Cassie dipped her tongs into the beans and gave him an extra-large scoop. “Just for you, but don’t tell Pastor John.”
“Don’t worry,” John said from behind them. “No one will mind.”
By the time they ate their dinner, Noah felt as though he’d been living here for months. No one cared about who he was or what he did. They were interested in hearing about his family and listening to what he thought about Sapphire Bay.
Pastor John, with his big, bushy beard and lumberjack shoulders, was one of the most charismatic people he’d met. He wanted the best for the community and he was working hard to make a lot of people’s lives more rewarding.
All Noah had to do was look at the faces of everyone in the dining room to know what a difference he was making.
He refilled Cassie’s glass with water. “You haven’t told me about the tiny home project.”
Her face shone with excitement. “John has been working with other organizations to see if we can build a village of tiny houses. Long-term rental accommodation in Sapphire Bay is almost non-existent. What is here is too expensive for people on a limited budget. The tiny homes will provide an affordable housing option for a lot of people.”
John joined the conversation. “A similar program is underway in Bozeman. The School of Architecture at Montana State University designed their tiny homes. They’re happy for us to use the plans and they’ll even send a team of students to help build the first house.”
“Will the village be built beside The Welcome Center?”
John shook his head. “There isn’t enough room. In the first stage of the development, we want to build at least eight houses. They’ll have a communal kitchen, laundry room, and recreation area. The entire village would eventually have twenty-five homes. I’m looking for a plot of land, but it’s proving more difficult than I thought.”
Cassie placed her knife and fork on her plate. “Each house will only cost ten thousand dollars to build. If we can attract sponsors and find a plot of land, construction could start before Christmas.”
“Have you approached local businesses to see if they would help?”
“They’re very supportive,” John said, “but there’s only so much money to go around. That’s why I thought we’d contact organizations from outside Sapphire Bay. If we can secure enough funding to pay for the land and materials, the community will build and furnish the tiny houses.”
“Do you have a sponsorship program?”
Willow leaned forward. “I’m working on one now. We were thinking of having three funding tiers. That way, organizations can decide how much they want to invest in the project.”
Noah nodded. “If you need any help, send it to my secretary, and she’ll forward it to my marketing team. Cassie has her email address. In the meantime, I’ll think about how Wilson Enterprises can spread the word about the project.”
John breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank you. A lot of organizations will want to be involved, but the hardest part is finding creative ways to approach them.”
Noah smiled. “The casserole worked for me.”
Cassie nudged his arm. “I thought it was the green beans.”
When he looked into her eyes, a warmth spread through his body, filling his heart with a sense of rightness, of knowing he was where he needed to be.
Willow cleared her throat. “Tell us about New York City, Noah. If I was going there for a vacation, where would I visit?”
He pulled his gaze away from Cassie and focused on Willow’s question. “Do you want my honest answer?”
Willow nodded.
“I wouldn’t go there for a vacation. What you’ve got here is one hundred times better than New York City.” And for the first time since he’d arrived, he understood why Cassie had chosen to live here.
By Saturday night,Cassie was exhausted. For most of the week, when she wasn’t in her store serving customers or creating jewelry, she was at Pastor John’s church, making sure everything was ready for the auction.
In half an hour, the auctioneer would bang his gavel and take the opening bid for the first donated item. If the hum of anticipation in the audience was anything to go by, it would be a successful evening.
“Everyone seems excited to be here.”
Cassie jumped.
Noah had snuck up behind her. And oh, my goodness…he looked amazing.
His charcoal gray suit hugged his broad shoulders and narrow hips as if it had been tailored especially for him. It wasn’t as if it was the first time Cassie had seen a man in a suit, but Noah managed to take her breath away. “You look very handsome.”
