Buch lesen: «Snowbound With Mr Right»

Snowbound with Mr Right
Judy Christenberry

www.millsandboon.co.uk

CONTENTS

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

CHAPTER TWELVE

CHAPTER ONE

SALLY ROGERS was standing in the window of the Bailey General Store, trying to attain a more attractive display. She was beginning to think it was a lost cause when an idea suddenly struck her. As she began to change the window, she was interrupted by a gentleman she had noticed entering the store earlier.

“Excuse me. I’m looking for the owner of the store.”

She looked over her shoulder to see a tall, dignified man, younger than she expected, waiting for her attention.

“Why?” she asked, feeling a little bothered at being interrupted.

“Because I have business to discuss with him.”

“Sorry, not right now. The store owner is very busy at the moment,” she said. It had been a long day and Sally was tired. She had a lot on her plate with the business, not to mention that she was still coming to terms with the devastating deaths of her parents. Suddenly the store had been left in her hands and she was finding all the decisions to be made to be almost too much.

“I’m sorry, miss, but I don’t think that’s your decision,” the man said sternly.

Sally stepped down from the window, pushing a long strand of blond hair behind an ear. “Actually, yes, it is, and you’re interrupting. I just figured out what to do with the window and I really don’t have time to stop and talk to you now.”

“You?” the man asked in shock. “You’re the owner?”

“Yes, I’m the owner.” Sally started across the store looking for the item that she knew would work in the window.

To her surprise, the man followed her. “What are you doing?” he asked.

“Not that it’s any of your business, but I’m getting the stepladder. It’s going in the window.”

“The stepladder? Why?” the man questioned.

Sally gave him a wry smile; she obviously wasn’t going to get rid of him that easily. “Well, if you must know, I’m going to use it to display some shirts in the window. It needs some vertical lift.” She reached for the ladder, but before she could pick it up the man lifted it out of Sally’s hands.

“Allow me to carry it for you. And I agree, by the way, this will display the shirts well.”

Sally was now getting very annoyed by this man and stood staring at him. “Thank you for offering, but I can carry it myself.”

The man smiled at her, obviously not planning on letting Sally win. “Look, I need to talk to you and you are very busy. I’m here, I might as well help out.”

Sighing, Sally led the way back across the store to the front window display. She stepped up into the window and then reached for the ladder as he held it up to her. Spreading the legs of the ladder apart she began to hang the shirts on different levels, until she was at last happy with the display.

When she had finished, Sally went outside to see how her efforts looked from the customers’ point of view. To her surprise, she found the stranger right beside her as she evaluated the window.

“Nice job. Um, how long have you owned the store?”

“Not long, just since the deaths of my parents.”

The man looked at the ground. “No wonder my ownership information wasn’t accurate.”

Sally said quietly, “Did your ownership information list Bob Rogers as the owner?”

“Yes, that’s right. I take it that was your dad?”

“I inherited it when my parents died.”

The man stared at Sally. She shrugged. “Sorry, I should’ve said it more politely, but it’s still hard for me to—to go into detail with people. Both my parents were killed in a car crash, along with my aunt and uncle. I’ve been owner of Bailey’s General Store ever since.”

“Then what I have to say—I mean, of course you may not want to hold to the agreement. I guess we can talk about it, but I think—”

“Look, I’m tired and I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Sally said with a sigh.

“Your father didn’t tell you I’d be coming here?”

Sally turned to stare at the man. He looked like he belonged in a GQ ad, not standing in her country store. “My father? How would my father have known that you were coming?”

The man shifted, suddenly looking a little uncomfortable. “He and my grandfather struck up a deal.”

“Your grandfather? Who is your grandfather?”

“Wilbur Hunt, of the Hunt Corporation out of Denver.” The young man looked as if he expected Sally to be impressed.

“I don’t believe I found any letters from the Hunt Corporation for any reason when I went through my father’s papers. Certainly not dealing with an arrangement that would—what kind of a deal?”

“I was to work here in the store for your father for the second half of the month.”

Sally stared at him as if he’d spoken a second language. “You must be kidding. That’s ridiculous!”

“Why is it ridiculous?”

