“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.”
Theo made a strangled sound. “So instead you lost the woman you loved and were run out of town on a rail. It doesn’t seem fair, does it?”
Even after all these years it still hurt to think about the dissolution of his relationship with Honor and being disowned by his hometown. At the time, it had felt like the end of the world. It had forever altered the course of his life.
He shrugged. “I wasn’t exactly innocent, Theo. I was right there with you causing trouble. We had no business being in the church at night.”
“But I set the fire. You didn’t. I was playing around with my lighter and one of the hymnals. When the flame began raging out of control, I had no clue how to put it out. I was frightened.”
Joshua nodded. The event was indelibly imprinted on his mind. “So we ran. Probably the worst thing we could have done,” Joshua said. “The church might have been salvageable if we’d stuck around and called the authorities.” After all this time, he still felt guilty. If only he’d convinced Theo to alert law enforcement. If he was being honest with himself, he knew why he hadn’t done so. Sheriff Boone Prescott. He hadn’t wanted to give Honor’s brother the satisfaction of saying I-told-you-so to his fiancée. They had been caught anyway.
Joshua turned to Violet and spooned a mouthful of food into her mouth. Although he appreciated his brother’s desire to make amends, Joshua knew it wouldn’t do much good in the present. He had lost Honor because of one foolish decision that had spiraled out of control. The town had been rocked by the torched church and the knowledge that the fire had been started by one of their own.
Joshua raked his hand through his hair. Now he couldn’t hold back the groundswell of memories rising up inside him. “Zachariah Cummings spotted us as we fled the scene. He told the authorities I was the one covered in ash and fleeing the church. He mistook you for me. Same hair and eye color. Same build.”
“Zachariah tried to put out the fire by himself before the authorities arrived,” Theo said, a look of discomfort stamped on his face.
“He suffered serious burns,” Joshua said with a shake of his head. “He’s lucky to be alive.”
Theo groaned. “It was all my fault. And you took the fall because my stint in the army would have been over before it really began.”
The brothers locked gazes. So many words had been left unspoken between them. Joshua had taken the blame to protect his brother’s military future. As a result, he had lost everything. “But I’m no longer in the army, and you deserve to be vindicated.” Theo’s voice rang out with conviction.
“Theo, I’ve moved on since then. It won’t serve a single purpose to rehash the past and dig up old wounds. In a few weeks we’ll both be back home in Seattle and Los Angeles living our lives. I can’t imagine either one of us having a reason to come back here.” Just saying the words out loud caused a tightening sensation smack-dab in the center of his chest. It sounded so final.
For a few moments silence settled over the kitchen. Violet’s gibberish was the only sound in the room. She was in her own world and babbling away. Joshua imagined that Theo, much like himself, was consumed by the past, their grandfather’s passing and being back in their hometown. Not to mention the dilemma of whether or not to sell the Diamond R.
“We’ll have to contact Pastor Jack and get a list together of all his friends here in town,” Theo said, breaking the silence.
An invite list. He couldn’t help but think about Honor and her big, bustling family. They had always respected and admired his grandfather, but because of the bad feelings between himself and the Prescotts, Joshua wasn’t certain if they would attend the memorial service. It made his heart ache a little to think about it. Joshua hoped he hadn’t burned all of his bridges in his hometown.
For some reason, being a father had changed his views about Love. It hadn’t all been negative. He wanted Violet to know the place where he’d been born and raised. The Diamond R Ranch had been a huge part of his upbringing. He couldn’t change the way people felt about his past, but he wanted to show everyone that he had grown and matured.
Even though he had tried to convince himself that he was over the past, it still sat like an anchor on his chest. When he least expected it, memories rose up and threatened to drag him under. Pain. Loss. Heartache. One fateful decision that had altered the course of his young life. He had kicked himself a thousand times for not telling Honor the truth.
Even if he was only in Love for a short duration, Joshua intended to extinguish those painful memories before he headed back to Seattle. Since he’d left town he had worked tirelessly to make something of himself. He now owned a home construction business and he’d been flipping houses to bring in more income. He had stashed away a nice sum of money. In the next few months he intended to purchase a medium-sized starter home for himself and Violet. All in all, life was good.
His life had moved on in the aftermath of the dissolution of his relationship with Honor. When she had broken off their engagement, the very foundation of Joshua’s world crumbled. Although he had been forced to adjust to living without her, it had been the most difficult undertaking of his life.
She’s too good for you, Ransom.
Those words had been seared into his brain, courtesy of Sheriff Boone Prescott and his brothers. As much as he had hated Boone for being so blunt, Joshua had always known it had been true. Despite having loved her, Joshua knew he hadn’t been worthy of the reigning princess of Love, Alaska. Honor had been the shiny brass ring completely out of his reach. Against all odds, he had earned her love, which had made him the happiest man in all of Alaska. But love hadn’t been enough.
Joshua winced as bitter memories washed over him. In one reckless moment, Joshua had shown his complete unworthiness and given Honor no choice but to walk away from him. And even though he had moved on, Joshua still wasn’t over it. Not by a long shot.
