Owens…”
“If this was only about her you would just arrange to have her hired as a cook at one of our resorts. You’d get her set up in some fancy penthouse suite to absolve yourself of any guilt about having the house torn down. This is about him.”
“I ... no… That’s not it…” Cassidy stammered.
“I can’t believe someone has actually gotten to you. No one ever gets under your skin. He must be pretty special.”
“He’s a judgmental, rude… impossible man!” Cassidy insisted.
“He sounds perfect for you.” Cassidy could hear the laughter in Becca’s voice.
“I’ve got to go.” Cassidy said as she pulled up in front of Mr. Woodard’s office. “My phone doesn’t have service up on the mountain, but I’ll try to check for messages anytime I come to town.”
“Okay.” Becca said cheerfully . “Don’t forget to send me an invite for the wedding.”
Cassidy hung up to the sound of Becca’s laughter. She really had no idea what she was talking about. Sure she found Ben attractive, who wouldn’t ? The man was practically sculpted out of stone. But that didn’t mean that she liked him. Her decision to stay was entirely for Mrs. Owens benefit, Ben Riley was a deterrent, not a perk.
She finished her business with Mr. Woodard fairly quickly. He was visibly shocked at her decision to stay, but once he’d recovered it was only a matter of signing a few papers and the deed was done. She left the law office a nd headed to the hardware store. Mr. Woodard had told her that there wasn’t a clothing store in town, the closest was about forty miles away, but the hardware store carried some work boots and clothes, which is what she was after.
Cassidy still wondered why Ben had not woken her to work in the gardens again this morning. Was he so sure she was going to leave? Is that why he was so hostile toward her?
Ben didn’t want to lose his home and a pparently he thought she was some sort of cold corporate shrew who foreclosed on families and stole their property, someone who wouldn’t care about helping him save his home. That wasn’t who she was at all, and she was going to show him that. She was also going to show him that she could carry her own weight, she wouldn’t be the drain on their resources that he predicted. Maybe once he realized that she was there to help then the animosity would be gone. Cassidy wondered what would be left behind if the animosity wasn’t there.
Cassidy found a pair of work boots in her size and a few pairs of jeans. They weren’t the designer jeans she had at home, but they fit and were sturdy. She also bought a package of cotton t-shirts in dark blue so she wouldn’t put on another impromptu wet t-shirt contest unintentionally.
As she placed the items on the check-out counter she couldn’t help but feel a little self-conscious at the way the girl behind the counter was staring at her.
“You’re the Miller girl aren’t you?” The clerk whispered. She was about Cassidy’s age, with dark brown hair and tanned skin. She looked anxious.
“My name is Cassidy St. Claire.” Cassidy corrected. Did everyone around this little town call her “the Miller girl” when she wasn’t around ?
“A word of advice, Miss St. Claire. Don’t trust Ben Riley.”
Chapter Six
“ Of course it was an accident.” Cassidy could hear Mrs. Owens placating voice coming from the kitchen as she entered the front door.
She walked into the kitchen and Ben and Mrs. Owens turned to face her. Ben looked frustrated. Without a word he turned and walked out the back door. She got the distinct impression that they’d been talking about her.
“Cassidy , dear, how was your afternoon?” Mrs. Owens smiled brightly.
“It was nice, thank you. I met with Mr. Woodard and told him that I’d be staying the month.”
“Oh!” Mrs. Owens eyes lit up. “That’s wonderful, dear, we’re so happy to have you!” Cassidy could see the relief clear on her face and she felt
“If this was only about her you would just arrange to have her hired as a cook at one of our resorts. You’d get her set up in some fancy penthouse suite to absolve yourself of any guilt about having the house torn down. This is about him.”
“I ... no… That’s not it…” Cassidy stammered.
“I can’t believe someone has actually gotten to you. No one ever gets under your skin. He must be pretty special.”
“He’s a judgmental, rude… impossible man!” Cassidy insisted.
“He sounds perfect for you.” Cassidy could hear the laughter in Becca’s voice.
“I’ve got to go.” Cassidy said as she pulled up in front of Mr. Woodard’s office. “My phone doesn’t have service up on the mountain, but I’ll try to check for messages anytime I come to town.”
“Okay.” Becca said cheerfully . “Don’t forget to send me an invite for the wedding.”
Cassidy hung up to the sound of Becca’s laughter. She really had no idea what she was talking about. Sure she found Ben attractive, who wouldn’t ? The man was practically sculpted out of stone. But that didn’t mean that she liked him. Her decision to stay was entirely for Mrs. Owens benefit, Ben Riley was a deterrent, not a perk.
She finished her business with Mr. Woodard fairly quickly. He was visibly shocked at her decision to stay, but once he’d recovered it was only a matter of signing a few papers and the deed was done. She left the law office a nd headed to the hardware store. Mr. Woodard had told her that there wasn’t a clothing store in town, the closest was about forty miles away, but the hardware store carried some work boots and clothes, which is what she was after.
Cassidy still wondered why Ben had not woken her to work in the gardens again this morning. Was he so sure she was going to leave? Is that why he was so hostile toward her?
Ben didn’t want to lose his home and a pparently he thought she was some sort of cold corporate shrew who foreclosed on families and stole their property, someone who wouldn’t care about helping him save his home. That wasn’t who she was at all, and she was going to show him that. She was also going to show him that she could carry her own weight, she wouldn’t be the drain on their resources that he predicted. Maybe once he realized that she was there to help then the animosity would be gone. Cassidy wondered what would be left behind if the animosity wasn’t there.
Cassidy found a pair of work boots in her size and a few pairs of jeans. They weren’t the designer jeans she had at home, but they fit and were sturdy. She also bought a package of cotton t-shirts in dark blue so she wouldn’t put on another impromptu wet t-shirt contest unintentionally.
As she placed the items on the check-out counter she couldn’t help but feel a little self-conscious at the way the girl behind the counter was staring at her.
“You’re the Miller girl aren’t you?” The clerk whispered. She was about Cassidy’s age, with dark brown hair and tanned skin. She looked anxious.
“My name is Cassidy St. Claire.” Cassidy corrected. Did everyone around this little town call her “the Miller girl” when she wasn’t around ?
“A word of advice, Miss St. Claire. Don’t trust Ben Riley.”
Chapter Six
“ Of course it was an accident.” Cassidy could hear Mrs. Owens placating voice coming from the kitchen as she entered the front door.
She walked into the kitchen and Ben and Mrs. Owens turned to face her. Ben looked frustrated. Without a word he turned and walked out the back door. She got the distinct impression that they’d been talking about her.
“Cassidy , dear, how was your afternoon?” Mrs. Owens smiled brightly.
“It was nice, thank you. I met with Mr. Woodard and told him that I’d be staying the month.”
“Oh!” Mrs. Owens eyes lit up. “That’s wonderful, dear, we’re so happy to have you!” Cassidy could see the relief clear on her face and she felt
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