An Alaskan Proposal

by Beth Carpenter

  “Still, you’re the one who reacted.”

  “I wouldn’t have known what to do if it hadn’t been a part of your class. If I get the job, you’ll get part of the credit.”

  Leith had mixed feelings about that thought. On one hand, Sabrina was hardworking and resourceful, and she deserved that job. On the other, it stung a little to think that the skills he’d taught her were the very things that would take her away from him. “I’m just glad it all worked out.”

  “Cookie?” Sabrina offered the plate.

  “Thanks.” Leith bit into the chocolate cookie, and blinked. A faint kick of hot pepper and cinnamon mingled with the rich chocolate. Wow. He took another bite.

  They might seem like ordinary chocolate cookies, but the complex combination of sugar and spices was different from anything he’d ever tasted before. It reminded him of a nursery rhyme he’d seen in one of Emma’s picture books. Sugar and spice and everything nice.

  Kind of like Sabrina herself.

  She was going to win that job in management. But was there any possibility she might turn it down? There had to be other jobs in Anchorage for someone as smart and hardworking as Sabrina. Maybe he needed to give her a reason to stay.

  He smiled at her. “I love the cookies. What are they called?”

  “I’ve seen different names, but Abuelita called them Diablo cookies.”

  “They’re delicious. You’ve worked really hard today. What time do you get off tomorrow?”

  “Around six. Why?”

  “Because I’d like to take you to dinner downtown.”

  “You don’t have to do that. I enjoyed decorating your kitchen.”

  “And I’d enjoy taking you out for dinner. Someplace nice. May I pick you up at six thirty?”

  “Someplace nice, hmm? Sounds great. But Boomer will need a walk and I’ll need a little time to get ready. Is seven thirty too late?”

  “Seven thirty it is.” Leith gave an inner nod of satisfaction. Step one of his campaign to show Sabrina all the advantages of living in Anchorage was now in place.

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  SABRINA RAN A brush through her hair, sweeping it up into a high ponytail. She and Leith were meeting at a park for a picnic breakfast before work this morning. Rain threatened, but there were picnic shelters at the park, and she didn’t want to miss a chance to spend time with him. They’d been getting together almost every day since she’d painted his kitchen.

  Suddenly, Leith had transformed into some sort of Anchorage cheerleader and tour guide. It started with an elaborate meal in a downtown restaurant. Within the next couple of days, he’d taken her to a symphony concert at the PAC, a summer-league baseball game and the Alaska Native Heritage Center. And she’d enjoyed them all, especially the Native Heritage Center with all the outdoor exhibits featuring different sorts of traditional Native homes. They’d also had a blast taking Emma to the children’s science museum downtown and walking through the botanical gardens. Since then, they’d been hiking, biking and fishing, and just last weekend, they’d toured the art galleries downtown during the First Friday art walk. Sabrina had sent Misty a photo of herself next to a statue of a salmon decoupaged with sheet music, entitled “Sockeye in D Minor.”

  Sabrina had to admit, with her focus firmly on the job, she’d all but ignored the cultural opportunities Anchorage had to offer. It was an interesting and unique city and she’d loved every minute of the time she spent exploring it with Leith. But that was the problem.

  She was enjoying Leith’s company way too much. The more time she spent with him, the more she wanted. He was attentive, and fun, and those kisses... She smiled to herself. They called them good-night kisses, but in Leith’s case they made it very hard to say good-night. It was going to be torture when the time came to say goodbye.

  She paused, brush still in her hand. She should really insert a little distance between them. Wean herself away from him, so that when her stint in Alaska was over, it wouldn’t hurt so much. Kind of like when she first started running. On day one, she’d only been able to run about two blocks without stopping. But each day she’d go a little farther, until the day came when she’d finished a half marathon. She needed to prepare because the day was coming when she was going to have to make a life for herself that didn’t include Leith.

