Deal of a Lifetime

by Rue Allyn

  ****

  Con watched Tam amble toward the lookout. He was fuming. She’d been with Buddswell a full ten minutes, not five. Ten minutes was a short time for seduction, but it could be done, if the woman was willing. He wished he was certain Tam wasn’t willing. The possibility that she preferred Mike worried Con more than any mistake he’d made, and he’d made way too many.

  “You’re not smiling, Tam. What happened? Did you discover that Mike didn’t give a damn about business and only wanted to get horizontal, or is that what you hoped?”

  The words were out before he could stop them, regret galloping after. Damn. His own personal, obsessive, territorial, green-eyed monster had taken over and made him talk like an idiot. If he kept this up, she’d slip out of reach forever.

  Tam gaped at him. Fury welled once more at the wrong-headed, idiotic, insulting assumptions of the men she knew. Guilt and good intentions shattered in the face of scream-worthy anger. She gripped her hands together to keep from hitting him.

  “My discussions with Mike Buddswell are none of your business. I’m insulted that you would imagine I could trade sex for preferential treatment. I thought you knew me better. I certainly thought better of you. I guess I was wrong. I’m tired of your interference. You have no rights where I am concerned, so back off.”

  He sucked in a breath and thrust both hands through his hair. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it. I couldn’t stand watching you let Buddswell corner you into a private meeting, especially when I gave you an out. I’ll bet he took you someplace more comfortable with a fire and a big sofa where you could discuss business on your back.”

  She slapped him. The fact that Con was right about Mike didn’t make any difference. “That’s for insulting me a second time. I’ve a good mind to hit you again for thinking I can’t manage my own business, but I don’t waste my time beating on rocks. For the last time, I didn’t need you to give me an out, and I don’t need one now. Goodbye, Con.”

  He’d made it worse, a hundred times worse. What had possessed him to accuse her once of using sex to gain a contract, let alone a second time. Con let the cold wind add sting to his aching cheek and watched Tam stomp back the way she’d come. He was a first class fool. He needed to stop behaving like a Neanderthal. He was smarter than that, at least he liked to think he was.

  The horn sounded, announcing lunch. Con wasn’t hungry, and his stomach revolted at the idea of sitting with a bunch of competitors all chattering polite nonsense and jockeying for position. He turned his steps to the trail leading into the trees. He needed time to think.

  Tamsin is right. My assumptions and interference are insulting. By interfering, I underrate and undermine her abilities. That’s part of how I lost her in the first place. I didn’t give her reason enough to overcome any doubts she had about us. How can she ever believe our stable, happy marriage is possible when I keep acting like an overbearing imbecile? He stepped over a log that barred the path.

  A spot of mushy snow blocked his way. Rather than get his feet wet he skirted around it.

  She put up with a lot in our months together. Granted I didn’t know about her parents, but that wouldn’t change how she felt about marriage. Not being married was her safety net. She could leave any time she wanted, so she didn’t have to. Then I tried to take that safety net away. I tried to tie her to me with rings and ceremonies that she’d never break no matter how much she wanted. I refuse to give her up. If remaining unmarried is the way to keep her, that’s what I’ll do.

  Clouds gathered above him, and the breeze chilled. He shivered, huddled into his thin coat, put his head down, and pushed on.

  The path changed from flat packed dirt to a slight hard rock incline. His gaze turned inward, he walked mindless of the terrain. His feet took him from rock to loose shale veneered with ice. When those same feet slipped out from under him Con was caught unaware. He landed on his back, his breath knocked away. He hauled in air and scrabbled to regain his feet, but the incline had sharpened. The more he moved, the more the rocks beneath him shifted, and the further down the incline he slid. His inability to regain his feet annoyed him. Concern replaced annoyance when the entire hillside began to slide.

