Cassie tightened her hold on the balloon. She didn’t know him well enough to tell him everything. “I prefer to keep out of the spotlight. The person who wins the award won’t have much privacy for a while.”
“If you accept the award, it will transform your life. Being associated with Wilson Enterprises’ prestige store will open the door to opportunities you never thought were possible.”
He didn’t have to tell Cassie what the award could do for her career. “I’m sorry, but I don’t want all the attention. Can’t you give the award to the person who came second?”
When Noah didn’t say anything, Cassie picked up her backpack. “I won’t change my mind. If you decide to go home, I’ll refund the balance of the money you’ve paid for the cottage. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a meal to prepare.”
Noah’s hand reached out, stopping her from moving. “Are you sure? I saw some of your new collection in your store window. It was extraordinary. Marketing your jewelry to my clients would change your life.”
“I want people to enjoy wearing my jewelry regardless of how much money they have. For me, a big part of creating a collection is knowing my customers will enjoy each piece when they wear it.”
Noah didn’t look as though he believed her.
“It’s true. There’s more to life than having millions of dollars in your bank account.”
“Not in my experience.”
The sadness in Noah’s eyes made her breath catch. What kind of a life did he have that reduced his happiness to how much money he earned?
But he wasn’t the only person who thought money was important. She used to think the same thing. It wasn’t until her family lost everything that she realized just how superficial her life had been.
Having no money had built resilience, but it had also instilled a deep fear of not being able to look after herself. She never wanted to go back to where her family had been, to the dark hole of depression that had consumed her father.
No matter what she had to do, Cassie would never risk her dad being hurt again. He had a job he loved, a salary that enabled him to do whatever he wanted.
“I guess money means different things to each of us. Have a nice evening.” As she walked toward her cottage, Noah’s gaze sent prickles of awareness down her spine.
He didn’t know what to do with her, and she couldn’t blame him. If she’d just offered someone the world and they’d turned her down, she’d be confused and disappointed, too.
Later that night, Cassie sat on the sofa with her feet curled under her. She smiled at something Brooke said, then laughed when Sam and Megan rushed into the kitchen to rescue Nora from a bowl of whipped cream.
Nora was Megan’s seven-year-old niece. When Megan’s sister and parents died in a car accident, she’d become the little girl’s legal guardian. Since then, they’d developed a close bond that was like any mother-daughter relationship.
When Nora walked into the living room, Cassie smiled. “Did you manage to lick the bowl clean before Megan arrived?”
Nora sat on the sofa, gazing up at Cassie with big, blue eyes. “I had lots and lots,” she whispered. “Aunty Megan said I’m going to have a tummy ache.”
“Is it sore now?”
“No. Maybe I didn’t have enough.”
Cassie thought the possibility of that was extremely low. Nora had been alone in the kitchen for more than ten minutes with the leftover dessert. A lot could happen in a little girl’s life in that time. “You probably had just the right amount.”
When Megan and Sam came back into the living room, they were holding a huge birthday cake.
Cassie’s mouth dropped open. “Where did the cake come from?”
“Megan baked it today,” Sam said as they placed it on the coffee table. “It’s was hidden in her truck. Happy Birthday!”
Candles sparkled from the top of the white frosting and glittery pink roses cascaded down the sides. It was the most beautiful cake Cassie had ever been given.
Nora jumped up and down. “There are twenty-one candles. I counted them for you.”
Megan grinned. “We decided thirty-one would become a fire hazard.”
Sam waved her hand above the flames. “Talking about fires, I think you should blow out the candles before the smoke alarms start beeping.”
Cassie looked at the excitement on her friends’ faces and sighed. There was so much love in the room that it made her heart swell with pride.
She knelt beside Nora. “Would you like to help me blow out the candles?”
“Yes, please.”
“We’ll count to three, then blow them out. Are you ready?”
“I’m ready,” Nora squealed.
