Kitabı oku: «Alaskan Reunion»

Chapter One

“It’s too late to turn back now,” Paige Reynolds muttered, her steps slowing as she neared her destination. Snow gracefully fluttered down from the pewter sky in Love, Alaska. She stuck her tongue out and tried to catch a snowflake. April weather in Alaska was unpredictable to say the least. Snow one moment and then nothing but blue skies the next. It was so cold she could see her breath swirling in the air right in front of her face.

From this vantage point, Jarvis Street looked quaint enough to be featured on an old-fashioned postcard. She, of all people, knew better than to give in to sentimentality. Greeting her past head-on wasn’t going to be a pleasant experience. Not by a long shot.

She’d stuffed her honey-blond hair under her hat and ducked her head down in order to minimize the possibility of being recognized by any of the townsfolk. Her arrival yesterday by seaplane just as it was getting dark had been deliberate. Landing in Love just as the sun went down lessened the chances of anyone noticing her.

Love, Alaska, a small fishing village, was located off the Pacific Ocean, on the southeastern tip of the state. She’d flown into Anchorage from her home in Seattle before taking the short flight to Love. She could only imagine the villagers’ reaction if they’d stumbled upon the secret she was cradling in her arms as she stepped off the plane. Paige had known from having lived in this town for years that few people would be hanging out at the pier at sunset. It was very unlikely that any of the villagers would have pulled out the welcome mat for her even if they had known of her return.

If anyone had told her a year ago that she’d ever come back, she would have called them crazy. The locals had run her out of town almost two years ago in the wake of a financial scandal involving her father, the town of Love’s treasury and the man who had once owned her heart. Even though she’d had no knowledge of her father’s embezzlement, she’d been caught in the cross fire and regarded as guilty by association. The daughter of Robert Reynolds had been deemed unwelcome in the town she had always adored. That knowledge still burned inside her.

It was a little bit ironic, considering all the media reports she’d seen recently about young women flocking to the town due to Mayor Jasper Prescott’s Operation Love campaign. Because of the female shortage in town, Jasper had reached out to the media and given an interview in which he invited eligible women to come to Love in order to be matched up with the single men.

She was probably the only woman the town wouldn’t welcome with open arms.

It was all right. They didn’t need to greet her with a ticker-tape parade. What mattered most was that she was back, with an agenda that might be beneficial for everyone in town, if they would only listen to her. She bit her lip as a rising tide of anxiety rose up inside her. There was no telling what might happen once the villagers discovered she had returned. As far as they were concerned, the treachery of Robert Reynolds had cost them a cannery deal that would have greatly improved the financial status of their town.

The fishing village of Love had always been abundant in cod, salmon, pollock and halibut. The idea to build a cannery had been an excellent one. It would have created jobs for hundreds of residents, increased local revenue and put the town on the map with regards to the export of canned salmon. It had also been the hope that people would move to Love as jobs became available.

Her father’s greed and selfishness in stealing the money earmarked for the venture had put a stop to those dreams and wounded a lot of people. And it had led to the town’s financial downturn when creditors sought payment for construction of the cannery. Trying to help repair the damage to the town would hopefully lead to her own personal healing. Despite her father’s treachery, she wanted to uphold his dying wish of redemption. And she needed to introduce her baby daughter to a father who had no idea about her existence. After all this time, she needed to do the right thing.

Everyone deserved forgiveness and an opportunity to make amends. But now being back in Love made her question whether her goals were way out of her reach. Had the choice to return to Alaska been a wise one?

Lord, please let this decision be the right one. My beautiful Emma needs to know her dad and he has a right to know her. And I need to make amends for my father’s actions and repair some of the damage he inflicted. I want to be a source of healing for all the villagers. And, if possible, I want to provide redemption for my father. So much is riding on this!

Paige felt the corners of her mouth tilting upward into a smile as the wooden sign embossed with gold came into view. The Moose Café. Cameron Prescott’s establishment. Her ex-boyfriend. The only man she had ever loved. Her knees trembled underneath her, threatening to give way at any moment. She steadied herself against the sheer magnitude of what the sign meant. Her father’s treachery hadn’t broken Cameron. He’d picked himself up, dusted himself off and built this café out of nothing but pure will and determination. That was who he was at his very core. She was so proud of him she could almost burst.

