There was really no comparison. What he felt for Grace was ten times as powerful as what he’d felt for his ex-girlfriend. Being made a laughingstock by Grace was a wound he didn’t think he would recover from. Not in this lifetime.
He was in love with Grace. Deeply, profoundly in love with her. Which is why he was sitting at this table at her former place of employment, toying with the idea of forgiving her and begging her to stay. The very idea of it made him feel like a major league sucker.
Neanderthals masquerading as modern-day men.
Each and every time he thought about forgiving Grace, the words from the article came into sharp focus. Town sheriffs who spend their time on coffee breaks instead of keeping law and order in their town.
“What are you doing? Drowning your sorrows in cappuccino?” Declan’s voice intruded on his thoughts.
Boone had an urge to swing his feet up on the empty chair and deny his best friend a seat. He had the feeling Declan had come to the Moose Café armed with words of wisdom. Before he could act on his impulse, Declan slid into the seat, placed his elbows on the table and stared him down.
Boone lowered his gaze to his steaming mug and took a sip. “What makes you think I’m hurting?”
Declan shook his head, his expression mutinous. “Come on. You can pull that ‘I’m doing fine—how’s the weather?’ routine with everyone else in this town. But it doesn’t work with me, okay? That look on your face—some might call it a hangdog expression. Others might say you had your heart handed to you on a platter.”
He opened his mouth to object, but a golf ball–sized lump sat lodged in his throat. What was the point in denying it to Declan? He’d see right through his facade.
“You’d think I would’ve learned my lesson last go-round. Grace played me for a chump. She played all of us.”
Blue eyes pierced right through him. “Life is rarely as simple as you’re trying to make it.”
“Don’t, Declan. I don’t think I can stomach your taking up for her.” Boone bowed his head as pain crashed over him.
“Boone, what I’ve seen in the past few weeks is something I thought I’d never see again. You’ve been joyful. You laugh more. And you ditched that chip on your shoulder. I figure Grace must have knocked it off. You two are great together. She’s changed you, in every way possible a person can be transformed. That’s real.”
Boone shook his head, resisting his best friend’s sentiments. “She wasn’t real. All she did was pretend to be somebody we’d all fall in love with so she could get a story.”
“Who are you trying to convince?” Cameron’s voice came from behind him. “The rest of us? Or yourself?”
“I should have known better than to come in here today,” Boone grumbled as Cameron moved into his line of vision.
“That woman has changed this town. And she’s not the same lady who fell into your arms on the dock. She’s strong. And creative. And kind. And if someone’s in trouble, she’s there, wanting to help.” Cameron threw his hands in the air. “And if you can’t see that...maybe you don’t deserve her, Sheriff.”
Boone jumped up from his chair, causing the frothy cup of cappuccino to spill onto the table. “Don’t you get it?” he ground out. “She’s just like Diana. She lied to me.” He swung his gaze from Cameron to Declan. “How did I get to be the one in the wrong?”
“Diana?” a loud voice barked behind him. He spun around, coming face-to-face with his grandfather.
Just perfect! Jasper had arrived just in time to join forces with Cameron and Declan. Suddenly everyone was coming out of the woodwork to gang up on him. Meanwhile, Grace was probably holed up in her cabin licking her wounds while he was taking all the hits.
Jasper snorted. “She’s nothing like Diana. She’s got more heart and soul in her little pinky than that one had in her whole body. You’re a stubborn fool, Boone. After you took off last night she begged the town for forgiveness. It was one of the most moving things I’ve ever seen. Humph! Serves you right she’s gone and left Love.”
Boone frowned at Jasper. What was he babbling about? Who’d gone where?
“Left?” he asked, his tone raspy. “What are you talking about?” His mouth felt as dry as a desert. Feeling unsettled, he sank back down into his seat.
“She left first thing this morning on a seven-thirty plane. I heard a charter outfit from Homer picked her up. That will get her into Anchorage by eight thirty or so. Then she’ll be heading back to the Big Apple,” Jasper explained, a frustrated expression etched on his face.
“S-she’s gone?” Boone tripped over the words as the harsh reality settled over him.
Jasper snorted. “Congrats, grandson. You got your wish. Grace Corbett is out of your life for good.” Jasper’s eyes were as bleak as the Alaskan tundra.
He felt the heat of a dozen pairs of eyes on him. Many were filled with anger, while others seemed to pity him.
Hazel sniffed back tears. “Grace is one of a kind. She opened my eyes to things. I’m so tired of love being tossed aside because of pride and misunderstandings. I’m sick of loving a man who sees right through me.”
“Who are you in love with?” Jasper asked with a scowl.
“I’ve been in love with you for years, you blind fool!” Hazel shouted. Jasper’s eyes bulged, and he began to stammer nonsensically.
Hazel snorted. “Although for the life of me I can’t see why.”
Misty Dingle let out a loud snort. “When are you men going to realize that loving someone means accepting their imperfections?”
“Absolutely!” Wanda shouted out. “You’re far from perfect, Sheriff Prescott. And you, too, Gunther!”
