Playing For Keeps (Emerald Lake Billionaires 2) Read online

  “It’s a big city. I’ve stayed there a few times. Did you ever go to Tony’s Pizza Place? It’s on Stockton Street.”

  Sophie felt her cheeks grow hot. “No, I don’t think I went there.”

  “It’s opposite Washington Square Park. It’s well worth a visit.”

  Sophie kept her eyes on the passing scenery, hoping Ryan got the message and didn’t ask her any more questions.

  “How long have you been living in San Francisco?”

  “About three years.” Sophie crossed her fingers, hoping the story she dreamed up sounded real. “I work in retail.”

  “What do you sell?”

  She tried to look confident, as if his questions were the most natural thing in the world to answer. “Shoes. Ladies shoes.”

  Ryan looked down at her feet. He didn’t need to say anything about her choice of footwear. Her sneakers were the most comfortable pair of shoes she owned. They definitely weren’t the type of shoes that a fashion-conscious twenty-nine-year-old would have worn.

  She pulled her feet closer to the edge of her seat. “I wore my old sneakers today. They’re a good pair of shoes to wear when you’re driving.”

  Ryan nodded. “Makes sense.”

  As the first buildings in Bozeman came into view, she breathed a sigh of relief. The commercial properties were a mix of old red-brick buildings and newer retail outlets. The wide streets and almost empty parking lots were so different from Chicago. She felt as though she’d stepped back in time.

  “There’s a gas station not far from here. They’ll have a gas can we can use. When you get back to town, just drop it off to them.”

  When they pulled into the station, Sophie looked at the cars and trucks parked at the pumps. Everyone was going about their own business. They weren’t worried about the brown truck that had parked at the side of the building.

  As soon as Ryan stopped the truck she had her hand on the door handle. “Thanks for giving me a ride into town. I really appreciate it.”

  Ryan looked amused. “Anytime. It’s nice helping a damsel in distress. But I haven’t finished yet. I’ll take you back to your car once we’ve got a full can of gas.”

  Her eyes widened. She’d been in such a hurry to leave that she’d forgotten about getting back to her car.

  “Just in case you need rescuing again, here’s my phone number.” He took a piece of paper out of a folder on the floor and scribbled a number on it. Now let’s get some gas for your car.”

  Sophie didn’t need to be told twice. She jumped out of the truck and walked across to one of the people working at the station. The sooner she got what she needed, the sooner she could start working on her other problems.

  Running out of gas wasn’t the best start to her arrival in Bozeman, but it was better than not getting there at all.

  ***

  Four hours later, Sophie was exhausted. She was beginning to feel as though she’d made a serious mistake in coming to Bozeman. She’d been into most of the stores on Main Street looking for a job. Everyone had been helpful, but no one had any vacancies. What she needed was a cash job; something that wouldn’t draw attention to herself.

  For two weeks she’d tried to disappear. Hiding from the people who were looking for her wasn’t easy. She couldn’t afford to give anyone her Social Security number or tell them anything that could be entered into a database. She’d relied on using cash for everything, but there was only so far her money could go.

  She’d just visited a craft store and asked the owner if she had any jobs available. They weren’t hiring, but the person she’d spoken to had suggested going into the café beside them.

  As soon as Sophie opened the door the smell of cinnamon and mixed spice tickled her nose. She looked around the room, smiling at the red check tablecloths and small vases of flowers on each table. It was the kind of place you could sit in for hours, enjoying good food, good coffee, and the company of other people.

  “Can I help you?”

  Sophie turned toward a blonde woman.

  “I’m Tess. You look as though you could do with a drink.”

  Sophie pushed a lock of hair behind her ear. She was hot and sticky and so disheartened that she felt like bursting into tears.

  Tess put her hand on Sophie’s arm. “Hey, it will be okay. It can’t be that bad. Come and sit down and I’ll get you a nice cold drink. It’s hot enough to make anyone feel overwhelmed.”