Cameron had been the love of her life. She’d long ago come to terms with the fact that he always would be. She had known he was special the very first time she’d laid eyes on him as a shy preteen. Since she and her parents had lived in Seattle for most of the year, she’d been able to catch only random glimpses of Cameron during summer vacations or holiday trips. Everything had changed with her mother’s untimely death, her father’s early retirement and their relocation to Alaska when she was fifteen. With Hazel Tookes, beloved owner of the Black Bear Cabins, playing matchmaker, she and Cameron had started dating and became a couple when they were seventeen. They had taken a break in their relationship when Paige had left Alaska to attend college. Upon her return four years later, they had picked up right where they had left off. Everything had been wonderful between them until the bottom fell out of their world.

Tears pricked her eyes at the thought of all Cameron had endured since the cannery deal fell through. The town had trusted him, along with her father, to deal with all aspects of getting the business up and running. They’d been in charge of hiring the employees, getting additional funding, overseeing the construction of the factory and handling the funds the town had appropriated toward the endeavor. When her father absconded with the town’s money, the whole project had folded. And Cameron had been branded as an incompetent fool. Everyone had whispered about how he had let the wool be pulled over his eyes by a con man.

Even after all this time, the guilt threatened to pull her under. Her father’s actions had torpedoed Cameron’s life and created ripples throughout Love. She pushed past the painful emotions, knowing she had to keep moving forward. She’d come too far to lose her nerve now. Even though she’d made mistakes along the way, the time had come to bridge the gap between them. It was time to lay everything on the table.

Paige peered into the huge bay window, basking in the soft glow emanating from inside. The café had a rustic charm. A quick glance reassured her that all the customers were gone. A black-and-white Closed sign hung on the door. Her pulse quickened as a familiar sight came into view. Hazel was vigorously cleaning off a table. With her commanding height and silver hair, the older woman had a striking appearance. She was one of the most formidable women Paige had ever known.

Gruff, loyal Hazel. She had a tough exterior but a marshmallow center. Once, not too long ago, they’d been friends.

Paige turned the knob and, meeting no resistance, pushed open the door and stepped inside. The little bell over the frame jangled. Warmth enveloped her like a welcoming hug. The savory smell of coffee wafted in the air. The aroma of baked bread rose to her nostrils. She inhaled deeply, then exhaled. The door made a clicking sound as she shut it behind her, leaving the snow and the cold in her wake. She took her woolen hat off her head and shook it free of snow, then quickly peeled off her mittens. Paige ran her fingers through her hair and smoothed a few flyaway strands back in place. Her heart thundered inside her chest.

“Sorry. We’re closed for the day. Stop by tomorrow morning and I’ll make you the best waffles known to man. I’ll even throw in a mochaccino on the house.” Hazel’s voice rang out loud and clear. It had an unmistakably brusque quality. She continued to focus on cleaning the table without even bothering to look up. After stacking a few plates and cups on a tray, she picked it up and balanced it against her middle.

“Hello, Hazel.” Paige’s simple greeting caused the older woman to swing her head up and lock gazes with her from across the room. A high-pitched squeak slipped past Hazel’s lips. The tray slipped from her hands, landing with a loud crash on the hardwood floor. Liquid spewed everywhere. Hazel stood there like a statue with her mouth agape.

“Hazel! Are you okay? What happened? What’s wrong?” Cameron’s voice washed over her like a welcome rain after months of drought.

He came rushing from the other room to Hazel’s side, and for a few seconds Paige was able to gaze at him without his being aware of her scrutiny. She clenched her hands at her sides as a rising tide of emotion overtook her in powerful waves. He was still achingly handsome. His chocolate-brown hair had grown out a little so that it now hung a bit past his ears. His profile was strong and manly. Paige couldn’t see his eyes, but she knew the moment they connected with hers she would have to steady herself against the impact.

He was wearing a dark brown, long-sleeved T-shirt with a cartoon moose on it. In other circumstances it would have made her laugh out loud.

She soaked in as many details as she could in a matter of seconds. She wanted to savor the visual he was giving her.

A strong desire to burrow herself against his chest swept over her. His strong arms had always provided protection. And love. It had been a long time since she had experienced that type of comfort and closeness. She stuffed down the urge to reach for him. Those days were long gone.

“Cameron.” Hazel uttered his name and then jutted her chin in Paige’s direction. With a look of confusion etched on his face, he swung his gaze in her direction. Time slowed down, and for a moment it felt as if it were only the two of them standing in the room. Everything else just faded away.

