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The crowd hoots and hollers as she walks along the stage and I read off a few of her accomplishments over the years. There are three more breezes coming right from where I know the back door to be but I keep my focus on the notes in front of me. When the bidding starts, just like I hoped, it’s boisterous, the young single guys really getting into it. She soaks everything up and blows kisses to keep things going. In the end, she brings in almost as much as Caleb Harlow did last year, which is astonishing.

She saunters off stage and waves at the crowd one last time. There are only a few more things to cover and I can get out of the spotlight. My eyes catch on Susan, the Fire Chief, standing near the main door.

Huh, I thought work was keeping her from attending this year. She holds the door open and it looks like the newest recruit for the fire department enters. My pulse picks up. Shifting my papers around for a second, I try to remember if I missed anything. I know I quadruple-checked the permits, so if she’s working, then I must have missed something.

One thing at a time, Sam. Finish this first, get off of this stage, and then I can make things right with the permits. Only, I can’t imagine what the oversight could have been.

“Before we open up the silent auction, there are a few people and businesses we wanted to thank because, without their generosity, tonight would not have been possible.” Another light gust of air shifts the curtains behind me. Why is that door being opened so often?

Stealing my growing nerves and trying to block out intrusive thoughts of what could possibly be happening backstage, I force my attention to the list in front of me. These people donated their time and talents so I’d like to genuinely thank them and allow others to as well. Even with whispered voices that seem to be directly on the other side of the curtain from me.

The mic can’t pick that up. Right?

No, absolutely not. But, just to be safe, I lean in a little closer in case I can physically block the sounds from carrying. Who the heck is moving around so much back there? At this point, I really don’t think it’s Chuck pulling a prank. He might be a jokester, but whatever is happening seems to have started fifteen minutes ago.

I hope everyone is okay back there.

Oh no, maybe Susan is here because someone is hurt? Marking my place in the list with my finger, I glance up, trying to find her, but she’s not by the door anymore. My mind is too scattered to risk reciting everyone from memory, so I refocus on the names printed before me.

Thankfully, time seems to be on my side and the silent auction officially starts and I can turn off my microphone, standing awkwardly while the crowd claps for the event. They’re all watching me while they should be turning around to look at everything on the tables to start placing their bids. Did I forget something? An instruction? Glancing down at the sheet still on the podium, I’m reassured I hit every point.

Before I break out in a sweat from a combination of the spotlight and nerves, I give everyone a wave. Instead of walking down the steps to mingle, curiosity gets the better of me as the curtain flutters again from a breeze. Practically running right into Avery and Courtney the moment I’m backstage, my body stiffens.

I smell smoke.

“What’s—”

“Take a breath,” Avery cuts me off, putting her hand on my arm.

“Everything is fine, we promise.” Courtney’s words are confident, even as she takes in my expression. I can only imagine the fear they both see written all over my face.

“Pardon?” I ask, sure I misheard them. How can everything be fine if there’s smoke backstage?

Then I see candles and my confusion only grows when the girls each take one of my hands, pulling me toward them. There are two rows of candles leading to the door, which is propped open. And each pillar is lit.

“Is this—” I begin.

“Everything is fine, truly,” Avery says again.

“Okay, this is where we get to send you off on your own, but we’ll be right here the whole time,” Courtney says as she and Avery release my hands and gesture toward the open door.

The candles create a path for me to walk within, so I follow the winding trail out the door.

Oh my.

Before me stands all five Landen brothers wearing suits: Matt and Jackson on the left, and Bryant and Chuck on the right, and Tommy is in the middle under a structure I’ve never seen before. My brain tries desperately to put the whole scene together properly, but I can’t take my eyes off of Tommy. It’s hard to see his face because there’s a small fire in a raised stand behind him and the outside lights are off.

The lines of candles. The mini bonfire. This is why Susan is here while she’s working, and why the new guy is with her.

“Sam, would you join me?” he asks, holding a hand out for me.

Apparently, I stopped in my tracks two steps from the door. Of all the times for my mind to go blank versus walking through rational explanations, this wasn’t an ideal one. My heart flutters in my chest as my feet take me to him, my eyes never leaving his shadowed face.

When I’m standing in front of him, he simply smiles at me for a moment and takes my hand. I look around, trying to find a real clue for what’s happening. We’re standing under some sort of…small pergola maybe? It looks hand-crafted with long, skinny tree trunks that have been stripped with branches loosely woven across the top. There are a handful or more glowing glass orbs hanging from thick twine. My eyes are already adjusting to the light out here after the brightness from the spotlight.

Tommy is looking right at me, those blue eyes full of sincerity and longing, and I swear my heart stops beating.

“Samantha Davies, I have one question for you, but first, I’d like to go over some numbers.”