An Alaskan Proposal

by Beth Carpenter

  “And if that happened, could I transfer to the management team?”

  “I’m afraid not. They will have filled all the positions and moved to the next rung by that time. You could, of course, apply again from scratch, but we run on a four-year cycle, so you’d have to wait for the next opportunity.”

  “So, if I take this job as designer instead of the management position, it would mean potentially less money and I could be out of a job in one year. Is that right?”

  Kate gave a rueful smile. “That’s about the size of it.”

  So, no security. But a chance at designing? “May I have some time to think about it?”

  “Absolutely. But I’d appreciate it if you’d let me know within a week or so, both because we need to make the final decisions for the management team, and because we need to get rolling if we want to get the clothes in stores by next season.”

  “I can do that.” One week to decide the future course of her life. How hard could it be?

  * * *

  LEITH PULLED INTO the Orson Outfitters’ parking lot, but instead of taking the first available space, he cruised up and down the rows, looking for a familiar blue car. It had been ten days since he’d last seen Sabrina. Her interview in Scottsdale would have been almost a week ago. If they offered her the job, it was possible she’d already quit Orson’s and moved away.

  He turned a corner and there it was, parked on the far side of a minivan at the back of the lot. He pulled into a spot two spaces down and stared, unseeing, through the windshield. What was he doing here? Yes, he’d broken his favorite six-weight fly rod and needed a replacement, but that didn’t explain why he was stalking Sabrina’s car.

  He ran his fingers through his hair. He could come tomorrow instead, when she might be off. But that was stupid; he was here now. He could just go into the fishing department, get the rod and leave. Sabrina would probably be in the back, doing paperwork, anyway. And if she was working the floor and he happened to see her, so what? It didn’t change anything.

  A glance at the clock on the dash told him if he didn’t get a move on, the store would close while he was making up his mind. He climbed out of his car and went inside, heading directly to the fishing department. He found the rod he wanted easily enough. The lights dimmed, and a pleasant voice urged customers to bring their purchases to the register.

  Instead, he found himself slipping toward the back of the store. He stopped behind a display of canoe paddles and peered toward Sabrina’s department. There she was, bent down over a stroller, talking gibberish to a baby. After a moment, she smiled up at the proud mom. Two little kids chased each other in circles around the department.

  The mom said something, and Sabrina went to one of the racks, checked a couple of tags and held up a blue fishing shirt for the woman’s approval. One of the kids, dodging away from his sister, ran into a table and knocked a stack of neatly folded shirts to the floor.

  The mom grabbed the kids and seemed to be apologizing profusely, but Sabrina just smiled and waved away her offers to help pick up. After a few more words, the woman took the blue shirt and herded her kids forward toward the registers. Sabrina bent to pick up the shirts, but she stopped to wave goodbye to one of the kids before she began refolding them.

  Her kindness touched him. Most people would have been annoyed at the very least, but she was as patient with these children as she’d always been with Emma. Sabrina was special. A rock formed in the pit of his stomach when he thought about how he’d pushed her away.

  Leith stepped from behind the paddles and walked toward her. She looked up, and the professionally friendly smile slipped off her face. For a long moment, they stared at one another. Then she broke her gaze and finished folding the polo shirt, setting it on the table.

  He came closer. “Hello, Sabrina.”

  “Leith.”

  He held up the fishing rod. “I, uh, broke my old rod and thought I’d come into the store for a new one.”

  “I see that.” She picked up the next shirt. “All fishing rods are on sale this week, twenty percent off.”

  “Guess I got lucky.”

  “I guess so.” She set the next shirt on the pile and looked at him. “Is there anything else I can help you with?”

  So, this was what he’d been reduced to, just another customer. He supposed he didn’t deserve anything more than that. But it hurt to see her looking at him with no warmth, no trace of a smile.

  “I was wondering—” he paused to rub the back of his neck “—how your interview in Scottsdale went.”

  “Were you?” Sabrina picked up another shirt.

  “Yes, I was. Would you like to tell me?”

  She kept folding. “Actually, it went quite well. They called me today, as a matter of fact, and offered me the job.”

  “Oh.” That rock in his stomach grew into a boulder. “Well, that’s good, then. Have you given your notice?”

  “I haven’t accepted the job in Scottsdale yet.”

  Hope flickered, but he tamped it down. “Why not?”

  “Does it matter?” The shirt she was folding came out crooked. Impatiently, she shook it out and started again. “I went to the interview in Scottsdale. Wasn’t that the line you drew in the sand?”

  She was right. As much as he wanted to blame her for leaving, he was the one who had laid out the ultimatum. She’d made her decision, and now she was making it clear her life choices were no longer any of his business. “Well, whether you end up in Seattle or Scottsdale, I wish you the best. You deserve all the happiness in the world.”

  Without waiting for a response, he turned and carried the fishing pole to the checkout. But before he left the store, he craned his neck for one last glimpse of Sabrina.

  * * *

  THE NEXT MORNING, Sabrina locked the door to her apartment and followed Boomer up the stairs. He tugged on his leash, eager to get to the park. Today was a late half day at work, so Sabrina had the morning off, and letting Boomer mark every bush in the neighborhood park followed by a nice long run seemed like a good way to spend it. She had a decision to make and running always helped her think.

