An Alaskan Proposal

by Beth Carpenter

  It was. And for some reason, knowing that he was going to see Sabrina lifted his spirits. And that made him wonder: Was it this letter that had him off his game, or was it the thought that in a couple of months, Sabrina would be going away for good? He looked at his watch, and realized he had three minutes to get back to the classroom. He’d have to figure out the answer to that question some other time.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  WALTER’S HOUSE WAS something of a surprise. If asked, Sabrina would have guessed Walter lived in a log cabin with antler chandeliers and rustic furniture. Instead, she pulled up in front of a silver-gray contemporary home punctuated with soaring half gables and unusually shaped windows.

  She was met at the door by a smiling blonde woman dressed in pressed linen slacks and a fine-gauge cotton sweater—Sabrina thought she might well have been a model in her younger days. Walter’s wife, Mallory, as she insisted Sabrina call her, had to be at least five inches taller than her husband.

  She took the container of ice cream Sabrina gave her to stash in her freezer and led Sabrina through the house toward a vast wall of windows facing across the inlet toward Mount Susitna. A long dining table with fourteen Scandinavian-style chairs anchored one end of the room. Pale polished wood made up the center of the table, with an inlaid pattern of darker wood and turquoise forming a border. Chairs and couches clustered around a towering stacked-stone fireplace at the other end. Walter, Kate, Tim and the head of the fishing department were already chatting at the dining table. Just after Sabrina joined them, Amy from the shoe department arrived, carrying her baby in a car seat.

  Walter came around and held out a finger for the baby to grasp. “Look at you, little William. You’re growing up fast. Mom must be feeding you well. Amy, I appreciate you interrupting your maternity leave to come in today.”

  “No problem. I wanted to hear what Kate has to tell us. Thanks for letting me bring William.”

  “I’m looking forward to getting to spend time with this handsome young man while you do your business,” Mallory said.

  Sabrina joined the others in oohing and aahing over the baby. He was adorable, with his chubby cheeks and big eyes. Once all the staff had arrived, Walter pushed a button and shades descended, closing off the view and darkening the room so that Kate could project her slides on the far wall of the dining area. Mallory entertained the baby in the living room while they met.

  They spent a couple of hours going over how sales stacked up between stores within the Orson Outfitters’ umbrella, and how those sales compared with their competitors. Numbers were swimming in Sabrina’s head, but it looked like the Anchorage store was once again on pace as the sales leader. According to Kate, Orson’s was holding their own against the competition, but management would like to do better. “We’re considering a few changes in the inventory mix.”

  “What kind of changes?” Amy asked.

  “That’s still in discussion. Once we’ve made the decision, we’ll be sure to get the word out.”

  “But what sorts of things are you looking at? Adding new departments or lines of inventory, or taking some away?”

  “We’re always working on finding the right mix to give our customers what they want. That’s all I can say for now.”

  The department heads exchanged nervous glances, but it was clear Kate wasn’t giving out any more information. Walter stood. “Thank you, Kate, for an informative presentation. What say we all adjourn to the backyard and make some dinner?”

  Tension eased as everyone gathered their equipment and ingredients and filed down the stairs and out into Walter and Mallory’s yard. Tim started up a pile of coals in the enormous grill built into a river-rock wall at the edge of the expansive deck. Most of the other supervisors clustered around the tables, preparing their own contributions to the feast. Sabrina watched Tim light the coals, and then duplicated his activities in the firepit in the center of the yard, surrounded by a circular patio of paving stones.

  Leith had given her detailed instructions last night on how many coals she’d need, how to know when they were ready and how to stack them evenly on the Dutch oven. He’d seemed almost as eager as she was that the recipe turn out well. She paused, thinking about her visit last night. He’d been in an odd mood, glad to see her and yet it almost seemed as though part of him was somewhere else. But then, when it was time to go, he’d kissed her. He’d said it was for luck.

