An Alaskan Proposal

by Beth Carpenter

  Sabrina looked around. A metal picnic table was chained to concrete sunk into the ground. Beside a gurgling creek was a flat place under some trees where she assumed the tent would go. A round metal firepit sat in the clearing, with an unobstructed view of the lake. “It’s beautiful. But I can tell by that little crinkle in the corner of your eye there’s something I’m supposed to notice.”

  He laughed. “You’re good.”

  “Not good enough to figure out the problem with this campsite.”

  He nodded toward the creek. “Today, there’s no problem. But if this warm weather keeps up, the water coming off the glacier will cause the creek to rise, and you might wake up in the middle of the night with the creek running through your tent. In a public campground like this, the host will probably put up a sign not to camp here, but it’s something to keep in mind for wilderness camping.”

  “Wilderness camping? Is that out in the open without designated campsites?”

  “Exactly. But today, this will work just fine. I’ll go back to the gate to check us in, and we can get started.”

  Sabrina insisted on paying the ten-dollar camping fee. Leith protested, but they were using Leith’s gas and Leith’s food even though this was all for her benefit. She filled out an envelope, enclosed two fives and dropped it in a slot in a post beside the campground sign. A handwritten note on the bulletin board warned that someone had spotted a wolf in the area and to keep your dogs and children close, so the wolf must have tracked through the campground after leaving the parking lot.

  She returned to the campsite, where Leith had stacked an armload of wood beside the fire ring. Tal wagged her tail and whined at Sabrina, clearly upset to be tied to a tree. Sabrina hurried over to stroke her head. “Does she have to be tied up?”

  “I’m afraid so.” Leith gave the dog a pat. “She’s pretty good about staying close, but in case she spots a squirrel or something, I don’t want her wandering off with that wolf around. Come on. Our first lesson is fire building.” He handed her a bucket. “Go fill this with water from the creek.”

  Was he kidding? “Water. To make a fire.”

  “Never start a fire unless you have the equipment ready to put it out. Safety first.”

  “Oh, I get it.” She filled the bucket and wrestled it back to camp, while he watched. He could have helped. On the other hand, she was supposed to be learning to camp independently, and lifting buckets of water was probably good arm-toning.

  When she got to the edge of the fire ring, he did take it from her and set it against a log. “Ready to learn how to build a fire?”

  “One second.” Sabrina closed her eyes and took in an exaggerated breath. “I’m unleashing my inner pyromaniac.” She opened her eyes. “I’m ready.”

  Leith didn’t laugh but his mouth twitched. “Good thing I brought a fire extinguisher and first-aid supplies.” He nodded toward a large canvas case with a red cross on the front.

  “I’ll try to keep it under control. Okay, how does this work?”

  Leith took a knife from his pocket and showed her how to create kindling from a branch. She was surprised to discover that fires were literally built; she’d always assumed it was a figure of speech. But Leith showed her how to create an intricate arrangement of tinder, kindling, twigs, sticks and then logs with spaces in between for air circulation. “Now you just need to strike a match.”

  “Where do you keep the matches?”

  “You didn’t bring matches?” Leith raised his eyebrows as though it was a serious question, but the laughter in his eyes gave him away.

  “I guess I missed it on the invisible supply list you gave me. Do you have any matches, survival guy?”

  “Why, as a matter of fact, I do.” Leith reached into his pocket. “In fact, I have two matchboxes, so one must be yours.” He handed her an orange plastic cylinder. “Don’t go into the wilderness without it.”

  The Learn & Live logo stamped on the side of the box identified it as a promotional goodie. Sabrina clutched it to her heart. “Thank you. I’ll treasure it always.” She unscrewed the top and removed a match.

  “Striker’s on the bottom.”

  “I suspected as much. I once lit a candle, all by myself.”

  “Impressive.” He smirked.

