As she walked across the terrace, Noah’s heart began to break. And he didn’t know if it would ever be whole again.
Cassie looked in the mirror and sighed. At least she’d had the sense to visit the bathroom before leaving the Rockefeller Center. If she was being really kind, she’d say the dark smudges of mascara running down her face made her look like a fierce Scottish warrior. But with a pale face and red, puffy eyes, everyone would know she had been crying.
Reaching across the counter, she took a washcloth out of a basket and rinsed it under the faucet. She still couldn’t believe Noah had paid Emanuel’s legal fees. Protecting his company’s reputation, even if it destroyed another person’s life, must mean more to Noah than uncovering the truth.
What Cassie didn’t know was why the case had gone to trial. If Noah’s brother was able to investigate her life, why didn’t he look into Emanuel’s accusations? It would have been less expensive to compare the two jewelry designs and settle out of court, rather than spend seven months trying to prosecute her father.
She threw the washcloth into another basket and lifted her chin. No matter how miserable she felt, it was time to leave. She needed to get back to Noah’s apartment, grab her clothes, and go to the airport.
And if anyone wondered why she was upset, all they had to do was wait for the next story The New York Times published.
“Cassie! Wait.”
Her footsteps slowed as Jack raced toward her.
“Where are you going?”
“Back to Noah’s apartment.”
“Are you all right?”
Cassie bit her bottom lip. The kindness in Jack’s face made her want to cry all over again. “I’ll be okay. I just need to find a taxi.”
“I’ll drive you.”
“It’s okay. I don’t mind taking a taxi.”
Jack stuck his hands in his pockets. “I don’t know what’s happened, and I don’t need to. But I’m worried about you. It’s not safe to walk anywhere at this time of the night. Especially when you’re on your own.”
“I’ll be fine. I lived in Los Angeles for most of my life.”
“My car isn’t far away.”
Cassie glanced at the crowded sidewalk and the cars traveling along the busy road. After living in Sapphire Bay, the traffic in Manhattan was as bad an IndyCar race. Vehicles filled each lane, honking their horns and competing for the lead position at the traffic lights.
With a resigned sigh, she turned to Jack. “I wasn’t looking forward to finding a taxi. Thank you. I’d appreciate a ride.”
“Thank goodness. I was worried I’d have to sling you over my shoulder and carry you to the parking building.”
Jack was trying to make her feel better, but it wasn’t working. She followed him along the sidewalk, lost in thoughts that only made her feel more miserable. “Did Noah ask you to drive me back to his apartment?”
“Was I that obvious?”
“Only a little.”
Jack sighed. “I don’t think ‘ask’ is the word I would have used. He told me to find you or he wouldn’t be going to Shelter Island.”
“Why is it important you all go there?”
“This Christmas, it will be twenty-five years since Mom and Dad died. We used to spend a lot of time at the Island but, after they died, we hardly went back. Noah thought it was time we resurrected a family tradition.”
Cassie shivered as a cold gust of wind raced along the street. “Why don’t you go sooner?”
“This way.” Jack pointed to the left-hand side of the parking building. “We’d like to, but our schedules fill up too fast.”
As they walked behind the parked vehicles, Cassie frowned. “Did Noah tell you I’m going home?”
“I think he was hoping you’d eventually call Manhattan home.”
Jack’s softly spoken words brought more tears to Cassie’s eyes. “I don’t know how I feel about anything at the moment.”
“It happens to all of us.” Jack unlocked his car and opened the front passenger door. “We wouldn’t be human if someone didn’t let us down every once in a while.”
Cassie sat in the sports car and pulled on her seatbelt. “You should write a column for the newspaper.”
“I can see the headline now. ‘A single person’s guide to love and all its pitfalls.’”
Jack’s grin was so much like Noah’s that her breath caught.
“Who knows, a wonderful woman might read the article and ask me on a date.”
“You don’t have a girlfriend?”