Chapter Three
Honor drove her truck down the snowy streets of downtown Love and hummed to the upbeat tune on the radio. It felt nice to be out and about on a chilly Saturday afternoon. Having brunch with her family provided a well-needed pick-me-up. She had become so isolated working and living out at the wildlife center. As much as she loved her job, it was important to stop every now and again to smell the forget-me-nots.
Her family had been advising her to get out more and start socializing with the townsfolk. Honor knew exactly what it meant. Everyone wanted her to find a nice Alaskan man to settle down and start a family with. It was easier said than done. So far she hadn’t been able to let go of the past in order to embrace her future. Her heart had been encased in ice for quite some time. And whenever she thought about opening up to someone, fear of the past repeating itself kept her in the safe zone. It was far better to be single than to be brokenhearted.
As soon as she crossed the threshold of the Moose Café, the tempting smells of freshly brewed coffee and baked bread rose to her nostrils. There was already a bustling crowd scattered about the establishment. Her brother Cameron’s café was a very successful eatery here in town. Everyone loved the coffee, the food and the relaxed atmosphere. Honor was proud of her older brother for living out his dreams and pushing past all the self-doubt.
“Honor! It’s nice to see you.” Sophie Catalano, Honor’s dear friend and a waitress-barista at the Moose Café, warmly greeted her. “You barely show your face around here anymore.”
“Hey, Sophie,” Honor said, wrapping her arms around the beautiful redhead for a warm hug. “It’s great to see you. I’ve been so busy at the wildl
ife center it’s hard to get to town most days.”
“I understand,” Sophie said with a smile. “You’re doing important work over there. Ruby was raving about your workshop on birds of prey. Aidan was mighty impressed,” she said, referring to Honor’s seven-year-old nephew.
“Wait till he finds out we have some lynx kittens that were orphaned and injured in a fire. He’s such a compassionate little boy. I know he’ll want to come see them as soon as he can get over there.” Just the thought of the lynx kittens made Honor smile. It had been so fortunate that a local firefighter, Hank Jeffries, had managed to rescue them from the fire. They were now out of danger and on their way to a full recovery.
“You’re pretty much the bee’s knees as far as Aidan is concerned,” Sophie said.
Honor grinned so wide her cheeks hurt with the effort. “I think that’s probably the best compliment I’ve ever received.” Just the thought of her nephew and nieces filled Honor with joy. Her brothers had made her such a proud auntie. Family meant the world to her and God had blessed her with all of these connections.
“If you’re looking for your brothers, they’re sitting over there with Jasper,” Sophie said, nodding in the direction of a table in the back. Honor followed Sophie’s gaze, smiling at the sight of all three of her brothers sitting with her grandfather, along with Declan and Finn O’Rourke, close friends of all the Prescotts. None of her sisters-in-law were present, which made Honor the only female in attendance. She looked around for Hazel. It always felt nice to have some extra estrogen when surrounded by Prescott and O’Rourke men.
Honor walked over to the table and quietly joined her family. She was greeted by a chorus of enthusiastic voices. Warmth settled in her chest. This was home, she thought. A place where you were greeted with joy and open arms. Unconditional love. She settled into a seat beside Boone and Liam. It felt nice to be surrounded by family and good friends. She felt safe and protected from the slings and arrows of life. Honor might disagree with them from time to time, but when times were tough, they all had each other’s backs.
Hazel—Jasper’s wife and a surrogate mother to Honor and her siblings—strolled over to the table clutching papers against her chest. She looked around the table and flashed a wide smile. “Morning everyone. Glad you could all make it. Isn’t it nice to get together and break bread? I can’t wait for you to taste my new jalapeño corn fritters.”
Jasper looked at Hazel. “You know I don’t like spicy food. It gives me heartburn. Can you please just cut to the chase and tell us why you organized this brunch? You’re about as transparent as glass. It’s obvious you have something up your sleeve.”
Hazel slapped Jasper on the shoulder, causing him to let out a yelp. “Old Jasper here is right. I’ve made up some flyers and I’m going to be distributing them to our customers today. Then I’m going to hang some up at the church on the announcement board.”
“If this is about your over-the-top birthday party,” Jasper groused, “we already know you’ve planned your own shindig. Everyone has already saved the date and placed it on their calendars.”
“Once again, you’re wrong, Jasper.” Hazel swung her gaze around the table. “To be frank, I really don’t want to hear any grumbling about this. I just wanted to give you all a heads-up.” She placed the papers down on the table with a thump, then eyeballed everyone as if daring them to say something.
Honor picked up one of the flyers. It had the café’s logo at the top. She read the words out loud. “Home-going reception in honor of Bud Ransom.”
Liam sputtered as he drank his coffee. “Here? At the Moose Café?” he asked, his eyes bulging.
Cameron held up his hands. “Don’t blame me. I had nothing to do with it. I just own the joint,” he muttered.
“Was this all your idea, Hazel?” Honor asked with a frown. Never in a million years would she have imagined that the Ransom brothers would be welcome at the Moose Café. It felt like something in the universe had shifted.
Hazel grinned. “Yep. It was all me. I figured after the memorial service we could all come here for some refreshments and fellowship. Joshua and Theo were at the church looking for a place to hold a reception, so I suggested they have it here.”
