On a Snowy Night: The Christmas Basket\The Snow Bride (33 page)

Palmer shrugged. “Never.”

“That's what I thought.” A promising idea was beginning to take shape in Addy's mind. Excitement coursed through him and he raised his arms in the air and shouted, “We've been discovered!”

Palmer stared at him. “What?”

“All of a sudden, Snowbound is on the map. It's turning into a tourist destination.”

Frowning, Palmer scratched the side of his head.

“Don't you see?” Addy said urgently. “People are coming here in
droves
.”

“We got two planes, Addy.”

“Still, that's two planes more than we had a week ago.
It wouldn't surprise me if people started flying in here off of those cruise ships.”

Palmer looked confused. “We're a long ways from any cruise ships.”

“It's what they call an excursion. The cruise ship sends 'em to Fairbanks by train.”

“Yeah,” Palmer agreed readily enough. “But we're a long ways from Fairbanks, too.”

“Don't you get it?” he said. He didn't know how Palmer could deny the evidence when it was right before his eyes.

“Get what?”

“That people have a hankering to visit the tundra.”

“Maybe,” Palmer said slowly. “But what's that got to do with us?”

“You and I are going to start a tour business. That's what.”

“Touring where, Addy?”

“Here. The tundra.” Sometimes his friend could be downright obtuse. “People want to see it.”

Palmer scratched his head again. “There isn't anything to see out there.”

“Yeah, but the tourists don't know that.”

Palmer agreed with him but still seemed puzzled.

Addy was getting tired of explaining the obvious. “Do you want to be my partner or not?”

Palmer hesitated. “I think we should talk to Reid first.”

Addy shook his head. Reid had a habit of squelching their ideas. The last time he'd thought of a way to make their fortunes, Reid had talked him out of it. Okay, so maybe selling genuine tundra snow wasn't his most brilliant plan, but he kept thinking about the guy who came up with pet rocks.

“Reid's smart about these things.”

“I don't have time to wait on Reid,” Addy insisted, marching into the cabin he shared with his best friend.

“What are you doing?”

Addy found a piece of cardboard, then got a black felt-tip pen from the kitchen drawer. “What does it look like I'm doing?”

“Making a sign,” Palmer suggested tentatively.

“Yup.”

“What's it gonna say?”

Addy groaned in despair. “Just find me a two-by-four, would ya?”

“Sure, Addy.”

A few moments later he could hear his partner rummaging about in the cabin's one closet. Palmer returned just about the time Addy had finished with the sign.

“Can't find one,” Palmer said. “What about one of the pickets off that old fence down by the airfield?”

“Now you're thinking.”

“You won't tell Jim I was the one who took it, will you?”

“Nah,” Addy promised, although it wouldn't take Jim long to realize where that missing picket had gone.

Addy found a hammer and nail and attached his sign to the weathered picket. When he finished, he decided his effort looked surprisingly good.

“Where you gonna put it?” Palmer asked.

“Right outside our office,” Addy told him.

“We've got an office?”

“We sure do, and it's right here.” He walked outside and set up the picket directly in front of the cabin. Anyone who happened by would read the sign that said: TOURIST INFORMATION. TUNDRA TOURS ARANGED. WELLCOME TO ALASKA!

Palmer joined him and they stood straight and tall with their sign between them. Now all they had to do was wait for the tourists to start arriving.

R
eid viewed the approaching plane with a feeling of unease. Brad Fulton had come for Jenna. He couldn't prove that—yet—but why else would a powerful industrialist fly into Snowbound? He obviously wanted Jenna, and from what Reid could tell, she wanted him, too. So much for any romantic notions
he'd
entertained.

The Learjet landed, its wide body taking up every inch of the airstrip. The entire town had come out in the fading light of the short November afternoon to see what was happening. Everyone lined up along the edge of the strip, including Addy and Palmer, who carried some kind of ridiculous sign. Everyone except Pete. Reid frowned suddenly. Correction, everyone except Pete and Jenna's mother.

The plane door opened, and a set of stairs appeared. The business tycoon stepped forward, his face peering out. He looked around, and when his gaze landed on Jenna, he smiled.

He climbed down the stairs.

Addy and Palmer rushed toward him and planted themselves directly in his path, holding up their sign. Fulton ignored them and walked over to Jenna. Reid wanted to groan out loud when Dalton slipped into place beside her and put his arm possessively around her shoulders.

