“Of course we are,” he said, sounding unconvincing to his own ears. They both knew things had drastically changed between them, but he was the only one who knew why. He hated this awkward feeling between them. He would give anything to enjoy the ease of their former friendship. A memory of them gliding down Chinook Hill on their sleds flashed before his eyes. Braden wondered if they would ever get back to that place in time when such things were normal.
“I wanted to ask you to work with me to come up with a way out of this mess.” The words tumbled out of her mouth.
Work with her? Oh no. He couldn’t allow himself to spend prolonged periods of time with Piper. It was too risky. He might blurt out the truth and lose her forever. He didn’t trust himself not to slip up and tell her everything.
“Piper, I’m not the right person to help in this situation.”
“Why not? I think you’re the perfect one to help me out. More than anyone else I’ve ever known, you have a way of seeing the big picture and finding solutions to problems. If the two of us put our heads together and brainstorm, maybe we can find a solution. Perhaps I won’t lose the diner after all.”
His heart was breaking at the pleading tone in her voice. Piper couldn’t mask her desperation if she tried. It was stamped all over her face. He reached across the table and gripped her hand. “I’m sorry. I wish there was something tangible I could do, but at this point, you need an expert to step in, someone who can steer you in the right direction.”
“But why can’t that be you? You’re one of the smartest people I know. I trust you, Braden.”
“You shouldn’t!” he blurted out.
Her immediate reaction was to look crestfallen. Her beautiful brown eyes filled with tears. He let out a groan. Tears were his weakness. Even when they’d been little kids Braden had hated the sight of his best friend crying. It had always reached inside him and tugged at the most tender part of his heart.
“Please don’t be upset. It’s just that a lot has changed over the past few years.”
She wiped away tears with the back of her hand. “So much so that you can’t help out an old friend?” she asked in a low voice. “At one point in the not so distant past we were best friends, Braden. We finished each other’s sentences. We promised we’d always be there for each other, come what may. I’m asking for you to help me.”
There was no point in stringing her along. He just needed to let her know he wasn’t the one who could help out. “I don’t think I can, Piper,” he said.
Disbelief flared in her eyes along with a flash of pain. He steeled himself against it, knowing he couldn’t act on pure emotion. He clenched his teeth and willed himself to stay strong.
Silence stretched between them until Piper jumped to her feet.
“Don’t let me keep you!” She ground out the words. Her cheeks were flushed and there was a dangerous glint in her eyes. He’d seen that look before on a few occasions, and he knew what it meant. Piper tended to wear her emotions on her sleeve. It was one of the things he loved most about her. She radiated authenticity.
He didn’t want her to hate him. “It’s not that I don’t care. I just—”
“You just can’t. Is that it? I think it’s time for you to go. I need to close up the place.” A mutinous expression appeared on her face.
How could he explain his reluctance to be around her without confessing everything to her? She might be upset with him, but at least she wouldn’t despise him.
He walked to the doorway and turned back to face her. “I’ll be rooting for you. I know you probably won’t understand this, but I need to get my own life in order before I help anyone else.” Piper didn’t betray a single emotion upon hearing his words.
Braden walked out of the diner and into the cold Alaskan evening. He heard the click of Piper locking the door behind him, and it left him feeling empty inside. More than anything in the world he wanted to help her find a way to hold on to the diner. But he knew spending time in her presence was too dangerous. He was keeping secrets from her, and if they spent time together, he didn’t trust himself not to crack under the pressure.
Give me strength Lord, he prayed. I’m going to need it.
Braden couldn’t remember a time when Piper hadn’t been his best friend. She had nestled her way into his heart with her plucky attitude and willingness to be adventurous. Even as kids she’d always been the one to take up his dares and plunge headfirst into the abyss. Whether it was sled-dog racing or riding in a hot air balloon, she’d always been up for a challenge. He’d never imagined her not being a huge part of his life.
Everything had changed four years ago when her father was killed in a snowmobile accident. Braden tried not to remember that afternoon, but the memory of it kept crashing over him in unrelenting waves. He’d been hanging out with some former high school buddies—Tim Carroll, Andy Summers and Lou Warren—on a lazy Saturday afternoon when they’d decided to go snowmobile riding. Usually they raced each other through the trails and then back to the starting point. Braden was known in Owl Creek for his love of extreme sports and adventures. He was the most skilled rider among all of them, and he loved being up on the mountain with the arctic wind whipping through him as he zipped along the trails.
Braden had been surprised to see Jack Miller on the trail that afternoon. It wasn’t very often Piper’s father took time off from the diner for recreational activities. When Jack had pulled Braden aside and asked to speak to him in private, he’d been upbeat about it, thinking the older man wanted to discuss a surprise event for Piper’s upcoming birthday. Much to his surprise, Jack had been stern and full of censure.
Jack’s harsh expression had spoken volumes. “I’ve been hearing stories about you and your friends speeding down these trails, Braden. Considering what happened last year to Mac Crenshaw, I advise you to slow down and take the proper precautions. This town doesn’t need another tragedy and neither do your parents.”
