Page 9 of A Montana Childhood Promise (Sagebrush Ranch Sweethearts #3)

CHAPTER EIGHT

“You’re kidding.”

“Nope,” Trevor said with a wide smile. “Got the email this morning. Turns out when someone goes above and beyond, they get noticed.”

“But…” Jane searched her thoughts. “How would they know? Did you tell them?”

Trevor shrugged. “I might have mentioned you when they called.”

“They called ?” The corporate offices of The Wounded Heroes Project called their small offices? To what end?

Her boss shrugged. “It’s not really surprising if you think about it.

We’re new. We’ve only just gotten on our feet, and we had a smash hit at the gala.

They noticed, and they called to find out who were the big players.

Of course I told them about you. But I think a few other people mentioned it, too, because they didn’t seem surprised. ”

“And they want me to take over Cassidy’s position?

” Jane’s head was spinning. Cassidy had been the one to lead the organization of their latest gala.

Then shortly after, she’d chosen to move back to Billings.

Jane wasn’t completely aware of what had caused the change in her decision to move, but at this point, she didn’t care.

“That’s right. They already have plans for another event. This one is going to support veterans from here to the west coast.”

She gasped. “I thought that event was hosted in Seattle every year.”

Trevor reached out and placed a calming hand on Jane’s shoulder. “ Breathe ,” he chuckled. “Like I said, they were impressed. I think they want to see what you can do if you have a bigger venue and VIP guests.”

Her eyes bulged as the full weight of what Trevor was saying landed on her.

The board wanted her to help plan and host the largest event of the season.

She couldn’t breathe. This wasn’t happening.

What if she failed? What if she couldn’t hack it, and she made a complete fool of herself and the charity all together? “I don’t know if I can.”

“Jane,” he murmured with a firm and yet comforting voice.

“I know you can. You had everything organized from start to finish. You’ll have a few months to get everything together, and they are offering you every resource you could possibly need.

Make this work, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they decide to move you to one of the larger locations. ”

That gave her pause. Everything sounded so wonderful until he said that.

A larger location? She didn’t want to move. Jane had only been in Rocky Ridge for a couple of months, but this place already felt like home.

She shook off the thought. Even if they wanted to move her, she’d have a choice. She’d happily stay here even if that meant she wouldn’t get the pay increase—because that wasn’t what this job was about.

“So? What do you want me to tell them?”

She blinked at him, still in a daze. “What?”

“Will you take the job?”

Jane slammed her car door a little too hard and squealed as she went running toward Noah. It wasn’t until she flung her arms around his shoulders that she realized just how odd her behavior was.

Noah pulled back with surprise, but then something deeper flickered in his eyes—something that had her insides coiling with anticipation.

His mouth shifted into a boyish smirk, and he folded his arms. “I don’t know what I did to deserve that, but I’d gladly do it again and again if that’s how I’m going to be thanked. ”

She flushed, her thoughts buzzing. There had to be a logical explanation for her behavior, but the only thing she could rationalize was that he’d been the one she talked to about her position with the charity.

He’d been the one to remind her that she was good at her job.

So he was the one she wanted to celebrate with when she told him about her promotion.

“You’ll never believe what happened to me today!” She practically bounced on the balls of her feet. “I’m getting a promotion.” Her hands curled into fists, and she pressed them together beneath her chin, waiting to see his reaction.

Noah’s brows lifted. “Really? That’s great!

” He stepped toward her and hugged her tight.

She didn’t have the clarity of mind to resist him, and she flung her arms around his neck.

There was no one here who would have understood exactly what this meant to her.

All the work she put into her career and serving others had finally paid off, and she was going to make more of a difference.

It wasn’t just about the money—though that would be nice in helping her parents out. No, this was about being recognized for her skills, and that felt darn good.

Noah pulled back. “What does the promotion entail?”

“You know how we did the gala here, and I had to help with organizing it?”

He nodded, listening intently. She loved the way it felt to have someone appreciate what she had to say. Noah had been one of few people in her life that made her feel seen .

“Well, the heads of this charity want me to oversee the biggest event of the year. It’s going to be in a few months, and it’s going to take a ton of my time, but I’m going to be the one making all the big decisions.”

