by CBelle
Boone, Jasper and Cameron all settled into their seats. She hadn’t bothered the night before, but Paige now took a moment to look around at the decor of the café. It was an assortment of neutral colors—browns, grays and burnished copper. Antlers hung on the wall alongside retro Alaskan art. A sweet picture of the Prescotts as kids—Cameron, Honor, Boone and Liam—held a place of honor by the counter. A bubbly titian-haired waitress wove in and out of the tables, pouring coffee and taking orders. The place pulsed with a vibrant energy.
Her stomach rumbled in appreciation of the enticing aromas emanating through the café. Cameron had always been an excellent cook. On many a date night he’d invited her over to his house for a delicious home-cooked meal. A smile played on her lips as she remembered his most ambitious dish. Beef Bourguignonne. A meal they had enjoyed by candlelight and good conversation. Laughter had flowed through the air like oxygen. Sometimes it seemed as if those days had belonged to another couple, not two people who no longer seemed to know one another.
“So, it seems you had several reasons to come back to Love in addition to introducing Cameron to Emma. He told us that you intend to return some of the money to the town,” Boone said. “I have to say I’m surprised. The money was stolen two years ago.”
Paige held Boone’s gaze. Anger radiated from his eyes.
“It’s the right thing to do. I’ve already written the check out to the town. Unfortunately, a portion of it was spent by my father. However, there’s a good deal of it left.” Paige dug in her purse and pulled out the check she’d endorsed to the town of Love. She slid it across the table toward Jasper.
Jasper’s eyes bulged as he picked it up and looked it over. A strangled sound slipped past his lips. Boone and Cameron leaned in to get a glimpse of the check.
Cameron swung his gaze to her. His expression was one of awe. “This is a game changer for the town. Thank you, Paige.”
His tender tone filled her with warmth. His face had lost all of its hard edges. For a moment it sent her back to a time when he’d been her entire world. It felt reassuring to know that despite everything, the man she had once loved was still lurking there under his harsh facade. He hadn’t completely disappeared.
Jasper let out a hoot and clapped his hands together. “Even the darkest of deeds can’t triumph over this town.”
She nodded her head in agreement. “I’m hoping it can really help with Love’s economy. It’s something I’ve prayed about for months now. Being able to salvage the cannery deal could be a financial boon.”
Jasper’s expression became cloudy. “The cannery deal! What are you talking about? We had to put that to rest two years ago after your father robbed us blind.” Jasper’s voice rang out sharply. Paige felt her cheeks heat with embarrassment. She felt certain other nearby diners had heard Jasper’s comment. Several swiveled their heads in the direction of their table.
“Jasper!” Cameron said in a warning tone. “Knock it off!”
Jasper frowned at Cameron. “I’m merely stating the obvious. Robert Reynolds did this town a world of harm. He was like a Category 3 hurricane that raged through Love, leaving nothing but destruction in his wake. I’m not going to walk on eggshells about that fact.”
Paige took a few calming breaths. Jasper had every right to be upset about her father’s misdeeds. She just hadn’t expected him to be so crotchety about everything. It was a good thing she was used to dealing with cantankerous men like Jasper Prescott. During her father’s illness he’d been short-tempered and impatient at times. Through it all she’d cared for him as any loving daughter would do, using every ounce of compassion and patience she had in her being. Even if it killed her, she would show Jasper the same grace she’d bestowed on her father. After all, he was Emma’s great-grandfather.
A verse from Hebrews ran through her mind, reassuring her about the way she wished to respond to Jasper. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
She had returned to Love in order to help all the townsfolk, even a cranky senior citizen who didn’t seem to care one little bit about her own feelings. He was about as subtle as a sledgehammer. In his eyes she was still complicit in her father’s crimes. Paige knew she needed thick skin to deal with him. It was about the town’s prosperity, she reminded herself, not about her hurt feelings.
“I understand why you feel that way, Jasper,” she said in a soothing voice. “Things went horribly awry the first time around. But that doesn’t mean the town can’t revisit the cannery deal now that there’s going to be an infusion of cash.”