“Not at the moment.” Jack reversed out of the parking space. “I’m too busy running my own business and making sure my brother is okay. Noah enjoyed staying with you.”
Despite feeling as though her heart was breaking, Cassie smiled. “He taught me how to dance.”
“That would have made Grandma’s day. She spent hours with Noah, teaching him the difference between his left and right foot.”
Cassie’s eyebrows rose. “But he’s such a good dancer. I thought he must have been born with a natural rhythm.”
“Don’t let his confidence fool you. Noah spent hours perfecting each step.” Jack glanced at her. “Some people look at my brother and think his life has been easy. But he’s worked hard for everything he’s achieved. When Noah started Wilson Enterprises, he didn’t have enough capital to grow the business into what it is today. Granddad became his majority shareholder, but that investment involved a lot of high expectations.”
“Wilson Enterprises has one of the best online retail stores in the world. Your grandfather must be happy with what Noah’s done.”
Jack shrugged. “It’s hard to tell with Granddad. Noah’s contract as chief executive is up for renewal. Even though you’re working with Wilson Enterprises, Noah could still be out of a job.”
“Do you think that will happen?”
“I hope not, but if Granddad agrees, they can do just about anything. Can I give you some advice?”
Cassie sighed. “Do I have a choice?”
His lips twitched. “Not really, but I thought it was polite to ask.”
“In that case, how can I say no?”
Jack smiled. “I’m beginning to see why Noah has fallen in love with you.”
Hot tears filled Cassie’s eyes. “He has a funny way of showing it.”
The smile on Jack’s face disappeared. “Noah wouldn’t have meant to hurt you. After Mom and Dad died, he locked away his feelings. Even Tasha, his ex-fiancée, didn’t make him as happy as he’s been over the last few weeks. When you’re thinking about what happened tonight, don’t underestimate how much he loves you. He wants to be part of your life.”
Cassie pulled a bunch of tissues out of her pocket and blew her nose. Being part of her life wasn’t enough. She needed to trust Noah, and she didn’t know if she ever could again.
Chapter 16
Cassie was soldering a silver ring when someone knocked on her cottage’s front door. Turning off the butane torch, she checked her watch. Brooke and Megan weren’t supposed to be here for another hour. The guests staying in Acorn Cottage wouldn’t be back until later tonight. If the person standing on her veranda wanted to sell her something, they would be disappointed.
For the last two weeks, she’d spent all her time in her studio, trying to keep up with the orders that had flooded in after the award ceremony. Emma Lewis, the woman she’d met at LaGuardia Airport, was working in her jewelry store. Without having to go into town, Cassie had been able to get through a lot more work.
Unfortunately, that meant she hadn’t spent a lot of time with her friends.
The person knocked again, and Cassie sighed. Taking off her safety glasses, she quickly walked through the living room and opened the front door. “Sam?”
“That’s me.”
Sam’s wide grin made Cassie smile. She hugged her friend tight. “It’s good to see you, but you weren’t supposed to arrive home until tomorrow. Is everything all right?”
“Everything’s fin
e. One of Caleb’s friends called a couple of days ago and asked if Caleb could help with an IT issue. We’d had a great honeymoon and were ready to come home anyway. So we packed our bags and here I am.”
“Come inside. Do you have time for a cup of coffee?”
“I’d love one. Paris was amazing, but I couldn’t find decent coffee anywhere. What have you been doing while I was away?”
Cassie took two cups out of a cupboard. “I’m not sure where to begin.”
“I saw Brooke before I came here. She told me you went to Manhattan to accept the Wilson Award. When did you decide to go?”
“After your wedding, Noah asked if I would create an exclusive range of jewelry for his company. One of the conditions of the contract was that I attend the awards ceremony.”
Sam’s eyes widened. “You’re working for Wilson Enterprises? That’s fantastic! It will make a huge difference to your career.” She studied Cassie’s face and frowned. “Or maybe not. Has something else happened?”
