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names. If it wasn’t for Sean having to be at this fund-raising auction, she would be home, getting ready for bed early.
    “Should I have?” His lips twitched as though he were fighting a smile. He couldn’t contain it. A grin spread across his features. “Oh, you mean the third-hour bell.”
    “Okay, so I didn’t have the schedule memorized and made a tiny little mistake.”
    Full-fledged laughter erupted from Peter. People around them glanced over. “The ladies in the cafeteria weren’t too happy, but the students were ecstatic they got an extra ten minutes for lunch.”
    The heat of a blush seared her cheeks. “Thankfullythe bells usually don’t have to be rung manually. I brought the schedule home to memorize so that won’t happen again. I will say in my defense, you have the craziest class schedule, actually two schedules because of homeroom on Thursdays. Nothing is on the hour or half hour. Most of the times are like 9:43.”
    His mouth twitched again. “Besides the bell incident, everything else all right?”
    “I really enjoyed the work. I met some nice people. Thanks.”
    “I didn’t do a thing. You got the job on your own.” He peered toward the stage as the Future Farmers of America’s program started. “How’s Sean feel about you working at the high school?”
    “Let’s just say he didn’t cheer at the news and leave it at that.” Her son’s icy demeanor could have frozen the tropics. She still remembered his words that she just wanted to spy on him. As he had stormed away, she couldn’t deny the words totally. She did want to keep an eye on her son, but the job was actually perfect for her. The hours. The duties. The people.
    “Will he be up on the auction block tonight?”
    “Yes. He grumbled that he didn’t want to do it, but it’s a requirement since he’s an FFA member.”
    “It’s one of their big fund-raisers. I always bid on several students. Helps the program and helps me around the ranch.”
    She’d promised her son she would bid on him, but she didn’t have much money, especially after getting some supplies for Lady. They would be eating more peanut butter sandwiches the next few weeks, but in herheart she knew Sean was afraid no one would bid on him. He would never admit it, though. “He’s the third one up.”
    The first student came out on stage. The auction began for the boy’s service for an eight-hour day. Laura glanced around. The auditorium was full of parents and friends. She was glad it was a well-attended function, but she was worried, too. They were new in town, and Sean hadn’t made any friends, had even antagonized several boys because of his attitude. All she had was twenty-five dollars and the first two students had gone for a lot more than that.
    Her breath trapped in her lungs, she watched her son walk out onto the stage, his expression not exactly a frown but nothing inviting in it, either. She exhaled slowly and sat forward as the auctioneer began.
    For a few seconds no one said anything. Laura lifted her hand, but before she could say, “Five dollars,” Peter shouted out, “Thirty dollars.”
    Her son squinted, scanning the audience until he found who had bid on him. When he saw Peter next to her, his frown appeared.
    “Are you sure?” she whispered.
    “Yep. This is my roundabout way to get to know your son.”
    Someone raised his hand and said, “Thirty-five.”
    “Fifty,” Peter countered immediately.
    When the bidding war was over between Peter and a man with long dark hair pulled back with a leather strap, Sean went for eighty-five dollars and the teen’s frown lifted briefly when the amount was announced.
    “That’s an awfully expensive roundabout way to get to know Sean. I could have just brought him over.”
    Peter smiled. “I know. But as I said I always get a couple of guys to help me with the spring cleaning around the ranch.”
    “I’d better warn you Sean isn’t your most motivated worker. He’s been cleaning up Aunt