Reid would have turned and walked away then, but he wanted to know what Jenna was going to do. Jenna had confessed that she was in love with her boss and now Fulton had arrived to claim her. He felt an immediate sense of loss.

“What are you doing here?” Jenna asked. To her credit, she'd skillfully removed Dalton's arm from her shoulders.

“I came for you,” Fulton said, as though that was a foregone conclusion.

No surprise there, Reid thought.

Addy and Palmer stood a respectable two feet behind Brad Fulton, holding their sign as high as they could manage.

“Is there someplace we can go to talk?” Fulton asked. “Someplace private?”

“The café,” Jenna suggested.

Fulton glanced past her to the café and sighed. “Perhaps we could talk in the jet?”

“I don't think so,” Dalton said.

“Stay out of this, Dalton,” Jenna snapped.

Fulton regarded Dalton with a look of disgust, and asked, “Who is this man?”

Jenna waved her hand between them. “Brad Fulton, meet Dalton Gray.”

The two eyed each other suspiciously.

“We need to talk,” Fulton said again, leveling his gaze on Jenna.

“Before you do, I have something to say,” Dalton in
sisted. He reached for Jenna's hand, got down on one knee and stared longingly into her eyes.

It was all Reid could do not to gag.

“You're the midnight sun to me,” Dalton began. “You're the mysterious moon and the stars in the night sky.” He waited, apparently gauging the effect of his words. When she stared at him openmouthed, he brought in the pièce de résistance. “Marry me,” he declaimed.

“I beg your pardon?” Jenna said, leaning closer.

Reid held his breath. If she accepted Dalton's proposal, he wasn't sure what he'd do. It wasn't a prospect he wanted to consider.

“Marry me,” Dalton repeated. “I've loved you from the moment we first shared our thoughts on the Internet. I know why Mr. Big Shot is here, and that's to steal you away from me. I'm not going to let that happen.”

“I don't believe you have a lot of say in the matter,” Fulton said coldly. “The choice is hers.”

“I'm not interested in marrying you, Dalton.” Jenna didn't hesitate, and Reid had to restrain himself from cheering out loud. She did have the common sense he'd credited her with. Relief filled him, quickly followed by despair. If Jenna rejected Dalton, that was one thing, but if she left with Fulton that was another.

Fulton sent Gray a victorious smile. “You have your answer.”

Dalton glared back at the other man, then turned to Jenna, his face suffused with sincerity as he got to his feet. “I refuse to take no for an answer. At least hear me out.”

“There's nothing to hear,” Jenna told him. “I don't mean to be cruel, but I'm not interested in any kind of relationship with you. I came to Alaska to meet you, I have, and that's all there is to it.”

Like a bad actor, Dalton struck his forehead, obviously intending to signify his grief and shock at her heartlessness.

No one appeared to notice.

“If Jenna marries anyone, it'll be me,” Fulton announced.

Reid knew that was coming, but he hadn't expected the other man to propose in front of the entire community.

“Marry you?” Jenna said.

“Surely this can't be a surprise,” Fulton said with a good-natured chuckle.

“I was your assistant for six years. Why are you asking me to marry you
now?
”

“I need you, Jenna,” Fulton murmured. “Nothing's right without you. I want you back.”

“As your assistant?”

“Yes…no. I want you, period. I didn't realize how empty my life would be without you. You've been with me nearly every day for the last six years and all of a sudden, you weren't there anymore. That was when I realized what I should always have known. I need you in my life.” He looked a bit embarrassed to be declaring his feelings in front of all these strangers.

Jenna seemed on the verge of tears, and Reid strained to hear her response.

“I was in love with you for years,” she whispered.

Dalton shook his head angrily. “You might've said something to me,” he spat. “Take her,” he muttered as if this were his decision alone. “I'm getting out of this pathetic little burg.” With that, he stalked toward the airfield.

Addy and Palmer followed him, holding up their sign. As soon as Dalton got in his plane, the two old men returned to stand behind Fulton, patiently waiting for the tycoon to acknowledge them.

“Then it's settled,” Fulton said. “You'll marry me.”

Reid could no longer remain silent. “Congratulations, Jenna,” he said, approaching the couple.

“Congratulations?” She looked at him in a daze.

“Who's
this?
” Fulton asked.

