Page 5 of Silverstorm

It was also the same mountain range Cat had been trapped on during the wildfire. Jude suppressed a shiver of misgiving.

He snapped his notebook shut and gave them both a bright smile. “Don’t worry, I’m on it,” he assured them both. “I’ll let you know what I find.”

“Thank you.” Dean returned Jude’s smile with one of his own trademark grins. “I’m sure it’s nothing.”

Jude hoped so, too. He gave a cheery wave and set off back down the hill toward the lodge.

CHAPTER THREE

ARIA SKIPPED LIGHTLY down the stairs of the lodge. The phrase walking on air seemed almost apt for the way she was feeling at the moment. The cold breeze was still but blowing, but she no longer felt the icy tendrils on her bare midriff. If she thought no one was watching, she’d be tempted to do a twirl, she was so happy. But guests were still milling around in the reception area. This was her first bit of good luck since she’d found out about her little problem. Since Beau had kicked her out of his house.

Naomi had given her the job. It was the best feeling in the world. She’d soon have money to her name and be able to put a roof over her head. And she could hardly believe she’d be working at Stargazer Ranch. Naomi was so lovely, Aria was sure she’d make a great boss, just as Jude had predicted.

Her mood was the complete opposite of how she’d been feeling half an hour ago. When Jude had taken her inside to the most opulent log cabin she’d ever seen in her life, and introduced her to Penny, the cute, bubbly receptionist, she’d just about turned around and ran straight out again, sure that she’d been making a big mistake. And then when the other interviewee had waltzed out of the office as she sat on the chair waiting, casting her an unfriendly look as she sailed on by looking so cool and stylish and in-charge, Aria knew she’d been outclassed and there was no way she was getting this job.

But just as she’d stood to get the hell out of there, the office door had opened and a woman had beckoned her in. She was petite, only just hitting five feet, but Aria had a feeling that she shouldn’t underestimate her. This must be Naomi, the wife of Dean, and co-owner of Stargazer Ranch. Long auburn hair draped over her shoulders, and she wore a light-blue button-up shirt with the Stargazer logo on the breast pocket. Her smile was bright and welcoming, and Aria felt some of her misgivings drain away. She straightened her shoulders and looked Naomi in the eye. She was here now, and she needed to show she could do this job. Pushing her uncertainty down—it’d do no good to show how desperate she was—she tried to plug into that self-confident side of herself that used to inhabit her body, going over the pep talk she’d been reciting in her head one more time. She could do this. She was what this ranch needed. She might not be as classy and professional as the last woman, but her graphic design skills were top-notch, and her brain was already buzzing with half a dozen ideas on how to run a social media campaign with some contemporary branding to bring the ranch into the twenty-first century.

“Hello. My name’s Naomi, do come in and take a seat.” Naomi shook her hand in a firm grip, then gestured to a comfortable-looking set of armchairs beneath a big picture window, indicating she should take one. Aria glanced at the large wooden desk covered in piles of paperwork. This seemed to be the main office. It had a very male vibe; dark-wooden bookshelves lined the wall behind the desk, and a bench made of similar wood ran the length of the other wall, holding a large coffee machine and the makings of morning tea.

“Would you like a cup of coffee? Or a pastry? They’re freshly made by our resident French chef, Stella. She’s an amazing cook, we’re so lucky to have her,” Naomi gushed.

“A coffee would be nice, thank you.” Aria didn’t think she could eat right now; her mouth was so dry, it would stick in her throat. And the sugar from the stolen candy bar she’d eaten for breakfast was causing her stomach to swirl alarmingly.

Naomi buzzed around the coffee machine, reminding Aria of an energetic bee flitting busily between flowers. “How do you take it, Aria?”

“Cream, but no sugar. Thank you.”

In less than a minute, Naomi was placing a coffee on the small table in front of Aria and sitting down with her own coffee and a pastry on a plate. “Stella is going to be the death of me. I just can’t resist her delicious pastries. I’ll have to spend an extra hour in the garden today, just to work off the calories. But it’ll be worth it.” Naomi was by no means fat, and Aria guessed that running a luxury ranch kept her trim and fit.

“Now, tell me a little about you. Where have you worked before? What drew you to this job? That kind of thing,” Naomi said kindly.

The casual surroundings of the cozy nook with the two armchairs pulled together, more like two friends having a chat than a formal interview, put Aria at ease.

She took a deep breath and composed herself. She may as well start at the beginning. “Well, you may already know that I was born and raised in Stevensville.” That was a good solid start. She couldn’t very well lie about that part. “I left town when I was eighteen.” She didn’t go into details as to why she left, but she watched Naomi carefully, checking for any body language that might give away her thoughts on the Cusack family. But Naomi gave a gentle smile and nodded for her to continue. If she’d heard all the rumors and gossip about her mother—or her father—she was keeping the conjecture to herself.

“Then I…ah, traveled for a while until I ended up in Portland, where I…” Oh crap. Aria suddenly felt self-conscious and had to put the mug on the table before the coffee slopped over the edge. Who was she kidding? Of course, Naomi knew about her family history. Why had she ever thought she’d be able to apply for a job in her hometown? No one would want to employ her. Not when they tarred her with the same brush as her father. Not when they pitied her because her mother had chosen the easy way out. Had chosen to take her own life.

Naomi saw her hesitate and frown lines formed between her brows. She put her coffee carefully on the table, as well.

“I like that you’re a local girl,” Naomi said softly. “It’s one of the reasons I chose to interview you. I like that you understand what it means to live in a small country town—in this particular small country town,” she added.

Aria breathed in deep, letting Naomi’s reassuring words wash over her, hoping they were true. Hoping she truly wasn’t judging her.

“And I’m looking for someone who’s down to earth and will fit in seamlessly with my team. I’m not necessarily after the flashy, trendsetting professional,” Naomi continued.

Aria recalled the image of the polished woman leaving the office a few minutes earlier. Was this Naomi’s way of telling her that a sharp suit and a haughty look were not going to get you a job here?

“As long as you can do the job, it’s more important to me that we get along. I need a right-hand woman, someone who appreciates what I’m trying to achieve, but also someone with whom I can work closely with. Do you understand?” Naomi fixed Aria with her steady gaze.

Aria felt respect growing for this strong, determined woman as the meaning of her words sunk in. She wasn’t intimidated by Aria’s past, and she wasn’t going to be prejudiced by rumors or innuendo; she was going to make up her own mind about Aria. It seemed her large personality more than countered her small stature. Aria had heard the talk around town that the ranch had been built as much because of Naomi’s determination as it had from Dean’s dreams. And now she could see every word of that was true. This woman had a core of steel.

“Thank you.” Aria unclenched her fists and sat back in the chair, digging deep to find her own core of steel. Her confidence may have taken a terrible blow in the past month, but she could do this. “That’s good to know.”

“So. Let’s start again. Your resume mentioned that you’ve nearly finished a graphic design course, and I can see you have a lovely reference from your last employer. You have the skills to do this job. I’d like to know why you think you can help me. Like it said in my job advertisement, I need someone to help me redesign the website, and contribute to the socials. But I also have this idea that I want to start a horse riding camp for disadvantaged children. Possibly even for blind children. Do you have any ideas about how best to market that sort of thing?”

“Oh, wow, that sounds amazing,” Aria said, leaning forward, her elbows on her knees.

“Yes, I want to give back to the community. We do very well here catering for rich guests, but I feel the need for something…more.”

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