As she scanned the room, she spied a couple of the guests sitting at a large circular table situated in the middle of the room. They laughed as they sipped their coffee and nibbled on the croissants drizzled with chocolate, Faith’s favorite. Mrs. Watson had picked up several dozen at the bakery this morning. After she caught up with Mrs. Watson, she’d finish some of the bookkeeping and head home to lend a hand to Joshua. Last night, he’d mentioned his plans to hit the slopes early this morning and then be at her house around 10:00 a.m. to begin preparing lunch.
Finding no sign of Mrs. Watson, she turned around. Her eyes landed on a striking redhead sitting in a leather club chair at the far corner of the room. Dressed in a black pencil skirt and an off-white sweater, the woman scribbled on a notepad resting on her lap, her never-ending legs crossed at the ankles. She paused and directed her focus to the bar area and then wrote some more. What was everyone writing today?
“There you are.”
Startled by the voice, she turned toward the entryway. “Good morning, Mrs. Watson. I’ve been looking for you.”
“Well, here I am. I’d been by your office, but it was empty. I thought maybe you’d decided to go skiing this morning—perhaps with Joshua?” She flashed a grin and winked. “He’s such a nice young man. And quite handsome...don’t you think?”
Faith couldn’t argue with Mrs. Watson’s observation. Joshua was extremely good-looking, something she found harder to ignore each day he showed up in her kitchen. What made him even more attractive was the kind and gentle way he treated Bella. But no matter how nice he was to look at, she knew she had to keep her distance and stay focused on her goal.
“Hello?” Mrs. Watson waved her hand in front of Faith’s face.
“I’m sorry. What did you say?”
“Joshua...isn’t he handsome?”
“Uh...yes—I don’t know.” She shook her head as if trying to get a housefly away from her face. “I wanted to ask you about those men in suits who I saw walking around the inn. Did you see them?”
Mrs. Watson ran her hands down the front of her apron speckled with tiny daisies. “Yes, I did. I even answered some of their questions.”
Faith’s throat constricted as she tried to swallow. “What were they asking you?”
“They asked about our occupancy rate, if our guests come from out of state. You know those types of questions.”
“No, I don’t know. Why would these strangers be asking questions about my inn—I mean, the inn?”
Mrs. Watson placed her hand on Faith’s forearm. “They’re investors, dear. My guess is they plan to bid at the auction, too.”
Her words caused the room to spin. Faith stepped back to a nearby chair and collapsed into the cushioned back. She’d been so concerned about Joshua, focusing all her anger toward him and his desire for the inn that she’d failed to realize he wouldn’t be the only competition. Why had she been so foolish? She leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees and raked her fingers through her hair.
“I’m sorry, Faith. I thought you’d known there’d be others interested in the property.”
She lifted up her head and pushed her hair away from her face. “Is she an investor, too?” Faith pointed toward the redhead in the corner of the room.
“No, you don’t have to worry about her. She’s here to see Joshua.” Both women looked in her direction before Mrs. Watson turned her gaze back on Faith. “See, you need to get out and spend some time with him because it looks as though you might have a little competition.” She smiled and strolled out of the room.
Faith couldn’t help but sneak quick glances at the woman waiting to see Joshua. Was her visit business or pleasure? The way she was dressed, it appeared to be business. Could it be about the inn? Her stomach quivered at the thought of their meeting being a personal one. But why would she care? Was the stunning woman his girlfriend? He’d never talked about being in a relationship, but then again, with her barriers up, when would he ever have had an opportunity? It couldn’t be his ex-wife, could it?
She pushed herself out of the chair when she made the decision to find out the answers herself. After all, she was the manager here and her job was to meet and greet the guests. There was nothing at all wrong with sitting down to chat.
As she walked across the room, she noticed how focused the woman was on whatever she was writing. Faith clasped her hands behind her back and leaned in. “Hello, there. Welcome to the Black Bear Inn.”
The woman stood and placed her notepad on her chair. She extended her hand. “Thank you. I’m Melissa Ferguson.”
Faith took notice of Melissa’s firm handshake. “My name is Faith Brennan. I’m the manager here. I make a point of greeting newcomers. Can I get you a cup of coffee or something else?”
“Coffee sounds great. This number crunching is putting me to sleep.” She flashed an overly white smile.
“Why don’t you have a seat over by the window? You can enjoy the view and I’ll be right back.” Faith headed to the bar and grabbed two mugs and the coffeepot. She couldn’t help wondering if she was crunching numbers in preparation for the auction. How many more people would she be up against? Using all of the insurance money hadn’t been part of her original plan, but if that was what she had to do, she had no other choice. There was no way she’d allow these outsiders to waltz in and take what belonged to her. They had no idea what it was like to live and work in this community. They’d never appreciate it as much as she did.
“Here you go.” She poured the hot beverage for Melissa and then one for herself. “So tell me, do you plan to stay at the inn as our guest?”
Melissa shifted in her chair before answering. “Well, I guess that remains to be seen. I have to address a personal misunderstanding first.” Her brow arched. “Wait a minute—Faith...you’re the woman who’s trying to take the inn away from Joshua, aren’t you?”
