Snowbound with Mr. Right

by Judy Christenberry

  “When you carry a bigger volume, you can improve the quality of the item because of your volume.”

  “But why do you have so much business?”

  “We’re the only store in the area. This is a ranching and farming community. They don’t do a lot of frivolous shopping. When they need something, however, they need it immediately from the closest store. And that’s us.”

  “The steaks are ready to go in the oven. On broil, I think.”

  Sally took the grill pan from him and slid it into the lower oven. Then she turned on the oven as he’d asked. She moved to the counter. “Here’s a steamer for the broccoli.”

  Once the broccoli was on, Hunter looked at Sally. “How about we go sit by the fire until the food needs our attention?”

  Though Sally suddenly discovered she was nervous, she agreed. What were they going to talk about?

  But Hunter made it easy. He asked about her childhood, talking about his life, also. Then he moved to her college life. “Did you date in college?”

  “Yes, of course.”

  “And you didn’t find anyone you wanted to marry?”

  “No. Did you?”

  “No. I found some who wanted my grandfather’s money by marrying me, but I wasn’t interested.”

  “Surely they didn’t tell you that!”

  “No. They were a bit more subtle.”

  She smiled at him. “They must’ve been upset when you told them no.”

  “Yeah. But a marriage has to be between two people who care about each other. Not one who cares and one who cares about the money they can get.”

  “Yes, I guess so. I just didn’t find anyone who understood what I wanted, or who wanted to live in Bailey. They wanted bright lights, a big city life. That’s not for me.”

  He smiled. “Not tempted?”

  She shook her head. “I have what I want, right here. Mom and Dad provided me with an income and a house.”

  “That sounds a little lonely.”

  “I suppose so. But I’m surrounded by people I know. And Penny is only a short distance away.”

  “I haven’t met her yet.”

  “No. She—she’s busy with the ranch right now.”

  “Do you see her often?”

  “I had dinner with her last week.”

  “Is she a good cook?”

  “Yes, she is,” Sally said with a smile. “But she’s hired a housekeeper because she’s trying to learn ranching and stays in the saddle most days.”

  Hunter winced. “That sounds painful.”

  “Not for Penny. She’s been riding since she was little.”

  “Do you ride?”

  “Yes, I’ve ridden some. When I go out to the ranch, I ride. Or I used to. Now, I’ll be here most days.” She unconsciously sighed.

  “You could sell.” He said the words so softly that Sally was unsure whether she had heard him right. She suddenly had a horrible feeling that Hunter was here under false pretences, and the thought made her sick to her stomach. Sally jumped to her feet.

  “Is that why you wanted to cook for me tonight, Hunter? To soften me up? I’m not interested in selling the store, Hunter, and if that’s the only reason you are here then you might as well leave now!”

  “I didn’t mean—you just sounded so stressed. I’d better go check the steaks.” Hunter got up and walked back into the kitchen.

  Sally sank down onto the sofa. She hadn’t meant to chase him away. But she couldn’t help it. She had no intention of selling her store ever, but Hunter had been right about one thing. She had been feeling a little burdened by everything that had happened.

  “Sally?” Hunter called from the kitchen.

  She didn’t want to go to the kitchen. Sitting by the fire had seemed so nice. With another sigh, she stood and walked into the kitchen. “Yes?”

  Hunter was leaning against the kitchen counter and looked very handsome in the soft light. He stood and walked nearer to Sally, reaching out to place his hand on her arm. “You’re still angry with me?”

  Sally immediately felt the familiar prickle of electricity where his hand touched her. “Yes, Hunter, I am.” But she didn’t move his hand from her arm.

  “Sally, I didn’t intend to suggest—you just sounded so tired, it seemed like a good idea.”

  “I am tired a lot right now, but I’d never sell.”

  “Okay, I’ve got it. I’m sorry if I upset you. That was the last thing I ever wanted to do. Friends?”

