Page 47 of Arctic Panda's Secret Mate
TRISTAN
Tristan thought belatedly that asking Magnolia for startup funds during the middle of an ice storm and a power outage was not the swiftest move on his part. The wind outside howled, and sleet hit the windows like nails.
“You think I shouldbuythis place?” she said in astonishment. She was sitting in her suite like a queen holding court, her auburn hair piled high on her head, her hand tapping thoughtfully on the desk by an open journal that was bathed in the light of a battery-powered lamp. Tristan sat opposite from her in a chair that would have been generous for Chef, feeling a little like a child in it.
“I think it would make an amazing retreat for shifters,” Tristan said coaxingly. “There’s so much wilderness to wander around in, privacy from neighbors, winter sports, and northern lights! Shifting Sands has proved that there’s a market for shifters where they can be themselves.”
“You aren’t seriously thinking of putting yourself in competition with Scarlet?” Magnolia said, arching a brow.
“It wouldn’t be in competition!” Tristan assured her. “People who visit tropical islands also book vacations at ski lodges in Colorado. I think the two businesses could be very symbiotic.”
“And you’d run the chalet yourself?”
“With Haisley,” he said quickly. “She knows everything necessary to successfully run a business. She’s smart and knows Alaska. She’s been basically running the place for ten years!”
Magnolia smiled indulgently. “She’s quite the woman,” she agreed. “Have you spoken with her about this plan?”
“I mentioned it,” Tristan hedged. He didn’t want to get Haisley’s hopes up before he had something more concrete to tell her. Something like “We’ve got the money to make an offer already lined up!”
“My understanding is that she was planning to move to Shifting Sands,” Magnolia said. She pursed her lips and folded her large arms around herself. “She is talking about it already.”
“She loves it here,” Tristan said. “I can’t take her away from it.”
Magnolia’s eyes softened. “I understand that fear, darling. But Haisley will fit in wonderfully at Shifting Sands. I adore her, and I know that she’ll love it there. You can’t go second guessing things. That’s why shifters have mates, so that we know we’re meant to be together. She’ll be happy there, you don’t have to worry about that.”
Tristan had a stab of doubt. Was Magnolia right? He plowed on. “I feel like this would be an amazing destination for shifters, with all this space and beauty and history. I love it here just as much as she does!”
“You love ithere, or you loveher?” Magnolia asked shrewdly. “You haven’t been here long, and in that time, you’ve met your mate! Of course your head is spinning! It would make anything around it feel magical and special!But Shifting Sands is already for shifters. You’ve got a house and job waiting for you there. There’s no reason to reinvent the wheel.”
Tristan felt his resolve harden. “It’s not a reinvention, it’s an option. Think about how nice it’s been to come somewhere different. Somewhere with seasons, and weather!” He gestured at the window and a particularly heavy gust of wind seemed to mock him.
Magnolia shook her head. “I think it’s too soon to consider such a thing,” she said kindly. “Come spend another year or two on the island together. Explore your options! You’ll see that it will all work out exactly as it’s meant to.”
Tristan knew a dismissal when he heard one. “Thank you for considering it,” he said formally.
“Of course, darling. It’s sweet of you, even if it’s impractical. If you still think it’s a thing you want to do after a long honeymoon, come and talk to me.”
Magnolia’s kindness was almost worse than a rude brushoff, Tristan thought. But he trusted his instincts, and his instincts told him that convincing Haisley to leave the chalet was the worst move he could possibly make. The garage had given him a key for her. It had to be a sign.
42
HAISLEY
When the sky started to lighten at last the next morning, everything was absolutelysilent.
The generator had run out of gas and the power was still out, so there was no hum of electronics or creaking from the furnace. The wind had died. Haisley slipped out from under Tristan’s arm and went to draw the curtain aside so she could see out.
Rain had turned into fluffy snow overnight, and everything was muted blue.
The sky was clear, with purple and pink gradients at the horizon. The last stars of night were twinkling faintly overhead and there was a pale smudge that might have been a weak aurora or just a last trace of clouds.
The yard was a wreck. What had been a familiar treeline was completely different now, with once-proud trees arched nearly to the ground and many of them had broken tops that still hung akilter, tangled with their companions. The snow was littered with half-covered fallen branches.
Haisley shivered. A clear sky meant it would be cold again. She’d have to get the fire going downstairs and runthe furnace for a little while with the generator to make sure plumbing in the upstairs rooms didn’t freeze. Burst pipes were the last thing anyone wanted.
Trees—at least two that Haisley could see—had fallen across the driveway itself. They would not be able to leave until it had been cleared. And if the driveway looked like this, the road was probably no better. It might take days before they could get plows up here.
Haisley told herself it wasn’t selfish to be glad to keep Tristan here a little longer, then turned to look at him.