  Sabrina tossed a twig at him before she knelt in front of the fire. “So, just hold the match to the dry grass, right?” At his nod, she struck a match. A slight breeze she hadn’t noticed before blew it out. She sneaked a look at Leith, but he didn’t seem to be laughing at her. Yet. She struck another match, this time cupping her hand around it until she could touch the flame to the tinder.

  The flame caught for a second, and then sputtered out. Sabrina blew out a breath of frustration. She moved so that the wind was at her back and struck a third match. This time, the grass caught fire and burned, lapping at the kindling she’d shaved from a branch. As she watched, the kindling started burning and began to ignite the twigs.

  “It’s going!” She turned to Leith, grinning. “I mean, I realize it took me three matches, but I lit a fire!”

  “Three matches isn’t bad. You get a gold star for fire building. Now, while we let the logs burn to coals for cooking, I’ll unload the food, and you can pitch the tent. This is last year’s version of the one you, uh—”

  “Almost destroyed?”

  “You said it, not me.” He handed her the tent bag, which she dumped out.

  “It’s green.” She rolled her eyes. “What a surprise.”

  “What have you got against green? It matches your vest.”

  “I know. And it matches the camp chairs in the store, and the midweight sleeping bags, and most of the rain jackets. It’s like whoever designs the products for Orson only has eight crayons to choose from. I can’t figure it out. I’ve been looking online at our competition. There are beautiful designs in outdoor gear. Why do ours have to be so...plain?”

  “Did you see the prices on those brands? Orson Outfitters is known for producing high quality at reasonable prices. That’s why people like it. They don’t spend a lot on stuff that doesn’t matter.”

  “It is good quality.” Sabrina unzipped her vest to show him the lining. “The workmanship on this vest is excellent. The seams are straight and well finished, they used a heavy-duty zipper, and the stitching on the windproof lining is perfect. But it’s boxy. It’s like they just made a smaller version of a man’s vest without changing the shape.”

  “They probably did.”

  “It shouldn’t cost any more to curve the seams and use more interesting colors.”

  “I don’t see what’s wrong with green.”

  “Nothing. I love green. But why couldn’t it be forest green, or sage green, or emerald? Or they could use the nap of the fleece to create some textural interest.” He was looking at her as though she was speaking a foreign language. She laughed. “Sorry. Back to the tent. I can handle this. Now that I know what a shock cord is.”

  This tent was just like the other one except that the fabric and the poles were solid green. She followed the same steps and threaded the first pole through the sleeve, as she had on the other tent, but when she was finished, it was too long to fit into the grommets.

  Sabrina let out a groan of frustration. “Why doesn’t it work?”

  Leith set down a Dutch oven and came to see. “Oh, I should have mentioned. The poles aren’t the same length. That’s why they color-coded them on the new design. I’ve made the same mistake before. I should mark those poles somehow.”

  “I’ll do it.” Sabrina set down the poles and trotted to the car for her leather backpack. She burrowed around inside until she located a bottle of nail polish. “Ta-da. I’ll mark them for you. L for long and S for short?”

  Leith was shaking his head. “You bring nail supplies on a camping trip?”

  “Hey, you brought th
at enormous first-aid kit.” She pulled out the brush and painted an L on the end of the longer pole. “I’m a whole lot more likely to break a nail than a bone.”

  “Maybe so, but if you do break a bone, you’ll be glad to have the first-aid supplies to splint it.”

  “Good point.” She carefully painted an S on the other pole. “But you must admit, the nail polish came in handy.”

  “I admit nothing.” He looked over her shoulder. “Be sure to mark the other ends of the poles, too.”

  Sabrina snorted and looked up to see him grinning at her. “I’ll do that. With my useless nail polish. To make setting up your tent easier next time.”

  Once the polish dried, she successfully set up the tent. Leith showed her how to make chili over the fire in a cast-iron Dutch oven, but while that was cooking he had her practice lighting a camp stove and boiling water. It turned out that those metal trivets with silicone rings she’d seen at the team-builder expanded to turn into pans.

