“Do you know anyone who might be suitable, Carol?” one of the women was asking the other.
“A secretary for Mac Winter?” Carol smirked. “I know at least a dozen women who would quit their jobs right now for a chance to sit in the same room as one of the town’s most eligible bachelors.”
“He doesn’t need that kind of pressure right now,” the other women said in return.
“No, I can imagine.” Carol tapped a pen on her chin. “I’ll have a think about it, Kassia. There must be someone.”
“He’s snowed under at work…” Kassia chuckled. “No pun intended.”
“The snowstorm sure did have an adverse effect on a lot of businesses in town, but they’ll bounce back,” Carol looked around the diner. “We’re getting busier since people coming to town to stock up on supplies like to visit the diner for breakfast and to warm up.”
“And catch up on the latest gossip,” Kassia joked.
“I don’t know what you mean,” Carol replied innocently as Saffron lingered by the door, not wanting to interrupt their conversation. “Can I help you?”
Saffron looked down at the résumé in her hand and took a step forward. Awkward and out of place, she stuttered as she said, “I was wondering if you had any job vacancies. I’m new to town and I’m looking for anything.”
Her weak smile faded as Carol shook her head. “We don’t have anything available right now. It’s the winter season which means there are no tourists. Maybe in a couple of months,” Carol said kindly.
“Okay. Thanks.” She held out her résumé. “Could I leave this with you?”
“Sure, honey.” Carol took the thin sheaf of paper and went around the back of the counter.
Saffron stood glued to the spot. The job they were talking about with the town’s most eligible bachelor would suit her perfectly. Would it be rude to ask, to admit she’d overheard their conversation?
She wasn’t in a position not to ask.
“I’ve worked as a secretary. Well, a PA. I’ve had a lot of experience.” She aimed her words at Kassia. “And I’m available to start right away.” Her mouth twitched up at the corners as she forced a smile.
“Really?” Kassia didn’t sound completely convinced. Did Saffron’s desperation shine through?
“Yes, I’m good. Really good.” She stepped forward.
“Is that on your résumé?” Kassia held out her hand for one of the documents Saffron clutched in her hand.
She shook her head. “No.” Her forehead creased. “It’s complicated.”
“Is it?” Kassia’s expression brightened. “I like complicated.”
“You do?” Saffron’s frown deepened. “Most people are put off by complicated, particularly in the workplace.”
“Let’s have coffee and we can talk.” Kassia indicated a table at the back of the diner that was a little more private than the others. “As my aunt would say, welcome to my office.”
Kassia’s smile was infectious and Saffron grinned like a fool and headed to the table while Kassia went to the counter and made them coffee. “Americano?”
“Perfect.” Saffron sat down and placed her hands in her lap, trying to look calm despite her stomach flipping over. She was so nervous because so much was riding on this. She needed a job and she intended to get one.
“Here we are.” Kassia set two coffees down on the table and Carol followed behind her with two plates.
“To sweeten the deal.” Carol winked as she set two pastries down on the table. “Enjoy.”
“Thanks.” Saffron’s stomach rumbled as the sweet smell of the Danish pastry reached her taste buds but her stomach was still clenched in knots, so she simply turned the plate around and around with her finger and thumb.
“Do you want to tell me a little about yourself?” Kassia took a bite of her pastry and rolled her eyes in delight. “Or we could eat first.” Her eyes lingered on the untouched pastry on Saffron’s plate.
Saffron picked up the pastry and took a bite, a small groan escaping her lips. It was good and just what she needed. A sugar rush followed by a dose of caffeine would make her feel more like her normal self. If she could remember what her normal self looked like. She’d lost sight of normal since her sister’s husband had died. Her sister, Nina, had struggled to cope with the loss and her health had deteriorated. Saffron had stepped in to care for Nina and her two children. However, normal took a further hit when Nina shared more shocking and hard-to-believe news with Saffron concerning her sons.