  Just where did she stand with Leith? At first it was a simple barter, and exchange of favors. Then he’d invited her along on the fishing trip and declared his friendship. But almost immediately after saying they were friends, he’d kissed her. Maybe he’d meant it to be a friendly kiss, but if it had been on a Thai menu, there would be five hot peppers beside it. She pulled out the Dutch oven and removed the lid. Right now, she needed to concentrate on impressing her boss, not mooning over the meaning of kisses.

  While waiting for the coals to heat, Sabrina peeled the peaches and arranged them with the other cobbler ingredients in the Dutch oven just as Leith had shown her. Walter, Mallory, Kate and Amy were relaxing in chairs on the patio not far away, looking off toward the water. Walter bounced William in his lap, chuckling as the baby grabbed at his mustache.

  “Sabrina, did you bring those sketches you mentioned?” Kate asked.

  “I did.” Sabrina pulled the sketch pad from the box with her cooking tools and handed it to Kate. “Give me just a minute to get this cobbler cooking, and I’ll be over to answer any questions.”

  Once the coals were covered with gray ash, Sabrina used tongs to make a bed of coals with half the briquettes, arranging the other half on top. Leith said to check it in twenty-five minutes. She noted the time on her watch and went to join the group, where Kate, Mallory and Amy had their heads together and were examining her sketches with interest.

  Kate looked up. “Pull up a chair, Sabrina. I want to know more about this jacket. What fabric did you have in mind?”

  “I was thinking a textured fleece outer layer, very soft, with a quilted nylon lining.”

  “I like a slick lining in a jacket,” Mallory commented. “It’s easier to get on and off. Are there pockets?”

  “Yes—six in all.” Sabrina showed them where the pockets fit into the design and continued to discuss the details of another sketch or two. Meanwhile Walter played with the baby, who was now tugging on the end of one of his bolo strings.

  “May I borrow these?” Kate asked. “I’ll make copies and return them to you tomorrow.”

  “Sure, that’s fine.” Sabrina wasn’t sure exactly what Kate had in mind for her ideas, but her interest had to be a good sign. Maybe this could help Sabrina stand out among the management candidates.

  Sabrina glanced over at Walter. The baby had turned away from him and was staring toward the group of women, his eyes wide and panicky. His lips seemed paler, almost blue. Blue lips?

  Sabrina jumped up and reached for the baby. “He’s choking!” She put him over her knee, the way Leith had instructed in the first-aid class, and tapped her hand against his back. Nothing happened.

  Amy and the others had jumped up, too, and were surrounding her. “Don’t hurt him,” Amy begged.

  “I won’t, but he can’t breathe.” Sabrina gave the baby another whack, not too hard but hard enough to jar him. Something flew out of his mouth, and he gasped, then sucked in a big breath and let out a wail.

  Amy snatched him up and hugged him tight, murmuring assurances even while tears streamed from her eyes. “You’re okay now, William. It’s going to be fine. You’re good now. Mommy’s got you.”

  Walter reached down to pick up the silver tip from his bolo tie from the pavement. “I’m so sorry, Amy. I had no idea it was loose.”

  “It’s my fault. I should have been paying closer attention.” Amy rubbed her hand up and down the baby’s back. William let out another whimper or two and then
stuck a thumb in his mouth and snuggled against his mother.

  “Should we take him to the hospital?” Walter asked.

  Amy gazed down at the baby, stroking his head. “No, I don’t think that’s necessary. He seems fine now.”

  “I’m just glad Sabrina was here and knew what to do,” Mallory said in a soothing voice. She asked Sabrina, “Where did you learn that?”

  “In a first-aid class.”

  Walter grabbed her hand and shook it. “Thank you. It might be a good idea for all of us to have a refresher. I’ll schedule some classes at the store for the employees. What class did you take?”

  “Well, I didn’t actually take the class. I was more of a volunteer assistant. Leith Jordan taught it.”

  “Leith Jordan. From Learn & Live?” Walter asked.

  “Yes.”