  He demonstrated inflatable sleeping pads and folding cots, mentioned the importance of using biodegradable products when camping and debated the pros and cons of mummy-style sleeping bags versus conventional bags. She’d never remember all of it, but at least some of those terms she’d read on the company website were starting to make sense.

  “Chili should be ready. Are you hungry?”

  “Starving,” Sabrina admitted.

  “These are the latest silicone camping bowls from Orson.” Leith handed her an orange disk. “They’re heat-resistant and foldable, just like the pans.”

  Sabrina pushed on the center and it popped open into a bowl. “Cool.”

  “And they’re not green.”

  “You’re right. Orange is a favorite, too, I’ve noticed. For some reason our summer bag is only in orange.”

  “I know. I have three.” Leith used a thick mitt to grab the Dutch oven by the bale and lift it off the fire. When he opened the lid, the aroma of cumin and chilis filled the air. Tal whimpered.

  Sabrina almost whimpered as well. “That smells so good.”

  Leith tossed Tal a dog biscuit and handed Sabrina a big spoon. “Help yourself.”

  She ladled the rich red chili into her bowl and carried it over to one of the folding chairs. Leith settled into the other chair. He scooped up a spoonful and held it up like a toast. “To outdoor adventures.”

  “Outdoor adventures. And successful careers.” Sabrina blew on her spoon and then took her first bite. It was as good as it smelled. “Yum. I’m a good campfire cook. Who knew?”

  “Not bad,” Leith agreed. “A little heavier on the jalapeños than usual.”

  “Oh? Can’t take the heat?”

  “Oh, I can take it,” he said, taking another spoonful of chili. A minute later, Sabrina noticed he took a big gulp from his water bottle, and she smiled to herself. Next time she’d dial down the jalapeños a little. And then she remembered that, unless they served chili at the wedding, there wouldn’t be a next time. This was a business arrangement, not a friendship. Too bad because she’d enjoyed her time today with Leith more than she ever expected to.

  It was just as well. She needed to spend the next three months learning everything she could learn about Orson Outfitters and impressing Walter and her coworkers with her potential. Then, if all went well, she’d start her management career in Seattle and she could finally settle in. Make some friends. Maybe even get a dog once her job was secure.

  Of course, she’d thought her job had been secure at Cutterbee’s. She’d been getting regular salary bumps and good reviews. Over the last two years, Sabrina had seen some disappointing sales reports, but she hadn’t realized the chain was in trouble until the day they declared bankruptcy. She wouldn’t make that mistake again. Before she’d interviewed with Orson Outfitters, she’d read several stock-analyst reports, and they all gushed over the healthy balance sheet and growth potential.

  “Eat up.” Leith’s voice broke her out of her reverie. “We’ve got lots to cover this afternoon. Camp dishwashing to start.”

  Sabrina scooped another spoonful of chili. “Can’t wait.”

  * * *

  BY THE END of the day, Leith noticed Sabrina’s eyes glazing over while he was trying to explain how to correct for magnetic inclination when using a compass, a classic sign of information overload. He decided to forgo the lesson on reading topo maps. Besides, he needed to head home. His niece was staying with him tonight. He pocketed the compass. “Time to break camp.”

  Sabrina smirked at him. “What are we breaking it with?”

  He chuckled. “Those same two hands you’ve been using all day long.” He unzipped the tent and started stuffing one of the sleeping bags into a sack. “You’ve done well.”

  She grabbed the other bag and followed suit. “You don’t have to sound so surprised.”

  “I am surprised. I figured you’d get tired or bored about an hour in and demand to go home.”

  “Nice to know you had such faith in me. I hope I didn’t upset your alternate plans.” Her voice dripped with sarcasm.

  Leith grinned at her. “Nope.”

  “Well, I guess since you fulfilled your promise for a whole day of training, you’ll still want me to attend that wedding.”

  “Yep. And you don’t have to wear fleece. Or green, unless you want to.”

