Cassie drove backto her cottage with a smile on her face. For the first time since Noah had left, she was happy. Sam’s wedding gown was beautiful, and the necklace she’d made looked incredible.
She still couldn’t believe Megan was pregnant. After Sam came out of the changing room, they’d toasted the baby-to-be with ginger ale, enjoying their time together before they had to go home.
Megan and William’s baby would be loved beyond measure. Not only would it have two doting parents, but it would also have a very proud older sister. Nora would teach her new brother or sister all the things she thought were important—like how to draw and what to do in the princess castle at the library.
Cassie turned into her driveway and sighed. It was wonderful spending time with her friends, but she had a lot of work to do. With Sam’s wedding only a little over a week away, she needed to make sure she used every minute productively. Sam’s sisters were arriving tomorrow. As well as helping with any last-minute details, Cassie had until Friday to finish three necklaces and a bracelet for different customers.
At some stage, she would have to employ a part-time assistant. She couldn’t serve in her store as well as create jewelry. Her website orders were keeping her awake until after midnight, and she still had to complete all the invoicing and paperwork needed to run a business.
It was okay working long hours for a few months, but it couldn’t continue.
She slowed and stared at the white SUV parked in front of her house. No one she knew had that type of vehicle, and her next guests weren’t arriving at Acorn Cottage until after the weekend.
When a familiar figure rose from the veranda, her heart pounded. Noah? What was he doing here?
He slowly walked toward her.
Cassie caught her breath. After not seeing him for nearly two weeks, she should have been immune to his handsome face and broad shoulders. Unfortunately, she wasn’t, and that worried her.
This time, instead of a suit, he was wearing jeans and a ski jacket. He could have been anyone about to start their vacation, but his grim expression told her he wasn’t here to enjoy the scenery.
She parked her SUV and stood beside the driver’s door.
Noah was standing a few feet away, his brown eyes filled with concern. “I should have called, but I was worried you wouldn’t want to see me.”
“Why have you come back?”
“There’s something important I need to talk to you about.”
She took a box of half-finished jewelry off the back seat. “If it’s about the properties Pastor John wants to buy, you should have called him. I don’t know anything about them.”
“It’s not about the houses; it’s about you.”
Cassie held the box close to her chest. “We don’t have anything to discuss.”
“I shouldn’t have used the properties as a way of getting you to work with me. It was wrong.”
She closed the back-passenger door and fought the urge to tell Noah it didn’t matter. “You could have called to apologize.”
“I wanted to say I was sorry in person.”
She wasn’t sure she believed him. In her books, anyone who tried to manipulate another person once, would do it again. “I appreciate you coming all this way. Thanks for the apology but, if you’ll excuse me, I have at least four hours work ahead of me.”
“I’m only staying in Sapphire Bay for two nights. While I’m here, I’d like to discuss something else with you. Would you have dinner with me tomorrow night? If you’ve already made plans, we could meet for coffee instead.”
Cassie frowned. Her traitorous body was telling her to take pity on the gorgeous man standing in front of her. “I’m busy tomorrow. I want to be in my studio by eight-thirty and I won’t be home until late. In the evening, I’m doing lots of wedding things with Sam and her sisters.”
“What if I saw you before work? I could bring breakfast with me.”
Cassie didn’t like the way her heart softened at the hopeful expression on his face. Noah Devlin had stooped to bribery and corruption to make her change her mind about working with his company. She didn’t owe him anything, least of all her time.
“If breakfast won’t work, I could bring you lunch.”
She stepped onto her veranda. “I don’t have a lunch break.” Noah must have been working while he was waiting for her. His laptop and a brown folder were sitting beside one of the wooden chairs. “How long have you been waiting?”
“About an hour.”
Cassie frowned. Most people wouldn’t have stayed that long. Whatever was on his mind must be important. She placed the box of jewelry on another chair and picked up his laptop. “I don’t know what you want to talk…” She reached for the folder. Written on the outside, in bold letters, was her name. “What’s this?”