“Okay. One…two…three!” Cassie blew as hard as she could.
When Nora extinguished the last two stubborn flames, everyone clapped and cheered.
Cassie enjoyed the moment. The last few years had been a roller coaster of ups and downs but, through it all, she’d had her dad and friends beside her. A woman couldn’t ask for much more than that—especially when she only had twenty-one candles on her cake.
If Megan, Brooke, and Sam used the same number of candles on her fortieth birthday cake, they’d move to super-friend status in a heartbeat.
Now all she had to do was pick the pieces of candle wax out of the frosting and they’d have a cake fit for a queen. And knowing Megan, it would taste divine.
Noah sat on the veranda of Acorn Cottage, listening to Cassie’s friends sing her happy birthday. He’d forgotten how sound traveled at night, especially when there was nothing around except a glistening lake, acres of trees, and a sky full of stars.
The sound of their laughter reminded him of the birthday parties he’d enjoyed at Shelter Island. His mom would make a cake and smother it in delicious frosting. If Noah and Jack were lucky, they’d help the birthday person blow out the candles. When they were really lucky, their dad would relight the candles so they could blow them out again.
A longing for things he couldn’t change overcame him. After his parents died, no one’s birthday had been the same. His grandparents did their best to make the day special, but nothing could alter the fact that the two most important people in Jack and Noah’s lives weren’t there.
“Excuse me. Are you Noah?”
He almost fell off his chair. Noah turned toward the child’s voice, blinking twice to make sure he wasn’t imagining the little girl standing on the edge of the veranda.
“I am. Who are you?”
The little girl held a red-haired rag doll in front of her and sent him a dimpled smile. “I’m Nora and this is Dolly. Did you hear us sing happy birthday to Cassie?”
Noah looked over her shoulder, hoping Nora’s mom and dad weren’t far away. At least he knew she was supposed to be at Cassie’s house and wasn’t lost. “Yes, I heard you singing. Where are your parents?”
Nora’s smile disappeared. “My mommy died when I was a baby. Aunty Megan and William look after me now.” She took a step closer and looked through the open French doors. “Where are your mommy and daddy?”
“They’ve died, too.”
“Really? Who looks after you?”
Noah swallowed. He’d asked himself the same question too many times to count. “My grandma and granddad looked after me when I was younger, but now I look after myself.”
“Oh. Do you like looking after yourself?”
He rubbed his jaw, unsure of what to say. “It’s okay. I have a brother called Jack. He spends a lot of time with me.”
Nora grinned and skipped across to his chair. “Can I tell you a secret?”
Her big, blue eyes stared up at him, almost bursting with the information she wanted to share. Noah hadn’t spent much time around children. Most of his friends had delayed having families, and Jack had enough trouble keeping a girlfriend happy, let alone thinking about becoming a dad.
“If Megan wouldn’t mind you telling me your secret, then that’s all right.”
&nb
sp; Nora leaned against the arm of his chair. “I’m going to be a big sister,” she whispered. “But don’t tell anyone. Aunty Megan said it’s a surprise.”
Noah’s eyebrows rose. Megan would be even more surprised if she knew what Nora had told him. “That’s wonderful. I promise not to tell anyone.”
She held her little finger in the air. “Pinky promise?”
He almost smiled until he saw Nora’s worried frown. With a solemn nod, he touched his little finger to hers. “Pinky promise.”
The two words unleashed another dimpled grin from his pint-sized visitor.
“Why did you come to see me, Nora?”
“Cassie wanted to invite you for cake, but she said she had to tidy her studio first. Then Megan and Sam and Brooke started helping. So I thought I’d come and see you. Are you Cassie’s boyfriend?”
Just when Noah thought he’d aced the conversation, Nora managed to leave him speechless. “Um…no. I’m giving Cassie money to stay in this cottage.”
“Why?”
