Just for a moment in Hannah’s imagination, she pretended she was an invited guest to a prominent gathering. Oh, how exciting those events must have been. The mansion would likely have been the highlight of the social circles.

“What has you smiling?” Ethan’s voice intruded upon her daydream.

“Oh, I was just wondering what it might have been like fifty or a hundred years ago, when people were invited for grand parties. Do you think movie stars and politicians visited here?”

His dark brows furrowed together.

“What?” She didn’t think it was that strange to wonder about the people who used to live there.

“Nothing. I just didn’t take you for one of those who were into hype and glamour.”

“I’m not.” She glanced around at the people there for the sale. Some of the women were dressed in slacks and heels while others were dressed casually like her. The men were also a mix of business casual or jeans. “Have you looked at me?” She gestured to her dark pair of boyfriend jeans with the cuff at the ankles and her Boston Red Sox jacket. “What part of this outfit says glamour to you?”

“You look good in anything you wear.”

It was like a blast furnace had just opened and set her face aflame. He thought she looked good. Her pulse raced. This outing was starting to sound more like a date all of the time.

But it couldn’t be—she wouldn’t let it. As nice and as handsome as Ethan was, he was still a firefighter. He put his life on the line most every time he went to work. And…and she couldn’t lose someone else she cared about.

“We should be able to find you something for the bakery that has a lot of history.” His voice drew her from her thoughts.

“I hope so. Shall we head inside?” Hannah was anxious for this date or whatever it was to be over. “We don’t want to be late and miss getting a seat. There are a lot of people here today.”

Ethan leaned over to her and said softly, “Don’t worry. We have time to look around.”

She inhaled the spicy scent of his cologne mixed with his own masculine scent, and she momentarily forgot what she’d been about to say to him. She breathed in again, deeper this time. She didn’t think she’d ever smell that wonderful scent again without thinking of Ethan.

It took her a moment and some serious concentration. “It doesn’t matter,” she said. “We both know I don’t have the budget to bid against these people.”

“What you don’t know is that they aren’t here to lay out a lot of money. Most of these people are looking to score a good deal. So we have a chance. Trust me.” He sent her a reassuring smile.

And she instinctively did trust him. She knew he would never intentionally do anything to hurt her. It’d been a long time since she’d felt that way about any man. Wait. She’d never felt this way about any man. She was in trouble—big trouble.