  Tess walked across the room as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened. She chose a table against the back wall; somewhere that Sophie could have some privacy.

  Sophie sat on the seat that Tess pulled out. “Thank you. I guess I’m more tired than I thought.”

  “I wouldn’t worry about that,” Tess said with a smile. “It happens to most of us at some time or another. I’ll be back in a minute.”

  While Tess was filling a glass with water, Sophie took a deep breath and tried to think of something positive that had happened today. Apart from being rescued on the side of the road, the rest of the day had been a horrible repeat of the last two weeks.

  “Here you go.” Tess put the glass of water on the table. “Do you mind if I sit down?”

  Sophie nodded and took a welcome sip of the cold water.

  “Why don’t you tell me what your name is and where you’re from?”

  Sophie stumbled over her words. “I’m Sophie Elliott. I live in San Francisco.”

  “You’re a long way from home. Are you on vacation or visiting family?”

  “A friend recommended Bozeman as a great place to visit. I underestimated how long it would take to get here.”

  Tess tried to hide her surprise. “You came all the way from San Francisco to Bozeman without knowing how far away it was?”

  “I know it seems weird, but I’ve never done anything spontaneous in my life. This seemed like a great way to start.” Sophie hoped that Tess thought her red cheeks had more to do with the heat than the lies coming out of her mouth.

  “You’re talking with someone who makes lists of lists. I don’t do spontaneous very much, either. What were you going to do once you got here?”

  Sophie knew what she wanted to do, but she didn’t think Tess would appreciate being told that she wanted to hide. All she knew was that she needed to stay alive to share the formula for the supplement she’d developed.

  “The first thing I need to do is find a job,” Sophie said. “Do you know if anyone is hiring new staff?”

  Tess looked at her closely. “Tell me about your work experience.”

  Sophie had to think carefully about her answer. She’d waitressed part time in a small café in Chicago, but that had been eight years ago when she’d been a student. She couldn’t tell Tess where she’d worked or give any references. It could lead to questions that could be dangerous.

  “I worked in a small café in San Francisco for about two years. I left when the business closed down.”

  “What did you do after the café closed?” Tess asked.

  She thought about the story she’d told Ryan. “I worked in different retail stores. My last job involved selling ladies’ shoes.”

  “Were you good at it?”

  Sophie knew next to nothing about ladies’ shoes, but it couldn’t be that hard to sell them. “Everyone was happy when they left the store, and I had plenty of repeat customers. I enjoyed my job, but I needed a change.”

  Tess nodded as if she could understand someone wanting a change. “I don’t need more staff in the café, but if anything changes I’ll keep you in mind. Have you got a phone number I could call if I need to contact you?”

  She nodded and pulled out the phone she’d bought as she was leaving Chicago. She told Tess the phone number and put it back into her pocket.

  “Where else have you asked about vacancies?”

  “I’ve walked along Main Street and no one has any jobs available. I don’t know what I’m going to do.”

  “Have you got somewhere to stay tonight
?”

  Sophie shook her head. “I thought I’d see if there were any campgrounds around Bozeman. Can you recommend any good places to stay?”

  Tess glanced up as someone walked through the café’s front door. She smiled at her customer and patted Sophie on the hand. “Stay here. I’ll be back in a minute.”

  Tess spent the next five minutes serving the lady at the counter. She put the home baking the lady chose into brown paper bags and handed them to her.

  While Tess was busy making a cup of coffee for her customer, Sophie checked her cell phone. Her sister was going to text her tonight to let her know how their mom was.

  It had been a long, hard two weeks for Sophie. She hadn’t been away from Chicago for more than two days since her mom had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and she was worried about her.

  Tess came back to the table and sat down. “There’s a campground not far off the interstate. It’s called the Bozeman KOA. But are you sure you want to stay in a campground?”

  Sophie knew she didn’t have a choice. Her money was running out fast. She didn’t have a job, and the only person she knew was a cowboy called Ryan. She took a deep breath. “Until I find a job I can’t afford to stay anywhere else.”

