Fred appeared relieved. His three brothers reluctantly nodded without sharing Fred's sediments.

"We'll get even with them," Ernest promised. "We just need to be smart about it."

"I'll agree to that," Ryan sulked, "but I think I should be allowed to take out a little frustration on Casey and Dina at the kissing booth then."

Ernest groaned and reluctantly shook his head. "Knock yourself out, but I want no part of it."

Ryan glanced at Wayne.

Wayne vigorously shook his head. "If my wife sees me kissing another woman, I can kiss my marriage goodbye."

He then looked at Blain.

Blain held his hands in the air and took a step back while shaking his head. "Casey nearly broke my jaw the other night," he announced. "I'm not putting my face that close to her. She probably bites."

Ryan glanced at Fred, but he was already walking away. He groaned with disgust. "You're all a bunch of p.u.s.s.ies."

"I need to find Lance," Ernest remarked. "I'll catch up with you later."

As Ernest walked away, Ryan glanced at his two, remaining brothers. "Are you at least coming along?"

"No," Wayne replied. "We'll catch up with you later."

Both walked away. Ryan appeared disgusted and headed toward the row of port-a-potties heading away from the arena and back toward the main fairgrounds. He entered one of the port-a-potties and shut the door. The 'occupied' sign was turned. Someone approached the port-a-potty. A zip tie was placed through the metal lock loops and was tightened. A moment pa.s.sed. The sign turned to 'vacant' and the door was jolted.

"d.a.m.n it," Ryan was heard from inside.

The door jolted harder. Ryan was heard pounding on the door from inside.

Young and old men alike began collecting around the kissing booth, but they remained at a safe distance to give the appearance that they weren't anxious for their dollar-a-kiss. Melanie appeared relaxed in her short-shorts and hot pink, lacy camisole top as she leaned against the booth while inspecting her nails. Dina, who wore a short sundress, nervously paced the area before the booth while Wiley eyed his watch several times and looked around the surrounding area. Casey hurried toward the kissing booth wearing a white, low cut tank top and a pair of jean shorts. She carried her shoes, allowing her to jog the entire way. Dina glared at her from her position at the booth and appeared irritated with her. Wiley appeared overly pleased. Casey eyed the look she received from Dina and slipped into her shoes.

"I made it--relax," Casey scoffed.

"Barely," Dina snapped.

The booth had three sides, providing a side for each girl, and a counter to keep the men from getting too close. Melanie cast a loathsome glare at Casey and Dina. Dina fussed over Casey's hair that was still damp from her rushed shower. Ruger, Grey, and Diesel approached. There was still five minutes before the booth was officially open. Wiley made an announcement over the PA system, alerting all men that the kissing booth was about to open. Casey rolled her eyes and groaned.

"I can't believe you guys talked me into this," Casey muttered under her breath.

Ruger smiled and held up a tube of breath freshener. Casey groaned with a tense smile and allowed him to spray some into her mouth. Dina quickly approached and opened her mouth as well. Ruger gave her a squirt. Dina returned to her side. Grey joined Dina and smiled.

"I think I'm first," Grey announced.

She grinned her response. The small crowd of men now moved closer to the booth with an overwhelming majority lined up on Casey's side. Melanie appeared annoyed while folding her arms across her chest and huffed softly. Vaughn, now changed back into his uniform, maintained his distance and watched with disgrace as Deputy Mitch.e.l.l and Deputy Tucker stood in Casey's line. Wiley stood nearby, looked at his watch, and grinned.

"One minute until the booth opens," Wiley announced with a little too much enthusiasm. "And since I'm in charge, I'll start things off."

Wiley placed a ticket in Casey's jar and quickly kissed her. He did the same for Dina and Melanie then looked at his watch and grinned proudly.

"The kissing booth is officially open," Wiley announced to the crowd of men.

Diesel approached Casey, grinned deviously, and dropped a stack of tickets into her jar. He patted the table. Casey eyed him, smiled, and moved across the counter to join him on the other side. Diesel pulled her into his arms and kissed her warmly but pa.s.sionately. Dina also kissed Grey longer than she should. Melanie pa.s.sed out the standard, quick kiss. The men on Melanie's side saw the other kisses occurring and quickly switched sides, opting for the longer lines. Ruger stood to the side of the booth, glared at Diesel kissing Casey, and appeared annoyed.

"Okay, break it up," Ruger muttered. "You're embarra.s.sing me."

Diesel broke off the kiss and grinned at Casey, who hid her smile. She had to admit, he was a handful. Casey remained outside the booth as the men in her line approached. She allowed each one to kiss her above the standard and even place their arms around her. Ruger remained only a few feet away and closely watched each man's hands. Dina finally moved outside the booth as well. Toward the end of the hour-long kiss-fest, the men finally moved along. Wiley approached while looking at his watch and then smiled at the three women.

"Five more minutes, ladies," Wiley informed them.

