Page 5 of The Bear's Mail Order Mate

Cassia mulled that thought over for a moment, her fingers tapping lightly on the steering wheel.

No, she wasn’t running away from anything. Least of all her low-down, cheating ex-fiancé.

Instead, she was runningtowardsomething, a chance at a new start, in what promised to be her dream job.

Shifting in her seat, she glanced at her phone, where she’d saved the Thornberg Vineyard ad. Its whimsical phrasing still made her smile, something she had not done in weeks.“Seeking the Perfect Match.”A cheesy line to be sure—but it had caught her attention in the middle of a lonely night when picking up the pieces of her broken life had felt impossible.

The only strange thing about the ad was that she had to apply in person. There were no other contact details, no telephone number, not even a name. She’d been tempted to look up the number and call ahead, but what if it was a test?

And anyway, if the job was a bust, at least the change of scenery would do her good. And what scenery it was. The tallest mountains she had ever seen, with vibrant green forests and in the distance a silvery serpentine creek.

The kind of place where people set down roots and made a home.

All she had to do was convince the Thornbergs that she was the perfect person for the job. No doubt competition would be fierce for a position like this. But determination coursed through her veins…alongside the anxiety.

She’d found the ad by pure chance, but surely others had seen it, too. People with more experience, and better qualifications.

All she had to do was come up with a USP. Yeah. Easy. But despite the long drive, nothing had come to mind.

Cassia Harper was not unique in any way. At least, that was how she’d been left feeling after her rather dramatic breakup with Dante.

Goodness, even thinking his name made her skin crawl. The memory of finding him with her so-called best friend still haunted her. The image of their tangled limbs on the couch she’d picked out for their new apartment was forever burned into her brain.

Tears pricked her eyes, and her stomach clenched at the total humiliation she’d experienced at the hands of the two people she’d trusted the most—her husband-to-be and her maid of honor. She fought the urge to let fresh tears fall, reminding herself she’d cried too many already.

Cassia gripped the steering wheel tighter as she navigated the winding mountain road. But when the GPS announced she was just minutes from her destination, she blinked away her tears.

Goodness, hadn’t she’d shed enough of them already? Enough to last her a lifetime. Or two.

She rolled down the window and sucked in a deep breath of the mountain air. The scent of pine trees warmed by the summer sun drifted through the open window. Was it her imagination, or was the air sweeter up here?

Or was that the scent of a fresh start?

Damn, she wanted this job. But she needed to compose herself. Turning up at a job interview with tear-stained cheeks, red eyes, and a blotchy complexion was not the first impression she wanted to make.

No, she needed to appear sophisticated, calm, in control, and ready to conquer the world. Or at least, the menu for the new restaurant they were planning to open at the Thornberg Vineyard. She’d heard rumors some time ago that the family-run vineyard was thinking of expanding but as far as she knew that was all it was, a rumor. Until she saw the advert.

Cassia pulled onto a gravel drive, following a wooden sign that readThornberg Vineyardin elegant, carved lettering. As she drove deeper into the property, the landscape unfolded around her. It looked just like it had in the article she’d read about the place. Rows of vines nestled against the backdrop of mountains, a hacienda-style house with terracotta walls and a red-tiled roof, and several outbuildings that hinted at the vineyard’s operations. One converted barn stood out—likely the proposed restaurant mentioned in the advertisement.

“Oh,” Cassia breathed, momentarily forgetting her nerves. It was perfect. The house, the location…everything seemed lifted from a dream.

But she shouldn’t get ahead of herself. She still needed to convince the owners to put their trust in her. All she needed was the opportunity to prove herself.

Cassia parked her car in a small lot to the side of the vineyard reserved for visitors. As she checked her reflection in the rearview mirror, she hoped that by the time she left, she’d be more than a visitor. She would be a part of this place.

She turned her head from side to side, not liking what she saw. Ugh. Red and blotchy. Oh well, there was nothing she could do about that now. She’d just have to dazzle the Thornbergs with her ideas for the new restaurant. Her fingers shaking slightly, she pulled a tube of concealer from her purse and dabbed at the worst of the blotches before adding a fresh coat of lipstick.

“You’ve got this,” she whispered to herself, smoothing down her white blouse and navy pencil skirt. Professional but not stuffy. Perfect for a vineyard interview.

Taking a deep breath, she stepped out of the car, instantly enveloped by the rich scent of earth and grapes. The vineyard smelled alive and vibrant, and she breathed it in, letting the freshness ground her.

She was going to do whatever it took to get this job.

Shielding her eyes from the sun, she turned in a slow circle, taking it all in.

“Can I help you?”

The deep voice startled her, and Cassia whirled around to find herself face-to-face with a man who seemed as much a part of this landscape as the mountains themselves. She recognized him from her research of the vineyard. This was Kris Thornberg, a master blender of fine wines.

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