“Oh yes. We should keep moving,” she said as though she wasn’t aware of how long she’d been standing there or that he’d had to backtrack to reach her.

“Are you enjoying yourself?”

“I am.” As they fell in step with the people around them, she said, “Thank you for bringing me here. I’ve never been to an auction before. But I wouldn’t mind going to more.”

“I’ll have to put you in touch with my mother.” He said it more as a sort of joke than anything else.

“I wonder how your mother would feel about having a tag-along. I could keep adding to the features of the bakery, a little at a time.”

She liked the idea of hanging out with his mother? He swallowed hard. He never thought she’d take him up on the offer. Mary had gone one time to an auction with his mother and afterward swore she’d never go again. His mother was quite fine with that decision.

“But of course, it’d never work, what with your mother living in New York and I’m in Bluestar.”

He let out a pent-up breath. “Yeah, that’s quite a commute.”

“Still, if she were on the island visiting Birdie and had a local auction, you can count me in.”

“I…I’ll let her know.”

All of this time he’d been thinking that once he returned to his life in New York that he’d never see Hannah again, but that wasn’t quite true. Aunt Birdie would keep drawing them back into each other’s orbits. Not that it changed their circumstances. But still he liked the thought of having Hannah in his life, even if it was only occasionally.

She tapped his arm. “I think it’s time to take our seats.”

He glanced around, finding people rushing to the expansive living room where the auction was to be held. “I think you’re right.”

By the time they got to the room, there was only seating left in the back of the room. “I’m sorry.”

Hannah’s fine brows drew together. “For what?”

“Not thinking about grabbing our seats while you looked around.”

“It’s not like I thought of it either.”

“So did you see anything you want to bid on?” He already knew the answer just by watching the expressions on her face as they’d passed through the various rooms.

“Oh yes. More than I can possibly afford. But thanks to you and your cost-cutting suggestions for the renovations, I’m hoping I can afford a couple of things.” She held up her hand and crossed her fingers for luck.

Just then a man in a dark suit and tie stepped up to the podium in front of the room. Next to him was a giant screen displaying the auctioneers company name.

He welcomed everyone and then he got straight to business. The items were displayed on the screen as well as listed in the brochure they were given upon registering for the auction.

There were so many items from the twenty-one-room mansion. Numerous times Hannah started to bid on an item, only to drop out as the price quickly escalated. He felt bad for her. He knew what it was like to want something so much and not to be able to afford it. Ethan thumbed through the brochure, looking for the dining room chandelier. He had some savings. He’d hoped to own his own house by now, but with the real estate prices in New York, he was still saving money. Perhaps he’d spend a bit of it today.