“Paige is right,” Cameron said. “The project exhilarated this town. And it would have been a shot of adrenaline for the economy. We’re still struggling to get out of this financial downturn, Jasper. A cannery right here in Love might open up a world of possibilities.”
Jasper shook his head. “I’ve never been one to look backward. If we want to revitalize the economy, we have to move forward.”
“It’s still a viable plan,” Paige insisted. “Please don’t discount it because you disapprove of the messenger.”
Jasper began to sputter. “This isn’t personal, although I would be remiss in not saying that having you on board any town project would be quite controversial.”
Paige had prepared herself for this type of rejection, but it still stung to be treated like an outsider when Love had been her home for so many years. Over the course of the past two years she had missed it like crazy. The villagers. Her friends. The sights, sounds and smells. And the Prescotts, who had made her an honorary member of their family. And most of all, she had missed Cameron and the loving relationship they’d shared.
Just at that moment Emma walked back to their table, with Hazel right on her heels. She had a sweet smile on her face as she toddled up to Paige with her arms outstretched.
Paige reached down and lifted Emma up into her lap. Emma grinned at her, revealing her two front teeth. They’d come in a few months ago, giving both mother and daughter many a sleepless night due to teething pain. Cameron reached over and tickled Emma under her chin. In response, she let loose with a high-pitched squeal. The look on Jasper’s face didn’t escape Paige’s notice. He couldn’t keep his eyes off Emma. Jasper Prescott was a man who valued family ties and legacy and connections. It would be only a matter of time before her daughter won him over.
“If it’s all right with you, Paige, I was going to get Emma a glass of apple juice and some cheese crackers for a snack.” Hazel’s eyes oozed affection. Her tone was conciliatory.
“Sure,” Paige said with a smile. “She would love that. Let me get her sippy cup.” Paige reached down, and after rooting around in her diaper bag for the cup, she handed it to Hazel.
“Coming right up,” Hazel chirped as she walked off toward the kitchen. It seemed that Hazel’s heart had been softened by Emma, Paige realized. Relief flooded her. It was so much nicer to have Hazel treating her with warmth rather than censure.
“We’re having a town meeting on Wednesday night,” Boone said, returning to the issue at hand. “Perhaps this is something we should address with the council. It’s worth exploring, especially now that Operation Love is shining a spotlight on our village.”
Jasper sat back in his chair and folded his arms across his chest. He locked gazes with her. “I don’t want to hurt your feelings, especially now that you’ve brought my sweet great-granddaughter back to her roots, but I’m not sure this town would ever want you at the helm of any business deal.”
“Why not?” Paige asked in a slightly defiant tone. “I have a business degree and I know everything there is to know about the cannery deal.”
Jasper let out a hoot. “Why not? What a question. The sins of the father are often visited on the child. Small towns have a habit of holding grudges.”
Ca
meron folded his arms on the table. He scowled at Jasper. “Small towns? Or small-town mayors?”
Jasper slammed his palm down on the table. “Don’t act all high and mighty with me! You weren’t exactly protesting Paige’s innocence two years ago, now were you?”
A shocked silence descended on the table. Cameron glowered at Jasper. Boone looked at their grandfather and shook his head disapprovingly. Paige held tightly on to Emma and prayed her daughter wouldn’t pick up on the tension at the table.
“You’re right, Jasper,” Cameron conceded. “I thought Paige was somehow involved in what happened.”
Paige winced at Cameron’s blunt statement. It burned her insides every time the knowledge washed over her that he didn’t believe in her. It was yet another reason that she had doubts about living in Love. There was no way she wanted Emma to grow up knowing her own father doubted the integrity of her mother.
“I would hope that Emma doesn’t have to bear the brunt of any sins committed by Cameron or myself or her grandfather,” Paige said in a cool, calm tone. “Judge not, lest ye be judged.”
