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.”
Noah frowned. Something about her story wasn’t making sense. After Cassie told him she was C.J. Davis, he’d called his brother and asked him to do a background check on Cassie. Jack had found some interesting information.
After she left high school, Cassie was a student at a creative design studio in Los Angeles. By the time she was twenty, she was holding successful exhibitions and making a name for herself. When she turned twenty-five, her jewelry featured in several high-profile magazines. Then, when she was twenty-seven, Cassie moved to San Francisco and disappeared off everyone’s radar.
Last year, C.J. Davis hit the arts scene with a splash, showcasing her jewelry on the cover of a top women’s fashion magazine. And now, she’d won the prestigious Wilson Award.
He studied Cassie’s face, searching for any chink in her armor. “Wouldn’t a larger city have given you a lot more opportunity to grow your business?”
“Definitely, but living in a city is expensive. I wouldn’t have been able to afford my own store or purchase a home. Sapphire Bay has everything I’ve ever wanted.”
“How did your family feel about you moving here?”
Cassie looked down at her coffee. “Dad understood why I needed to live somewhere else.”
Noah wanted to ask her a lot more questions, but the wariness on her face worried him. Perhaps she was right to be careful. He wanted her to accept the award, but that was only the beginning of what she could do for Wilson Enterprises.
He didn’t like manipulating anyone but, as chief executive, he’d done his fair share of changing people’s minds. Only this time, he wasn’t playing for shareholder loyalty; he was fighting for his future.
He wanted to know what Cassie was passionate about, why she wanted to stay in Sapphire Bay and not fast-track her career. “Your friends are excited about the auction for The Welcome Center. Why did you get involved?”
If anything, she became even more guarded. “I knew some homeless people. If it weren’t for the kindness of strangers, they would have stayed on the street for a lot longer than they did. When I moved to Sapphire Bay, I read an article about The Welcome Center. The church helps people who need a safe, warm place to stay. I contacted Pastor John and began volunteering. Before I knew it, I was helping to organize different fundraising events, including the auction.”
“Do you need more donations?”
“We wouldn’t say no. Everything will sell no matter how big or small. If you want to donate something, all you need to do is take it into the church. Pastor John will make sure it’s added to the list of items to be auctioned.”
“I’ll organize something tomorrow.” He had to look away when Cassie smiled. For the first time in years, he was finding it hard to justify what he was doing.
Cassie trusted him, and he was doing everything he could to make her do something she didn’t want to do.
On Monday morning,as Cassie was getting her jewelry store ready for the day, Megan knocked on the front door.
She flicked open the deadbolt and smiled. “You’re here early.”
“You didn’t tell me Noah looks like an NBA basketball player. He’s gorgeous.”
The heat of a blush hit Cassie’s face. “Looks aren’t everything,” she mumbled.
“Maybe not, but they don’t hurt. If he was offering me an all-expenses-paid flight to Manhattan, you wouldn’t be able to stop me.”
Cassie opened a display case and took out a necklace. “It’s more complicated than that.”
“I know you don’t want the publicity, but accepting the award could make a huge difference to your career.”
“I’m happy with how everything is going.” She carefully placed the necklace in the front window. Cassie knew Megan cared about her, but she didn’t know what had happened after her family went to Los Angeles. “Nora enjoyed meeting Noah. She didn’t leave his side all evening.”
Megan grinned. “She asked questions that no one else would. Noah was wonderful with her.”
Cassie knew the tone in Megan’s voice. “You don’t need to tell me he’d make a great dad. When I saw them walking toward my cottage, they looked as though they were already best buddies.”
“There must be something wrong with him.”
Cassie’s eyebrows rose. “Why?”