“The man who accused Dad of stealing his designs was working for Noah when he made the complaint. Wilson Enterprises paid his legal expenses even though they knew the chance of winning the case was remote.”
Sam sat on a kitchen stool. “How did you find that out?”
“A reporter asked me some questions at the awards ceremony. The only reason Noah employed me was because he felt guilty about what happened to Dad.”
“Did he tell you that?”
Cassie handed Sam a cup of coffee. “No, but he might as well have. He’s rebranding his company and he wanted to use my face and jewelry to attract different people to his online store.”
“That happens all the time.”
“Except you usually tell the person what you’re doing. He knew I didn’t want to have my photo everywhere. Even going to the award ceremony as C.J. Davis was a big risk.”
“Because of your dad?”
Cassie nodded.
“You said a reporter was asking you questions. What did they do with the information?”
“She was going to publish a story, but nothing has appeared in the paper or online.”
“Have you spoken to Noah?”
“There’s no point.” Cassie hadn’t seen or spoken to him since the award night. She thought he was the man she could have spent the rest of her life with. But she couldn’t trust him and no amount of talking would change that.
“Noah seemed like a nice person. Look at what he did for the tiny home village. Without his company’s support, the church wouldn’t have anywhere to build the houses. And he spent a fortune at the auction for The Welcome Center. You don’t do things like that unless you want to make a difference.”
“He has lots of money and he knew both projects are important to me. Noah probably thought he would have a better chance of working with me if he showed an interest in what I was doing.”
Sam frowned. “That doesn’t sound like the man I met. Are you sure you aren’t overreacting?”
“I wish I was.” Noah’s enthusiasm for both projects didn’t make sense, unless he had an ulterior motive. Cassie just hoped he knew what a difference his company was making in Sapphire Bay. “Tell me about your honeymoon. Did you go to the top of the Eiffel Tower and eat baguettes filled with French cheese on the Champs-Élysées?”
The worry on Sam’s face was replaced with a smile. “We did. You should have seen our honeymoon suite. It was huge and filled with beautiful furniture and the biggest bed I’ve ever seen.”
“It sounds wonderful.”
“It was, but the best thing was spending time with Caleb. He’s a wonderful man and so is Noah.”
Cassie shook her head. “I thought he was, but I was wrong.”
“Before you write him off completely, talk to Pastor John. I think you might be surprised by what he has to say.”
“When did you see John?”
“He was on the same flight as Caleb and me. For the last couple of days, he’s been in New York City, talking to investors about the tiny home village.”
“Did he say how it went?”
“Talk to John. He’ll have the answers to all the questions I can see buzzing around in your head.”
Cassie did have questions, but they all involved one man. And it wasn’t Pastor John.
“You look like death warmed over,” Patrick Devlin said from the doorway. “When was the last time you had a decent meal?”
Noah looked up from his computer. “Have you been speaking to Jack?”
“It’s just as well I have.” Patrick placed a bag of takeout in the middle of Noah’s desk. “It doesn’t look as good as your grandmother’s Sunday roast, but it should taste all right.”
As usual, Noah’s grandfather was understating the obvious. The logo on the bag belonged to one of the top restaurants in Manhattan. If it were anything other than a five-star meal, Noah would be shocked.
He opened the bag and sniffed. “Roast beef, Parmesan coated roast potatoes and, if I’m not mistaken, something seasoned with garlic and fresh mint.”
Patrick grunted. “At least your Ivy League education wasn’t wasted.” He placed a picnic basket on the chair and took out two plates and a pile of cutlery. “It’s after eight o’clock and I haven’t had anything to eat, either. You can serve.”
Noah’s grandfather never came to the office with dinner. “What did Jack tell you?”
“Enough to know you’re not taking care of yourself. Did the board renew your contract?”
“I thought you would have been the first to know.”
“That’s not how it works.” Patrick handed Noah a plate. “I’ll have two potatoes.”