Braden had bristled at Jack’s tone and his reference to Mac’s death, as well as his family’s tragic loss of his sister who was kidnapped as a baby. Mac had died overseas in the service and the entire town had mourned the death of the hometown war hero. Losing Mac had affected all of Owl Creek. He’d felt embarrassed that his friends had been within earshot of Jack’s comments. He hadn’t appreciated being spoken to as if he was an unruly child. Sometimes his family treated him the same way since he’d been the youngest member of the North family in Lily’s absence. “I’m always careful, Jack,” he’d said as anger coursed through him. “So are my friends. We know these trails like the back of our hands.”
“People here in town are talking about riders driving irresponsibly down these paths. It’s a safety issue!”
“So you’re just assuming it’s me who’s breaking the rules, right? I can ride these trails blindfolded. I’ve never been in a single accident.” His voice had been raised and full of unbridled anger.
Although Braden and Jack had always gotten along, the tension hanging in the air between them had been palpable. It was the first time they’d ever been at odds. Jack’s chin trembled as he responded. “Pride goeth before a fall, young man. You still have a lot of growing up to do.” With a shake of his head, Jack had walked away.
Looking back, it had all happened so fast. One moment Jack had been standing beside him and the very next moment he’d sped off down the mountain trail on his snowmobile. Although Braden had been concerned about his jerky movements, he hadn’t followed behind him. About an hour later their paths had crossed when Braden spotted Jack riding the trail up ahead of him. He’d made a mental note to smooth things over between them later on. A short while later, he’d been the first person to come upon the crash scene, witnessing a mangled snowmobile smashed into a grove of trees. Braden had instantly recognized Jack’s bright red snowsuit. He’d jumped off his snowmobile and raced toward Jack, who had been ejected from the
vehicle. He’d performed CPR until help arrived, all the while praying for Jack. He hadn’t known until the next morning that Piper’s father hadn’t survived his injuries. His guilt had been overwhelming. He’d agitated Jack prior to the crash. If they hadn’t argued, perhaps he never would have crashed.
The worst part was that everyone had praised Braden for administering medical assistance to Jack and staying at the scene to help in any way he could. He’d kept quiet about his quarrel with Jack, not disclosing to a single soul how upset Piper’s father had been with him prior to the accident. For the past four years, he’d been stuffing down his feelings of guilt, unable to forgive himself or come clean about it. He’d never seriously considered telling Piper the truth.
There wasn’t a single doubt in his mind that if Piper knew he’d played a role in her father’s death she wouldn’t want anything to do with him. Not now or ever.
Chapter Two
Braden looked out the huge bay window of the North family home and admired the snowcapped mountains looming in the distance. They were majestic and beautiful. Although Owl Peak was much smaller than Mount Everest—the last mountain he’d climbed—this vista represented home to him. He took a big swig of his coffee and let out a beleaguered sigh.
Last night had been rough. He couldn’t quite get Piper’s face out of his mind. The expression of hurt and disappointment on her face gnawed at him. He hated letting her down so badly. They had never had such a huge strain between them in their entire lives.
He didn’t know why he’d even ventured over to the Snowy Owl Diner last night in the first place. It had been a colossal mistake.
No, that wasn’t true. He did know why he’d made the trip over there. He missed Piper. Not seeing her on a regular basis for the past three and a half years felt like torture. There wasn’t much he didn’t miss about her—the hearty laugh, her curly mane of hair and the corny jokes she always had at the ready. She was one of the best people he’d ever known.
He had traveled the world in pursuit of adventures, all the while trying to avoid talking to Piper or having to look her in the eye. But he hadn’t been able to snuff out the memory of her. It had been impossible not to miss their weekly movie dates or sharing chocolate cherry milkshakes with her at the diner. He didn’t have anyone to read comic books with or go ice-skating with on the town green. There was no one in the world who could replace Piper.
She was one of a kind and as unique as an individual snowflake.
How could he have said no to Piper in her time of need? She was in this predicament because she’d been given ownership of Jack’s business well before she’d been ready to run the place all on her own. Although she’d worked at the diner for many years as a waitress, she clearly hadn’t been made aware of any problems with the business. And the Snowy Owl hadn’t been financially stable when she’d assumed ownership. Although Piper was smart, she’d been placed in a situation over her head. He felt like a selfish jerk in turning her down, but he didn’t know any other way to handle the situation. Spending time around Piper while withholding the truth about his argument with Jack would be impossible.
But had his decision been the right one? He kept going back and forth, second-guessing himself. It hurt him to realize she was struggling with this issue all by herself since she hadn’t told her mother or brother.
Helping Piper was the right thing to do, especially since he carried the weight of her father’s death each and every day of his life. It was the reason he’d been running away from Owl Creek for such a long time. It was why he couldn’t bear to be in Piper’s presence for very long. How could he look into her doe brown eyes and not make a full confession?
