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Truth to be told, they were on opposite sides of the fence.
Despite what he had just said to Boone, Joshua’s decision about the ranch had been made early this morning prior to Bud’s memorial service. Theo had basically confirmed it just now. Bud’s ranch would be sold. Joshua’s life was in Seattle. He didn’t need to hold on to anything here in Love. Once upon a time he had dreamed of settling down here with Honor, but all of those dreams had gone up in smoke. It was best that he cut all ties with the town that had made him an outcast. His grandfather’s passing signified an end of an era.
Theo was right. Selling the ranch to the Alloy Corporation was the best choice they could make. He wasn’t going to feel guilty about the decision. The money he would make on the deal would secure Violet’s future. And it would permanently sever ties with a town that had never really embraced him.
* * *
Heat stained Honor’s cheeks as she left the gathering and followed Boone into the kitchen. As soon as they were alone she tugged on her brother’s arm and turned him around. “Was that really necessary?” Honor asked. “Why were you being so confrontational? We didn’t need a scene at Bud’s memorial reception.”
Boone frowned at her. “Please don’t take up for him. I thought six years would have given you some distance from the situation. I would hope you’d gained some objectivity.”
She folded her arms across her chest. “I’m not defending him. Hazel arranged this reception. She went to a lot of trouble to do so. We all promised to respect her wishes. I think part of that meant not picking fights or rehashing old grudges.”
Boone let out a snort. “He picked the fight six years ago.”
“Don’t make it personal,” she cautioned. “I understand where you’re coming from, but it doesn’t serve any purpose.”
He clenched his jaw. “He burned down the church our folks got married in. We were all baptized there, all four of us. It doesn’t get more personal than that,” Boone said in a raised voice.
She let out a sigh. The fire that had gutted the church was still an emotional subject. In many ways, there hadn’t been closure to the incident. It was like a scab that had never healed. So much had changed in her life after Joshua burned down the church. In her heart she had always believed it was accidental, but it still had been too much to forgive. There was no defending arson.
She had given Joshua his ring back and headed to college in Michigan at Boone’s urging. He had wanted her to get as far away from her ex-fiancé as possible. Although she had initially been angry at her brother for forcing her hand, she’d been grateful to him in the long run.
Tears pooled in her eyes. A tightening sensation spread across her chest. “I know what he did, Boone. Why is it that you always seem to forget what I lost? I was engaged to him. He was my high school sweetheart. I loved him. So I understand you were devastated about the church, but for me it was like a tsunami effect. I lost my entire world!”
Boone reached out and pulled her into his arms. He cradled her against his chest and patted her back in a soothing motion. “I’m sorry, Honor. I let my temper get the best of me. You know I never liked Joshua. I didn’t think for a single second he was good enough for you.”
Still, after all this time, it hurt to hear Boone talk about Joshua in such a negative way. “But he was good,” she insisted. “I realize you never approved of him. I know he caused trouble and he ran wild all over town. You took him into custody more times than I can count. But there were great qualities about him as well. He was kind. Loyal. Sweet. Funny. He treated me well.” Her voice began to quiver as thoughts of her ex-fiancé came into sharp focus. “So for me, it’s always been hard to judge him by his worst moments when there were so many others along the way.”
Boone cupped her chin in his hand. “Honor Prescott, you’re a good woman. You believe in people. Sometimes too much. I believe in forgiveness, but when it comes to Joshua I have a hard time with it.” He pressed a kiss against her temple. “I’m sorry about earlier. The thought of this town turning into a tourist’s haven is weighing heavily on me.”
“I know. Me too. It would be a nightmare,” she said. “But I’m not giving up on the idea of the Ransom brothers deciding not to sell. It’s their birthright after all. Maybe they’ll change their minds.”
A hint of a smile twitched at Boone’s lips. “There you go again with your pie-in-the-sky thinking. It’s one of the things I love most about you. You’re idealistic.” A sigh slipped past his lips. “I hate to break it to you, but Theo and Joshua haven’t lived here in quite some time, nor have they been back to visit. What makes you think they harbor warm and fuzzy feelings about Bud’s ranch? I think Theo was giving it to us straight. They’re selling.” His mouth was set in grim lines.
Honor opened her mouth, then shut it. How could she dispute Boone’s assessment of the situation? He was right. Theo had pretty much confirmed it. In all likelihood, Joshua would accept a big fat check for the sale of the ranch, then head back to Seattle where he belonged. But she was still going to hold on to a kernel of hope. Joshua had always loved the ranch. It was hard to imagine him selling it.
Her sister-in-law Grace popped her head in the kitchen and regarded them both with a wary expression. “Is everything all right in here?” she asked.
“Everything is fine,” Honor said, reaching up and pressing a kiss on her brother’s cheek. No matter if they disagreed from time to time, Honor adored her older brother. He, along with her grandfather, had raised her in the absence of their parents. He had always wanted the best for her. She hadn’t always been able to see it or appreciate his overprotectiveness, but at this point in her life she knew Boone had led with his heart. No doubt he would do the same with his own daughter.
“Good,” Grace said with a grin. “We should probably get going. Eva is fading fast. Jasper’s holding her right now and he’s telling her stories about her ancestors searching for gold in the Yukon.”
Boone shook his head and laughed. “Uh-oh. We better go rescue her.”
Honor watched as Boone grabbed a hold of Grace’s hand and headed back toward the main area of the café. She felt a little bereft. Watching as other couples happily settled down was getting harder and harder for Honor. She always felt joyful for them, but increasingly she was feeling more and more alone.
What was wrong with her? Why didn’t she feel a pressing need to get out there and find love? She was lonely at times and secretly yearning for a perfect match. How amazing would it be if she could find her other half like Liam or Boone, or Jasper and Cameron? Or any other number of couples here in town?
Love one another. Wasn’t that God’s command?
These emotions always struck her whenever she attended a town event where residents were coupled up. And in a town where Operation Love was in full force, it was hard to avoid romance. It was as if there was this little hole inside her aching to be filled up. Despite what she tried to tell herself—that she wasn’t looking for love—Honor knew it was the great big lie of her life. She tended to stuff all of the emotions down so she didn’t have to face them. It wasn’t working anymore. Those needs were bubbling to the surface.
She shook off the morose thoughts. There was a much more pressing matter at hand. If no one intervened, it was very likely the Diamond R would be sold to a developer. The very idea of it made her sick to her stomach. Feelings of helplessness washed over her. She didn’t like being in this frame of mind. Surely something could be done to mediate the situation?
What if she invited Joshua to the wildlife center and showed him what a wonderful haven it was for rescued animals? Perhaps he would see how vital it was to preserve precious Alaskan land. The very land the wildlife center sat on had been given to the town by a resident—Miss Mary Mae Pritchard—in her will. If Mary had sold to a developer, the center wouldn’t even exist, nor would the animals have been rescued.
Preserving wildlife and keeping the land intact went hand in hand in Honor’s estimation. With the Diamond R bordering the wildlife’s property, Honor knew a dude ranch would impact her own way of life. The very thought of it made her feel uncomfortable. Perhaps she could sway Joshua to her way of thinking, or at the very least get him to see a different point of view.
