“Then why is he insisting on a five-year review? If I could, I’d buy back his shares. But I’ve made the company too successful to be able to afford them.”
“Here’s a radical idea. Why don’t you go to Sapphire Bay and track down C.J. Davis? While you’re there, you can have the vacation you keep canceling.”
Noah frowned. “I can’t leave. If the board senses a weakness anywhere in the company, they’ll blow it out of proportion and use it against me.”
Jack leaned against the window frame. “Then let me be your eyes and ears. I can be your proxy vote. If anything happens, I’ll call you immediately.”
“No.” Noah wasn’t leaving his business in his brother’s hands. Jack had a lot of good qualities, but dealing with a volatile board of directors wasn’t one of them.
“Running this company will kill you if you don’t get away.”
“You’re exaggerating.”
Jack’s eyes narrowed. “You’re thirty-eight years old. You haven’t had a vacation since you started the company. You sabotage any relationship you’re in by working sixteen-hour days and your blood pressure is through the roof. Do you want me to keep going?”
“I work long hours because I enjoy my job.”
“You need to learn how to enjoy life. At the rate you’re going, you’ll be dead by the time you’re fifty.”
Noah didn’t say anything to his brother. Instead, he reached for C.J. Davis’ file. If she was half the jeweler he suspected she was, she could be his secret weapon. Winning the prestigious Wilson Award would only be the beginning of their association, especially if her work shook the board of directors out of their old-fashioned views.
He looked at the photo of Ms. Davis and frowned. The grainy black and white image looked as though it had been taken at night. The only distinguishing feature in the entire shot was her long, dark hair. From her minimal biography, he knew she was thirty years old, but the quality of her work hinted at someone who was much older.
Before he could change his mind, Noah picked up the phone and called his secretary. “Charlotte? Book the next available flight to Montana. I’m going to a town called Sapphire Bay.”
When she asked how long he’d be gone, Noah hesitated. If he could have said one weekend, he would have. But with his brother standing a few feet away, he wouldn’t get away with anything less than a week.
Jack grabbed the phone. “He’ll be gone for two weeks, Charlotte. And find somewhere for Noah to rent. The closer to the lake, the better.”
Charlotte said something and Jack smiled. “Exactly. Good luck.”
Noah took the phone from his brother. “What was all that about?”
Jack pulled on his jacket. “Your secretary and I are on the same page when it comes to Sapphire Bay.”
“Where are you going?”
“The same place you should be. Home.”
Noah checked his watch. “It’s barely seven o’clock.”
“No kidding.” Jack took his brother’s jacket out of the closet. “Most people finished work two hours ago. Come on. I’ll buy takeout for dinner and help you pack.”
“I’m only going to Sapphire Bay for a few days.”
Jack’s chin rose. “Two weeks, but who’s counting. And you can’t wear any of your over-priced designer suits. You’re taking jeans and T-shirts.”
Noah glared at his brother. “I’m supposed to impress Ms. Davis. I can’t do that if I look like a cowboy.”
Jack snorted. “You’ve got to be kidding. You’re going to Montana, the home of cowboys, cattle drives, and rodeos. No one wears suits.”
“I do.”
Jack shook his head. “I don’t know who I’m more worried about—you or the mysterious C.J. Davis.”
“You don’t need to worry about either of us. If I can’t convince her to come to New York City, I’ll talk to the people who know her. There must be something that will make her more inclined to appear in front of the media.”
Jack shook his head. “You’ve been living in big cities for too long. Sapphire Bay might be better for you than you think.”