  She zipped her jacket. No rain this morning, but clouds and a slight breeze chilled her Arizona-bred body. On a day like this, Leith would be wearing hiking shorts and a T-shirt. He never seemed to get cold. On her last morning off before their trip to Denali, they’d hiked in Kincaid Park and spotted a bull moose with an enormous set of antlers lying in a patch of sun. The moose had watched them as though trying to understand why these two-legged creatures insisted on wandering in the woods when there was a nice sunny meadow for relaxing. An Alaska moment. She was going to miss those when she left. If she left.

  She reached the park, and Boomer did his thing while she warmed up and stretched. Once he was satisfied that every dog passing this way would know “Boomer was here,” Sabrina broke into a run. Boomer dashed along beside her, his little legs a blur.

  Tomorrow, she had to give Kate her answer, and she wasn’t sure what she would say. Too many variables made what should have been an easy decision impossible. Take the secure job she knew she was good at—working for McCormick and Sons? Stay on the management track at Orson, where she might work her way up the ladder to a high-paying upper-management job? Or try her hand at design, knowing if her designs didn’t sell the first year, she was toast?

  The obvious answer was McCormick. They had an excellent reputation as an employer, and the people she’d met there seemed nice enough. She’d get to travel to places like Paris, London and Barcelona to find the most fabulous fashions. And most important, she’d know her job was likely safe, which had always been her priority.

  So why couldn’t she just make the call? She’d signed on to the management-trainee program with Orson, but they had plenty of qualified applicants. It was the design job that tempted her. Or was it? Was it really the chance to
design that was enticing her to accept Kate’s offer? Or was it that the design job would allow her to stay in Anchorage, with Leith?

  Leith. She missed him. Missed his laughter, and his kindness. Missed spending time with him outdoors. Missed the way he could make her feel adventurous and safe at the same time. But just because she missed him was no reason to turn down a secure job. If there was one thing her father’s leaving had taught her, it was that you couldn’t rely on anyone else. Leith shouldn’t factor into this decision.

  She and Boomer had made three laps around the park when she stopped to stretch and catch her breath. Boomer gave a sudden bark of greeting and wagged his tail. Sabrina looked up to see Volta approaching. What in the world was she doing here? She lived on the other side of town.

  “Hi. Out for a run?” Volta gave a nervous laugh. “I mean, obviously you are.”

  “Uh-huh. How about you? Did you just happen to decide to walk in a neighborhood park several miles from your house?”

  Volta grinned. “No. I called Orson’s, and they said you weren’t scheduled for work until this afternoon, so I came looking. I knocked on the door of your apartment, and when I didn’t hear the dog bark I figured I might find you here.”

  “That was a lot of detective work. You could have just called.”

  Volta shrugged. “Yeah, but I was afraid you might not answer.”

  “Why wouldn’t I?”

  Volta grimaced. “Leith told me about what happened, how he expected you to choose between the job interview and him. I thought you might not want to deal with anyone associated with that lunkhead.”

  Sabrina laughed. “I won’t hold your brother against you.”

  “Good, because I want to take you out for an early lunch.”

  “That’s nice of you, but I don’t know if I have time for a restaurant meal.” Sabrina checked her watch. “I need to finish my run and take a shower before work.”

  “How about if you finish your run while I pick up some bop and we can eat over there at the picnic table by the lake?”

  “Bop?”

  “Korean rice bowls. There’s a place on Muldoon. They come with vegetables, meat and this amazing sauce. If I call it in, I can be back in fifteen minutes.”

  “Sounds good to me.”

  “Great. What kind of meat do you like?”

  “Surprise me.”

  Volta nodded her approval. “See you in a bit.”

  Sabrina and Boomer had just finished their run and were cooling down when Volta showed up again with a carrier sack and two bottles of water. Sabrina accompanied her across the park to the picnic table, tied Boomer to the table leg and sat down on the bench. Boomer lay with his chin on his paws, looking up at her with sad eyes, as though brokenhearted over her callous treatment of not allowing him in her lap while she ate.

  Volta handed her a paper bowl full of food. Sabrina popped off the lid and dug a plastic spork into her bowl, coming up with a spoonful of rice, a mushroom and a tiny meatball. She popped it into her mouth. “Mmm, this is good.”

  “I thought you’d like it.” Volta took a bite of her own lunch.

  “I do.” Sabrina swallowed another bite. “So, now that you’ve gotten me in a good mood, what did you want to talk about?”

  “How did you know I wanted to talk?”

  “You’re here. And you went to a lot of trouble to find me. Where is Emma, by the way?”

  “She went RVing with a friend’s family. They’re spending the night in Seward and going to the SeaLife Center.”

  “Sounds fun.”

  “It’s really good. Emma loves the seals. You should go if you get the chance.”

  “I’ll keep it in mind.”

  “Do.” Volta took a drink. “Leith said you interviewed for a job in Scottsdale.”

  “Yes, with McCormick and Sons.”

