Once In a Lifetime Read online

  “Thanks.” Bailey skidded to a stop, fluffing the curls in her shoulder-length black hair. “We had our practice appointment at the Beauty Box today. Tell Shelley her hair looks great. It will make her less grumpy.”

  “Was Mom happy with how your hairstyles turned out?”

  Bailey’s smile lifted some of Sam’s guilt for not being there. “She was. Don’t worry, she wasn’t too upset that you had to work.”

  At least that was one less minefield she had to navigate. The second one wasn’t going to be so easy.

  “Is that you, Sam?” Her mom’s voice drifted into the entranceway.

  “It is.” Sam shrugged out of her jacket and left it on the coat stand. “I’ll be there in a minute.”

  “The coffeepot’s hot.”

  Bailey waved a roll of navy-blue ribbon in the air. “Shelley’s waiting for this. I’ll see you in the living room.”

  With heavy steps, Sam followed her sister. Her mom sat on a chair, cutting a length of tulle into circles. Shelley sat cross-legged on the floor, filling each circle with a bag of candy and tying a ribbon around the top.

  “Can I help?”

  Shelley wiggled to the right. “Sure. You can help Bailey fill the tulle with candy. She’s eating more than she’s wrapping.”

  “I am not. I’m eating the candy from the reject pile.”

  Sam wondered how a sealed bag of candy could be rejected.

  Their mom’s eyebrows rose. “Bailey Jones. I swear, if your nose grew any longer you’d look like Pinocchio.”

  Sam’s youngest sister clamped her hand over her nose. She was a bit neurotic about the facial feature she’d inherited from her American-Italian Mom.

  “Your nose isn’t that big,” Shelley said unhelpfully.

  Twin dots of color appeared on Bailey’s cheeks. “Sometimes you can be so mean.”

  “At least you’re helping.” Shelley turned to Sam. “Why weren’t you at the Beauty Box?”

  “I had to work.”

  Shelley wasn’t impressed. Somewhere, in all of her twenty-eight years, her sister had forgotten what it was like to focus on something other than herself.

  “I’m getting married in two weeks,” Shelley reminded them unnecessarily. “You missed our hairdressing appointment and our makeup consultation.”

  Sam sat on the floor beside Bailey. “I told you when you made the appointments that I couldn’t leave work early.”

  Shelley stuck her pixie nose in the air. “Loretta couldn’t fit us in any later. She’s offered to see you tomorrow at two-thirty.”

  Their mom handed Sam half a dozen tulle circles. “I’ll come with you. And afterward, we’ll meet your sisters at Emily’s boutique for a final dress fitting.”

  It was time for Sam to tell them the bad news. “I have to work all weekend.” The explosion she was waiting for wasn’t far away.

  “You can’t be serious!” The sparks in Shelley’s eyes could have ignited a forest fire. “After all the plans we’ve made you can’t back out now.”

  “I’m not backing out of anything,” Sam said. “We saw Emily two weeks ago. My dress will be perfect and so will yours. Loretta can do whatever she wants with my hair and makeup.”

  “That’s not the point,” Shelley screeched. “I’m getting married. Everything has to be perfect.”

  “It will be. I’m here now, aren’t I?”

  Bailey handed Sam a bag of candy. “Shelley’s stressed because the florist can’t get the peony roses she ordered.”

  “The theme of the wedding is French country chic. How can you do that without peony roses?” Shelley pushed the party favors she’d wrapped to one side. “I need coffee.”

  Their mom watched her middle daughter leave the room. “Do you need to work all day, Sam? Just come to the dress fitting.”

  “It will be fun,” Bailey said half-heartedly.

  Sam looked closely at her youngest sister. What she really meant was that she needed all the support she could get. At their last fitting, Shelley had been so picky that even their mom lost patience with her.

  “What time are you going to the boutique?” Sam asked.

  “Four o’clock,” her mom replied.

  “Say yes,” Bailey begged. “It won’t be the same without you.”

  Leaving her youngest sister with Shelley was more than Sam’s conscience could handle. By four o’clock, she should have handed over most of her work. Anything that wasn’t done would have to wait until Sunday.

