Six Months in Montana (Montana Sweet Western Romance Series, Book 1) (2 page)

"Right, of course. Mr. Ford didn't expect you to give up everything and get nothing in return. For your trouble, he wanted to compensate you with a piece of land and a house that has been in the family for years. It needs a bit of work, but the location and potential are there."

"Isn't that…" Molly began, and Christian jumped in to finish, "Yes, it's where my grandfather first lived, when he and my grandmother moved here. They lived there for years, until my grandmother died, about ten years ago. He moved in with me then, at the main house, to be closer to everyone. He said Rose Cottage was too big for one person, but I think he just didn't want to be alone. I enjoyed his company." His voice broke a bit, and Molly's first instinct was to reach out and touch his hand. But before she could do that, he'd already pulled himself together and was cutting into his steak again.

"When do you need an answer by?" Molly asked. She needed to process this. It was a big decision, and one that would affect other people.

Travis brightened at this, possibly sensing that Molly might have a hard time saying no. "We can give you a week. We'll need to update the bank on ownership status by then and give an answer to our potential buyer."

Molly took a final bite of steak and chewed thoroughly before saying anything.

"I honestly don't know what I am going to do." She looked at both of them. "I'm up for a big promotion, the job I've always wanted. It's a lot to give up."

"Just think about it," Travis said, while Christian signaled the waiter for the check.

"Thank you for coming, and for listening." Travis added. "I assume we'll see you at the funeral tomorrow?"

"Of course. I'll be there."

Molly drove straight to her mother's house after dinner. Her Aunt Betty and mother were relaxing in the den, sipping a glass of wine and watching the latest episode of The Bachelorette. The two of them were debating whether or not the remaining bachelors were really 'in it for love', or not.

"Molly is that you?" her mother called out as Molly let herself in. "We're in here. Pour yourself a glass of Merlot and join us."

Molly did just that and, since she knew they were dying of curiosity, she filled them in on Christian's ‘proposal’. When she’d finished delivering the details, the response she got was not what she expected: absolute silence. After a few long minutes, her mother finally spoke first. "I honestly don't know what to say. I've never heard of such a thing, not in this day and age anyway. Of course you said no, right? You're about to get that promotion you've always wanted, and worked so hard for. Plus, you love New York, right?" Her mother sounded both defiant and wistful at the same time, and Molly knew she'd love to have her living back close to both of them again.

"Well, I think it sounds like a dream come true!" Aunt Betty exclaimed. "Christian's gorgeous, and it's not like you won't be paid well for the inconvenience. Plus, maybe the old man was right; what if you fall in love? It could happen."

"Neither one of us is looking to fall in love." Molly corrected. "Not with each other anyway. I mean, I'd love to find Mr. Right someday, but my life is in Manhattan, and Christian made it very clear that he has no interest in marriage, to anyone."

"So, what are you going to do?" Her mother asked quietly.

"I have no idea. I have a week to decide."

"Well, try not to think about it, and just go with your gut, do what feels right." Aunt Betty said, and then couldn't help adding, "But remember, we'd love to have you living nearby again!"

The next few days flew by but, by Wednesday, Molly still hadn't decided what to do. As she stepped out of her apartment to head to work, she caught her breath at the beauty of the city. The trees along her street were always dressed in a smattering of delicate tiny white lights, and it was still dark enough outside that they were lit and casting a cheery glow on the neighborhood. There was a magical feeling in the air and Molly felt a bit excited for the first time all week. Today was the day of her review and she would hopefully find out about that promotion.

T
he hotel was booked solid
, due to one of the many conventions in town, and Molly didn't stop all day, until finally, just before five, Ben Peterson, the General Manager, found her.

"Molly, are you ready to meet? Let's go into the Vincent room." The small meeting room was right around the corner from where they stood. It would be more convenient than heading all the way down to the first floor and his office, where they'd be more likely to be interrupted.

Once they were settled, Ben jumped right in and gave her another glowing annual review, then finished with the good news she'd been hoping for.

"So, we were intending to reward you with a promotion to GM. The original plan was for me to move to the group’s newest hotel, get that up and running, and for you to move into my slot here." He was beaming and Molly smiled back; this was exactly what she'd hoped for. Yet, she wasn't feeling as excited as she'd imagined she would. Because she knew what her decision had to be. Six months wasn't a long time; she could always come back and keep working towards the GM role.

"But last month, things changed." The smile left Ben's face, and Molly snapped to attention, wondering if she'd heard right.

"The hotel was sold last month, and they want me to stay on here to ensure a smooth transition to the new ownership. It's not all bad; the organization still wants to promote you. But it has to be delayed a bit, probably by a year or so, until the dust settles here."

Molly felt oddly numb, and relieved. Nothing was going to change here, not anytime soon. Six months away wouldn't make any difference, after all.

"The good news though, is that the new owners want to do a major renovation right away to restore the Clarendon to her former beauty. So, by the time you take over, she'll be like a sparkly new hotel, and all yours."

Molly spoke up then, feeling secure in her decision, though she knew what she was about to say would come as a complete surprise.

