Celebration's Family (Celebrations, Inc Series Book 5) by Nancy Robards Thompson

Author:Nancy Robards Thompson [Thompson, Nancy Robards]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin Special Editon
Published: 2014-02-02T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter Nine

They were calling him the Ten-Thousand-Dollar Man. They had nicknamed him that even before he was able to make his way to Kate in the sea of well-wishers.

Him being auctioned off for that much money had whipped the crowd into a frenzy, and he was doing his best to act flattered and humbled that someone would spend ten thousand dollars for a date with him.

The burning question was: Where was he going to take Kate? What exactly did a ten-thousand-dollar date consist of?

“It’s all for charity,” he managed to say off the top of his head.

“Dr. Thayer, I’m Bia Anderson, managing editor of the Dallas Journal of Business and Development. I’m covering the auction tonight for the paper. Not to be a skeptic, but since your name wasn’t in the program or any of the preauction material, and you are the head of the department which will benefit from this fund-raiser...was this a setup?”

He hadn’t counted on speaking to the press. “Excuse me?” he asked, pretending not to understand her question. Several people who had been trying to get his attention had heard Bia’s question and had stopped to listen to his answer.

“I’m sorry to be a skeptic,” she said. “But that was a lot of money. And the woman with the winning bid...her name is Kate Macintyre. She runs the foundation, doesn’t she?”

“It is a lot of money,” he answered. “And it’s for a great cause. I can assure you that everything is on the up-and-up. Kate Macintyre will get her date. The new pediatric surgical wing will benefit from the money. I’m sorry to poke holes in your conspiracy theory.”

Bia frowned. “Well, then, where are you taking her? That was another thing that led to me thinking that this was...”

“A setup?” Liam answered. He smiled his most charming smile. “Ms. Anderson, Kate bought herself a ten-thousand-dollar surprise. I can assure you that she will be surprised. But don’t you think it would spoil everything if I told you what I had in mind before I told Kate? That would defeat the purpose of the surprise, wouldn’t it?”

Bia nodded, conceding, even though her expression gave away that she still wasn’t buying Liam’s explanation.

“If you’ll excuse me,” he said, “I need to do the polite thing and find my future date.”

“Of course,” said the reporter.

As Liam walked away, she said, “But you will let me do a follow-up story, won’t you? After the big event? Everyone will be dying to know where the Ten-Thousand-Dollar Man takes his date.”

“Let me talk to Kate and see what she has to say about a follow-up.”

And did he ever intend to talk to Kate. Bia Anderson had no idea. Funny, though, he wasn’t mad at Kate. She’d obviously done what she had thought was for the best. Even though he had no idea how she could’ve misread his signs. He’d clearly been giving her the signal to stop.

Or at least he had thought he’d been clear about it. But it was over now. Kate had done her best.

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