“What in the world did you do that for?” Jasper asked. “Those Ransom boys are nothing but trouble. Always have been. Always will be. And I can’t believe either one of ’em had the nerve to step inside a church.”
Honor cringed at the harsh tone of her grandfather’s voice. By force of habit she opened her mouth to stick up for Joshua, then quickly shut it. It wasn’t her job to take up for Joshua anymore. Those days were long over.
“To be fair,” Liam said, “that was a long time ago. None of us would want to be judged by our worst moment.”
Honor ached at the sincerity in her brother’s voice. Of all her siblings, Liam was the one who was the most forgiving. As a physician, he didn’t have the luxury to judge others. All who sought medical help from him were treated with equal kindness and dedication.
“Bud was a fine man, but that’s where it ends as far as his family is concerned,” Boone said, folding his arms across his chest. “Theo and Joshua haven’t been part of the fabric of this town for quite some time. They burned those bridges a long time ago, no pun intended. I’m surprised they’d want to host something here.”
Declan flashed a pearly grin. “It might be fun to toss them out on their ears for old time’s sake,” he said with a laugh.
“You should be ashamed of yourselves!” Hazel barked. “Not an ounce of charity to spare, is that it? Those boys just suffered a great loss. Haven’t you ever heard that once you’re a part of this town you’re always welcomed home with open arms? It’s practically the town motto.”
“Nope,” Cameron said with a shake of his head. “Can’t say I have.” He squinted at Hazel. “Are you sure you didn’t just make that up on the spot?”
Hazel glared at him. “I’m not even going to dignify that with an answer. We’re going to let those boys host the reception right here at the Moose.”
“They’re not exactly boys anymore,” Finn said with a snort.
“Troublemakers is what they are,” Jasper roared. “I can’t think of a single good thing either of those two ever contributed to this town. They weren’t happy unless they were causing mayhem and madness.” He shook his fist in the air. “You mark my words! If they stick around Love, they’ll be up to no good in no time.” He swung his gaze toward Honor. “You should thank the Lord Almighty that you didn’t marry that scoundrel.”
Honor gulped. She didn’t even want to think about how angry her family would be when they found out Joshua and Theo were courting an offer from a developer to purchase the Diamond R Ranch. She feared Jasper just might have a coronary. He’d already had one heart attack a few years ago. For the moment she was keeping quiet about it. After all, nothing had been decided. And she really didn’t want to raise Jasper’s blood pressure. The news would surely put everyone on edge.
Hazel planted her hands on her hips. “The last time I checked, I have some say around here. Long story short, I’ve invited the Ransom brothers to have a reception here after the memorial service. I don’t want to hear another word about it.”
Everything stilled and hushed for a moment as the news settled in. Even Jasper kept quiet. There was a don’t-mess-with-me vibe radiating from Hazel. No one wanted to see her erupt.
“Well, we might as well order some food,” Boone mumbled. “I came over here expecting to be fed. And I know better than to fight with you, Hazel.”
“I sure wish Jasper would get that memo,” Hazel said, letting out a delighted cackle. “I keep telling him he needs to be sweeter to me since my birthday is coming up. He might not make it onto the invite list.”
Jasper grumbled and buried his head in the menu, refusing to meet his wife’s gaze. Honor knew her grandfather�
�s anger was genuine. He really disliked both Ransom brothers. Honor knew part of the reason was tied up in her history with Joshua, while another reason lay in Jasper’s title as town mayor. It was impossible for her grandfather to respect people who he felt weren’t law-abiding citizens. Being responsible for the destruction of the town’s church had been unforgiveable in Jasper’s eyes. Not to mention the fact that Jasper’s close friend Zachariah had been hurt in the fire.
Honor let out a sigh. Jasper wasn’t the only one. The majority of the townsfolk in Love had vowed to run Joshua out of town on a rail. It hadn’t come to that since Joshua had packed up his things and left Love after she’d broken things off with him.
Brunch was a solemn affair. Everyone dug in to their food and tried to focus on anything but the elephant in the room. At the end of the meal, everyone got up and dispersed without lingering for conversation or fellowship. A disgruntled vibe hung in the air. It made Honor feel uncomfortable. She didn’t like her family to be at odds. For a long time after her breakup with Joshua, Honor had been angry at Boone. She had irrationally blamed him for her broken engagement and all the troubles with Joshua. It had taken quite a while for Honor to forgive her brother for opposing their relationship.
As she stood up to leave, Liam placed his arm around her and pulled her off to the side. “How do you feel about all of this? It must be strange to have Joshua back in Love after all this time.”
“It’s fine,” she murmured, meeting Liam’s skeptical gaze. She shrugged. “I’ll admit it is kind of odd. Seeing him for the first time was surreal. And finding out he has a baby kind of threw me for a loop.”
“A baby?” Liam asked. “I heard he had one of those quickie marriages a few years back, but if I recall correctly, they split up shortly after the wedding.”
Honor wrinkled her nose. “You’re right. He isn’t married any longer. And he’s raising baby Violet on his own because her mother died.”
Her Alaskan Cowboy Page 4
