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“You didn’t ask her?” Jasper shouted. He threw his hands up in the air and began muttering in a loud voice. “What a bunch of foolishness!”
“No, I didn’t. I was pretty much blindsided when she strolled in here. It took a few minutes to get my thoughts together.” Cameron ground out the words in a no-nonsense manner. It was just like Jasper to show up and start trying to boss him around. As long as they were in his place of business, he wasn’t about to allow his grandfather to walk all over him.
“Stop being so insensitive,” Hazel said in a loud stage whisper. “You’re acting like a bull in a china shop.”
Jasper and Hazel exchanged a long, meaningful look. Jasper’s expression softened. He took a deep breath, then continued. “Well, if you beg my pardon for asking, where is she?”
Already Cameron was feeling weary. Normally, he could go a full twelve rounds with his grandfather, but he was still reeling from the unexpected encounter with his ex. He simply didn’t have the strength at the moment. Paige’s surprise appearance was resting heavily on his heart.
“There aren’t too many places she could go, Cam. Matter of fact, there’s really only one,” Boone said, his dark brows knit together.
The homestead. The two-story log-cabin home and vast acreage that had belonged to the Reynolds family for generations. Years ago when Paige’s father had been flush with money, he’d renovated the home and transformed it into a modern showcase. Although many villagers had wanted to seize the property after Robert’s misdeeds came to light, homesteads in Alaska were not eligible for seizure.
And so it had sat unoccupied. Until now.
Three pairs of eyes were trained on him. It was clear what they wanted him to do.
“I’m not chasing after her. She said that she would talk to me more about all of this tomorrow.” He shoved his hands in his front pockets.
“Ha! And you believe that?” Hazel cried out. “Fool me once, shame on me. Fool me twice, shame on you.”
“Do you really want to leave all that in her hands instead of being proactive?” Boone asked. “This isn’t personal, Cam. It’s about the town. You need to find out if she’s serious about the money. I wasn’t going to mention it just yet, but we need an influx of cash in order to move forward with the production of Hazel’s boots. This enterprise has become a lot more expensive than we anticipated. Strangely enough, Paige’s return could be the answer to all our prayers.”
Hazel had designed stylish and functional boots for the townsfolk that were now being mass-produced and sold throughout the United States in order to bring profit to the treasury’s coffers. Boone’s wife, Grace, had the brilliant idea to capitalize on the fashionable winter shoes as a way of boosting the local economy. For the first time in a long time, the residents of Love had hope of turning things around. But, like any new enterprise, it all boiled down to money.
The answer to all our prayers. Boone’s words were ironic. Once upon a time he had believed that Paige was the answer to all his prayers. Only he’d been wrong. Although the love he’d felt for her had been stronger than anything he’d ever known, everything had come tumbling down like a stack of dominoes. He still felt as if he was picking up the pieces of his former life. Opening the Moose Café had been a huge step in the right direction. It had always been a dream of his to have his own establishment in his hometown. And even though people had lost faith in him, they’d come around once they’d got a taste of his unforgettable coffee drinks and sampled the delicious menu. Finally, his life was back on track.
And yet he still felt guilty about being fleeced by Robert Reynolds. He continued to struggle with his leading role in the town’s financial downturn. Had he missed any warning signs along the way? Had his feelings for Paige blinded him to her father’s larcenous nature? Those questions continued to plague him in the hours between darkness and dawn as he struggled to get some shut-eye on sleepless nights.
Was it possible that he could help make things right by working with Paige? The one thing he knew he was guilty of was being biased against anything she had to say. She’d burned him once before and he no longer trusted her. But in order to help the town, he might have to take a leap of faith and take her at her word. The very idea of it rocked him to his core.
“I’ll do it,” he said. “I’ll go find Paige and get the information you want.”
“That’s more like it!” Jasper cried out. “I knew you’d come around.”
Cameron reached for his coat and shrugged into it. He glared at his grandfather. “Don’t get the impression I’m doing your bidding, Jasper. I’m acting in the best interests of this town. Considering my role in the economic downturn, it’s the least I could do.”
Boone approached him and placed his hand on his shoulder. “I know this isn’t easy, Cam. I’m sure it stirs up a lot of memories. You want some company? I don’t mind coming along for moral support.”
He let out a sigh. “Thanks for asking, Boone, but I’ve got to handle this on my own. Go home to that beautiful wife of yours. I’ve got this.”
His brother nodded in acknowledgment, his expression solemn.
Boone and his wife, Grace, were newlyweds. Despite Grace having pretended to be a participant in Jasper’s Operation Love campaign when she arrived in Alaska, she’d really been a journalist working undercover on a series about the
town. In the end, their love had triumphed.
He couldn’t even pretend to himself that he wasn’t a little bit jealous of what Grace and Boone had together. It was what he had once believed he’d had with Paige. True, enduring love.
As he headed out the back entrance of the café and walked toward his red pickup truck parked in the lot, the full weight of the situation was sitting squarely on his chest. He’d once promised to never chase after Paige Reynolds again. And lo and behold, it was exactly what he found himself doing.
* * *
Paige navigated the darkened Alaskan roads like a semiprofessional driver. It was funny how the mind worked. She hadn’t lived in this town for years, yet she could probably drive this road blindfolded. Some things a person never forgot. A tender word. The sweet verses to a song. Your baby’s first cries. The only man you’d ever loved.
Coming face-to-face with Cameron had been an electrically charged, emotional moment. Her knees had been trembling the entire time. Not a day had gone by since she’d left Alaska that she hadn’t thought of Cameron. His strength. The larger-than-life smile that almost took over his entire face. The sound of his laughter ringing out with such tremendous joy. The way he’d always looked at her with love shining from his eyes.
So much had changed since those wonderful days. Earlier, there had been nothing emanating from Cameron’s eyes but disgust. And given everything at stake, it frightened her. Every night since Emma had been born, she’d prayed that his heart would soften toward her. Not for her sake but for Emma’s. Clearly those prayers hadn’t been answered. He’d been as implacable as granite.
