"Well, come on Char. I can't agree to something until I know what it is. Out with it." Megan slapped her friend on the knee.

  Charlotte stared at Megan and then dropped her gaze to her lap.

  "My name isn't Charlotte."

  Eleven

  "What do you mean, your name isn't Charlotte? You're Charlotte O’Hare, top forty under forty Realtor, everyone knows that."

  "Let's go for a drive."

  "Whoa, no you don't. You can't drop a bombshell on me like that and then propose a road trip."

  Charlotte walked to the entryway closet and put on her coat. She pulled out the wet one Megan had worn and held it out for her. "Let's go. I will explain everything."

  "Are you okay to drive?" Megan asked, downing the last of her glass of wine.

  "It was just one glass. I'm fine." Charlotte replied.

  "Can we bring Timber?"

  "We better, I don't want to come home and find half of that sofa ripped to shreds." Charlotte handed her the leash, and Megan called out to Timber.

  The three of them got into the warm car and wound their way through the mountain homes, across the bridge, and into town. Charlotte navigated through the snow-covered streets and pointed out various landmarks as they passed. "There's my old high school." She pointed a gloved finger at a 1950s style brick building where a few teenage locals stood outside smoking. "There's the grocery store," she pointed out the passenger window, her arm across Megan's chest."

  "Got it." Megan laughed, feeling a little guilty that she hadn't even gotten basic household items yet.

  They continued driving through the small downtown core, and Megan noticed the local utility company starting to string up the Christmas lights and install pretty garlands around the lamp posts. They drove out of town and across the railroad tracks. Where the downtown homes were quaint and well-maintained, this neighborhood seemed like another world. Most of the houses seemed mid-renovation, wrapped in paper with siding partially installed. The white picket fences of downtown were replaced with either busted up boards, or chain links. Many of the houses already had Christmas lights installed, but Megan realized that they just hadn't been taken down from the past year - or ever. Charlotte pulled the shiny car to the side of the road across from a particularly derelict bungalow. There were two hound dogs tied up in the yard who started baying as they parked. The porch stairs were missing, a small step-ladder propped up in their place, and missing panes of windows were repaired with cardboard and duct tape. Megan wondered if an angry meth addict could come busting out the front door at any minute.

  "Char? What are we doing here?" she asked over the yips and barks of the hound dogs. Timber growled protectively from the back seat.

  "This is where I grew up. That window there…" She pointed at the one with the cardboard, "was the room I shared with my sister."

  Never in a million years would Megan have guessed that the glamorous woman sitting beside her in a hundred-thousand-dollar car grew up in a hovel like the one she was staring at.

  "They certainly have let it go," Megan whispered.

  "Oh no. It looks pretty much the same as when we lived there, although it looks like they're actually paying their light bill."

  Megan looked at her friend's face, expecting to see some kind of emotion, but Charlotte's eyes were dark. "Lauren and I would crawl under the front porch when we were kids and imagine that we were in a time machine. Or, not even a time machine, just a machine that would take us anywhere. She always wanted to go back to the wild west, she loved horses, but I just wanted to go to a city. I never picked a specific one. Just a city, somewhere where I could be no one."

  "That's really sad, Char." Megan reached out to grasp her friend's hand.

  "My name is Billie-Jo."

  Megan's instinct was to laugh, but the seriousness on her friend's face told her that it wasn't a joke.

  "Billie-Jo Bunkman, Chance Rapids’ blow-job queen."

  "Okay, you lost me. What are you talking about?"

  Charlotte put the car in gear, made a three-point turn in front of the shack, and then headed back towards town. "That was the rumor about me."

  Megan looked at her elegant friend, the one who dated the top bachelors in the city, the one who could get a dinner reservation with the drop of her name and couldn't believe what she was hearing.

  "Well, Char, that's the past."

