An Alaskan Wedding

by Belle Calhoune

  * * *

  Ever since Grace had admitted she wasn’t a skilled barista, Boone’s warning signs had been on high alert. There was something about Grace Corbett that just didn’t compute. It had nagged at him ever since she’d stepped off the seaplane. Every instinct he’d honed during his tenure as town sheriff reinforced it. Not even those big sooty eyelashes of hers could distract him from his suspicions.

  She’d lied on her application. If she was a barista, he was a ballerina. He wasn’t a man who tolerated lies or the folks who told them. Why should he make an exception for her? And yet he’d agreed not to tell Cameron about her fudged résumé. Had that been a mistake?

  Once bitten, twice shy. He’d learned his lesson years ago about women who couldn’t tell the truth. Diana had taught him well. But he considered himself a fair man, and he knew it would be wrong to judge Grace based on another woman’s actions.

  Boone drained the last of his green tea from his mug and pushed himself away from the table. A quick glance at his watch confirmed that he needed to get back to the sheriff’s office. For some reason he couldn’t get the sight of Grace out of his mind. Her wide, blue eyes. The slushy coffee that had blanketed her hair and face... Those pink, kissable lips. All he wanted to do was grin from ear to ear.

  “Mind telling me what you think you’re doing?” Cameron stood in front of him with his arms folded across his chest. He was rocking back on his heels. His eyes flashed a warning sign.

  “What? I’m a paying customer just like everyone else in here.” Boone held up his receipt.

  Cameron raised an eyebrow. “I don’t recall you ever coming in here with such frequency, nor do I recall seeing you in the kitchen helping out my employees. If I remember correctly, you didn’t think I should even open this place.”

  Boone gritted his teeth. “Hey, don’t make me the bad guy here, Cam. I’ve been supportive in my own way.”

  Cameron scoffed. “How can you be the bad guy when I’ve already filled that role?”

  “Gimme a break. I’ve never rubbed it in your face. I’ve spent the past year and a half defending you to everyone in town who accused you of leading with your heart instead of your head. I went above and beyond to help you out of the mess you made of the cannery deal.”

  Cameron’s expression hardened “Never rubbed my face in it? Really? ’Cause it kind of feels like you just did.”

  Cameron stalked away with his fists at his side. Boone’s heart sank, landing with a thud low in his gut. He hated being at odds with his brother. His siblings meant the world to him. Cameron, Liam and Honor. He loved all three of them with a single-minded devotion. As the oldest, it had always been his job to protect them from the slings and arrows of life. Even though he’d tried his best, he hadn’t been able to rescue Cameron from becoming the town’s whipping boy.

  And ever since then there had been tension between them. As town sheriff, he’d been torn between his duties as a town official and his immense love for his brother. He’d always tilted in Cameron’s favor, but his brother hadn’t seen it that way. Cameron had felt like the town pariah. He let out a sigh as he walked back across the street to his office. The laid-back mood he’d experienced while in Grace’s presence had evaporated like light fog on a summer morning.

  Perhaps from now on he needed to steer clear of the Moose Café, even though the very thought of not seeing a certain blue-eyed girl left him feeling forlorn.

  * * *

  Grace had tried hard not to stare as Boone and Cameron faced off in the entryway to the Moose Café. She couldn’t hear what they were saying, but their body language spoke volumes. Cameron had looked angry and tense, while Boone had seemed as if his patience was being tested. Tension had simmered in the air, and it felt almost explosive.

  “What’s up between those two?” she asked Hazel once the two had parted ways.

  “There aren’t enough hours in the day for me to explain,” Hazel quipped. “Those two boys love each other, but sometimes the past can create wedges between people.”

  Wedges. Sounded like her family. Only there were wide crevasses in the Corbett family. Yet everyone pretended not to notice.

  For the next few hours, Grace barely had time to focus on anything other than serving customers and trying to learn the ropes of her new job. Her mind was racing with unanswered questions as she filled orders and helped Hazel in the kitchen.

