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She laughed again, this time out loud. Cormac wasn’t all bad. He definitely had moments of charm.
Filled with nervous energy, Whitney was up at sunrise, and out walking Main Street before it was even eight. It was a blustery Tuesday morning in Marietta, Montana, with the bracing westerly wind sending crisp leaves swirling and dancing down the street.
It’d taken her just minutes to walk from the Graff Hotel on Front Street to the Main Street Diner on Main Street, where she stopped in for one of their impressive breakfast platters. Breakfast killed another thirty minutes and then she was bundling back up to walk along the courthouse with Copper Mountain rising majestically behind the turn-of-the-century dome.
She crossed back over Court Street to head east on Main Street, passing toy stores, gift stores, banks and a florist shop before coming to Copper Mountain Chocolates where she lingered in front of the store’s gorgeous window display of cellophane-wrapped chocolate turkeys and massive chocolate cornucopias with gleaming red and copper foil-wrapped chocolates for color.
The display made Whitney’s mouth water and she made a mental note to return to the chocolate shop later but first she needed one more cup of coffee before the meeting with Heath and Josie.
Fueled with a double shot latte from the Java Café, she returned to the Crookshank Building to wait for the designer and contractor to arrive. The building was already a hub of activity at eight fifty a.m. and she was glad to see everyone on the job, working hard. Maybe they could get the publishing group into the building next month. Maybe it wouldn’t take a miracle but just a lot of bodies putting in some long hours.
Heath and Josie arrived together right at nine. Heath had gone to school with the Sheenan brothers here in Marietta and had the same rugged Montana good looks and relaxed manner. “It’s a big project isn’t it,” he said, extending his hand and giving her a smile that immediately put her at ease.
She shook his hand. “It’s a big building,” she agreed, before shaking Josie’s hand. Josie was definitely on the young side, maybe mid-twenties, but if Heath had confidence in her, Whitney would, too.
“It’s going to be great,” Heath said. “Let me show you around. We’ll start at the third floor and work our way down.”
Whitney was relieved to see that the third floor was actually in really good shape. There were few interior walls on the third floor, and the huge wood beams in the ceiling were in good condition. The tall windows flooded the space with light, and the brick walls needed little work done to them.
“Our biggest task here, is updating the building system to accommodate new technologies and equipment. We’ve got some of the best electrical and wireless technicians on site. We’re going to give you all the power you could want, along with the best routers on the market to give you all the speed, security and media streaming in you could desire.”
Whitney nodded, pleased. “That’s good. Now realistically, when could we move furniture in and warm bodies?”
“The plumbing for the bathroom and kitchen on this floor should be done next week or the first of December, and then we have to tile and finish out, so, conservatively, I think you could have people working here by December eighth, ninth, tenth.”
“If we’re not being conservative? If we’re going balls to the walls?”
He laughed. “Now you sound like Cormac. If we’re going all out, and we stay on schedule with no plan changes, the beginning of the week.”
“Then let’s stay on schedule. We’re going to have my team moving in the second week of December.”
They headed down a floor and discussed the plans, and all sounded good. But it was on the first floor that Whitney had some concerns. She studied the blueprint and then looked up, her gaze sweeping the room.
“Is it too late to make changes down here?” she asked.
“Changes can be costly, but if you want changes, now is the time,” Heath answered. “What are you thinking?”
Whitney walked the length of the room, and then back. “I love this big open space,” she said, standing in the middle of the huge lobby. “I’d hate to see all those walls go up that are in the plans. Instead I think we should play up this open space with a large seating area in the middle, flanked by an oversized conference table on the left to capture the natural light and then line the wall at the back with floor to ceiling shelves.”
Josie cleared her throat. “Mr. Sheenan asked for work space. He didn’t want a typical lobby that was just a waiting room for visitors.”
