The Sweetest Thing

Cassie Harper is determined to make her jewelry business a success - and Sapphire Bay is the perfect place to create beautiful heirloom pieces. When she unexpectedly wins a prestigious jewelry competition, she’s devastated. For the last three years she has avoided the media, and that won't be changing anytime soon.

Noah Devlin is the CEO of an exclusive company that caters to the uber-rich. When the winner of their jewelry award ignores his PR team’s emails, he decides to visit her in person. But the reclusive jeweler is nothing like the woman he expects to meet.

Cassie has secrets she needs to keep and a life she wants to protect. Noah wants to help her, but he doesn't know if he can give her the happy-ever-after she’s looking for…until one of life’s unexpected turns throws them together in a way that no one saw coming.

Cassie ripped up the latest letter she’d received from Wilson Enterprises and threw it in the trash. For most jewelers, winning their prestigious award would be a dream come true. 

But not for her. 

One of her friends had entered her in the jewelry competition, thinking she was doing something wonderful for Cassie’s career. But after three years of keeping a low profile, it was the last thing she needed.

Thinking about the award made her feel sick. What she needed to do was focus on her store and not worry about anyone discovering her true identity. 

The display she’d nearly finished would be a welcome distraction. Opening the cabinet, she carefully placed a gold filigree necklace inside. When she was designing it, she’d imagined Montana in the fall, the colors that rippled into life around the small town of Sapphire Bay. 

As she’d sketched different ideas, the shape of a leaf kept reappearing on the page. That initial concept had become the simple oval pendant sitting inside her display case. It was everything she’d hoped to create and more.

The bell above the front door chimed. She looked up and smiled at her friend Brooke. In a few minutes, two more friends would be arriving to discuss a fundraising auction they were organizing. 

“Hi, Brooke. I won’t be long.” 

“Don’t rush. Kathleen was happy to close the candy store so I could get away early. Nice necklace.” Brooke leaned over the display cabinet, her long brown hair brushing the edge of the glass. “Is it new?”

“It is. I finished it last night.”

“It’s beautiful. The gold looks like a spider’s web. How did you make it seem so delicate?”

Cassie placed a silk scarf and two sets of earrings beside the necklace. “It took a lot of experience and more time than I thought, but I’m pleased with how it turned out. Were you busy today?”

“It was a little quieter in the store, but the online orders have gone crazy. Daniella had to help me gift wrap more than twenty boxes of fudge.”

“Your website must be doing its job.”

The doorbell chimed again, and Sam walked into the jewelry store. 

“It’s all because of Sam,” Brooke said.

Sam’s eyebrows rose. As well as being a good friend, she was a genius with computers. “What’s because of me?”

“The reason Sweet Treats’ online store is so popular. You designed an incredible website.”

Sam waved away her praise. “The website’s only as good as the product it’s promoting. Your customers are raving about your fudge because it tastes incredible. Is Megan here?”

Cassie shook her head. “She has a meeting with Nora’s teacher. Once she’s finished, she’ll join us.”

“Do you want me to turn on the coffeepot?” Sam asked.

Brooke sent Sam a relieved smile. “Sounds good to me. I’ll be happy to sit down for a few minutes. After our meeting, my wonderful fiancé wants to take me to a barn. Levi thinks it will make a great wedding venue.”

“Don’t worry,” Sam said. “It will get better once you’ve settled on the menu, the guest list, the flowers, and a dress.” 

Cassie didn’t want to alarm Brooke, but from what she’d seen, it wouldn’t get any easier until the day she married Levi. “I’ve met lots of people who are planning their wedding. My advice is not to sweat the small stuff.”

“I’ll second that,” Sam said as she disappeared into the workroom. 

Sam was getting married soon. She’d applied the same methodical process to planning her wedding as she did to the computer programs she developed. It seemed to have made everything a lot less stressful. 

Cassie moved to the front of the store. “Ask Sam about the wedding program she’s using. It’s helped her.”

Brooke picked up her bag. “It would be even better if it booked everything for us.” 

Cassie turned the sign in the window to “Closed” and flicked the deadbolt. “Don’t worry. No matter what you choose, it will be an amazing day.”

“I hope so.”

“I know so. All you need is a little faith, a lot of love, and a great wedding planner.”

Brooke smiled. “We’ve got two, possibly three covered, so I guess we’ll be fine.”

Cassie hugged her friend. “Who knows, the barn might be the perfect venue. And if other people have used it, the owners might be able to recommend a catering company. That would be two big items confirmed in one day.”

“I should talk to you whenever I’m feeling stressed. I feel better already.”

Cassie held open the workroom door. “That’s what friends are for.”

* * *

Noah Devlin threw his pen onto his desk. “What’s wrong with her? Anyone would think I was asking for a million dollars.”

Jack grinned at his brother. “This must be the first time someone doesn’t want anything to do with you.”

“She doesn’t have a choice. One of the conditions of entering the jewelry competition was to make yourself available for promotional opportunities. So far, the only communication Wilson Enterprises has had with C.J. Davis are four-sentence emails telling us she’s unavailable.”

“At least they were polite.”

Noah’s sharp glance wiped the smile off Jack’s face.

“It sounds like she doesn’t want to be found.”

“Six years at Yale, and that’s the best you can do?”

Jack crossed his arms in front of his chest. “I majored in behavioral psychology and, right now, your behavior’s more interesting than Ms. Davis’.”

“That’s because we don’t know much about her.” In normal circumstances, Noah would have left his staff to pursue C.J. Davis. But nothing about the jeweler made sense. Most up-and-coming jewelers would give their right arm to be promoted by his company. As CEO of one of the most influential online shopping networks, he knew the difference his endorsement could make to a person’s career. 

