He stood up from his chair and quickly made his way toward her. “Don’t be sorry. This is the highlight of my day.” He reached out and pulled her toward him, brushing a swift kiss across her lips. He leaned back on his desk and pulled her closer toward him.
She met his gaze head-on. Her eyes radiated concern. “I need to talk to you about something. It’s a little bit delicate.”
“C’mon, Gracie. You can tell me anything.” And he meant it. He wanted Grace to be able to share anything with him that was weighing on her heart. Judging by the expression on her face, she was torn up about something.
Grace bit her lip. “It’s about Jasper’s legend.”
He stifled the desire to sigh. “I thought we put all this to rest,” Boone said, reminding himself that he didn’t want to lose his temper with Grace. Not when they’d just gotten over a bumpy patch in the road.
“It’s not what you think, Boone. The other day when I was at the mayor’s office there was something bothering me about Jasper’s timeline.”
Boone drew his eyebrows together. “Timeline? What timeline?”
“Jasper has a timeline showing when your ancestor Bodine Prescott discovered gold in Juneau. It shows his untimely death, as well. But there’s a problem with it.”
“A problem?” Boone asked. “What’s the problem?”
Grace heaved a tremendous sigh. “I did a little research, and Jasper’s timeline is all wrong. According to the official records related to the Juneau Gold Rush and death records for the state of Alaska, Bodine Prescott passed away in 1879, six months or so before gold was discovered in that area.”
The discovery hit him hard. He frowned. “So, you’re saying that there never was any treasure.”
Grace shook her head, her expression morose. “It seems unlikely that he could have discovered gold in Juneau prior to the documented first discoveries in that area. And there’s something else!” She opened up an envelope and pulled out a sheet of paper. She moved closer to him and pointed at a spot on the page. “I found this, too. It’s a record of a steamboat sinking out on Kachemak Bay. There were ninety men on board, most of whom perished. Read this part.”
Boone took the paper and read the sentence Grace was pointing at. “The men were traveling to Juneau, Alaska, in the hopes of joining a gold expedition led by Joe Juneau.”
Boone didn’t know how to explain the feelings roaring through him. Even though he’d grown to resent talk of the town legend involving his ancestor, it felt disappointing to discover it had all been nothing more than a tall tale passed on from generation to generation. That knowledge would be devastating to Jasper, who believed in it with all his heart and soul.
“I think it’s only right to tell him,” Grace said, voicing the exact thing he was thinking. Although it would crush his grandfather to know he’d been chasing fool’s gold, it would be kinder in the long run. Lies, whether little white ones or the bold-faced variety, always backfired in the end. He bowed his head, saying a silent prayer for wisdom.
“I’d like for the two of us to tell him together,” Grace said in a soft voice.
“Me, too,” Boone said. “Honestly, I’m a little nervous about his reaction. I can’t imagine what it would be like to have to stop believing in something that’s sustained you for a lifetime.”
Grace quirked her mouth. “Well then, I guess you’re talking to the right person. I’ve been struggling with my faith for a while now. It’s so hard for me to believe in God when it felt like He didn’t hear any of my prayers.”
“Did you ever stop to thank God for all your blessings?”
Grace frowned. She shook her head. “No, I didn’t. I praised Him at times, but I never stopped to thank Him for all the good things that came my way.”
Boone reached out and caressed the side of Grace’s cheek. It felt as soft as butter. “So how can you blame Him for every heartache and disappointment? If you aren’t lifting Him up in praise for the blessings, how can you turn your back on him with every setback?”
Boone was hoping his matter-of-fact statement would settle around Grace like the warm boots encasing her feet. He wanted her to know, in no uncertain terms, that God hadn’t punished her when her marriage plans had fallen apart and her family treated her so poorly. And even if it seemed as if He hadn’t been listening to her prayers, God would never forsake her.