The air hung thick with discord. Out of nowhere Emma reached out and tugged hard at Jasper’s beard. She let out a wild cackle.
Jasper’s face held a stunned expression. His ice-blue eyes widened. Seconds later his shoulders began to shake, followed by his belly. He threw his head back as chortles of laughter rumbled through him. He swiped at his eyes with the back of his hand. “Bless her little heart. I think she’s defending her mama. Okay, Little Miss Emma Prescott. I get your message loud and clear.”
Cameron looked over at Paige and grinned at her. He reached out and smoothed his palm across Emma’s cheek. His smile had a powerful impact on her. It nestled right inside her and yanked at the feelings she had buried a long time ago. Her heart began to flutter and she found herself feeling flushed, even though the temperature was quite comfortable inside the café.
“Let’s introduce this at the town meeting. It’s open to the public, so there would be immediate feedback,” Cameron suggested. He pointed in the direction of the check sitting on the table. “Jasper, you can present the check and open up the topic of how to best use the funds.” He narrowed his gaze. “You could also make it clear that Paige returned to Love in order to return the money Robert stole.”
Hazel appeared at the table and placed Emma’s sippy cup in front of her. “That would endear her to a lot of folks,” Hazel said. “And drive home the point that she’s willing to move forward to help this town.” She looked down at Paige, raw emotion shimmering in her eyes.
Jasper snorted. “The last time I checked, I’m still the mayor of this town. I’ll decide how to address this at the town meeting.” He jumped to his feet. “I need to get back to my office. Hazel, can you whip me up one of those turkey-and-avocado sandwiches to go?”
Without even saying a proper goodbye, Jasper reached for the check and stuffed it into his shirt pocket. He walked over to the counter with Hazel, his thoughts having presumably shifted to his lunch and away from the town’s fiscal concerns. Paige shook her head at his abrupt departure. Just as it seemed she was making a little headway, Jasper had taken his marbles and left.
Boone checked his watch and let out a groan. “Looks like I need to head back to work, as well. Seems like I’m taking my lunch to go also.” He nodded at Cameron, then Paige. He reached out his hand and stroked the top of Emma’s head. “I’ll be seeing you soon, cutie-pie. Can’t wait for Gracie to meet you.”
“He’s a happily married man now,” Cameron explained as Boone walked away. “In case you missed that telltale twinkle in his eye and the gushing tone in his voice.”
“I happened to see their wedding announcement online. Their love story made quite a stir,” she admitted, feeling a little sheepish about the fact that she’d been keeping tabs on the town. At the time she had felt happiness for Boone and sadness that she and Cameron hadn’t gone the distance. “They seem like a great couple.”
“They are,” Cameron said with a nod. “I’ve never seen Boone happier.”
“And how are Liam and Ruby? And Honor?” she asked. Although she felt as if she might be overstepping by posing the question, she was filled with curiosity about the remaining Prescott siblings. They had all been close once, and even though she had tried on numerous occasions, she couldn’t just shut off her feelings. She still cared deeply about them.
Cameron’s face blanched. All the light went out of his eyes. He began to stammer. “I—I can’t pretty this up, Paige. Ruby passed away a year and a half ago.”
Paige let out a gasp. Shock roared straight through her. Beautiful, strong Ruby. Everyone’s friend. Wise sage. Warrior. Nurturer. “No! What happened? Was she ill?”
Cameron released a ragged breath. “She was killed in an avalanche search and rescue in Colorado. You know how Ruby was about saving lives. If there was an opportunity to help, she was there.”
“I can’t believe it.” She choked out the words. Tears slid down her cheeks. She swiped them away with the back of her hand. Although she had kept tabs on the town, there had been a period of time after Emma’s birth that she had been too occupied with her newborn baby to keep up with the major goings-on in Love. “I’m so sorry, Cam. For all of you, but especially for Liam and Aidan. I had no idea!” Impulsively, she reached out and clasped Cameron’s hand. Seconds after making contact, she realized that touching Cameron hadn’t been a good idea. Goose bumps had popped up on her forearms. For a moment tension hummed and buzzed in the air around them as they locked gazes.
