Seeking Happily Ever After (Ever After #8) - Elena Aitken Page 0,6

you offer your services? That is what you do, right?”

It was what she did. Before she’d dropped everything to move cross country, Charlotte had a great job with a new home builder in the city. She did all the staging for the show homes and picked out paint colors, tile, and carpet choices. She’d loved it. It had been the first time she’d really felt productive and good at her job. But even if she was to get that job back, she’d have to move to the city and both she and her therapist, Lauren Hayes, had agreed that she should stay in Glacier Falls for both safety and protection. Not that she thought Billy would come after her. Not really. After a few threatening calls, he’d petered out, just the way she’d hoped he would.

Billy would have made it really hard for her to leave, but he was a weak man, and she was sure that once he realized she’d left, he’d let it go. His pride wouldn’t let him go after her. He’d never want to be in a position of being seen as begging. Charlotte was confident he wouldn’t go to any great lengths to get her back. He just wasn’t that driven of a person.

“It’s what I did,” Char corrected her brother. “I mean, I’d love to do it again one day, but what are the odds of that happening in Glacier Falls?”

In her pocket, her cell phone vibrated with an incoming call. Only a handful of people had her new number, and of those few, it was usually her mother or father calling to check on her, so she almost ignored it. But curiosity got the best of her, especially when an unknown number was displayed on the screen.

Jeremy shrugged. “Answer it.”

So she did. “Hello?”

“Charlotte Davis?” The female voice didn’t sound threatening in any way. In fact, it sounded a little familiar, so Char answered. “Oh good,” the woman continued. “This is Stephanie Starz. We met at the—”

“I remember.” How could you not remember Stephanie Starz? She was quite literally the biggest movie star in the world, who also happened to be a very good friend of her brother’s fiancée, Bella, and was the newest resident of Glacier Falls, even if currently she was spending most of her time away filming or in the city three hours away dealing with the various other aspects of fame.

“Oh good,” Stephanie continued. “I wasn’t sure you would. Listen, I won’t keep you, and I hope you don’t mind, but I got your number from Nick Newton. He’s a good friend of mine.”

Char’s face flushed at the mention of Nick’s name. She didn’t know him well yet, but he was her newest friend. And every time she saw him, she couldn’t help but feel drawn to the single dad. He was sweet and funny and…he was nice to be around.

“Right,” she said lamely, both flustered by the mention of Nick and the call from a mega celebrity. Jeremy raised an eyebrow in question, but she looked away. “How can I help you?”

Stephanie jumped right into it. “I don’t know if you’ve heard, but I’m developing the old fishing camp cabins at Lynx Creek.”

Of course she’d heard. Everyone had heard. It was huge news. She nodded despite the fact that Stephanie couldn’t see her. Not that it mattered, because the other woman was still talking.

“Anyway,” she said. “I want to hire you to do the interior work on them. I’m just too busy with everything and I’m told you’re really talented. So—”

“I’m sorry.”

“You can’t?”

“No,” Char said quickly. “I’m just…what did you say? You want to hire me?” She turned to look at her brother.

Jeremy’s eyes got much bigger and his mouth fell open with a shrug.

“I do. Are you available?”

“I am.”

“Perfect! I have to run right now, but I’ll call you soon so we can set up a meeting and talk details, okay?”

The call ended. Still in shock, Charlotte stared at the phone in wonder before looking to her brother. “Did that just happen?”

He laughed. “Looks like you might have enough money to move out after all, sis.”

With the monitor in hand, Nick quietly slid the glass door to the patio closed and stepped out into the spring air to look out over the ridge. The view was amazing at ElkView Ridge, Damon and Katie Banks’s property that overlooked town. Damon had graciously offered Nick and Amelia the guest house to stay in while the new place in town Nick