Her Alaskan Cowboy

“By the way, no decision has been made regarding the Diamond R,” Joshua said in a firm voice. “But make no mistake, Honor. Any decision I make will be in the best interest of Violet and her future. The moment I became her father she became my number one priority in this world. Bar none.”

She nodded in his direction as an acknowledgment of the sentiments he had just expressed. Putting his daughter first was noble. She had no idea what that meant for the future of the ranch. If she believed Joshua, its destiny still hung in the balance.

As Honor walked away from Joshua and Violet and out into the brisk February afternoon, a feeling of sadness swept over her. Six years ago she would have given anything to have this version of Joshua Ransom in her life. Steady. Devoted. Strong. Dependable. Instead, she had fallen for a rebellious rabble-rouser who had stolen her heart, then made a fool of her in front of her family and the whole town. Ever since then Honor had been wary of falling in love.

Tears pooled in her eyes as the dreams of her youth came rising back to the surface with a vengeance. She had once dreamed of forever with Joshua. She’d wanted the fairy tale—the white picket fence, the blue-eyed babies who were the spitting image of their father and a happily-ever-after. None of it had come true.

Her brothers had all found their happily-ever-afters. Boone had married the love of his life, Grace, and they now had a baby girl named Eva. Cameron had reunited with Paige and discovered he was a father to baby Emma. Liam had been given the greatest gift of all when he’d discovered that his wife, Ruby, who had been presumed dead in an avalanche, was alive and suffering from amnesia. Their reunion had been incredibly moving. Even Jasper had found everlasting love with Hazel. The list went on and on. Declan. Finn. Sophie. It was as if the whole world was coupling up and finding their happy endings. Everyone but her.

All this time Honor had been telling herself she didn’t want love in her life. But it had been a big lie. Being wounded by her failed relationship with Joshua had made her gun-shy. She wanted the same things her siblings had—promises of forever. But having all her dreams go up in flames six years ago had left her with permanent scars. Even though she had a good idea of the life she wanted to live, she had no idea how to reach out and grab it.

* * *

Once Honor left the ranch, Joshua brought Violet into the kitchen so he could whip up some lunch for her. Introducing Violet to his ex-fiancée had been a bit surreal. Two worlds colliding. He hadn’t bothered to tell Honor that Violet wasn’t his biological child. Truthfully, it wasn’t anyone’s business. In his heart, she was every bit his daughter. When his ex-wife, Lauren, had discovered she had a terminal illness, she had tracked him down and begged him to raise Violet. Although he hadn’t seen Lauren in over two years, Joshua had embraced her request. It had been the single best decision he’d ever made in his life.

Joshua let out a low chuckle as he placed his daughter in the wooden high chair he had retrieved from the attic. It looked like something from the Stone Age. He imagined his grandparents had used it for his own father and perhaps him and Theo as well. He had been surprised at its sturdiness. Built to last. He had always thought of the Diamond R Ranch in the same vein. Enduring.

Joshua placed Violet in the high chair, then bent over so he could place a kiss on her temple. “This thing might be old, but it does the job, doesn’t it, cutie pie?” Violet looked at him and gurgled. He took that as a yes.

Footsteps announced Theo’s arrival in the kitchen. His brother stood in the entryway with a huge grin on his face. With his dark head of hair and azure-colored eyes, Theo could easily pass for his twin. Growing up, they had constantly been confused for one another by teachers and townsfolk.

“Be careful, bro. You’re turning into a pile of mush,” Theo teased. “That little charmer has you wrapped around her finger.”

Joshua felt a slight twinge of embarrassment. He had always prided himself on being rugged and manly. That’s the way he and Theo had been raised. Now Theo had caught him in the act of cooing to his baby girl and mashing up peas and carrots and pastini for her lunch.

Why should he worry about what he looked like? He loved his daughter more than anything in this world. He had always cared way too much about his older brother’s opinion. Doing so hadn’t always been in Joshua’s best interest. It had ended up costing him a lot.

“Fatherhood changes a man,” he conceded, not even bothering to object to Theo’s observation. If being mushy brought him one step closer to being a phenomenal father, Joshua would assume the title as the mushiest guy in all of Alaska.

