Wanted: Tycoon

by Jenna Brandt

  As he reached the Silverpines Mercantile, he noticed that the northwest corner of the building had been damaged. He wondered if they could salvage any of their product and what the townspeople would do without a general store. It was the lifeblood of a small town.

  As Harrison moved further along, he noticed the damage seemed to be contained to that one area. This must have been where they were able to contain the fire and eventually put it out. Otherwise, the entire building would have gone up.

  He heard the chiming of a door opening, and he noticed a young, brunette woman struggling to leave the store. Her arms were filled with three large packages, high enough they were blocking her view and causing her to stumble.

  A man from inside asked, “Can you handle carrying all of those packages by yourself, Miss Willa? I can have one of the boys help you.”

  “Thank you for the offer but I can manage, Mr. Cutler,” the woman stated, shifting the packages in her arms.

  She stepped further out, and the door shut behind her. Slowly, she moved up the sidewalk. Harrison could tell she was struggling and offered his help.

  He rushed up behind her and said, “Can I help you with those, miss?”

  His voice must have startled her, because she jerked, causing the packages to go tumbling out of her hands. Harrison reached out to catch them, but only managed to wrap his hands around one. The other two went tumbling to the ground.

  “Oh no,” she said with a gasp. Scurrying to the ground, she scooped up the first package and inspected it, then moved onto the second one.

  “If anything’s damaged, I’ll replace whatever is inside,” Harrison offered, guilt flooding his heart as he saw the worried look on her face.

  The petite woman stood up and turned towards him, a dark eyebrow raised in surprise, causing her chocolate eyes to widen. “That’s a lofty offer. You have no idea what I have inside these packages. I could have rare spices, crystal glasses, or even an heirloom watch.”

  He let out a small laugh, handing over the remaining package. “That’s true, but since it would be my fault it was destroyed, I would feel obligated to replace it, no matter the cost.”

  “You’ve been spared, it seems,” she said, looking inside each of the packages. “I won’t be draining your pocketbook today. Everything seems to be intact.”

  Harrison hadn’t been attracted to a woman like this in quite some time. Not wanting their time together to end, Harrison offered, “Can I help you get these packages to where they belong?” He glanced around, looking for anyone waiting nearby. “You appear to be on your own.”

  “That won’t be necessary. My family is waiting for me,” she said, with a charming smile. “Have a good evening, sir.”

  Before he could introduce himself, she turned around and moved across the street. Harrison watched as the enchanting beauty drifted out of sight.

  She had mentioned her family would be waiting. Did that mean she was married? If that was the case, he had no business thinking about how perfect her lips looked, or how he could stare into her dark pools of chocolate forever. Married women were strictly off-limits. Besides, he was here on business, not to get distracted by a pretty face, no matter how enticing.

  Harrison continued down the street and came to the next building which was the Silverpines Inn. Apparently, it completely escaped the fire. He was grateful as he wouldn’t have wanted to stay in a neighboring town while working in Silverpines.

  The inn was large and built sturdy from what Harrison could tell. He had been in a lot of hotels over the years, traveling from one business venture location to the next. The hotel was just as opulent as any big city hotel with its massive fireplace and crystal chandelier in the main lobby. He could see there was also a restaurant on the main floor, which was good because he could eat there and avoid trying to figure out somewhere else to go. It would be much more efficient.

  At the front desk, a tall, young man with brown hair and eyes was standing behind the counter. He glanced up as Harrison approached. “Good evening, sir. We’ve been expecting you.”

  “You have? I’m rather surprised by that.” Then remembering the other young man who took his luggage, he added, “Oh, Marty must have already brought my bags here.”

  The desk clerk didn’t acknowledge the comment, but his grin seemed to hint at the fact he knew more than he was saying. The clerk continued to stare at him as if inspecting him as he asked, “Do you have any specific requests? We’re rather limited as we’ve offered our rooms to townsfolk effected by the fire.”