“Me? What did I do?” Gunther asked, appearing dumbfounded as Wanda glared at him from across the table they shared.
“She made a mistake,” Sophie cried from behind the counter, dabbing at her eyes with a tissue. “She’s human. And she’s a wonderful, caring person. She’s incredibly loyal. More than you can even imagine.”
For the first time Boone noticed Honor standing by the kitchen doorway taking it all in. She had a Moose T-shirt on, and her eyes were moist with unshed tears. Her expression begged him to reconsider his position. The look on her face said everything without her uttering a single word. He’d made a promise to her. Less judgment and more acceptance. Walking with love in his heart instead of censure. He knew she might lose faith in him forever if he didn’t budge. But would his pride allow him to forgive Grace’s deception? Could he swallow his anger long enough to reach out to her?
“Boone. It’s not too late to work things out,” Honor cried out. “Declan can get you to Anchorage in no time. And if you love Grace, letting her go isn’t an option. If you do, it will hang over your head for the rest of your life.”
Grace. Lovable, beautiful Gracie. Loving her hadn’t been a choice. It had swept over him like a force of nature. From the very first moment they met, his heart had no longer been his own.
The last words he’d hurled at her had been full of judgment and anger. He’d been unyielding.
What had he done? He agonized. If he searched the world over, he would never find another woman like her. In a matter of weeks she’d worn down his defenses and nestled herself inside his hollow heart. She’d given him more happiness than he thought he’d ever experience in this lifetime. All those long, lonely nights when he’d stared out at the desolate sky, he’d asked the Lord to bring him a life partner. He’d prayed for someone to come along who could lift the fog away and make him care again. Someone who would make him cherish everything in his orbit.
Hadn’t he received everything he’d prayed for when Gracie had crashed into his life?
Lord, give me the courage to face my fears. For so long I’ve been afraid to put my heart out there, at the risk of being made a fool of by love. I can’t not love Gra
cie. She’s everything I never thought I needed. But I do need her. Desperately. More than anything, I want to get to Grace, so I can tell her what’s in my heart. Because the thought of losing her scares me more than anything in this world.
“Honor’s right! I need to go get her. Before she leaves Alaska,” Boone said, nodding his head in his sister’s direction. Tears were freely running down her face. Upon hearing his words she laid her palm against her chest.
“That’s the spirit, Boone!” Jasper cried out. “Hallelujah!”
Hazel began clapping wildly. “Oh, Boone. Go sweep her off her feet.”
“Are you ready to fly me to Anchorage?” Boone asked Declan.
“I was born ready,” Declan drawled with a cocky nod of his head. He jumped up from his seat.
Boone rolled his eyes. Everyone within earshot let out a groan.
“Let’s do this,” Boone said as a burst of adrenaline roared through him. With Declan by his side he strode toward the exit, full of hope and anticipation and a small dose of fear.
“Boone,” Cameron called out after him.
Boone turned around and met his brother’s steady gaze. “Go get her and bring her back. Okay?”
He nodded at Cameron. “I’m prepared to do whatever it takes for a happily-ever-after.” As he turned on his heel and left the Moose Café with his best friend right behind him, he could only pray that it wasn’t too late.
* * *
Sitting in the Red Rooster coffee shop at the Anchorage airport felt like watching paint dry. Due to her last-minute ticket purchase, she now had to endure a six-hour layover. Only three hours had passed, yet it felt like forty. She’d sat down in the airport restaurant for a late breakfast, but every time she glanced at the menu her thoughts drifted back to Love. And the Moose Café. And all the people she’d disappointed. Especially Boone. All she could think about was the shattered look on his face when Dwight had exposed the truth. She’d never be able to get past the terrible way things had ended between them. It was far worse than being dumped at the altar. Because she loved Boone in a way she’d never loved anyone before in her life. And most likely never would again.
Somehow, Boone had plundered her heart like a swashbuckling pirate. He’d swooped in, knocked down all her defenses and stolen it right out from under her. With his generosity, sense of humor and kindness, he’d knocked down all her defenses. She loved him with a fierceness and a devotion she’d never imagined possible. And now, she would have to live with the fact that the man she loved couldn’t stand the sight of her. And as much as she adored New York City, it was hard to wrap her head around going home when she’d already decided days ago that her future was in Love.
She’d slunk out of Love like a thief in the night. The thought of facing Jasper and Cameron and Hazel again had almost done her in. She didn’t even want to think about seeing Boone again. It would gut her to have to listen once again to his recriminations. Saying goodbye to a sobbing Sophie had almost convinced her to stick around and plead her case to the man she loved. In the end, a part of her knew Boone deserved better than to have to deal with the fallout from all her lies.
Nothing about you is real. Pain ricocheted through her chest as Boone’s devastating words ran through her mind. Not a single word he’d uttered had been untrue. She deserved his scorn, even though it destroyed her to know that he would always remember her as a liar and a fraud. And he would never know how much she loved him.
It no longer mattered. A quick glance at her watch told her it was time to head toward the security line so she could make her way toward the passengers’ lounge.
“Gracie!” The sound of her name being called out in a deep, urgent tone had her questioning her sanity. She looked up and found the last person she ever would have expected to see standing in front of her. Boone was there, intensity hovering over him like a cloud.
