CHAPTER EIGHT
“You’re kidding.”
“Nope,” Trevor said with a wide smile. “Got the email this morning. Turns out when someone goes above and beyond, they get noticed.”
“But…” Jane searched her thoughts. “How would they know? Did you tell them?”
Trevor shrugged. “I might have mentioned you when they called.”
“Theycalled?” The corporate offices of The Wounded Heroes Project called their small offices? To what end?
Her boss shrugged. “It’s not really surprising if you think about it. We’re new. We’ve only just gotten on our feet, and we had a smash hit at the gala. They noticed, and they called to find out who were the big players. Of course I told them about you. But I think a few other people mentioned it, too, because they didn’t seem surprised.”
“And they want me to take over Cassidy’s position?” Jane’s head was spinning. Cassidy had been the one to lead the organization of their latest gala. Then shortly after, she’d chosen to move back to Billings. Jane wasn’t completely aware of what had caused the change in her decision to move, but at this point, she didn’t care.
“That’s right. They already have plans for another event. This one is going to support veterans from here to the west coast.”
She gasped. “I thought that event was hosted in Seattle every year.”
Trevor reached out and placed a calming hand on Jane’s shoulder. “Breathe,” he chuckled. “Like I said, they were impressed. I think they want to see what you can do if you have a bigger venue and VIP guests.”
Her eyes bulged as the full weight of what Trevor was saying landed on her. The board wanted her to help plan and host the largest event of the season. She couldn’t breathe. This wasn’t happening. What if she failed? What if she couldn’t hack it, and she made a complete fool of herself and the charity all together? “I don’t know if I can.”
“Jane,” he murmured with a firm and yet comforting voice. “I know you can. You had everything organized from start to finish. You’ll have a few months to get everything together, and they are offering you every resource you could possibly need. Make this work, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they decide to move you to one of the larger locations.”
That gave her pause. Everything sounded so wonderful until he said that.
A larger location? She didn’t want to move. Jane had only been in Rocky Ridge for a couple of months, but this place already felt like home.
She shook off the thought. Even if they wanted to move her, she’d have a choice. She’d happily stay here even if that meant she wouldn’t get the pay increase—because that wasn’t what this job was about.
“So? What do you want me to tell them?”
She blinked at him, still in a daze. “What?”
“Will you take the job?”
Jane slammedher car door a little too hard and squealed as she went running toward Noah. It wasn’t until she flung her arms around his shoulders that she realized just how odd her behavior was.
Noah pulled back with surprise, but then something deeper flickered in his eyes—something that had her insides coiling with anticipation. His mouth shifted into a boyish smirk, and he folded his arms. “I don’t know what I did to deserve that, but I’d gladly do it again and again if that’s how I’m going to be thanked.”
She flushed, her thoughts buzzing. There had to be a logical explanation for her behavior, but the only thing she could rationalize was that he’d been the one she talked to about her position with the charity. He’d been the one to remind her that she was good at her job. So he was the one she wanted to celebrate with when she told him about her promotion.
“You’ll never believe what happened to me today!” She practically bounced on the balls of her feet. “I’m getting a promotion.” Her hands curled into fists, and she pressed them together beneath her chin, waiting to see his reaction.
Noah’s brows lifted. “Really? That’s great!” He stepped toward her and hugged her tight. She didn’t have the clarity of mind to resist him, and she flung her arms around his neck. There was no one here who would have understood exactly what this meant to her. All the work she put into her career and serving others had finally paid off, and she was going to make more of a difference.
It wasn’t just about the money—though that would be nice in helping her parents out. No, this was about being recognized for her skills, and that felt darn good.
Noah pulled back. “What does the promotion entail?”
“You know how we did the gala here, and I had to help with organizing it?”
He nodded, listening intently. She loved the way it felt to have someone appreciate what she had to say. Noah had been one of few people in her life that made her feelseen.
“Well, the heads of this charity want me to oversee the biggest event of the year. It’s going to be in a few months, and it’s going to take a ton of my time, but I’m going to be the one making all the big decisions.”
His low whistle was the perfect reaction. It embodied everything she felt in this moment and more. “That’s amazing, Jane,” he breathed. “Wow. You must have really made some waves with that company.”
