Project Love (Cascade Brides Series) (23 page)

“
Right.” Daniel would be thrilled. Charity was glad,
too, but wondered what the auction guests would make of the eccentric
artist in their midst. “I don't know what to wear either. Maybe we
should go clothes shopping together.”

Holly wrinkled her nose. “I don't know. I kinda like
this gown.”

Charity cleared her throat. “Actually Daniel said it
wasn't going to be a true formal event. Just dressier than work
wear.”

“
So no black tie?”

“
No, they recommend the guys just wear suits or sport
jackets.”

“
Well, phooey, I was hoping to see James Bond types.”

Charity laughed. “Maybe next time.”

“
What are you gonna wear?”

“
All I really have is a leftover fuchsia taffeta
bridesmaid gown from a wedding I attended three years ago.”

“
Sad.”

“
Yep.”

“
Well, I'll take you
to this cool thrift store where I get the
best
outfits.”

“
Like that gown?”

“
Yes, and they even have better stuff than this.”

“
Great,” Charity said, trying to sound excited and
probably failing.

They spent the evening
in the little downtown store going through racks of vintage wear. As
they tried on and discarded several different outfits, Charity
wondered if the sense of camaraderie was what normal sisters
experienced. She'd never shopped with her sisters, never dished over
clothes or boys or
anything
.
Faith had always been tense and stressed about money, and Hope never
had any time for her 'little' sister.

Charity scowled at her reflection in the changing room.
Just thinking about her siblings caused her mood to take a dive, so
she banished them from her mind and grabbed the next outfit to try.

In the end she found a cocktail dress she liked. It was
in a retro design, made of burnt orange-colored satin and had some
brown bead work at the collar. Holly said it was perfect, and if she
wore her hair in an updo, she'd look like one of the office gals from
some 60s show on cable.

Just the look I was going for
,
Charity thought, amused. At least Holly had ditched the Goth-gown for
a cute Kelly green sleeveless dress with a wide waist sash. Charity
made a mental note to tell Daniel to wear a skinny tie with his suit
to match the retro feel of their outfits.

When the night of the auction arrived, Daniel was there
to escort them both, wearing a dark suit complete with a skinny tie,
tie clip, and orange satin pocket handkerchief. Charity had followed
Holly's advice to a point—wearing her hair in a loose French twist
with gold accents that matched her gold drop earrings. Holly wore a
headband that matched the sash of her dress.

“
You ladies look great,” Daniel said as they headed
to the car. “This is going to be fun.”

During the drive, Holly seemed like a bundle of nerves,
saying a Lutheran care home was as close to a church as she'd been in
at least ten years.

“
The event will be in a reception hall attached to the
back part of the care home,” Daniel said. “They encourage
attendees to explore the care home at their leisure, but not en masse
because it can be disruptive to the residents.”

“
Why don't they hold the auction at the church?”
Charity asked.

“
That idea was considered but they didn't want it to
be so removed from the purpose. And this way the residents can feel a
part of it in a small way. The church had a big banquet for them
earlier along with some local children's choirs for entertainment.”

“
That's nice,” Holly said, fidgeting with her
bracelet. “It won't be very religious tonight, will it?”

Charity saw Daniel's mouth quirk. “Aside from a prayer
at the beginning, the focus will be on raising awareness and funds
through the silent auction.”

“
Oh, I'm glad it will be silent,” Holly said. “How
mortifying to have my paintings dragged up front for bidding.”

“
Your paintings are already on display.”

The redhead clasped her hands together. “Oh, I'm so
nervous!”

Charity wished she'd been the one to forge a friendship
with Holly at the beginning. It had been fun shopping together,
acting more like friends than unfamiliar roommates. Apparently it had
taken the encouragement of a mild-mannered engineer to get that
relationship going.

The exterior of the care home was lit up with strings of
white lights as they arrived. Cars filled the parking lot and groups
of people walked with quick steps to a side entrance of the building.
Despite the lack of rain, the clear night meant it was cold. Charity
pulled up the collar of her black wool coat as Daniel helped her and
Holly from the car.

Daniel put out both arms for them to take. Holly giggled
but played along as they made their stately way up the walk, falling
in behind a small group of attendees.

After checking their coats, Holly dropped Daniel's arm
and made a beeline for her paintings. The two canvases had been
placed as the focal point of the room and had special lighting to
show them off to advantage.

Charity leaned against Daniel's arm. “Wow. Are you the
reason for getting her paintings such a primo spot?”

He took her hand, his fingers warm around hers. “I
just suggested it. They would've looked awkward anywhere else.”

She
could see his point. Other paintings had been artfully arranged along
adjacent walls, but as Holly's were the largest, it made sense to
have them at the center. Aside from a lectern and video screen,
pedestals placed at intermittent spots around the room sported small
sculptures and pieces of artwork up for auction, each spotlighted
with strategic track lighting. Long tables bordering two sides of the
room held large gift baskets and other items along with sign up
sheets for bidders. The biggest table held trays of
hors
d'oeuvres
and
bowls of fruit. A massive crystal punch bowl sparkled in the light
from the overhead chandeliers. People visiting and sipping punch sat
around tables in the center of the room. Mellow orchestral music
played from some hidden speakers ostensibly put everyone in a
generous mood.

“
It looks amazing,” she said, impressed as well by
the turnout.

“
You were a big part of that.”

“
Just the boring administrative part. Besides, I
didn't spend a thousand dollars of my own money.”