  Harrison shook his head. “Whatever you have available will be satisfactory.”

  A man with dark brown hair and matching eyes, who appeared to be slightly older than the clerk, came to stand next to the worker, gesturing to the door he just came from. “Thank you, Riley, that will be all. I’ll handle the rest of Mr. Holt’s check-in.” Once Riley left as directed, the other man—Harrison assumed he was the owner from the way he presented himself in attire and attitude—turned his attention to his new guest. “We’re glad to have you staying at our inn, Mr. Holt. I hope our accommodations are up to your standard. Who would have thought we would have a brickyard tycoon coming to our little town, let alone staying in our inn?”

  Harrison held back the sigh that threatened to escape. Was this going to be a pattern the whole time he was here? Were people going to know who he was before he entered a room? The idea of it didn’t set well with him.

  With a curt nod of his head, Harrison replied, “It seems I’m at a disadvantage. You know who I am, but I have no clue as to who you are.”

  “Let me remedy that,” the tall, thickly built man said, reaching out his hand. “I’m Michael Karson.”

  Out of the corner of his eye, Harrison noticed Riley poking his head around the corner of the door. He was watching them intently, like they were animals in a zoo. The young man’s interest only irritated Harrison further, but he masked his displeasure for the sake of Mr. Karson.

  “It’s nice to meet you,” Harrison said, taking the extended hand. “If you don’t mind, it’s been a hard two days of travel. I’d like to retire for the evening.”

  “Yes, of course, Mr. Holt. Marty already brought your luggage. It’s waiting upstairs in your room on the second floor. Riley can show you the way,” Mr. Karson said, handing the key to Harrison. “Have a good night.”

  Harrison followed Riley upstairs. He entered his room, and laid back on the bed, exhausted from his travel. He knew he needed to get ready for bed, but he just needed to rest for a few minutes. Before he knew it, he was drifting off to sleep, with flashes of the pretty brunette dancing in his head.

  Chapter Three

  The birds chirping outside her window woke Willa. She glanced out the window of her room and noted it was sunny. The light was peeking through the branches of the large pine tree where the birds were hopping from branch to branch.

  Willa sat up and looked over at the other bed. Empty, which meant her grandma was already up, and had left the room they shared. The change occurred two years ago when the older woman could no longer safely live on her own. Willa had to remind herself that lately this room had been her grandma’s because Willa had been gone for six months. Lucky for both of them, it was a large room, and they got along well enough that sharing it again wasn’t a bother.

  Sunday was her favorite day of the week. It was the day she got to go to church, spend time with friends, and relax—though she wasn’t sure she would get to do the last two activities with everything going on at home. She needed to come up with a plan to save the farm, and quick, before her grandma pushed the idea of a mail-order groom again.

  She was aware it had worked well for many other women in town, but Willa wondered if it could for her. What would she have to offer or give in order to entice a man of means to marry her? She didn’t think she had anything that valuable.

  Willa spent the next hour getting ready for church. She was looking forward to attending service and seeing old frie
nds. It would be a welcome reprieve from helping with the fire recovery, while trying to save the family farm.

  A final glance in the mirror confirmed that Willa’s royal blue church dress still fit as good as it did when she first created it two months ago. The bodice was trimmed with cream lace, which mirrored the same detail along the edge of the cap sleeves and ankle length hem. The extra little flare didn’t take much work, but made the dress special, a trick her Aunt Judy taught her, when explaining important aspects of design. If you could make a client feel like her dress was unique, you would gain a client for life.

  Perhaps that was her solution to her dilemma. If Willa bought material and made dresses in Silverpines, there was a chance she could earn enough to temporarily fix the problem. It wasn’t a permanent solution, but it could at least get the debt collector to stop coming around until she found one.

  There were only a few dressmakers in the West, especially ones trained by someone as well-known as Judy Breecher. A few well-made dresses could be just the answer Willa was looking for.