  As they worked side by side, Grace enjoyed the easy camaraderie that flowed between them.

  Hazel turned toward her with a pleased expression on her face. “I’m really happy that Cameron hired you and Sophie. There’s a different energy in this place now that you’re working here. You’ve brightened up the place.”

  Grace smiled. “Thanks, Hazel. That’s sweet of you to say.”

  “I’m simply speaking the truth. And I haven’t been sweet since I was knee-high to a grasshopper,” she said with a laugh.

  Grace frowned. “Hazel, if this town is having financial problems and the cannery closed, why were there two barista positions still available?”

  Hazel made a face. “Well, the town’s not broke. Not yet, anyway. This café is flourishing. Let’s just say Cameron isn’t the easiest person to work for. He’s fired about two dozen people and the rest wouldn’t work for him, not after—” Hazel clammed up.

  “After what?” Grace asked.

  Hazel slapped her hand to her forehead. “Me and my big mouth.” She let out a sigh. “Cameron was handling the cannery deal for the town. The man he was doing business with took the town’s money and headed out of Dodge.” She shook her head mournfully. “Poor thing was trying to do a good thing for the town, but he got in way over his head. Not to mention his heart. Let’s just say that a lot of people blame him for the whole thing falling apart.”

  “And it led to problems between him and Boone. Am I right?”

  “I’ve already said too much, Grace.” Hazel made a turning-the-key motion on her lips.

  Cameron Prescott had been involved with an unscrupulous businessman, leading to the closing of the cannery. The soured deal had severely impacted the town. With his brother being the town sheriff, that had to have led to tension and discord.

  Perhaps this community wasn’t as tight-knit as she’d believed. Rifts between brothers. Unsavory businessmen. A town being fleeced.

  Her journalistic juices were now flowing. Boone was at odds with his brother. Not to mention the townsfolk holding Cameron accountable. What kind of mistake could have turned so many people against Cameron? Whatever had transpired, she had an obligation to find out in order to write a comprehensive series about Love. Her series on this lovelorn town would be precise. No stone would remain unturned in her pursuit of the truth. This wasn’t going to be a fluff piece where she raved about the pretty mountains and the pristine air.

  Hazel’s face lit up like the Fourth of July. “Jasper! I wasn’t expecting to see you today.”

  “I’m here on town business involving Grace.” He wagged his eyebrows. “Official town business,” Jasper affirmed.

  Cameron’s mouth quirked. “Town business? Grace is new in town. What kind of town business could it be?”

  “Jasper wants to give me a personal tour of town,” Grace piped up. “And maybe go legend hunting, right?”

  Too late, she saw Jasper place a finger to his lips and give her a warning look.

  Cameron and Hazel let out a groan in unison. Sophie’s eyes went wide.

  “Jasper,” Hazel said in a warning tone. “There’s a storm brewing for this evening. Don’t get carried away out there.”

  Jasper snorted. “I know this town like the back of my hand! We’ll only be gone for an hour or so.” He glanced at his watch. “I have a meeting later on that I need to be back for.”

  “Well then, enjoy your tour,” Hazel said wit
h a sigh. “Grace, I’m glad I gave you a pair of my boots. They come in handy in this neck of the woods.”

  Grace felt sincerely grateful for Hazel’s kindness. “Your boots will keep my toes nice and warm,” Grace said. “Thanks again, Hazel. It’s mighty generous of you.” Grace looked down at the stylish, fur-lined boots—they were the most comfy boots she’d ever worn. And Hazel—dear, sweet woman—had given them to her earlier this morning out of the kindness of her heart. She’d had to force Hazel to take payment for the boots she’d designed and created, even though she’d protested at first. Grace had given her the same amount she would have paid for boots of this caliber if she’d found them in a big city. She wasn’t sure Hazel knew the value of her product.

  Hazel looked pleased at the compliment. “You’re good advertising for my boots. If a beautiful city girl like yourself wears them, it might inspire everyone in town to buy a pair. Still got a few holdouts.” She stared pointedly at Cameron, who studiously ignored her.