  “I didn’t realize you and Leith...” Fortunately, his words trailed off before Sabrina had to explain her relationship to Leith. Because if she didn’t understand it herself, how could she explain it to someone else?

  “I better take William home now,” Amy said.

  “Of course. I’ll drive you.” Walter hurried to her side. “I can take a cab home.” He continued to apologize as they walked toward the house.

  “Uh, is everything okay over here?” Tim had left the grill and come to join the group.

  “It is now,” Kate said. “Thanks to Sabrina’s quick thinking. The baby was choking, but she knew what to do.”

  “Wow. I didn’t realize. That’s great, Sabrina. But I thought I should point out that whatever’s in the Dutch oven is burning.”

  “Cielos!” Sabrina rushed over to the firepit, where smoke was escaping around the rim of the Dutch oven. She pushed the coals off the top and used a thick hot pad to lift the pot off the other coals and set it on the pavers. When she opened the lid, a thick cloud of black smoke poured out and then cleared to reveal a charred mess. “Oh, no. It’s ruined.”

  “It doesn’t matter. We still have the ice cream for dessert,” Mallory said.

  “Don’t worry about it.” Kate rested a hand on Sabrina’s arm. “Once, years ago, I accidentally set a can of chili too close to the fire and someone knocked it in without me noticing. Half an hour later, it exploded. Made a huge mess. I was so embarrassed.”

  Sabrina gave her a wry smile. “I know exactly how that feels.”

  * * *

  “RAIN THURSDAY AND FRIDAY, but clearing by midnight, and the weekend looks clear and sunny. Stay tuned for the fishing report.” Leith adjusted the volume on his radio and stopped his car to allow a Canada goose, followed by a row of goslings, to cross the road to the park near his house.

  “Hop to it, folks. I need to get home.”

  That morning, even before he’d left for work, Sabrina had arrived carrying his Dutch oven, a paintbrush and her little dog, which, of course, made Tal happy. In fact, when Leith tried to take Tal to work with him as he usually did, she’d looked so disheartened he’d decided to let her stay home with Boomer and Sabrina. Sabrina had assured him she’d have the kitchen done by the end of his workday. She might have already left.

  Once the geese were all safely across the road, he drove the last three blocks. Sabrina’s car sat in his driveway. His heart gave a little extra beat of excitement.

  Now that he was here, he hesitated to go inside. Sabrina said she wanted to paint the kitchen because she was his friend. He’d said much the same. And yet the feelings she stirred in him didn’t feel like something he’d feel for a friend.

  Maybe if he quit kissing her, he could get these feelings straightened out. Kissing her was stupid and he knew it, and yet when he looked at those rosy lips smiling at him, he kept forgetting all the reasons kissing was a bad idea. Like the fact that she didn’t belong in Alaska. That she was leaving as soon as her assignment was up. That all they had in common was a fondness for Thai food and a soft spot for dogs.

  She stepped outside onto the porch and raised her hand to shade her eyes. “Leith, you’re home!”

  “Hi.” He felt the corners of his mouth tugging upward. How could he stay ambivalent with such a greeting? He hustled over to the porch. “How’s it going?”

  “You’ll see. Come inside, but don’t look yet.” Her excitement practically crackled.

  The second he stepped inside his living room, the scent of cumin and chili reached him. His stomach perked up. “What’s cooking?”

  “Abuelita’s chicken enchiladas. Come on.” She took his hand and tugged him toward the kitchen, but stopped just before they reached the doorway. “Close your eyes.”

  “Really?”

  “Come on. Please?”

  He sighed and closed his eyes. She led him into the kitchen and stopped. “Okay, you can look.”

  He opened his eyes. The wall color looked great, transforming the kitchen from chemistry-lab bland to a place he’d enjoy spending time. But she hadn’t stopped there. She’d put a curtain with a green leafy pattern across the top of the window in front of the sink and hung dish towels in a similar shade of green on the oven door. A cutting board with a pile of something green and leafy rested on the countertop, next to a copper cylinder that held a collection of wooden spoons, and something was different about the cabinets. On closer examination, he realized she’d replaced the white knobs with square copper ones. A pot simmered on the stove, and a plate of chocolate cookies rested on his table, which was set for two with place mats that matched the curtain.