“Because my father has—had enough help for Christmas.”

“He wasn’t going to pay me a salary. My grandfather had talked to your father about selling the store.” He held up his hand when she would’ve interrupted him. “Your father refused to even consider selling. But because of the amount of business you do, my grandfather thought I might find out good information if we decided to branch out into smaller stores across the state.”

“So my father could teach you how to put us out of business? My father wouldn’t do that,” Sally responded.

“No, they had an agreement that we wouldn’t take over any store, or open a new store, within your area.”

“I didn’t find any such agreement.”

“I believe it was a gentleman’s agreement.”

“I don’t think my father would settle for that. It would have to be in writing. And if not for him, then for me. I wouldn’t allow you to work here unless you signed a non-compete clause.”

“Sally?” a voice called from the back of the store.

“Coming,” she returned. With an apologetic smile, she said, “I have to go see what’s wrong. Excuse me.”

When she got to the back room, she found her employee, Billy Johnson, standing, looking puzzled.

“What is it, Billy?”

“I don’t know what I’m supposed to do with these things, Sally.”

She looked at the stack of boxes. They each held jeans. “You put these on the shelves in the men’s department, Billy. See? It’s jeans.”

“But some of them are girls’ jeans.”

Sally smiled. “Then you put those in the women’s department. Here, I’ll separate them for you.”

Billy had worked in the store for over twenty years. He was a good worker, but at almost seventy he often got a little confused over things. Her dad had said Billy was the hardest worker he’d ever known and he could still be relied on to lift the heavier loads that Sally couldn’t manage.

“Oh. Okay. I got it, Sally.” Billy nodded as Sally showed him what he needed to do.

She went back into the store to find the stranger still there, leaning against the checkout counter. “Do you need something else?” she asked.

“Just more time to talk to you.”

“I’m sorry, but it’s Christmas. I really don’t have much time to spare.”

“Do you have a Christmas rush here, too?” the stranger asked, clearly not ready to leave yet.

“Yes, we do. Our Christmas Festival is in a little over a week from now and we are always busier then. I have a lot to get organized.”

“What’s the Christmas Festival?” he questioned again.

Sally smiled and decided it might be best to humor him. “Well, it’s a town celebration for Christmas. Our parents started it when we were three and it’s been going ever since.” Sally thought about all the good times she and her cousin, Penny, had shared over the years. This Christmas was going to be hard for both of them.

The man paused before he spoke again. “We? Do you have brothers or sisters?”

“No, I’m an only child. I meant my cousin and I. We both wanted to see Santa when we were very little, but there was nowhere near here where we could go. Our parents decided it would be easier if they brought Santa to our town. They ended up taking turns playing Santa. Now a lot of people come to our Festival for a chance to see Santa.”

The man looked at Sally. “And how much money do you make off of it now you’re older?”

Sally heard the sarcasm in his voice and turned to face him. He was really beginning to annoy her with all his questions. “Not a penny, actually. In fact we serve refreshments free of charge and offer used clothing and toys to those who need it. Shopping in the store increases naturally, but that’s all. My cousin, Penny, will supply the Christmas tree and I’ll decorate it. She does some of the baking, along with some other ladies in town who volunteer. It’s a true Christmas Festival.”

The stranger stood up straight and shifted uncomfortably. “I’m impressed. You could probably make a fair amount of money if you charged for some things, especially the refreshments.”

“No, thank you. That’s big city talk, not small town talk.”

“Maybe. But you could consider—”

“No. We won’t change the Festival,” Sally insisted, staring the man straight in the face.

“Has anyone ever told you you’re stubborn?” the stranger asked with a grin that almost won her over.

Quickly Sally turned away, afraid he would see the tears that his remark had brought. That had been one of her father’s frequent complaints about both her and her mother. Except his had been full of love. The sudden memory made Sally’s heart ache.

“Hey, what did I say?” the man asked, moving to stand nearer to Sally. “I was only teasing. I didn’t mean to make you cry.” He put his hand on her arm, tugging her gently to face him.

“It’s okay…I’m okay. It’s just my father made that complaint frequently,” she whispered.

“Damn! I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to—most everything around here must remind you of them.”