Cameron’s green-hazel eyes flickered, and she watched as a half-dozen emotions ran across his face. He took a step forward, then stopped. Hazel grabbed hold of his T-shirt sleeve and pulled him back to her side. She was in full Mama Bear mode.

“What are you doing here?” Cameron asked in a curt voice. His expression was now shuttered.

“Hello, Cameron,” she said with a nod in his direction. “I—I’m sorry to just drop in like this, but under the circumstances, I thought it was best to show up here unannounced.”

“Circumstances? What circumstances?” Cameron asked, his mouth twisted. His eyes seemed dazed. He let out a brittle laugh. “Are you talking about the fact that your father nearly bankrupted this town and then fled like a thief in the night? Or the fact that you’re not exactly welcome here?”

“All of that, I suppose,” she said in a soft voice. “I knew if I had called beforehand, you would have refused to see me. Maybe even run me out of town again.”

His almond-shaped eyes cut straight through her. “You’re right. I would have told you to stay away. For good.” He spoke through gritted teeth. It seemed as if he was on the verge of exploding.

Her mouth was as dry as sandpaper. She felt as if she’d lost all her nerve under the heat of Cameron’s anger. And Hazel was glaring at her with such venom. Her harsh facade served a purpose. She was protecting Cameron, who was the closest thing she had to a son. It warmed her to know that she was still looking out for him.

“Hazel, would you give us a minute? Alone?” It took every ounce of courage she had to make the request. Hazel had been shooting daggers at her ever since she’d walked in.

The older woman’s eyes bulged and her frown grew even more ominous.

“If you think I’m leaving Cameron here alone with you so you can torture him some more—” Hazel blustered.

“It’s fine, Hazel,” Cameron interrupted. He placed an arm around her shoulders and gave her a squeeze. “Thanks for the backup, but I’ll be all right.”

A silent form of communication passed between them. With a quick nod at Cameron, Hazel strode off toward the back of the café, her heavy footsteps the only sound echoing in the room.

Though she had asked for a private moment with Cameron, a feeling of awkwardness settled over her. An obvious tension hummed in the air between them. The intensity blazing from his eyes made her look away from him. Even after all this time, it wounded her to see so much animosity in his beautiful green-hazel eyes. She wrapped her arms around her middle. Her gaze focused on the coffee pooling on the floor and the shards of the shattered mugs that needed to be cleaned up.

Cameron’s harsh voice cut into the silence. His eyes sparked like molten fire. “Whatever brought you back to Love has to be huge. So, let’s cut to the chase. What are you doing here?”

* * *

Paige’s mouth opened, then closed. She cleared her throat. He easily recognized the signs of her anxiety. Her warm hazel eyes blinked rapidly. She bit her lip, shifting from one foot to another. Time hadn’t lessened her impact. As always, she took his breath away with her beauty. Her golden hair fell all around her shoulders in waves. He couldn’t help but appreciate her stunning features and heart-shaped face. She was the most beautiful woman he’d ever known. But unlike how he had in the past, he wasn’t about to tumble over the edge. Been there, done that. Falling for her had cost him everything. He had nothing more to give her.

Now when he looked at Paige Reynolds, all he saw were flashing warning signs.

“I’ll ask you again. What are you doing here?” He repeated the question, his tone curt. “It’s pretty foolish to come back to the scene of the crime.”

She winced. Her eyes flickered with emotion. “I have some unfinished business here in town,” she said. “Some things I need to settle up.”

Bitter laughter burst from deep inside him. His lips curved into a sneer. “Business? The last business you conducted in this town left Love on the verge of bankruptcy. Let me warn you, our coffers are empty, if you’re hoping for a repeat performance.”

She visibly bristled. Anger flared in her eyes. “That wasn’t my doing, Cameron. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. I had no idea what my father was up to when he was working on the cannery deal with you.”

“Right,” he snapped. “Tell me another one, only this time please realize that I’m not the same fool I was two years ago.”

“I never thought you were,” Paige said in a soft voice that brought him back to a point in time when she’d been his everything. His stomach twisted painfully. Seeing her after so long made him feel as if he’d been sucker punched in the gut. That was what it felt like to be staring into Paige’s big, expressive eyes. The pain rippling through him served as proof that he wasn’t over the past. Not by a long shot. The weight of it was sitting on his chest like a five-hundred-pound elephant.

