Jenna Mindel - His Montana Homecoming

Dale glanced at the portrait of his great-great-grandfather again. An odd connection to the man resonated even though Dale knew very little about him. Silas might have been a wild gold miner, for all he knew, but he’d laid the groundwork for Massey International, a business Dale’s grandfather started and Julian perfected.

Dale did his best to grow it, but on this trip, it was all about protecting it. Dale didn’t stand for money pits. Purchasing an office space for his brother Eric might end up a giant sinkhole if the place was never used.

Chapter Three

Faith stood in line and tried not to overhear the conversation in front of her between the bank teller and Robin Frazier. Robin had moved to Jasper Gulch over the summer to work on some kind of genealogy project for her thesis.

Faith felt bad for the young woman who’d lost her ATM card in the bank’s machine and faced the firing squad before getting it back.

“I need to reference your driver’s license, Miss Frazier.” The teller, one of Nadine Shaw’s good friends, had a voice that carried. “Okay, now sign here please, exactly as on your card, Robin Elaine Frazier.”

Faith’s attention snagged on the middle name. Same as hers.

“I know it’s you, hon, but I still have to jot down your ID number for documentation.” The teller handed back Robin’s ID and ATM card.

Finally finished, with plastic in hand, Robin turned, looking frazzled.

“Hi, Robin.” Faith stepped forward and whispered, “I couldn’t help but overhear. We’ve got the same name.”

Robin blinked a couple of times and then rubbed the dark mole under her eyebrow. “Same name?”

Faith quickly explained, “My middle name is Elaine, same as yours. Mine comes from my great-great-grandmother.” She pointed at Ezra’s portrait. “His wife.”

“Yes, that’s right. Ezra married Elaine. Pretty common name, though.” Robin still looked a little rattled.

And Faith had overstepped her bounds by admitting that she’d listened to the entire conversation. She didn’t want Robin to think she was nosy and touched the woman’s arm. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to intrude.”

“No worries.” Robin smiled.

“Good.”

“Faith Elaine, you stepping up here or what?” The teller used the same tone in her voice as Faith’s mom when she was in trouble.

“Yes, ma’am.” Faith gave Robin a mock look of fright. “My turn.”

Robin laughed and waved goodbye.

Faith finished her business of a deposit of the last paycheck she’d receive for a while. As a violinist in Bozeman, she wasn’t needed until after Christmas when the regular concert series started up again. Only primary musicians who’d been around a lot longer than Faith played at the upcoming Christmastime ballet.

She glanced behind her. Wilbur bent Dale’s ear and the real estate mogul looked bored to tears until a young blonde bombshell walked right up to both men and smiled.

Faith clenched her teeth. There was no denying the appreciation in Dale’s eyes when he looked at the beautiful Lilibeth Shoemaker.

“Here you go, Faith. And watch out, Lilibeth is checking out your fella.” The teller finished her deposit transaction with a smile.

“He’s not mine, but thanks.” Faith scanned the balance on her receipt and fought the urge to keep walking right out the door. That would be rude. And show her weakness.

She joined the cozy party of three.

Lilibeth gave her a sweet smile. “Why, Faith, I was just asking Mr. Thompson if he needed Christmas help this year and come to find out we have a real live Massey in our midst.”

“Yeah, we do.” Faith gripped her purse strap so tight her fingers curled into a fist around the leather.

Lilibeth placed her hand on Dale’s arm and leaned toward him with a ridiculously brilliant smile. “Are there any more of you?”

“Not here.” He looked amused.

Lilibeth made a pouty face. “Too bad.”

Dale looked at Faith. “Ready?”

“Yep.” She tamped down a heady feeling of triumph when she saw Lilibeth’s mouth drop slightly open. “Bye, and thanks, Wilbur.”

“Of course, of course.” The manager fixed his attention back on the girl. “Now, Lilibeth, what hours can you work?”

As she left the bank with Dale, Faith let loose a soft laugh.

“What’s so funny?” Dale opened the driver’s-side door for her.

“Nothing.” Faith shook her head. “It’s nothing.”

He climbed into the passenger seat. “Something to do with the prom queen in there?”

Not too many men gave Lilibeth the brush-off. Faith couldn’t remember if Lilibeth had ever made it to prom queen, but the girl was furious when she didn’t win the Miss Jasper Gulch beauty pageant. People wondered if she had been the one who stole the time capsule out of revenge. But over the past few months she seemed to have mellowed and had even helped out with the picnic basket auction. Most everyone now believed she was innocent.

Faith cocked her head. “She was trying to flirt with you and you shut her down.”

“A lot of women flirt with me.”

No doubt, but Faith still raised her eyebrows at such a conceited response. “And you don’t flirt back?”

He gave her a silky smile that made her heart beat a notch faster. “Of course I do. But I have rules.”

Faith let loose a snort of laughter. A flirt with a moral code. “What kind of rules could you possibly have?”

He looked genuinely offended. “First, they’ve got to be old enough to know better.”

“Ah, well, that’s sensible. Lilibeth’s only nineteen.” How could he tell? Faith couldn’t believe they were having this conversation.

“And second.” Dale’s green eyes looked deadly serious. “They must be safe.”

“Safe?” Faith scrunched up her face.

What on earth did he mean by that? What did he have to fear? Maybe Dale wasn’t the heartbreaker type. He seemed too cold to get involved with a woman long enough for that. And too sophisticated, besides. She imagined that Dale Massey didn’t like messy breakups. He struck her as something of a neat freak to boot. No doubt anything messy made him uncomfortable.

He nodded. “Safe.”

“Huh.” Faith started the car.

Did women throw themselves at him because of who he was as heir to the Massey empire? Probably. But he’d flirted with her. Did that mean she was safe? She swallowed hard on that disappointing thought.

No, wait. Safe was good. She should be happy with safe .

She glanced at his finely chiseled face. “Do you need anything before we leave town? More coffee, perhaps? There’s a nice bakery across the street if you’re hungry.”

“No.”

“I have granola bars in my purse. Let me know if you want one.”

He gave her an amused look. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

What—too good for granola bars? Faith pulled out and hung a left onto River Road and then pulled into the corner gas station.

“Here—” Dale handed her his credit card “—have them fill it up. I got this.” Then his phone vibrated and he answered it, already absorbed. “Dale Massey.”

Faith took the card and flipped the inside lever to her gas cap and got out. This was his trip, after all; she’d gladly let him pay for her gas. She didn’t know who he thought they were to pump it.

“Faith!”

She looked up as her friend since grade school, Marie Middleton, exited the minimart with a tall vanilla latte. Her favorite. “What’s up?”

“Had to make a delivery of flowers.”

“Really, who to?”

Marie gave her a look. “You know I can’t tell you. Customer privacy policy.”

“Awww, come on. Who are they from then? At least tell me that.”