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Her brothers had all found their happily-ever-afters. Boone had married the love of his life, Grace, and they now had a baby girl named Eva. Cameron had reunited with Paige and discovered he was a father to baby Emma. Liam had been given the greatest gift of all when he’d discovered that his wife, Ruby, who had been presumed dead in an avalanche, was alive and suffering from amnesia. Their reunion had been incredibly moving. Even Jasper had found everlasting love with Hazel. The list went on and on. Declan. Finn. Sophie. It was as if the whole world was coupling up and finding their happy endings. Everyone but her.
All this time Honor had been telling herself she didn’t want love in her life. But it had been a big lie. Being wounded by her failed relationship with Joshua had made her gun-shy. She wanted the same things her siblings had—promises of forever. But having all her dreams go up in flames six years ago had left her with permanent scars. Even though she had a good idea of the life she wanted to live, she had no idea how to reach out and grab it.
* * *
Once Honor left the ranch, Joshua brought Violet into the kitchen so he could whip up some lunch for her. Introducing Violet to his ex-fiancée had been a bit surreal. Two worlds colliding. He hadn’t bothered to tell Honor that Violet wasn’t his biological child. Truthfully, it wasn’t anyone’s business. In his heart, she was every bit his daughter. When his ex-wife, Lauren, had discovered she had a terminal illness, she had tracked him down and begged him to raise Violet. Although he hadn’t seen Lauren in over two years, Joshua had embraced her request. It had been the single best decision he’d ever made in his life.
Joshua let out a low chuckle as he placed his daughter in the wooden high chair he had retrieved from the attic. It looked like something from the Stone Age. He imagined his grandparents had used it for his own father and perhaps him and Theo as well. He had been surprised at its sturdiness. Built to last. He had always thought of the Diamond R Ranch in the same vein. Enduring.
Joshua placed Violet in the high chair, then bent over so he could place a kiss on her temple. “This thing might be old, but it does the job, doesn’t it, cutie pie?” Violet looked at him and gurgled. He took that as a yes.
Footsteps announced Theo’s arrival in the kitchen. His brother stood in the entryway with a huge grin on his face. With his dark head of hair and azure-colored eyes, Theo could easily pass for his twin. Growing up, they had constantly been confused for one another by teachers and townsfolk.
“Be careful, bro. You’re turning into a pile of mush,” Theo teased. “That little charmer has you wrapped around her finger.”
Joshua felt a slight twinge of embarrassment. He had always prided himself on being rugged and manly. That’s the way he and Theo had been raised. Now Theo had caught him in the act of cooing to his baby girl and mashing up peas and carrots and pastini for her lunch.
Why should he worry about what he looked like? He loved his daughter more than anything in this world. He had always cared way too much about his older brother’s opinion. Doing so hadn’t always been in Joshua’s best interest. It had ended up costing him a lot.
“Fatherhood changes a man,” he conceded, not even bothering to object to Theo’s observation. If being mushy brought him one step closer to being a phenomenal father, Joshua would assume the title as the mushiest guy in all of Alaska.
Theo took off his cowboy hat and rocked back on his heels. “Was that Honor Prescott I just saw beating a fast path away from here on a horse? She was riding like the wind itself was chasing her.”
Joshua didn’t really want to discuss Honor with his brother, but there was no way of avoiding it. Theo had made it clear on numerous occasions how he felt about his ex-fiancée. Stuck-up and highfalutin were two words he had regularly used to describe her. It had annoyed Joshua to no end. Theo hadn’t known Honor. Not the way Joshua had. She had been sweet and loyal and kind. The best person he’d ever known. And if he hadn’t messed things up so royally, she would have become his wife.
“Yes, it was Honor,” he admitted. “She came here to meet up with Lee. And then she blasted me regarding your meeting with the developers. She was really bent out of shape at the idea of us selling the Diamond R.” He hated the way Honor had made him feel. The way she had spoken to him had been harsh, as if he was a traitor to his grandfather and the entire town. Even though a part of him rejected her assessment of the situation, he still felt a bit tarnished by her judgment. Old habits died hard. Sadly, it was a familiar feeling in this town.
Theo’s expression hardened. “Same small-minded opinions,” he scoffed. “Some things never change. These people seem to think they have some say in the matter, when in reality it’s Ransom family business.”
“Please don’t tell me they’re really intending to open an Alaskan dude ranch,” Joshua said. “That’s about the cheesiest thing I’ve ever heard.”
“They mentioned it in passing,” Theo said with a shrug. “But, to be honest, it’s not my concern. What they do with the property is their business.”
Joshua frowned at his brother. “Sounds like you’ve already made up your mind. We’ve barely discussed it.”
Theo scoffed. “Is there really anything to think about? Let’s face it, Joshua. Neither one of us wants to live in this Podunk town. It would be about as exciting as watching paint dry to stay here. I for one could use a big fat check from this Texas corporation. They sound as if they’re ready to make a very lucrative offer and draw up contracts.”
Joshua’s head felt as if it was spinning. He’d barely been back in Love for twenty-four hours and not only had he inherited the Diamond R Ranch, but he m
ight end up a millionaire if he agreed to sell the property. That type of money would be instrumental in raising Violet and paying for her future education.
Coming face-to-face with Honor had knocked him off balance. She represented all of his young hopes and dreams. There had never been another great love in his life after Honor Prescott. She had imprinted herself on his heart. And even though he shouldn’t care about her opinion, he still did. He wanted her to see the new and improved Joshua. It had hurt him to see such condemnation flashing in her eyes.
Everything was happening way too fast for his liking. The idea of selling his family’s ranch felt incredibly final. And if Honor was right, it wasn’t in accordance with his grandfather’s wishes. But Theo wanted to make the deal, collect the money and then head out of Dodge. It was a lot to process.
“Theo, I need some time to wrap my head around all of this. Why don’t we focus on the memorial service? After all, it’s the main reason we came here, isn’t it? To honor Gramps.”
Theo nodded. “You’re right. Let’s give him a fitting send-off.” He rubbed his hands together. “How about a rip-roaring barbecue at the ranch?”
“It’s February in Alaska. It’s far from barbecue weather.” Joshua chuckled. “How about a simple church service followed by a nice meal and fellowship with some of his friends?” Joshua suggested.
“A church service?” Theo asked with wide eyes. “Not sure we’d be welcome in church, Joshua. Not after what happened with the fire.”
“Our grandfather paid our debts at that church. He donated a hefty sum of money to have it rebuilt. I managed to dodge jail time due to my age, but I still had to attend a program for first-time offenders before I went overseas.” Joshua winced. He hated discussing that period of his life. It hadn’t been pretty. “Pastor Jack reached out to me and extended an olive branch. He wants us to host the memorial for Bud there. He was beloved in this town. Thankfully, the townsfolk could separate Gramps from the actions of his grandsons.” He shook his head, overwhelmed by the pastor’s generosity. Not many people would be gracious toward the man who they believed was responsible for burning down the town’s church.
“Joshua,” Theo said in a low voice. “Maybe it’s time for me to set the record straight. It’s not fair you’ve been blamed all this time for something I did.”
He waved a hand at his brother. “It’s water under the bridge. We made the decision to protect your army career. If I hadn’t claimed responsibility, you would have lost your military position.”