She nodded as a look of calm passed over her face. “I’m beginning to understand that. Being here in Love has helped me realize that we all go through hard times. No one is immune to it. Jasper. Liam. Honor. And you, too, Boone. It doesn’t mean He doesn’t love me. And it doesn’t even mean He didn’t answer my prayers. It just wasn’t in the way I wanted at that moment. I need to open my heart to realize where God is leading me. Maybe then I’ll know what prayer He answered.”
Boone reached out and cupped her chin in his hand. “He’s led you here for a reason. Maybe one of those reasons is to shine a light on this legend business and to serve as an instrument for Jasper coming to terms with the truth. He needs you, Gracie.” His fingers reached up and gently traced the outline of her full ruby lips. “I need you.”
* * *
Grace’s sweet lips curved upward into a smile. “It’s nice to hear that.” She reached out and laced her fingers with his. “And I need you, too, Boone. More and more every day.” It was a scary thought, since their worlds were night and day. She was a city girl, through and through, while there was no doubt about Boone being a rugged lawman. Although she was falling in love with this town, her heart still belonged to New York City and her job at the Tribune. Boone would be as out of place in the Big Apple as a snowman on a tropical island. It would be painful for either one of them to have to choose.
“So, Gracie, how are we going to break the news to Jasper?”
A dinner date at Boone’s house should have filled Grace with a feeling of anticipation, but as she worked the afternoon shift at the café, all she could do was fret. Boone had invited Jasper to dinner with them so they could talk to him about everything she’d discovered with her research. Over and over again in her head she practiced the words she would use to break Jasper’s heart.
“Why don’t you take a break, Grace? You haven’t even stopped for a bite to eat,” Sophie said as she walked into the kitchen.
“I’m not hungry, Sophie,” she murmured. There were too many butterflies flying around her stomach to leave any room for food. All she’d been doing was offering up prayers for wisdom and discernment.
“A cup of coffee might be the perfect pick-me-up.” Sophie flashed a brilliant smile at her. “There’s love in the bottom of every cup.”
There’s love in the bottom of every cup. It was the slogan for Java Giant, the huge coffee chain she’d worked at four years ago. In the two weeks she’d worked there, a giant-sized picture of the owner’s daughter had greeted her every morning. The smiling, red-haired girl was the poster girl for the company. Over the years she’d become their brand. It was Sophie! Now she knew why Sophie had always seemed so familiar to her.
“Y-you!” Grace said, pointing at Sophie. She took a step backward. “You’re her. Java Giant. You’re—”
Sophie’s face crumpled. “Grace, please. I can explain everything.”
“No! No! Please! I don’t want to hear it,” Grace said in a raised voice, vehemently shaking her head from side to side. “I don’t want to know what a billionaire’s daughter is doing in Love, Alaska, working at a café your father could buy and sell a million times over. I don’t want to know why you ditched the Mattson name, either.”
Sophie took a step toward her. “You’re my friend. I want you to know why I’m here. And why I’m going by Miller instead of Mattson. It’s been so hard sitting on this secret. My family’s business is not who I am. I was so tired of people wanting to be around me because of my father a
nd the family fortune. Everyone in my life wanted something from me, usually money or a high-profile job with my father’s corporation. A man even pretended to love me just so he could marry the Java Giant heiress. I just became so hurt by it all that I wanted to go somewhere and be anonymous so I can find love.”
“And you don’t want anyone here to know who you really are?” Grace asked.
“They can’t know, Grace. Take it from me. People start treating me differently when they find out about the Java Giant connection. I’ve been dealing with it my whole life.” Tears began gathering in Sophie’s eyes. Grace reached out and clutched her friend’s hand, wishing she could take away Sophie’s pain.
Although Grace didn’t completely understand Sophie’s situation or what exactly had led her to hide out in Love, she knew enough about her to know that she was a woman of faith and conviction. She also knew firsthand the pressures in keeping secrets in this type of atmosphere. Love was a tight-knit, small town where newcomers were welcomed with warmth and generosity. It didn’t feel right to lie to them. It led to guilt and fear and shame. She felt all those things. On some level she knew Sophie must be struggling with those issues, as well.
