Page 1 of Love in the Details

Chapter 1

The tension in Kassidy McBride’s stomach had reached astronomical heights. She checked the clock on the wall across from her, the seconds ticking by as she tried to avoid looking at the door to her right. Her coworker, Tanya, had been in there nearly fifteen minutes already. Did that mean she was getting the promotion from bank teller to loan officer? Or was Trace Bentley, branch manager for the Coldwater Creek Bank and ex-boyfriend to Kassidy, merely letting her down easy?

Kassidy had been working toward that promotion for the last eight months, ever since she’d come back to the valley after a short four-month stint in LA. The fact that she’d had to work under her ex-boyfriend hadn’t been all peaches and roses, but she’d survived up until this point. She’d even managed to keep her mouth shut a time or two.

She entered her information in the browser and saw the balance in her bank account. If she got this promotion, she’d finally be able to afford a place of her own. Her family was amazing, but she could do with more space. At twenty-five, it was high time.

Her two oldest brothers had married within the last year, leaving her twin brothers and younger sister, Molly, all in the same house together, which didn’t exactly bring the independence she’d been searching for in LA. Then again, she was searching for some kind of direction to take her life. Ever since she’d decided to retire from barrel racing, she hadn’t been able to get a win in anything she did. The only bonus about that was the comfort of her own bed night after night instead of the constant travel to one rodeo after another.

Tanya Roberts walked out of the boss’s office, her expression smug as she stared at Kassidy.

The young blonde walked over to Elaina, the teller at the desk next to Kassidy’s, and said with a quick glance in Kassidy’s direction, “I got the promotion!”

Of course she had. Of all days to award a promotion, Black Friday was not a day Kassidy had expected. She was still wishing she was home, hoping her brothers didn’t eat all of the leftover turkey.

She blew out a breath, again focusing on the clock on the wall across from her. As much as Kassidy had hoped for that little pay increase and something different as far as work responsibilities, she should have known Trace would never bump her up to a position where he would have to work more closely with her. Breaking up with someone because she needed a change and then coming back months later, groveling for her old job back, didn’t shine a good light on her character.

Pulling out a stress ball stamped with the bank’s logo on the side, Kassidy focused on the screen, squeezing the ball in an attempt to avoid punching the girl in the face. Coldwater Creek was a small town, and the last thing she wanted was word to spread that she’d started a fight.

The fact that Tanya had only started working there five months ago dug at Kassidy’s jealous nature. She was used to winning, to pushing herself physically and mentally to take the prize at the end, knowing what to do to shave off a few seconds here and there to get the better time. But at the bank, it was really more of a chance of partiality, one she’d definitely lost.

Still squeezing the stress ball, she looked up as the bell above the door gave a jingle. A man walked in, his tall frame and expensive coat drawing her gaze. It was rare to find a good-looking guy who was taller than her but also a decent human being. Trace had failed at that last part after she’d needed a change in life, and he was determined not to let her forget it.

Her gaze traveled over the man’s strong jawline, noting a slight stubble there. But it was the turquoise color of his eyes that drew her attention. Maybe it was the fact that she didn’t recognize him that made him more attractive. The only unmarried men in this town weren’t grown-up enough to care about a future. Her eyes flicked to his left hand. No ring.

“I can help you here,” she said, forcing a smile on her face and breaking her gaze away.

Why did she check him out like that? She wasn’t hunting for marriage at the moment. Her life was too undecided and all over the place. But then again, her best friend, Lauren, had married Walker, her older brother. Ever since then, she’d been wishing there was someone else she could connect with enough to go do things together.

The man who walked up to the desk seemed more familiar now that he was closer. Not in the went-to-high-school-with-him kind of way, which was possible in the small town of Coldwater Creek.He was either just passing through or here for a quick business trip because the suit of choice in Coldwater Creek was a pair of blue jeans and a flannel button-up.

He opened his coat to pull out a pen, revealing a well-tailored navy-blue suit, and the watch he sported had to cost more than she made in a year as a teller. That was about the only thing she’d learned while in the big city: which name brands cost how much.

Pushing those thoughts away,she focused on the check he handed her.

“I need to deposit this check into the account on the back,” was all he said.It took a moment for her to register that he’d written the account number just under the signature on the back instead of filling out a deposit slip.

She nodded and said, “I can do that for you.” The half-smile he gave her triggered a memory from years ago, a guy her brother’s age who she’d had a crush on in the eighth grade. Dustin Wakefield.

She glanced away and stared at the name on the check,B&G Family Investments, LLC,she schooled her face when she saw the amount written on the bottom of it. Five hundred thousand dollars. She’d never seen a number that high in her years working there, but there was a first for everything.

“I just need to get my manager to sign off on this amount, and I’ll get that taken care of for you.”

Turning in her chair, Kassidy glanced over at him, his turquoise gaze causing her insides to flip. At the same time, her chunky heel caught on the metal rod at the bottom of the seat. Her hands kept her from face planting into her desk. She flushed and hurried over to the door to the manager’s office without a backward glance. No need to see what a klutz she was written all over his face.

She knocked and opened the door then shut it behind her, facing her boss.

“What is it, Kassidy?” he asked, not looking up from his paperwork. The fact that he just assumed it was her caused bile to rise in her throat. He just needed to accept the fact that she was over his dramatics and move on.

“I have this—”

“I didn’t promote you to loan officer because you have too many customer complaints, Kassidy. How are we supposed to give you more responsibility when people don’t want to work with you anyway?” Trace glanced up, a hint of a smile on his face.

Nothing like a snarky comment to slice right through her.

“I actually came in to ask about signing off on this check, but it’s good to know where you stand on my place at this bank.” Her mind whirred with all her thoughts converging into one. “If there are no possibilities for me to progress in this company, then I’m done. Consider this my two-week notice.”

She slapped the check down, allowing him to sign it.

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