Theo took off his cowboy hat and rocked back on his heels. “Was that Honor Prescott I just saw beating a fast path away from here on a horse? She was riding like the wind itself was chasing her.”

Joshua didn’t really want to discuss Honor with his brother, but there was no way of avoiding it. Theo had made it clear on numerous occasions how he felt about his ex-fiancée. Stuck-up and highfalutin were two words he had regularly used to describe her. It had annoyed Joshua to no end. Theo hadn’t known Honor. Not the way Joshua had. She had been sweet and loyal and kind. The best person he’d ever known. And if he hadn’t messed things up so royally, she would have become his wife.

“Yes, it was Honor,” he admitted. “She came here to meet up with Lee. And then she blasted me regarding your meeting with the developers. She was really bent out of shape at the idea of us selling the Diamond R.” He hated the way Honor had made him feel. The way she had spoken to him had been harsh, as if he was a traitor to his grandfather and the entire town. Even though a part of him rejected her assessment of the situation, he still felt a bit tarnished by her judgment. Old habits died hard. Sadly, it was a familiar feeling in this town.

Theo’s expression hardened. “Same small-minded opinions,” he scoffed. “Some things never change. These people seem to think they have some say in the matter, when in reality it’s Ransom family business.”

“Please don’t tell me they’re really intending to open an Alaskan dude ranch,” Joshua said. “That’s about the cheesiest thing I’ve ever heard.”

“They mentioned it in passing,” Theo said with a shrug. “But, to be honest, it’s not my concern. What they do with the property is their business.”

Joshua frowned at his brother. “Sounds like you’ve already made up your mind. We’ve barely discussed it.”

Theo scoffed. “Is there really anything to think about? Let’s face it, Joshua. Neither one of us wants to live in this Podunk town. It would be about as exciting as watching paint dry to stay here. I for one could use a big fat check from this Texas corporation. They sound as if they’re ready to make a very lucrative offer and draw up contracts.”

Joshua’s head felt as if it was spinning. He’d barely been back in Love for twenty-four hours and not only had he inherited the Diamond R Ranch, but he might end up a millionaire if he agreed to sell the property. That type of money would be instrumental in raising Violet and paying for her future education.

Coming face-to-face with Honor had knocked him off balance. She represented all of his young hopes and dreams. There had never been another great love in his life after Honor Prescott. She had imprinted herself on his heart. And even though he shouldn’t care about her opinion, he still did. He wanted her to see the new and improved Joshua. It had hurt him to see such condemnation flashing in her eyes.

Everything was happening way too fast for his liking. The idea of selling his family’s ranch felt incredibly final. And if Honor was right, it wasn’t in accordance with his grandfather’s wishes. But Theo wanted to make the deal, collect the money and then head out of Dodge. It was a lot to process.

“Theo, I need some time to wrap my head around all of this. Why don’t we focus on the memorial service? After all, it’s the main reason we came here, isn’t it? To honor Gramps.”

Theo nodded. “You’re right. Let’s give him a fitting send-off.” He rubbed his hands together. “How about a rip-roaring barbecue at the ranch?”

“It’s February in Alaska. It’s far from barbecue weather.” Joshua chuckled. “How about a simple church service followed by a nice meal and fellowship with some of his friends?” Joshua suggested.

“A church service?” Theo asked with wide eyes. “Not sure we’d be welcome in church, Joshua. Not after what happened with the fire.”

“Our grandfather paid our debts at that church. He donated a hefty sum of money to have it rebuilt. I managed to dodge jail time due to my age, but I still had to attend a program for first-time offenders before I went overseas.” Joshua winced. He hated discussing that period of his life. It hadn’t been pretty. “Pastor Jack reached out to me and extended an olive branch. He wants us to host the memorial for Bud there. He was beloved in this town. Thankfully, the townsfolk could separate Gramps from the actions of his grandsons.” He shook his head, overwhelmed by the pastor’s generosity. Not many people would be gracious toward the man who they believed was responsible for burning down the town’s church.

“Joshua,” Theo said in a low voice. “Maybe it’s time for me to set the record straight. It’s not fair you’ve been blamed all this time for something I did.”