  Chapter Seven

  “Last, while I’m certain some of you won’t be happy with this I’ve decided that all pending distribution contracts for Buddswell’s Snack Foods will be subject to open bidding. Bids will be posted anonymously on monitors throughout the conference rooms. I need to know what I’ll be paying for with the bid I select, so only those bids from companies submitting proposals will be accepted. The winning bids will be announced at our closing banquet on Saturday night. We’ll sign letters of intent right after the announcement, so you must be present. If not, the contract will go to the next best bid. Any questions may be directed to me through my office staff. Thank you and enjoy your lunch.”

  A smattering of applause escorted Mike from the podium. Tam wished she could be happy that he’d taken her suggestion, but she wouldn’t be bidding. She needed to be home with Susa—the only relationship she could count on. She toyed with her food. The venison steak, garlic potatoes, and wild greens were all delicious. She wasn’t hungry, not for food.

  She was hungry for the opportunity to talk to Con. His insults provoked her, no question. But she shouldn’t have slapped him. She wanted to set that right before she left. She could do that much, even if she lacked the courage to tell him what he had every right to know—he had a daughter.

  His failure to appear at lunch bothered her. Con didn’t run from confrontation. He was passionate about his causes, but he’d always been the consummate business professional, treating everyone respectfully, setting aside his personal issues to allow no competitor any advantage.

  Today was Friday, and the bidding would eliminate anyone who failed to participate or was slow out of the gate. So why wasn’t he here? Mike’s announcement was important. Con would hear about it when he returned to the hotel, but the sooner he acted to bid the better. He’d be able to identify his serious competition and shape proposals based on his knowledge of those competitors.

  As the room emptied, Buddswell sat beside her and turned on his megawatt smile. “What did you think of my announcement?”

  She lifted the corners of her mouth and studied him, suspicious of his motives. “I admit, I’m surprised you acted on my suggestion after our recent, er…meeting.”

  He placed his hand next to hers on the table but avoided touching her. “I wanted to show you that I can separate business and pleasure.”

  “I appreciate your efforts. Unfortunately, I’m not convinced.”

  “But…”

  “Don’t get me wrong. I believe you are sincere, but too much is hanging in the balance for us to become involved. Even if I thought you could follow through with the promise to separate business and pleasure, no one else in this business would believe it. If I did get the contract, I would be branded as unethical or worse. If I didn’t get a contract, both of us would question any affection between us.”

  “Are you seriously going to allow the opinions of others to dictate your behavior?” He tossed back her challenge from their earlier meeting.

  “No. I’m the only one who dictates my behavior. Obviously you don’t want to understand me when I say I don’t trade sex.”

  He cast a glance around the nearly empty room. No one was close enough to hear their conversation. “What if I said I wanted more than that?”

  Tam lifted her eyebrows and chuckled. “Are you proposing?”

  He looked down, and his hand slipped from the table. “Not really. I was hoping you wouldn’t ask about the details.”

  She laughed out loud. “I’m a businesswoman and an adult. Of course I’d ask about the details.”

  “Well, I’m sorry things didn’t work out. You’re going to bid and stay for the banquet?”

  She shook her head. “I’m afraid not, Mike. I need to get back to Arizona—for personal reasons. TLC and Budd
swell’s will have to wait a year or so before we enter into any business relationship.”

  “I hope it will be sooner than that.”

  She shrugged and stood, extending her hand. “Who knows what the future holds? Friends?”

  Mike stood with her and shook her hand. “Friends. You’ll be hearing from me soon. I’m very interested in the Native American markets.”

  They moved toward the exit while Tam pulled on her coat. “Read my proposal, then get back to me. You’ll probably want to suggest modifications. In the meantime, Con wasn’t at lunch. Have you seen him?”

  “Haven’t seen him since we arrived.”

  “That’s too bad. I wanted to bring him up to date on your announcement. I may be leaving, but he’ll want to see his bids through to the end.”

  “I won’t disagree. Con always gets what he wants. One or two of the tram cars have already returned to the resort. I’ll bet he left early.” Mike held the exterior door open.