  “You two have a great time,” Sophie said with a wave.

  Although Grace appreciated the sentiment, having a good time with Jasper was the last thing on her mind. Tony would expect at least a rough draft of her first article by the end of the week, and she intended to deliver the goods. After all, she’d come to Love in pursuit of a compelling story, not to make friends with an adorable, adventure-seeking senior citizen. Hazel had slipped earlier and given her some juicy details about the cannery deal, information she could definitely use in her series. And she wasn’t letting up until she had everything she needed to make this series shine, even if she had to reveal a few closely guarded town secrets in the process.

  Chapter Five

  An hour later Jasper had shown Grace only a small portion of the town. He’d introduced her to every shopkeeper on Jarvis Street. Jasper drove her down to the bay where all the fishing boats were docked. He showed her the fishing vessels and explained how the town’s economy was tied in to the fishermen and their catch. As Jasper explained it, the town of Love was known for producing top-quality pollack, salmon, halibut and cod. According to Jasper, locals had been making a living from the sea for hundreds of years.

  Jasper also took her to the site of the cannery that had never come to pass. He appeared to be very emotional about the situation.

  “We were standing on the precipice of something wonderful, something that would have been a game changer for this town,” Jasper said. “But greed ruined everything.”

  Seeing the desolate look in his eyes caused an ache deep inside her. “I’m sorry, Jasper. It’s hard to have something you were counting on snatched right out from under you.”

  It seemed that everyone they came across had a word or two for the town mayor. And they seemed just as excited to make her acquaintance. A woman named Dulcie tried to set her up on a date with her son. Thankfully, Jasper intervened and made a comment about how he was saving her for one of his grandsons. While Grace laughed nervously, Jasper didn’t crack a smile, which led her to believe he may have been serious.

  “Anything in particular you want to ask me about?” Jasper asked as he drove her away from the dock.

  “I have to admit, I’m very curious about the town legend.”

  Jasper’s eyes lit up. He reached out and patted her on the knee with his right hand, keeping the left one on the wheel. “Thatta girl, Grace. If you ask me, it’s one of the most interesting things about this town.”

  Grace rubbed her mittens together. “Start at the beginning and don’t leave anything out,” she said in an excited voice. It was thrilling to imagine actual treasure being buried here in town.

  “My great-great-grandfather, Bodine Prescott struck gold in the Gold Rush. While everybody and their brother headed to the Yukon, Bodine struck gold in Juneau, Alaska. According to family lore, he was one of the first who hit pay dirt. When he came back to Love everyone wanted a piece of what he’d found.” He shook his head. “He couldn’t trust a soul, so he hid the gold somewhere in Love while he tried to sort everything out.”

  “And he never went back to retrieve it?” Grace asked.

  “He drowned out on the Bay with his brother, Jack, not too long after his return. It was a tragic loss of life. Two women lost their husbands, and their children were now fatherless. When his wife, Sadie, went through his belongings, she found some notes he’d left in a journal. In it, Bodine talked about his discovery and laid down some hints as to where he’d stashed it. Although they tried to locate it, none of them were successful. ‘Rivers of gold’ was the biggest hint, which has always made me think of the limestone cave since a river runs through the Nottingham Woods.”

  “I can see why you’re so intrigued by this,” Grace murmured. Jasper had created such a vivid picture in her mind of the events back in the late eighteen hundreds. She’d always found the Gold Rush such an interesting topic.

  “Are you game to check the cave?” Jasper’s expression radiated enthusiasm. His blue eyes twinkled with a hint of mischief.

  “Of course,” she said, jumping at the chance to do something outside of the box. “But I thought you had a meeting to attend.”

  Jasper waved his hand dismissively. “It’s just an appointment to get my hair cut. I’d rather go spelunking with you. They say there’s snow coming later on tonight, so let’s get moving.”

