Perhaps he should have just told the truth from the beginning. At least he wouldn’t be walking around feeling like he was going through the motions. Denying Piper his help would be heaping more pain onto her plate. She was already hurting pretty badly. Because of his confrontation with Jack, the good-hearted diner owner had crashed his snowmobile and died. Piper had lost her father, a loss she would never get over. Hank and Trudy had suffered, as well. Didn’t he owe Piper something? The least he could do was help her out of this awful mess. Maybe despite what he’d done he could make her life better. Perhaps he could ease her suffering and help her find a solution.
Maybe he could manage to do the right thing, which was what he should have done four years ago. For so long Braden had been running away from his culpability. Perhaps by assisting Piper he could find a way to make things better for her.
* * *
The next morning a group of local bird-watchers managed to bring a smile to Piper’s face. Although there were still many vacant seats at the diner, the Snow Birds gathered at the Snowy Owl a few times a week to enjoy breakfast before they set out on their bird-watching adventures. Seeing such loyal customers frequent the diner caused a small amount of hope to blossom inside her. Despite all the goodwill flowing in the air from the group, she still felt hurt at Braden’s refusal of her request for help.
Perhaps she had always looked at him with rose-colored glasses, but for their entire lives it had always been Braden who’d rushed to her defense, whether from childhood slights or the times she’d been singled out for being brown skinned with a white mother. He had never failed her. She couldn’t understand why he refused to help her now. What had she done to push him away? She’d racked her brain on countless occasions, always coming up empty. Perhaps he had simply outgrown her. The very thought of it made her chest tighten.
She lay in bed at night asking herself that niggling question, along with a bigger one.
Why had God forsaken her? She had been praying for relief from this nightmare for months. As a woman of faith she had a hard time dealing with the concept of God hearing her prayers but not answering them. Her mother was fond of saying God didn’t always answer your prayers in the way you imagined He would, but He still listened. Piper hoped He continued to listen to her. She needed Him more than ever.
And still she was no closer to a solution than before. Time was ticking away with Christmas right around the corner. She let out a sigh. Piper hadn’t even decorated the diner with the usual holiday trimmings. Tears pricked at her eyes as she scanned the place. As a child, one of her favorite things had been to come to the diner at Christmastime so she could help her parents put up the tree and decorate the front windows. There had been ornaments and tinsel and holly. The Snowy Owl had always overflowed with holiday cheer!
Her parents had always made a romantic show of kissing under the mistletoe. While Hank had groaned, she’d loved every moment of it. Knowing her parents were a true love match had been her foundation in a sometimes shaky world. Although she loved her hometown and its residents, being biracial hadn’t always been easy. There had always been a few people here and there who hadn’t been accepting of her parents’ union or of her. At times it had threatened to break her spirit. But having Hank as an older brother and Braden as a best friend had been the best protection of all from ignorant mindsets.
“Good morning, everyone!” Beulah North, matriarch of the North family, came bustling through the doors of the diner with greetings rolling off her tongue. Dressed in her signature pearls and a navy blue cape-style coat, she carried herself with an elegance that Piper admired. She looked down at her own pink-and-white uniform with her name boldly etched in black above her heart. Piper wouldn’t be winning any fashion contests anytime soon. Most days she barely looked at herself in the mirror or did much to her hair other than wash and go or pull it up in a simple ponytail. As it was, she barely wore lip balm.
Perhaps she could get some pointers from the grande dame of Owl Creek. Piper had to smile at the trendy pair of Lovely boots Beulah was wearing as she strode toward the counter. There was something almost regal about the woman.
“Hey, Beulah. You’re looking stunning today. What’s the special occasion?” she asked in a teasing voice, knowing her friend dressed this way each and every day.
“No occasion, my dear. I just like to look nice for Jennings,” she said, referencing her husband. “You know we’re going to be celebrating our sixtieth wedding anniversary soon.”
Piper grinned. “That’s wonderful. You two are definitely something to aspire to.”
“Thank you, my dear. What a wonderful compliment,” Beulah said, beaming. “I was wondering if you’d like to partner with North Star Chocolates this year for the annual Christmas walkabout. We can do chocolates and pizza or something along those lines. It’s such a lovely way to ring in the holiday and thank all of our customers for being so loyal.”
Piper had almost forgotten about the local tradition in Owl Creek where most of the local businesses got together to spread holiday cheer. All of the townsfolk walked throughout the downtown area and were able to sample goodies, win prizes and walk away with gift bags filled with holiday loot. During the event, all of Main Street was lit up with festive lights in celebration of Christmas. Ever since she was a child, Piper had enjoyed this special town activity. And the Snowy Owl had always participated, with her dad dressed up as Santa and handing out toys to every kid in town.
She hated to commit to Beulah when so much uncertainty was circulating around her business. But how could she say no to the kindhearted matriarch? It was tradition. “It sounds good, Beulah, although I might toy around with the pizza this year. I’ve been trying to add things to the menu. I might offer a reindeer pizza.”