  She set down the hairbrush and prepared to go, grabbing the rain jacket she’d worn out in the drizzle when she walked the dog earlier. “Okay, Boomer, I’ve refilled your water bowl and set your bed under the window where the sun puddle will be if the sky clears. We’ll take a run when I get home. I have to go now. I’m meeting Leith.”

  When she said Leith’s name, Boomer wagged his tail. When the time came to move, Boomer was going to miss Leith and Tal almost as much as she was. How had a man she’d only gotten to know recently become so important in her life?

  Boomer rubbed against her ankle and sat down, staring up at her in adoration. The little dog had had no qualms about devoting himself to her almost from the first moment they’d met, even when she was still planning to take him to a shelter. He didn’t worry about somedays or broken hearts.

  Maybe she should take a tip from her dog and live in the moment. Sure, it was going to hurt when it ended, but she and Leith were here now, and it would be stupid to give up something good today because it wouldn’t always be there. That would be like never tasting a hot-fudge sundae because you couldn’t eat one every day.

  She reached down to give Boomer a rub. “You’re a smart boy, Boomer. Be good while I’m gone.”

  Just before she stepped outside, the rain started in earnest. She slipped on her rain jacket and headed for the car. The rain didn’t matter. She was on her way to meet Leith. It was going to be a beautiful day.

  * * *

  THE NEXT THURSDAY was a short workday for Sabrina. Leith taught a class that morning, but called to propose an afternoon hike up one of the Chugach Mountains. Sabrina agreed.

  They were halfway up the mountain when Sabrina realized this trail was as challenging as the one she’d hiked during the Orson team-builder, and yet she wasn’t struggling. Her heart and lungs were getting a workout, but they had plenty of reserve left. A number of hiking trips, even small ones, had made a huge difference in her conditioning.

  Thirty minutes later, they encountered a steep section of trail skirting a huge boulder. Leith climbed up first, and then reached down. Sabrina lifted Boomer and passed him to Leith, with Tal scrambling up beside him. Once the dogs were set, she took Leith’s hand and let him help her up. He didn’t immediately let go of her hand.

  “Doing okay?”

  “Just fine.”

  He smiled that magnetic smile of his and leaned forward to brush a kiss across her lips. “Good, because we’re almost to the top.”

  He led the way along the trail, but suddenly stopped. Sabrina leaned around him to see what he was looking at. Up ahead, the trail ran along a ledge on the edge of the mountain, beside a sheer wall. He turned around to face her. “Sorry, I forgot about this part of the trail. We can turn back here.”

  Cielos, that stupid fear of heights was holding her back again. And not just her. She eyed the ledge. “I hate to stop when we’re so close.”

  Leith shrugged. “It doesn’t matter. The hike is the main thing.”

  “But you talked about the view from the top.” The ledge wasn’t that narrow, maybe four feet wide. “How long does the trail run along the ledge?”

  “Just around this corner. Maybe six feet.”

  Could she make it? She licked her bottom lip. “I really hate this—this being afraid.” She pushed back her shoulders. “I’m going to do it.”

  “Are you sure? You don’t have to prove anything to me.”

  “I just want to face my fears.”

  “Want me to walk beside you?”

  Not a chance. If sh
e was going on that ledge, she didn’t want anyone near enough to jostle her. “No, thanks. I plan on hugging the wall.” Boomer looked up at her, no doubt wondering about the holdup. She picked him up and handed him to Leith. “Here. You hold Boomer, so he doesn’t decide to dangle over the edge just to terrify me.”

  “Okay.” Leith held the dog against his chest and commanded Tal to stay. “Shall I go first?”

  She nodded, her mouth too dry to speak. He walked onto the ledge a few steps and stopped to wait. She took a deep breath. She could do this. She stepped forward, determinedly looking at the point where the trail met the wall and away from the overhang. She took another step. And another, her hand pressed firmly against the wall beside her. Her heart pounded, but she was halfway there.

  She rounded the corner. Something moved in her peripheral vision. She turned her head to see a raven flash past, and her eye traveled from the bird, past the edge of the overhang, to the sheer drop-off below. She froze.

