Alaskan Reunion

by Belle Calhoune

  “Wait till Jasper finds out,” Hazel said. “He’s keeping a tally of all the engagements that occur as a result of Operation Love. Not sure what we’re up to now, but Jasper’s program really is working.”

  “Happy endings and all,” Sophie chirped. “I sure hope mine is finding its way toward me.”

  Happy endings. Seeing Gunther and Wanda so ecstatic over their engagement was an awesome moment to witness. Before Wanda came to Love under the Operation Love program, Gunther had been a lonely bachelor. He had been shy and reserved. A bit of a homebody. Falling in love with sociable Wanda had forced him out of his shell. He had been the first one in line to court her when she had arrived in town. From the very beginning, Gunther had known Wanda was his one true love.

  His one true love was Paige. It always had been. And he didn’t have a single reason now not to pursue his own happy ending. So what if his parents hadn’t gone the distance? That shouldn’t define his own future. It didn’t mean he couldn’t make things work with Paige.

  For far too long pride and circumstances had been stumbling blocks in their relationship. For two long years they hadn’t been in each other’s lives. They had both changed for the better in the past few years. Leading faith-driven lives had given them more purpose and a spiritual focus. He didn’t think he would ever make the same mistakes with Paige that he had made in the past. Not many people were allowed a second opportunity to get things right.

  Tonight after the town hall meeting, he planned to make a huge declaration to Paige, one that would hopefully change their relationship forever. He prayed that she still had feelings for him and was open to exploring a life together. If need be, he’d get on his knees and apologize to her for all the suspicions he’d harbored in his heart against her. For all the time they’d wasted.

  Cameron stood at a distance and watched Gunther and Wanda as they celebrated their engagement with two frozen caramel mochaccinos. A feeling of excitement mixed with raw nerves rushed through him. He was ready to fight for his own happily-ever-after.

  * * *

  By six o’clock Paige was a bundle of jitters. Her palms were moist and a huge lump had settled in her throat. So much was riding on tonight’s meeting. Love’s prosperity was hanging in the balance. After reaching out to Grace last night, she had felt more reassured about the path she needed to take. Hours of brainstorming and prayer had helped her sort everything out. Before any vote took place next week, she needed to address the residents. She had no idea if her words would be well received, considering her history, but she was convinced that if things went her way, the town would be heading in the right direction.

  In stark contrast to the last time she’d walked the gauntlet toward the town council’s meeting room, this time she was stopped by dozens of well-wishers. Some folks congratulated her for being dedicated to the cannery project, while others asked her about Emma and thanked her for returning the money to Love. Although it felt nice to be greeted so warmly, she couldn’t help but wonder how everyone would react to her change of heart.

  Paige had made a point to get to town hall just as the meeting started so she wouldn’t have to sit by Cameron. By not telling him about her encounter with Dwight and the information he had shared with her, she felt as if she had hidden something from him. He’d been so supportive of her desire to achieve redemption for her father and revitalize the cannery project. Because of the way she felt about Cameron, she knew he might be able to sway her opinion. And she hadn’t wanted to make her decision based on what someone else thought. Love’s financial recovery had been her only focus.

  Cameron shot her a quizzical look as she settled in a few rows behind him rather than joining him. She nodded in his direction, then looked away. It was better this way, she realized. She needed to keep her eyes on the prize and concentrate on the reason she was here tonight. Her feelings for him had never done anything but lead her astray.

  Paige sat through the meeting and waited for the perfect opening to say her piece.

  Just as Jasper began to talk about voting, she stood up. She cleared her throat. “Jasper. I’d like to share a few thoughts before we get started tonight. I’ll try to be brief.”

  Jasper peered at her over his spectacles. His expression reflected his impatience. “Go ahead and say your piece, but we’ve got a long agenda to get through. Keep it short and sweet, just like my baby granddaughter.”

  For once Dwight didn’t seem to have an objection to her taking the floor and addressing the townsfolk. He eyed her with simple curiosity.

  Her walk to the front of the room felt like an endless march. With a steadying breath, she faced the crowded-to-capacity room, twiddling her fingers in front of her to relieve some tension.

  Please, Lord, let the words flow easily from my lips so that I can present this in the best way possible. I love this town so dearly, and I want to help them prosper.

  “Good evening, everyone. I wasn’t expecting to be up here tonight, but my conscience won’t allow me to stay silent. Yesterday Dwight shared some information with me that changes my position on the cannery project.”

  Shocked gasps rang out along with a host of groans. People began grumbling and she could hear Dwight’s name being murmured. They seemed upset. She held up her hand. “Please don’t be upset with Dwight. He was acting as a dedicated steward of this town.” She sent him a nod of acknowledgment. She wasn’t sure if she was imagining it, but she was almost certain he smiled at her. Paige turned back toward the audience, making an effort not to lock gazes with Cameron. She could only imagine he was probably confused and hurt that she hadn’t discussed this with him prior to tonight’s meeting. But up until a few hours ago she hadn’t been exactly sure of what she was going to say or do this evening. It had all come together at the last moment.