Noah opened the first container. The garlic crust on the thick, juicy, slices of beef made his stomach rumble. “My contract was renewed for another five years.”
“Congratulations.”
He glanced at his grandfather before opening the container of roast potatoes. “You don’t sound surprised.”
“They would have been crazy to let you go.”
“That’s not what you’ve been telling me for the last six months.”
Patrick sighed. “I made a mistake.”
Noah’s eyebrows rose. That was the first time his granddad had admitted he wasn’t always right. He should have been angry or, at the very least, annoyed at the stress his grandfather and the board had created, but he wasn’t.
After spending the last two weeks knowing he’d destroyed any chance of a relationship with Cassie, all he felt was numb. His job, his life, and even his future didn’t matter if she wasn’t part of it.
With a heavy heart, he handed his granddad the dinner plate. “Help yourself to the vegetables.”
Patrick sent him a concerned look but didn’t say anything.
Noah chose what he wanted for dinner and sat in one of the comfy sofas opposite his desk. “Is Jack joining us?”
“Not tonight. He’s searching for a teenage girl who was reported missing last night.”
If Noah needed another reason not to eat anything, that would do it. His brother owned a company called Lost and Found. Some of the cases they handled were heartbreaking.
Before his grandfather sat down, he reached into another bag and handed Noah a takeout cup. “This is for you. It comes highly recommended.”
Noah took off the lid. “Hot chocolate?”
“It was your grandma’s cure-all for when you were worried or sad about something. It looks as though you need it.”
Noah’s hand trembled as he placed the cup on the table. Pressing his lips together, he tried to stem the flow of hot tears building in his eyes. His grandma had meant the world to all of them and, right now, he desperately needed one of her hugs.
Patrick cleared his throat. “This isn’t about work, is it?”
Using the heel of his hands, Noah wiped his eyes. “I’m exhausted, that’s all. I haven’t had much sleep.”
His grandfather patted Noah’s shoulder. “When did you last talk
to Cassie?”
“Two weeks ago. I tried calling her, but she’s either not home or not answering her phone.”
“Has she pulled out of the contract?”
Noah shook his head. “She’s still working on the collection. The person I asked to be her liaison is impressed with what she’s done. The marketing team will start promoting her first collection in January.”
“They’ll catch the Valentine’s Day market.”
“That was the plan.”
Patrick studied Noah’s face before picking up his cutlery. “Jack told me you’d made other plans, too.”
He didn’t know what his brother had told their grandfather but, at a guess, Noah would say Jack had told him everything. “I told Cassie I love her, that I’d like her to be my girlfriend.”
“What happened?”
“A reporter told her about Emanuel. She also told Cassie about our decision to make her the face of our prestige store.”
“I’m assuming she wasn’t happy?”
“Cassie told me I’d betrayed her trust, that she couldn’t forgive me for what I’d done to her father.”
Patrick’s knife and fork froze above his dinner. “It wasn’t your fault.”
“It doesn’t matter. I was the chief executive. I decided to go ahead with the trial.”
“No one knew what would happen once the media got hold of the story. Cassie seems like a level-headed person. Surely she realizes you weren’t responsible for the fallout from the charges.”
“Her family was left with nothing.”
“And her mom died not long after they moved to San Francisco.” Patrick left his dinner, untouched, on the table. “I don’t know what to say.”
Noah handed his granddad the cup of hot chocolate. “Have a drink. I’ve heard it helps you feel better.”
“Did it help you?”
“No, but having you here does. Thanks for coming, Granddad.”
With a heartfelt sigh, Patrick stood and wrapped Noah in a hug. “I’m not as good as your grandma at showing you how I feel, but I love you.”
“I know you do.” Noah closed his eyes and memorized the feel of his granddad’s arms wrapped around his chest. The last time they’d hugged each other was at his grandma’s funeral.
The Sweetest Thing: Sapphire Bay, Book 5 Page 18