He waved a hand at his brother. “It’s water under the bridge. We made the decision to protect your army career. If I hadn’t claimed responsibility, you would have lost your military position.”

Theo made a strangled sound. “So instead you lost the woman you loved and were run out of town on a rail. It doesn’t seem fair, does it?”

Even after all these years it still hurt to think about the dissolution of his relationship with Honor and being disowned by his hometown. At the time, it had felt like the end of the world. It had forever altered the course of his life.

He shrugged. “I wasn’t exactly innocent, Theo. I was right there with you causing trouble. We had no business being in the church at night.”

“But I set the fire. You didn’t. I was playing around with my lighter and one of the hymnals. When the flame began raging out of control, I had no clue how to put it out. I was frightened.”

Joshua nodded. The event was indelibly imprinted on his mind. “So we ran. Probably the worst thing we could have done,” Joshua said. “The church might have been salvageable if we’d stuck around and called the authorities.” After all this time, he still felt guilty. If only he’d convinced Theo to alert law enforcement. If he was being honest with himself, he knew why he hadn’t done so. Sheriff Boone Prescott. He hadn’t wanted to give Honor’s brother the satisfaction of saying I-told-you-so to his fiancée. They had been caught anyway.

Joshua turned to Violet and spooned a mouthful of food into her mouth. Although he appreciated his brother’s desire to make amends, Joshua knew it wouldn’t do much good in the present. He had lost Honor because of one foolish decision that had spiraled out of control. The town had been rocked by the torched church and the knowledge that the fire had been started by one of their own.

Joshua raked his hand through his hair. Now he couldn’t hold back the groundswell of memories rising up inside him. “Zachariah Cummings spotted us as we fled the scene. He told the authorities I was the one covered in ash and fleeing the church. He mistook you for me. Same hair and eye color. Same build.”

“Zachariah tried to put out the fire by himself before the authorities arrived,” Theo said, a look of discomfort stamped on his face.

“He suffered serious burns,” Joshua said with a shake of his head. “He’s lucky to be alive.”

Theo groaned. “It was all my fault. And you took the fall because my stint in the army would have been over before it really began.”

The brothers locked gazes. So many words had been left unspoken between them. Joshua had taken the blame to protect his brother’s military future. As a result, he had lost everything. “But I’m no longer in the army, and you deserve to be vindicated.” Theo’s voice rang out with conviction.

“Theo, I’ve moved on since then. It won’t serve a single purpose to rehash the past and dig up old wounds. In a few weeks we’ll both be back home in Seattle and Los Angeles living our lives. I can’t imagine either one of us having a reason to come back here.” Just saying the words out loud caused a tightening sensation smack-dab in the center of his chest. It sounded so final.

For a few moments silence settled over the kitchen. Violet’s gibberish was the only sound in the room. She was in her own world and babbling away. Joshua imagined that Theo, much like himself, was consumed by the past, their grandfather’s passing and being back in their hometown. Not to mention the dilemma of whether or not to sell the Diamond R.

“We’ll have to contact Pastor Jack and get a list together of all his friends here in town,” Theo said, breaking the silence.

An invite list. He couldn’t help but think about Honor and her big, bustling family. They had always respected and admired his grandfather, but because of the bad feelings between himself and the Prescotts, Joshua wasn’t certain if they would attend the memorial service. It made his heart ache a little to think about it. Joshua hoped he hadn’t burned all of his bridges in his hometown.

For some reason, being a father had changed his views about Love. It hadn’t all been negative. He wanted Violet to know the place where he’d been born and raised. The Diamond R Ranch had been a huge part of his upbringing. He couldn’t change the way people felt about his past, but he wanted to show everyone that he had grown and matured.

Even though he had tried to convince himself that he was over the past, it still sat like an anchor on his chest. When he least expected it, memories rose up and threatened to drag him under. Pain. Loss. Heartache. One fateful decision that had altered the course of his young life. He had kicked himself a thousand times for not telling Honor the truth.

Even if he was only in Love for a short duration, Joshua intended to extinguish those painful memories before he headed back to Seattle. Since he’d left town he had worked tirelessly to make something of himself. He now owned a home construction business and he’d been flipping houses to bring in more income. He had stashed away a nice sum of money. In the next few months he intended to purchase a medium-sized starter home for himself and Violet. All in all, life was good.