  “You’re okay.” The words seemed to come from far away. “Just walk toward me. It’s only a couple more steps.”

  “I—I can’t.” She could only stare at the space below.

  “Yes, you can.” The sound of her own blood pounded in her ears, but Leith’s voice came through, calm, soothing. “Look at me.”

  Slowly, she dragged her gaze away from the ledge and toward him.

  “Do you trust me?” Those blue eyes. She locked onto them.

  She opened her mouth, but only a squeak came out.

  He smiled at her. “Sabrina, do you trust me?”

  She swallowed. “Yes. I trust you.”

  “Good.” He reached out. “Take my hand.”

  She couldn’t. What if her panic dragged them both over the edge? “If I fall, I might take you with me.”

  “I won’t let you fall. Now, take my hand.”

  She measured his expression and saw no censure, no disappointment. Just patience and understanding. Slowly, she reached out and grasped his hand, and suddenly it was easy, almost as though he was sharing his strength. She took a step, and then another, and after three more quick steps, they were past the ledge to the main trail. A few steps more, and they were well away from the ledge. Leith stopped and handed her the dog.

  Boomer licked her face, making her laugh. She smiled at Leith. “Whew. Thank you. I’m not sure how I’m going to get back down, but I’m glad you were there.”

  “There’s another trail we can take down. I would have used it to go up if I’d remembered about the ledge.”

  “That’s okay. I did it!”

  Leith called, “Tal, you can come now.”

  Tal trotted along the ledge without hesitation and came to press her nose to Sabrina’s hand reassuringly. Sabrina stroked her head. “You’re a good girl, Tal.” She clipped Boomer’s leash onto his collar to make sure he didn’t decide to wander back to the drop-off, and took a deep breath. “Okay, let’s finish this climb.”

  * * *

  LEITH KEPT A close eye on Sabrina for the rest of the hike, but as they reached the summit, she seemed to have forgotten her panic. She’d worried him there for a minute, but she’d done well, taking control of her fears. Sabrina was no quitter.

  They stood well back from the edge on the flat mountaintop and looked out over the Anchorage bowl. Sabrina slipped an arm around his waist. “Wow. You weren’t kidding about the view.”

  “Told you.” He squeezed her shoulders. Boomer scampered over to sit on Sabrina’s foot and Tal leaned against her leg. Just like him, they wanted to be as close to Sabrina as possible.

  They stood together, looking out over the city and across the water. Shadows from the clouds painted ever-changing patterns on the rugged landscape. Across the inlet, the windmills on Fire Island turned slowly in the breeze.

  He took a water bottle from his pack and offered it to Sabrina. When she tilted back her head to drink, the graceful lines of her throat reminded him of a swan. Wow—since when did he notice things like that? He knew, of course. He’d started noticing about the same time he’d realized how important Sabrina was in his life. About the time he’d realized he loved her.

  He hadn’t told her yet. He didn’t want to risk scaring her away, not until he could show her how good they were together, how good life could be here. He was hoping that, like so many people he knew who came for a visit and stayed for a lifetime, Sabrina would fall in love with Alaska. And, if he was lucky, fall in love with him.

  Sabrina took a long drink and then handed it back to him. While he drank, she pulled a folding dog bowl from her pack, so he could pour water for Tal and Boomer. The dogs lapped it up and collapsed in a sunny spot in front of a rock. Sabrina climbed on top of the rock and sat, her legs dangling. Leith went to stand beside her. “More water?”

  “I’m good, thanks.” She raised her hands above her head in a stretch and tilted her face to the sun. “It’s just so beautiful up here.”

  “It’s always been one of my favorite spots.”

  Sabrina’s phone rang. “Huh. I’d have thought we’d be out of cell-phone range up here. I guess it’s because we’re so high.” She pulled the phone from her backpack. “Oh, it’s an old friend I haven’t talked to in months. Do you mind if I take it?”

  “No—go ahead.”