Saffron’s throat tightened in panic. She must be insane to have ditched her job and her whole life to bring Nina and her sons to Bear Creek.
Composing her thoughts and her features, she focused on eating. She needed this job.
“Thanks. That was just what I needed,” Saffron admitted as she wiped her hands on a napkin and picked up her coffee cup.
“I thought so. You looked a little peaky when you came into the diner.” Kassia set her cup down on the table. “You also look…”
“Desperate?” Saffron asked. “I am. I need a job but I’m not lying about being a PA.”
“But for whatever reason, you don’t want your employer to give you a reference.” She inclined her head toward the counter. “I took a quick look at your résumé while I made the coffee. Most of the references are for jobs you worked years ago. Then there is a sprinkling of character references…”
“Ah.” Saffron looked toward the window and the mountains beyond. It was an incredible view, one she had stared at for hours since she’d come to Bear Creek. The snow-capped peaks were stunning when the sun was at its pinnacle and its light reflected off the pristine whiteness.
“So, tell me. Why should I hire you?” Kassia leaned back in her chair. “I don’t need names and addresses of your past employers, I just need to know what you are capable of.”
“I can book appointments. I can organize employees if I need to. I’m good at taking calls, filing, just about anything when it comes to organization and streamlining. I’m very experienced at working under pressure.” She breathed in and her chest puffed out a little with pride in her capabilities. “I’m good. Really good.”
Kassia gave a lopsided smile. “I believe you.”
“Does that mean you’ll introduce me to your most eligible bachelor?” Saffron’s eyes danced, but Kassia’s expression clouded. “Oh, he’s quite safe with me.” She held up her hand in protest. “I have absolutely no interest in men right now. Believe me, I have a plate that is already overflowing. I do not need any more complications in my life.”
“Now I’m intrigued,” Kassia leaned forward. “A secret past?”
“I’m caring for my sister and her two teenage children.” Her smile faltered. “Their dad died, and my sister is not coping too well.”
“Oh, I’m so sorry,” Kassia gasped and covered her mouth with her hands. “So very sorry.”
“It’s not your fault. It’s not anyone’s fault.” She drained her coffee cup. The sudden need to get out of the diner and into the fresh mountain air was almost too much. “We came to Bear Creek for a fresh start. It took a big chunk out of my savings and so I am desperate for a job.” She leveled her eyes at Kassia. “And this desperate person will work very hard to keep that job.”
Kassia reached across the table and took hold of her hand as Saffron stifled a sob. “You’d better come and meet Mac. Before you get your hopes up. He’s used to running his office by himself, but he needs help. Whether he’s ready to hand over some responsibility is another matter.”
“I can handle him with kid gloves, don’t worry.” She gave a short laugh. “I’m also good at massaging egos.”
“It sounds as if this job might be perfect for you.” Kassia stood up and collected the cups and plates from the table.
“I’ll take those,” Carol said.
“Thanks. For everything, Carol.” Kassia smiled at the other woman. “Betsy will be thrilled everything is running smoothly without her.”
“Will she?” Carol asked with an arched eyebrow.
“Well, I might tell her she’s missed, and people have been asking about her,” Kassia replied.
“They have,” Carol assured her. “We all really do miss her.”
“I’ll bring her to the diner in a couple of days and she can sit at a table and hold court.” Kassia looked around the diner. “I could park her wheelchair out of the way, so no one trips over it.”
“If Betsy is feeling up to it then bring her in. We have a lot to talk about before she goes away on her cruise,” Carol said, looking up as another customer walked in. “Text me.”
“I will. Thanks, Carol.” Kassia waved and headed toward the door.
“Nice to meet you, Carol,” Saffron said as she followed Kassia out of the diner.
“Okay, we need a ride.” Kassia grabbed hold of her phone.
“I have a car.” Saffron inclined her head to the right. “I can drive us.” She looked at her watch. “I just have to be back here in a couple of hours. The boys have gone for a hike along the lower slopes and I said I’d be here for lunch. This afternoon we’re going to visit the school so they can enroll when the new term starts.”