  Sally knew that she shouldn’t be angry with Hunter. He was just expressing his opinion and she had probably overreacted. They had been getting on well before then and she had been enjoying the time she had spent with him. She walked to the upper oven where the potatoes were cooking. “Okay, friends. These will probably need another fifteen minutes,” she said, motioning toward the potatoes and swiftly changing the subject.

  Hunter smiled, glad that Sally had forgiven him. “Okay, the steaks should be ready then, too.”

  Sally turned and took out place mats and put them on the table. Then she got silverware and set the table, adding two plates. Next she made some iced tea and poured it into two glasses with ice. Adding napkins, she stood back and checked the table.

  “We’ll need butter for the potatoes,” Hunter pointed out.

  She added the butter, but she also added some shredded cheese and sour cream.

  “Do you think the broccoli is done?”

  “You’re the cook,” she said a little stiffly.

  “Yeah, but—okay, I’ll take the broccoli up.” Hunter sensed that maybe he still needed to make amends.

  Sally watched as he did that task. Then he turned to the steaks again. When he closed the lower oven to let the steaks cook a little longer, there was nothing left to do for the moment.

  “Want to go back to the fire?” he asked.

  “No, thank you.” She sat down at the table.

  He pulled out the chair at the other place setting and sat down across the table from her. “Are we going to talk to each other like before?”

  Sally stared at him. “Sure, we can talk. As long as it doesn’t involve me selling up.”

  “What happens when you marry?” Hunter asked.

  “What do you mean?”

  “What if you fall for someone who lives, say, in Denver?”

  “I don’t think I could marry anyone who doesn’t agree to move here and help me run the store.”

  “That’s seems a little limiting, doesn’t it?”

  Sally stood, suddenly wanting Hunter to leave. His questions were getting a little too personal and she didn’t want to think about the answers. “I can fix your dinner in a disposable plate and wrap it in foil. It will be ready in five minutes.”

  “Sally, I was just asking a question. Have you thought about these things?”

  “Of course I have! But it’s really none of your business, Hunter!”

  “I was asking as a friend, that’s all.”

  “I don’t think we can be friends, not with our working arrangement. I think it was a mistake to let you come here tonight.”

  “Come on, Sally, the food is almost ready now. Can we just enjoy our meal and put business on one side?”

  “No talk about the store?”

  “None, I promise,” he said and made a cross over his heart.

  Sally smiled at his determination and wondered at his ability to win her round so easily. “Fine,” she said and swatted him away with her hand.

  Hunter got up and took out the steaks, adding the baked potatoes and bringing the broccoli to the table. “Oops, I forgot to put in the bread. It won’t take much time.”

  Sally sat silently as he slid the bread in the oven.

  “It will take five minutes. Do you want to start eating?”

  “No. It’s fine, I’ll wait.” The food smelled wonderful and Sally realized that she was actually very hungry.

  Hunter sat back down and looked at Sally across the table. “Have you traveled much?”<
br />
  “No, not really. I’ve always been here.”

  “Granddad sent me to Europe after I graduated from college. It was quite an experience.”

  “Where did you go?” Sally asked, grateful for something to talk about besides the store.

  “I started in London. It took me a while to understand those people, though they claimed they were speaking English,” he said with a laugh. “But I enjoyed it there and spent a bit more time in England taking in a few other sights.”

  “Did you see Stonehenge?”

  “Yeah. A bunch of tall rocks in a circle. But there’s something there—I mean, you get a weird feeling when you’re standing in the center of those rocks.”

  Sally shivered. “Really? I’ve wondered about that.”

  “Yeah, I didn’t believe it would do anything to me, but it did.”

  “What about Shakespeare’s house?”

  “I saw that. It wasn’t very big,” he said with a grin. “But things were different then, weren’t they?”

  “Yes, I guess they were.”

  The buzzer went off. Hunter jumped up and took the golden-brown rolls out of the oven and put them on a plate. He brought them to the table and sat down. “Now we can eat.”