  Spelunking! It wasn’t on her bucket list of things to do, but she felt a trickle of excitement dancing along her spine as Jasper made a U-turn in the road and headed in the direction of the woods. This would definitely be something worth writing about in her article.

  Nottingham Woods was located about twenty minutes from the center of town. The area of Love they traveled through to get there was sparsely populated. They drove endless stretches of road with nothing more than trees, a never-ending amount of snow and moose-crossing signs.

  Grace cried out as a large moose sauntered across the road. Jasper seemed to have almost anticipated it since he slowed the car down about twenty feet away from the moose.

  Jasper appeared tickled by her reaction. “Don’t worry, Grace. We’re used to moose sightings in these parts, which is why we don’t speed on these roads. Hitting a moose could land you in the emergency room. Nothing to worry about though.”

  Grace took out her phone and began snapping pictures. “I can’t believe it! I was beginning to think these moose sightings were make-believe.”

  The sound of Jasper’s rumbling laughter filled the silence in the car. “I told you Alaska was about discovery.”

  They were now really and truly in the Alaskan wilderness. Although they’d passed a few homes in the past few miles, not a single car traveled the road with them. A huge cedar sign heralded their arrival at the woods as soon as they reached their destination. After stepping outside of the car, Grace sucked in a breath as the awesome sight of the mountains jumped out at her. The view was stunning, almost like something from a postcard. No doubt it would say something like, “Welcome to Love” over a photo of the spectacular mountain.

  As she trailed behind Jasper, she looked around at her surroundings. Nothing but trees dusted in white, an abundance of snow at every turn and miles of forest. Everything looked the same. She was glad Jasper knew the route so well. When they reached a fork in the woods, Jasper abruptly turned right. As she fought to keep up with his pace, she couldn’t help but think he moved pretty spryly for a man in his seventies. After a ten-minute trek in the snow, Jasper stopped in his tracks and pointed to a cave. It had been partially covered with tree limbs, but there was a gap where a person could easily gain entrance.

  Grace wrinkled her nose. She wasn’t sure if this was a good idea after all. “I-is it safe, Jasper? How do you know there aren’t any wild animals in there? Or spiders?”

  “We don’t. That’s part of the adventure.”

  Grace took a step backward
. Adventure was one thing. She’d already gotten up close and personal with Primrose. A de-scented skunk was as close as she was getting to wild animals. And she planned to run all the way back to town if she saw a single creepy crawling spider.

  Jasper threw back his head and clutched his belly with laughter. “Just teasing you, Grace. The animals in these parts aren’t cave dwellers. And the bats only come out at night.”

  Ewww. Bats?

  At least it was only four o’clock or so. Surely she and Jasper wouldn’t be hanging out until it got dark. He was going to show her the area where he thought the gold might be buried. They’d be long gone by the time the bats came out to play.

  Jasper walked into the cave and turned around to wave her in.

  Grace caught up to Jasper and walked right behind him as he entered the cave. Once inside, she struggled to see the dark interior. Only a sliver of light trickled in from outside.

  Jasper angled his flashlight toward the cave ceiling about twenty feet away. “That’s limestone back there. See right there where the roof is shimmering?”

  Grace craned her neck to get a glimpse of the yellowish limestone. Jasper’s flashlight illuminated the area, showcasing an almost iridescent stone.

  “Wow. It’s practically glowing.” Yellow or not, Grace felt that the odds of finding treasure in this immense cave were slim to none. Matter of fact, the whole legend was beginning to sound bogus.

  “Let’s get a closer look,” Jasper suggested, just as he stumbled and went down like a ton of bricks. He landed with a thud.

  “Jasper? Are you all right?” Grace’s cry seemed to bounce off the walls and echo in the silence.

  “I’m fine. Just tripped over this rock. These eyes of mine aren’t as sharp as they used to be.”

  “Let me help you up.” She bent over and grasped Jasper by the wrist. Gently, she pulled him up. Halfway, Jasper winced and cried out in pain. He sank back down to the cave floor.