  “You could stay with me? My fiancé has gone to visit his mom. It will be nice to have some company.”

  Sophie bit her lip.

  Tess smiled. “I’m a pretty good judge of character,” she said, “and I’d say you need a friend about now. It’s just me rambling around inside our big home. You could stay with me for a couple of nights?”

  Sophie was tempted. She’d been living out of two suitcases and sleeping in her car since she’d left Chicago. Her eyes filled with tears at Tess’ kindness. “I don’t know what to say.”

  “Say yes. You’d be doing me a favor,” Tess said. “I’m used to having someone around. When Logan isn’t home the house seems too quiet.”

  She thought about Tess’ offer. If she stayed with Tess, it would give her more time to look for a job. She could unpack her suitcases and sort through everything she’d thrown in her car before she’d left Chicago. “Thank you. You don’t know how much this means to me.”

  “I think I might have a small idea. Sometimes you just need a helping hand. That’s what we do in Montana.”

  Sophie wiped her eyes. Bozeman had been a good choice after all.

  ***

  The next day, Ryan lifted a bucket of paint out of the back of his truck. Once the temperature had cooled down, he’d start painting the laundry. In the meantime, he had a lot more prep work to do.

  “Did you get the sandpaper?”

  Ryan passed Jamie O’Brien another bucket of paint. Jamie and a couple of other contractors had been working with him for the past three months. Before Ryan started making money from his music, he’d earned a living as a contractor. When he needed to get out of Nashville, he’d decided it was as good a time as any to start building his new house.

  About a year ago, he’d come to Montana for his cousin’s wedding. While he was in Bozeman, he’d seen a parcel of land advertised in the local paper. Jacob Green, a well-known property developer, had shown him around. He was selling three unique properties around Emerald Lake.

  Ryan had never wanted to build his own home. It had always been easier to walk into a house, check that it had the required swimming pool, music studio, and media room, then make an offer the owners couldn’t refuse. But as soon as he’d seen the parcel of land he knew he had to buy it. It had stirred something deep inside him. He’d imagined coming back to Montana; creating a life for himself that was better than what he had.

  He just hadn’t realized he’d be coming back so soon.

  Jamie had been building another house beside Emerald Lake. When Ryan had seen the craftsmanship and care they’d taken with Molly and Jacob’s house, he’d decided to ask Jamie to manage the construction of his home.

  “The sandpaper is in the back of the truck. I bought extra brushes, too.”

  Jamie grunted. “If you washed the other brushes out properly, you wouldn’t need to buy new ones every second day.”

  Ryan smiled. After four months of working with Jamie, he was beginning to appreciate his sense of humor. For the last two weeks, he’d had to put up with jokes about his painting abilities. Leaving a paintbrush in the sun before cleaning it had turned into a big drama. Anyone would think he’d put the roof on backward with the number of jokes going backward and forward.

  “You do know that I left the brush in the sun on purpose? I didn’t want you to think I was perfect.”

  “You don’t need to worry about that,” Jamie said. “We’ve seen the way you swing a hammer. Reminds me of someone playing a guitar.”

  Ryan opened the back door of his truck and passed Jamie the sandpaper. “Old habits die hard. I was more worried about the blisters on my hands after the first week of working with you.”

  “You’re doing a good job for someone who hasn’t been on a building site in years. Put the paint in the living room. Danny’s in the second bedroom putting the architraves around the door. Once he’s done that, the frame will be ready for an undercoat. Just remember to wash your brush out at the end of it.” With the sandpaper and buckets of paint in his hands, Jamie walked toward Ryan’s home.

  The two-story house was everything Ryan had wanted it to be. From the moment he’d seen the architect’s plans, he’d been blown away by the use of glass and steel. Most of the rooms had incredible views of the lake; views he’d enjoy even more when his home was finished.

  He hoisted another bucket of paint out of the back of the truck. If he didn’t get a move on, Jamie would be after him for loitering in the front yard.