Dina eyed hers and Casey's jars, which were filled with tickets and cash. Casey and Dina exchanged grins. Ruger approached Dina and placed ten dollars in her jar. She appeared pleased, smiled, and kissed him quickly but warmly on the lips. He then approached Casey, grinned, and placed fifty dollars in her jar. Casey smiled as Ruger pulled her gently into his arms and kissed her pa.s.sionately. Casey returned the kiss without hesitation. Everyone surrounding the booth stared with surprise, including Dina. Ruger brook off the kiss, smiled lovingly, kissed her hand, and then walked away. Diesel glared at him, frowned, and shook his head.

"Show off," Diesel scoffed.

Casey appeared slightly fl.u.s.tered. Dina stared at her with her mouth hanging open and silently questioned the kiss with her eyes. Casey smiled and shrugged.

"One minute, ladies," Wiley informed them.

Casey casually leaned her back against the counter and looked across the fairgrounds. Vaughn patrolled the nearby area while keeping an eye on the kissing booth and finally approached her side. Casey eyed him with some surprise then smirked.

"Business or pleasure, Sheriff?"

Vaughn placed a ticket in the jar and appeared to mock her with a look. Casey casually straightened.

"All business, huh?"

"Consider it payback for all the c.r.a.p you've put me through," Vaughn informed her.

Vaughn pulled Casey against him and kissed her pa.s.sionately and aggressively, startling her. Her heart raced as the erotic kiss sent shockwaves through her entire body. He broke off the kiss before she could react and released her.

"Have a nice day," he remarked with a smirk.

Casey hid her smile as Vaughn left. She couldn't help but stare after him as her mind raced to make sense of his actions. She didn't know what his game was, but she sort of enjoyed playing it. Dina leaned on Casey's shoulder and dreamily watched the sheriff walk away. Melanie watched him leave as well and appeared disgusted or possibly embarra.s.sed.

"What was that all about?" Dina asked.

"I doubt he even knows," Casey said and shook her head. "But he's one h.e.l.l of a kisser."

It was no secret. In all his years behind a badge, Sheriff Holt had never partic.i.p.ated in the kissing booth. He was always image conscious, especially while wearing his badge. Wiley officially announced the closing of the kissing booth, collected all three jars, and made himself comfortable at the counter to count the money and tickets from each jar. Melanie hovered over Wiley as he tallied up the small fortune they'd raked in. Dina excitedly clung to Casey's arm as she practically counted along.

Wiley sat back in his chair and smiled. "We have Melanie at one hundred thirty; Dina at two hundred ten; and Casey at four hundred sixteen."

Dina jumped excitedly. Wiley appeared pleased, stuffed the tickets and money into one container, and stood while looking at all three women.

"Nicely done. That's a new record for the kissing booth. Rest those lips until next year," Wiley teased.

"Casey cheated," Melanie announced with hostility while lunging forward.

"What?" Wiley suddenly demanded.

"Her friends put in twenty dollars each, and there's a fifty dollar bill in there from that one guy. That should only count as one," Melanie protested.

"That's not how it works," he replied. "It's all for charity--not ego boosts." Wiley gave a polite nod and left.

Melanie glared at Casey, wrinkled her nose, and sneered. "The day's not over yet."

Dina looked at Casey and grinned deviously while raising her brows. "Sheriff Holt has never partic.i.p.ated at the kissing booth before. You must be special."

The look on Melanie's face was priceless. Her look turned hostile. "Not that special," she snapped with a snort. "He wants children. Casey's just an itch he's scratching."

"You b.i.t.c.h!" Dina gasped with horror and attempted to hit Melanie as she walked away.

Casey grabbed Dina's arm and had to stop her from chasing Melanie. "It's okay, Dina," she gently a.s.sured her. "We already hit her where it counts."

Dina attempted to compose herself, but she still had an unpredictable look of hostility in her eyes.

"Come on," Casey announced. "The bachelor auction is about to start, and we don't want to miss it."

Chapter Twenty-five.

The bleachers in front of the stage were nearly packed for the bachelor auction. There were a lot of locals but also some visitors who just wanted to catch a peek at an authentic bachelor auction. It was actually the town's way of balancing out the s.e.xism surrounding the kissing booth. Now it was the women's turn to objectify the men in town. Truth be told, the women enjoyed the bachelor auction possibly more than the men enjoyed the kissing booth. Most times, women bid on the guys just so they could watch neighborhood men clean their houses. Casey and Dina found a spot off to the side near a tree, while the guys had already secured their spot in the bleachers. Wiley took his position at the podium off to the side of the stage and looked at the large crowd with a pleased smile.

"Good afternoon, Darwood Falls."

"Afternoon, Wiley!" the crowd yelled back.

"Oh, I can feel the love here this afternoon," Wiley announced with a chuckle. "We're about to start our annual bachelor auction. This year we have some fine new additions, and of course, the old favorites. Our first bachelor is new to Darwood Falls. Let's have Diesel Mann on stage."