  "It isn't true Meg! I was a goddamn virgin," Charlotte yelled and slapped her gloved hand on the steering wheel. "I was the poorest kid in school. I had one sweatshirt, and half the time I didn't have anything to eat for lunch The other half, I had bologna and ketchup sandwiches. Needless to say, I was not popular, but for some reason, the popular girls in school decided to turn everyone against me. They started the rumors, and well, my initials didn't help..."

  "That's terrible. Girls can be so cruel," Megan couldn't believe what she was hearing. There were obviously a few more layers to peel from Charlotte, like an onion. Charlotte didn't know why the girls had started their vendetta against her, but the woman was beautiful, and even the poor small-town version of Charlotte must have been a stunner.

  "They were. I had no friends, and I couldn't wait to get the hell out of here."

  "Then, why did you buy a house here?"

  "Can't you see?" she responded. "I wanted to show them. Come back and show them how Billie-Jo Bunkman had succeeded in life, how I was better than them."

  "And did you? I mean, Char, that doesn't really sound like you."

  Charlotte sighed and pulled up in front of a construction site on the main street. "No. The funniest thing happened, I decided that I just didn't care anymore. That, and nobody in this town knows who I am. Charlotte O’Hare is just another rich ski bunny with the biggest house on the hill."

  "How is it possible that nobody recognizes you?"

  “I guess I'm a far cry from the girl in the dirty ripped coat. That and I only come here a couple times a year, and then I usually just heli-ski with clients, so I really don't run into anybody in town."

  "If I didn't know better, I'd say it sounds like you’re avoiding it."

  "You're right. That was another life, one that I'd rather forget all about."

  "Well, I'm proud of you Charlotte. I always knew that you were incredible, but to see where you came from makes your accomplishments that more monumental."

  Charlotte smiled and pulled the folio of plans from the back seat and slapped them on Megan’s lap. "Are you ready for your first day on the job?"

  "Wait, what?" Megan gripped the handle of the folio.

  Charlotte pointed to the construction site. "This is the future home of Chance Rapids’ first coffee shop."

  "Aren't you coming in with me?" Megan's eyes were wide as she took in the fenced-in, semi-completed building.

  "That's the thing, Meg. I don't want anyone to recognize me."

  "So, what? You want me to pretend that I'm you?"

  "Zeesh. I'm not a lunatic. That sounds crazy."

  Megan breathed a sigh of relief, "It does."

  "No, you're going to be you, Megan, and I don't need you to lie, but if people happen to think that you're the boss, that you own the business, I don't want you to correct them. Okay?"

  "That's almost just as crazy!"

  "How? You've got the plans, you've got the car, and you've got the fancy house. The contractors will listen to you. I'll be behind the scenes, guiding you; you will just be the face of Sugar Peaks Café."

  "You've lost your mind. I can't do that."

  "Yes. You can. Now go check on the progress with the contractors. The roof was supposed to be finished last week."

  Megan's eyes ran to the red steel peak of the building. "Looks finished to me."

  "Come on Meg. You've gotta go in," Charlotte pleaded.

  Megan's stomach churned, and she wished that she had consumed more than just a slice of toast and a glass of wine. She put her hand on the door handle and pushed it open, but then paused, the cold air rushing into the car, "Wait." She shut the door again. "We haven't exactly talked compensation."

  Charlotte's eyes narrowed, but then her face broke out into a huge grin. "I knew it!" she slapped Megan on the shoulder. "There's a shark in there after all."

  "So..." Megan prodded. As nervous as she was, she was excited about the coffee shop, and now that she saw it in person, the vision had become a reality. Yes, she needed money, but she also needed a distraction, and this project could get her mind off Alex and her train wreck of a life.

  "Ten percent," Charlotte was quick to reply, "and you don't have to put up any capital. That's a good deal, Megan. Risk-free. Investors kill for this kind of opportunity."

  "Charlotte, this is going to be a lot of work. I think that's a little low."

  Charlotte grinned again and eased back into her seat. "Well, then, my business partner, what do you propose?"

  "Fifty," Megan blurted out.

  Charlotte's smile faltered. "Fifty. That's a little aggressive for someone who doesn't have any skin in the game. Thirty."

