“Think of me as a free taxi. Come on, Cassie. I’m not leaving you here.”
“You can do whatever you like, but I’m not going anywhere with you.”
“Don’t be stubborn.”
A horn tooted from behind them.
She sent the driver a ferocious glare.
“Get in, Cassie. You’re holding up the traffic.”
The withering glare she sent Noah bounced off his corrupt face.
The car behind them tooted again.
Noah muttered something under his breath. “Get in the car. Walking on the side of the road isn’t safe.”
Cassie looked at the vehicle following Noah. The driver wasn’t happy. “Okay. You can drive me home, but I’m not talking to you.”
Noah stopped the SUV and Cassie jumped into the front seat.
For the next thirty minutes, she wouldn’t utter one word. And if Noah Devlin thought he could sweet-talk his way out of the trouble he was in, he was wrong. She had principles—unlike someone else she knew.
As soon asshe arrived home, Cassie changed her clothes and went into her studio. She was too upset to do anything except work on her necklace. She couldn’t believe Noah had tried to blackmail her. Using the tiny house village as leverage was terrible. He knew how much that project meant to her and Pastor John, but he hadn’t hesitated to use it to get what he wanted.
She wasn’t joking when she’d said she thought he was a good person. From the small amount of information she’d found, Noah seemed to care about the people he worked with and his organization. That in itself made his proposition even harder to understand.
He donated thousands of dollars each year to charities. Why would he stoop to bribery to make her change her mind about working with him?
Reaching for her pliers, she gently twisted a strand of gold wire through the pattern she was creating. She held her breath as the sparkle of a ruby caught the light. The precious gems added depth, color, and interest to the whimsical design.
Hopefully, whoever bought the necklace would treasure it as much as she did.
A soft knock on the studio door made Cassie’s heart race. She looked up and saw Noah. He seemed every bit as uncomfortable as she felt.
As she rose from the chair, she wiped her hands on the side of her jeans. “Hi.”
“I’m sorry if I’ve interrupted you. I wanted to let you know I’m going home. There’s a flight that leaves from Polson in two hours.”
Cassie wasn’t surprised, but she was disappointed. “Thanks for telling me. I’ll send you a refund of the balance of your accommodation.”
“Don’t worry about it.” Noah looked over her shoulder. “Is that the bird’s nest necklace?”
“It is. Would you like to see it?”
Noah’s wary glance made her feel as if she’d lost her best friend. He nodded and followed her across the room.
“I need to add a few more layers of gold wire to the base.”
Reaching out, Noah gently touched the edge of the necklace. “It’s beautiful.”
Tears stung Cassie’s eyes. She hated knowing she’d upset someone, regardless of how it happened. She took a deep breath. If this was the last time she ever spoke to Noah, she didn’t want him to leave without trying to explain why she was so annoyed.
“I know you don’t understand why I can’t sign a contract with your company. If my life were different, I would have dropped everything to be part of what you suggested. But it isn’t. For now, this is the best I can do.”
Noah’s jaw tightened. “I’m disappointed, too. I’m also sorry if I offended you. You’re a talented artist and it was a privilege meeting you.” His deep brown eyes were filled with regret. “If you change your mind about coming to the award ceremony, I’m only a phone call away.”
Cassie took the business card he handed her, but it was a waste of time. She wouldn’t be going anywhere near Manhattan.