"Ben, I really do appreciate this opportunity, and everything that I've been able to experience here. I need to take a leave of absence though, if that's possible? I'll understand if it's not. I have a family situation, a personal matter in Montana that I need to attend to for the next few months. I will help as much as I can to get someone else up to speed."

Ben looked shocked, "I hope everything is okay?" He spoke cautiously, and Molly knew he was thinking the worst.

"No one is sick. It's nothing like that. It's just too complicated to explain. Like I said, I will totally understand if a leave of absence isn't possible, but I hope it is. I really love working here."

"No promises, but I'll see what I can work out for you."

As Molly was gathering up her things to leave for the day, she thought how funny it was that once her decision had been made, the rest of the pieces had seemed to fall together. She'd only just left her meeting with Ben, when she’d run into several of her colleagues in the employee break room. Stephanie, one of the front desk receptionists, had been in the middle of telling Jane, who also worked the front desk, that her roommate had just informed her that her boyfriend was going to move in, and if she wanted to find another place to live, that would be ok.

"It wasn't very subtle. But what am I going to do? I can pay rent on a small apartment, but I don't have enough saved to cover first, last and security; that's a fortune. Plus I don't have any things of my own. I'd have to find a furnished place. I could rent another room, I suppose, but I would really love to have my own place, and no roommates."

Molly had worked with Stephanie for several years, and knew her to be reliable and hard-working and, overall, a genuinely nice person. She hadn't hesitated a second before offering up her apartment as a sublet.

"It'll be for about six months at least, maybe a little longer, and available the first of the month." Stephanie, knowing how hard good apartments were to come by, had gratefully agreed on the spot.

Molly made her way home slowly, amazed and relieved that she'd made this crazy decision, and that she'd found someone to sublet her place so quickly. The long day had caught up to her, and she was looking forward to a small glass of wine and a bowl of pasta with her favorite creamy sauce. She'd discovered it by accident one day, when she'd dropped a spoonful of hummus onto her pasta and then was pleasantly surprised to learn that, when mixed with a bit of the pasta cooking water, it made an insanely delicious sauce.

It was almost seven by the time she reached her building, a pretty old townhouse in a decent neighborhood at the beginning of the Upper East Side. It was starting to get dark, and Molly couldn't quite place who the tall man was standing outside the entrance, but something about him seemed familiar. As she got closer, he waved and smiled and she stopped in her tracks. Christian Ford was waiting outside her building.

"What are you doing here?"

"Well, hello to you, too."

"I'm sorry, I was just surprised to see you here of all places."

"Well, since you came to us, I thought it only fair that I come to you and make my appeal." Was she imagining it or did he sound a little nervous?

"What are you talking about? I can't believe you are here."

Christian shoved his hands further into his long coat and exhaled slowly. He looked tired and cold, and Molly wondered how long he'd been waiting for her.

"Are you going to invite me in? It might be a little more comfortable inside and this could take a few minutes to explain well."

"Of course, come in." Molly felt a bit flustered as she dug out her key to let them into the building, and then they walked up silently to her third floor apartment. She opened the door and he followed her in.

Like most New York City apartments, her place was quite small. Molly had never minded though; it had everything she needed. There was a cozy bedroom, compact bathroom and a decent sized living room with exposed brick. There was also a gas fireplace, which Molly always turned on when there was even the slightest chill in the air. Just looking at the shimmering glow of the fire always warmed and cheered her up. The kitchen was one of those tiny, galley-sized ones, just the bare basics, but it opened into the living room and that gave the illusion of more space. For one person, it was perfect.

"Can I offer you a drink? I have a bottle of wine open."

"If it's not too much trouble I'd love a glass, but only if you're joining me."

"Of course, I'm ready for one." Molly shot him a smile, and then poured both of them a glass of Cabernet and set them down on the breakfast bar that separated the kitchen and living room. There were two bar stools there and it was Molly's favorite spot to eat when she was home, even though she had a cute little table in a corner of the living room. She and Christian settled onto the bar stools, and then Christian started talking.

"So, I have an idea I wanted to run by you, if you decide to take us up on this crazy offer. I know you are giving up a lot, and you mentioned that you have big promotion coming at work. But I was thinking, I'm sure you're amazing at what you do, or they wouldn't even be considering you for such a big job. You could pick up where you left off in six months or so. This might slow you down a little, but maybe not."

Molly raised her eyebrows at this. How could taking six months off possibly not slow her down? Although, given the actual situation, with the delay of her promotion, it probably wouldn't have much of an effect. But, Christian had no way of knowing that.

"You know Rose Cottage, which Travis mentioned?" he asked, and Molly nodded. "Well, it's big, really big; certainly it was too big for Gramps, which was the main reason he moved in with me. But it's really a large house, with six bedrooms and a few extra rooms that could be converted into bedrooms. It would need a little remodeling to get there, but it could be a great little inn or bed and breakfast—you know the type of place I'm talking about. There's a real need in the area for something like that. Beauville and Bozeman have been growing like gangbusters over the past five years. I could arrange for the muscle to make it look pretty, if you wanted to run it. Could be a heck of a fun project for you, maybe even a way to fill out your resume." In his excitement, Christian's leg bumped into hers and she felt a charge of energy that was unexpected. She quickly moved her leg away, and then realized that Christian had stopped talking and was waiting for her reaction. He’d looked so much younger than his age as he'd been talking, and it was clear that he was hoping and needing Molly to agree. She decided to end his anxiety.

