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Aidan cast a quick glance at Liam. “Daddy always tells me that you’re a hero.”
She felt her chest tightly constrict as if someone was inside squeezing her heart. This little boy was sweet and endearing and wonderful. “I...I don’t know,” she said in a halting voice. “I wish I could remember that, but I don’t.”
Suddenly a crashing sound rang out in the house. Footsteps echoed on the hardwood floors.
“Liam! Where are you?” a deep voice boomed. “I need to speak with you.”
Liam let out a groan and moved further into the kitchen. “Oh, no! Who told him?” he asked with a frown, his gaze shifting between Boone and Honor.
Boone held up his hands. “Don’t ask me. I haven’t even had time to tell Gracie yet, never mind blabbing to Jasper.”
“I haven’t spoken to Jasper in days,” Honor said with a fierce nod. “It wasn’t me.”
“Who’s Jasper?” Ruby asked, wondering why everyone was acting so strangely.
A man with silver-white hair and whiskers strode into the kitchen, his face appearing more animated than a cartoon character’s. “Liam! I’m glad that I caught up with you. I heard the strangest rumor a little while ago that I’m determined to clear up.” He shook his fist in the air. “And whoever spread this vicious rumor better run for cover. By the time I get through with them, they’re going to wish they’d never let the name Prescott come out of their mouth.”
“Settle down, Jasper,” Liam instructed. “You know you’re not supposed to let your blood pressure skyrocket.”
Jasper! Mayor Jasper Prescott. She recognized the name from some searches she had done on the internet about Love, Alaska. He was the town mayor and the creator of the Operation Love campaign, the program that brought single ladies to town to match them up with single bachelors. It seemed this town had a female shortage. And women from all over the United States were flocking to this fishing village to find themselves an Alaskan groom.
If she wasn’t mistaken, Jasper was Liam’s grandfather.
“Liam’s right,” Boone said with a frown. “Calm down before you blow a gasket.”
“I will do no such thing,” Jasper roared. “If you knew the heinousness of this particular rumor, you’d want to run this person out of town on a rail.” Jasper wiggled his eyebrows at Liam.
“Jasper, I need to tell you something,” Liam said.
Before Liam could get a word out, Jasper swiveled his eyes in her direction.
He let out a guttural cry then raised his hand over his heart. “I’m seeing things. I must be having a stroke. Call a doctor.”
“I am a doctor,” Liam drawled. “And you’re not having a stroke.”
“Grandpa, it’s okay,” Honor said, tugging on Jasper’s arm. “She’s real. It’s not a vicious rumor.”
Jasper pressed his eyes closed and began taking deep breaths. When he opened them, he glared at his family members. “What are you trying to do to me? Send me to my grave well before my time?”
Boone snapped his fingers. “Bravo. You’ve stumbled upon our diabolical plan.”
Jasper rolled his eyes at Boone then took a halting step in Ruby’s direction. He stuck out a finger and poked her. Ruby let out a little squeak. “You are real. Ruby! Oh, Ruby. You’re back. I could almost sob with happiness.”
Liam tugged at his arm. “There’s something you need to know about Ruby.”
“She’s got a problem with her brain,” Aidan explained in a chirpy voice. “It won’t let her memorize stuff.”
“Huh? What in the world are you going on about? That’s the craziest thing I’ve ever heard,” Jasper grumbled. He stared at Ruby with wide eyes.
“It’s completely true, though,” Ruby said. She stuck out her hand. “Jasper, I presume. I’m Ruby. I wish that I could say I remember you, but I don’t. And you seem very memorable, by the way.”
Jasper stared at her hand for a moment, his expression shuttered. Laser-sharp blue eyes roamed all over her face before settling on her eyes. “Since you don’t remember me, let’s get one thing straight. I don’t do handshakes with pretty girls.” He winked at her. “The first hug is free of charge.”
For the second time in the span of an hour, Ruby found herself being enveloped in the world’s tightest hug. Jasper smelled like nutmeg and coffee beans. His embrace made her feel as if she was greeting an old friend. His sincerity was palpable. Strangely enough, she didn’t want the embrace to end. It felt like a safe harbor.
When they broke apart, she noticed tears sliding down his face. He wiped them away with his palm. “Whether you remember me or not, I’m feeling mighty blessed to welcome you back into the fold,” Jasper said, reaching out and grasping her hand. “We’ve missed you.”
Ruby wasn’t sure how to describe what she was feeling. She felt all tingly inside, and her chest tightened with a groundswell of emotion. Although there was a wealt
