Belle Calhoune - An Alaskan Christmas

“Would you like to head over to my grandson’s café for some peppermint hot chocolate and s’mores?” Jasper asked, eyebrows twitching.

Oliver’s hazel eyes twinkled. “S’mores are my favorite!” he said with a squeal of glee. He turned toward his mother. “Can we please go?”

Maggie reached out and tweaked her son’s nose. “Of course we can. S’mores are my favorite too.”

Finn watched the interaction between mother and son. Their tight bond was evident. He looked away for a moment, casting his gaze at the fishing boats docked by the pier. The boats served as a distraction from the feelings bubbling up inside him. A wave of longing for his own mother washed over him in unrelenting waves. He’d lived without her for almost twenty years, but the pain of her loss still lingered. It still gutted him when he allowed himself to think about it.

He didn’t know why, but lately the memories had been coming at him fast and furiously. And the guilt he felt over her death never seemed to let up.

“Finn!” Hazel called out. “Would you like to join us?”

Finn turned his attention back toward the group. “I have a few things to do, but I’ll meet you over there in a little bit. Don’t worry about the luggage. I’ll bring it over to the Moose.”

“Thanks, Finn,” Maggie said with a nod of her head. “We really appreciate it.”

Finn didn’t say a word in response. He merely nodded his head. Something about seeing Maggie again after all these years made him feel tongue-tied. She was so polished and put together. There was a regal air about her, although she didn’t seem like a snob. She was miles away from the tomboy who’d run around with skinned knees and untied shoelaces. He doubted whether they would even have a single thing in common.

“We’ll see you later then,” Jasper said, clapping Finn on the back.

Hazel clapped her hands together. “Well then. What are we waiting for?” she asked, motioning for everyone to follow her down the pier. Finn watched as they all walked toward Jasper’s car. At one point Oliver turned back toward him and waved. The thoughtful gesture made Finn smile. He waved back at him, getting a kick out of the way the boy’s face lit up with happiness.

Finn was glad they were traveling by car. Even though the Moose Café wasn’t far, the ground was a bit slick from a recent snowfall. Maggie and Oliver weren’t even wearing boots, he thought with a chuckle. Something told him it wouldn’t take either of them long to figure out they were essential for Alaskan winters.

Once he was alone, his mind veered toward the pressing matter at hand—Tobias’s bequest in his will. It couldn’t have come at a better time. For weeks now he’d been in a financial bind. He’d needed to come up with a large amount of cash so he could buy into a partnership in O’Rourke Charters, his brother’s business. So far his part-time job at the docks hadn’t brought in much cash, and his hours spent working for O’Rourke Charters were few and far between. Living in a town recovering from a recession made finding a high-paying gig almost impossible. He was so close to achieving his dream of being his own boss. His financing had been approved, but for a lesser amount than he’d expected or needed.

Tobias had come to the rescue and left him a nice sum of money in his will. Although Tobias had placed a condition on receiving the funds, Finn couldn’t be more thrilled about it. He clenched his jaw. Finn wasn’t too sure how Maggie would feel about working side by side with him. Despite their past friendship, they hadn’t been close in twenty years. The situation could prove to be very awkward. He no longer knew Maggie well enough to predict her reaction.

Just as the group departed in Jasper’s car, another vehicle pulled up to the pier. It took only seconds for Finn to recognize it. He watched as his brother, Declan, got out and walked toward him. With his blond hair and movie-star good looks, Declan radiated charm. Until he’d married his wife, Annie, he’d been known around town as something of a ladies’ man. Now he was enjoying the white picket fence and impending fatherhood. Although he was happy for Declan, Finn couldn’t help but feel envious. That type of life wasn’t meant for him.

“How’d it go?” Declan asked in an overly casual voice.

“Fine. Like always,” Finn said in a curt voice. He didn’t know why it bothered him so much to have Declan constantly checking on him. His brother must trust him since he employed him as one of his pilots. Yet, time and again, he gave Finn the feeling he was constantly peering over his shoulder. As the older brother, it didn’t sit right with Finn. After all, for most of their young lives Declan had followed in his footsteps.

That was a long time ago, he reminded himself. Before he’d let Declan know he couldn’t count on him.

Declan rocked back on his heels. “That’s good,” he said, quirking his mouth. Finn knew well enough by his brother’s expression something was brewing. Declan was now shifting from one foot to another and clenching his teeth.

“What’s going on? I know you didn’t come down here just to say hello. Give it to me straight.”

Declan quirked his mouth. “I need to firm up my plans regarding O’Rourke Charters. I know you said you were in, but I’m going to have to draw up contracts and take the final payment from you. Business has slid a bit even with the second plane, so I’d like to get moving on the purchase of a third one. I need for us to get moving on this partnership and secure more financing, as well as getting this infusion of cash from you.”

Declan had been in a plane crash over a year ago. As a result, one of his planes—Lucy—had been damaged beyond repair. Because Declan had been trying to save money on his premiums on his insurance payments, he had reduced his coverage months before the crash. As a result, the policy hadn’t fully covered the damages. Declan had managed to purchase a gently used seaplane a few months ago, but the company had taken a loss while operating with only one plane. Now his brother had his eye on a third plane in order to expand the business. Finn couldn’t blame him for wanting to secure his company’s future. Declan gave Finn flying hours as often as he could, but until he bought into O’Rourke Charters and they purchased another seaplane, Finn wouldn’t be hired on as a salaried pilot. His dream of co-ownership would be on hold.

Finn scratched his jaw. “I know I’ve put you in a bind and I’m sorry about it.”

Declan cut him off. “Finn, I’m not blaming you for not getting all the financing you needed, but I’ve been as patient as I can for the last few months. The bottom line is I’ve got to make some serious decisions about the future of O’Rourke Charters. If you want to join forces, I’m going to need us to sign a contract and have you make a substantial contribution to buy your way into the business.”

“Declan, I’ll be honest with you. I wasn’t sure how I was going to come up with the last portion, but my prayers have been answered.” Finn reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out the paperwork he’d received yesterday afternoon.

“What’s this?” Declan asked as Finn handed him the documents.

“I got a visit yesterday from Lee Jamison. He’s the executor for Tobias’s will.” He shook his head, still in disbelief over his windfall. “Believe it or not, Tobias left me a nice-sized sum of money.”

Declan raised a brow. His eyes scanned the paperwork. He let out a low whistle as he swung his gaze up to meet Finn’s. “Tobias was mighty generous. You know what this means right? There are conditions.”

Finn nodded. “Yes. I’ll have to help Maggie get the shop ready for its grand opening, then help her get it up and running for a total period of no less than four weeks. At such time the shop successfully opens, then I’ll get my inheritance.” Finn repeated the terminology he’d memorized from the paperwork. “Then I can buy my way into O’Rourke Charters.”