  “Okay,” Sam said. “I’ll meet you at Emily’s boutique.”

  Bailey threw her arms around Sam’s shoulders. “I knew you wouldn’t let us down.”

  Sam hugged her tight. For most of her life, she’d avoided every frilly, flouncy dress she’d ever seen. But thanks to Shelley, she was walking down the aisle in a dress fit for the ballroom scene in Cinderella. But even though the dress was everything she didn’t want, she had other issues. The biggest and worst was the possibility of missing her sister’s wedding completely. And if that happened, no one would speak to her again.

  Chapter 2

  The alarm on Caleb’s satellite phone blasted through the office. He looked at one of his monitors and saw a silver SUV driving past the security camera. Sam Jones had arrived.

  He hoped John’s recommendation was as good in real life as he was on paper. It was one thing working with someone in town. It was completely different when his nearest neighbor was a fifteen-minute drive away. If the guy was anti-social, living and working in the same house could be a problem.

  Before he opened the front door, Caleb grabbed his jacket. The storm that was supposed to hit Sapphire Bay had changed direction. Instead of two feet of snow, a bitter nor’wester had rattled the shingles on the roof, reminding him about the perils of living in a remote location.

  The SUV stopped in front of the garage.

  The driver’s door opened and Caleb stared at the woman climbing out of the cab. Only a handful of people knew he was living in Sapphire Bay and she wasn’t one of them.

  Her blue eyes widened as they connected with his. “Hello. You must be Mr. Andrews. I’m Sam Jones from Fletcher Security.”

  It wasn’t often that he was left speechless. He ran through everything he knew about the person who was supposed to be working with him. None of Fletcher Security’s emails had mentioned that Sam was a woman.

  “I thought you were a man.” Heat rushed to his face. Two seconds ago would have been a good time to think before he opened his mouth.

  Sam’s smile froze. “Will that be a problem?”

  He walked toward her, hoping she didn’t think he was a total idiot. “Of course not. Are you happy to stay with me in Sapphire Bay?”

  “I’ve worked in all kinds of locations with clients. If you’re worried about my safety, I know how to look after myself.”

  He wasn’t sure whether that was a warning or a statement of fact. Either way, he needed help, and she was his best bet. “You’d better come inside before we both freeze. You can call me Caleb.”

  Sam opened the passenger door and pulled out two suitcases. “John said you have a tight deadline for your project.”

  “I need to finish this phase in the next three weeks.” He held out his hand for her bags.

  “I can manage. They aren’t heavy.” She lifted her chin, setting the boundaries to their working relationship.

  He shoved his hands into his pockets. He’d always admired people who were independent, but he had a feeling Sam’s prickly attitude ran deeper than most.

  “Your directions for getting here were really clear.”

  Caleb wiped his feet on the doormat and opened the front door. “It’s easy to get lost if you haven’t been here before. John said you live in Bozeman.”

  Sam nodded. “I grew up there. When Fletcher Security offered me a job, I couldn’t refuse.” Her eyes wandered around the entranceway. A smile tugged at her mouth when she saw the moose antler chandelier.

  “It was a p
resent from a friend.”

  “It looks great.” She took off her jacket and hung it on the coat stand.

  Caleb’s eyebrows rose. If she’d worn heavy work boots, black trousers, and a white shirt to make herself look more masculine, she’d failed. Nothing could disguise the soft curves under the starched cotton or the graceful way she walked back to her bags.

  He tried to think of something to say, but a big black hole of nothingness replaced his brain.

  “I like your house. Did you decorate it yourself?”

  “A friend helped me.” He picked up one of her suitcases. It was heavier than it looked. “I’ll show you where you’re sleeping. If you need to use another room for your office, you’re more than welcome.”

  “How many bedrooms do you have?”

  “Five.” As they climbed the stairs, Caleb pointed to a door on the opposite side of the landing. “My room is over there. You can use the main bathroom. If you need extra pillows or blankets, they’re in the linen closet.”