  “There have been three canneries in the southeastern part of Alaska that have opened their doors in the last two years. I’ll admit that I wasn’t aware of that figure until yesterday. The last one that opened isn’t doing very well, no doubt because of steep competition from the other two.” She swung her gaze around the room. “Why does that matter to us, you might ask? Because if the town decides to put a considerable amount of money into this project, it’s important to consider the existing market. Knowing what I know at this moment, I think it’s too risky. Could it be a success? Very possibly. But it’s also likely that the cannery could go under. A few hours ago everything became crystal clear.

  “For me the cannery project has always represented a lost opportunity. Its failure was a symbol of my father’s sins and my own banishment from Love.” She inhaled a deep breath. “I truly love this community and it’s imperative that I do right by it. The success of this town can’t be about my father’s redemption. And it shouldn’t be about things that have been lost. I tossed and turned last night trying to figure out what’s in the best interest for Love. And it’s not the cannery. I know that now. Jasper was right when he said it’s about moving forward, not backward.”

  She looked straight at Cameron. His eyes glinted with disappointment before he turned his gaze away from her. In that single moment she feared she might have lost him forever. She paused for a second to steady herself against the pain ricocheting through her.

  “So it sounds like we’re right back where we started from,” someone in the audience called out.

  “No, actually, we’re not,” Paige responded in a firm voice. “Far from it, in fact. Hazel’s boots are a far better investment than a cannery, considering the unique marketing slant and the freshness of the idea. There are no other shoes on the market that can claim to be authentic Alaskan-made boots. And the unfinished cannery building could easily be converted into a production facility for the boots. If we scale back the scope of the building, it could be finished in a matter of months—weeks, even, since we have extended hours of sunlight now.”

  She glance
d over at Grace, who had promised to sit near the front row so she could be available to speak. “Grace, could you help me out with this part?” Her call to Grace last night had led to hours of discussion, during which Boone’s wife had acted as a sounding board and helped her analyze the benefits of a cannery versus a shoemaking enterprise. In the end, her assistance had been invaluable.

  Grace came up and stood next to her. “The money Paige returned to the town could easily be used to jump-start this new business. We’ve already been working on a cost analysis for the launch, and these additional funds could really assist in establishing Hazel’s boots. It’s an amazing opportunity to truly put our resources behind what could be a huge revenue stream for this town.”

  “I love it!” Hazel cried out, thumping her palm down on the dais. She paused to swipe away a few tears. “It’s a brilliant plan, as far as I’m concerned.”

  “Wow,” Boone said, scratching his jaw. “Put the two of you together and you could achieve world peace.” Grace blew her husband a kiss.

  “We’re going to need a name for this enterprise. We can’t keep calling it ‘Hazel’s boots,’ unless that’s really the name for it,” Declan said.

  Hazel vehemently shook her head. “Nope. I don’t need ’em named after me. Let’s think of something else. Something that makes ’em stand up and take notice.”

  Suddenly everyone started calling out suggestions. Operation Love. Nothing but Love. Made in Love. Alaska’s Own. Love’s Boots.

  “Hush, everyone. Plenty of time to figure that out later on,” Jasper said in a cranky tone. “If we’re not voting next week on the cannery project, I need to make a motion to that effect. I hereby move that we scrap the proposed vote for the cannery project.”

  “I second it,” Dwight said.

  “Motion carries,” Jasper said with a bang of his gavel.

  “I hereby move that at next month’s meeting we vote on making the cannery building the new site for production and operations of Hazel’s boots,” Boone said.

  “Second!” Hazel shouted gleefully.

  “Motion carries,” Jasper said with another pounding of his gavel.

  Paige felt a warm, settled feeling in her chest. All was well within her heart and mind. She hadn’t done the easy thing, but in the end, it had been the right thing. For so long she had been focused on the goal of having a cannery open up its doors in Love. It had seemed to be the perfect way to erase the pain of the past few years. She had wanted desperately to restore what her father tore down. But now, by truly putting the past behind them, the town could soar with this new idea.

  By the time Jasper adjourned the meeting forty-five minutes later, Paige was desperate to smooth things over with Cameron. The expression he’d had on his face during her speech worried her. If nothing else, she didn’t want to lose the friendship they had been fostering over the past few weeks. It was crucial for Emma’s well-being.

  Although she tried to get to Cameron, she found herself staring after him as she became the center of a throng of well-wishers.

  Look at me. Just give me one little look, she silently urged him.

  Instead of glancing in her direction, he seemed to be caught up in his own thoughts. A dejected look was etched on his face.

  “Cameron!” she called out, catching up to him just as he was about to exit the room. His expression was shuttered.

  “Good evening,” he said with a nod. “You’re full of surprises tonight.”

  “I’m sorry that I didn’t give you a heads-up. It all came together so quickly.” She rushed the words out, anxious about his reaction.

  “No problem, Paige.” His mouth quirked. “Everything worked out beautifully.”

  “I think Hazel’s boots will serve this town well.”

  “Congratulations. From the sounds of it, you got everything you wanted. Just one question. Does this mean you’re going to be heading back to Seattle?”

