Sweet on You (The Bridesmaids Club Book 4) (5 page)

If she said no, he’d find someone else. If she said yes, he’d figure out what he wanted and leave her to the job he’d pay her to do. And if he was lucky, he wouldn’t see too much of her before he left town.

***

Molly parked her car in front of Angel Wings Café. After two days of being pestered by Emily, she’d agreed to meet Jacob. She didn’t know why he wanted her to help him. There were plenty of photographers in Montana who took commercial photos for a living. Given the price that Jacob would sell his land for, most of them would jump at the chance to work for him.

She didn’t even know if she wanted to work for Jacob. The only time she was nervous was when she was around him. He unsettled her and that wasn’t a feeling she liked.

She took her bag off the passenger seat and looked at the café. The red brick building oozed charm. From the large container of daisies at the front door, to the old-fashioned menu board sitting on the sidewalk, it was as pretty a café as you’d see anywhere in the world.

She didn’t imagine that the meeting with Jacob would be anything other than short. She had a portfolio of photos to show him and she’d listen to what he had to say. When he realized that she didn’t have any real estate experience, she’d go home and never hear from him again.

If he liked what he saw, she didn’t know what she’d do. She didn’t need the money he’d be offering, but it would help pay some bills. Maybe if she worked with him, she wouldn’t notice everything that made him different to other men.

It would be like an injection for a disease. She could build her immunity in small doses, slowly get over her goose bumps and racing heart. Before she knew it, her reaction to Jacob would be just like any other man. Cool, calm, and considered, with a touch of charm to make life interesting.

With that crazy logic making more sense by the minute, she got out of her car, locked the door and headed toward the café.

As she walked inside, the doorbell jingled and Kate looked up from behind the counter. “Hi, Molly. How are you?”

“Happy to be inside. It’s a chilly wind today.”

Kate smiled and walked toward her. “You’re in the right place, then. Have a seat and I’ll get you a hot drink to chase away the cold. What would you like?”

Molly chose a table against the far wall. She didn’t want anyone to walk past the café and think there was more to this meeting than there was. “A cup of tea would be grand.”

“Would you like a scone or muffin with that?”

Molly shook her head. She didn’t plan on staying long enough to enjoy it. “Just the tea today.” The doorbell jingled again and Molly sighed. Jacob Green had arrived for their meeting.

He was here for business, that much was obvious. She hadn’t expected him to wear a charcoal gray suit or a bright red tie. Jacob’s gaze connected with hers and something close to panic kept her eyes locked on his.

“Hi, Jacob,” Kate said. “Can I get you a cup of coffee and something to eat?”

He glanced briefly at Kate, then looked at Molly. “Thanks. Coffee would be fine.”

Molly wasn’t sure what to say, so she waved toward the seat opposite her, hoping he’d sit down before he drew too much attention to them.

“Thanks for meeting me.” Jacob pulled out the chair and sat down.

Molly shrugged her shoulders. She took a deep breath, calmed her racing heart. “Emily has been pestering me. So I’ll be doing her a favor and listening to what her brother-in-law has to say.”

“You don’t want to work with me, do you?”

Something in Jacob’s gaze stopped the words that were sitting on the tip of Molly’s tongue. He looked disappointed, resigned to what he thought he already knew.

Molly swallowed the words he was waiting for. “Don’t be daft. A job is a job. I’d be willing to bet that your project will pay more handsomely than Mrs. Elliot’s portrait of her cat.”

Jacob’s lips twitched. “You took a photo of a cat?”

“A series of feline portraits. Maximilian is a magnificent cat.” Molly grinned at Jacob. She’d found the whole experience a little bizarre, but Mrs. Elliot was hopelessly besotted with her tabby terror.

Kate brought their tea and coffee across to the table and smiled at Molly. “Tess said your photos are going to be exhibited in Los Angeles. You must be excited.”

“I am, but there’s a lot of hard work to be done before I get there.”

“It will be worth it.” Kate added a pretty milk jug and a bowl of sugar cubes to their table. “Let me know if I can get you anything else.”

Molly picked up her bag and unzipped the side compartment. Jacob watched her, waiting for what would come next. “Emily told me you’re wanting someone to photograph your land. Most of my photos have been of people, but I brought some images that might be helpful.” She passed Jacob a folder and waited for him to open the cover.

He stared at the album for so long that Molly wondered if he’d ever look at what she’d put together. “I’ve never taken photographs of property that’s for sale. I don’t know what buyers want to see or what they don’t. I’m probably the last person you want to be taking your photos.”

Jacob stared at her with solemn green eyes. “I saw the photos you took of Gracie when she was pregnant with Jessica.”

Molly’s cheeks grew warm under his gaze. “That was a long time ago.”

Jacob pulled the photo album closer. “Some things are hard to forget.” He opened the folder and looked at the first image.

She’d taken a photo of a cowboy on his ranch when she’d first moved to Bozeman. It was a strong image - a picture of pride and determination. A man gazing at what was his.

Jacob turned the page to the next photo. It was a picture of a barn on Alex and Emily’s ranch. The barn was so old that the wooden siding had buckled with age. The timber had faded to a golden glow and looked almost magical in the soft evening light. There was beauty and strength in its simple form - a history that went beyond the people and animals that had sheltered within its walls.

Molly watched Jacob’s face, trying to figure out what was going through his mind. But Jacob Green hid an awful lot from the world.

He moved through the next three photos in quick succession, stopping briefly at a photo of a squirrel. She’d seen the furry little creature on a hike in Bridger Bowl. “You tell stories with your photos.”

Molly nodded. “It’s the way it should be.”

“But often isn’t.” Jacob closed the folder. “What story would you tell about my land?”

Molly frowned. “Is that a trick question?”

