage went straight to bed after starting a fire in the woodstove. It was cold in the cabin, so he slept under several layers of blankets. When he woke in the morning, he'd kicked most of them off.

As he drank his morning cup of coffee, Gage thought about agreeing to take on the job of mayor. It wouldn't be real until he called his uncle. He could still back out if he wanted to. But Sydney and Clementine were so confident he could do the job, it made it hard for him to decline.

"Shit." He picked up his phone and sighed when he saw he had service. It was touch and go at his cabin. But of course today, it was working. He dialed Duncan's number.

Duncan answered with, "I hope you have good news for me."

Gage sighed. "I do. I'll do it."

"I'm so pleased to hear that. I'll talk to Bessler and Jack Patterson. Hopefully, the election will just be a formality."

"And if it isn't? If Jack wants to run against me?"

"No contest, son. You'll take it either way."

"Hmm. I guess we'll see. So when can I tell the family? I hate keeping something this big from them."

"Give me today to talk to Mayor Bessler. I'll see when he wants to make his announcement. But I'm sure he'll be fine with you telling the family as long as word doesn't get out before he wants it to."

"Okay."

"What made you change your mind? You were pretty set against it yesterday."

"I talked to Clem. You know how hard it is to say no to her."

Duncan laughed. "That girl is a pistol alright. Even more so than my girls."

"Yeah. Except for Hadley. You've had your hands full with her."

"I sure have. Love her to death, though."

"I need to get into town and do some work in the darkroom before the auction."

"All my girls are going. Keep an eye on them, will you? Make sure they only bid on cousin approved bachelors."

"Sure. I'll talk to you tomorrow."

Gage ended the call and tossed his phone on the couch, then sat down and put his feet on the coffee table Rand had made from two pine rounds and a slab cut from the heart of a tree. It had been sanded smooth, then coated with resin.

It was official. He was going to be Calaway Crossing's next mayor.

Gage headed into town at two. The auction started at three, and was followed by dinner for the bachelor with the woman who won the bid. There was also a dance afterwards, which was open to the public. But many of the couples went from dinner to the dance if all went well during their meal.

Gage wasn't big on dancing, so he'd try to get out of going if he could. No matter who he ended up having dinner with.

When he arrived at the tavern, his mother was there setting things up. She had run the bachelor auction for over twenty years. Gage went to her, and she gave him a hug.

"Are you here to cover the auction? Or are you the one son who will participate this year?"

"Have I ever participated?"

"No. But a mother can dream. Rose has been trying to get Corbyn to get in on the action, but he says he's too busy."

"How busy can he be on a Sunday afternoon?" He kissed her on the cheek. "Actually, Mom, I'm going to enter the auction."

"What? Oh my gosh. That's wonderful. I've been trying to get you to join for twenty years now."

"Twenty years ago I was nine."

She patted his cheek. "You know what I mean."

When she smiled at something behind him, he turned to see Corbyn approaching. He hugged Delaney. "Rose finally talked me into it."

"I thought I wasn't going to have any Calaways in the auction, and now I have two. This makes me so happy."

Corbyn looked at Gage. "You're entering?"

"Yeah."

"You've never entered."

"I know. I decided it was about time."

Corbyn patted him on the back. "Okay. Let's see who's more popular."

Gage laughed. "I already know. You are. You're a doctor, for God's sake. Doctor will always trump newspaper guy."

"Newspaper editor."

"Still."

Corbyn looked at Delaney. "Mom, I'm going to buy my brother a drink to get him ready for the action."

"Only one, please."

"Yes, ma'am."

The two men left Delaney and went into the bar and took two stools. Paxton finished what he was doing and walked over to them.

"Are you here to watch? Or are you here to participate?"

Corbyn smiled. "We are both going on the auction block."

Paxton laughed. "Alright. It's about time. You're the last two Calaway men standing."

Rand came up behind them. "Excuse me. I think there are three single Calaway men still."

