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“Pleased to meet you. I’d love to catch up with you, Annie, when I have some downtime. I can give you some pointers on life in a small fishing village and how to make a smooth transition to Alaskan living.” She looked around at the bustling crowd of diners. “Let me take your order before this place erupts into chaos. What’ll it be, folks?”
Annie looked at Declan. “Why don’t the two of you suggest something since this is my first time here?” She swung her gaze back up to Sophie. “Any specials?”
“Lots of specials. Today we have a really nice halibut chowder, a Reuben sandwich with polenta fritters, caribou stew in a bread bowl and turkey-lime burgers with sweet potato fries,” Sophie recited off the top of her head.
“And there’s always reindeer pizza,” Declan said. He rubbed his stomach with appreciation.
Annie wrinkled her nose. “I think I’ll pass on the reindeer pizza. At least for now,” she said.
Sophie winked at her. “It’s an acquired taste. If people had told me a year ago that I would enjoy reindeer pizza, I would have called them all kinds of crazy.”
“The halibut chowder sounds perfect,” Annie said. “I’m starving.”
“And I’ll have the Reuben sandwich,” Declan said, scooping up the menus and handing them to Sophie.
“Coming up in a jiffy,” Sophie chirped as she walked away.
Annie’s gaze trailed after Sophie. “She’s quite the whirlwind.”
Declan let out a throaty chuckle. “She’s a sweetheart through and through. Not a single mean bone in her entire body. Like yourself, Sophie came to Love to be a participant in Operation Love. She’s really found her groove as a barista and waitress here at the café.”
“She’s like a burst of sunshine,” Annie said, her voice filled with awe. “That’s priceless.”
Declan took a swig of his drink and let out a sigh of appreciation. “Cameron sure does know how to make a mean mochaccino.” He placed his drink back down. “So, why don’t you tell me about your search? How’s it going?”
Annie bit her lip. “I don’t want to bend your ear about my quest to find my roots when you’re in such a pickle.”
A pickle! Yes, he was definitely up a creek without a paddle at the moment. And it scared him. A heavy weight had been sitting on his chest ever since the crash. And after his discussion with the insurance agent, the harsh realities were beginning to set in. He knew far too well that this situation had the potential to derail O’Rourke Charters and rip apart his life in the process.
“You’re down to one plane and you’re experiencing...” her voice trailed off. She cleared her throat. “Mechanical difficulties?” She raised an eyebrow at him.
“There’s nothing I can do about it at the moment. Hearing about your search for your grandfather will serve as a distraction.” He jutted his chin in her direction. “Give me something else to think about.”
“If you insist.” She let out a little sigh and pulled a journal from her purse. She held it up for him to see. “I’ve studied this inside and out. Gram was a little inconsistent about writing in it every day, but her descriptions are so vivid that I feel like I was right there alongside her. She talks about her friends, life here in Love and falling for a young man she had known since she was a tadpole, as she calls it.”
Declan could see the excitement lighting up her face. Once again he was very conscious of how attractive Annie was, particularly when she smiled. It filled him with a sense of happiness to see her so delighted. He sensed that Annie wanted to be tied to people. Having lost her grandmother, she was clearly seeking meaningful connections. Finding her grandfather in Love would give her a sense of being linked to something solid.
He couldn’t help but wonder if Annie was being overly optimistic. Was she so blinded by her desire for family ties that she was dreaming of things that might never come to pass?
Declan didn’t want to imagine her being disappointed if this all didn’t unfold the way she expected. Perhaps it was his job to bring her down to earth and ground her in reality.
He splayed his hands on the wooden table and leaned forward. “So, what’s your grand plan, Annie? Where do you see this going from here?”
She blew out a deep breath. Her eyes radiated excitement. “This may sound brash, but I want to tell him that I think I’m his granddaughter.”
He knitted his brows together. “Did I miss something? Him who?” Declan asked.
She met his gaze, her brown eyes sparkling with conviction. “The man I’ve deduced was Gram’s one true love. Jasper Prescott, that’s who.”
* * *
Declan began to sputter uncontrollably. He coughed into his hand. He reached for his mochaccino and took a lengthy sip. He plunked the mug back down. “J-Jasper! That’s who you think is your long-lost grandfather? The mayor of Love?”
“Yes, I do,” Annie said with a determined tilt of her chin. “All the facts point toward him. I’ve read every word in Gram’s journal dozens of times. It all fits together like pieces of a puzzle.”
“Annie,” Declan said. “Of all the people to set your sights on,” he said with a groan.
“It’s not like I chose him. Gram did,” she said, opening the journal and scanning it for a few moments before placing it in front of Declan. She pointed to the top of a page. “See? Read it. Right there.”