“Yes, it does,” Sally answered, quickly wiping away her tears. She didn’t want to think about how close she was standing to this strange man, how reassuring his arms felt holding hers and how good he smelled.

The bell over the front door jingled as it opened and a customer came in. Sally moved herself away from the man and composed herself before turning to the customer.

“Good morning, Mrs Ellison. How may I help you?” Sally asked, stepping toward the lady, grateful for the interruption.

“I’ve come for some of that yarn I bought last week. It’s part of a Christmas gift I’m making for my granddaughter.”

“Oh, yes, I remember. It’s right this way.” Sally led the lady to the yarn section and pulled out the exact shade she wanted. “Now, is there anything else I can get you? I just got in some special face cream that you might want to try.”

“Really? Will it make my wrinkles go away?”

“It doesn’t promise that, but I think it will soften them a little,” Sally answered smiling at the elderly lady.

Sally led her to the newest product the store had to offer. Mrs Ellison ended up buying a jar of the cream. And she added two new coloring books, for her granddaughter’s Christmas stocking, too.

When she left the store, the stranger was still there.

“Nice job of selling up.”

“Thank you,” Sally said coolly, wondering why he was still hanging around. “Is there anything I can show you before you leave?”

“Will you have lunch with me?” he asked suddenly, taking Sally by surprise.

Sally stared at the man. “No, I don’t leave for lunch.”

“Then dinner?”

“This is a busy time of the year.”

“You have to eat sometime. I’ll find a place to stay and be back about six o’clock. Please? I don’t like to eat alone.”

Sally knew that she shouldn’t get involved with this man. It immediately made her miss her parents, and she felt a sudden stab to her heart. They wouldn’t have let her go without a warning. After all, the man was a handsome stranger and new to town. What’s more he was a city guy, and had already made it clear that he thought differently to Sally. But she was on her own now and had to make her own decisions. Nervously, she nodded, instinctively trusting that she would be okay with this man, even though she hardly knew him. “There’s only one decent restaurant in town. The Diamond Back is one block down. I’ll meet you there at six.”

“Great. I’ll see you then,” he said, smiling again and sending shivers down Sally’s back. And then he walked out of the store.

All day, no matter how busy she was, Sally couldn’t get the man out of her head. Nor could she forget why he was here.

She would never consider training someone to take over the store. With a non-compete agreement, at least she would know that the future of the store would be safe from competition from someone with insider information. She supposed it wouldn’t hurt to show someone how she did things and she certainly needed more help, since she was trying to fill the roles of both parents plus her own jobs.

She had two ladies who came in to help her during the day and they at least allowed her to eat lunch if the store wasn’t too busy. She had Billy, but he often left at five, since there were no deliveries in the evenings.

Sally lived in a very nice house on the street right behind the store. Her parents had loved its location and it meant she only had to take a very short walk to get to work. Sally brought her lunch and dinner from home so that she could make sure she was on hand if anything came up.

Today, Sally had been relieved when the time came for her to take her break. She had decided to spend the time working on the store’s books, something her father had taught her to do when she was sixteen. Her mind drifted back to the times they had spent making sure the books were all up-to-date and correct. It wasn’t that she hadn’t expected to own the store—Sally had been fully prepared to take over, but had thought it would happen when her parents retired. Their deaths had come much too soon.

Sally sat staring into space and began to think about her dinner date for this evening. He was certainly a handsome man, but she now realized she didn’t even know his name!

It wasn’t often that people wandered into Bailey by chance. It was a small town in the northern part of the state. The mountains surrounding Bailey kept it away from the world, and only those who sought out Bailey would come across it.

Which meant the man had been telling the truth about the agreement her dad and Wilbur Hunt had made. Why else would he have come here? Her father had never mentioned anything about his idea to either her or her mother. But then again he hadn’t expected to die so suddenly, either.

As the day traveled to its end, Sally began to wonder if she’d made a mistake. Her agreement to have a meal with a man when she didn’t know his name was unusual. It was more than unusual. It was unheard of.

As the clock drew near six o’clock, Sally began debating more and more about what to do. Should she stay in the store, not meeting the stranger at the restaurant? He’d know where to find her, but he might be so irritated, he wouldn’t come back to the store.