  First thing tomorrow morning, she would head over to the mercantile and see what she could get with the money she brought from Rockwood Springs. It wasn’t much, but if she spread it as far as she could, she might be able to make two dresses.

  She got excited about the idea until she suddenly remembered that the material section of the mercantile was one area destroyed in the fire. There wouldn’t be any new shipments, other than necessities, until the store was rebuilt. This meant Willa would have to order the fabric from out of town, and this was impossible, given the circumstances. Was there anyone going into a neighboring town that would pick some up for her? She doubted it, considering everyone in town would be busy working on the rebuilding of Silverpines. With so many businesses being destroyed in town, no one would be in the market for new dresses anyway, and not any time soon.

  The more Willa thought about her plan, the more she realized making dresses wouldn’t work. Particularly now after the devastating fire.

  Willa let out a heavy sigh as she made her way down the hall of the farmhouse. By the time she reached the kitchen, defeat settled into her heart. She wondered how she would ever be able to fix her family’s money problems.

  “You ready for church?” she heard her grandma ask from the table.

  “Yes, Grandma, I was thinking of checking on Papa before we go.”

  “He’s resting, dear; I wouldn’t disturb him.”

  Willa had barely seen her papa since returning home. Yes, she peeked in on him throughout the day, but he was either sleeping or groggy from the medicine the doctor gave him. He hardly spoke. She had asked her grandma several times what the doctor said was wrong with her papa. They didn’t have an answer, simply, that he was suffering from melancholia, a lowering of his emotional function.

  With a nod of her head, Willa took a seat next to her brother, Arthur, at the table. He smiled at his sister, causing his brown eyes to twinkle, before he grabbed another helping of bacon from the serving dish.

  Their grandma reached out lightly smacking his hand, admonishing, “Let your sister have some before you eat the last of it.”

  “That’s all right, Grandma, I’m not that hungry anyway,” she said, giving her brother a wink as she reached out and ruffled his brown hair. Turning her attention back to her grandma, she said, “You should let me take cooking back over now that I’m home.”

  “Oh, don’t do that to me, Willa. I might be old, but I’m not obsolete. I can still contribute around here.”

  Willa’s eyes grew round and heat surfaced to her cheeks, embarrassed she hurt her grandma’s pride. “I meant nothing by it, Grandma. If you enjoy cooking, then by all means, you may continue to do it for the family. It gives me more time to focus on other problems such as the farm’s debt.”

  “Have you thought anymore on my suggestion about the Groom’s Gazette?” Willa’s grandma probed. “If you’re planning on doing it, you shouldn’t delay.”

  “I’m going over all the options,” Willa replied, side-stepping giving an answer to her grandma. She didn’t want to get into another debate about advertising for a husband, especially in front of her little brother. “Is everyone ready to walk to church?”

  Her grandma quirked an eyebrow with a wise smile, almost as if she knew what the younger version of herself was doing.

  The group quickly cleaned up the kitchen from breakfast before heading out to make the mid-morning service.

  Twenty minutes later, they arrived at the simple white church, which thankfully had been spared from the fire. The Brown family entered the small wooden building and made their way down the aisle. Before they took their seats, three of Willa’s childhood friends came rushing up to her side. Betsy Sewell, Maude Henderson, and Tonya Watts were more than eager to welcome Willa back home.

  Though she had spoken with them at the funeral, Willa spent the rest of her time working on getting the house and farm back in order. Both had been sadly neglected with only young Arthur and her feeble Grandma to take care of the daunting responsibilities.

  “We’re so glad you’re back,” Maude cooed, her hand resting on her visibly pregnant belly. “You’re home in time for the baby’s arrival.”

  “I’m glad to hear it,” Willa said with a warm smile. “I was happy for you and Jeremiah when I received your letter telling me the good news but was sad I’d miss out on being here for the baby’s arrival.”

  “Well, now you’re home. Everything is right in the world again,” Maude stated with glee. Then a sad look crossed her face as she added, “If it hadn’t been for the wretched fire, I mean.”

