“Hey,” she said, looking up at Boone. “Are you any relation to Jasper Prescott, the town mayor?”
“He sure is.” A raspy voice sounded over her shoulder. She turned her head to see a white haired, whiskered man beaming at her as if he’d been lit up from the inside with a lightbulb. “I’m his grandfather.” He swung his gaze back and forth between her and Sophie, his expression full of joy. “It’s nice to see that Operation Love is in full effect.” He reached over and clapped his grandson on the shoulder. “So, which one of you two lovely ladies is going to take Boone off the market and make me a great-grandfather again?”
* * *
Boone cringed at his grandfather’s none-too-subtle attempt to get him married off. He shouldn’t be surprised, considering this wasn’t the first time he’d tried to play matchmaker on his behalf. Normally, he had the good manners not to mention great-grandchildren. His brother Liam had already given Jasper those bragging rights when his son Aidan was born. At the moment it didn’t seem to matter to Jasper. This time he was clearly going for broke. In response to his pronouncement, Grace’s blue eyes began to blink like a startled owl while Sophie giggled with delight.
“Settle down now, Jasper,” Boone said, trying to shrug off the waves of embarrassment. He didn’t know why Jasper’s meddling was getting to him, since he usually just shook his head and laughed it off. Perhaps it was because of a certain raven-haired newcomer who’d piqued his interest the moment she’d stumbled into his arms. It had been a long time since he’d cared what a woman thought about him, but strangely enough, it mattered to him in this very moment. He didn’t know why, but Grace Corbett’s opinion mattered.
“Hot food coming through.” The loud announcement preceded Cameron’s appearance at the table. He was carrying a large tray filled with drinks and a wide assortment of food. Was it his imagination or was Cameron now serving a much wider variety of foods than he’d realized? He didn’t remember sandwiches being on the menu, or little pizzas. “Hey, Boone.” Cameron acknowledged him with a nod as he deposited plates brimming with food in front of Sophie and Grace. He placed a steaming mug next to each of their plates. “I thought you’d given up coffee.”
“I didn’t stop drinking coffee, Cam,” he explained for what felt like the tenth time. “I’m just not a big fan of those frothy, foamy drinks you specialize in. They’re all tongue twisters, too. A half cup of mocha latte or an iced caramel macchiato with a twist of cinnamon. I like to know what I’m drinking.”
“Don’t knock ’em. Those specialty drinks have put this place on the map,” Cameron answered, a slight edge to his voice.
Boone chuckled. There was a running joke in his family about the Moose Café saving the town from financial ruin. Although the place was doing well, it was a far cry from being Love’s salvation. Perhaps he didn’t say it very often, but he was proud of the way Cameron had turned his life around and made a full-fledged success of his café. If only they could get back to the way things had been between them before everything had fallen apart right along with the cannery deal.
When Cameron had been swindled by his girlfriend’s father and subsequently lost a great sum of the town’s money, it had been hard to find anyone in town to take up for him. He’d been the town’s whipping boy. Boone had tried to defend his brother, but the more he uncovered about the stolen money, the angrier he’d become at Cameron. He’d been so in love with Paige that he’d made foolish, reckless mistakes. And because of it, the whole town of Love had suffered the financial consequences. They’d exchanged words one evening, taking nasty jabs at each other, which were hard to repair in the light of day. Ever since then things had been shaky between them.
Boone watched as Grace picked up her sandwich with both hands and took a big bite out of it. She let out a sigh of appreciation. “This is delicious,” she raved, placing her hand over her mouth as she spoke. She swallowed and took another bite.
“What is it?” Sophie asked, taking a daintier bite of her sandwich. “It’s yummy.”
“Smoked turkey breast with fresh avocado, some crispy bacon and a blue-cheese spread. I’m expanding the menu to attract more culinary-minded customers.”
Jasper waved his hand in the air and plunked himself down in one of the empty chairs. He propped his elbows on the table and said, “Enough about the menu. I want to know what Sophie and Grace think about our little village.”
“They’ve only been here for an hour,” Boone said, shooting his grandfather a warning look. “Let them settle in before you subject them to the grand inquisition.”
Cameron shook his head and threw his hands in the air. “I’ve got to take some orders. Hazel must be swamped in the kitchen.”
Hazel Tookes, owner of the Black Bear Cabins, was a beloved figure in town. In her late sixties, she was an honorary auntie to the Prescott brothers. With her silver hair and piercing green eyes, she was a striking figure. Over the years she’d picked up a lot of the slack in his parents’ absence. Hazel came in a few times a week to help out Cameron in the kitchen and to waitress.
Sophie jumped up from her chair, an eager expression stamped on her face. She bit her lip. “I’d like to make myself useful behind the counter. I’m pretty good at making drinks.”
Cameron shoved his hand through his hair and looked around at the crowd. “That would be great. With all these people in here, I can use all the help I can get.”
Boone’s brother sent him a commiserating look as he walked away with Sophie. They both knew the drill. Jasper was about to start pontificating about the benefits of living in Love, Alaska.
“Forgive me. I’m getting ahead of myself.” Jasper reached for Grace’s hand and raised it to his lips, placing a gentle kiss on it. “I met Miss Miller earlier on the pier, so I’m assuming you must be Grace Corbett from New York. It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance. I’d be happy if you called me Jasper.”
So his hunch about Grace had been correct. She was a city girl, hailing all the way from the Big Apple. Boone deposited himself in the chair vacated by Sophie. He didn’t dare leave his grandfather alone with Grace. There was no telling what nonsense might come out of his mouth that might send her on the first seaplane back to Anchorage. The very thought of her leaving caused a trickle of discomfort to flow through him.
Jasper continued. “Welcome to Love, my dear. May your journey be one of discovery.”
Grace crinkled her nose. “Discovery?”
“Isn’t that what brought you here?” Jasper asked. “A need to find out more about yourself and the world around you?”
Grace shrugged. “In your article you said there was a need for women here in Love. That’s why I’m here. Not sure about the discovery part.”
Jasper chuckled, a low rumble emanating from his chest. “Don’t worry, Grace. I’m seventy-five years old, but I’m still on the trail of several discoveries. Town legend says that a wise leader will find rivers of gold. I’m aiming to be that leader.”
“Legend? What legend?” Grace leaned forward in her seat, her blue eyes dancing with excitement. There was such a sweet look of rapture etched on Grace’s face. For a moment she resembled a small child who’d been promised the sun, sky and moon.
A slow hiss escaped Boone’s lips. “Don’t get him started,” he warned in a low voice. He shook his head at Jasper. “You’re treading on thin ice.”
Jasper leaned in toward Grace, his voice lowering to a stage whisper. “There’s treasure hidden in Love, buried here by one of our ancestors after the Gold Rush. I’m determined to find it. Not for selfish gain, but for the betterment of this town and our community.”