  “Wow.”

  “Do you like it?”

  “It’s amazing. How did you have time to do all this in one day?”

  “It didn’t take that long to paint, so I had time left over for decorating and cooking.”

  “I can’t believe it’s my kitchen. How much do I owe you for all the extra stuff?”

  She waved him away. “It hardly cost anything. I made the valance and place mats from a fabric remnant, and I found the cabinet pulls and copper canister at a garage sale when I was walking Boomer last Sunday. They’d just remodeled their kitchen and were selling the old things for next to nothing.”

  “You know, when I first met you, I would never have believed you would go within a square mile of a garage sale or a thrift store.”

  She laughed. “That’s kind of the point. You don’t want your secondhand items to look like secondhand items. Unless they’re antiques, of course.”

  “I can’t believe you painted the whole kitchen, cooked and sewed curtains and place mats all in one day.”

  “I didn’t sew today, silly. I did those Sunday night. Do you like the color?”

  “I like everything.” Leith stared at the transformed kitchen. “This is one of the nicest things anyone has ever done for me.” He pulled her into a hug. “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome.” She hugged him back and then stepped away. “Oh, I almost forgot my other surprise. Look what Tal taught Boomer. Boomer, sit.” Sabrina spoke with authority. Tal sat. Boomer didn’t.

  “Boomer, sit.” Still no response. Sabrina bent down closer to the dog. “Come on, Boomer. You’re making me look bad. Sit.”

  Tal reached out a paw and nudged Boomer. He looked up at her and then sat, his mouth open in a doggie grin as if it was all a hilarious joke.

  “Good boy.” She beamed at Leith. “There, see?”

  “I do.” He did see, a lot more than a contrary little dog. Leith saw a woman who would stand up to a bully to protect a dog she didn’t even know. A quick learner who cheerfully adapted to different situations. A giver, happiest when she was spreading happiness to others. He saw a woman he could build a life with. Just his luck he’d finally found the perfect woman, and her time with him came with an expiration date.

  “Is something wrong?” He must have frowned because Sabrina was staring at him with a concerned look on her face.

  “No
, of course not. I was just thinking of something I forgot to do at work, but I’ll take care of it tomorrow. Nice sit, Boomer.”

  Sabrina stepped over to stir something on the stove. “Are you hungry?”

  “I’m starved.” He leaned over the pot and sniffed. “What do you have there?”

  “Frijoles. To go with the enchiladas.”

  “Another of your abuelita’s recipes?”

  “Mmm-hmm. She was a wonderful cook.”

  Leith believed it, if this dinner was any indication. The enchiladas were cheesy and spicy, and the cilantro-flavored beans made a perfect complement. Leith wolfed down a full plate and went back for more. “This is so good. But speaking of recipes, how did your peach cobbler turn out?”

  “That’s an odd story, actually.” Sabrina explained how the cobbler had burned while they were all concentrating on the baby. “I was so thankful I’d been to your class and knew what to do.”

  “Is the baby okay now?”

  “He was fine once he spit out that silver tip from Walter’s bolo. I think it shook Walter up more than the baby. Of course, Amy was upset, but she seemed to settle down when the baby did, although I bet she won’t be letting anyone hold her baby until she’s done a wardrobe check from now on.”

  “And this was all in front of the vice president from Seattle?”

  “Yes. Kate was great. Very calm, which I think calmed everyone else down.”

  “You realize now you’re a shoo-in for that management position. Every time the vice president hears your name, her first thought will be how you handled that situation.”

  She seemed startled at the idea. “You think so?”

  “How could she not? I’m proud of you.”

  “You are?”

  “Of course I am. You probably saved that baby’s life.”

  She shrugged, making light of her accomplishment. “I’m sure one of the others would have noticed and acted if I hadn’t.”