"That sounds really great, and just so you know, I already gave my notice earlier today. I've decided to do this. It feels like the right thing to do, and if I'm being honest, I could use the break and would love to spend some time with Mom and Aunt Betty.

Christian set his wine glass down and grinned. His relief was obvious.

"So, it's decided then. I can't tell you how much this means to me and to all of my men."

"Cheers!" Molly raised her glass and then tapped it against his.

"How long are you in town for?" She asked. Christian glanced at his watch suddenly before answering.

"Not long. In fact, I have to run and catch a cab to the airport. I'm on a flight back in a few hours. Call me when you get into town and get settled at your mother's place. We'll figure out the rest of the details then, and pick out a ring, all that stuff." His dimples popped as he smiled, and Molly felt oddly relaxed and excited at the same time. What on earth had she gotten herself into?

Her last few days of work at the hotel were bittersweet. On Thursday, a group of her colleagues took her out for after-work drinks, and everyone wished her well and told her to hurry back. Ben had already given her the heads-up that Management had approved her leave of absence. He’d assured her that, assuming that everything went the way it was supposed to, she'd still be in line to get promoted to the GM spot when she returned.

Even some of the hotel's regular customers had wished her well. There were a few who had permanent residences on the top floors and Molly had known them now for years. Especially Mrs. Foyle, a very cute and elegant widow in her early eighties. She was still quite active, and had a toy Maltese, Daisy, who traveled all over town with her. Almost every afternoon, around 4pm, Mrs. Foyle came down into the lobby, dressed beautifully and accompanied by Daisy. She made the rounds, saying hello to everyone at the front desk and asking after their families, before heading off to high tea. She met several of her lady friends while out and about, and it was the highlight of her day. On Molly's last day, Mrs. Foyle found her in the lobby and gave her a big hug.

"You'll be missed, my dear. This place has been lucky to have you. I hope you have a lovely adventure, whatever it is that you're off to do." She frowned just a little at that, because all anyone knew was that Molly was heading to Montana because of a personal matter. "And I hope you'll find your way back to us."

"I hope so too! I will miss you and Daisy too. Everyone here has been just wonderful." Molly suddenly felt choked up, her emotions finally catching up with her. The hotel and its people had been in her life for almost ten years. It wasn't easy to just walk away. Molly reminded herself that it was just a temporary situation.

She reminded herself of that again the next day, Friday, as she finished her last shift, and then met her best friend, Meghan, at their favorite small pub in Brooklyn. Harry's Place was just a five-minute walk from her apartment, and Meghan was already seated at a small table in the corner of the bar. The bartender set two glasses of wine down on the table as Molly walked up.

"I hope you don't mind, but I went ahead and ordered a glass of wine for you. The one you usually get, the Shiraz."

"Perfect, thank you." Molly slid into a seat at the table and glanced around the bar. It was packed, as it usually was on a Friday night at 6:30. They were lucky to have gotten a table so quickly.

"I can't believe you're leaving me." Meghan said, with a curious look on her face. "So, fill me in, what's really going on?"

Meghan was actually the only person that Molly had confided in. They'd been best friends since they’d met years ago, when they’d both attended the same high school.

"I've told you everything. I know it's kind of crazy."

"Kind of? You're leaving a career you love to go marry a cowboy in Montana that you’ve barely talked to since you were fourteen? It's a little strange, you have to admit."

"It's only for six months. I'll be back before you know it."

"Will you though? I wonder."

Meghan had been born and brought up in Brooklyn, and like Molly, worked in Manhattan at a job she loved. She was a lawyer at a small firm that did all kinds of family law and a lot of pro-bono work. She didn't make a lot of money, not the amount you’d usually think of for an attorney, but she loved what she did. Molly knew Meghan was just worried that her best friend was making a huge mistake.

"I know it's an odd situation, but it's strictly a business arrangement. I'll be back in six or seven months, max."

"But how do you benefit from doing this?" Meghan sounded like the lawyer that she was, and Molly smiled. She knew she was just concerned for her.

"I do benefit. I'll be helping an old friend, which will also ensure that the men who work for him and their families will be taken care of. There won't be any layoffs, which there would be if Christian was forced to sell the business. Plus, I'm getting a valuable piece of property, which could be a good, long-term investment." She went on to explain Christian's idea for renovating the property and turning it into an inn.

"That sounds great, but all the more reason why I doubt that you'll be coming back any time soon. You'll be busy running an inn!"

"At first, yes. But by the time six months have passed, I'll have people well trained to run it in my absence. That's what I learned to do here, remember? Manage and train people to do every job necessary to run a busy hotel."