A Bid for Love by Rachel Ann Nunes Page B

she be afraid? Maybe it wasn’t Jared who had sent the note, but Sam. Had he brought it up to test her?
    This is ridiculous, she thought. Next, I’ll start suspecting Renae .
    The auctioneer brought out a new item and Cassi listened intently, but despite her attention, her thoughts wandered back to Jared. Where was he? She couldn’t see him in front or to the sides, and she didn’t want to turn around in case he noticed her interest. He had to be in the room, though. He certainly wouldn’t miss bidding on his precious Buddha.
    Another interesting painting came up for auction, and Léon again outbid her. The next item was an intricate sculpture of a tree and a lion. She bid for it, against stiff competition from somewhere behind her. She allowed herself a glance over her shoulder to see that it was Jared who was upsetting her bid. Eventually she won out, paying slightly more than she should have, though the item would still bring her gallery a reasonable profit. She sighed with contentment. With the two items purchased, she had already more than compensated for her trip.
    Finally, it was the Buddha’s turn to be auctioned, with a starting bid of two hundred thousand dollars. Cassi allowed others to begin the bidding to see who was interested. It soon became apparent that Jared and another man she didn’t recognize were her stiffest competitors.
    Her thoughts flitted to Renae, and Cassi wondered if her friend had been serious about calling the hotel to get Jared out of the auction. Part of her hoped Renae would do just that, while the other part wanted to win in fair competition. But what if he had more money than she did?
    The bid was now at two hundred and fifty thousand dollars. If Renae was going to act, she should do it soon. Cassi glanced behind her and saw that Jared had a thin phone to his ear.
    She jerked her face forward again and raised her number to bid two fifty-two on the Buddha. Had a hotel worker come in and given Jared notice of an emergency phone call? Was Renae even now on the phone with him? Cassi hadn’t seen anyone come in with a message, but she had been intent on the bidding. It was entirely possible that Renae’s plan had backfired, simply because they had overlooked the likelihood of him checking out the so-called emergency on a cell phone.
    Behind her, Jared bid again and Cassi raised her card to top him. The other bidder also raised his card. Next to her, Cassi could feel Sam watching to see if she would bid again.
    “Excuse me,” a voice at her side said softly. She looked up to see a hotel employee. “There’s a message for you. It’s urgent.” Cassi took the paper he proffered. It read:
     
    Your friend has gone into labor. She’s bleeding and we’ve called an ambulance. It will be here shortly to get her. Please come. She’s asking for you.
     
    Horror swept through Cassi. Renae in labor? Bleeding? She looked first at Sam beside her and then risked a glance at Jared, feeling suddenly faint.
    Could this be a joke? Jared had been on the phone. Had he arranged this note to get her out of the competition? Maybe Renae had called him, and this was his way of getting revenge. Or maybe he had come up with it all by himself.
    These thoughts raced quickly through Cassi’s head as she weighed the options. Her heart pounded, and she completely forgot about the Buddha.
    Renae is my friend, she thought, coming to a decision. If there was even a remote chance that she needed Cassi, she had to be there for her.
    Cassi arose.
    “But—” Sam began.
    Cassi shoved the note into his hand for explanation before running out the door. Her abrupt movements caused a slight stir in the audience, but she was beyond caring. Her only thought was for Renae.
     

 
     
     
     
     
     
    CHAPTER NINE
     
    The Monday afternoon auction went quickly. Jared bid for a sculpture, only to quit bidding when the price lowered the potential profits below Laranda’s high requirements. For himself, he would have kept