Page 53 of Arctic Panda's Secret Mate
There was magic in the world, and she was going to be part of it, if asmallpart.
She could not possibly be sad in these circumstances.
She wouldn’t let herself.
The Shifting Sands staff was happy distraction, and there were plenty of mixed feelings to share.
“I’m looking forward to being at Shifting Sands again,” Darla said, as they set the table, “but I will truly miss this place. This is such a lovely place, and it feels very much like ahome.”
Breck agreed as he set out dishes. “I hope to come back.”
“I wonder if Conall would consider doing this every year,” Magnolia said, settling into her chair at the head of the table with a drink.
As Haisley laid out silverware, she was suddenly shocked when a ring of light appeared from nowhere in front of the bar. It opened into what could only be a portal—Tristan ought to have warned her!—that a well-dressed man briskly stepped out of. It snapped shut behind him.
“Mal!” Chef called from the kitchen door.
“Mr. Moore?” Tristan said in confusion from Haisley’s side. The others quickly gathered from the great room to gawk.
Haisley knew at once that this was a Person of Importance. From the tilt of his jaw to the casual way he wore his expensive suit, he had an aura of power that rich people often only pretended to have.
Besides that, he’d just stepped through amagical portal, and Haisley was pretty sure that not just anyone had those at their disposal.
He turned to Tristan. “Scarlet tried to call and speak further with you, but it went immediately to voicemail.” Mal Moore brushed his sleeves down over glowing marks that Haisley only got a glimpse of and looked around in interest. “She’s not able to visit herself, but she wants to give your proposal a little more consideration. She sent me to give it a look and determine the value of the property and risk of the venture.” He frowned out the window and then looked at his watch. “What time is it here?”
“It’s nearly five,” Haisley volunteered. “PM.”
Mal Moore settled his sharp gaze on her and Haisley tried not to feel intimidated. “It’s quite dark.” Did he disbelieve her?
“We don’t have a lot of daylight here at this time ofyear,” Haisley said brightly. “The sun went down a few hours ago.”
“You would be Miss Haisley Davison.”
Haisley blinked. “Yes, sir,” she said, automatically respectful.
He stepped forward to offer his hand. “I am Mal Moore and I am here to represent Shifting Sands Resort. Is this a convenient time to show me around?” He asked it gently, but Haisley suspected that he was used to peoplemakingthings convenient for him.
Tristan edged a little closer to her, like he wanted to protect her, but Haisley leaned forward and shook the stranger’s hand.
Haisley hadn’t taken Tristan’s suggestion that the chalet become a rental for shifters very seriously, but apparently, hehad,and now everyone was staring at her andeverythingwas at stake. “Yes. Of course. Yes! Let me introduce you to the chalet.”
Haisley knew that she needed to lead her very best house tour ever. She started in the dining room, since that’s where they were.
“This dining room is one of the featured rooms of this house. The sidebar was salvaged from a gold rush saloon in Fairbanks and refinished to its former glory. It is fully stocked with locally distilled spirits and classic favorites. The table seats sixteen and dates from the middle of the previous century. You’ll note that the chairs are not a matched set! Here in Alaska, being at the end of an unreliable supply chain, we tend to be much more about using what we have and making do.”
Haisley led the group through the kitchen, pointing out the modern appliances. “Our kitchen has always passed inspections with flying colors. We are a certified member of the Alaska Bed and Breakfast Association, and keep ourlicenses and insurance current. Food safety is our first priority. We have a generator backup for the fridge and freezers, successfully tested as recently as yesterday.”
“I can assure you that this is a well-run kitchen,” Chef chimed in. “Haisley has a tight ship here.”
“It’s so nicely organized,” Darla added quietly. “Everything was conveniently labeled and fully stocked.”
Mal didn’t offer an opinion, but he did open a few cabinets and thumb through one of the binders that Haisley had out.
Haisley led them out into the great room. She told them about Steve and his colorful past, the homesteading of the land and the building of the chalet. She pointed out the architectural aspects.
“It’s a sound building,” she added. “It’s withstood three major earthquakes. It stays warm at fifty below and cool at ninety above.”
She took them up the stairs and let each occupant show off their own room. She was glad that they spoke about them in glowing joy. Lydia mentioned how nice it was to have one bedroom on the main floor so she didn’t have to handle stairs every day. Tristan pointed out the solid stair construction and praised the size of the roof timbers.