His low whistle was the perfect reaction. It embodied everything she felt in this moment and more. “That’s amazing, Jane,” he breathed. “Wow. You must have really made some waves with that company.”

She nodded. “Apparently.”

“I’m so proud of you,” he said louder, chucking her under the chin. The brief contact of his skin against hers had her momentarily distracted, but then his frown drew her attention.

“What’s the matter?” she asked.

“You said it’s going to take a lot of your time?”

Jane nodded. “Yeah.”

“Does that mean you’re not going to be able to work out here? I mean, I guess Bo will be able to find someone?—”

She reached for his hand out of some strange instinct. “I’m going to make sure I get some hours here, too. The promotion gives me a small raise for now, but if I pull it off, I’ll be getting more and better benefits to boot.”

The smile returned to his face, and it sent flutters ricocheting within her chest. How could a smile affect her so much?

Nope. Not going there.

Definitely not going there.

Dang it, why can’t he stop smiling at her like that?

“Well, this calls for a celebration,” Noah announced.

“Celebration?”

“Of course. We’re going out.”

“Noah—”

“As friends,” he assured her. “Friends can go out together to celebrate. It doesn’t have to be weird.”

She gnawed on her lip, and then she grinned. “Yeah, okay. Let’s go out to celebrate.”

“You free tonight?” Noah’s hopeful voice only added to those strange feelings within her. Was this a bad idea? It might be. It wasn’t hard to see that he liked her. He flirted like a crazy person when he was around her.

And you flirt back , the voice in her head seemed more than happy to accuse.

She’d just have to be more careful. She wouldn’t give him any reason to believe they had a shot at something more. It would be safer that way.

They went to a restaurant in the next town over that had a bar and dancing. It was a dive that she would have thought no one would have given a second look to, but the moment they entered the building, she’d been proven wrong.

Couples filled the interior, and they were everywhere—seated at the bar or tables, and dancing to the live country band performing on a stage at the far side.

It was decorated in a rustic theme. Wooden tables and chairs, deer mounted on the walls overhead, and pictures of people from the historical west. Peanut shells crunched under her shoes, and she let out a laugh.

“I knew you’d like it,” Noah’s voice hummed against the shell of her ear, and goosebumps raced along her arms.

“This place is great,” she agreed. “It makes me feel like we’ve gone back in time.”

“To when things were simpler,” he said, cocking his head as he watched her for a reaction.

She nodded. “Yes. Simple.”

He nodded toward the bar. “You want anything to drink? Or should we get a table and get some appetizers?”

Jane glanced toward the dance floor longingly.

Thoughts of the gala filled her head. When they’d danced together, she’d enjoyed his closeness.

Everything about him drew her in. And yet she knew if they were to go dancing now, she might lose her resolve.

She loved dancing. But dancing with Noah? It was dangerous.

She turned to him. “Let’s eat first,” she said definitively.

Noah grinned. “Perfect.”

They sat across from each other. The food had come quicker than she’d expected. Noah had picked some sliders, and she’d gotten the loaded nachos. A moan reverberated from her lips as she took her first bite, eliciting that grin from Noah that she was quickly falling in love with.

“That good, huh?” he asked.

She nodded. “This is what dreams are made of. Who cares about escargot and thousand-dollar vacations to the Bahamas? I’d take nachos and dancing any day.”

He coughed, choking on his food as he stared at her.

“What?” she laughed.

“Where did that come from?” he asked after he swallowed.

Jane shrugged. “I don’t know. It was just the most opposite thing I could think of to this place.

” She wiped at her mouth with the back of her hand and laughed again when his eyes followed the movement.

Jane flushed. She shouldn’t be embarrassed over her manners when she had zero interest in dating this man.

She definitely wasn’t interested in a guy who could pick the perfect place to take her on a date—even though they weren’t on a date.

Nope. Not interested whatsoever.

Well, maybe a little?

Jane peeked over her glass as she took a sip of her soda. She couldn’t help but wonder how things would differ if she were dating him. Would he still take her to a place like this? Or would he have forked out more money for a fancy restaurant?