Telling a six or seven-year-old that he wanted Cassie to come back to Manhattan would open a can of worms. So he stuck to the second reason he was here—the one that had as much chance of happening as the first. “I’m on vacation. My brother thought it would make me happy.”
“Have you been fishing?”
Noah shook his head.
“William’s friend has a boat. If you went fishing with him, you could bring a fish home for Cassie. Then you would be her boyfriend and you wouldn’t have to look after yourself all the time.”
Noah had no idea how they’d gone from fishing to boyfriends. And even less of an idea about what to say to Nora. But he did know one thing. It was time to take his new buddy back to her aunt.
“Come on, Nora. I’ll take you to Cassie’s house.”
“To have cake?”
“I hope so.”
Nora wrapped her hand around his. “Do you know that our names sound the same?”
Noah smiled. “I had noticed.”
“We could be friends. But you’re a lot taller than me.”
“That’s because I’m an adult.” As they walked toward Cassie’s cottage, Nora told him about the other adults who were her friends. She was a walking, talking, encyclopedia of information—and an adorable optimist who made him smile.
If he ever had children, he hoped they were just like Nora. Life could be unpredictable and, sometimes, all you needed was an excited child to remind you about what was important.
Chapter 5
Cassie met Noah and Nora a few feet from her cottage. “I thought I’d find the two of you together.”
Nora had a grin on her face. “Noah heard us singing happy birthday. Did you know he has a goldfish called SpongeBob?”
“No, I didn’t. Why is he called SpongeBob?”
“’cos he’s yellow and swims in the water,” Nora said quickly. “Noah likes cake, too.”
“I’m glad because we’ve got plenty.”
“That’s what I said, too. I’ll get everything ready.”
Nora rushed inside, leaving Cassie with Noah.
He cleared his throat. “I’m surprised you want to share your birthday cake with me.”
Cassie shrugged. “It’s a nice cake. But to be honest, I didn’t think you’d still be here.”
“I promised my brother I’d take a vacation. If I go back to work early, he’ll find an excuse to send me back to my apartment.”
“You work together?”
“Not usually, but a lot is happening at the moment. While I’m here, he’s making sure everything runs smoothly at Wilson Enterprises.”
Cassie could imagine Noah leading an organization. He seemed calm and unflappable, the type of person you could depend on in an emergency. “Does your brother like being in charge?”
“Most of the time. He travels a lot with the business he owns, so it’s a novelty to be in one place for longer than a week.”
“You both sound busy.”
Noah sighed. “Which is why Jack suggested I come here. As well as searching for you, he thought spending some time away from the office would do me good.”
Cassie took a deep breath. “I’m sorry coming here was a waste of time.”
“Nothing is ever a waste. Even though you’re not coming to Manhattan to accept the award, I’m enjoying Sapphire Bay. I found some amazing candy and I’m meeting an artist tomorrow to talk about her paintings.”
A little of the guilt lifted from Cassie’s shoulders. Before they went inside, she thought she’d better warn Noah about her friends. “Sam, Brooke, and Megan are amazing women, but I can’t guarantee they won’t be acting a little crazy. Sam is getting married in three weeks and Brooke is planning her own wedding.”
“I won’t hold any wedding conversation against them.”
Cassie winced. If even half the media stories about his engagement were correct, Noah wouldn’t enjoy any conversation about people finding their happy ever after. “I’m sorry. I forgot about your engagement.”
“How did you know…” Noah’s frown deepened. “You found the articles about Tasha and me.”
“I shouldn’t have been snooping into your life, but I wanted to know who you were. Apart from the fundraising work your company does, your engagement was the only information I could find.”
“I don’t like discussing my personal life with the media.”
He wasn’t the only one.
Nora ran out of the cottage and pulled Noah inside. “Come and see the living room. There are balloons and glitter and lots of flowers.”
Noah’s serious face broke into a grin.
When he looked at Cassie, her heart pounded.
“It looks as though I’m going to meet your friends. You’d better come with me in case I need back-up.”