“Smart thinking, young lady,” she said, patting Piper on the shoulder. “From what I can see, you’ve done a great job of making this place your own. Jack is a hard act to follow. I’ve never seen a man with such a zest for life.” She let out a sigh. “I still can’t believe he’s not here with us.”
Although she wanted to experience nothing but joy when her father’s name was mentioned, Piper still felt so much angst. The loss seemed so fresh. And unresolved. Unanswered questions still lingered. What had caused him to veer off the trail and crash? He had always been such a careful driver, and there hadn’t been a lot of ice on the trails that particular day. It still baffled her.
People always talked about moving on and the stages of grief, but for Piper it felt as if no time at all had gone by. The last four years were just a blur and it seemed almost like yesterday when Jack had been here with them, spreading his warmth and kindness throughout Owl Creek.
“Thanks, Beulah. It’s time for me to take some risks with the menu so people don’t get bored with the fare. Also, I can’t make too many changes, or I could alienate the regulars.” It was such a fine balance, Piper realized. In order to increase business, she needed to jazz up the place and offer something different, but what would happen if the regular customers didn’t like the alterations? In the past few years she’d slashed prices, reworked the entire menu and hosted karaoke nights. Nothing had worked to increase the diner’s profit. She admired her father so much for running the diner so successfully for such a long time even though he’d faced some financial challenges in the last few years.
“No risks, no reward,” Beulah said pointedly. “Now, if you could package up a few slices of the gooseberry pie, I would be mighty obliged. It’s a favorite of Jennings and mine.” She winked at Piper. “With my sweet tooth, I consider myself an expert. So keep them coming.”
“Aww. That’s nice of you to say. I wish I had time just to bake pies.” She warmed at the compliment regarding her baking. It was a hobby for her, and over time she’d discovered her pies were a crowd favorite at the diner. Although she loved coming up with new recipes, she simply didn’t have the luxury of doing it on a reg
ular basis. And she couldn’t afford to take her eyes off the prize right now. She needed to focus on the diner itself and trying to save the family business before the bottom fell out.
Piper busied herself packaging up the gooseberry pie slices for Beulah. All of a sudden the sounds of her favorite holiday tune—Nat King Cole’s “The Christmas Song”—came blasting from the jukebox. It was a sentimental song for her because her father had also loved it. When she glanced over toward the jukebox, she saw Braden standing there gazing across the diner at her. She felt a pang in her heart at the sight of him. What was he doing here? He was the last person she’d expected to see after last night’s uncomfortable conversation.
She handed the pie box to Beulah and watched as Braden made his way over toward them. Her hands felt moist at the sight of him. Since when had his presence made her nervous? Would they ever get back to that place in time when everything had been pure ease between them?
“Fancy meeting you here,” Beulah said as Braden leaned down to place a kiss on his grandmother’s temple. “I’m not sure if it’s possible, but you seem even more handsome than when you left town.”
Braden chuckled. It brightened his features and drew attention to his straight white teeth and strong jawline. It was nice to see him so lighthearted. Lately he’d been way too serious. Some might even call it somber. “Grandma, you’re way too kind,” he drawled.
“I speak the truth. Now that I have my pie, I’m going to run. I’ll see you two later,” Beulah said, giving a little wave before walking away with a spring in her step.
“What brings you here?” Piper asked Braden, trying to sound casual. He didn’t need to know she was still fuming about last night. She was doing her very best to play it off.
“Can we talk for a moment? In private?” he asked, shifting from one foot to the other.
Piper nodded and gestured toward the kitchen. She really didn’t want anyone to overhear them talking. People here in town spread gossip like wildfire. She wouldn’t be at all surprised if the townsfolk were already buzzing about their fractured friendship. Folks in small towns tended to notice huge shifts in relationships.
He followed behind her as she swung the door open and walked toward the back office. Once they were both inside, she turned toward Braden so they were facing each other.
She folded her arms across her chest. Although she was tempted to tap her foot on the hardwood floor, she resisted the impulse, knowing it would be rude. Instead, she counted to ten in her head before speaking. “What did you want to talk about? I really don’t have much time for chitchat. We’re really busy this morning.”
“I noticed you have a nice crowd out there. That’s good, huh?”
“It’s decent, but it comes in dribs and drabs,” she said with a shrug. “The diner needs consistent revenue.” It was going to take something drastic and life-altering to save the Snowy Owl. She could no longer put her head in the sand and hope for brighter days. She needed to take action.
“I wanted to swing by and make sure things were all right between us,” he said, meeting her gaze head-on. “It’s never a good thing when you’re angry with me.”
“I think we both know things have been strained between us for a while. Last night just proved I wasn’t imagining things,” Piper said in a matter-of-fact tone.
He moved closer toward her, swallowing up the space between them. “I know it might sound like a cliché, but it’s me, not you. I’ve just been so mixed up lately. I didn’t say it well last night, but I’ve been floundering a bit. Being away from Owl Creek for so long left me a bit rudderless.”
After last night Piper hadn’t believed she could feel sorry for Braden, but hearing him talk about being lost made her ache for him. She could tell he was trying to stay strong, but there was a hint of sadness emanating from his eyes. Before things went downhill between them, she would have known exactly what was going on with him. Now, she didn’t really have a clue.
