Taming His Stallion [BWWM]

37_Auction

Paege

It was for a good cause, I told myself as we neared the venue.

Bell and Casey made small talk as Casey drove us to our destination.

My heart constricted, the closer we got. I was conflicted.

I was beginning to think that this was a terrible idea. I shouldn't be here. Not tonight, at least.

But Bell had done a stellar job piquing my interest about the horses that would be in the charity adoption auction tonight.

Not to mention, if I stayed in that house any longer, the silence, clashing thoughts and emotions would surely threaten to send me insane. Or worse, eat me alive.

It was beginning to be too much, and the cure seemed a worthy distraction. The auction gala was promised to be entertaining, and at the very least, it ought to take my mind off of things. If only for a moment.

Bell and Casey seemed to really hit it off, by the friendly nature of their conversation. The two bonded over the excitement of the horses that would be up for adoption.

I, on the other hand, was too taken in by the prospect of seeing him tonight more than anything else.

It seemed like forever since we had a moment, intimate conversation and I missed that more than I could say.

I still loved the man. There wasn't any question about it. Everything conjured a light-hearted memory of times we shared together. Moments I yearned to be a part of again.

Sooner than I realized, the truck had rolled to a stop, and I was called back to reality by the closing of the driver's side door.

Bell hopped out and so did I, joining my friends on the parcel of land.

The atmosphere was charged with tension, mystery and the promise of an unforgettable occasion.

A trail of fairy lights created an aisle, steering the guests like a conga line of fireflies, leading up to the main building.

It stirred anxiety in my stomach, dampened by Bell who linked arms with mine, guiding me up the path.

Casey trailed beside us, engaging Bell again in a friendly spat.

Upon entering the venue, the atmosphere reached us, knocking me to the pit of my stomach. I'm here and there's nothing I could do about it now.

The place was lively, abuzz with the chatter of guests from various walks of life and the upbeat music that added background noise.

After a few minutes of lingering near the entry, we began to work our way through the crowd.

The gravity of the occasion seemed all-encompassing. Pivotal.

Then I glimpsed him in the crowd, carving effortlessly through the sea of guests with an air of authority, like an icebreaker. His movements were bewitching as ever.

I'd learned a long time ago that I could watch him all day. He moved with purpose and determination that did nothing less than intrigue me.

Mingling among the movers and shakers seemed to come naturally to him, as though with them was where he belonged.

If I didn't know any better, I'd think that he was in his element tonight. Except, he didn't have a taste for parties, or large social gatherings for that matter.

Danny was quite simple in that regard. He would rather wrangle cattle than entertain these events. Which begged the question: why was he here tonight?

Besides being an upstanding member of the community and a rancher, he had other interests that didn't entail pandering to the curiosities of his peers.