His life had moved on in the aftermath of the dissolution of his relationship with Honor. When she had broken off their engagement, the very foundation of Joshua’s world crumbled. Although he had been forced to adjust to living without her, it had been the most difficult undertaking of his life.

She’s too good for you, Ransom.

Those words had been seared into his brain, courtesy of Sheriff Boone Prescott and his brothers. As much as he had hated Boone for being so blunt, Joshua had always known it had been true. Despite having loved her, Joshua knew he hadn’t been worthy of the reigning princess of Love, Alaska. Honor had been the shiny brass ring completely out of his reach. Against all odds, he had earned her love, which had made him the happiest man in all of Alaska. But love hadn’t been enough.

Joshua winced as bitter memories washed over him. In one reckless moment, Joshua had shown his complete unworthiness and given Honor no choice but to walk away from him. And even though he had moved on, Joshua still wasn’t over it. Not by a long shot.

Chapter Three

Honor drove her truck down the snowy streets of downtown Love and hummed to the upbeat tune on the radio. It felt nice to be out and about on a chilly Saturday afternoon. Having brunch with her family provided a well-needed pick-me-up. She had become so isolated working and living out at the wildlife center. As much as she loved her job, it was important to stop every now and again to smell the forget-me-nots.

Her family had been advising her to get out more and start socializing with the townsfolk. Honor knew exactly what it meant. Everyone wanted her to find a nice Alaskan man to settle down and start a family with. It was easier said than done. So far she hadn’t been able to let go of the past in order to embrace her future. Her heart had been encased in ice for quite some time. And whenever she thought about opening up to someone, fear of the past repeating itself kept her in the safe zone. It was far better to be single than to be brokenhearted.

As soon as she crossed the threshold of the Moose Café, the tempting smells of freshly brewed coffee and baked bread rose to her nostrils. There was already a bustling crowd scattered about the establishment. Her brother Cameron’s café was a very successful eatery here in town. Everyone loved the coffee, the food and the relaxed atmosphere. Honor was proud of her older brother for living out his dreams and pushing past all the self-doubt.

“Honor! It’s nice to see you.” Sophie Catalano, Honor’s dear friend and a waitress-barista at the Moose Café, warmly greeted her. “You barely show your face around here anymore.”

“Hey, Sophie,” Honor said, wrapping her arms around the beautiful redhead for a warm hug. “It’s great to see you. I’ve been so busy at the wildlife center it’s hard to get to town most days.”

“I understand,” Sophie said with a smile. “You’re doing important work over there. Ruby was raving about your workshop on birds of prey. Aidan was mighty impressed,” she said, referring to Honor’s seven-year-old nephew.

“Wait till he finds out we have some lynx kittens that were orphaned and injured in a fire. He’s such a compassionate little boy. I know he’ll want to come see them as soon as he can get over there.” Just the thought of the lynx kittens made Honor smile. It had been so fortunate that a local firefighter, Hank Jeffries, had managed to rescue them from the fire. They were now out of danger and on their way to a full recovery.

“You’re pretty much the bee’s knees as far as Aidan is concerned,” Sophie said.

Honor grinned so wide her cheeks hurt with the effort. “I think that’s probably the best compliment I’ve ever received.” Just the thought of her nephew and nieces filled Honor with joy. Her brothers had made her such a proud auntie. Family meant the world to her and God had blessed her with all of these connections.

“If you’re looking for your brothers, they’re sitting over there with Jasper,” Sophie said, nodding in the direction of a table in the back. Honor followed Sophie’s gaze, smiling at the sight of all three of her brothers sitting with her grandfather, along with Declan and Finn O’Rourke, close friends of all the Prescotts. None of her sisters-in-law were present, which made Honor the only female in attendance. She looked around for Hazel. It always felt nice to have some extra estrogen when surrounded by Prescott and O’Rourke men.

Honor walked over to the table and quietly joined her family. She was greeted by a chorus of enthusiastic voices. Warmth settled in her chest. This was home, she thought. A place where you were greeted with joy and open arms. Unconditional love. She settled into a seat beside Boone and Liam. It felt nice to be surrounded by family and good friends. She felt safe and protected from the slings and arrows of life. Honor might disagree with them from time to time, but when times were tough, they all had each other’s backs.