  A light snow fell, blanketing the ground but melting on concrete and other hard surfaces. She buttoned her coat, wrapped her scarf around her neck, then tugged on her hat and gloves.

  “I’ll check if anyone’s seen him at the terminal. Goodbye, Mike.” She paused on the walkway, extending her hand once more.

  He took her palm in his, then leaned forward and bussed her cheek. “Not goodbye but farewell. I’ll be in touch about your proposal.”

  An hour later, she still hadn’t found Con. Snow flew and stuck to every surface, an inch deep in some places. No one at the terminal had seen him, so he had to be on the mountain. She checked the restaurant and shops with no luck. Now she stood at the overlook wondering where he might be.

  Given his state of mind when they parted, he might have decided to walk off some steam, but for three hours? Concern twisted in her stomach. That employee who’d given the spiel on the trip up the tramway had mentioned uncertain footing and hungry animals. Was Con lying dead now, lunch for some marauding bear?

  She shook her head at the lurid image. Get a grip. Con’s probably fine. Maybe he slipped onto a tram car without anyone noticing. She moved toward the complex, but before leaving the area she decided to take a look down the path leading into the woods. If she was lucky, once in the trees where the snow hadn’t covered the ground, she’d find a shoe print or something that would show her Con had turned back. Then she could return to the hotel and pack with a clear mind.

  ****

  “Con! Connor O’Neal! Can you hear me? Are you out there? Con!”

  Con shifted, trying to stand despite the pain in his ankle. He shook off the daze that had overtaken him after the first hour since the rockslide trapped him on this ledge. Someone was calling his name. He had to do something so they’d find him.

  “Yes!” The word emerged as a croak. He grabbed a handful of snow and shoved it in his mouth. The cold shocked him more awake, and the melting liquid eliminated the dry hoarseness from shouting for an unanswered hour or so.

  “Con! Dammit, Con, where are you!”

  Tam. That was Tam yelling herself raw and searching for him. How long had she looked? He’d lost track of time, but the amount of snow coming through the surrounding trees told him it had been a while. “Tam!”

  “Con?”

  “Yes, it’s me.”

  “Where are you?”

  “I’m over here.”

  “Keep talking. I’ll find you.”

  Soon shale fell from the top of the slide. “Con?”

  He looked up to see Tam, one arm wrapped around a slim tree trunk, looking down at him. The scant three feet separating them might as well have been a hundred yards.

  “What are you doing down there?”

  “I wasn’t watching where I was going. When I stepped onto that loose shale, the hillside fell out from underneath me. I fell with it.”

  “Why didn’t you climb back up?”

  “The shale’s too loose to get a good grip on anything. Besides, I dinged my ankle in the fall.”

  “Is it broken?”

  “I don’t think so. It hurts, but I can stand on it.”

  “Good. Let’s get you out of there. I don’t want to have to spend the night on this mountain.”

  “Me neither, but I’m not certain how to climb up without pulling you down.”

  “I’ve got an idea. I’ll be right back.” She retreated carefully, then disappeared from sight.

  Con waited. When a minute passed and she hadn’t returned he called. “Tam?”

  “Be there in a sec.” Her voice got louder accompanied by a rain of shale.

  Lifting his arms to shield himself from the stone shower, he ducked, wincing at the pain in his over-stressed ankle. “What are you doing?”

  “Grab onto this. Between me pulling and you climbing, I think we can get you off that ledge.”

  The shale stopped falling, and he raised his head to see a long thin branch dangling in front of him. Tam gripped the smaller end with both hands. Her leather belt was looped tightly around the slim tree she’d held earlier. She had one arm thrust through the loop, anchoring herself in place.

  “Uh, I don’t think that branch is strong enough.”

  “You’re right. Take your belt off and secure it to the branch. I’ll pull it up, then link our belts together. That will make a leather strap long and strong enough for us to pull you up.”

  For the first time in hours, Con grinned. Tam was smart.

