Rock and A Hard Place (Cascade Brides Series) Read Online Free Page A

endeavors, Miss Conrad. Call me anytime.”
    Faith bit her lip, feeling churlish. Maybe Shane wasn't staking his
claim for her job, but he was Merle's family, and his blood was a
whole lot thicker than hers.
    “Especially when you're thinking of going out alone.”
    Her sliver of sympathy fled. As if she hadn't been exploring the
outdoors her whole life. Silly ranger probably learned everything
thing he knew about nature in college. And books—big thick, boring
books.
    It was going to be a very long day.
    Shane made to leave. “Thanks for the tour, Merle. And thanks for
being a good sport with your photograph, Miss Conrad.” He sent a
smile that encompassed them both. “I'll see you soon.”
    And then he was gone.
    After Shane left, Merle turned to Faith. “Well, what do you think
of my nephew?”
    Faith measured her words carefully, wondering at her boss's angle.
“He's nice, and...he seems very talented in photography.”
    Merle patted her shoulder. “I'm glad you like him. I invited him
to our church.”
    Faith refrained from pointing out she never said she liked him. And now she'd get to see him. A lot. Her answering smile felt
like a grimace. “That's great. Really great.”
    “Glad you think so. Go ahead and use Shane's version of the image
for the brochure cover.”
    Nodding, she sank onto her chair and saved the image, reminding
herself to add Mr. Zadopec's attribution in the fine print.
    As she worked on the brochure layout, she added a similar touch to
the other photos as well as to the company website. The result was a
more modern look that was sure to resonate with city-dwellers.
    Faith just wished she'd had the guts to push it herself. A bear and
a cougar were one thing. Merle and her livelihood were quite
another.

Chapter Three

    Shane looked around the foyer of the church for a familiar white
head amidst the other worshipers, and when that failed, he tried for
a beautiful girl with glossy brown hair and hazel eyes. Not that
Faith would be glad to see him. Her enthusiasm had been decidedly
lacking the last time they'd met. And the fact that Merle's
matchmaking attempts were so obvious meant the prickly brunette
might be even further out of his reach.
    Maybe prickly wasn't the right word. Being corrected about the
conditions of her climb would be annoying—yet his profession
demanded it. Adding his comments to her photograph probably hadn't
been much appreciated either, but inspiration had struck and he'd
gone with it. His artistic finesse, however, would hardly earn him
any points with Faith.
    Shane squared his shoulders, determined to make a better impression
on Faith Conrad. He glanced down at his plaid shirt and khaki pants
and hoped he looked okay. What kind of guy was she attracted to? The
Brooks Brothers type? A biker in leather? If either was the case, he
was a lost cause.
    “Shane!”
    He turned to see Merle coming through the church doors.
    The older man walked up and shook his hand. “Glad you could make
it.”
    “Thanks for inviting me.”
    “Of course, of course. I hope you feel it's a good fit for you.
We're probably a bit more conservative here than what you're used to
in Detroit.”
    Shane smiled. “Let me guess, the pastor wears a three piece suit
instead of jeans and a designer T-shirt.”
    Merle laughed. “Right. We should get settled as the service is
about to start.”
    Shane did a quick scan of the lobby. “So we're not waiting for
Faith?”
    “She'll get here eventually. She's never late for work but is
rarely on time for church.”
    Wondering if there was something to the puzzling statement, Shane
followed Merle into the sanctuary of Gateway Community Church and
took a seat near the back. The sanctuary was composed of knotty pine
and stacked rock, giving it a rustic flair. Those in attendance
matched the rugged ambiance of the area with a plethora of denim and
cowboy boots. Many gray heads were mixed with younger adults,
representing the multiple generations of families