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John saw Charlie’s yellow hard-hat move in front of the crowd. A team of firefighters, wearing face masks and oxygen tanks, disappeared into the building. He had a feeling that the people standing outside would be here for more than a few minutes.
Tess stood beside Rachel. “I wonder what happened? We couldn’t smell any smoke, but you never know with old buildings. It could be an electrical fault in the ceiling or anything. I hope the birthday candles didn’t set the smoke alarms off.”
“I don’t think that was it.” Rachel chewed her bottom lip. “Do you think the firefighters will be much longer?”
“I don’t know. If this snow keeps falling, most of Charlie’s customers will go to another bar. It won’t matter how long the building is closed for.”
Rachel looked at John. “I’ll be back in a minute.” She let go of his hand and disappeared into the crowd.
Tess looked confused. “Where’s Rachel gone?”
John had a good idea of what she was about to do. “It’s confession time,” he muttered as he followed Rachel. He just hoped the Fire Chief had a better sense of humor than the owner of the bar had.
***
The next day, Rachel had barely walked into Angel Wings Café when Tess made the first Facebook comment.
“How does it feel to be a star?” Tess asked from behind the counter.
Rachel closed the door and ignored the curious glances being sent her way. “I thought you finished work at one o’clock?”
“I do, but Kate couldn’t come in, so here I am. Your photo has got more than a thousand likes.”
“Sshh,” Rachel said quietly. “I don’t want more people knowing about it.”
“It’s too late,” Tess whispered back. “Everyone already knows.”
Rachel looked over her shoulder. Half a dozen people enjoying hot coffee, delicious food, and a good helping of gossip, grinned back. “Hi, everyone.”
Doris Stanley, one of the most influential cogs in the local gossip wheel, stood up and walked across to Rachel. “Well, I for one applaud what you did. Telling the Fire Chief what you’d done took a lot of courage, especially after what happened the last time you made the headlines.”
Doris winked at Rachel. She supposed that in a roundabout way it was meant to be reassuring, but Rachel found it a little unsettling.
“You were always too good for Jeremiah. And just look at what he’s done with his life since he left you at the altar…”
Rachel felt morally obliged to remind Doris that she’d been the one who’d left Jeremiah, but Doris wasn’t leaving room for interruptions in her speech.
“…he went and married a young girl nearly half his age and just as scatter-brained as he was. Well, I say all the best to them. He missed his chance with you, Rachel, but John will appreciate you. He’s such a kind man. Do you know that he sponsored the reading program at the local high school? And not a word to anyone about his generosity. That’s the type of man that any woman would want to go out a fire exit door with.”
There was a general murmur of agreement and a nodding of heads around the café. Rachel looked helplessly at Tess for moral support.
Doris must have noticed Rachel’s discomfort, but not the cause of it. She gave Rachel a quick hug. “If you ever need advice about men, come and see me. My husband is one in a million, but every now and then even Mr. Stanley and I have disagreements. Do you know that we’ve been married fifty-six years this June?”
Rachel sat in a chair in case Doris gave her another hug. “That’s wonderful. Congratulations.”
“It’s not all hard work, mind you. We have had some lovely times…”
Tess stepped forward with the coffeepot. “Would you like another cup of coffee, Doris?”
Doris’ cell phone beeped. “Another coffee would be very nice, Tess.” She glanced at the message and smiled. “Would you look at that? Mr. Stanley has just posted the most delightful photo of you on Facebook, Rachel.”
Rachel’s mouth dropped open. She fumbled in her bag for her phone before Doris decided to sit at her table and show her the picture.
Tess was one step ahead of her. She left the coffeepot on Doris’ table and pulled her cell phone out of her pocket. She frowned at whatever she was looking at then passed the phone to Rachel.
Rachel took one look at the photo, then dropped her head into her hands. It was worse than the photo of her talking to the Fire Chief. Her face had flamed redder than a ripe tomato when he’d asked why she’d been going outside. After stumbling her way through the feeblest excuse she’d ever heard, the Fire Chief had let her off the hook with a warning. But more importantly, he’d let everyone back into Charlie’s Bar and Grill.
