The Sweetest Thing Read online

  By the time Cassie drove into town, she was so stressed that she almost decided not to go for a hike. She should have known Noah had something to do with Wilson Enterprises. It was too much of a coincidence that a man from New York City had booked into her cottage at the last moment.

  She gripped the steering wheel tight. Anyone with half a brain would have put two and two together and come up with four. But not her. She’d thought her guest was here for the same reasons most people came to Montana. To enjoy the peace and tranquility of the wide-open spaces and to de-stress after leaving their hectic lifestyles.

  She couldn’t have been more wrong. Noah wasn’t exactly here under false pretenses, but he wasn’t being totally honest, either. He’d come to Sapphire Bay to find C.J. Davis. What he didn’t know was that he’d already found her.

  As she stopped her SUV behind the jewelry store, she looked at the parking spaces behind Sweet Treats. Thank goodness Megan and Brooke were both working.

  She locked her vehicle and ran across the gravel yard. She needed to talk to someone who could give her good advice, and Megan and Brooke were two of the most sensible people she knew.

  As she knocked on the back door, she hoped they were in the kitchen and not serving in the store.

  When the door opened, she breathed a sigh of relief. The last thing she’d wanted was to enter the building from Main Street. If Noah was in town, he might see her, and any chance of staying out of his way would be gone.

  “Happy Birthday!” Brooke smiled and hugged Cassie. “I’m glad you came to see us. Megan and I were just talking about you.”

  Megan stood behind Brooke and frowned. “What’s wrong?”

  “He’s here.”

  Her friends looked at each other.

  “Who’s here?” Megan asked.

  “Noah. He’s staying in my cottage and looking for C.J. Davis. What am I going to do?”

  Brooke wrapped her arm around Cassie’s waist. “The first thing you’re going to do is sit down.”

  “I’ll make coffee,” Megan said as she hurried across the room.

  As soon as Cassie sat behind the large, stainless steel counter, she dropped her head into her hands. “I’ve been making jewelry in Sapphire Bay for three years. Only a few people have asked why the name on my store is different from the one I use. As soon as Noah discovers I work there, he’ll see straight through what I’ve done.”

  Megan placed a cup of coffee in front of Cassie. “Who’s Noah?”

  Cassie studied her friends’ faces. They didn’t know anything about Noah’s booking or why he was in Sapphire Bay. “He’s a man who’s staying in Acorn Cottage for two weeks. He’s from New York City and I thought he’d come here to relax and unwind. But this morning, he said he wanted to buy some jewelry. His brother found my store’s website and he was impressed with what he saw.”

  Brooke sat beside Cassie. “Did you tell him you own the store?”

  “No, but it won’t take him long to figure it out. Especially if he goes to the general store.” Mabel Terry, one of the owners of the general store was a lovely woman, who also happened to be the center of town gossip. If Noah wanted a blow-by-blow description of everything Cassie had done since she arrived in Sapphire Bay, Mabel was the person to see.

  Megan leaned against the counter. “Why does it matter if Noah knows who you are?”

  “Because he’s looking for C.J. Davis.” Cassie took a shaky breath. She needed to slow down and explain everything to her friends. “The other day, Wilson Enterprises emailed me again.”

  “That’s the company who want to give you the jewelry award?” Megan seemed even more confused.

  “That’s right. I haven’t opened any of their emails for weeks. After I spoke to Noah this morning, I read the last message. Noah is the chief executive of Wilson Enterprises. He’s here to change my mind about accepting the award.”

  Brooke leaned forward. “So, Noah knows about Davis Jewelry, but not that Cassie Harper is C.J. Davis?”

  Cassie nodded. “It won’t take him long to discover I’m Tony Harper’s daughter. Dad’s name was dragged through the mud by every major media outlet in America. Jewelers he respected shunned him and no one would sell his jewelry.”

  “But you aren’t your dad,” Megan insisted. “And besides, your father didn’t steal anything.”

