“I hope so.”
“I know so. All you need is a little faith, a lot of love, and a great wedding planner.”
Brooke smiled. “We’ve got two, possibly three covered, so I guess we’ll be fine.”
Cassie hugged her friend. “Who knows, the barn might be the perfect venue. And if other people have used it, the owners might be able to recommend a catering company. That would be two big items confirmed in one day.”
“I should talk to you whenever I’m feeling stressed. I feel better already.”
Cassie held open the workroom door. “That’s what friends are for.”
Noah Devlin threwhis pen onto his desk. “What’s wrong with her? Anyone would think I was asking for a million dollars.”
Jack grinned at his brother. “This must be the first time someone doesn’t want anything to do with you.”
“She doesn’t have a choice. One of the conditions of entering the jewelry competition was to make yourself available for promotional opportunities. So far, the only communication Wilson Enterprises has had with C.J. Davis are four-sentence emails telling us she’s unavailable.”
“At least they were polite.”
Noah’s sharp glance wiped the smile off Jack’s face.
“It sounds like she doesn’t want to be found.”
“Six years at Yale, and that’s the best you can do?”
Jack crossed his arms in front of his chest. “I majored in behavioral psychology and, right now, your behavior is more interesting than Ms. Davis’.”
“That’s because we don’t know much about her.” In normal circumstances, Noah would have left his staff to pursue C.J. Davis. But nothing about the jeweler made sense. Most up-and-coming jewelers would give their right arm to be promoted by his company. As CEO of one of the most influential online shopping networks, he knew the difference his endorsement could make to a person’s career.
To make matters worse, Ms. Davis wasn’t only ignoring his emails. She was now blocking all communication with his company.
Jack opened the folder Noah had given him. “Where’s Sapphire Bay?”
“Montana. At the southern end of Flathead Lake.”
As his brother read the brief information they had about C.J. Davis, Noah clicked on a document on his computer. A series of photographs showing a gold heirloom necklace and matching earrings filled his screen. The deep rubies embedded in the design drew his eyes straight to the heart of the pendant. It was elegant, sophisticated, and would be an extremely desirable set for his clientele.
Jack rubbed his jaw. “Is it really that bad if she doesn’t want to be part of your publicity machine? You could still run the story about the winner of the award. Your PR department could use the information in her application to make the story more—”
“Compelling?”
“I was going to say interesting, but that’s up to you. Besides, you’ve got more important things to worry about.”
Noah stood and looked through the forty-second story window of his Manhattan office. Down the street, the never-ending line of taxis looked like yellow bumblebees, moving in a coordinated pattern toward their queen. Or in this case, the Grand Central Terminal.
“You can’t ignore what’s happening,” Jack said in the same annoying tone he used when he knew he was right. “Granddad gave you five years to prove you were capable of running the company. It’s time to step up to the plate and show the board of directors who’s boss.”
“It’s not a baseball game.”
“Then prove it. Do something crazy. Blow their minds with an idea or product that sends shock waves through their stuffy heads.”
Noah placed the palm of one hand on the glass. “I’ve spent more time in this office than I have in my home. I’ve created a company out of nothing and increased our turnover to more than ninety million dollars a year. If that’s not enough proof that I’m the right person to lead the company, then I don’t know what is.”
“I told you this would happen.”
Sometimes, his brother was so predictable. “Since when does common sense mean I’ve burned myself out? I’ve proved my value to the company ten times over. If the board can’t see that, then they shouldn’t be involved in Wilson Enterprises.”
Jack stood beside him. “This company wouldn’t exist without your drive and determination. Granddad knows that. He also knows that no matter what, the money he invested into the company will be returned to him tenfold.”