  Sally nodded her head and then bowed it. She said a short prayer, one her father always said before eating.

  When she raised her head, she discovered Hunter watching her. “Is something wrong?”

  “Not at all. Broccoli?”

  “Yes, thank you.”

  She served herself and then cut open her potato and added butter, cheese and sour cream. After adding one of the hot rolls and buttering it, she was ready to eat.

  A few bites later, she said, “I want to thank you for cooking for me tonight. I’ll admit that I don’t always eat the way I should because it seems silly to cook for just one.”

  “My grandfather is a hard worker, but he always says that it’s due to the good food my grandmother served every night.”

  “And your mother?”

  “Mom was a society lady. She went to parties and the opera, the symphony, the theater. Five nights out of seven, she was gone.”

  “But she had to feed you dinner, didn’t she?”

  “No. The housekeeper fed me. I ate well, but I ate by myself.”

  “That’s sad, Hunter.”

  “When Mom and Dad got a divorce and we moved in with my grandparents, Mom still went out all the time, but I ate with my grandparents. We had nice dinner conversation and my grandmother taught me good manners.”

  Sally grinned at him. “She certainly did a good job.”

  “Yeah. Now I’m grateful. At first I hated it. But having dinner with other people, people who cared about you and took the time to show you how to behave was a great experience.”

  “That’s wonderful.”

  “I took the time to tell her how much I appreciated all she’d taught me one weekend when I came home from college. I’m glad I did. She died shortly afterward.”

  “Oh, I’m sorry,” Sally said and stopped to look at Hunter more thoughtfully.

  Almost as if he didn’t hear her words, he said, “I still have my granddad. And my mother and father are still living.”

  “Yes,” she agreed and took a bite of her steak. There were several things she could say, but she wasn’t going to.

  After a moment of silence, he said, “I’m sorry, Sally, I didn’t think.”

  “It’s all right, Hunter.”

  “No, it was insensitive. Let’s talk about something else. If you could go anywhere, where would you want to go?”

  “Paris. I took French in college and I’ve always wanted to see Paris.”

  “It’s a beautiful city. I enjoyed it a lot. But not speaking French is a hindrance.”

  “Didn’t you take it in college?”

  “No, I took German. My dad’s choice, I might add.”

  “So did you travel in Germany?”

  “Yeah, and it’s a beautiful country, but I enjoyed Paris a lot more.”

  “Did you go to the top of the Eiffel Tower?”

  “Yeah. It looks like fun, but it’s a long way up. I’m not a great fan of heights and I was worried that I might fall from the top!”

  “That’s a terrible thought! I think we need to change the subject again. What did you like best about France?”

  “The pain au chocolat. I had one of those my first morning in Paris. Every day after that, I had a pain au chocolat. I miss those.”

  “Yes, I’ve heard of those, and the croissants. I’ve been to La Madeleine in Denver. That’s the closest I’ve gotten.”

  “I didn’t know you’d been to Denver.”

  “Yes, my mom and I would occasionally go shopping in Denver. Mom didn’t like to leave Dad all alone, but twice a year we’d make the trip.”

  “Did you ever spend the night there?”

  “A couple of times, but Mom didn’t like to stay over.”

  “I wish I’d known you then. I could’ve shown you around.”

  “I saw the stores. In fact, I shopped in one of yours. The one located near the center of downtown.”

  “Ah. That was Granddad’s first store. It grew over the years. Then he began spreading out. But that store is still his favorite.”

  “It’s a marvelous store and the choices are incredible. But most of them wouldn’t sell here.”

  “True. Can’t you see a rancher’s wife dressed in a zebra-striped dress and spike heels?”

  “Actually there are one or two who wear that kind of dress, but they don’t fit in well here.”

  “Have you ever worn zebra stripes?”

  “No, nor any other kind of animal stripes.”

  “I think zebra stripes might look good on you with your blond hair.”

  Sally shook her head and took another bite of her steak.

  “Do you wear red?”

