Page 29

Millie had explained to me that although the fundraiser did raise funds for the town, it was actually an annual event that brought the whole town together to gossip, eat, and catch up with each other.

It was more like an annual festival than a true fundraiser, and it was something the town loved to participate in every year.

There would be tons of booths to buy things, food booths, and an auction.

It sounded like fun to me.

“You’ll be helping, too,” I reminded him.

Devon, Kaleb, and Tanner would be doing a lot of the heavy lifting right before and during the event.

“We always do,” he told me. “Most of the guys in town are the unpaid laborers that lug stuff around.”

He didn’t sound unhappy with his role in the spring fundraiser, and I knew he really didn’t mind even though he liked to joke about it being a pain in the ass.

“I’ve got my eye on that beautiful silver and turquoise necklace the silversmith donated for the auction,” I shared with him. “It’s such intricate work, but I’m sure it’s going to be a popular item. It might be a little out of reach for me.”

I was living on the money I made from Glam Anywhere, and although my expenses were low, I wasn’t sure I had enough saved to buy the necklace.

Devon eyed me silently for a moment before he responded, “You’ll get it. Pete has been selling his stuff here and in Billings for decades. Most people around here already have a piece of his work. It will be popular, but I don’t think it will go sky high. Mom’s painting will probably be the most popular item. People come from all areas to bid sometimes.”

I snorted. “That one is definitely out of reach for me even though I’d love to own it. The price on her art is going up significantly every year.”

“It has been since she stopped painting,” Devon mused. “There’s a limited supply of her work on the market now.”

M. Remington paintings had always been pricey, but he was right. When the production stopped, an artist’s paintings were even more in demand.

I sighed. “You’re lucky to have a number of them hanging in this house.”

My heart tripped when he grinned at me mischievously. “And I didn’t have to pay for a single one of them. There are perks to being a popular artist’s son.”

“You’re horrible,” I said in a teasing voice.

He shrugged. “I never claimed to be nice. I’m a businessman.”

“I call bullshit,” I said adamantly. “Underneath that suave, professional exterior, you are a nice guy.”

He winked at me. “Don’t tell anyone. I’m known to be a badass in business.”

I’d never seen Devon in action when it came to Remington, but to get where he was today, he probably was a hard negotiator.

I crossed my heart as I promised, “The truth is safe with me.”

“Just like anything you ever want to tell me is safe with me,” he said in a more somber tone.

My belly tightened at his words. Devon had been hinting at the fact that he knew I was holding something back from him.

I wasn’t sure how he knew that because nobody else suspected it.

God, I wanted to spill everything to him so badly, but that just wasn’t possible.

I wanted to be honest with all of my friends here, and it killed me that I couldn’t completely be myself with them.

“I’ve told you some of my secrets,” I protested, forcing my tone to be upbeat.

He was silent as he scrutinized my face and then looked me directly in the eyes.

Dammit!He was silently asking for something that I just couldn’t give him right now.