"Uncle Rand, of course. Are you going to give the ladies a shot at a mature cowboy this afternoon?"

"Mature?"

Paxton nodded. "As opposed to these young thirty-somethings."

Gage shook his head. "I'm twenty-nine something."

Rand laughed. "I thought I might give it a try."

Gage turned to him. "Really?"

"Why are you so surprised?"

"Maybe because you haven't participated in ten years."

"And you never have. I guess it's our year."

Corbyn looked at Rand for a moment. "What's going on?"

Rand sat next to him. "A certain young lady is in town and intimated that she would bid on said mature cowboy."

Gage laughed. "You could just ask her to dinner."

"This is less direct."

Paxton grinned. "Okay. Who needs a drink before this all goes down?"

Corbyn shook his head. "I'm still technically on call. So none for me."

Gage smiled. "I'll take his shot. I think I'm going to need a double to get through this."

Rand held up a finger. "That sounds good to me, too."

Corbyn looked at Gage. "Mom said only one drink."

"Two shots in one glass equals one drink."

Paxton poured two double shots for Gage and Rand and set some ice water in front of Corbyn. Then he stood back, folded his arms across his chest, and looked at the three men.

"It seems we should have some sort of a bet on this." He took a ten from his pocket. Then set four pieces of paper and two pens on the bar. "How about we all put ten bucks in, then write down who we think will get the highest bid? You can write down your own name if you want. No judgement. Whoever picks the winner, gets the pot. Or splits it if more than one of us guesses right."

Rand cocked his head. "What if no one guesses the winner?"

"Then I think whoever gets the highest bid should get the pot."

The men all agreed, then wrote a name on the paper and folded it up before handing it to Paxton. Then they each added a ten-dollar bill to the pot.

Paxton laughed. "You guys know I always win these things. This money is as good as mine."

Gage drank some bourbon. "We'll see."

As the auction was about to start, the three men stood. Paxton smiled. "I'll be cheering you all on. And remember, I brought in $400.00 two years ago."

Rand waved at him. "Yeah, yeah, yeah. From your girlfriend."

"She wasn't my girlfriend at the time. I barely knew her."

Gage laughed. "She was saving you from Angie. And if I recall, you paid half of that four hundred dollars."

"Yeah. Whatever. Let's see you beat it."

Gage left the bar with Rand and Corbyn and went to stand with the group of bachelors next to the stage. The audience was all women. And it seemed to Gage it was most of the women in town.

He leaned into Corbyn's ear. "Is it too late to back out?"

Corbyn took his arm. "Yes. If I have to do this. So do you."

Gage glanced at Rand, who had moved a bit away from them. "I hope Wynter shows up."

Corbyn smiled. "Our uncle is going to do just fine with or without Wynter."

"Hmm. I guess we'll see." He spotted Sydney in the crowd of women and gave her a nod. She smiled and waved at him. Even in a room full of females, she stood out.

Corbyn nudged him. "When are you going to take your head out of your ass and ask her out?"

Gage shook his head. "Probably about the same time you do the same and ask Cassie out."

"I have valid reasons for not doing that."

"Such as?"

"I'm nine years older than her."

"Not an excuse. How much older than Wynter do you think Rand is?"

"They're not dating. They're flirting. She lives in Eugene."

"Just answer the question."

"She's a couple years older than Booker. So twenty years or so."

"Exactly. Doesn't seem to slow either of them down."

"Like I said, she doesn't live here. If she did. I'm pretty sure Rand would feel differently about the situation."

"Nine years is nothing. You've known Cassie forever. She loves Rosie." He gave Corbyn a playful punch to the shoulder. "You're just scared."

"Whatever."

Rand joined them. "Are you two ready for this?" They both nodded. "What if…nobody bids on me?"

Gage laughed. "I have the same fear. Embarrassing as hell."

Rand grinned. "At least I have the excuse of being too old. What will your excuse be?"

"Shit. Can I drop out?"

Both Corbyn and Rand took hold of his arms. "No. We have money riding on this."