  “It’s been so awful, seeing all the burnt-out buildings around town,” Tonya stated in a somber tone.

  “The town was finally thriving after the earthquake and mudslide. It’s heartbreaking to see all that progress lost,” Betsy agreed, shifting the weight of her new baby in her arms. “It’ll take so much to get everything fixed.”

  “But we can do it,” Willa stated with optimism. “Our community is strong, and we have a whole town full of fighters. We’ve survived worse, and we’ll not only survive this but thrive,” Willa vowed.

  “You would know better than anyone, Willa,” Betsy said with sympathy. “Your family has had more difficulties than most around here. I’m glad you’re home, but it’s sad what circumstances have brought you back.”

  Still uncomfortable talking about the details of her family’s unfortunate turn of events, she stated simply, “My family needs me. It’s my job to do whatever I can to help.”

  “You’re such a dutiful daughter. Your father is lucky to have you,” Maude praised, reaching out and patting Willa’s arm. “I’m sure you’ll figure out something to help the situation.”

  “You know, the Groom’s Gazette worked wonders for us,” Tonya gestured to herself and Maude. “We can help you write an advertisement if you are willing.”

  Willa wasn’t sure what to say. She didn’t want to hurt her friends’ feelings, knowing they were both in happy marriages to men they found through the process. Should she tell them her reservations? She knew they would understand, but could she bare her soul like that? Taking a deep breath, she whispered, “I’m not sure it would work for me.”

  “Why ever not?” Betsy inquired with surprise. “You’re smart, pretty, talented,” her friend rattled off, listing her attributes.

  “Oh, and don’t forget, a good cook and housekeeper,” Maude chimed in, enjoying making the list. “And when we were in primary school, you were always good at arithmetic and writing.”

  “They’re right, Willa, you have a lot to offer any man,” Tonya added.

  Embarrassment flashed across Willa’s cheeks as she shifted from foot to foot, uneasy with the string of compliments. Before she could say anything to stop her friends from continuing, there was a commotion from the front of the church as murmurs and whispers spread throughout the building. The group’s attention turned to the tall, broad figu
re standing in the church’s threshold.

  Tonya’s eyes grew wide with surprise as she whispered, “I didn’t know he was coming here today.”

  “Who?” Willa asked, the words slipping past her lips without her realizing it.

  “Braylon told me that his friend from university, Harrison Holt, would arrive in town soon. We thought he was getting here Monday.”

  “How do you know that’s him?” Maude asked with curiosity. “I mean, Widow Wallace has been going all over town saying an unmarried, brickyard tycoon was coming to town. The man at the door could be anybody.”

  “Braylon described him to me; said he was strikingly handsome, with dark hair, a tall physique, and impeccable attire.”

  From a distance, Willa would have sworn it looked like the stranger she bumped into while in town the previous night outside the mercantile. Could it be the same man?

  Braylon came up behind his wife, leaned over and whispered loud enough for the group to hear, “I’ll give you one guess who that is.”

  “Isn’t it obvious,” Tonya said with a small laugh. “No one in town has suits that lavish or that modern. Only a man with means could afford an outfit like that.”

  As the man approached, Willa sucked in a deep breath. She couldn’t mistake the cobalt blue eyes staring back at her. It was the man from her chance encounter the night before. His effect on her hadn’t dissipated, and she found herself drawn to his good looks and easy charm. She forced herself to look away, not wanting him to know she was attracted.

  “Good morning, everyone,” he said to the group with a smile. “I’m Harrison Holt.”

  The man’s name made Willa’s heart quiver. She wondered what it would feel like to have his name roll off her tongue. Like warm, decadent honey, she suspected. She wasn’t sure what she would do about this very, very intriguing man standing mere inches away from her.

  “It’s good to see you again, Harrison,” Braylon said taking his friend’s hand and shaking it. “We weren’t expecting you until Monday though. What brought you to town so early?”