  When Sam walked into the room he’d chosen for her, she sighed. “This is perfect.” Leaving her suitcases on the floor, she walked across to the window.

  Pine, spruce, and oak trees surrounded the property. Autumn leaves mixed with evergreens, showcasing Caleb’s favorite time of the year. Something about the clean mountain air made him feel alive. Life slowed down and he usually had time to enjoy what nature had created. But this year, he wouldn’t be going anywhere until he’d finished his latest project.

  He stood beside Sam and pointed into the distance. “That’s Lunar Peak. There’s a trail that takes you to the top of the mountain, but I wouldn’t try it now. The weather is too unpredictable.”

  “Thanks for the warning.”

  The warmth in her eyes stirred something deep inside Caleb. He stepped away, ready to bolt from the room if she looked as though she’d felt the same spark of electricity. “It will probably be snowing in the next couple of weeks. When it does, there are some great ski fields in the area.”

  “I’m hoping I’m not here long enough to enjoy them.” Sam bit her bottom lip. “That didn’t come out right, did it?”

  It was Caleb’s turn to smile. “It’s okay. I’m hoping you aren’t here that long either. If we can fix my program in the next few days, I’ll be the happiest guy in Montana. When you’re ready to start work, I’ll be downstairs in my office.”

  “I’ll be there soon. I just need to get a few things out of my bag.”

  Caleb nodded and went downstairs. Working with Sam would be no different than working with anyone else. Hopefully, in less than a week, she’d be back in Bozeman and he’d be moving onto the second phase of his project.

  After Sam found the folders she needed, she picked up her laptop and headed downstairs.

  It wasn’t often that she worked with someone who knew as much as she did about programming. She was looking forward to pitting her mind against Caleb’s, tossing ideas around and coming up with a solution to his problem.

  Given its location, she’d half-expected Caleb to be living in a bunkhouse or in one of the small vacation cabins dotted around Flathead Lake. But this home was lovelier than most of the homes she’d seen in Bozeman. With its timber walls and sweeping views of the mountains, it reminded her of a secret castle, locked away from the rest of the world. But for all its grandeur, the house still felt warm and cozy.

  The house wasn’t the only surprise. John hadn’t mentioned Caleb’s age. With all his work experience she’d expected him to be in his mid-sixties, a little bald, with a tummy that stretched the seams of his shirt.

  She couldn’t have been more wrong. Caleb Andrews was in his late thirties, had a full head of dark brown hair, and no stretched cotton in sight. And if you added gorgeous blue eyes and a beard that added to his charm, you had a walking, talking, hunk of a man who could tie a woman in knots. But only if a woman wanted to be tied in knots. Which she didn’t. Not in the next few years, anyway.

  After her sister’s excruciating journey to her happy-ever-after, Sam was seriously considering staying single. With that depressing thought in her head, she turned right at the bottom of the stairs and walked along a hallway. The first room she saw was the office. Caleb sat behind a wooden desk, focused on his computer.

  “Is it okay if I come in?”

  He looked up and smiled. “Of course, it is. How about we head to the kitchen? I can explain what I’ve been doing while we grab something to drink.”

  “Sounds good to me.” She followed him down the hallway and into the living room. Her eyes widened when she saw the large stone fireplace and the chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. Most of her house would have sat comfortably in this space. “This is beautiful.”

  “Wait until you see the kitchen. It’s my favorite room in the house.”

  As soon as she stepped through the doorway, Sam knew why. Even though it was a cold, gray day, the kitchen was warm and welcoming. Three pendant lights glowed above the white marble counter. Paintings in rich shades of red, orange, and gold lined the walls. But best of all was the fireplace. Its flames leapt in the grate and the sweet scent of pine filled the kitchen. She could imagine herself sitting in the overstuffed armchair, warming her toes in front of the fire while she worked on Caleb’s program.

  She walked across to the French doors. A large deck opened onto an equally impressive backyard. “How do you work from your office when you have views like this?”

  “Most of the time I work from the kitchen. It’s only when things aren’t going to plan that I work in my office.”

