flared through her at the idea of Theo making deals to desecrate Bud’s ranch. Even as a kid he had never had an appreciation for the ranch. Joshua had been the one who had loved horses, the cowboy lifestyle and riding across the property with Bud. Honor had always thought of Joshua as her hometown cowboy.
“Lee, give it to me straight,” Honor demanded. Having grown up with three older brothers, she knew when she was being treated with kid gloves. She had always fought against it. She was way tougher than she might look on the surface.
“Do you remember the town council meeting where we discussed the upsurge in interest from developers in acquiring land here in Love?” Lee asked.
“Yes,” she said with a nod. “With the popularity of Operation Love, this town has been in the media spotlight. And now that Lovely Boots has taken off, a lot of developers view this town as a hot commodity.”
Operation Love was a matchmaking program created by Honor’s grandfather, Jasper Prescott. As town mayor, Jasper had devised a way of fixing the imbalance in the male-female ratio in town by bringing eligible women to town who were seeking Alaskan bachelors. The program had been very successful, with dozens of marriages and engagements. And Jasper’s wife, Hazel Tookes Prescott, had created genuine Alaskan boots that the town had mass produced as a way of boosting the local economy. After years of recession, it had been a brilliant way of bringing revenue to a cash-strapped town.
The downside of her grandfather’s matchmaking program and Hazel’s creativity was the sudden focus on their Alaskan hamlet. Suddenly, developers were viewing Love as a potential moneymaker. The idea of developers swooping down and buying up Alaskan land only to dig it up and build businesses on it made her sick to her stomach.
Lee’s features creased with tension. “This one outfit is serious about buying land here in Love and the Diamond R property is on their radar.” His mouth tightened. “It seems they have plans to build a five-star Alaskan dude ranch. There’s a chain of them all across the country.”
Honor’s jaw dropped. A dude ranch! Right here in Love?
“Theo and Joshua probably had a big check waved in front of their eyes by these developers.” He made a tutting sound. “They might find it hard to turn down such a lucrative offer.”
She let out a shocked sound. Joshua was in on it? She was stunned that he would go along with such a materialistic scheme. Was this the real reason the brothers had made their way back to their hometown? To make a quick buck by selling the Diamond R Ranch and the surrounding property?
“He wouldn’t,” she murmured. “He’s always loved this ranch.”
Lee narrowed his gaze as he looked at her. “Never say never, Honor. It’s been quite some time since you’ve known what Joshua may or may not do.”
“Is there any way to intervene?” she asked, instantly discouraged by the defeated expression stamped on Lee’s face.
“There’s nothing more for us to do except say a few prayers,” Lee said with a shrug. “Maybe the Ransom heirs will do the right thing and fulfill Bud’s heartfelt wishes.” He shook his head. “It’s doubtful though. Theo seemed very cocky about being owner of the ranch. Something tells me he won’t budge an inch.”
Anger rose up inside her. She felt her cheeks getting heated. How could they even consider such a drastic move? It went against everything Bud had stood for in this world. It would be fine by Honor if the property wasn’t handed over to the town, just so long as it wasn’t torn up to create a tacky dude ranch. She didn’t want the town of Love to become a commercial enterprise. Her hometown was a small fishing village filled with God-fearing people who loved the quaint and charming aspects of their town. If the Ransom brothers decided to sell, it would be a nightmare for the residents of Love.
Her stomach churned with worry. Hadn’t Joshua just told her he would be heading home after settling his grandfather’s affairs? Clearly he wasn’t invested in the ranch or in this town. Honor fumed. Joshua might not care about the fate of the Diamond R or this town, but she cared deeply about its future.
“There may not be anything we can do to change their minds,” she said in a fierce tone. “But I’m going to let Joshua Ransom know exactly what I think of him turning his back on a town he used to call home.”
Joshua threw his hands up in defeat as he gave in to temptation and moved toward the side window so he could check up on Honor. Was she still outside? He pushed back the curtain and peered out the window, keeping his eyes peeled on the stables. Honor was standing with Lee and they seemed to be having a very intense discussion. He watched as she threw her hands in the air and kicked her booted foot in the snow. The gesture almost made him chuckle. Some things never changed. Although most of the townsfolk had always regarded her as sweetness and light, Honor Prescott had always possessed a feisty side. He remembered it well. More times than he’d like to admit, he had been the recipient of her ire. He sighed. Joshua knew he hadn’t made it easy for Honor to love him.
But she had loved him, hadn’t she? Love never fails. How many times had Honor said those words to him, quoting the verse from Corinthians? In the end, their love hadn’t been strong enough to survive adversity. It had withered and died. And he had walked around with a broken heart for years, pining for the one who’d gotten away. That was a long time ago though. He no longer harbored any love for his ex-fiancée. It had taken years, but he’d finally gotten over her.
He probably shouldn’t be spying on Honor, but his curiosity had gotten the best of him. What was she doing here in the first place? And what was she discussing with Lee that had become so contentious?
All in all, it had been a strange morning at the ranch. Theo had met not only with Lee and his grandfather’s attorney, but with a developer from Texas who had come to discuss the Diamond R Ranch. Joshua hadn’t attended the meeting. His hands had been full with wrangling a cranky Violet.
Joshua turned away from the window and gazed at his surroundings. His grandfather was all around him at the ranch, but especially in this very room. The den had been Bud’s favorite place in the house. Before she had passed away, his grandmother, Pearl, had always enjoyed teasing her husband about holing up inside his man cave for hours on end. Joshua could hear her voice now. Bud Ransom, we might as well put a bed and a stove in there with you. Then you’d never come out.
He missed both his grandparents. They had been two of the most loving, generous people he had ever known. They had doted on him during his childhood and shown him unconditional love. His own parents were living in Singapore, too far away to come back for the memorial service. For all intents and purposes, his family had been reduced to a small circle.
Did a person ever stop yearning for the ones they had loved and lost? Honor’s face flashed before his eyes. Beautiful, headstrong Honor. He now knew for certain he wasn’t over the events of the past. Not by a long shot. Seeing her in the flesh had proven that point. After all this time he still felt a pull in her direction. Not that it mattered. She had shown him years ago that he was dispensable. Honor had tossed him aside like yesterday’s garbage. He imagined the whole town of Love had stood up and cheered her on.
A sudden noise drew his attention. Joshua cocked his ear to the side and listened for any cries. These days it seemed as if he was always bracing for the slightest sounds. It was amazing how a child could alter a person’s life. He exhaled as silence reigned. Suddenly, Joshua heard the slam of the front door, followed by heavy footsteps. He was about to give Theo a piece of his mind. How many times had he warned him about making loud, disruptive noises when a baby was in the house?
All of a sudden, Honor was standing in the doorway of the den, her hands strategically placed on her hips. Pure molten fire radiated from her eyes. Little huffing sounds were coming from her mouth. He was fairly certain steam was coming out of her ears.
“Are you seriously considering selling out?” she asked in a