Confusion swirled around her. “Boone. What are you doing here?”
“I came for you, Gracie.”
“For me?” Her voice came out sounding like a squeak.
He nodded his head. “Yes. For you.”
Boone didn’t look so steady at the moment despite the strong sentiment he’d voiced.
“You’re...green,” she said, noticing his face had an olive cast to it.
He squinted at her. “I’m what?”
“Your face is a little green.”
He placed his hand over his stomach. “I’m a little queasy. Declan hit a few rough patches on the flight here. He flew straight through without changing his flight path to avoid turbulence. We knew we didn’t have a moment to spare.”
“I—I don’t understand, Boone. What are you talking about?”
She watched as he inhaled a deep breath. “I manned up and faced my fears. Because of you.”
“Me?” Grace furrowed her brow.
“Completely, absolutely, one-hundred percent because of you. I’ve been so wary of being betrayed again...after what happened in the past. I had one foot in our relationship and one foot out. Truthfully, I think I was waiting for the whole thing to blow up in my face.”
“Because of the past?”
“Yes. And because the thought of losing you was overwhelming to me,” Boone admitted.
“I thought you hated me.” She felt her limbs trembling. “You said that you never wanted to see me again.”
Boone reached out and grazed his thumb across her cheek. His eyes were filled with a tenderness and conviction she couldn’t ignore.
“I was angry. Even though I’ve been walking toward my future ever since you came to Love, I took a giant step backward when I found out the reason you came to Alaska. It felt like a betrayal of everything we’d been building together. I had to question whether you were using me for a story. I allowed myself to get swallowed up by old hurts.” He stared deeply into her eyes. “I’m ashamed of the things I said to you.” He shuddered. “It makes me sick to my stomach just remembering how hard I was on you.”
“You didn’t say anything I didn’t deserve to hear. I wasn’t honest with you, Boone. I know how much you value the truth,” she protested. “I should have been straight with you about everything right from the beginning.”
He ran his fingers across her lips, gently tracing the outline of them. “You are the truth, Gracie. My truth. My love. I don’t want you to go back to New York. Ever since you stepped off that seaplane and straight into my arms, Love has felt like a different place. Everywhere you go, you bring light and joy and an abundance of laughter. And even though you’ve struggled with your faith, you’re working toward rebuilding your relationship with God. Brick by brick you’re laying the foundation. We need you. I need you.
“I’ve fallen in love with you, Gracie. When I close my eyes and imagine my future, you’re standing right there next to me. As my partner. My friend. My once-in-a-lifetime love. I love you, sweetheart.”
Grace bowed her head. Tears sprung to her eyes and she blinked them away. This was the moment she’d prayed about for years. She’d asked God to bring her a faithful man who would love her until they both took their last breaths. She thought she’d lost Boone, but here he was with his heart in his hands, offering her the moon, sun and the stars. He loved her.
She inhaled a shaky breath. “I came to Alaska in search of a story, but I found so much more than I ever imagined. I found the love of my life in you, Boone. Above all else, I need you to know that.”
Boone lowered his head and placed a tender kiss on her lips that was filled with emotion. “Hearing you say that you love me humbles me. That’s all I’ll ever need to know, Gracie. With love, all things are possible.”
“And I don’t blame you for being upset with me. I was here under false pretenses, and I feel terrible about hurting you and Jasper and Hazel. And everyone else who believed in me. From the beginning, ev
eryone in Love welcomed me with open arms.” She shut her eyes tight as a feeling of shame washed over her. When she opened them her lashes were awash in tears. “For the first time in my life, I felt like I was part of a community. It changed me, Boone. It made me a better person than the one who walked off that seaplane in pursuit of a story.”
Boone took her in his arms and pressed a kissed on her forehead. “Part of loving someone includes forgiveness. What you brought to Love and to me—kindness, generosity, charm, goodness—those things are priceless. Not to mention your idea about making a business out of Hazel’s boots. You’ve given us hope. A shot of adrenaline.”
She grinned, feeling euphoric that Boone had said those three monumental words to her. And she’d finally been able to confess her love to him, as well. A few weeks ago she hadn’t believed in the power behind those words. But now they meant the world to her because she knew Boone wouldn’t throw them out casually.
The sheriff of Love was in love with her! Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!
“I love you so much, Boone.” She reached up and placed her hands on either side of his face, drawing him down toward her so she could place a lingering kiss on his lips.
Boone let out a huff of air and placed his hand over his heart. “Hallelujah! If you didn’t love me back, I wasn’t sure what I was going to do. Maybe head back to Love with my tail between my legs or move to New York City and try to win your love.”
“Maybe I should have held out a bit longer, just so I could see you roaming around New York,” Grace teased.
She turned her head in the direction of a loud coughing sound. Declan was standing off to the side, wildly trying to get Boone’s attention. He made an exaggerated motion with his hands and pointed toward the floor. Grace giggled at the sight of him. By the time she’d turned back toward Boone, he was down on bended knee.
An Alaskan Wedding Page 18