“But I was a fool,” he said in a low tone that matched her own. “A complete and utter fool to let my heart rule my head.”

She shook her head, the long strands of her hair swirling about her face. “I want to make things right, Cameron. My father regretted what he did. Believe it or not, that’s the truth. That’s why I’m here. I want to return some of the money my father stole. And I want to do whatever I can to help get the cannery up and running.”

Paige’s words nearly knocked him off his feet. She was here to revive the project? And give back some of the money her father had stolen? That was crazy!

“You’re about two years too late to resurrect the cannery deal, although I’m not about to say no to a big fat check made out to the town of Love,” he spit out. The old resentment was rising up in him again. Try as he might, he couldn’t contain his emotions. They were bubbling over like an overflowing pot on a stove.

She took a few steps toward him, quickly swallowing up the space between them. Her nearness made him want to take a step backward. Having her so close was dangerous to his equilibrium. His fingers itched to reach out and tuck a few strands of her glossy hair behind her ear. Or run his palm against her cheek. He shook his head to rid himself of those treacherous notions. How could those thoughts have even crossed his mind?

“It’s not too late. It can’t be.” Her voice rang out stridently. “This town still desperately needs the business.”

“Those dreams died, right around the time you and your father absconded with the funds.” Paige’s eyes pooled with tears. Her chin quivered. He could tell she was trying to act brave, even though she was failing miserably. He shouldn’t care that he’d hurt her with his gibe, but he did care. Even after all this time and everything she’d done to him, he still hated to see her suffer. It caused a physical ache inside him.

“So where is he? Your father? Mr. Big Shot. Shouldn’t he be here making this speech? Or is he too afraid he’ll be put in jail and brought up on charges?”

Tears slid down Paige’s face and she choked back a sob. Her graceful fingers wiped away the evidence of her sorrow. She bowed her head for a moment, then slowly raised it, her mournful eyes meeting his gaze.

“He’s dead, Cameron. My father passed away two months ago of liver cancer.”

Cameron felt as if someone had knocked him in the teeth. Robert Reynolds was dead. His former mentor. The man who’d betrayed his trust and made him a town pariah. Paige’s beloved father. He didn’t know how to explain it, but he felt a slight ache in his soul. They had once been close friends, or so he’d believed. The feeling of loss surprised him since all he’d felt toward Robert for the past few years was a hot, burning anger.

Paige, an only child, was now alone in the world, having lost her mother when she was a teenager. Before she’d shown up here today, he’d thought he was well past caring about her hurts, but the sight of her looking so wounded and grief-stricken tugged at his heartstrings. He knew that, with no family to speak of, she must have gone through the ordeal alone, with no one to share the burden. He steadied himself against the feelings of sympathy coursing through him, knowing it wasn’t wise to make himself vulnerable to the one woman who knew how to bring him to his knees. He’d vowed to never go down that road again. He couldn’t. His very survival depended on it.

She stuck out a wobbly chin. “I know you think he’s a monster, but he had remorse for what he did. On his deathbed he made me promise to right his wrongs.” She shrugged. “So you see, I don’t have a choice. I need to fix everything he destroyed.”

“Everything?” Cameron asked with a raised eyebrow. Robert’s treachery hadn’t harmed just the town of Love. Cameron’s relationship with Paige had been a casualty of the town scandal. Nearly everyone in town had believed Paige was in on her father’s scam. Even though it had killed him to think she was capable of such duplicity, he’d grown to believe in her guilt, as well. Nothing else had made sense. As a result, everything in his life had fallen apart. He had been at rock bottom trying to claw his way out of the abyss. He had emerged on the other side, but not without an abundance of scars.

“I’m aware some damage can’t be undone, no matter how much I wish otherwise.” Her simple statement was full of meaning. Once it would have meant the world to him to hear her speak of regret and making amends. Now, with so much standing between them, her words seemed hollow.

“You’re absolutely right,” he snapped. “Some things can’t be fixed.”

She let out a sigh. “I know you’re still angry, Cameron. And you have every right to be. But if you would only hear me out, you’d realize that what I’m proposing is in the best interest of this town. You can’t let anger and bitterness cloud your judgment.”