  “Yes, of course, though I favor blue.”

  “I guess that would look good on you.”

  “Thank you, but my appearance isn’t terribly important in my job.”

  “Really? Granddad says an attractive salesperson will sell more than an unattractive salesperson.”

  “So he only hires beautiful people?”

  “No, he only hires people who present an attractive picture, whether they are beautiful or not.”

  “I think a person’s smile is the most important thing.”

  “Yeah, I guess that counts, too.”

  They finished their meal and did the dishes together, though Sally teased Hunter about his lack of experience with the dishes.

  “Now shall we have coffee by the fire?” he asked.

  “Of course. Let me fix a tray.”

  They settled on the sofa, in front of the fire that had died down to glowing coals. Sally poured the coffee and they both sipped it slowly. Finally, with no conversation, Sally closed her eyes for just a moment.

  When she next opened her eyes, it was almost nine in the morning, and Hunter Bedford was sleeping next to her.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  “HUNTER!”

  Sally was practically screaming as she stared at her watch.

  He slowly came awake. “What’s the matter?” he asked groggily.

  “Hunter, it’s after nine o’clock! You stayed here all night!”

  “I did? I’m sorry, Sally. I just closed my eyes for a minute because—because I was so tired. I didn’t intend to stay so long.”

  He didn’t sound at all upset. Sally closed her eyes again. All she could think about was what people would say. “Hunter, you don’t understand. In a small town, any kind of behavior like this will cause all kinds of talk. You’ve got to leave as quickly and as quietly as possible.”

  “Sure. I’ll slip out, but it’s no big deal, Sally.”

  “Maybe not in Denver, but here it is. Please, just go and don’t say anything to anyone.”

  “No, I won’t.”

  He crossed to the front door, pic
king up his coat and putting it on. Then he opened the front door and came to a complete stop as snow blew into his face.

  “Close the door!” Sally yelled, even as she ran for the mop.

  He did as she asked, but he just stood there, with snow all over him.

  She returned with the mop and handed him a towel, telling him to wipe himself off. Then she began mopping the entryway.

  “Uh, Sally, I thought you wanted me to leave.”

  “Not in a snowstorm, Hunter. I’d forgotten about the storm coming. I guess it’s still out there.”

  “Yeah,” he said as he wiped himself dry. “What do we do now?”

  How she wished for her parents at that moment. There wouldn’t be a problem if she had them here. With a sigh, she said, “We go to the kitchen and make breakfast.”

  Hunter followed her, offering to cook for her again.

  “No, I think I’ll cook this morning. It won’t take long.”

  She began by putting bacon on to cook, mixing eggs in a bowl and adding milk, and buttering bread to go in the oven. Hunter took over that chore, buttering four pieces of bread. He also poured some juice for the two of them. In between the cooking, Sally cleaned out the coffeepot and refilled it. By the time she served the eggs and bacon and Hunter served the toast, the coffee was perking.

  “This is a great breakfast, Sally,” Hunter said as he ate.

  “I’m glad you’re enjoying it,” she said politely, but she kept looking out of the window at the near blizzard. In a way she was grateful for the storm because it might allow her to get Hunter out of her house before someone saw him.

  He got up and poured two cups of coffee once the coffeepot finished.

  “Thank you,” she said and took a sip of coffee.

  “No sugar or milk for you?”

  “No, I take mine black. Do you need something for your coffee?”

  “I could use a little milk. I like it in my coffee in the mornings.”

  Sally got up and poured some milk in a small pitcher and put it on the table next to Hunter. Then she sat down again.

  “How long will it last?”

  “What?” she asked, looking at him. She knew he’d said something, but she’d been thinking about her dilemma.

  “I asked how long the storm will last.”

  “I don’t know. We’ll turn on the television and listen to the weather.” There was a small television on the kitchen cabinet and Sally switched it on and then sat back down. The picture was of a weather map and the man was explaining that the snowstorm should ease up early in the afternoon.