And Grace didn’t want to be in a position to betray Sophie the way she was betraying every single resident of this town she’d grown to love. There was no doubt in her mind that a story about the Java Giant heiress living in a remote fishing village would be a major coup for the Tribune. Tony would salivate at the prospect of getting his hands on a story like that.
“There are people who’ve been hired to find me. I know how my daddy operates. But I trust you not to tell anyone,” Sophie said tearfully.
“You shouldn’t. I am not a trustworthy person,” she said fiercely.
Sophie’s eyes bulged. “But of course you are. You’re one of the finest people I’ve ever known.” Sophie wrapped her arms around her in an embrace of friendship and solidarity. Grace clung to her friend like a life preserver. She now knew she would never betray Sophie. It just wasn’t possible. This woman had kindness and warmth and an almost childlike innocence that Grace refused to exploit. She may have compromised her morals by going undercover in Love, but she wasn’t going to compound her mistakes by revealing Sophie’s secret.
Somehow that knowledge gave her hope. Maybe she wasn’t as bad a person as she believed herself to be. Maybe she could turn this whole thing around and tell Boone the truth before the articles came out. She’d emailed Tony and left a few messages about withdrawing her snarky article about Love. He’d sent her a message telling her not to worry about it and to keep sending more articles his way.
What if she wrote a hopeful article about Love? One that focused on the hardworking townsfolk and the attempts to revitalize the town. She could focus on the popularity of the Moose Café and the successful fishermen who’d been providing fish as export for generations. And if she wrote about Hazel’s boots, perhaps it could create a little buzz about them. Maybe that way it wouldn’t sting so badly when the truth came out.
“Your secret is safe with me. It isn’t mine to tell,” Grace said.
“Thank you, Grace,” Sophie said, closing her eyes as she let out a sigh of relief.
“What’s all the ruckus back here?” Hazel poked her head in the kitchen door. “We need someone to make some frappés.”
“I’ll do it,” Grace volunteered, surprising herself by speaking up. Even though she was far from an expert, she was learning the ropes at the café and serving up tasty drinks that more times than not earned her compliments from the customers. Despite the daily challenges, she liked working at the Moose Café. Most of all she liked being part of a community. She enjoyed serving the customers and having conversations with them about everything under the sun.
Day by day she was settling more and more into the fabric of this town. Every moment she spent in Boone’s presence only served to heighten her feelings for him. And even though it gave her a sense of peace it also scared her a little bit, because she had no idea how she was going to untangle herself from all the lies she’d told since arriving in Love.
* * *
That evening she borrowed Hazel’s truck and carefully navigated the snow-packed roads to Boone’s rustic stone-and-cedar home nestled in the wooded area near Deer Run Lake. She was proud of herself for tackling the driving issue head-on. It was yet another thing to check off her list.
Boone, dressed in jeans and a cream sweater, opened the door with Kona at his side. Her insides did flip-flops at the sight of him. His sandy hair looked a little rumpled, as if he’d just awoken from a nap. She resisted the impulse to reach out and smooth it down.
“Come on in, Gracie. You look beautiful.”
His compliment swept over her like a gentle breeze. She’d grown up in a household where it was considered vain to focus on looks. Her parents had never even told her she was pretty. Nothing felt better than to hear it from Boone’s lips.
“Your home is lovely,” Grace said, admiring the gleaming pine floors and the elaborate stone fireplace.
He gestured her to follow him down the hall. “I’ve got something on the stove.”
When she entered his light and airy kitchen, a tangy smell rose to her nostrils. Her stomach rumbled in appreciation. She looked over at Boone. He was at the stove stirring a pot of chili. A pan of corn bread sat on the stove right next to a covered dish. A big bowl of salad sat on the butcher block counter.
“You made all this?” she asked. She could hear the surprise ringing out in her voice.
“Of course I did,” he said with a laugh. “I love to cook.”
