A Lasting Proposal

Jake sipped his coffee while he scanned the people passing by. Monday mornings in May were pretty quiet in Canmore. Few tourists this early in the season. And the regulars had their jobs—many of them commuted to Calgary.

He wondered what Maureen’s plans were. According to Cathleen, she was toying with the idea of moving. Somehow he couldn’t picture her living here, though. Unlike her two sisters, she was obviously a city woman.

Of course, he’d only met her a few times, the last occasion being Cathleen and Dylan’s wedding. Her husband had been dead just a few months, so he’d expected her to be pretty shaken up. But she was so together it was almost scary. She’d reminded him of the plastic Christmas trees he saw every season in department store windows. Everything about her was so perfect she didn’t seem real—from her appearance, which was all big-city polish, to her take-charge manner, to her perfect composure throughout the ceremony.

She’d been one of the few not to tear up during the exchange of wedding vows. Jake had recognized the cynicism he’d glimpsed within those china-doll blue eyes—he, too, held little faith in happily ever after. But he’d never been married, and Maureen had. What life experiences had put that chilly smile on her soft, pretty lips?

And what was going on between her and her daughter? The only time Maureen displayed any vulnerability was when she was watching Holly. But Holly studiously avoided her mother’s gaze at all times. Something was definitely wrong there.

Out on the street a black BMW slowed. The driver skillfully maneuvered the vehicle into one of the parallel-parking spots half a block down from the café. The car shouted “big city,” so he wasn’t surprised when Maureen Shannon stepped out from behind the steering wheel. Holding her blond hair back with one hand, she checked for traffic before hauling a big leather briefcase from the back seat.

Early thirties, he figured, knowing she was the eldest of the Shannon sisters. She had the composure of a mature woman, and the stride of someone with no time to lose. He watched her approach, appreciating her tall, long-limbed form. She wore a black pants suit with a white blouse. Sunglasses hid her eyes. He removed his own, preparing to flag her down.

She seemed to be talking to herself. As she neared, he saw she was speaking into a small microphone attached to the phone in her other hand.

“Didn’t you get my e-mail?”

He could hear her now.

“Don’t worry. After this meeting I’ll go to my sister’s and connect my laptop. You’ll have another copy before lunch.”

Then she was at his table and smiling brilliantly. “Jake Hartman?”

He stood to take her hand.

“Good to see you, Maureen. How was the drive from Calgary?”

“Beautiful. Absolutely stunning.” She removed her glasses to look at him, but the sun was so bright she crinkled her eyes and put them back on. “Great weather, isn’t it?”

He agreed, pulling out her chair.

Maureen glanced at the table and frowned. “You ordered for me?”

He shrugged. “To save time. How’s your daughter doing—Holly, right?”

Maureen shifted her gaze uncertainly. “She still misses her dad.”

“I guess that’s to be expected.”

Settling her briefcase at her side, Maureen sat. “Cathleen tells me you have a business proposition.”

So there was to be no more time wasted on chit-chat, Jake surmised. It wasn’t his style; he preferred to ease into serious subjects the way you waded slowly into a cold lake.

No, the deep plunge wasn’t his way. But he could be flexible. “I have plans for upgrading my heli-skiing business—Grizzly Peaks. Problem is, I’ve never liked dealing with banks, so my accountant suggested I look for an equity investor—” what had Dylan called it? “—a silent partner.”

“Right. Tell me a bit about yourself, Jake. When did you start this business? What do you see as your strengths and weaknesses?”

She was making him feel like a job applicant. It was amusing in a way. He’d earned enough of a name for himself at Grizzly Peaks that most people around here were well aware of his reputation. But Maureen wasn’t from Canmore, and she had every right to know about the man she was considering investing her money with.

“I started Grizzly Peaks about ten years ago on seventy-five hundred square kilometers of untouched backcountry. Our customers fly in by charter helicopter to home base. And they’re treated to the best. Besides a hundred thousand feet of vertical skiing, we provide guides, gourmet food and lodging. We’ve even got hot tubs and saunas and a complete health club in our main lodge.”

“Rod always wanted to try heli-skiing,” she muttered, tearing off a small corner of her bagel and eating it tentatively, as if she expected it to be laced with cayenne pepper or something.

“It’s a total blast. I’ll take you and your kid on a complimentary junket one day.”

“Oh, I don’t think so.”

“It’s not dangerous if you’re with an experienced outfit.”

“I’ve heard that line once too often in my life.” She picked up the partnership agreement he’d written and read it through.

Jake leaned back and sipped more coffee. Basically the agreement stated that in exchange for her money, he’d provide annual financial statements and a cut of the profits equal to her stake in the business. He hadn’t seen any need to make the agreement more complicated than that.

Watching her read, he felt a new tension, unrelated to the business prospects of this meeting. Damn, but she was gorgeous. Without her daughter around, though, there was no hint of the vulnerability he’d thought he’d glimpsed at the wedding. This woman was tough, he conceded. Yet something about her tight smile and the defiant angle of her chin made him want to touch her hand reassuringly.

He had little doubt she’d slap him if he dared.

“Well?” he asked when she appeared to be done.

She dropped the page on the table with no comment. “You said your accountant prepared some financial projections?”

“Oh, yeah.” He’d almost forgotten about them. Now he reached into his back pants pocket and pulled out the folded square package. Seeing Maureen’s mouth droop at the sight, he regretted not heeding Harvey’s advice and having the report printed and bound professionally. With care he pressed out the stapled sheets, then passed them over.

“Thanks.” Maureen checked everything very carefully. As she read, she tore away at the bagel, eating it molecule by molecule. She was only a quarter of the way through the bread when she was done with the documents.

“What about years with poor snowfall?” she asked.

“Hasn’t happened yet. Before choosing my location, I researched the weather patterns. We get the best precipitation in the Rockies.”

“I see.” Maureen didn’t look at all impressed. “Also, when you mention sharing profits, I assume that would be before depreciation and amortization?”

He realized she was trying to bamboozle him. Just because his presentation was a trifle unsophisticated didn’t make him a fool. “No,” he said firmly. “I can’t pay out profits without making provision for replacing my equipment as it wears out.”

She gave a slight smile. “Fair enough.”

“So…” He waited as she took another nibble from her bagel. “What do you think?”

Her head dipped in a cautious nod. “Your numbers are fantastic. And Cathleen and Dylan have every confidence you can continue to deliver in the future.”

“So will you before this season is out.”

She slid the sunglasses down her nose a fraction of an inch and peered over the top of the frames. “You seem pretty sure of yourself.”

“Really? I was thinking you could give me a few lessons.”

Maureen laughed and it transformed her entire face. The tension he’d felt earlier tightened like a belt across his chest. He thought again about how long he’d been without a woman….

Then told himself he was a raving lunatic even to entertain the thought. This lady was the antithesis of what he looked for. He preferred women who dressed for fun, not business. Women who could let their hair down, who took nothing seriously, especially not him.