“Starting a new school, that can be tough.” Kassia and Saffron walked side by side along the street until they reached Saffron’s blue Ford. If she didn’t find a job in the next week, she’d have to sell it and use the money to live on. If things became so tough she had to sell the car, she knew she was really in trouble.
Trouble she could not afford.
“It is, but they are both very excited.” Saffron pulled out her car keys and unlocked the doors. “Where are we heading to?”
“We are going to Winter’s Sawmill, it’s just outside of Bear Creek, on the lower slopes.” Kassia waved in the general direction of the mountains. “I’m hopeless at which direction it is from here, so I’ll just guide you as we drive.”
“That sounds good.” Saffron started the car and pulled out into the traffic, driving out of town along the main road. “I haven’t had time to explore a lot of the mountains. What’s it like in the summer?”
“It’s beautiful. I used to come here every summer with my mom before she passed away.” Kassia’s voice trailed off in the same way Nina’s did when she talked about her husband, Evan.
“I’m sorry,” Saffron winced. She should have kept her mouth shut. She couldn’t afford to upset Kassia.
“It’s okay, it’s getting easier to talk about. I bottled it up for so long but coming back to Bear Creek to look after my aunt has opened up this well of emotion.” She placed her hand over her heart. “And it’s cathartic. I’m starting to remember the good times we had without the pain.”
“Really?” Saffron sobbed and covered her mouth. “Sorry, my sister still hasn’t come to terms with her loss. I worry the boys are going to lose her, too…”
“It does get easier. But it’s a slow process. Your sister is lucky she has you to help her.” Kassia stared out of the window for a moment before she jumped and said, “Next left.”
Saffron indicated to turn left and they turned off the main street and drove along a narrower road that began to climb into the mountains. She hoped the road wasn’t too steep, her car was not built for this kind of terrain.
“Any tips on how to handle the most eligible bachelor?” Saffron asked.
Kassia giggled. “Do not tell him I called him that.”
“I won’t. I’m good at keeping secrets.” Saffron gripped the steering wheel as they took a sharp right and the road leveled out.
“His name is Mac. Mac Winter and he owns the sawmill. I don’t know what else to tell you...” Kassia held up her left hand and a solitaire diamond sparkled in the sun. “I’m engaged to his brother, Beck. We’re getting married in a couple of weeks. It’s a double wedding.”
“A double wedding. Wow.” Saffron glanced at Kassia. “Who is the other lucky couple?”
Kassia’s cheeks flushed pink. “Beck and Mac have a younger brother, Hex.”
“Two brothers getting married. Another wow.” Saffron shook her head. “I suppose that’s romantic.”
“It’s very romantic, believe me,” Kassia grinned. “I thought I was too old for love. That I would never meet the man of my dreams and then I did.”
“You look happy.” Saffron’s throat constricted. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d been truly happy.
“I am. I would recommend it to everyone.” Kassia sat up straight in her seat. “The sawmill is just up here on the right.”
As Saffron turned off the road and followed a trail toward the sawmill, she realized that talking to Kassia had made her want more than a job. She’d also like to meet the man of her dreams.
But her life was too messy, too complicated. When she’d told Kassia she had no room in her life for a relationship with the most eligible bachelor, she had been telling the truth.
The whole truth.
Chapter Three – Mac
“I can send someone out this afternoon,” Mac told Mr. Griffiths, who had called the sawmill after a tree had come down across his driveway.
“This afternoon?” Mr. Griffiths asked. “This is an emergency. I can’t get my car out of the garage and I have an appointment at two.”
Mac pressed his lips together. “It’ll be cleared by two.” He was overpromising, but he didn’t want to hurt the reputation of the sawmill by letting people down.
Mr. Griffiths will feel more let down when you fail to deliver, his bear told him.
I’ll go myself. Mac looked down at his desks. Has that stack of papers gotten bigger since the last time I looked?