His cheeks darkened. “I was going to spend money
anyway, so it made sense to do two things at once.” He leaned
close. “And keep that on the down low from Holly, okay?”

She nodded, seeing the redhead across the room speaking
to someone near her paintings.

Moments later, a man went up to a lectern and tapped at
the microphone. After a few announcements, he opened the auction with
a prayer and short video highlighting how the care home was
beneficial to the community. After that, attendees were encouraged to
peruse the objects up for auction and to spend lots of money. Charity
saw Holly raise her brows at the words before she was accosted by a
couple making excited gestures about her paintings.

Daniel tugged on her hand. “Let's go see what's being
offered.

“
Yeah, maybe they'll have some ballpoint pens or
office stationary up for auction.” She peeked into her small clutch
purse for show. “That will just about stretch my twenty-five dollar
budget to the max.”

He laughed softly.
“There
is
some
higher end stuff here, but your contribution was helping to put the
whole night together, so don't sell yourself short.”

Charity suppressed a sigh and shifted her focus to the
items up for sale. She saw jewelry, collectibles, art, and
professional services. No office supplies to speak of, which pretty
much counted her out.

Daniel was stopped by a few of the attendees for short
conversations. He introduced her to everyone he spoke with. It was
all very civilized and polite but after a while Charity found herself
wishing she was home. Spending a couple of minutes with strangers
across the counter was different than mingling and conversing with
people over the course of an evening. She sought out Holly's
green-clad figure for commiseration, but the artist was constantly
surrounded by people wanting to talk about her work.

“
Are you hungry?” Daniel asked.

Charity shook her head. “But some punch would be
nice.”

They duly headed to the punch table and were served by a
bowl attendant.

She took a sip, enjoying the slightly tart flavor and
wondering how soon they could leave. Turning to Daniel, she searched
her mind for a subject of conversation. “Holly was hoping this was
a formal gig so she could see some James Bond wannabes.”

He leaned up against an alcove wall and regarded her
from hooded eyes as he swirled the pink liquid in his glass. “How's
this?”

“
You totally pull it off.”

He pushed away from the wall, grinning. “Yeah, right.”
When he reached her side, he said, “I'm afraid I'm the more stuffy,
boring type.”

“
You mean the type that makes all the cool gadgets
that help save the world?”

He considered the notion. “I have to admit that sounds
a lot better.”

“
Speaking of saving the world, how's work going? I
haven't seen any interviews lately.”

Daniel snorted. “That's because the reporter was
suddenly reassigned to a different project. My boss kicked up a
pretty big fuss about that last video.”

“
So your showbiz break is all but bust?”

“
Looks like it.”

Charity took another sip of her punch. “What about all
your Facebook fans?”

His eyes were dark in the low light. “There's only one
fan that concerns me.”

“
Who?” she asked quizzically.

Daniel's mouth tipped into a wry smile as he held out
his arm. “Let's go for a little stroll.”

She wasn't sure what he had in mind as she curled her
fingers around his arm. “Do you think Holly will be okay?”

He glanced over at the redhead who seemed to have
forgotten their existence as she stood in the midst of a small group
of people. “I think she'll be okay for a few minutes,” he said,
leading her out the door.

Outside, the crisp air came as a bit of a shock. As they
walked along a stone path toward the main walkway, Daniel asked her
if she was cold. When she nodded, he shrugged out of his jacket and
put it over her shoulders before continuing. After a moment, she
realized where he was heading.

He paused on the sidewalk in front of a window of the
room that had belonged to Evelyn, his expression circumspect. A
golden light outlined the window signifying a new patient had taken
up residence within. Charity watched Daniel's face, wondering what he
was thinking.

He looked at her. “It's strange not to see her
anymore.”

Charity looked away, remembering how unwilling she'd
been that day. “What's weird,” she said shaking her head, “is
that it was actually Evelyn who ministered to me more than I did to
her.”

“
What do you mean?”

“
I guess you could say I was having a bad day and
somehow I knew when she squeezed my hand it was meant as a gesture of
comfort.”

Daniel lowered his brows. “What were you upset about?”

She gazed at him, knowing it was stupid to try and get
anything past him. “You.”

He nodded slowly. “I remember. Is that why you decided
to give us another chance?”

Her face heated under his scrutiny. “Maybe. A little.”

Charity tucked her purse into the jacket pocket and
reached for the warmth of Daniel's hand. The waxing moon cast a blue
light over rain-washed streets lined with leaf litter.

Leaning against him when he put his arm around her
waist, she looked up at the sky. “Where I grew up you could see
almost all the stars in the sky.”

“
So you weren't in the city?”

She shook her head. “We lived in a small town outside
of Sisters, which is saying something because Sisters used to be a
hole-in-the-wall place. There was one convenience store where you
could play Ms. Pac-Man. It was mostly a stop for people on the way to
the mountains to ski.”

“
That was the mountain you were named after?”

“
People ski on Mt. Bachelor. We were named after the
smaller Sisters Mountains. People just hike those peaks.”

“
Do you miss it?”

“
My hometown? Nope.” She twisted around slightly to
face him. “Does that bother you?”

He looked down, his lashes making a shadow on his
cheekbones. “Aside from seeing my parents, I have no real desire to
go back to my hometown either.”

Charity wished they could avoid this conversation
altogether. It had been a nice evening. Why spoil it talking about
family?