Her Alaskan Cowboy. Belle Calhoune
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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.”
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