Jacob’s lips twitched. “It wasn’t meant to be.”

“Oh. Well, that’s fine, then. What story would you be wanting to tell?”

Jacob looked around the café. If Molly didn’t know better, she’d swear he was stalling for time.

His gaze came back to her and settled on her face. “I don’t have much of an imagination. Tell me what you would say.”

“I haven’t seen your land, so I don’t know.”

“Would you like to go and see it?”

Molly stared at him. “Are you asking me because you want me to take your photographs? Or are you asking me because you can?”

“I don’t want photos that people have seen before. I want something unique and unforgettable. I think you can do that.”

Molly didn’t know whether to be flattered or worried. “I’d do my best, but what if the final images aren’t what you want?”

“They will be. Are you doing anything for the next hour?”

Molly put the folder in her bag. “I have to be home by five o’clock to help close my sister’s florist store.”

Jacob glanced at the gold Rolex on his wrist. “We’ve got plenty of time.”

“Emily said your ranch is half an hour from town. We won’t have time to get out there and back.”

“We will if we fly.”

Molly blinked. She thought he’d said fly, but she must have been wrong.

“I know someone who owns a helicopter. He’ll take us out to Emerald Lake.”

“Now?”

“I need the photos as soon as possible, so now would be good. I’ll be back in a minute.” Jacob stood up and walked across to the front counter. He spoke with Kate, handed her some money, and walked back to Molly. “Are you ready?”

Molly frowned. “I could have paid for my own tea.”

“I know, but a cup of tea isn’t going to bankrupt me.”

Molly didn’t imagine it would, but that wasn’t the point.

Jacob sighed. “You can buy me a cup of coffee next time. Did you bring your camera with you?”

Molly stood up. “It’s in my car.”

Jacob nodded. “Let’s go. We can take my truck to the airport.”

As Molly followed Jacob outside, she realized this wasn’t the ending she’d imagined. It felt remarkably like a new beginning, and that scared her more than the helicopter ride.

***

Jacob parked his truck beside hangar three at the airport. Molly hadn’t said much on the ride out here. That in itself was enough to worry him. Then there was the slightly panicked look in her eyes when they’d been stopped by airport security. It couldn’t have been the thought of taking the photos of Emerald Lake that was the problem.

She’d been nervous in the café, but he put that down to the fact that she hadn’t wanted to be there in the first place. If Emily hadn’t stuck her nose into his business, he doubted Molly would have agreed to meet him.

That left only one explanation for why her hands were tightly wrapped around the edge of her seat. “Have you flown in a helicopter before?”

Molly glanced across the cab. She took a deep breath and released her death grip on his upholstery. “No, I can’t say I have.”

“You’ll be fine. Victor has a perfect safety record.”

“Is that the name of your helicopter?”

Jacob couldn’t help the smile that creased his face. “Victor is our pilot’s name.”

“Oh.” A soft blush hit Molly’s cheeks. “I’m hoping Victor is used to flying with nervous women.”

“Victor’s used to flying all kinds of people around the country. He should have finished our pre-flight check by now. Come and meet him.”

Molly reluctantly opened her door and waited for him at the front of his truck. “I’ve never been too fond of flying machines, especially when they have small engines.”

“Flying is safer than driving a car.”

“That’s because there aren’t as many aircraft in the air,” Molly said with a logic that made perfect sense. Especially to someone who was scared of flying.

Jacob kept a steady pace beside Molly as they walked toward the hangar. The helicopter he leased was sitting on the tarmac. Victor was waiting beside it with a clipboard in his hands.

“Hi, boss. I just need your signature and we’re good to go.”

Jacob scribbled his name on the form. He didn’t need to look at Molly to know he’d surprised her. Unlike most of the women he’d met, Molly seemed to have an aversion to his money.

“Molly, this is Victor Nelson. Victor, Molly O’Donaghue.”

Victor held his hand out. “Nice to meet you, ma’am. Have you ever ridden in a helicopter before?”

Molly shook Victor’s hand. “No. They don’t seem altogether safe.”

Victor took Molly’s anxiety in his stride. “Don’t you worry about a thing. I’ve been flying helicopters for the last twenty years. You’re safe with me.”

Molly glanced at the blue and white helicopter in front of her. “What if the blades at the top stop working?”

“They won’t stop. Even if the engines aren’t working, we can still make a safe landing. Would it help if I showed you the controls and how everything works?”

Molly shook her head. “I’ll be fine once we make it back here.”

Victor turned around and opened the rear door of the helicopter. “In that case, I’d say we’re ready to leave.”

Molly clambered on board, clicking her seatbelt into place before Jacob made it inside.

“Sick bags are in the seat in front of you, ma’am.”

Instead of looking insulted, Molly looked relieved. “Thank you, Victor.”

Victor looked incredibly pleased with himself. “You’re welcome. You ready, boss?”

Jacob sat beside Molly and unhooked two headsets from the console in front of him. He passed one of them to Molly, and almost smiled at the confusion on her face. “When you’re ready, put the headset on. It makes it easier to talk to each other once we leave the airport.”

Molly nodded and slipped the headset on. If he knew her better, he would have offered to hold her hand. But with both hands already clutching the seat, she already had something to cling to.

When Victor started the engine, Molly closed her eyes.

“You’ll be fine,” Jacob said into his headset. “Take a deep breath and try to relax. Once we’re in the air, it will be better.”

Molly slowly let out the breath she was holding, then took another shaky breath. While Victor was talking with airport control, requesting permission to leave, Molly kept breathing deeply with her eyes firmly closed.

Victor’s voice filled the headset. “We’re leaving now, ma’am.” A second later they were in the air, flying away from the airport and toward Emerald Lake.