  “Good to know.”

  Together, they disassembled and packed away the rest of the camping equipment. Leith showed her how to make sure the fire was out. While he arranged everything into the back of the Land Cruiser, Sabrina volunteered to take Tal for a quick walk before they left for Anchorage.

  “Why don’t you take her along that trail beside the lake? I’ll be done here in just a minute.”

  They weren’t back by the time he’d finished packing everything, so he shut the tailgate and went looking for them. A distant splash drew his attention. A moose swam across a little bay on the far side of the lake. Sabrina stood a little farther up ahead, her hand on Tal’s head. She stared across the water, so absorbed that she jumped when Leith rested a hand on her shoulder.

  She glanced back at him and then returned her gaze to the moose. He whispered, “I wondered what was keeping you.”

  “What is that?”

  “A moose. A young bull.”

  They watched until it reached shore and scrambled out on unreasonably long legs. The moose looked in their direction and flicked his ears before turning to plod away. Only after he’d disappeared into the forest did Sabrina turn to Leith, her eyes sparkling. “That was amazing, to see him swim like that.”

  “It was.” He’d seen, maybe, hundreds of moose in his years in Alaska, but for him, it was always a treat. He would never have thought Sabrina would feel that way, though. He would have expected her to be excited, maybe to try to snap a picture to post online, but not to be affected as deeply as she obviously was.

  “I can hardly believe I didn’t imagine it. First a wolf, and now a moose. In one day.”

  “That’s hardly typical,” Leith told her. “You’re lucky.”

  “I am.” She smiled at him. “Thanks for bringing me out here.”

  “You’re welcome. Shall we go?”

  “Unless you have some other supercool animal ready to run by me, I guess I’m ready.”

  “No, I think that was probably the grand finale.” He reached to take Tal’s leash and accidentally brushed his fingers against her hand. Her skin was soft and smooth, as though she’d never done any work. She’d worked hard today, though.

  They climbed into the car and started home. As he drove, Sabrina asked a few questions. “In the store, they have this fire-starter-in-a-tube stuff. It didn’t seem that hard to start a fire today. Is it just a gimmick?”

  “Today was warm and dry, and more importantly, the wood was dry. If you’d been trying to start wet kindling,
that paste could come in quite handy.”

  “Good, because yesterday a customer asked me if he needed some and, based on the description in the catalog, I said it couldn’t hurt. I’ll feel a little more comfortable with questions now that I’ve experienced using the products.”

  “One day of camping hardly makes you an expert. You haven’t even spent a night outdoors.”

  “But it’s a giant step in the right direction.”

  They were past Eagle River and almost to the outer edge of Anchorage when he remembered he hadn’t mentioned Emma. “My niece is staying with me tonight, and I need to pick her up. You don’t mind if I swing by for her before I drop you off, do you? It would save me a trip back across town.”

  “Of course I don’t mind.” Sabrina tilted her head. “Do you spend a lot of time with your niece?”

  “When I can. Her mom works as a flight EMT, and she’s on call tomorrow. Emma usually stays with my mom and dad, but they’re on vacation right now, so Emma’s staying over with me.”

  He waited for the inevitable question about Emma’s father, but it didn’t come. Instead Sabrina asked, “How old is she?”

  “Emma? She’s seven.” He exited the highway and started toward Volta’s house. “One thing, though. You know how I mentioned I need a date to the wedding to get my sister off my back?”

  “Yes.”

  “Well, since you’ll be meeting her...”

  “Oh, you need me to pretend we were on a date, rather than a lesson.”

  “Exactly.”

  “I can do that, although I still don’t understand why. But then, I don’t have any siblings, so maybe there’s a family dynamic I’m not grasping.”

  “Yeah, it’s weird. Ever since my divorce three years ago, Volta has been trying to fix me up, and she had this new coworker all picked out to go with me to the wedding. That’s why I told her I already have a date.”