It breeds all on its own, his bear replied with a chuckle.
I wish you were joking. Mac scooted around the side of his desk and grabbed his jacket.
Someone’s coming. His bear’s fur bristled as his attention was drawn away from the office and fixed on a car driving along the trail toward the house.
It’s just Kassia, she must have found someone to give her a ride home. Yet, Mac could not tear his attention away from the moving vehicle even though he should be loading his truck and driving to Mr. Griffiths’ house. He didn’t have time to stand around and make small talk with anyone right now. Not unless he forgot all about sleep tonight and spent the quiet hours of the night working uninterrupted in his office.
Shoving his arms into his jacket, Mac grabbed his keys and went outside. The sense that there was something wrong, that there was a disturbance in his world, grew stronger.
At the same time, hope bloomed in his heart and his mood lightened.
It’s her, his bear told him.
It can’t be. Mac’s mouth went dry as he tried to deny the feelings growing inside. He couldn’t let hope in. If he’d gotten it wrong, if his mate was not in the car that was pulling up in front of the house, then he might not get through the rest of the day.
“Mac.” Kassia got out of the car and waved at him.
Like a robot, Mac lifted his hand and returned the wave, but he wasn’t looking at Kassia, he was staring at the driver’s side of the car, waiting for whoever was inside to get out.
“Are you okay?” Kassia’s concern was evident and Mac gasped and sucked in a lungful of air. “You look…odd.”
“I’m okay,” he croaked. At least he would be okay if the person in the car was his mate.
The suspense is killing me, his bear growled.
The car door opened and a woman with strawberry blonde hair slipped out. She turned to look at Mac, her expression nervous, but she quickly smoothed it over. “Hello.”
“Hi.” He waved his hand at her.
“Mac.” Kassia had reached him now, she stood in front of him, her head tilted to one side. “Oh, my.”
Mac’s eyes slid down to Kassia’s shocked face. “It’s…”
“I get it, but you need to close your mouth and get a grip.” Kassia put her finger under Mac’s chin and his mouth clamped shut. “Better.”<
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“Is this a bad time?” his mate asked.
And she was his mate. No doubt at all.
“No.” He shook his head as he held out his hand. “I’m Mac.” He wanted this first touch, he needed to feel her skin against his.
“Saffron.” His mate glanced nervously at Kassia before she slid her hand into his. “Good to meet you.”
The shock of recognition was intense, his body thrilled to her touch and as Saffron’s eyes widened, he knew she’d sensed their connection. After all these years, he’d found his mate.
A shiver of excitement coursed through him while he held onto her hand a little longer than he should. However, Saffron showed no alarm as his large, warm hand covered hers.
“Saffron is looking for a job,” Kassia told him, breaking the spell fate had cast around Mac and Saffron.
“A job.” He looked her up and down. She didn’t look strong enough to haul the wood around. But that was him being sexist. “Do you have any experience?” He’d do anything for his mate, but he didn’t want to put her in danger by giving her a job at the sawmill if she had no experience. He was born to protect his mate, not put her in danger.
Saffron shuffled her feet and averted her gaze. “I have a great deal of experience.”
Then why did she look so awkward? As if she had something to hide? This was not a good start to their relationship. Mac hated people who lied. Would fate have matched him with someone who was untruthful?
Trust in Saffron and trust in fate, his bear told him.
“Saffron is a great PA,” Kassia said.
“PA?” Mac switched his attention to Kassia.
“Personal assistant,” Saffron said, her voice music to his ears.
His bear groaned. You are as helpless as those two brothers of yours.
“Oh.” His eyes widened, now things were beginning to make a lot more sense.
“Saffron is a personal assistant who needs a job and you are a man in need of a personal assistant.” Kassia patted Mac reassuringly on the shoulder. “This looks like a perfect match to me, don’t you agree?” She raised an eyebrow at Mac. “It’s like fate stepped in.”
Mac (Winter - Shifter Seasons Book 3) Page 2