Reid offered the other man his hand. “Reid Jamison.”

Jenna gestured toward him. “Reid…flew me into Snowbound.”

Fulton nodded as though that explained everything. “I see.”

“For a woman who claims to have trouble with relationships, you seem to be doing all right for yourself,” Reid said. “I doubt many women can claim to have received two marriage proposals within five minutes. That's quite a feat, isn't it?”

“Yes…I suppose it is,” she replied distractedly.

“Congratulations, Fulton,” Reid said, shaking the other man's hand.

Fulton shook his head. “She hasn't accepted my proposal yet.”

Everyone looked at Jenna, anticipating, no doubt, a resounding
yes
. When she did speak, she hardly sounded like herself at all. “Where's my mother?”

“She's still at Pete's,” Jim told her.

For reasons Reid couldn't explain, she turned to face him. “I need to talk to my mother.”

Fulton frowned heavily. “You're asking your
mother
for marital advice?”

Jenna nodded, although, in fact, she had other compelling reasons for finding Chloe. Like getting her away from Pete—and onto a plane home.

“Do they serve anything stronger than coffee over at that café?” he asked Reid.

“Sure do,” Jake said, steering the other man toward his establishment. “We got beer and wine.”

Fulton marched off to the café, with Addy and Palmer directly behind him, still holding up their sign.

“I'll help you find your mother,” Reid volunteered.

Jenna nodded. “Did you hear?” she said, her voice awed. “Brad asked me to marry him.”

“I heard.” It was difficult to conceal his antagonism, but he managed. “You'd be a fool to turn him down.”

“Why?”

“Why?” Reid echoed in disbelief. “You're in love with him. You said so yourself. This is your dream come true.”

“I used to think it was,” Jenna said slowly. “What if I said I wasn't sure I wanted to marry Brad?”

Reid shook his head. “Why wouldn't you? He's perfect. The two of you have worked together for years. He knows you, and you know him. Besides, he's so rich you could have whatever you want.”

“Money isn't everything,” Jenna informed him primly.

“Maybe not everything,” he agreed, “but it's a good ninety percent.”

She dismissed his comment with a shake of her head. “So you think I should marry him.”

“I didn't say that,” he was quick to tell her.

Her face turned red, which Reid recognized as barely controlled anger. He'd seen this same look a dozen times in the last three days.

“Let me see if I've got this straight…” she began.

“You don't want to talk to me about this,” Reid interrupted. “Let's find your mother.”

“Right,” she agreed with a sigh. “My mother's been married five times. I'm sure she'll have a simple solution to this.”

In his opinion, there weren't any simple solutions, but he wasn't going to tell her that. He led the way to Pete's store, which had a closed sign in the front window. He ignored that and walked inside. “Pete?” he shouted.

Almost immediately he heard a rustling sound from Pete's living quarters in the rear of the shop. “Are you in the back?” Reid called.

“Out in a minute,” Pete returned gruffly.

His words were followed by the distinct sound of a female giggle.

“Mother!” Jenna charged ahead and tore open the curtain that separated the store from Pete's private quarters.

Reid charged after her and stopped abruptly at the sight before him. Pete, wearing the most incredulously happy grin, sat up in the sofa bed. Jenna's mother sat next to him. She was clearly naked, clutching a sheet against her breasts.

“You
slept
with him?” Jenna was aghast.

“Now, sweetheart, it isn't what it looks like,” her mother protested.

“The two of you are naked in bed together!” Jenna shouted. “What else could you possibly be doing?”

“Pete was just demonstrating why I should stay in Snowbound.”

“He took you to bed for that? If you'd been smart enough to ask, I would've told you all he wanted was sex.”

“Well, yes, I realize that, but it's really wonderful sex.” Her mother blushed as she said it. “I mean…well, sweetheart, if you were more experienced, you'd know what I'm talking about. There are men and there are
men
, and well, I don't suppose there's a genteel way of saying this—but Pete is one hell of a man.” She sighed expressively and rested her head against his bare shoulder.

Pete beamed with pride.

“This might not be the best time for a heart-to-heart with your mother,” Reid suggested. Taking Jenna by the hand, he steered her out of the room.

Jenna pointed back at the closed curtain. “My mother went to bed with a total stranger.”

“Pete's a good guy.”

“He just slept with my mother!”

“I didn't say he was perfect.”