  He walked inside the entranceway and looked at what they’d done over the last couple of days. Danny had plastered the drywall, sanding everything back to a smooth finish. He’d done a good job, better than Ryan would have been able to manage. Now that he had actual walls, he could imagine the colors, the light fittings, and the art that would bring his home to life.

  He left the buckets of paint in the middle of the living room and looked for Danny. The guy had a habit of turning up unexpectedly and scaring the living daylights out of him. Ryan didn’t know what it was about him, but he knew better than most how to move silently around the big house.

  Ryan walked toward the kitchen. As well as moving quietly, Danny was also the hungriest person Ryan knew. If he couldn’t find him, the kitchen was a good place to start.

  “I thought you’d be in here.”

  Danny looked up from the kitchen sink. “It’s all right for you,” he said with a grin. “You get preferential treatment because you’re the boss. Some of us have to put up with Jamie all day.”

  “I heard that,” Jamie said from the doorway. He pointed to the punch-out sheet in his hand. “Standing in the kitchen isn’t going to keep us on track. The flooring contractors arrive in two weeks. If we haven’t got the house painted by then, we’re in serious trouble.”

  Danny wiped his hands on a dishtowel and opened a packet of cookies. “I need food. I brought half a dozen packets of Oreos with me this morning. Do you want some?”

  “I know what your Oreo breaks turn into. Before I know it, you’ve eaten an entire week’s worth of cookies in ten minutes.” Jamie walked across to the counter and helped himself to an Oreo. “If I wasn’t happily married to your sister, I would’ve thought twice about hiring you.”

  Danny put half a dozen cookies in his pocket. “If my sister knew that you were starving me, she wouldn’t make you any pecan pie.”

  Jamie smiled. “Your sister knows you better than I do. Why do you think she makes me pie and not you? It’s because I appreciate what she does.”

  Ryan knew that this conversation could go on for hours. His cell phone rang and he looked at Jamie and Danny. “You two can argue over Oreos for the whole afternoon if you want to. Some of us have work to do.” He picked up a cookie on his way through the ki
tchen. With his other hand, he answered the call.

  “Ryan Evans speaking. How can I help you?” There was a moment of silence, almost as if the caller hadn’t expected him to answer his phone.

  “I don’t know if you remember me, but it’s Sophie. You helped me yesterday when my car ran out of gas.”

  Ryan recognized her voice. It would have been hard to forget the pretty brunette with the long straight hair and brown eyes. He’d thought about her last night, wondering how she was getting along. “Did you make it back into town?”

  “I did. Thanks for your help yesterday. You probably think it’s strange that I’m calling you, but I’m not sure what else to do.”

  Ryan stopped in the hallway. “What’s happened?”

  “It’s not life-threatening,” Sophie said quickly. “I’m okay, but I’m wondering if you could help me? I’m looking for a job. I’ve been everywhere in Bozeman and no one’s got any vacancies. Have you heard of any jobs that are available?”

  Ryan didn’t know what it was about Sophie, but from the moment he’d met her, he’d felt as though he’d known her for years. “I don’t go into town all that much, except for building supplies.”

  “That’s okay. I just thought I’d call you and ask. What are you building?”

  Ryan looked at his half-finished home. “A house. It’s on the shore of Emerald Lake.”

  “I don’t know where Emerald Lake is, but it sounds pretty. Do you need someone to help you?”

  Danny and Jamie would laugh if he suggested employing Sophie. She was the most unlikely looking builder he’d ever seen. “Do you have any construction experience?”

  “I’ve painted two apartments. I know how to fix a leaky faucet and fill holes in the walls. My last apartment looked terrible when I moved in. No one recognized it after I’d finished my renovations.”

  Ryan could hear the hopeful note in her voice. He didn’t normally have a problem saying no to people, but with Sophie it was different. “We’re still drywalling some of the rooms. You could help with the plastering and painting.”