Score! A man who enjoyed cooking. Yet again, Boone was surprising her. What was next? Was he going to start reciting Shakespearean sonnets or drawing masterpieces? So far, he’d demonstrated he was a man of many talents.
“Can I do anything?” she asked as she took in the cozy kitchen. Copper pots hung from a rack, white and gray tiles accented the space behind his stove and the hardwood floors gleamed. It was the type of kitchen she could imagine herself cooking meals for a family in. A room where she and Boone might cook a meal together as they listened to romantic music on the radio or recounted the events of their day to one another. Hmm. How had her thoughts wandered so easily toward a shared future?
“If you wouldn’t mind setting the table, that would be great.” Boone threw out the suggestion and Grace immediately began laying out the plates and cutlery for three people.
The sound of halting footsteps heralded Jasper’s arrival. He showed up in the doorway leaning on his crutches, just as Boone was putting the finishing touches on his chili. Within minutes they were all seated at the table, with Boone saying the blessing. “Lord, bless this food for the nourishment of our bodies and our souls. I’m very thankful to be sharing a meal with two very special people. Thank You, Lord, for all our blessings.”
They ate in companionable silence. A few times Jasper stopped to praise Boone’s cooking. Grace was impressed. No man had ever cooked a meal for her like this one.
Finally, Jasper placed his fork down on the table and wiped his mouth with his napkin. His eyes were trained on Boone. “So, what’s this all about? I know you didn’t invite me here for my good looks.”
Grace looked over at Boone, who gave her a slight nod of encouragement.
“There’s something we’d like to talk to you about. Something important,” Grace hedged. She bit the inside of her lip, unsure how to proceed. Since Boone had always discouraged Jasper in his pursuit of the family treasure, he thought Grace should be the one to break the bad news. That way, Jasper wouldn’t suspect his grandson was simply trying to discourage him in his pursuits.
“Wait a minute!” Jasper cried out. “Is this an engagement announcement?”
Boone rolled his eyes. “No, Jasper. This has nothing to do with Gracie and me.”
“Humph! Okay. If you say so,” Jasper grumbled. “Would have been nice to say my grandson was the first person who made it down the aisle under Operation Love.”
Boone none too subtly jabbed his grandfather with his elbow. Grace didn’t miss the warning look he sent in his grandfather’s direction. If she wasn’t dreading telling Jasper what her research had revealed, she might have laughed at the dynamic between the two men.
“Can’t blame me for hoping,” Jasper muttered.
Hope. Jasper was a man who lived every day of his life with hope in his heart. It was the reason she was dreading this conversation. She prayed this information would provide discernment.
Grace ducked her head down and fumbled with her napkin. She felt as if a huge weight was sitting on her shoulders. This sweet, sentimental man was her friend and she didn’t want to crush him. Still she owed him the truth. “Jasper, I need to tell you something about the treasure.”
Jasper rubbed his hands together. “Don’t be shy. You know I love to talk treasure.”
“Well, this might not be the type of conversation you’re anticipating,” Boone warned.
Jasper looked back and forth between them, his expression wary.
“I looked at some online archives related to the Juneau Gold Rush,” Grace spit out. “The dates don’t match up. Bodine Prescott didn’t find gold in Juneau, Jasper.” She shook her head, feeling mournful. “It’s not possible since he drowned months before the first prospectors struck gold.”
“No, that can’t be right,” Jasper said in a raised voice. “That doesn’t make any sense.”
Boone leaned in and placed his hand on Jasper’s shoulder. “Gracie checked and double-checked. She looked at the archives. There’s a list of the men who found gold in Juneau. They had to register their claims. There’s nothing listed under Bodine Prescott.”
“Jasper, I think when Bodine and his brother went on that steamship they were trying to join an expedition in Juneau. I found some records to support that idea. He didn’t discover gold, but I think he was an adventurer who was eager to make history and help his family gain financial independence. He died in that pursuit.”
An Alaskan Wedding Page 16
