Memory of You (A Misty Cove Love Story) (6 page)

But I didn't care about being hidden. I was proud of myself for getting her to cross the line over to my side. Truth was, I wasn’t desperate for a manicure and pedicure, and I would have walked away when Rose first refused me her services, but when she had launched into her speech about how she thought it would be a bad idea to serve me, her words had lit a fire inside me that had to be quenched.

Almost an hour later I walked out of the parlor feeling beautiful and confident. I needed it, after feeling so low since seeing Bryce three days ago.

I even gave Rose a generous tip to compensate for any discomfort I had caused her. I should probably start saving, but there was nothing like feeling good outside to make one feel great on the inside.

I didn't have much money in the bank. I’d left my life in New York with nothing. After Milton died, I found out that he had left every penny to his parents. It had been a kick in the shin, even more so since I had taken care of him on his death bed.

Today being my day off, I walked with a bounce in my step toward
Happy Meals
for a quick lunch. Their chicken salad and fresh juices never ceased to make my taste buds swoon.

When I walked past ARA Agency, a business that must have appeared in Misty Cove after I had left, I heard someone calling my name. I turned back to see a woman in a beige and cream suit and large movie star sunglasses waving for me.

I stopped in front of a toy store, wondering who she was and what she wanted from me.

She rushed forward on six-inch heels to get to me, followed by an oriental floral fragrance.

“I’m Sadie Jones.” She shook my hand, squeezing it with a warmth that I was denied by many. “Can I have a quick word?”

“How do you know me... my name?” I couldn't help asking.

She lowered her glasses to reveal big faded blue eyes under perfectly shaped eyebrows. “Everybody in town knows who you are, love. Do you have a moment to talk?”

“I…”

“It will only take a moment,” she said.

“I guess I can make time.” One part of me wanted to rush to my salad, but the other was curious. What would a stranger want to talk to me about?

She led me into the cool ARA building and up the stairs to the first floor, into an office that was decorated in whites and creams, as fancy as she was.

“Please have a seat.” She waved at one of the leather couches that matched her outfit almost exactly.

Sadie took a seat next to me and crossed her long, smooth legs. Looking at her, I guessed her age to be somewhere in her forties, but I had the feeling she was older.

“If the Misty Covers knew what I'm about to do, I'm sure they'll drive me out of town,” she laughed.

From the way she dressed, laughed, and talked to me, I knew she was not a born-and-bred resident of Misty Cove. Except for the fact that she spoke to strangers on the street.

“Where are you from... originally?” I asked.

“I'm a New Yorker, and I must admit I'm having a hard time adjusting to the slow pace of Misty Cove. My parents were born here but moved to New York a year before I was born.”

“Is that so?” I raised an eyebrow. I’ve lived in New York for five years.”

“I know all about you, Miss Jade Lane. Good and bad.” She clasped her hands in her lap. “I like giving people the benefit of the doubt, so I'll focus on the good. Well, the reason I called you here is because I heard you know something about branding.”

I nodded, perplexed. “Yes. I have a degree in Marketing and Branding. I worked for Jill Winters Communications as branding manager for two years.” Why did I tell her all that? She didn’t ask me to recite my resume. Who told her about my educational background, anyway? It had to be Erin.

“My word,” Sadie laid a hand on her chest. “What in the world would make you quit such an amazing job? They're the best of the best.”

“Personal reasons. How did you know about my background?”

“People like to talk, and I like to do my research.” She paused and smiled. Not one smudge of bright red lipstick on her pearly teeth. “I've been meaning to approach you for a few days now.”

“Is that so? What about?”

“Before we get to that, can I offer you something to drink?” She walked to a small fridge in one corner of the room.

“Water would be nice.”

She poured me a glass of mineral water and an orange juice from a small bottle for herself.

“Jade, can I call you that?”

“Sure,” I said, wishing she would get to the point already.

“Well, I came to Misty Cove six months ago to help revive this dying business.”

“What kind of business is this? I don’t remember seeing it five years ago.”