Vaughn, Tucker, and Mitch.e.l.l suddenly exchanged looks from where they sat near the stage. Diesel jumped up from his seat while dumping his food onto Ruger's lap, made his way from the bleachers, and jogged onto stage. Wiley eyed Diesel and possibly thought the same thing as every other man in town. There was a soft murmur from the crowd, particularly from the women, to the brawny newcomer.

"Diesel is a thirty-six-year-old ex-Marine. He enjoys working out and--" Wiley hesitated then read from the index card, "--good food." Wiley grinned and looked back at the crowd. "Should we start the bidding off at one hundred dollars?"

Diesel removed his shirt and tossed it across stage. His ma.s.sively toned chest, muscular shoulders, and six-pack abs were revealed to the crowd. There was a round of gasps from the women. Numbers began flying up in every corner.

Vaughn shut his eyes and groaned softly. "I'm going to pretend I'm not here."

"Huh, Jeannie's even bidding on him," Tucker remarked.

Vaughn suddenly looked up with surprise. "That better be her money."

Wiley was having a tough time keeping up with the bids as the numbers flashed from around the bleachers. Casey and Dina looked at each other and exchanged smiles as Diesel flexed his muscles in every thinkable way. He was enjoying the attention, which was evident from the grin on his face. The bidding continued to climb as the female chatter rose. Ruger casually ate popcorn and appeared disinterested in the spectacle. Vaughn had his hand over his eyes and no longer watched.

"Two thousand twenty dollars--going once, twice, sold to the lovely Jeannie," Wiley cheerfully announced.

Vaughn suddenly looked up with horror on his face. "What? No, no, no."

Tucker and Mitch.e.l.l laughed at Sheriff Holt's reaction to Jeannie bidding on Diesel with his money. Jeannie jumped up and down excitedly. Vaughn collapsed into his seat and groaned lowly. Diesel left the stage with a pleased smile and met Jeannie at the payment table off to the side of the stage. Casey and Dina excitedly cheered him on. The next few guys went for the usual purchase of a couple hundred dollars.

"Next up, we have a former resident returned home," Wiley said cheerfully. "Let's hear it for Grey Remington."

Grey trotted onto stage, smiled with some embarra.s.sment, and waved. He was obviously self-conscious having to follow Diesel's performance. The crowd happily cheered to him.

"Grey is co-owner of our antique shop due to reopen this summer," Wiley announced. "Many of you probably remember him for his famous streak at the church picnic."

Grey smiled at Wiley, raised his brows, and pointed at him while laughing. In Grey's defense, he was only fourteen at the time and did it on a dare. The crowd was getting into Wiley's storytelling about the bachelors.

"We'll start the bidding at one hundred dollars," Wiley announced. "Do I hear one hundred?"

A few numbers raised. Despite Grey's non-impressive physic, it was obvious he was more popular than first imagined. Everyone knew about the murder of their parents and possibly wanted to get to know him a little better now because of the mystery surrounding his departure. Wiley continued with the bidding on Grey.

Dina finally raised her number. "Five hundred."

There was a round of gasps from the crowd. All eyes were now on Dina standing with Casey by the tree. Grey looked at Dina, smiled warmly, and blew her a kiss.

"We have five hundred. Do I hear five hundred and ten?" Wiley banged the gavel and grinned. "Sold to our lovely kissing queen, Dina."

Dina grinned at Casey, who handed her the money. Dina took the money and hurried to the desk near the stage. Grey met her there, pulled her into his arms, and kissed her.

Wiley watched them kiss then laughed. "Well, folks, I don't think Grey will be a bachelor much longer."

Grey and Dina left the payment desk and joined Casey by the tree. Ruger also joined them with Diesel's box full of food.

Grey looked around and appeared curious. "Where's Diesel?"

"I haven't seen him since he went off with the lady who bid on him," Ruger replied.

Several bachelors went up for auction. During bidding on the fifth bachelor, faint female moans were heard. Several people in the crowd looked around to the sound. As the bidding continued, the moaning turned to cries of ecstasy. Wiley continued the bidding but was obviously distracted and now looked around as well. Vaughn and Tucker were alerted to the sound, left their seats, and searched the area for the source. A loud banging came from the nearby, closed ticket booth followed by a loud scream.

"Oh, G.o.d--yes!" came Jeannie's voice.

The sound suddenly stopped. Vaughn approached the closed ticket booth and was about to open the door when Diesel casually walked out. He eyed Vaughn with little emotion.

"What's up, bro?" Diesel announced.

Diesel walked past as Jeannie appeared from the ticket booth looking worn-out and rumpled. She attempted to fix her hair and looked at Vaughn with some embarra.s.sment. She gently cleared her throat and scurried past him.

"Sheriff--"

Half the town saw their departure and stared after them with astonishment.