  "Thirty-five, and I'd like the option to buy in for the other fifteen once my divorce is settled."

  Charlotte stared at her and then smiled, "You've got it."

  "Really?" Megan would've been fine with ten percent.

  "Megan here's your first cut-throat business lesson - you don't get what you don't ask for."

  Timber started to whimper in the back seat of the car and Megan reached back to offer a reassuring pat on the head. "Do we have a deal?"

  "Deal." Megan held out her hand. Charlotte slid off her deerskin glove and shook Megan's hand enthusiastically.

  Timber’s whimpers grew louder, and Megan noticed Charlotte's eyes divert over her shoulder and grow wide. "You lucky girl," she whispered, a wry smile on her face.

  Megan turned in her seat to follow Charlotte's gaze.

  His back was to her, and he had a stack of lumber on his shoulder, his tool belt slung around his waist, but the red hat was a dead giveaway - that, and Timber whimpering in the back, excited to see his owner.

  Twelve

  "Wait. I don't know what I'm doing."

  "I'll help you. For today, just go in there and check with the head contractor to ensure that the plumbing and heating guys will be there this week."

  "That's it?" Megan's hand was on the door handle, but she had yet to pull it open.

  "That's it. They just need to see a face on site. My assistant has been doing everything remotely, and it's taking forever to get anything done."

  Timber started to claw at the window. "Go, Meg. You can do this."

  I can do this, Megan thought as she nodded her head and hopped out into the cold air.

  "Take the dog with you," Charlotte shouted and tossed the braided rope leash out the door.

  Megan clipped the carabiner onto his collar and the two of them walked through the gate onto the job site.

  Megan pulled the makeshift plywood door open and stepped into a swirling sea of sawdust and activity. Her heart leaped into her throat when she saw a man wearing canvas pants and plaid insulated jacket step out of the back. Then she felt a tap on her shoulder.

  "How did you know I was here?" the voice came from behind her and she nearly jumped out of her skin. She turned and even through the clear safety glasses, she felt his crystal blue eyes piercing through her body. She looked Josh up and down, and then glanced back at the other workers and wondered if there was an onsite uniform. The only difference between the three was the color of the plaid checks on their jackets. The mystery men in the back were in green and blue, and Josh was in red, the same color as his hat.

  "I-I-I didn't know you were here actually," she stammered, gripping onto the leather folio and Timber's leash.

  "Oh, I thought that this guy might have been giving you a hard time and you tracked me down to return him." Josh smiled and scratched Timber's head.

  "No. No, he's been a doll," she gushed.

  "A doll, huh." Josh smiled.

  ‘Zeesh, doll, you're in your forties, not your eighties,’ she chided herself, but then remembered why she was standing in the freezing cold job site. She wasn't there to flirt with the good-looking carpenters, she was there to run the show.

  "Josh, who is the lead contractor here?"

  "You're looking at him," he pointed to his white hard hat.

  "Oh, ok." her voice wavered. "This is my project, and I'd like to know if we are on schedule for the plumbers and electricians."

  "You? I've been dealing with Andrew from the developer's office. He didn't tell me someone else was going to be taking over.

  Shit. Shit. Shit. He thinks that I'm batshit crazy.

  "Feel free to call Andrew if you must. He's my assistant," she felt the lie slip from her tongue easier than it should have. She strode over to the workbench in the middle of the room and brushed the pile of sawdust off with her glove and then set down the folder. "So, where are we with the electrician?"

  "Freddie, he's scheduled to come in on Thursday."

  "And the plumber?"

  "He's going to come in when the heating contractor is finished. No sense in installing all the pipes if they're just going to freeze."

  "Good," Megan said. "That makes sense." Of course, that made sense. "And when is that going to happen?"

  "He should be here today, but I heard that his son broke his arm at hockey practice."

  Megan was confused. "So, can't someone else fill in?"

  Josh laughed. "Lady, you're not from a small town, are you?"

  "You know that I'm not," Megan said defensively.