  “It doesn’t matter. Even after the court case, no one wanted Dad to work with them. If it weren’t for his friend in San Francisco, he never would have found another job. If anyone realizes Tony Harper’s daughter has won the Wilson Award, they might boycott Dad’s friend’s store and mine. It could be a disaster.”

  “This might sound extreme,” Brooke said, “but why don’t you tell Noah who you are and why you’re living in Sapphire Bay? At least that way he gets the facts and not some harebrained story someone else might tell him.”

  Megan nodded. “Brooke’s right. You’ve already told Wilson Enterprises you don’t want the award. If there’s even a hint of a scandal, Noah’s company won’t want anything to do with you.”

  Cassie took a deep breath. “You’re right. All I have to do is tell him who I am. After that, Noah will go back to New York City and I’ll never hear from him again.”

  Megan studied her face. “Do you want me to be there when you talk to him?”

  “I’ll be okay. If I’d been with Dad when Noah was at the trial, I would have recognized him. But Dad wanted me to stay away from everything that was happening.”

  Brooke gave her another hug. “It will be okay. Do you still want us to come to your house for dinner?”

  “Of course, I do.” Cassie pushed aside her worries. She’d have enough time to think about Noah while she was hiking. “The meat for the barbecue is marinating and I have enough ice cream to sink a battleship.”

  “In that case,” Brooke said with a grin. “We’ll be there at six o’clock to celebrate your birthday.”

  Megan hugged Cassie. “And don’t worry. It will all work out the way it’s supposed to.”

  Cassie hoped so because, right now, she didn’t know what was going to happen.

  Noah was glad Cassie had told him to take the first parking space he saw. The traffic was every bit as chaotic as she’d said.

  Yesterday, Sapphire Bay looked like any other small Montana town. But today, vehicles drove bumper-to-bumper along Main Street. People zig-zagged between the traffic to cross the road, and the sidewalks were overflowing with eager shoppers.

  While he was in town, he thought he’d take a look at what Sapphire Bay had to offer. Unlike a lot of places in America, this town had steered clear of the big box retailers. Boutique stores offered everything from hand-knitted jumpers to one-of-a-kind ball gowns. There were art galleries, antique stores, and flower shops. Everything was designed to give visitors a memorable experience of life in a small town.

  And if someone could solve Sapphire Bay’s parking issues, they’d double the number of people shopping in the stores.

  After an hour of dodging screaming toddlers and people who thought the sidewalk belonged to them, Noah found somewhere he didn’t mind waiting.

  Sweet Treats was halfway down Main Street and, in his humble opinion, one of the best candy stores he’d ever seen. The smell of rich, chocolate fudge had pulled him into the store, but it wasn’t the only product that kept him there. The sample trays of other candy tantalized his taste buds and kept everyone busy as they stood in line, waiting to purchase their candy.

  Whoever owned the store had created a gold mine. Each piece of candy was delicious. The packaging and branding were what you’d expect from a high-end retail store. If anyone needed another enticement to buy the candy, all they needed to do was look at the prices. Compared to what he’d pay in Manhattan, the candy was ridiculously cheap.

  He sent a quick email to his procurement team, then took another box of maple fudge off the counter. His brother had a mile-wide sweet tooth. If Noah ever needed Jack’s help, a box or two of
this fudge would give him a definite advantage.

  By the time he made it to the front of the line, his arms were full.

  The woman behind the counter smiled as she helped him stack the boxes. “You’re going to be busy.”

  He returned her smile. “They aren’t all for me. It was hard to choose which candy to take home.”

  “That’s what everyone says. I think that’s why most people become regular customers. Each time they visit the store or shop online, they can try something new.” The woman packed his candy and rung up his sale. “Do you like marshmallow?”

  He nodded, not sure why she’d asked.

  “I have something you might enjoy.” She reached into the display case and placed a gift-wrapped cellophane bag on the counter. “We’ve just started making boysenberry ripple marshmallow dipped in dark chocolate. Try it and tell me what you think.”

