Free Weekend With Her Bachelor (Bachelor Auction Returns Book 4) by Jeannie Moon

you’d better be prepared to eat.”
    As if on cue, his mother called out, “I made smothered chicken, Ally! I know it’s your favorite, so don’t you dare go sneaking off.”
    Gavin bent over laughing when Ally’s eyes went wide in shock. “Did she hear me or something? That was weird.”
    “Nah, it’s just Christine.” Gavin loved his mother with all his heart, but how she knew some of the things she knew, freaked him out. “Come on. Let’s eat.”

Chapter Six
    A lly could have flown back to Seattle for a few days to deal with some projects, but she decided to stick around Marietta for a while and work remotely. Hell, she was the boss and that’s why she had a laptop and a cell phone. Gavin had left for Bozeman the day after their bone-melting kiss in the gazebo, but he wasn’t really gone.
    For the last few days, she’d been getting pretty regular text messages from him about their weekend, mostly concerning what he should bring with him. She’d sent him a list of clothes and gear, and since he was bringing his truck, he’d have plenty of room. She’d arranged for them to have one of the glamping tents. Part cabin, part tent, it was a more rustic approach to the lodge, while still having a lot of perks.
    One of those perks was a pull-out sofa. There would be no need for them to share the king sized bed, and the more Ally thought about it, the better it was. Maybe they could be friends again. They’d gone on for years that way until their emotions started messing them up.
    Lisa had suggested a friends-with-benefits arrangement with Gavin, but Ally didn’t see how that would work. She and Gavin had a lot of strong feelings towards each other, and friends with bennies sounded like a disaster waiting to happen.
    But her insides warmed at the thought of him touching her again. Memories from the other day, when he kissed her like a starving man and teased her close to orgasm, lingered in her mind. If she closed her eyes, she could feel him again.
    The days she’d been home had been pretty perfect, even the tough ones. Ally found herself torn between her life in Seattle and the one she missed in Montana. For the first time in years, she had no burning desire to head back to the city she’d made her home, and she wished she knew why.
    Being with her parents was nice, but it wasn’t like she wanted to move back in. She loved town, but she could see it getting boring. There was no nightlife. Few restaurants. Trendy shopping was a big no. Yet the charm of it all had gotten to her.
    Gavin had gotten to her, as well. And as long as she was in the same state, she felt more at peace.
    Crossing Court Street, Ally made her way to the library. She was going to try lunch at the diner again. Hopefully with her mother she’d be able to actually eat a meal. People in town were still chattering about the soul kiss Gavin laid on her in public last week. It had caused quite the stir, and Ally was getting the side eye from more than a few women.
    And for some reason, Ally didn’t mind. She kinda liked it.
    Being linked to Gavin romantically was strange for her, but again, she didn’t care. Maybe it was because they weren’t romantic, or maybe because it was keeping people guessing.
    Also a new feeling for a girl who was known as being more than a little nerdy and predictable.
    The library in Marietta was a small, pretty building that served the residents with a variety of programs. Her mother was thrilled to find a part time job working in the children’s department when she retired from teaching elementary school.
    Louise Jenkins, the children’s librarian, was reading a story to a group of preschoolers and her mother was helping a young patron with a book on dinosaurs. It was a warm and wonderful place, and Ally smiled just taking in the vibe.
    “Hey!” her mom cried out. “You’re here.”
    “Shhhh,” Ally chided. “It’s a library.”
    “Let me get my purse and we can go. I’m starved!”
    Ally walked