“Will you at least listen to what I have to say? If you don’t think it’s a good idea, I won’t do anything.”
Cassie studied the frown on Noah’s face. “How do I know I can trust you?”
“You don’t,” he said sadly. “But I won’t do anything you don’t want me to.”
Even as she opened the front door, Cassie didn’t know if she was doing the right thing. “You’d better come inside and tell me what you have in mind.”
Noah’s plan would have to be foolproof. Her dad had been persecuted by the media once, and she wouldn’t let it happen again.
Chapter 9
Noah sat on the opposite side of the table from Cassie. She was breathtakingly beautiful, but the dark rings under her eyes worried him. She’d told him she was working long hours. What she didn’t need to tell him was that it was taking a toll on her health.
His unexpected arrival wasn’t helping, either. He felt terrible about her seeing the folder. Not because of what was inside, but because of the way she’d found out about the report. In his world, peeling back the layers of a person’s life was part of what made his company a success. It reduced the risk of failure and gave Noah confidence that their future employee could provide what they said they would.
It took a particular set of skills to navigate through the information most people didn’t know existed about them. And there was no one he trusted more to do the job than his brother.
Cassie lifted a cup of coffee to her mouth and took a sip. “Why do you want to help my father?”
Noah couldn’t afford to tell her the truth. She would think less of him and, at the moment, he needed her on his side. “Your dad is a talented jeweler. He deserves a break, and I’m in a position to offer him one.”
“What do you mean?”
“My brother is worried about my company’s reputation if anyone realizes you’re Tony Harper’s daughter. I want to stop any false stories before they hit the media. We’ll make sure our clients have the facts, not some half-baked lies they read in a magazine or newspaper.”
He opened his laptop and showed Cassie the draft website his PR team was designing. “Wilson Enterprises are in the process of reinventing our online presence. That means new products, new niche markets, and a more diverse client base. I believe your father has the experience and skills to deliver high-quality products to our customers. His designs are completely different from yours, but they have the same timeless elegance our customers expect. None of our competitors have a father-daughter jewelry design team creating unique collections.”
“You want my dad to work with me?”
“It will make it easier for your father and create a point of difference for our clients.” Noah clicked on a tab at the top of the website. “We’ll showcase the work Tony has already created and promote the collections he’s designing with you. No one will refer to the trial again. If they do, my PR team will counter their information with press releases of our own.”
Noah leaned forward. If there was only one thing he wanted Cassie to remember tonight, it was his next words. “By the time my PR team has finished, your father’s name will be on the lips of some of the biggest influencers on social media. Everyone will know Tony and Cassie Harper. And, eventually, they’ll all want jewelry from your collections.”
Cassie studied the page on the website. “Why are you doing this?”
Noah could have told her at least half a dozen reasons why he wanted Cassie and her father working for him. But there was only one that mattered. “Because I like you. I’ve seen how much you care about Sapphire Bay and the people who live here. I want to help you to build your business and, at the same time, relaunch mine.”
“I’ve already told you how I feel about working with you.”
“Do you think your dad wants to be part of Wilson Enterprises?”
“Dad won’t risk his reputation again. He’s happy in San Francisco.”
“I could visit him and explain what I’d like to do.”
Cassie leaned her elbows on the table and rubbed her temples. “I don’t think you realize how hard it was when Dad was accused of stealing someone else’s designs.”
Noah wanted to hold her in his arms and tell her everything would be okay. But he couldn’t. “This could change your lives. Let me help your dad rebuild his career.”
Her gaze dropped to the website. “I’ll talk to him tonight.”
Noah let go of the breath he was holding. “If he has any questions, he can call me.”
Cassie nodded. “Where are you staying?”
“I’m not sure. I’ll head into town and see what’s available.”
“There’s a big music festival in Polson this weekend. You’ll be lucky to find a vacancy anywhere around here.”