Perhaps it had been selfish of her to ask such a huge favor of Braden without knowing what was going on with him.
“I’m sorry about that,” she said. “Maybe being back home will get you back on track.”
“That’s what my mother said.” He made a face. “She also told me I need to get my life in order rather than trekking around the world seeking out adventures.”
“You had a good run. It had to end sometime.” It was pretty mind-boggling to her that he’d traveled to so many places and done so many incredible things. A part of her admired him while another part couldn’t imagine being away from the quaint Alaskan town she loved so much.
“Well, I’ll probably end up taking a position at the family business. One of the perks is being supplied with all the chocolate I can eat.” Although his tone was light, Piper could detect a note of resignation in his voice. At one point Braden had thought about a career in law, but it hadn’t worked out the way the North family had planned. He’d never made it to law school. Braden had decided he wasn’t cut out to be an esquire.
The North Star Chocolate Company was the North family’s business. There was a chocolate factory and a shop in Owl Creek. It was a big tourist attraction as well as a staple for everyone in town. Run by Braden’s parents, Willa and Nate, and his grandmother, it was a huge financial boon for the town. As chief executive officer, Beulah wanted all of her family members to be a part of the business. Although she knew Braden loved his family, both of them knew he wasn’t cut out for a desk job or working for the chocolate corporation. The great outdoors was the perfect working environment for Braden. He was in his element when he was hiking or mountain climbing or dog mushing.
“Are you sure that’s what you want?” she asked. Even though Braden had refused to help her, she still wanted him to be happy. She honestly couldn’t picture him being his authentic self while working at the family’s business.
He looked away from her. “We don’t always get what we want, but I love my family and I know being away for the last few years has been hard on them. With Sage home, it’s the first time in over two decades that my parents have had all three of their children in one place. That’s pretty special for all of the Norths.”
“I know it is. And I’m happy for all of you.” She frowned at him. “Is that what you wanted to talk about?”
“No, that’s not it,” he answered with a shake of his head. “I came here to tell you that I want to be there for you, Piper. Our friendship means the world to me. I want to help you save the diner.”
Chapter Three
Braden watched as Piper’s eyes widened with surprise. The shock on her face made him want to laugh out loud, but he knew the situation was far from humorous. The Snowy Owl Diner was at stake, and although he’d agreed to provide his assistance, he wasn’t sure if Piper even believed it could be saved. From this point forward, she would have to tell him everything about her situation. He would have to look over the books with a fine-tooth comb. If he was truly going to help her, he needed to understand exactly what she was facing. The good, the bad and the ugly.
“A-are you serious?” she asked, sputtering.
“Completely,” he said, a smile twitching at the corners of his mouth. “Whatever you need is what I’ll do.”
She pressed a hand to her chest. “You will? Really? You were so decisive last night. What made you change your mind?”
Braden paused before answering. “Because I owe you, Piper.”
“For what?” she asked, confusion radiating from her eyes.
Telling her the truth wasn’t an option. She wouldn’t want to know why he would forever be indebted to her. “For a million different things. You’ve always being in my corner. How could I say no to you when you’ve always said yes to me? No matter what trouble I got into or the problems I laid at your feet, you always jumped in to help me. There’s no way I could do any less for you.”
Tears slid d
own Piper’s face, and she made no attempt to wipe them away. She bowed her head, and he could see her lips moving. When she raised her head back up, Braden saw pure happiness emanating from her eyes.
“Thank you, Braden. I’m so grateful that you changed your mind. I know it’s complicated, but in my heart I truly feel that I was meant to carry on Daddy’s legacy. I just can’t imagine my life without this place in it. I’m willing to do just about anything to save it.”
Braden couldn’t envision Piper losing ownership of the restaurant either. It would be agonizing for her. Not to mention Trudy and Hank. They were all invested in it. The townsfolk would be both saddened and upset. Piper would be the subject of endless gossip about the circumstances of her losing ownership of the Snowy Owl. She wouldn’t be able to bear it if the townsfolk discovered that the diner had been struggling since before her father’s death. He knew Jack’s reputation was important to Piper. People would sympathize with her as well, but he knew she would be inconsolable. If there was even a small chance of them reversing things, he wanted to give it his all. It would be his penance for shaving years off Jack’s life. If it hadn’t been for him, Jack might be here today, doing everything he could to boost the restaurant and spreading his effortless charm throughout the establishment.
“We should meet up so you can give me an opportunity to look over the books and all of your monthly bills along with revenue. That’ll at least give me a snapshot of what’s been going on.”
Piper made a sad face. “Sure thing. I hope you see something in there that I missed, but I crunched the numbers over and over again. It’s not looking good.”
“We have to look at all your options. You might need a lawyer or a consultant.”
She shook her head. “I don’t have money for an attorney. It’s a lack of money that’s gotten me into this situation in the first place.” Piper let out a frustrated groan.
Alaskan Christmas Redemption Page 3