She huffed more to herself and her silly thoughts than anything else.

“I agree with you on one thing,” Noah called to her over the music.

“Yeah? What’s that?” she asked.

He wrinkled his nose. “I can’t imagine why anyone would want to eat snails. But when it comes to the Bahamas?” Noah raised his brows suggestively. “You can’t tell me that it wouldn’t be fun to spend the afternoons lazing around in a bathing suit on the beach.”

He made a good point. Going to the beach was something she’d never done. But there were beaches here in the states. There was no need to go to some fancy resort.

Jane tilted her head. “If I wanted to spend time at the beach, I’d go to one within driving distance. No need to go overboard.”

The man before her laughed, shaking his head. “You really don’t like to splurge, do you?”

“I mean… I don’t have anything against it,” she mused. “But I don’t see a scenario where I would have so much excess that it would make sense to do so.”

His piercing gaze drilled into her, and she fidgeted. What had she said? Was she contradicting herself? No, she wasn’t. She’d simply suggested that if she had enough money to help other people, then perhaps she might be willing to splurge.

Her face heated, and she looked away with a laugh. “Fine. You caught me. I’ll admit it. Sometimes there are situations when splurging is acceptable.”

Noah, the prince he was, didn’t rub it in.

He merely nodded and took another bite of his burger as she scooped up some more of her nachos.

Their conversations shifted. They started talking about everything—starting with their childhoods after they’d stopped spending so much time together, to more recent events.

She filled him in on her sisters and her nieces and nephews, and he made his own confessions. At some point, they’d found their way onto the dance floor.

Her arms were around his neck, and he was leaning in real close. “Caleb married Sammie because she had to be married to get her inheritance.”

Jane gasped and pulled back to stare into his eyes. “You’re kidding.”

“I’m not,” he chuckled. “They were friends, and she needed help.” Noah shrugged.

“They got married fast, and everyone thought she might have been pregnant or something, but we couldn’t have been more wrong.

Turns out…” he smirked, “marriages of convenience can turn out to be more than meets the eye.”

Oh. That’s where this was going. He was talking about their silly little pact. Admittedly, it would be nice to have her mother off her back, but other than that, there was no reason. She couldn’t rationalize tying herself to anyone just because she didn’t like the way her mother meddled.

Jane pretended she didn’t know what he was talking about and just smiled coyly at him. “I didn’t get much of a chance to talk to Sammie, but they looked happy enough. Mack, too. I never thought I’d see the day when he’d settle down with a girl who already had a kid, though. He’s changed.”

“Yeah,” Noah agreed. “Lacey is good for him. Seems finding the right person can do that.”

The way he said it had her toes curling with anticipation.

His low, husky voice had a way of slipping past every one of her defenses and making her question why it would be bad to agree to his pact.

He wouldn’t have offered if he didn’t like her.

And her attraction for him had steadily increased since the wedding.

Their eyes locked with one another, and they continued to sway to the music even though the next song started, and its beat was a bit faster.

Her heart thrummed to a similar tempo, demanding that she take note. Noah was something else. He was sweet and observant. He was handsome as all get out, and those muscles? She couldn’t deny how nice he’d looked when they’d been sorting the donations in the supply room.

That smile?

It could melt her from the inside out.

Her eyes dipped lower to his mouth, and she bit down on the inside of her cheek.

So tempting.

And so not what she needed right now.

Even still, his attention snagged on her focus, and he inched closer. He was going to kiss her, and that would be that. They’d destroy the fun banter they had going right now, and she’d have to push him away. She couldn’t let this happen no matter how curious she was.

Dang it! Why couldn’t she separate herself from his embrace?

At that very moment, a couple collided with them, knocking Jane off balance.

Their linked gazes broke, her arms falling away from his neck as the couple apologized profusely. When they hustled off, Jane met Noah’s eyes with amusement. “You know, it’s getting late, and I have to be at the office earlier if I want to make it to the ranch tomorrow afternoon.”

He nodded, and she could have sworn she saw disappointment flickering in his eyes.

Noah covered it up quickly and gestured to the door.

If she was right, then she’d have to do better at ignoring reactions like that.