This was bad—and totally unfair. She wasn’t expecting this woman to know more about her. Had Joshua been talking about her? “Excuse me?”
Melissa’s false eyelashes were like black woolly caterpillars. “Joshua told me you were his main competition.”
“And you are?” Faith didn’t trust this woman.
“Let’s just say he and I are old friends. We’ve always been there for each other, ever since high school. I came in from DC to ensure he gets what he wants.” She strummed her bright red acrylic nails on the table, producing an annoying click. “As long as I’ve known him, he’s always gotten what he wanted.”
Faith had a feeling Melissa was the type of person who always got what she wanted. It seemed to her, what Melissa wanted was Joshua. Funny...she really didn’t seem like the type of person Joshua would be friends with.
“Melissa!”
Both women jumped at the authoritative tone echoing across the dining room.
Melissa was the first to leap to her feet as Joshua approached at a rapid pace...his face tomato red.
Faith stayed in her seat to observe the interaction. Her instinct told her she should leave, but she was dying to see what this was all about.
“I’m sorry, Faith, but can you excuse us? We have a few things to discuss.”
Rats.
Joshua placed his hand on Melissa’s lower back and guided her toward the door of his room. Faith kept her eye on them until they were gone. She had no idea what was going on between those two, but it was obvious Joshua didn’t appreciate her visit to the inn. Her gaze turned to the window and she released a heavy sigh. Was Melissa right? Did Joshua always get what he wanted? In a little over a week, she’d find out.
* * *
The slam from the door jarred the Bob Timberlake painting hanging in Joshua’s room. He spun around to face his unwanted guest. “I don’t know what you were talking about with Faith, but I want to know everything—now!”
Melissa’s eyes locked with
his. Her face flushed.
“Well?” He had zero patience right now. Seeing her sitting with Faith had been the last thing he’d expected.
After carefully examining her fingernails, she dropped her hands to her side and stepped closer. “Come on, Joshua. Why are you so angry?” She reached her hand out toward him, but he stepped back to avoid contact.
“You don’t work for me any longer, so I’m not sure why you’re here.” If she planned to ask for her job back, he wasn’t going to oblige her.
She let out a nervous laugh and her eyelashes fluttered. “I know, silly. I didn’t come with hopes of being your attorney again. You fired me and I understand why.”
What? The Melissa he knew would never take rejection this easy, especially when it came to business. She was referred to as the “shark” in the legal community. Something was definitely up. “Spill it. We’ve known each other too long for me not to know you’ve got some crazy idea in your head.”
“That’s just it.”
“What’s it? What on earth are you talking about?”
Her gaze fixated on him. “All these years, our timing has always been off.”
His mind raced in search of an answer. Where she was headed? Then his stomach twisted. “Don’t even go there, Melissa. There’s never been a timing issue for us. You were on my payroll, working as my attorney—nothing more.”
“No! Don’t you see? We’ve always had obstacles when it came to our relationship. You went away to college and then you married my best friend. Then I came to work for you, but now, there’s nothing.”
“You just hit the nail on the head. There isn’t anything between us...no obstacles, no timing issues—nothing. I’ve never had those kinds of feelings for you.” He swallowed hard when her expression went blank. He knew his words stung, but from experience, he knew shooting straight from the hip was the best way to handle her. “We had a couple of dates in high school—as friends.”
“It was more...so much more.” She spoke with a tight jaw. “Don’t you remember the night of the senior class picnic—we kissed.”
The kiss. He’d completely forgotten about it. As soon as he’d done it, he’d regretted it, but he never imagined it to be anything memorable. “We were kids. I didn’t know what I was doing.” He raked his hand over his face. “I guess I thought that’s what I was supposed to do. I’d forgotten all about it until you mentioned it just now.”
Melissa cleared her throat. “Oh—ah...I see.” She shuffled at a brisk pace to the door. Clutching the knob, she turned. She inhaled a slow and steady breath and, her eyes like daggers, said, “I never forgot.”
When the door shut behind her, an unsettling feeling took hold of Joshua. Her carefully controlled tone signaled a warning this wouldn’t be the last he’d see of Melissa.
* * *
Friday evening, Joshua showered and dressed in tan corduroy pants and a waist-length dark brown leather coat. He grabbed Bella’s birthday gift off the desk in his room and headed to the community center. Outside, a light snow fell as a gusty wind whipped tiny pellets of ice against his cheeks. He’d need to invest in a few wool scarves to survive the winters around here. He climbed inside his car and buckled his seat belt. His gaze flicked to the front of the inn and he caught sight of the cozy cottage adjacent to the property—Faith and Bella’s house. His stomach lurched. When all was said and done, was he really the type of businessman who’d put someone out of their home? He shook off the negative thoughts and allowed his mother to enter his mind. She’d help him figure out what to do.
Minutes later, he zipped into a parking spot at the Whispering Slopes Community Center. Tiny white lights twinkled across the top and sides of the small brick building. A warm and welcoming establishment for the townspeople to gather—his mother would have loved it.