If she went to the restaurant, how would she ask for her dinner partner when she didn’t even know his name? The vision of his handsome face floated before her. Sally realized that she did in fact want to go and meet him. It would be a relief to talk to someone not from Bailey. Someone who had seen the world. Or at least more than she had.

Finally she slipped over to her house, the big, lonely house she’d shared with her parents. She removed her denim jeans and sweater and put on a slim black skirt and a knit top that showed some sense of style. She even added a little makeup, though she seldom wore any at the store.

At exactly six o’clock, she walked into the Diamond Back restaurant, looking around, hoping to see the man already sitting at a table. No such luck. She looked at the hostess, Diane Diamond, wife of the owner and someone she knew very well from the store.

“Evening, Diane,” Sally said, smiling slightly.

“Your guest is waiting at our best table, Sally. Thanks for bringing us new business,” Diane answered, smiling fondly at Sally.

Relieved that she hadn’t had to ask any uncomfortable questions Sally released a sigh. “You’re welcome, Diane.” And moved in the direction the other woman indicated. She rounded the corner and saw a table occupied by the stranger she’d met that morning.

When she approached he stood and moved around the table to hold her chair for her.

“Thank you,” she murmured and slid into the seat.

He returned to the seat across from her. As he sat down, he smiled. “You look lovely, Sally.”

“How do you know my name?” she asked, taken a little by surprise.

“It’s one of the charms of a small town, isn’t it? People are willing to talk. Just the hint of your parents’ deaths and they told me about you and Penny, your cousin.”

“Please don’t make fun of small towns. I happen to be fond of them.”

“My apologies. I think I neglected to introduce myself this morning. Because of the surprise you handed me, I forgot the niceties. I’m Hunter Bedford and, as I said, I represent the Hunt Corporation of Denver.”

“Good evening, Mr Bedford. I’m sorry, but I think you’ve made a wasted trip,” Sally answered, relieved that she at least knew his name now.

Hunter smiled at her again, his perfect teeth gleaming. “I wouldn’t say that.”

“Mr Bedford, I have only just heard of this arrangement between my father and your grandfather and like I said this morning I’m not interested in training you without a non-compete agreement.” Sally was determined that she wasn’t going to be railroaded.

“I realize that, not knowing my grandfather, that would be your position. I talked to him on the phone after our meeting this morning and told him of the situation. He was sorry to hear of your father’s death and passes on his condolences. He also told me that the agreement they had was a verbal one, between gentlemen, but he has no problem giving you a non-compete agreement if that would make you happier. He is very keen for me to stay here in Bailey and get to know more about your store. And I think you could maybe use some help for the rest of the month—free of charge.”

Sally was silent for a moment, thinking about Mr Bedford’s words. She knew he was right about the help, but didn’t want to appear desperate for him to stay. She said, “We could manage.”

They were interrupted by the waitress who stepped up to their table.

“Good evening, folks. Have you had a chance to look at the menu?”

“No, we haven’t. Could we have a couple of minutes?”

“Sure thing.” The waitress was listening to Sally but was smiling at the stranger.

Sally picked up the menu, though she knew it by memory, to make a decision about what she would eat. Her dinner partner did the same.

After a moment, the waitress reappeared at their table and took their order, both deciding on the meat loaf. “I’ll have that right out for you,” the waitress said brightly, again smiling at Sally’s dinner partner.

“The service here is certainly efficient,” he said after the waitress had walked away.

“I believe you think it’s because you’re a visitor, Mr Bedford, but I suspect it has more to do with your good looks.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment, Sally, and please, call me Hunter.”

“Very well, Hunter. So, what do we have to talk about?”

Hunter smiled. Sally had to admit it was an attractive smile. One that would draw attention anywhere.

“You haven’t heard me out. Assuming we have a non-compete clause, would you consider me working in the store?”

Sally took a drink of iced water and returned Hunter’s smile. “Tell me, how did you hear of our store? I’m intrigued.”

“From our suppliers. The volume of your orders speaks of big sales, larger than a small town store usually handles.”