“She died the way she lived. Heroically. Not that it eases the pain for Liam, but Ruby was a rock star as a search-and-rescue team member. My dad worked that rescue operation right alongside her. He said she saved several lives that day.”
Paige remembered how Ruby had emailed her after she’d left Love. She’d been the one person who had attempted to reach out to her in kindness and friendship. They’d kept up communication until the emails had abruptly stopped on Ruby’s end. It was devastating to realize that her friend’s tragic death had been the reason for the lack of response to her messages. Paige had believed that Ruby’s silence had indicated she no longer believed in her innocence.
“Losing someone without any kind of warning is so devastating,” Paige said. Her father’s terminal illness had been a terrible blow, but at least she’d had weeks and months to say goodbye to him. It had allowed her to process the loss as her father became sicker and sicker. She hadn’t been completely blindsided. Ruby’s tragic accident had been like a tsunami sweeping over the Prescott family. No warning. No chance to say goodbye. Just unimaginable loss.
“Liam is still struggling to get his life back. Aidan is still as sweet as ever. And Honor just graduated with her master’s in wildlife conservation. She’s back home now.”
Paige shook her head, overwhelmed by how the wheels of life had kept moving in her absence. “It’s amazing how much things can change in two years,” she said.
Cameron darted a look at Emma, who was stuffing a portion of a cheese cracker in her mouth. “Tell me about it. This little one here drives that point home.”
“Thank you,” Paige said, trying to ignore the painful lump in her throat. Between the news about Ruby and Cameron’s behavior earlier, she found herself becoming emotional.
Cameron drew his brows together. “For what?”
“For stepping in to plead my case with Jasper.” She jiggled Emma on her lap. She hadn’t expected him to be so solidly in her corner during the conversation with Jasper and Boone about the cannery. “For having my back even though I know you still have questions about my involvement with my father’s crimes. And I know you must still be reeling from the news about Emma.”
He shrugged. “Honestly, I wasn’t pleading on your behalf. I was making a case for what’s in the best interest of the tow
n.” He held her gaze. “You’re the mother of my child, Paige. That in itself means we share an amazing connection, one that will last our whole lives. Lord knows we’ve had our differences, but going forward we have to present a united front for Emma. That’s what parents do.” His eyes hardened. “Does that mean all is forgiven or forgotten? No, of course not. I still question whether I can ever trust you.”
She sucked in a deep breath. Despite already knowing he didn’t trust her, his words hurt.
“You’re right about focusing on Emma. That’s what matters most.” She looked down at her daughter and touched her curls. “I’d like to have Emma call you Daddy, if that’s okay with you.”
Cameron’s eyes widened. His mouth swung open. “Of course it’s all right. I—I’d be mighty proud to have her call me that,” he said, his voice sounding husky. He reached for Emma’s hand and brought it to his lips. “I’ll see you later, princess. I need to get back to work before Hazel and Sophie get in the weeds with all these customers.”
Paige tried to hide the disappointment that slithered through her. It had been so nice to spend time with Cameron, even if the majority of the time they had been discussing the cannery and the check she’d handed over to Jasper. She had missed having him in her life, plain and simple. It was obvious that Cameron was still holding her at arm’s length even though he hadn’t allowed his grandfather to run roughshod over her.
Baby steps, she reminded herself. One day soon Cameron would realize that he’d misjudged her.
“I should get going also. It’s almost nap time,” she said smoothly. She stood up and placed Emma on her hip while she reached for her purse.
“Let me help you,” Cameron said, reaching for the diaper bag. He pretended to stagger under the weight of it. “You sure travel with a lot of stuff.” He pulled out a stuffed elephant that was poking out of the bag. “Who’s this guy?” he asked with a grin.
“Mine,” Emma said, reaching for the stuffed animal. She pressed it against her chest. Her lip stuck out as she looked at Cameron with mistrust.
