A Lasting Proposal

“Not really.” Jake smiled. “A little soapy water and a dishcloth do the trick. Want to have a look at the bedrooms?”

Just as Maureen had her foot on the first tread, she heard her sister say, “You two go ahead. I need to make a phone call, if that’s okay, Jake?”

“No problem,” Jake called back, already halfway up the stairs.

Gritting her teeth at her sister’s latest—obvious—maneuver, Maureen followed him. All the way she admonished herself not to notice the snug fit of his jeans, the narrow line of his hips and legs, the tiny red label that identified the make of his pants, the way the denim was fading at the stitching points of both pockets….

Good job not noticing, she congratulated herself at the landing. The hall was small, but the town house had three bedrooms, and the master was extremely generous.

“Sorry it’s a bit of a mess.” Jake gestured for her to enter his room first.

The king-size bed drew her glance. The comforter had been pulled up in an attempt at neatness, but the lumps and bumps suggested his pillows and sheets were not exactly where they were supposed to be. Maureen had a flash of two naked bodies, dim lights, soft music in the background….

Lord, what was she doing? Focus on the rest of the room, woman! Look at those clothes strewn on the floor. Doesn’t that remind you of Rod? You were always picking up after him….

“There’s a view of the creek,” Jake pointed out. “At night you can hear it.”

Maureen crossed to the window, unable to believe how perfect everything was. “The sound of the water must be very soothing….”

“Have trouble sleeping, too, do you?”

She ignored his all-too-accurate deduction and checked out the closet. It was spacious. Then the ensuite. Luxurious. Finally, when they reached the extra bedrooms, she identified a problem. “These rooms are way smaller than Holly’s back home. I don’t think she’d be very happy.”

Jake tapped the dividing wall. “You know, this isn’t weight-bearing. Dylan and I could probably tear it down for you and make one big room with two closets. What girl wouldn’t love that?”

“Holly’s not into clothes,” Maureen said, although it was beside the point. Chances were most town houses would have small secondary bedrooms. And Jake was right; combining the two rooms would be easy enough. To suggest he would help was generous of him, although of course she could never let him.

Back downstairs, Maureen found a note from Cathleen on the table. Figured you guys would have business to talk over, so I’ve driven to Kelly’s for coffee. Meet me there.

“She’s gone.” Maureen waved the note in the air, then scrunched it into her pocket.

“Those newlyweds are the worst, aren’t they?” Jake grinned, making it clear that he’d recognized Cathleen’s attempts at matchmaking.

Maureen groaned and sank into one of the kitchen chairs. “I’m the eldest. I’m supposed to be the bossy one. But ever since Rod’s accident, my sisters have treated me like the baby in the family. First they pressured me into returning to Canmore. Now they want you and me to practically move in together.”

“Moving in might be a little hasty, but would three doors down be so bad?” Jake settled in the chair opposite hers, folding his hands on the table and leaning in close.

Years and the weather had marked Jake’s skin. Yet this made him no less attractive. Although she guessed he was nearly forty, his hair was still unmarred by gray, and his blue eyes were a startling shade, much lighter than her own.

In the curve of his mouth and the directness of his gaze, she saw honesty, humor and just a touch of wariness, as if he hadn’t quite made his mind up about her, either. Well, that was good. She’d lent him quite a bit of money. Keeping him on his toes was wise.

“Let’s see that brochure.”

Jake blinked and sat taller in his chair. “Sure.” He opened his leather portfolio, which he’d been carrying around, and out slid the prototype for their main advertising pamphlet. “It’s basically the same as my previous one, only updated with the improvements we’re making this summer.”

Maureen reached for the buff paper, prepared to be disappointed. She’d expected lots of gloss and color. But this was a very plain product. The front cover bore the title “Grizzly Peaks.” Below that was a black-and-white photo of a solitary skier in a mass of virgin snow.

She could see the brochure’s appeal; it had a certain understated style. But would it attract attention sitting on a rack of similar brochures, all vying for the eyes of the winter tourists?

“Well?” Jake prompted.

“Two points concern me right now. First, if I hadn’t happened by this morning, you would’ve had these printed without running them by me first. I’m not sure that’s a very good start for our partnership.”

She suspected she’d annoyed him, but when he replied, his voice was calm. “I hadn’t counted on you being involved in the day-to-day decisions.”

“Really? I don’t remember any limitations on my involvement in our partnership agreement. But back to the brochure… It lacks visual punch, don’t you think?”

“Visual punch?”

“I pictured something eye-catching, of obvious quality. An offering that would stand out from the racks of brochures you always see at the information center.”

“And I think that when you print on recycled paper, you send out a message about the environment. All my booklets, cards and stationery are on this type of paper.”

“Okay, I can concede that point. But I still believe we could do a more effective sales job with our copy. Frankly, we could use a good slogan. Something to pique the readers’ interest the moment they pick up the brochure.”