“We have a large range of coverage because there aren’t that many towns nearby.”

“I noticed that on the map. I even visited some of the stores in the area, what there were of them. But your store is by far the largest and carries the largest range of goods. Why do you suppose that is?”

“I think it has something to do with how long we’ve been trading for. My grandfather’s father opened the store in 1922 and we’ve grown over the years. Isn’t that what stores do when they are successful?”

“Of course it is. And that’s why it’s attractive to our company. We have five stores in Denver, three in Colorado Springs, and one store each in Pagosa Springs, Fort Collins and Boulder. We want to expand.”

“Why don’t you consider other states?”

“We’ve thought of that, but we prefer to keep our properties close together.”

“I see.”

“Would you be willing to consider hiring me for the rest of the month if we have that non-compete clause in place?”

“I don’t know. I’d have to think about it.” Sally looked at him intently, his blue eyes seemed genuine and honest and she found herself liking Hunter Bedford more and more.

“You wouldn’t be paying me a salary and I promise not to ask too many questions.”

“What kind of questions would you ask? I’m new at this myself so I’m not exactly sure what you’d expect to learn.”

A wry grin settled across his face. “That’s a good point and I don’t exactly know myself. I’d have to talk to my grandfather about that.”

Their waitress returned with their meal and she immediately asked Hunter if there was anything else he wanted.

“No, thank you, this looks great,” he said with another of his special smiles.

The waitress practically floated her way into the kitchen.

“You really should stop flirting with the waitress. She won’t be the same…until she realizes it was a one-time visit.”

“Will it be?”

Sally stiffened in her chair. “I haven’t agreed to anything yet.”

“I might hang around anyway, so I can soften you up a little.”

Sally took a bite of her meat loaf and chewed it before she answered his suggestion. “I wouldn’t think your grandfather would agree to sign a non-compete clause. After all, the area has a lot of appeal, surely he’s looking to open nearby?”

“Well, he assures me that he’s not interested in competing with you. How long did you say you’ve owned the store again Sally?”

“It’s been in my family since 1922, but running it alone is still all new to me.” Sally took another sip of her water and felt the prickle of tears threatening at the back of her eyes.

“You are probably having a hard time handling everything. Why would you turn down some help?” Hunter’s voice was gentle.

He’d hit soft tissue. Sally was finding herself overwhelmed with all that had happened. Some mornings, she didn’t think she’d manage to do everything that had to be done. But why would this man be willing to help her? She was trying to fill three roles—hers, her mother’s and her father’s. Eventually she’d be able to manage everything. They would hit the slow season after Christmas.

But now?

“Do you think you’d be that big a help?” Sally asked, eager to know more about the man seated in front of her.

“I thought maybe you would be interested in any warm body, at this point, especially at this time of year. And I do have some experience in working in a store.”

“You’ve worked as a salesman in your grandfather’s stores?”

“Yeah. He’s one of the old school who believe you have to learn from the bottom up.”

Sally rolled her eyes. “I take it you didn’t enjoy that kind of work?”

“Actually I enjoyed a lot of the jobs. Selling was one of the fun ones. I like people.”

“Aren’t you anxious to return home to be with your family for Christmas?”

“My grandfather expects me to work until Christmas Eve. I think I may enjoy working here rather than returning to Denver.”

“Is your grandfather your only relative?”

Hunter gave a small smile. “My first name comes from the family name. My grandmother is dead. My parents are divorced and have been for a while. My mother probably won’t be in Denver for Christmas.”

Sally could tell that Hunter found it difficult to talk about his family. “I don’t think your grandfather would appreciate your staying here until Christmas, Hunter. I bet he’ll ask you to come home before Christmas so you can spend the holiday together.”

“My grandfather would work everyone until midnight Christmas Eve if it didn’t get bad publicity! I’d like to stay on a little longer. What do you think?”

“I’ll think about it, Hunter. That’s all I can promise you tonight.” The evening had been pleasant and Sally had enjoyed Hunter’s company more than she thought she would. But could she really let him work at her store every day?

“Okay, you’ll see me tomorrow,” Hunter said, with a gleam in his blue eyes that Sally just didn’t want to think about!