He raised a hand and sliced it through the air. “There are no buts or what-ifs or maybe-sos in this situation. I lost everything because of what happened. When your father embezzled those funds, I was left holding the bag. All fingers were pointing at me. I lost every shred of credibility I had. You have no idea what it feels like to have an entire town turn against you.”

Paige raised an eyebrow. “Don’t I? I was run out of here because the same suspicions were leveled against me. And I was just as innocent as you were, Cameron. I know what it feels like to have everyone turn against me. Including the man I loved.”

The man I loved. She had loved him. Of that he’d always been certain. And he’d loved her in return. Madly. Devotedly. With every fiber of his being. He had dreamed of one day making Paige his wife. Because of her, he’d wanted to become a better man. And even though he still dreamed of pledging forever to a soul mate, he had a hard time imagining ever feeling that way again about anyone. So many of his dreams had been wrapped up in Paige. And her betrayal had left him wounded.

Despite the fact that dozens of women had arrived in town to participate in Operation Love, he never allowed himself to imagine getting into a relationship with any of them. The idea of being that vulnerable again terrified him. The past still loomed over him like a dark cloud.

Had he made the right decision when he’d forced Paige’s hand and told her to leave town? For so long he hadn’t even second-guessed himself, but now, after hearing her heartfelt words, a sliver of doubt crept in. Why had he been so convinced of her guilt? What had made him so willing to turn his back on the woman he had adored?

“Cameron. I can’t pull this off without you. Nobody in Love is going to want to listen to what I have to say. No one will work with me to make it happen. The dream this town once had of opening a cannery is still viable. I know we could make it work.” Paige’s cheeks were flushed and her voice vibrated enthusiasm.

“We?” His head was feeling fuzzy. Had he heard her correctly? She wanted him to team up with her?

“I need your support to rally the townsfolk.” Her shoulders drooped and she let out a sigh. “As you know, I don’t have a lot of credibility here. But I do have an MBA and several projects to my credit.”

“What are you asking me to do? I have a business to run now.” Cameron looked around at the café. It meant the world to him. Making a success out of it had given him the redemption he’d craved. It gave him respectability after the cannery fiasco. Finally, people in town weren’t shaking their heads at him anymore. He’d won them all over with hard work and grit, convincing them to make the Moose Café a staple in town. No way! He was done stepping out on a limb and taking leaps of faith. Once bitten, twice shy.

“Sorry to burst your bubble, Paige, but this town closed the door on that pipe dream a long time ago.”

She narrowed her gaze. “Really? I’ve been keeping tabs on Love for a while now, Cameron. I know it’s still suffering financially.”

“Things have been improving bit by bit. Don’t believe everything you hear,” he snapped. For some reason it annoyed him to no end that Paige knew how badly they’d continued to struggle. They may have fallen on hard times, but the industrious townsfolk in Love had banded together to try to reverse the town’s fortunes. That single fact made him proud to be part of this community. The town was down at the moment but not out.

A low buzzing sound cut into the silence. Paige fished in her pocket and pulled out a cell phone. She knit her brows together and peered at the screen. Her eyes slightly widened. “I—I’m sorry. I have to go, Cameron.”

“Seriously, Paige? You can’t just show up here after all this time and drop a bombshell like this and take off,” he protested.

Paige locked gazes with him. “There’s a lot more I have to say. Things I should have said a long time ago. And whether or not you approve or disapprove, I’m going to try and make amends for my father’s crimes. It’s the only way I can look at myself in the mirror in the weeks and months ahead.”

There she was. The Paige he’d fallen in love with well before he’d ever had the courage to tell her how he felt. Obstinate. Opinionated. And now she was here in front of him, determined to right her father’s wrongs. Which meant she’d be staying right here in Love to make amends. There was no point in his standing in her way. That slight edge to her voice indicated she meant business.

“I’ll be in touch with you tomorrow.” With a nod in his direction, she turned on her heel and began to quickly walk away. Once she reached the door, Paige turned around and met his gaze. “By the way, I’m really proud of what you’ve done here. The Moose Café is beautiful. Some dreams can’t be denied, can they?”

Before he could even respond, the jingling of the door serenaded Paige as she sailed out the door and into the Alaskan night.

“What just happened?” he muttered as he stood in the middle of his establishment wondering if he should follow after her or just leave it alone for now. Like a true force of nature, she’d blown into his world and left him feeling as if he’d been caught in the path of an unexpected storm.

* * *