  While Caleb turned on the coffeepot, Sam sat on a kitchen stool. “John gave me the background information you provided.”

  “What do you think?”

  “You’re ambitious and wouldn’t have started the project if you didn’t think it would work.”

  Caleb leaned against the counter. “There are other electromagnetic protection systems available for things like lightning strikes, but they rely on the manufacturer using expensive composite materials.”

  “Like carbon fibers.”

  “Exactly. Boeing wants airplanes that give them an edge over their competitors. If their aircraft are less expensive to build, their overhead costs reduce, seats become cheaper, and they make more profit. The aerospace industry also wants cost-effective aircraft that can withstand anything. This software will save companies millions of dollars. They’ll be able to use steel in the body of their aircraft instead of carbon fibers. Even the speed of manufacturing will increase.”

  Sam had been impressed when she read Caleb’s report. A program like the one he’d created could change the way people lived. As well as giving manufacturers more choice, it could be the biggest transformation the steel industry had seen in decades.

  “Are the steel manufacturers excited?”

  Caleb placed a packet of cookies on the counter. “They don’t know anything about it.”

  Sam frowned. “I assumed the main investor in the project would be the steel industry.”

  “Not this time. Would you like coffee, hot chocolate, or herbal tea?”

  “Coffee, please.” She studied Caleb as he moved around the kitchen. She knew a diversion tactic when she heard one. But to be fair, whoever was behind the project wasn’t her business. “Do you know where your program is failing?”

  Caleb opened the refrigerator door. “You don’t sugar-coat the truth, do you?”

  “You’re paying John a lot of money for my time. I wouldn’t be here unless you’ve run out of options.”

  “Try desperate,” Caleb muttered. He filled the cup to the brim and placed it in front of her. “I’ve gone over the coding so many times, I could repeat it in my sleep.”

  “We’ll go back to basics. You can show me your design document and any brainstorming notes you’ve kept.”

  “They’re waiting for you in my office.”

  Sam chose a cookie and picked up her cup of coffee. “As soon as you’re ready, we’l
l get started.” Regardless of Caleb’s tight time frame, Sam’s was worse. Ahead of her were two weekends of wedding-inspired madness. Missing even one day of her sister’s schedule wasn’t going to happen.

  While Sam studied the whiteboard, Caleb moved a stack of papers off a chair. He wasn’t entirely comfortable with her being here. Not because she was a woman, but because he rarely needed help from anyone. And when he did, they never came to his home.

  Of all the rooms in his house, the office was his sanctuary. It defined him and kept him on track. Somewhere between the photos on the walls and the framed certificates on his bookcase, he found the motivation to reinvent what everyone else took for granted.

  His single-minded determination had given him a lifestyle he would have envied twenty years ago. His goal had been simple. He wanted a better life than his parents. It wasn’t until his mom died that he’d questioned some of the decisions he’d made.

  Sam tilted her head sideways. For all his surprise at meeting her, he had to admit that she was better looking than any IT specialist he’d worked with. She was stubborn, too. And if that spark of independence didn’t intrigue him, her mind did.

  “You have an interesting way of thinking.” Her quiet voice cut through the silence in the room.

  She was studying the whiteboard, no doubt trying to make sense of the linked concepts. Sam wasn’t the first person who had looked at his brainstorming technique and wondered how he solved anything.

  “I have a color-coded system. If you see anything in red, it’s urgent. Orange is interlinked with other processes or resources, and yellow is important but not essential.”

  She pointed to a blue line. “What does that mean?”

  “It links two unrelated theories.”

  “Satellites and ocean waves?”

  “I have a good imagination.” He handed her a folder. If she were as good as John had told him, she’d soon realize what he was doing. “This is the first part of my design document.”

  Sam took the folder but continued to study the board. “You’re interested in simplified pulse waveforms. But why the focus on satellites? If your primary goal is to develop a program that eliminates lightning strikes on aircraft, it wouldn’t need to work in outer space.” Her eyes widened. “Unless you’re planning on disrupting the electromagnetic pulses from satellites or nuclear weapons.”