He was a coward, plain and simple. Piper and her family deserved the truth, yet he couldn’t give it to them. Always in the back of his mind was his responsibility to his own family. His parents had been put through pure torment for twenty-five years after his sister, Sage, had been abducted as an infant from their home in Owl Creek. She had only recently been reunited with the family after decades of separation. A confession from him about being responsible for Jack Miller’s death would subject them to even more pain and scrutiny. The thought of telling Piper the truth rattled him. So far he’d convinced himself it wouldn’t be the right move. It was far better that she viewed him as being self-absorbed or disinterested rather than the person who had caused her father’s death.
“So, how’s it going?”
He turned from the window to see his sister coming down the stairs.
“Are you enjoying being back in town?” Sage asked. “You’ve been gone a long time.”
Braden grinned. His newfound sister always made him smile. Her presence in their lives was a dream come true. Sage was always cheerful and sunny. She was wise beyond her years. Considering all she’d been through, it was downright awe-inspiring. Most people would be bitter about being raised by the woman who’d kidnapped her, but Sage’s faith had allowed her to handle the situation with grace and an abundance of courage.
“It’s going fine. I’m having fun getting caught up on all the town gossip,” he said, a teasing tone in his voice. “Of course your return was the talk of the town. In a good way of course.”
She flashed him a grin. “It was an interesting way to come to Owl Creek. That’s for sure.”
“But it all ended well, didn’t it? You and Hank found each other, and our family became complete with you in it. It was an answer to years of prayers.”
Sage nodded in agreement. His sister seemed very content with her life. She was a wife, stepmother and teacher. Braden couldn’t help but envy her.
“I may be overstepping, Braden, especially since we’re still getting acquainted—”
“You’re my sister, Sage. You can ask me anything.” He smiled. “Well, almost anything.”
“Hank told me so much about your friendship with Piper, but since you’ve been back I haven’t seen the two of you together at all. Matter of fact, Piper mentioned to me last week that you hadn’t even been over to the diner. Did you two have a falling out?”
“No. Not at all,” he said, feeling slightly uncomfortable talking about Piper. He shouldn’t be surprised in a town as small as Owl Creek that people had noticed their estrangement. Even though she was fairly new to the community, Sage had become fast friends with Piper. And now they were family too—sisters-in-law.
“She could use a friend right about now,” Sage said.
“Are you talking about the diner?” Piper had told him she’d confided in Sage, so he wouldn’t be telling her anything she didn’t already know.
Sage’s cheeks reddened. “I don’t want to talk out of turn. I promised not to say a word.”
“It’s all right. I went by the diner last night, and Piper told me everything.” He shook his head. “I still can’t believe she could lose the Snowy Owl. It’s her pride and joy, not to mention it’s a direct link to her father. They were very close.”
She bit her lip. “I wish she would tell Hank. I’m not sure how much longer I can keep quiet. We’re family now, and it doesn’t feel right not to share this with my husband.”
“I understand your dilemma, but I think Piper is afraid of disappointing her family. You didn’t know Jack, but he lived and breathed that diner. It was everything to him.” Braden felt himself getting choked up. Piper’s dad had been a hero in his eyes—a former vet who had proudly fought for his country, then settled down in Alaska and met the love of his life in Trudy, who’d been widowed a few years earlier. Trudy might find it hard to understand why Jack hadn’t told her his business was struggling. It might come as a bit of a shock.
“Hank loves her. And so do I. She’s my sister-in-law. Even if we can’t afford to help her monetarily, surely he can assist her with trying to get the diner back on track.”
Braden shrugged. “Shame can hold people back from asking for assistance. I think she
’s afraid of being judged.” He knew it from his own personal experience. It was a powerful emotion. It had been weighing on him for years.
“I’m glad she confided in you, as well. I think the more she talks about it, the less weight will be on her shoulders,” Sage said with a nod. He appreciated his sister’s perspective. She was proving to be a compassionate and wise woman.
“I agree. She wanted me to work with her to figure it all out, but I didn’t think it was a good idea. She needs an expert. There’s really not anything I can do.”
Sage appeared crestfallen. “Braden! You have to help her. You’ll never forgive yourself if she loses the Snowy Owl and you didn’t step in during her time of need.”
“We’re not as tight as we used to be,” he explained. “It just wouldn’t work.”
Sage narrowed her gaze as she looked at him. “I know there’s a story in there somewhere, but I’m not going to push you to explain what’s going on between the two of you when you clearly don’t want to share it with me.” Sage pointedly raised an eyebrow.
Braden held up his hands. “Wait a minute! It’s nothing like that. We’ve only ever been friends.”
“Well, if that’s true, then you should have no problem at least giving her a shoulder to lean on. She needs you, Braden.” Sage’s eyes were full of sincerity. With her dark hair and heart-shaped face, it was uncanny how much she looked like their mother, Willa. She radiated the same air of confidence.
She needs you.
Sage’s words served as a dose of reality. He had shut down a bit over the past few years. It was a defense mechanism born out of his desire not to feel anything. In the aftermath of Jack’s tragic death, Braden had felt everything acutely. In the end it had driven him away from Owl Creek, his family and Piper. The time away had left him homesick and without his bearings. As much as he’d tried to deny it, home was a healing balm for him.
Alaskan Christmas Redemption Page 2