He’d been excited to see Bella. The week had been busy, so he’d seen little of her sweet face. The girl had taken up residency in his heart and filled a void he never knew existed. He hadn’t seen Faith, either, over the past several days. Since Melissa’s unwelcome visit, each time he went to Faith’s house to cook meals for the inn, she seemed conveniently gone. Was she avoiding him? At the inn, her office door, which had usually been open for visitors, stayed closed.
He’d arrived a little early and settled into a corner table. A bustling waitstaff carried plates of children’s favorite foods to a long buffet table. The aroma of chicken fingers and hot dogs made him realize how hungry he was—he hadn’t eaten since lunch. The sounds of children giggling as they wandered into the banquet hall accompanied by their parents filled the air. There was no sign of Bella or Faith.
Although he’d been preoccupied for most of the week with auction business and cooking, Faith had been in the forefront of his mind. He hoped tonight he could learn if she’d been deliberately avoiding him. Had Melissa said something to upset her? He was about to find out.
His gaze landed on her just then. Standing alone in the doorway, dressed in a winter-white turtleneck sweater and white pants, Faith looked more beautiful than ever. He wished she didn’t. Her hair hung loose, cascading over her shoulders. Her almond-shaped eyes connected with his from across the room and she smiled. As she glided across the floor toward him, Joshua tried to ignore his racing pulse.
He stood and reached for her hand. A few seconds passed as he inhaled the familiar scent and they exchanged darted glances. “You look amazing tonight. White’s definitely your color—you’re radiant.” When her eyes avoided his, he knew his compliment had made her feel uncomfortable. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to embarrass you.”
She turned her gaze in his direction. “No—you didn’t. Thank you for coming, Joshua. It means the world to Bella.” Her cheeks flushed.
“I don’t think I could ever say no to her.” His stomach twisted. Would Bella still feel the same about him after the auction? Or would she look at him as the mean old man who stole her home? By this time next week, he’d have his answer.
Faith laughed. “You’re in trouble now.”
He took a quick scope of the room. “Where is the guest of honor?”
“She’s with Joy. They went to pick up her friend, Missy. Her parents had other plans tonight.” She threw a glance over her shoulder at the sound of a large crowd entering the room. “I better go and greet the guests.”
Joshua offered a weak smile. Of course, she was the hostess, but he had to admit to being a bit disappointed not to have some alone time with Faith.
She studied him for a moment. “I’m sorry. I know you don’t really know any of these people. It’s rude of me to just abandon you. I’ll go say hi to everyone and come back—if you want some company.”
“That would be nice.”
A smile parted her lips as she scurried toward the crowd huddled around a table, admiring the large Snoopy birthday cake. Bunches of oversize balloons with characters from a popular comic were tied to each table.
For his seventh birthday, his mother had thrown him a superhero-themed party. All of his friends dressed as their favorite hero—and his mom had gotten in on the action, too. His father had been a no-show, which was his modus operandi throughout his childhood. But like Bella, he’d had the perfect mother.
Joshua’s thoughts drifted to Bella. Being raised by a single mother wasn’t much different from what he’d experienced. With his father always absent for family functions, it was as though his own mother was single. He prayed not having a father figure in her life wouldn’t leave an ever-present void in Bella’s life, like the void in his.
For the next ten minutes, Joshua observed Faith as she gracefully greeted the parents and children who’d come to celebrate her daughter’s sixth birthday. Her complexion glowed like fresh summer peaches under the recessed lighting. She was the perfect hostess. Many of her qualities reminded him of his mother. A thickness formed in his throat as he realized he was alo
ne in the world. He no longer had someone in his life to love—or someone who loved him.
But when Faith approached his table, her pleasant smile had faded.
Maybe she’d changed her mind about sitting with him. With the auction a week away, tensions between them were bound to grow, yet for some reason, sitting across from this striking woman, the auction was the last thing on his mind.
“Is everything okay?”
“Yes—well, not really. Joy just called, and her car won’t start. She’s waiting on the auto club to come and check out the problem.” She released a long sigh. “I guess I better make an announcement so Bella’s guests know what’s going on.”
Faith informed the partygoers the guest of honor would be delayed. Inviting them to help themselves to food and drinks, she set the microphone back onto the podium and returned to Joshua’s table.
“Please have a seat.” Had he purposely slid it a little closer to his own? He loved being around Bella, but he was grateful for some time alone with Faith. He’d wanted to talk to her about Melissa. “We haven’t seen each other in a few days.”
She nodded. “Yes, I guess we’ve both been busy.”
“I’ve wanted to apologize for anything Melissa might have said or done to upset you.” At the mention of Melissa’s name, he noticed Faith’s shoulders go tense as she squirmed in her seat.
“I’m not sure what you’re referring to. She didn’t say anything other than the fact the two of you were old friends and she’d come to Whispering Slopes on personal business.” Her left brow arched. “Why would you think anything she said might have upset me? She’s of no concern to me.”
“Melissa was my attorney—up until recently. I had some trust issues with her and had to let her go. She’s not taking it well.” He knew it wasn’t the entire truth, but there was no need to share with Faith what had transpired up in his room. He’d hoped this would be the last he heard from Melissa, but somehow he doubted it.
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