Love Me Dear (Love Me Book 3)

Chapter 2

Trinity sat in her office, looking out the window at the snow falling over the mountains. Shaw Holdings was at the top of the tallest building in Sweet Springs. True, the tallest building was built by Shaw and was only four stories, but it towered over those around it.

She leaned back in her chair and played with the necklace her parents had given her for her twenty-first birthday. The last birthday before her life had steadily begun its downward spiral. She had purged everything in her life that came after it, which had been almost everything she owned.

Sweet Springs was her new start, a chance for her to put all of the bad memories behind her and stop looking over her shoulder. The fact that it was New Year's day and she was at the office wasn't lost on her, but it beat being at home alone.

With a sigh, she put her expressionless mask back into place and turned back towards the work piled on her desk. She couldn't help her startled jerk or the quick look of fear as she noted a male figure standing in the doorway to her office. Christopher, her ex-husband had always done that and for a brief moment, she had thought it was him, but she quickly noted it was Levi and regained control.

"May I?" he asked, waving to the chair in front of her desk.

"Sure," she smiled, leaning back in her chair once more, forcing herself to relax.

Levi was dressed in his usual blue jeans, button-down work shirt, and old beat-up boots. He was also holding his cowboy hat in his hands, but as he sat down, he placed it on the table next to him.

"It's New Year's day, you should be at home enjoying the day," he commented as he took his seat. He lacked his usual open expression, and his mood was hard to read.

"I could say the same thing to you," Trinity returned with a raised eyebrow.

"You could, but cows don't take a day off," he shrugged. Levi not only owned Shaw Holdings, but he also owned one of the biggest ranches in Wyoming, and if given a choice, he would always be working the animals and land instead of sitting in his office behind a desk.

Trinity had asked him once why he didn't sell the business and become a rancher full time. He had responded with a sad smile, saying that without the business, he couldn't afford the ranch, and the depressing truth was that it was a fact. She had done the numbers one day out of curiosity, and owning a ranch in the modern world wasn't a very feasible business plan. It could be done, but not easily and never with much profit, unless one turned to mass production and feed yards, something Levi wasn't willing to do.

Levi's eyes studied her as he rested his chin in his hand. Trinity sat still, trying not to be affected by his penetrating gaze. He had never looked at her in such a way before.

"Is everything alright?" she asked, licking her lips nervously. She never let her nerves show, and Levi picked up on the tell as his eyes narrowed, following the movement.

"I was going to ask you the same thing. You seem to be...unsettled." He watched her as she pasted a smile on her face.

"No, I'm fine. Perhaps a bit overwhelmed by all of the work on my desk." She nodded towards her desk.

He looked as if he wanted to push the point, and Trinity held her breath praying he would leave it alone while doing her best to keep her expression calm as she felt panic rise.

Levi must have thought better of it as he waved to the papers in front of her. "Write me a job description, and we'll get you some help." With the matter dealt with another silence fell between them.

"What is it, Levi?" she asked, almost frightened that he was going to fire her or tell her she had done something wrong.

"Josiah has bailed on the Denver trip." He leaned forward, looking at his feet. "I need you to go with me."