Whitney nodded. “I agree, and with the right conversation areas this would all be work space. The Sheenan culture is very open. It’s all about innovation and collaboration and Cormac encourages lots of meetings and discussions. I think having different areas where team members can work and talk as well as work independently would appeal to Sheenan staff and guests. Everyone likes having space to spread out and get things done.”
The designer had been scribbling notes while Whitney talked. “When you say floor to ceiling shelves, we’re going contemporary. Yes? Mr. Sheenan indicated he did not want Crookshank Building turned into a period piece.”
“Correct. Cormac has modern sensibilities, so I’d like to show off the building’s bones, highlighting the brick with Cormac’s Western art collection which will get us the wow factor he’s looking for.”
“It’s going to be luxurious,” Josie said.
Whitney nodded. “Understated luxury.”
“We’re taking the same approach with his house,” Heath added.
Josie scribbled another note to herself. “I’m glad Mr. Sheenan sent you here to work with me,” she said, smiling at Whitney. “It helps that you know him so well.”
Whitney forced a smile, hating that her eyes stung, hating that her heart hurt. “I’ve worked for him for eight years.”
“No wonder he spoke so highly of you. What a great partnership you two have!”
Whitney was about to answer something flippant when she realized that despite everything, she and Cormac did work well together. And despite all the personal stress and distress, she admired Cormac’s work ethics and vision. He was definitely ambitious and hard driving but he never cut corners with his staff. He respected everyone on his payroll and always made sure his employees had the best of everything.
“He’s definitely our leader,” Whitney said lightly, snapping her down-filled coat closed and preparing to head back out into the chilly November morning.
Chapter Six
‡
There were no nonstop flights from Los Angeles to Bozeman this time of year, and so once Daisy was safely buckled into the window seat next to him, Cormac settled back, preparing for a five hour trip with a connection in Salt Lake City.
Fortunately, Daisy was a good traveler, and didn’t fuss much on flights, but it had been a long morning already, with hellish traffic from Orange County to Los Angeles International Airport, and then a security snafu that meant everyone in the terminal had to head outside and go back through the screening process again.
But they were on the flight now, and he held Daisy’s hand firmly in his as the plane raced down the runway and then lifted off.
He lov
ed the moment they were airborne. He’d always enjoyed flying and had briefly considered taking flying lessons after college, but used his savings—along with a loan from his brother, Troy—to buy his first radio station outside Missoula, Montana, and he’d never looked back, pouring his time and energy into growing his business.
His business had continued to occupy most of his time and attention until Daisy entered the picture. Now Daisy was front and center of his world.
He was tired, though. It had been a stressful couple of weeks trying to get the company shifting to Montana, and then on top of the chaos at work, Daisy had been having nightmares. He knew why, too. It was the shooting at her school, which had left the PE teacher and a sixth-grade boy wounded.
The sixth-grade boy was now back home, recovering. The PE teacher—a fifty-three year old female and a former Marine—had rushed the shooter and was still in critical condition.
Daisy had talked about the shooting a lot the first few days after the incident, and then seemed to have moved on. But the nightmares indicated otherwise.
And this, he thought, is why he was taking Daisy back to Marietta. He wanted her surrounded by family and friends. He wanted her to feel safe again, and she’d feel safe in Marietta. She’d discover just what it meant to be a Sheenan.
Living in Marietta would complicate travel, though. He was definitely off the beaten path now. Hopefully he wouldn’t have as much business travel as he used to. He was ready to slow down and be home more. He was ready to give Daisy a real home.
Part of a real home meant giving Daisy what she still didn’t have…a strong female role model, someone that loved her who wasn’t a nanny.
Someone like Whitney.
He understood her reluctance moving back to Montana. Montana was full of memories of April. Growing up, Whitney and April had been inseparable, even attending college together before making their way to Denver for work.
He was sure Whitney had concerns about living in his hometown as well. Marietta was a small place and everyone knew the Sheenans. Back when they were dating, she’d spent quite a few weekends in Marietta with him and had gotten to know his family, too. His brothers had liked her. His dad had liked her. Everyone in town who’d met her liked her.