“That’s because it was only founded four years ago. The ARA Agency is a holiday accommodation rental company that owns several cottages in Misty Cove and the surrounding towns.”

“Well, it should be doing pretty well since Misty Cove gets a lot of visitors.”

“It should, but it’s been struggling for over a year now.”

She was still not telling me what I was there for.

“Well, as you probably know, things can be slow in Misty Cove. Sometimes they don't get done for weeks or even months. Many of the employees we have at the moment are also not business minded.”

“I see.” I tipped my head to the side. “Sadie, if I may call you that, why am I here?”

She reached for my hands as if I were an old friend and then pulled back again. “Sorry, I think the touchy-feely tendency of Misty Cove residents is rubbing off on me.” She laughed and leaned back. “I called you here because I was hoping you could help. You have everything we're looking for. The knowledge, the experience, and you've lived in a city with a different work ethic.”

“You want to hire me?” A smile spread across my face and then it froze. “But I have a job.”

“As a waitress at a small town restaurant.”

“Gayle’s Diner might be a small town restaurant, but Linda Gayle gave me a chance when no one else would.”

“I get that. But that job is so…” She paused and drank her orange juice. “I think, if you want to have a nice start in this town, this job could be the perfect opportunity. We can't afford to pay a New York salary, but we're prepared to negotiate. When business picks up, we can renegotiate again. What do you say?”

“That won’t be fair to Linda Gayle. I can't quit from one day to the next.” I shook my head. “What would you want me to do anyway?”

“How about offering you the position of Marketing Manager? We'd need you to help rebrand the company’s whole image. In addition to renting out cottages and the like, we'd like to enter the luxury accommodation rental sector, and it would help if we had a strong brand in place.” She sighed. “I have a confession to make. I did get in touch with Jill Winters Communications. They said you used to be one of their best employees.”

My mouth fell open. I was shocked that she had dug into my life, but I found it hard to be offended. What stood out in my mind was that she was handing me a job in an area I specialized in, and in my own hometown. It sounded too good to be true. No one walks up to you and offers you a job out of the blue like that, without seeing your resume. But then again, this was Misty Cove. Her offer did sound tempting, and I was a crappy waitress, anyway.

“I appreciate the offer. Can I think about it and get back to you by the end of the weekend?”

“Sure, please do.” She smiled as she reached toward a stack of business cards on a side table. She picked one up and handed it to me. “We would be honored to have you on board, Jade.”

I did think about the offer. When I brought it up to Linda Gayle, she gave me a stern look that caused my stomach to twist with guilt. But then she started to smile.

“Don't be ridiculous, Jade. We were doing fine without you. I gave you a job not because we had an opening, but because you needed a chance.” She laughed. “Call that fancy New York woman and accept the offer. It sounds like a great opportunity for you.”

“You're so kind, Linda Gayle. Are you sure?”

“Without a doubt. Now do as I say.”

“Okay,” I said. “I will. I'll take her offer. But I want to make you one too. If you ever need an extra pair of hands on the weekend, I’d be happy to help out.”

She touched my cheek. “If that’s what you want. You have a kind heart, like your grandmother had. I hope you'll find your happy again. Your eyes are just so sad.”

“Thank you.”

During my lunch break, I called Sadie on her cell phone, and we arranged to meet first thing Monday morning. She told me I should bring along my resume and any references. A little too late for that, but I guessed she needed it all for filing.

When I went to bed that night, I smiled in the dark. I had found a job doing something I loved, a job I was going to be good at.

I might have lost Bryce, but things were looking up for me. I was finding myself again right here in Misty Cove. If only Gran had lived to see it.

Chapter Twelve

The ARA Agency’s conference room was spacious, with wood-paneled walls, a polished wooden conference table, and leather chairs. The faint scent of pine and lemon hung in the air.

Mariela Cox, the very pregnant daughter of the town’s sheriff, had walked me there instead of to Sadie's office.

“She'll be with you in a moment. She's taking a call.” She dipped her head, averting my gaze. “Can I get you something to drink?”