  "And you've never done a project in one either, have you?"

  "Do you talk to all of your project managers like this, or just the women?"

  "Easy now." Josh held his hands up in front of him, stick up style. "That came out wrong. I didn't mean to sound condescending, it's just that things happen at a different pace around here in Chance Rapids. We call it 'Chance Time'."

  "How do you ever get anything accomplished?"

  "Things always seem to get done. Now, Brian, the heating guy, is a one-man show. His wife works at the courthouse, and he had to take his son to get a cast. He's a good guy. He will be here tomorrow. If that sets us a day back, it sets us a day back."

  Megan had a lot to learn. Not only did she have to pretend that she knew how a construction site operated, but she also had a whole small-town culture to learn as well.

  "Okay, well I will be back tomorrow to check on the progress." She banged her gloves together to try to get the sawdust off them and extended her hand for Josh to shake.

  "You're going to be here every day?"

  "Every day," she replied.

  Josh grinned, "So, no more doggy daycare?"

  Megan exhaled, she wondered if Josh knew that she was totally clueless. "I've scheduled in time for my new furry assistant," she smiled, thankful for the subject change.

  "Are you leaving him here, or can I pick him up at our usual time?"

  Timber looked between the two of them as if he knew that they were talking about him.

  "Our usual time." She smiled and turned. "Let's go, Timber."

  "See you soon, Boss," Josh yelled as she stepped onto the porch.

  Megan smiled but didn't correct him.

  Thirteen

  Josh watched Megan leave the construction site and hop into her fancy SUV with a pretty brunette. The morning Timber drop-offs had consisted of small-talk and what he thought were nervous giggles. He found that his heart was starting to pump a little harder each day as he walked toward the thick carved door of her mountain home. He loved the way she absentmindedly twirled her ponytail with her fingers as they chatted in the doorway. Timber had even gotten in on the excitement and started to whine when they crossed over the covered bridge and onto Sugar Peaks Way, excited to see his new friend.

  He liked the way that she looked him in the eye when she talked to him, not a common experience with a lot of the other rich Chance Rapids residents. Her eyes had an inherent sadness to them, and even though she looked tired, he could imagine the way her eyes would sparkle when she laughed. The crinkles beside her eyes were evidence that she had smiled and laughed a lot in her life, and he found himself wanting to bring them to life.

  He had heard rumors that the owner of the big house in Sugar Peaks was in real estate, but Megan didn’t strike him as a savage businesswoman. She seemed like she was going through something and he noticed that the wine bottle collection on the counter had grown exponentially throughout the week.

  She had offered to drop Timber off after their walks, but Josh wasn’t ready for anyone to see his house, especially a fancy woman like Megan. His little house was just off the main street, and even though he had lived there for years, it sat in a permanent mid-reno state. He was a talented carpenter, but by the time he got home from work, the last thing he felt like doing was working on his own house.

  When she walked onto the job site, he had assumed Timber had destroyed some of her expensive furniture and that she’d had enough of him, so when she announced that she was the one behind the new coffee shop in town he was floored.

  He didn’t have a problem working for a woman, but he knew that some of the older crew members would take issue with it – especially since she didn’t seem to know what she was doing.

  If Megan were a normal person, someone who lived in Chance Rapids year-round, someone who knew what it was like to be strapped for cash, someone who knew what it was like to try to make ends meet in a small town, he would be interested in getting to know her better. Megan was the first woman that had caught his eye and made his pulse skip in five years – the first woman he could imagine drawing into his arms and holding since the accident.

  “Who was that?” Freddie, his electrician, asked after Megan left.

  “That was the owner,” Josh said, shaking his head.

  “She’s hot,” Freddie grinned and pulled some wire through the studs. “Is she single?”

  Josh felt his face grow red. He swore that he would never get involved with one of the ‘across the bridge’ residents, so he had no right to feel like he had any claim over Megan, but Freddie was one of the town’s biggest womanizers, and the idea of that sweet woman falling into Freddie’s bed made his blood boil.