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“Fourteen months,” she answered, biting back the impulse to tell Jasper his great-granddaughter had a name.
“You shouldn’t hold her so much,” Jasper said with a furrowed brow, moving quickly toward Paige and reaching for Emma. “Set her down on the ground. Let her get her bearings.” Before Paige could protest, Jasper had plucked Emma from her arms and settled her on the floor.
Paige bristled. Who d
id Jasper think he was to interfere with her mothering?
Emma let out a high-pitched giggle and began to occupy herself with the wooden leg of a chair, seemingly fascinated by the texture of it. As usual, she was delighted with the world around her and all it had to offer.
“I don’t want her to fall,” Paige fretted. So far in Emma’s young life she and Fiona had been the only ones she could depend on for all her needs. It had always been mother and daughter against the world. It only stood to reason that she was a little overprotective with regards to her daughter.
“She’ll be fine tottering around here. I’ll keep an eye on her,” Hazel said in a voice as sweet as honey. She was looking down at Emma with a rapturous smile. It was amazing, Paige thought, how a tiny tot could warm up even the most obstinate of hearts.
Cameron nodded at her, letting her know without words that Emma was fine under Hazel’s supervision. With her heart in her throat, Paige watched as Emma walked off with Hazel following closely behind her. Even though she was only a few feet away, Paige found herself checking to make sure her daughter was all right.
“Why don’t we all sit down,” Cameron suggested. He pulled out a chair and gestured with his hand for her to take a seat. She blinked in surprise. Cameron had always been a gentleman, a trait that had endeared him to her. He had dedicated himself to the courtly gestures. Flowers. Sweet notes. Balloons on her birthday. She let out a sigh as she sat down. It had been a long time since anyone had held a chair out for her or surprised her with an armful of forget-me-nots, the official Alaska state flower.
Boone, Jasper and Cameron all settled into their seats. She hadn’t bothered the night before, but Paige now took a moment to look around at the decor of the café. It was an assortment of neutral colors—browns, grays and burnished copper. Antlers hung on the wall alongside retro Alaskan art. A sweet picture of the Prescotts as kids—Cameron, Honor, Boone and Liam—held a place of honor by the counter. A bubbly titian-haired waitress wove in and out of the tables, pouring coffee and taking orders. The place pulsed with a vibrant energy.
Her stomach rumbled in appreciation of the enticing aromas emanating through the café. Cameron had always been an excellent cook. On many a date night he’d invited her over to his house for a delicious home-cooked meal. A smile played on her lips as she remembered his most ambitious dish. Beef Bourguignonne. A meal they had enjoyed by candlelight and good conversation. Laughter had flowed through the air like oxygen. Sometimes it seemed as if those days had belonged to another couple, not two people who no longer seemed to know one another.
“So, it seems you had several reasons to come back to Love in addition to introducing Cameron to Emma. He told us that you intend to return some of the money to the town,” Boone said. “I have to say I’m surprised. The money was stolen two years ago.”
Paige held Boone’s gaze. Anger radiated from his eyes.
“It’s the right thing to do. I’ve already written the check out to the town. Unfortunately, a portion of it was spent by my father. However, there’s a good deal of it left.” Paige dug in her purse and pulled out the check she’d endorsed to the town of Love. She slid it across the table toward Jasper.
Jasper’s eyes bulged as he picked it up and looked it over. A strangled sound slipped past his lips. Boone and Cameron leaned in to get a glimpse of the check.
Cameron swung his gaze to her. His expression was one of awe. “This is a game changer for the town. Thank you, Paige.”
His tender tone filled her with warmth. His face had lost all of its hard edges. For a moment it sent her back to a time when he’d been her entire world. It felt reassuring to know that despite everything, the man she had once loved was still lurking there under his harsh facade. He hadn’t completely disappeared.
Jasper let out a hoot and clapped his hands together. “Even the darkest of deeds can’t triumph over this town.”
She nodded her head in agreement. “I’m hoping it can really help with Love’s economy. It’s something I’ve prayed about for months now. Being able to salvage the cannery deal could be a financial boon.”
Jasper’s expression became cloudy. “The cannery deal! What are you talking about? We had to put that to rest two years ago after your father robbed us blind.” Jasper’s voice rang out sharply. Paige felt her cheeks heat with embarrassment. She felt certain other nearby diners had heard Jasper’s comment. Several swiveled their heads in the direction of their table.
“Jasper!” Cameron said in a warning tone. “Knock it off!”
Jasper frowned at Cameron. “I’m merely stating the obvious. Robert Reynolds did this town a world of harm. He was like a Category 3 hurricane that raged through Love, leaving nothing but destruction in his wake. I’m not going to walk on eggshells about that fact.”
Paige took a few calming breaths. Jasper had every right to be upset about her father’s misdeeds. She just hadn’t expected him to be so crotchety about everything. It was a good thing she was used to dealing with cantankerous men like Jasper Prescott. During her father’s illness he’d been short-tempered and impatient at times. Through it all she’d cared for him as any loving daughter would do, using every ounce of compassion and patience she had in her being. Even if it killed her, she would show Jasper the same grace she’d bestowed on her father. After all, he was Emma’s great-grandfather.
A verse from Hebrews ran through her mind, reassuring her about the way she wished to respond to Jasper. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
She had returned to Love in order to help all the townsfolk, even a cranky senior citizen who didn’t seem to care one little bit about her own feelings. He was about as subtle as a sledgehammer. In his eyes she was still complicit in her father’s crimes. Paige knew she needed thick skin to deal with him. It was about the town’s prosperity, she reminded herself, not about her hurt feelings.
“I understand why you feel that way, Jasper,” she said in a soothing voice. “Things went horribly awry the first time around. But that doesn’t mean the town can’t revisit the cannery deal now that there’s going to be an infusion of cash.”
“Paige is right,” Cameron said. “The project exhilarated this town. And it would have been a shot of adrenaline for the economy. We’re still struggling to get out of this financial downturn, Jasper. A cannery right here in Love might open up a world of possibilities.”
Jasper shook his head. “I’ve never been one to look backward. If we want to revitalize the economy, we have to move forward.”
“It’s still a viable plan,” Paige insisted. “Please don’t discount it because you disapprove of the messenger.”
Jasper began to sputter. “This isn’t personal, although I would be remiss in not saying that having you on board any town project would be quite controversial.”
