He pushed his hands into his pockets and took a deep breath. At some stage, he’d changed out of his running shorts and T-shirt and replaced them with navy trousers and a cream business shirt.
“I came to Sapphire Bay to find C.J. Davis.”
Cassie’s heart sped out of control, but she tried hard not to show any reaction to his words.
“While I was in town this morning, I bumped into Mabel Terry. She told me you own Davis Jewelry.”
“Davis was my mother’s maiden name.” She knew she wasn’t making the conversation any easier, but she couldn’t think of anything else to say. For three years, she’d been careful not to associate her professional name with her legal name. If Noah had found her, then any of the reporters who had ruthlessly covered her father’s case could do the same thing.
“Why have you been ignoring the emails from Wilson Enterprises?”
Cassie lowered her backpack to the ground. “I didn’t submit an entry into your jewelry award. My friend did. When your company first contacted me, I thought it was a hoax. It wasn’t until I mentioned something to Sam, that she told me what she’d done. She thought she was doing something wonderful for my career, but it was the last thing I needed.”
“You could have told us you wanted to withdraw your entry.”
“I did, but the person I spoke to said it was too late. Sam had already given your company my basic resume. I thought if I ignored your emails and phone calls, I wouldn’t have to go to the award dinner or be part of any publicity.”
“It doesn’t work that way.”
He wasn’t impressed, but that was the least of Cassie’s worries. If she had to choose between her dad and Wilson Enterprises, she’d choose her dad every time. “Why didn’t you ask me about C.J. Davis?”
“I didn’t think you would know her.”
It was hard to argue with something that logical. Sapphire Bay was small, but it was still possible not to know some of the people who lived here.
Noah’s brown eyes settled on her face. “Why won’t you accept the award?”
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.