Hazel—Jasper’s wife and a surrogate mother to Honor and her siblings—strolled over to the table clutching papers against her chest. She looked around the table and flashed a wide smile. “Morning everyone. Glad you could all make it. Isn’t it nice to get together and break bread? I can’t wait for you to taste my new jalapeño corn fritters.”

Jasper looked at Hazel. “You know I don’t like spicy food. It gives me heartburn. Can you please just cut to the chase and tell us why you organized this brunch? You’re about as transparent as glass. It’s obvious you have something up your sleeve.”

Hazel slapped Jasper on the shoulder, causing him to let out a yelp. “Old Jasper here is right. I’ve made up some flyers and I’m going to be distributing them to our customers today. Then I’m going to hang some up at the church on the announcement board.”

“If this is about your over-the-top birthday party,” Jasper groused, “we already know you’ve planned your own shindig. Everyone has already saved the date and placed it on their calendars.”

“Once again, you’re wrong, Jasper.” Hazel swung her gaze around the table. “To be frank, I really don’t want to hear any grumbling about this. I just wanted to give you all a heads-up.” She placed the papers down on the table with a thump, then eyeballed everyone as if daring them to say something.

Honor picked up one of the flyers. It had the café’s logo at the top. She read the words out loud. “Home-going reception in honor of Bud Ransom.”

Liam sputtered as he drank his coffee. “Here? At the Moose Café?” he asked, his eyes bulging.

Cameron held up his hands. “Don’t blame me. I had nothing to do with it. I just own the joint,” he muttered.

“Was this all your idea, Hazel?” Honor asked with a frown. Never in a million years would she have imagined that the Ransom brothers would be welcome at the Moose Café. It felt like something in the universe had shifted.

Hazel grinned. “Yep. It was all me. I figured after the memorial service we could all come here for some refreshments and fellowship. Joshua and Theo were at the church looking for a place to hold a reception, so I suggested they have it here.”

“What in the world did you do that for?” Jasper asked. “Those Ransom boys are nothing but trouble. Always have been. Always will be. And I can’t believe either one of ’em had the nerve to step inside a church.”

Honor cringed at the harsh tone of her grandfather’s voice. By force of habit she opened her mouth to stick up for Joshua, then quickly shut it. It wasn’t her job to take up for Joshua anymore. Those days were long over.

“To be fair,” Liam said, “that was a long time ago. None of us would want to be judged by our worst moment.”

Honor ached at the sincerity in her brother’s voice. Of all her siblings, Liam was the one who was the most forgiving. As a physician, he didn’t have the luxury to judge others. All who sought medical help from him were treated with equal kindness and dedication.

“Bud was a fine man, but that’s where it ends as far as his family is concerned,” Boone said, folding his arms across his chest. “Theo and Joshua haven’t been part of the fabric of this town for quite some time. They burned those bridges a long time ago, no pun intended. I’m surprised they’d want to host something here.”

Declan flashed a pearly grin. “It might be fun to toss them out on their ears for old time’s sake,” he said with a laugh.

“You should be ashamed of yourselves!” Hazel barked. “Not an ounce of charity to spare, is that it? Those boys just suffered a great loss. Haven’t you ever heard that once you’re a part of this town you’re always welcomed home with open arms? It’s practically the town motto.”

“Nope,” Cameron said with a shake of his head. “Can’t say I have.” He squinted at Hazel. “Are you sure you didn’t just make that up on the spot?”

Hazel glared at him. “I’m not even going to dignify that with an answer. We’re going to let those boys host the reception right here at the Moose.”

“They’re not exactly boys anymore,” Finn said with a snort.

“Troublemakers is what they are,” Jasper roared. “I can’t think of a single good thing either of those two ever contributed to this town. They weren’t happy unless they were causing mayhem and madness.” He shook his fist in the air. “You mark my words! If they stick around Love, they’ll be up to no good in no time.” He swung his gaze toward Honor. “You should thank the Lord Almighty that you didn’t marry that scoundrel.”