  “McCormick’s?” Volta broke into a grin, her spoon halfway to her mouth. “I love that store. When we lived there, Mom and I went to their big semiannual clearance sale. I found this amazing prom dress that had been marked down from three hundred dollars to sixty. Spaghetti straps, beaded bodice, mermaid skirt. It was gorgeous. I had to scramble for a date to the prom the next year, but I had the perfect dress.”

  “I can picture it on you. Beautiful. My mother used to take me to the sale when I was little, too, and she’d buy me chocolate-covered raisins from the candy department.”

  “Ooh, chocolate-covered raisins. Yum. Have you heard back from McCormick’s yet?”

  “Leith didn’t tell you?”

  “No, I haven’t seen Leith in the last couple of days.”

  “McCormick offered me the job.”

  “Oh.” Volta’s face fell, but then she forced a smile. “Congratulations. When do you move to Scottsdale?”

  “I haven’t accepted yet.”

  “No? Why not?”

  “As it turns out, I’ve had another job offer.”

  “What kind of offer?”

  Sabrina took another bite before continuing. “It’s kind of complicated. Are you sure you want to get into this?”

  “Sure, unless you don’t want to tell me. Though sometimes it’s easier to make a decision if you talk it over with a friend.”

  She smiled. “I do need to decide.”

  “Then let’s examine all the options. First, tell me about McCormick and Sons. You obviously impressed them in the interview. Did you get a sense of what they would be like to work for?”

  Sabrina nodded. “I’ve always heard it’s a great place to work, and everyone I talked to confirmed that. They treat their employees well. It would involve travel, similar to what I was doing before with Cutterbee’s.”

  “You’d travel to fashion shows in Europe and things like that?”

  “Yeah. I did that with my other job, but this would include more high-fashion shows.”

  “It sounds like a good fit,” Volta admitted.

  “It is a good fit. Plus, my mother lives in Scottsdale. She’s already making plans for Sunday dinners and spa weekends.”

  “I’ll bet.”

  “But then there’s the management job with Orson’s. If I did well in the company, I could eventually make it to upper management. I don’t know how much they make, but it’s a lot more than a buyer.”

  Volta smiled. “Money is always nice.”

  “And I’d live in Seattle. I have a sister in Seattle.”

  “You do? For some reason, I thought you were an only child.”

  “I was, for all intents and purposes. Long story short, my father, who left my mother and me when I was twelve, had another daughter, who I didn’t know about. He died earlier this year, and she tracked me down.”

  “That must be weird. What’s she like?”

  Sabrina grinned. “Weird isn’t far off. Fun, though. She’s a college freshman. We met at the airport for a couple of hours on my way back from Phoenix. I’d like to spend more time with her and get to know her better.”

  “Okay, so job number one—fashion shows, nice company to work for, close to your mom. Job number two—big bucks, get to know your sister. Is that about the size of it?”

  “No, there’s another choice. Kate Simonton, one of the VPs, offered me a different job designing a new line of women’s outdoor clothing for Orson’s.”

  “A whole new line of clothes?”

  “Yeah. Outdoor clothing similar to what we offer now, but with more style. Along the lines of what Caribou Pass and Hidden Glacier are putting out, but more affordable.”

  “Wow. You’d be really good at that. How’s the pay?”

  “Comparable to McCormick’s.”

  “Housing is expensive in Seattle,” Volta warned.

  “The design job isn’t necessarily based in Seattle. I could live wherever I want.”

&nbs
p; “So if you wanted, you could live in Scottsdale, near your mother?”

  “I could.”

  “Or you could stay here, in Anchorage?”

  “Yes.”

  Volta’s eyes, the same brilliant blue as her brother’s, lit up. “That would be awesome.” She held up her hands. “For me. But you need to do what’s best for you. You’d rather be a buyer or a manager than a designer?”

  “I don’t know. I’d love to try my hand at design. But they’re only offering a one-year contract. If the line doesn’t sell well, they’d discontinue it and I’d be out of a job. Again.”

  “And if it did sell well?”

  “Then I suppose they’d renew my contract and I’d keep on designing. If it were very popular they’d probably grow the line and hire more people.”

  Volta absently stirred the ingredients in her bowl. “Suppose for a moment everything was equal. Pay, job security, perks, location. Nobody pressuring you to live in one location or another. Which job would you choose?”

  “That’s silly. You can’t make decisions like this in a vacuum.”

  “But if you could, which job would you take?”

  Sabrina paused to take a bite and think it over while she chewed. “I’d love to try my hand at design. But that’s irrelevant because everything is not equal. Openings at McCormick and Sons don’t happen often. If the designer job doesn’t work out, I might never get another chance with them. Even the management training program at Orson’s is only every four years. If I started over, I’d be four years behind.”

  “So, basically, you’re choosing between a management job that might make you a lot of money, a secure job doing something you like and a risky job doing something you love.”

  “Maybe. But, you know, design might not be all that exciting as a permanent job. It’s fun to come up with ideas and designs when I’m in the mood, but under pressure it might not be so fun. What with production schedules, suppliers and cost control, it could be a nightmare.”

  “It sounds to me like you’re trying to talk yourself out of what you really want to do.”