“No, I'm fine. Thanks.” I gave her a kind smile. We had gone to school together and she had been a goody two shoes then, telling us we were going to hell for having boyfriends and going to parties. I hadn't seen her since I'd come to town, but I'd overheard two women gossiping about her last Tuesday at the diner. My heart had gone out to her when I'd heard she’d gotten pregnant after a one-night stand, and that her controlling father had turned his back on her. I knew better than anyone how it felt to be shunned.

“Nice to see you again,” I said. I had the feeling she wanted to talk but wasn't sure how to begin. “How long have you been working at ARA?”

She looked up and I saw surprise swirl in her amber eyes. “Since Sadie came to town. I wasn't able to find anything for months.” She placed a hand on her stomach. “And I have to provide for this little one.”

Once she started, she was unstoppable, as if she had been waiting for a long time to pour out her heart to someone who might understand. She told me about how her father kicked her out and she spent a night in a shelter, how she finally managed to get a one-bedroom cottage, how she was thankful to Sadie for giving her a job.

“I guess Sadie is our fairy godmother in heels.”

“That she is. That she is,” Sadie said laughing as she walked into the room on blood-red heels, and wrapped in a black business suit. “Jade, so glad you accepted my offer.”

Mariela left the room, quietly closing the door behind her.

Sadie sat in the chair opposite me, placed the folder she was carrying in front of her, and clasped her hands on top of it. “My business partner will be joining us shortly, but before I can introduce the two of you, I think it’s best we get the paperwork out of the way. I brought your contract with me.” She reached for her folder.

The next twenty minutes were spent talking about my job, me asking specific questions about what they expected from me, and Sadie answering them with utmost detail. Then she told me that she was actually co-owner of ARA and not just an employee.

“I figured it would be a great way to connect with my parents’ hometown,” she said as she slid my contract toward me.

“That's fantastic. Congratulations.” I looked up. “And thank you for this opportunity. I appreciate it.”

“I should be the one thanking you.” She stood. “I need to go make another call. Please have a look through the contract. I'll be back in a moment to answer any more questions you might have.”

“Sounds good,” I said and Sadie left the room.

I took a deep breath and read every single line of the three-page contract from the header to the footnotes. I was surprised that they were offering me more money than I thought I could earn in Misty Cove. It wasn’t nearly as close to what I’d earned in New York, but it was more than a comfortable income for my needs here.

I signed the dotted line and dated my signature. My decision was made.
While I waited for Sadie to return, my gaze returned to the header. ARA had a thin line beneath it and the words Autumn Rental Agency.

The door to the conference room opened. I expected Sadie to walk into the room, but it was someone else entirely.

“Bryce?” I said in a shaky voice.

Chapter Thirteen

“Hi, Jade,” Bryce said, a hint of a smile stretching across his face. He looked distinguished in a dark gray suit. Watching him, I was reminded again of our wedding day, the only other time I had seen him in a suit. “Nice to see you.”

“What are you doing here?” I didn’t mean to sound rude, but the words flooded out of my mouth before I could stop them.

“I work here… sort of.” He lowered himself into the seat that had been previously occupied by Sadie.

I shook my head. “You’re not… you’re not—”

“Bryce, great that you could make it. I know how busy you are with all the wedding preparations.” Sadie breezed in, sat down next to Bryce, and reached for the contract I’d signed.

“That’s all right,” he said, nodding at her.

“I know you two have a past, of course, but we’re here to talk business. Let’s not let that get in the way, shall we?” Sadie flipped the pages of my contract and then placed them in her folder. “Jade just signed the contract. For a moment there, when I offered her the job, I thought she wouldn’t take it.”

“Well, that’s great news,” Bryce said and gazed into my eyes.

My blood ran cold as I turned to Sadie. “Are you… Is this your business partner?”

“Yes, and the founder of the agency.”

My mouth dropped open as a realization hit me. I was not so much surprised that Bryce owned a rental agency. He
did
have a degree in real estate. But my mind went back to three days ago inside his truck, when he had asked if I wouldn’t rather work in my field. He’d been thinking of hiring me, and since he thought I probably wouldn’t take the job if he himself offered it to me, he sent Sadie to do the work for him.