The Fire Chief was happy because he didn’t need to investigate the alarm, Charlie was happy because he had a full bar again, and she was happy because she’d made everyone else happy. Except John, but they’d learned a valuable lesson. Stay clear of fire exit doors and photos of the President.
And now she’d learned another valuable lesson. Try not to look adoringly into a billionaire’s eyes when you were surrounded by a room full of reporters. It was like putting a goldfish in a swimming pool full of sharks. Not a pretty sight.
She glanced back at the photo and winced. John was leaning over her, his gaze locked on her eyes, soaking in whatever she was saying. It was the kind of photo that would keep the gossip columnists happy for the rest of the year.
The doorbell tinkled and Rachel wiggled further down into her seat, hoping whoever it was kept walking toward the front counter.
“Nice photo,” Dan Carter said as he passed by her table. The Chief of Police had been at Logan’s surprise party. Rachel had assumed that he hadn’t spoken to John or her because he’d felt sorry for them. From his smile, she’d say it was more like he’d wanted to get back into the bar before he froze to death.
“I never did ask you what you’d been doing in front of the fire door. Thanks to Jake, I don’t need to bother, now.”
Rachel looked at the photo and frowned. Jake Stanley hadn’t mentioned anything about why they were there. There wasn’t even a caption, thank goodness. She closed her eyes, then opened them, pretending to see the photo for the first time.
Dan was right. The photo didn’t need words to explain what was happening.
She was doomed.
The doorbell tinkled again. She didn’t know Tess’ cafe was so busy at this time of the day.
“I know what you’re thinking,” Tess whispered as she passed her table. “And it’s not usually this busy at four o’clock. You’re pulling in everyone who wants to see the woman who’s captured a billionaire’s heart.”
“I haven’t captured anyone’s heart.” Rachel’s voice was as close to a hysterical whisper as anyone could get. This was ridiculous.
“Wait in the kitchen for me if you need some peace and quiet. I’ll close the café in ten minutes.”
Rachel decided to take Tess up on her offer. She was almost at the kitchen door when Tess said something that made her run for cover.
“The love fest is over, folks. Drink your coffee and I’ll see you tomorrow.”
A collective sigh filled the café. As soon as she was through the doors, Rachel headed over to the coffeepot. Hot chocolate wouldn’t cure what was ailing her. Even coffee was a poor substitute for what she needed to do.
If Tess was right, John’s name would be hitting the headlines on more than the Bozeman Community Facebook page. She needed to see him and work out how they could fix everything before it got worse.
And based on what had happened with her ex-fiancé, she knew it could get a lot worse.
***
John closed the document on his computer. Even though the people responsible for the Oracom deal were in prison, they were still waiting for their trial. He wouldn’t sleep well until they were convicted and permanently put behind bars. Until then, he’d assigned a new team of bodyguards to watch Bella and Rachel.
Tanner had enjoyed working from Montana, but on Monday he was going to be delivering a Senator’s daughter to Washington DC. Sometimes, the contracts that seemed the most straightforward weren’t, and this was one of those times.
Maddie Steinbar was eighteen-years-old, a perfect student, the perfect daughter. Her one indiscretion with another senator’s son had caused a media frenzy six months ago.
She’d been sent to live with her cousins in Montana, and her father’s strategy for, ‘out of sight, out of mind,’ had mostly worked. Until the senator’s son joined his girlfriend in Montana.
Now Tanner had the unenviable task of taking Maddie back to her father. Maddie didn’t want to go. Her boyfriend didn’t want her to go. But the Senator wasn’t taking no for an answer.
A knock on his office door startled John out of his thoughts. Tanner stuck his head around the corner of the doorframe. “Did you want to see me, boss, before I head home?”
“Were you able to make the delivery this afternoon?”
Tanner nodded. “The paintings arrived undamaged and on time. Are you sure you don’t want me to guard Rachel?”