  “Thanks.” She swiped the phone. “Hi, Andrea.”

  He ambled a few yards away to give her some privacy. When he looked back, Sabrina was talking fast, gesturing with her free hand as though the person on the other end could see. Then she stopped to listen, wide-eyed. When she finally hung up the phone, she was staring toward Mount Susitna, but he had a feeling she wasn’t seeing the Alaska scenery anymore.

  He walked over to her. “Everything all right?”

  Slowly she turned to look at him and smiled. “Yeah. That was my college roommate, Andrea. We were in the same major. She lives in Savannah now.” Sabrina slid down from the rock to stand in front of him. “She was telling me she heard there’s an opening for a buyer with McCormick and Sons.”

  Leith swallowed. “In Georgia?”

  “No, no. McCormick’s is a regional department store, privately owned, headquartered in Scottsdale. Ever since I decided to go into fashion merchandising, working for them has been my dream job.”

  Leith’s heart struck a double beat, but he kept his voice calm. “Your dream job? Why, in particular?”

  “Well, first of all, it’s very upscale. Beautiful fabrics, amazing designs. But mostly because they’re a great place to work. They pay well, they have excellent benefits and they care about the welfare of their employees, and vice versa. It’s almost impossible to get on with them because nobody ever leaves, but one of their senior buyers just retired.”

  “They’re looking for someone to step in and fill that position?” Leith wasn’t sure what a senior buyer was, but Sabrina probably wasn’t old enough to qualify.

  “No, they’ll fill it from within, and everyone will step up a level. The opening will be for someone with five years of experience. At least, that’s what Andrea says. She heard it from a friend of a friend who works in HR there. The position’s not listed yet, but it will be tomorrow or the next day. I was just short of five years when my old employer went belly-up, but I had some intern experience during college. If I were to send in my résumé—”

  “You might get a head start,” Leith said, finishing for her and trying to sound enthusiastic. “But what about your commitment to Orson Outfitters?”

  “Yeah. I would hate to bail on them,” Sabrina answered slowly. “Especially Walter. But they’re only taking half the candidates, anyway, and some of them are MBAs or people with management experience. There’s no guarantee I’ll be chosen for the management team. But there’s even less chance I’d be chosen for the McCormick job.” She sighed. “I probably wouldn’t even get an interview. Maybe I should jus
t forget it.”

  Leith hated seeing the spark of excitement leave her eyes. “You should try. You’re hardworking, talented and enthusiastic. Who could be a better candidate than you?”

  “You think it’s worth applying?”

  “Nobody ever gives motivational speeches about how they gave up before they ever started.”

  She laughed. “No, I suppose they don’t.”

  “If this is really your dream...” Leith left the sentence unfinished.

  “I should go for it.” Sabrina nodded decisively. “You’re right. Thanks for the pep talk.”

  Leith tried to ignore the selfish part of him that had been hoping she would declare she had a new dream. One that kept her here, with him. But why would she? They’d both understood, from their first meeting, that this was temporary. That she would be going away. How could she even know he wanted her to stay?

  He should tell her. “Sabrina, I—”

  “You really—” Sabrina said at the same instant. They both paused.

  “Go ahead. What were you saying?” Leith asked.

  “I was just going to say it means a lot that you have faith in me. You’re the best friend I’ve ever had.” She put her arms around him and hugged him.

  He pulled her close. How could holding her feel so good and hurt so much at the same time? She felt solid enough in his arms, but her heart was already drifting far away to some high-fashion store in Scottsdale. And if she went, she just might take his heart along, too.

  She smiled up at him. “What were you going to say?”

  He shook his head. “Nothing important. Just that I hope you get whatever it takes to make you happy.”

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  “SABRINA, WAKE UP. The mountain is out.”

  Sabrina yawned, reluctant to leave the cozy warmth of her borrowed sleeping bag. After the hike last week, she and Leith had decided to spend their days off in Denali National Park. They’d driven up after work the day before and set up camp.