Page 11 of Love in the Details

“I think greens and reds will be just fine for the occasion, and when I’m done, it will wow your guests. We’re in a small town in the mountains. Modern doesn’t quite fit here.”

He smiled, impressed that she didn’t try to back down from what she’d planned for this. As the CEO of a major corporation, he’d seen plenty of people backpedal when he questioned what they’d just proposed, even though he agreed with their original proposal. It was the best way to judge their character in business and smaller matters like this.

“Do you have any questions for me?” she asked, tucking her phone back into her jacket.

“How many events have you planned like this?”

Not even flinching, as if she’d prepared herself for this question, she said, “None.”

“Why should I pick you to decorate and plan the event?” He tapped his pointer finger over his lips, waiting for her response. The other women he’d interviewed had given him answers he didn’t quite believe, like knowledge of the area or an in with a certain company that could provide decorations.

“Mr. Wakefield,” Kassidy began.

“Dustin, please.”

“I just retired from barrel racing in the last year, and I was fairly successful at it, winning third place at the National Rodeo Finals twice in the last six years. I know what it’s like to put in the long hours, to pay attention to the minute changes to make something better. I may not be the most experienced…yet. But I will get there, and with this opportunity, I would put that same dedication into the design process as I would for anything else I do.”

Dustin was more than impressed with that answer, but he’d had plenty of years as a boss to know not to let it show just yet. There was still one more question he had for her.

“What happened at the bank, Miss McBride?”

“If I’m calling you Dustin, please call me Kassidy,” she said, chuckling a bit. Then her face sobered, and she flicked her eyes away from him for several seconds, as if needing that time to formulate the answer she was going to give him.

“I was passed over for a promotion. And from the information the manager, my former boyfriend, gave me while in his office getting your check signed off, I learned I would probably never be more than a teller while he was in that position.” Her eyes bored into him then, holding an intensity he’d rarely seen in people. “I gave him my notice, and I think he’d been preparing for my departure.”

“Ex-boyfriend, huh? That would have been interesting to see.” He laughed at the glare she gave him.

It said something about her that she hadn’t just rolled over and taken it, hoping that sucking up or trying to go above and beyond would change the guy’s mind.

“Are you planning to close the factory here in Coldwater Creek?” she asked. From how round her eyes got, it looked like she’d surprised even herself with the question.

He schooled his expression to neutral, just like his grandfather had taught him while growing up. “Where did you hear something like that?”

“It’s a small town. Word can get to just about everyone if the right person knows about it.” A hint of a smile flickered at the corners of her lips, but her eyes locked onto his, waiting for the answer.

He shrugged and leaned against a wall, trying to ease up some of the tension in the air around them. “You’re right about that. And as far as shutting it down, it’s not a done deal. It’s one of the reasons I came home. I have meetings set up with the managers to talk over problems and figure out what’s really going on with the numbers. My grandfather always said you can only know so much from a piece of paper. The rest has to come from seeing things for yourself.”

Kassidy’s mouth opened slightly, and he could tell she was shocked that he’d even answered her.

“Well, thank you for coming.” Dustin stuck his hand out and waited for Kassidy to shake it. A zing of electricity shot between their palms, and Dustin had to work to not jerk his hand back like he’d done earlier when she’d reached for the doorknob.“I’ll let you know my decision on the position within the next day.”

Kassidy gave him a half-smile. “So if you don’t call tomorrow, move on with my life, right?”

Dustin burst out laughing. “Sounds like you’ve had some experience with that.”

“I moved to the city for a while. I had interviews aplenty while I was there. I always appreciated the people who actually sent some kind of message when I didn’t get the job. They didn’t have to, but it was a courtesy that let me move on to the next thing instead of waiting around forever to hear if the job had been filled or not.”

“I will call you either way,” Dustin said, leaning against the open door as she walked down the steps to the parking circle. The same forest-green Jeep he’d seen at the bank sat in the driveway.

“Thanks again.” Kassidy nodded her head and got in the Jeep, not looking back as she turned around and made her way back down the hill.

She intrigued him more than he wanted to admit. And why was she so angry about the possibility of a factory closure? Had she worked there at some point?

Her directness and preparation were definitely some highlights of the interview. Now he just had another five people to interview. But he had a pretty good idea he had already found the right person for the job.

Chapter 7

Kassidy hadn’t been this wound up about anything since she’d supposedly tied her rival in a state championship ride at one of the rodeos close to home. Dustin’s answers to her questions surprised her, especially the fact that he was so open about the possibility of a closure. But the fact that he would take the time to go to the factory and listen to what was really going on was what struck her the most. It gave him a more personable quality instead of just the stiff CEO she’d taken him for.

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