  The question was thrown at her the way a pitcher might throw a curveball. She hadn’t expected to have to answer a question like this tonight. Especially not from Cameron.

  “I’ve built a life for Emma and myself in Seattle. It only makes sense that we go back home,” she said.

  For a moment Cameron looked as if someone had punched him in the gut. Pain flickered in his eyes and she knew without a single doubt that he was thinking about Emma.

  “Cameron, we can work out a schedule. You’ll always be in Emma’s life. You’re her father,” she said in a low voice. “It will all work out.”

  She was winging it now, saying the mature things that a mother should say in a situation like this. The reality was that she didn’t want to leave Love, but it was hard to justify staying here in town without a purpose. And to stay here with the shadow of her relationship with Cameron always hanging over her head wasn’t something she could do. Not when she’d fallen in love with him all over again.

  Raw emotions flitted across his face. His expression hardened. “I never wanted to be a long-distance father, Paige. Take it from my own experience—sometimes it doesn’t all work out.”

  Without saying another word, he turned and disappeared through the door, leaving Paige feeling crestfallen.

  She hadn’t wanted to hurt him or to revive memories of his own parental abandonment. She’d come all the way to Love so that he could meet Emma and forge a bond with her. Over the past few weeks the father-daughter duo had done just that. Cameron clearly adored their baby girl. And he now occupied a tender place in Emma’s world that no one else could ever assume. She had grown to love him and even learned to call him Dada. But what if Cameron allowed anger and bitterness to get in the way of his relationship with Emma? He’d once decided that he no longer needed Paige in his world. He’d cast her out of his life without sparing her a second thought. What if it happened again? Only this time around she wouldn’t be the only one he wounded.

  Even though she had tried to guard herself against falling in love with Cameron, Paige hadn’t been able to stop herself. Being in his warm, steady presence had made it easy for her to forget how badly he’d hurt her in the past. And recently she had begun to imagine how sweet life could be if they could only repair the pain of their past and dedicate themselves to one another and Emma as a family.

  Tears misted in her eyes as the realization hit her that it wasn’t meant to be. Once again Cameron was showing her how easy it was for him to walk away from her without hashing out their issues.

  Nursing her broken heart the first time around had been agonizing. This time might just break her into little pieces.

  * * *

  Yes, indeed. It was safe to say he was moping. He had been sitting there like a fool when Paige had dropped the bombshell that she was no longer pushing for the cannery project. He let out a harsh laugh. So much for her calling him her ally. So much for her considering how it would feel for him to be blindsided. And his fears had been realized this evening when she’d admitted that she was heading back to Seattle with his little girl.

  Humph! She had always been good at pulling the rug out from under him!

  She hadn’t even given him the courtesy of a heads-up. Yet she’d brainstormed with Grace, whom she barely knew. That simple fact had added insult to injury. Despite the progress he’d thought they had made since Paige’s return, she’d still seen fit to keep him in the dark. Some things never changed.

  He felt sick to his stomach. A cannery project would have kept Paige and Emma in Love. He had heard her say it with his own ears. But according to Paige, she wouldn’t be sticking around in town now that everything had been wrapped up with a nice little bow. Paige’s speech had almost sounded like a goodbye. After all, as long as Love was able to grow and prosper with the money she’d returned, her mission would be fulfilled.

  Redemption accomplished.

  The thoug
ht of Paige leaving town again gutted him. It had been agonizing the first time around, but now it would be unbearable. She would be taking a pint-size version of him along with her. His beautiful daughter, who was surely the best part of him.

  Why hadn’t he pulled her aside and laid it all on the line as Hazel and Boone had suggested? Why hadn’t he told her how he really felt? Why was he always running away when emotions ran high?

  He was head over heels in love with Paige. That knowledge had always been there, safely nestled in his heart and tucked away where it couldn’t cause him any more heartache. But despite what he had done to protect himself, he was in pain now, broken by the harsh reality of his situation. If he kept silent and said nothing, he was certain to lose her. But if he pushed past all the doubts and fears and confessed his love to Paige, there was always the possibility of suffering a huge rejection. He wasn’t sure he could handle that.

  By the time he reached his house, Cameron was emotionally fatigued and exhausted. When he opened his front door and walked in, he heard a rustling sound. Looking down, he noticed a long white envelope sitting on the hardwood floor. He crouched down and picked it up, his body stiffening at the swirly, unique handwriting. The letter was from Robert. Paige must have delivered it to his house earlier today. Adrenaline raced through his body as he contemplated whether or not he even wanted to read Robert’s parting words.

  He sighed. How many times was he going to run away from the things that challenged him? The things that reached into his chest cavity and tugged at him? He opened the envelope with his finger and pulled out the letter. He felt a lump in his throat as he began to read the letter.

  Dear Cameron,

  By the time you read this letter, I will no longer be on earth, but in Heaven with the Lord.

  I deeply regret how my actions tainted you and destroyed your relationship with Paige.

  Mere words could never capture how deeply I wish I had been a better man.