  He was taken aback by her generosity. “I’m happy to pay for it.”

  She waved away his offer. “And I’m equally happy to give it to you. If you’re only in Sapphire Bay for the market, you can leave a review on our website. If you want to reorder anything, we mail candy around the world.”

  “You’ve made it easy for people to become loyal customers.”

  “It’s easy when you have a wonderful product. Enjoy your time in Sapphire Bay.”

  “I will. Thanks for the marshmallow.” And before he was tempted to buy more candy, he left the store. He had one more thing to do before he walked to the market, and it was only a few steps away.

  Chapter 4

  The people crowding the sidewalk outside Sweet Treats almost hid Noah’s next destination. The small, red-brick building was the home of Davis Jewelers. Nothing about the exterior stood out as special. It could have been another art gallery or fashion boutique, but Noah knew better.

  With his nose pressed against the large front window, he felt like he was seven years old, shopping for Christmas presents with his mom. The same sense of wonder, the same overwhelming need to touch everything he saw was bubbling inside him. Because, regardless of what the store looked like from the outside, Davis Jewelry had some of the most exquisite pendants, bracelets, and earrings he’d ever seen.

  “The store isn’t open today. It’s the owner’s birthday.”

  Noah looked at the woman standing beside him. “Do you know the owner?”

  “Everyone knows Cassie,” the woman said with a smile. “I’m Mabel Terry. My husband and I own the general store.”

  Noah stilled. “Are you talking about Cassie Harper?”

  “That’s right. She opened this store a few months ago. Before that she had another jewelry store a couple of blocks away. Aren’t the necklaces lovely?”

  They were more than lovely. If Noah had anything to do with it, women from around the world would be coveting a piece of jewelry from one of Cassie’s collections. “I thought C.J. Davis owned the store.”

  “Cassie is C.J. Davis. I asked her why she called the store Davis Jewelry. She said Davis was her mother’s maiden name. If there’s something you want to buy, you could always call Cassie. I’m sure she would mail the jewelry to you.”

  “That won’t be necessary. I’m staying at Acorn Cottage for a couple of weeks. I’ll talk to her when I get home.”

  Mabel’s eyes widened. “What a coincidence. You should ask Cassie to show you her studio. My granddaughter visited with a group of classmates. They were so excited that everyone returned to school wanting to be a jeweler.”

  That didn’t surprise Noah. “She seems like a nice person.” A nice, private person who wanted to keep her real identity a secret.

  “She’s a wonderful person,” Mabel added. “Did you know she’s organizing an auction to raise money for The Welcome Center? It’s an amazing facility where people can get budgeting advice, counseling, or a warm bed for the night. I don’t know what Pastor John would do without her.”

  Noah’s parents would turn in their graves if they were listening to this conversation. He’d never enjoyed gossiping about someone, but he was on a mission to bring Cassie back to Manhattan, and he didn’t have much time.

  “What else does Cassie enjoy doing?”

  Mabel tapped her chin. “Well, she always helps with any school fundraisers, and she enjoys spending time with her friends.” Mabel pointed to his bags of candy. “Her friend Brooke owns the store you’ve just visited. They arrived in Sapphire Bay about the same time and have been friends ever since.”

  He looked over Mabel’s shoulder. Guilt made his pulse leap in his throat. At a guess, he’d say Brooke was the person who’d served him. It was time to leave. “Thank you for telling me about Cassie. Do you know the quickest way to the market?”

  Mabel gave him a detailed description of how to get to the main entrance. By the time Noah had assured her he would visit the general store before he left, his nerves were strung tight.

  Each time the door to the candy store opened, he expected Brooke to step outside. One phone call was all it would take to blow his cover. The last thing he wanted was for Cassie to realize who he was. If that happened, he might not be staying in the cottage for long.

  Noah sighed. If he’d asked Jack to find C.J. Davis, he could have saved himself from sitting through a seven-hour flight. Instead of holding bags of candy, he would be sitting behind his desk, reviewing contracts and reading strategic reports written by his senior staff.