Cassie followed him into the kitchen. For better or worse, Noah Devlin was getting under her skin, and she wasn’t sure what to do about it.
After Cassie’s friends went home, Noah sat on her veranda, listening to the music playing on her sound system. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d had so much fun.
Megan, Sam, and Brooke had kept him amused with stories about Sapphire Bay. None of them had been born here but, for different reasons, they’d made Montana their home.
“Here you go.” Cassie handed him a cup of coffee. “Would you like another slice of cake?”
Noah shook his head. “If I have any more, I’ll have to run twice as far tomorrow. The cake was delicious.”
“Megan’s a great baker. I still can’t believe it was Brooke’s candy store you visited.”
“It’s a small world. I’ll make sure my procurement team calls her next week. A lot of people would enjoy her candy.”
Cassie sat in the chair beside him. “Does your brain ever switch off?”
He leaned back and stared up at the sky. “No.”
Cassie groaned. “You’re a workaholic.”
Noah smiled. “Probably. But my grandfather used to work twice as many hours and he never called himself a workaholic.”
“What did your grandma think of him not being at home?”
“I never asked, but I think Jack and I helped fill the void. Granddad worked even longer hours after Mom and Dad died. It was almost as if he used his company as an excuse not to have to deal with his feelings. Grandma was the opposite. She was always there for us. She used to tell Jack and me lots of stories about our parents.”
“How old were you when your Mom and Dad died?”
Noah closed his eyes and let the peacefulness of the evening wash through him. “I was eleven and Jack was nine. Mom and Dad were on their way to a charity fundraiser when a drunk driver hit their car. Grandma and Granddad were looking after us.”
He didn’t remember much about that night or the days that followed. All he knew was that he’d missed his parents so much that he had a permanent stomach ache for years. He was always worried that something would happen to Jack or his gra
ndparents and they’d never come home.
“Your grandparents must be proud of what you’ve done.”
Noah’s frown deepened. “Grandma was proud of us regardless of what we did. Granddad is different.” He looked at Cassie, wanting her to understand the man who had raised his grandsons. “Granddad’s parents were Irish immigrants. He always felt as though he needed to prove something. Jack and I had to be the best at what we did. Coming second wasn’t an option.”
“That’s a lot of pressure.”
“I suppose it was, but at the time I thought it was the way everyone acted. It wasn’t until much later that I realized I didn’t have to be the best at everything. What about you? Why did you become a jeweler?”
Cassie looked as though she was choosing her words carefully. “My dad was a jeweler and Mom was a painter. When I was little, I had my own desk in their studio. I would sit for hours, drawing the most amazing necklaces in the world. When Dad made his jewelry, he explained everything he was doing. I must have been the only five-year-old who’d used a soldering pick.”
Noah could imagine Cassie sitting in her parents’ studio. She would have been absorbing their creativity like a dry sponge floating in a bowl of water.
“Is your dad still a jeweler?”
Cassie nodded. “He’s a wonderful man, but he’s also a perfectionist. He won’t stop tweaking his designs until he has everything exactly how he wants them.”
“He sounds like someone I know.”
“Don’t tell anyone this, but you might be right.”
Her smile made Noah’s heart pound. With her long, dark hair hanging loose around her shoulders, she could have been a woodland nymph, sent back to earth by the ancient Greeks to protect the trees and the lake.
“So, tell me Ms. Perfectionist, what is a talented, beautiful woman like yourself doing in Sapphire Bay?”
Cassie bit her bottom lip.
He didn’t know why the question made her uncomfortable. “You don’t have to tell me.”
“It’s all right.” Cassie looked down at her hands. “Some friends spent a few weeks in Bigfork and loved the area. When I was searching for somewhere a little quieter to live, I decided to explore Flathead Lake. As soon as I saw Sapphire Bay, I knew I wanted to live here.”
The Sweetest Thing Page 5