  Moments later, the end of his belt dangled in front of his chin. Reaching over his head, he grasped the leather length and planted his good foot solidly atop the shale-covered incline approximately one foot above where he stood. Putting tension on the linked belts, he wedged the foot into the shale until the weight of the stone held him firmly. Then he repeated the process with his injured foot.

  As he moved, Tam took up the slack in their makeshift rescue line. They worked together. Once he placed his palms on solid ground, Tam grasped his shoulders, hauling him upward as he lifted his body with his arms.

  With one last great coordinated heave and push, Con surged up and dropped forward onto stable ground. He lay on the damp earth and sucked in air while his racing heart slowed. Breathing heavily, Tam plopped down beside him.

  “Thank you.” He twined his fingers with hers.

  “You’re welcome.”

  He caught her gaze. “I’m sorry about what I said earlier. I never thought you would trade sex for anything. I just got crazy thinking about you and Buddswell when what I really want is you with me.”

  “I agree you got crazy. Whether you meant it or not that accusation hurt. However, I’ll put it behind me if you promise to show more trust in me and stop interfering.”

  “I’ll try, but it isn’t interfering when I care about you.”

  She avoided his gaze. “Yes, it is, and if you can’t see that, then you might as well give up on any idea you have about us. Now let’s get you out of here.”

  “I’m going to have a problem with mobility.” Con pulled himself into a seated position, leaning against the tree where their belts still hung.

  “I think we’d better splint your ankle to keep it immobilized. Just in case it is broken. I’ll go find a pair of sticks for that as well as something larger for you to use as a crutch. That will support one side of you. I can support the other.”

  “Maybe you’d better go back for help.”

  Tam looked in the direction of the terminal complex, then back at Con. “I hate leaving you here alone and cold.”

  “I’ve been alone and cold for several hours, a few more minutes won’t make much difference.”

  Her brow wrinkled, then she stripped off her coat. “You’re wrong. A few minutes can make all the difference when dealing with hypothermia. Since I plan on running, I’ll leave my coat with you. Wrap it around your body and keep your back to that tree. Both will cut the wind.”

  He wasn’t a complete fool. He took the coat and didn’t argue. He trusted Tam. Truth to tel
l, he was cold to the bone, and parts of him were going numb. “Thanks.”

  “I’ll be back soon.”

  He watched her leave, then started a slow count to occupy his mind and block worry.

  ****

  Daylight was failing before Tam returned loaded for bear but alone. She found Con slumped over beside the tree where she’d left him. Panic clutched at her. She dropped her load. Kneeling beside him, she checked to make certain he was breathing, then shook him. “Con wake up. You’re scaring me.”

  He stirred slowly at first, then sat bolt upright. “Huh, what? Tam, what happened? What took so long, and where’s everyone else?”

  “You fell asleep, and there’s just us.”

  “What!”

  “Don’t get upset. I’m sure someone would have come, but everyone’s gone back to the resort, even the tram crew. I tried calling for help but couldn’t get a signal for my cell phone. The complex is locked tight. I was able to jimmy the door into the terminal shack and found a few useful items.”

  “Everyone’s gone? Why didn’t they wait?”

  “I suspect they didn’t know you were missing or that I’d gone looking for you.”

  “How could they not…Hey, what are you doing?”

  Tam took a penknife from her pocket and slit the seam of Con’s pants to the knee.

  “I found a case full of first aid supplies and a closet of crutches and blankets. Emergency gear for lost or injured skiers, I suspect. We’re going to splint your leg and immobilize that ankle, then use the crutch I brought just like we planned earlier. We’ll go to the terminal shack and spend the night there, unless we find some means of communicating with the resort.”

  Quick and efficient, she worked as she talked. Before long, she pulled on her coat and helped Con to his feet.

  “We could break a window and spend the night in the restaurant. At least we’d have food, and we might be able to turn on the heat.”

  “We can try that,” she agreed. “Let’s get you to shelter before it’s too dark to see our way.”