  As he crossed the road, he admired the colorful bunting decorating the stores. Baskets of flowers hung from the lampposts, and couples held hands as they enjoyed the warm Montana sunshine.

  For the first time in years, sitting forty-two stories above one of Manhattan’s busiest streets sounded incredibly soul-destroying.

  Cassie took her backpack out of her SUV and walked across to her cottage. The six-hour hike in the mountains had done nothing to clear her head. If anything, she was even more anxious about Noah.

  She didn’t know why he hadn’t told her who he was. But then, most people would have read the email his secretary had sent. If she’d been one of those people, Cassie would have known who he was. And if that had happened, she wouldn’t have accepted his booking. After dodging the emails and phone calls his company had made over the last two months, it was pretty obvious she didn’t want to talk to him.

  But Noah had still come to Sapphire Bay. He’d booked Acorn Cottage and was spending two weeks in Montana.

  Before she’d left home this morning, Cassie had done what any self-respecting female would have done. She’d looked at Noah Devlin’s online profile and read anything she could find about him.

  If she thought she was a private person, Noah was even more so. The only hint of a scandal was when his fiancée had left him four years earlier. She had become involved with a high-profile investment banker while still engaged to Noah.

  There were a few photos of the estranged couple after news of the affair broke but, other than that, Noah’s private life hadn’t hit mainstream media.

  Footsteps crunched against the gravel driveway.

  Cassie turned and stared at Noah. For someone who rarely made public appearances and valued his privacy, he didn’t waste time when he wanted something. Even if she didn’t understand why he was here, she had to give him credit for his perseverance.

  “I was hoping to see you before you went inside.”

  Cassie’s eyes widened. Noah held a helium-filled birthday balloon. The glitter on the outer layer sparkled in the afternoon sunshine.

  He held it toward her. “Happy Birthday. I hope you enjoyed your day in the mountains.”

  Despite her nerves, Cassie smiled as she took the balloon. “Thank you. The scenery was breathtaking, but I had a lot on my mind.”

  Noah nodded as if he understood what she meant. “I need to—”

  “I want—” Cassie frowned. They’d both spoken at the same time. “You go first.”

  He pushed his hands into his pockets and took a deep breath. At some stage,
he’d changed out of his running shorts and T-shirt and replaced them with navy trousers and a cream business shirt.

  “I came to Sapphire Bay to find C.J. Davis.”

  Cassie’s heart sped out of control, but she tried hard not to show any reaction to his words.

  “While I was in town this morning, I bumped into Mabel Terry. She told me you own Davis Jewelry.”

  “Davis was my mother’s maiden name.” She knew she wasn’t making the conversation any easier, but she couldn’t think of anything else to say. For three years, she’d been careful not to associate her professional name with her legal name. If Noah had found her, then any of the reporters who had ruthlessly covered her father’s case could do the same thing.

  “Why have you been ignoring the emails from Wilson Enterprises?”

  Cassie lowered her backpack to the ground. “I didn’t submit an entry into your jewelry award. My friend did. When your company first contacted me, I thought it was a hoax. It wasn’t until I mentioned something to Sam, that she told me what she’d done. She thought she was doing something wonderful for my career, but it was the last thing I needed.”

  “You could have told us you wanted to withdraw your entry.”

  “I did, but the person I spoke to said it was too late. Sam had already given your company my basic resume. I thought if I ignored your emails and phone calls, I wouldn’t have to go to the award dinner or be part of any publicity.”

  “It doesn’t work that way.”

  He wasn’t impressed, but that was the least of Cassie’s worries. If she had to choose between her dad and Wilson Enterprises, she’d choose her dad every time. “Why didn’t you ask me about C.J. Davis?”

  “I didn’t think you would know her.”

  It was hard to argue with something that logical. Sapphire Bay was small, but it was still possible not to know some of the people who lived here.

  Noah’s brown eyes settled on her face. “Why won’t you accept the award?”