“Sure did.”
The auctioneer nodded to a bidder across the room. “I got four now. Abletobid five? Five. Five thousand now. Wouldjagimme five?”
Zac nodded, raising his bid.
Delaney spun around to face him head on. “Damn you, Zac! You have no right to buy my heifer.”
The auctioneer continued his chant. “I got five now. Five thousand for this prime little heifer. Six? Abletobid six? Six? Six thousand. Wouldjagimme six?”
Growing more perturbed by the second, Delaney raised her number again. The auctioneer nodded to her left. “I got six now. Seven. Seven thousand? Wouldjagimme seven?”
“Damn it all!” Delaney cursed, barely holding back the urge to stomp her foot. “Why the hell can’t I bid?”
“Seven. Seven thousand? Wouldjagimme seven?”
Delaney raised her paddle again.
“Sixty-five then. Wouldjagimme sixty-five hundred?” The auctioneer repeated his call.
Zac tipped his hat. The auctioneer once more acknowledged his bid. “Yep. Yep. Got Sixty-five now. I got sixty-five hundred. Gimme seven now? Seven thousand? Wouldjagimme seven?”
“Looks like I’m gonna leave here with your heifer on my trailer,” Zac said with a smirk.
“Over my dead body. I want her, Zac.”
“How high you willin’ to go?” he asked with a cocked brow.
“Seven? Seven thousand? Abletobid seven? Seven? Seven thousand? Abletobid seven?” The auctioneer looked past both Delaney and Zac to the counter bidder. “Got seven now,” he cried. “Eight. Eight thousand. Someone gimme eight?”
“As high as I need to,” Delaney ground through her teeth. “I’m not leaving here without that cow, Zac. I don’t care what it costs me.”
“That so?” Zac asked.
“Eight? Eight? Abletobid eight?” the auctioneer repeated one more time, disregarding Delaney’s frantically waving paddle.
“What the hell is happening here?” Delaney asked. “Am I being blackballed?”
“Maybe so,” Zac said. “Sure seems like someone doesn’t want to sell to you. You might as well quit now. You’re just driving the price up.”
“Eight? Gimme eight? Last time,” the auctioneer called.
“Seventy-five hundred,” Zac called out to the auctioneer. He then turned back to Delaney, “There doesn’t seem to be any point in bidding against each other, being that we’re neighbors and all.”
“Eight? Eight thousand anyone?” called the auctioneer.
“Neighbors?” Delaney stared back at him in confusion.
The auctioneer slammed the gavel for the last time. “P280 sold for seventy-five hundred.”
“I can’t believe you just stole my heifer! Why the hell did you do that?”
“I need some cows. Ty and I are partners now.”
“Partners?” Delaney said. “How?”
“Maybe you hadn’t heard? Tom left him the ranch.”
“The Circle B?” she repeated incredulously. “I don’t understand why. Ty bailed out of rough stock years ago.”
“He wants to give it another go.”
Ty was buying livestock? Was he looking to compete with her?
“Buy you dinner?” Zac asked.
Delaney glared. “You think I’m going to have dinner with you after what you just did to me?”
He ignored the question and placed his hand on the small of her back. The light touch sent ripples of physical awareness chasing down the length of her spine. Holy hell. He’d barely touched her.
“I know a good place over in Temple,” Zac continued, as if utterly unaware of his effect on her. “Let me just settle up here and I’ll buy you the best steak in Stephens County.”
Although she’d come to the sale with full pockets, it looked like she was leaving empty-handed. Zac now seemed her only chance of coming out ahead. She hesitated, both wary and all too aware of him for her comfort. “What do you want in return, Zac?”
He cocked a brow under his hat brim. “What makes you think I want anything besides the company of a pretty lady?” he asked.
Pretty? When was the last time a man had paid her an open compliment? Months? Years? Sure, their eyes tracked her all the time, but after countless brush-offs, most had given up on her. Coming from Zac, the remark surprised her. Ty was known as the charmer, while Zac was the silent, brooding type.
“C’mon, Delaney,” he urged softly. “It’s just a dinner.”
“Will you sell me the heifer?” she asked.
“Come to dinner and maybe we can talk about it.”
She eyed him narrowly. “Is that a bribe?”
He winced. “It’s an invitation. I thought maybe we could talk and get caught up.”
“There’s nothing to talk about . . . unless you’re willing to sell her to me.”
“Dunno.” He shrugged. “Have dinner and maybe we can work something out.”
One way or another, she was gonna have that cow. “All right, Zac.” She flashed her best beauty-queen smile. “I’ll have dinner with you.”