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Jake
was pleased that he'd managed to snag an outdoor table in front of the Bagel Bites
Cafe. From the tray in his hand, he unloaded two coffees in foam cups and two
toasted bagels with cream cheese. Out of the back pocket of his jeans he pulled
a one-page partnership agreement. He smoothed out the folds
in the paper, then placed it on the table in front of the unoccupied chair. Maureen
Shannon was ten minutes late. No big deal. She was driving
from Calgary, so it had to be difficult to time her arrival exactly. He had coffee,
a comfortable place to sit and warm sunshine on his face. Settling in his chair,
he stretched out his legs and told himself he didn't mind waiting. "Something
wrong, Jake?" One of the women who worked behind the counter was clearing tables.
"You seem a little edgy. Mind moving your foot so I can get past?" Jake
shifted his legs out of the aisle and frowned. He wasn't edgy. It was just
that these damn plastic chairs were too small for someone of his size. And his
new hiking boots weren't as comfortable as the old ones had been. And he didn't
think he'd put enough cream in his coffee... Okay, so he
was nervous. Embarrassing to admit, but true. He tapped his foot and checked his
watch again. Fifteen minutes late. He didn't know why he
was uptight about this meeting. If this didn't work out, he'd find another investor. Yeah,
right. They'd be lining up at his door, checkbooks in hand. Jake
sipped his coffee while he scanned the dribble of 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 making the move herself. 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 at Cathleen and
Dylan's wedding last fall. Her husband had been dead just a few months, so he'd
expected her to be pretty shaken up. But she'd been so together it was almost
scary. She'd reminded him of the Christmas trees he saw every season in The Bay
department store window. 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 occasion. 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 the happily-ever-after myth. 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. Jake watched as the driver skillfully maneuvered the vehicle into one
of the parallel parking spots half a block down from the cafe. It seemed like
a big-city kind of car, 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. Still,
she had the composure of an older 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. Seemed like she was
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 tried on a new pair
of shoes--cautious not to bend the stiff leather, or jam your foot into balled
up tissue the clerk had forgotten to pull out of the toe. 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 combined hundred thousand vertical
feet of 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 complementary 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 with the business prospects of this
meeting. Damn, but she was gorgeous. But without her daughter around, there was
no hint of the vulnerability he'd thought he'd glimpsed at the wedding. This woman
was tough, he conceded. And 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 you had some financial projections prepared
by your accountant?" "Oh, yeah." He'd almost forgotten
about them. Now he reached into his other back pants' pocket and pulled out the
folded square package. Seeing Maureen's mouth pull down at the sight, he regretted
not taking 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 if you
don't get enough snow?" she asked. "Hasn't happened yet.
Before choosing my location, I researched into the weather patterns, and 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 watched her take another nibble from her bagel. "What do you think?" She
gave a slow 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 about how long it had been since he'd been with a
woman...
Then
told himself he was a raving lunatic to even entertain the thought.
This lady was the antithesis of what he looked for in a date. He
preferred women who dressed for fun, not business. Women who could
let their hair down, who took nothing seriously, especially not
him.
This
woman had baggage. She was a widow with a troubled daughter. Most scary
of all, she brought out feelings in him he couldn't understand, let alone name. And
she had the power to write him a check for several hundred thousand dollars. He
couldn't forget that.
END OF EXCERPT. LIKE IT? ORDER
IT.
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As
I contemplate this last book of my trilogy, I remember how daunted
I felt when I began to write it. My first obstacle related to the
murders of Jilly Beckett and Rose Strongman that occurred in 