To make matters worse, Ms. Davis wasn’t only ignoring his emails. She was now blocking all communication with his company.

Jack opened the folder Noah had given him. “Where’s Sapphire Bay?”

“Montana. At the southern end of Flathead Lake.”

As his brother read the brief information they had about C.J. Davis, Noah clicked on a document on his computer. A series of photographs showing a gold heirloom necklace and matching earrings filled his screen. The deep rubies embedded in the design drew his eyes straight to the heart of the pendant. It was elegant, sophisticated, and would be an extremely desirable set for his clientele. 

Jack rubbed his jaw. “Is it really that bad if she doesn’t want to be part of your publicity machine? You could still run the story about the winner of the award. Your PR department could use the information in her application to make the story more—”

“Compelling?”

“I was going to say interesting, but that’s up to you. Besides, you’ve got more important things to worry about.”

Noah stood and looked through the forty-second story window of his Manhattan office. Down the street, the never-ending line of taxis looked like yellow bumblebees, moving in a coordinated pattern toward their queen. Or in this case, the Grand Central Terminal.

“You can’t ignore what’s happening,” Jack said in the same annoying tone he used when he knew he was right. “Granddad gave you five years to prove you were capable of running the company. It’s time to step up to the plate and show the board of directors who’s boss.”

“It’s not a baseball game.”

“Then prove it. Do something crazy. Blow their minds with an idea or product that sends shock waves through their stuffy heads.”

Noah placed the palm of one hand on the glass. “I’ve spent more time in this office than I have in my home. I’ve created a company out of nothing and increased our turnover to more than ninety million dollars a year. If that’s not enough proof that I’m the right person to lead the company, then I don’t know what is.”

“I told you this would happen.”

Sometimes, his brother was so predictable. “Since when does common sense mean I’ve burned myself out? I’ve proved my value to the company ten times over. If the board can’t see that, then they shouldn’t be involved in Wilson Enterprises.”

Jack stood beside him. “This company wouldn’t exist without your drive and determination. Granddad knows that. He also knows that no matter what, the money he invested into the company will be returned to him tenfold.”

“Then why is he insisting on a five-year review? If I could, I’d buy back his shares. But I’ve made the company too successful to be able to afford them.”

“Here’s a radical idea. Why don’t you go to Sapphire Bay and track down C.J. Davis? While you’re there, you can have the vacation you keep canceling.” 

Noah frowned. “I can’t leave. If the board senses a weakness anywhere in the company, they’ll blow it out of proportion and use it against me.”

Jack leaned against the window frame. “Then let me be your eyes and ears. I can be your proxy vote. If anything happens, I’ll call you immediately.”

“No.” Noah wasn’t leaving his business in his brother’s hands. Jack had a lot of good qualities, but dealing with a volatile board of directors wasn’t one of them. 

“Running this company will kill you if you don’t get away.”

“You’re exaggerating.”

Jack’s eyes narrowed. “You’re thirty-eight years old. You haven’t had a vacation since you started the company. You sabotage any relationship you’re in by working sixteen-hour days and your blood pressure’s through the roof. Do you want me to keep going?”

“I work long hours because I enjoy my job.”

“You need to learn how to enjoy life. At the rate you’re going, you’ll be dead by the time you’re fifty.”

Noah didn’t say anything to his brother. Instead, he reached for C.J. Davis’ file. If she was half the jeweler he suspected she was, she could be his secret weapon. Winning the prestigious Wilson Award would only be the beginning of their association, especially if her work shook the board of directors out of their old-fashioned views.

He looked at the photo of Ms. Davis and frowned. The grainy black-and-white image looked as though it had been taken at night. The only distinguishing feature in the entire shot was her long, dark hair. From her minimal biography, he knew she was thirty years old, but the quality of her work hinted at someone who was much older.

Before he could change his mind, Noah picked up the phone and called his secretary. “Charlotte? Book the next available flight to Montana. I’m going to a town called Sapphire Bay.”

When she asked how long he’d be gone, Noah hesitated. If he could have said one weekend, he would have. But with his brother standing a few feet away, he wouldn’t get away with anything less than a week.

Jack grabbed the phone. “He’ll be gone for two weeks, Charlotte. And find somewhere for Noah to rent. The closer to the lake, the better.”

Charlotte said something and Jack smiled. “Exactly. Good luck.”

Noah took the phone from his brother. “What was all that about?”

Jack pulled on his jacket. “Your secretary and I are on the same page when it comes to Sapphire Bay.” 

“Where are you going?”

“The same place you should be. Home.”

Noah checked his watch. “It’s barely seven o’clock.”

“No kidding.” Jack took his brother’s jacket out of the closet. “Most people finished work two hours ago. Come on. I’ll buy takeout for dinner and help you pack.”

“I’m only going to Sapphire Bay for a few days.”

Jack’s chin rose. “Two weeks, but who’s counting. And you can’t wear any of your over-priced designer suits. You’re taking jeans and T-shirts.”

Noah glared at his brother. “I’m supposed to impress Ms. Davis. I can’t do that if I look like a cowboy.”

Jack snorted. “You’ve got to be kidding. You’re going to Montana, the home of cowboys, cattle drives, and rodeos. No one wears suits.”

“I do.”

Jack shook his head. “I don’t know who I’m more worried about—you or the mysterious C.J. Davis.”

“You don’t need to worry about either of us. If I can’t convince her to come to New York City, I’ll talk to the people who know her. There must be something that will make her more inclined to appear in front of the media.”

Jack shook his head. “You’ve been living in big cities for too long. Sapphire Bay might be better for you than you think.”

Noah doubted it. He had a job to do and nothing barring a category four hurricane would stop him.