“I suppose…”

“Plus, the information and fee structures in here are all geared to the individual. Have you thought of trying to appeal to families? Or even couples looking for a different, yet romantic, getaway…? Say!” An idea hit her. A good one. “We could even offer a wedding service, a full-package deal. I’ll bet there are people who’d love to get married on a pristine mountaintop. What do you think?”

“I don’t know.” Jake drummed his fingers on the kitchen table. “Interesting idea, I suppose, but have you considered the difficulties? Flowers, for instance. Flying flowers up the mountain would be damned expensive.”

“Jake, it almost seems as if you’re not interested in my ideas.”

“Well, of course I am.”

He put a hand to his face. Was he covering a smile?

“I just didn’t expect you to have so many of them.”

CHAPTER FIVE

“ISN’T THIS GREAT?” Kelly said, bringing a third coffee mug to the table. “Now that you’re back, Maureen, we’ll be able to get together all the time.”

“It is great,” Maureen agreed. She’d refused Jake’s offer of a ride, instead choosing to walk the six blocks from the town house complex to Kelly and Mick’s home. She’d found Cathleen and Kelly in the kitchen, sitting at the table by a big bay window, watching Billy and Amanda. The five-and three-year-old were outside kicking around an old soccer ball.

“They’re such independent kids,” Kelly said. “Very easy to take care of.”

Of course they’d learned that independence the hard way. Their mother, an alcoholic, had eventually abandoned them. Recently she’d asked her brother-in-law, Mick, and Kelly to take permanent custody.

“They seem much happier than they did at Christmas,” Maureen noted.

“A lot has changed since Christmas,” Kelly said. Maureen noticed her fingering her new wedding band. Kelly and Mick had married last December. It had been an expeditious union, undertaken for the sake of the children, or at least that was how it had started out.

“You’re really happy, too, aren’t you?” Maureen asked.

Kelly nodded and smiled. “Mick is the most amazing man. And the kids…”

“You should see them when they visit,” Cathleen said, watching as Billy held the ball in place so Amanda could give it a good whack. “Amanda is developing into a real tomboy. And Billy is so helpful. He always insists on cleaning out Cascade’s stall.”

“What about Sharon? Have you heard from her lately?”

Kelly sighed. “That’s my biggest concern these days. She hasn’t called the children in about three weeks, even though she knows we’re happy to pay for the charges. She’s living at the ski resort in Whistler, working in one of the bars. The worst lifestyle for someone with her drinking problem. Mick and I worry so much….”

Maureen gave her a hug. “Nothing you can do about it, Kel. Sharon’s a grown woman.”

“I know. I just think those kids deserve more from their mother. Anyway…enough doom and gloom. Tell us what you thought of the town house.”

Maureen leaned back in her chair and fixed Cathleen with one of her best, superior, big-sister glares. “Why don’t you two level with me? It’s not real estate you want me to buy. It’s a man.”

“It’s been over a year since Rod died,” Kelly said tentatively. “We thought it might be time.”

“Maybe. But Jake Hartman? Honestly, just because we’re both available doesn’t make us a winning combination.”

“Have you got something against blond, rugged good looks?” Cathleen asked. “Or maybe it’s the fact that he’s tall, obviously in excellent condition and, did I mention, running a very successful business.”

“Oh, he’s a hunk, all right,” Maureen conceded. “And he may even be well-off. But dig a little deeper and what do you find? A man near forty whose life revolves around fun and games. Definitely not my type.”

Kelly looked across the table at Cathleen and shrugged. “Well, what about the town house?”

“That had possibilities,” she admitted. More than possibilities—it was practically perfect. But she still had to get her head around also being three doors down from Jake Hartman.

Never in a million years would she admit as much to her sisters, but what really bothered her was that she did find the man attractive.

Maureen considered herself an intelligent woman. She didn’t like to think she was the type to make the same mistake twice. But perhaps something in her genetic makeup drew her to good-looking yet immature men. How else to explain the erotic thoughts that had struck the minute she’d stepped inside Jake Hartman’s bedroom? Thankfully the man was not a mind reader, or she’d be too embarrassed to work with him.

Her sisters, however, were proved mind readers. And the way they were smiling at each other right now confirmed that her hormonal impulses had shown.

The best defense… “I insist that you put a stop to this matchmaking business. Jake and I are business partners, and only business partners. Besides…” She had a trump card, and now was the time to play it.

“Holly is still so broken up about Rod’s death. I honestly don’t think she could cope if I started dating again.”

MAUREEN PICKED HER DAUGHTER up after school that afternoon, planning to drive straight to the town house to meet the real estate agent.

“How was the first day?” she asked.

Holly had just flung her backpack into the rear seat. Now she did up her seat belt, bending her head so that her blond curls screened her expression.

“Okay.” She leaned forward to change the radio station. Abruptly, the raw edgy music of the Tragically Hip replaced Glenn Gould’s performance of Bach’s D minor piano concerto. Maureen didn’t mind. Nothing on Canadian airwaves could be as bad as what Holly chose to listen to in the privacy of her bedroom.

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