“Hattie? Not likely,” Caleb said, reaching for his orange juice and swigging the last of it down.
Soft footsteps heralded the arrival of Jacques, who quickly made his way over to them.
“Good morning, gentlemen. Hattie isn’t feeling that well this morning, so she wanted the three of you to head off without her,” Jacques announced.
“Oh, no,” Landon said. “What’s wrong? Should we call her doctor?”
Xavier jumped up from his seat. “Should we go see her?”
Jacques waved his hand at them. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Your grandmother is terminally ill, and she’s going to have ups and downs. She won’t want any of you to make a fuss.” He made a face. “You know Hattie.”
Caleb sighed. “Yes, we do. She probably told you to minimize whatever’s going on. Am I right?” Hattie was the type of person who had probably denied being in labor when she was ten centimeters dilated. She didn’t like a fuss being made over her. Celebrating her birthday was the one exception. On that occasion they had been allowed to throw her a party with gifts and cupcakes.
“If I thought she needed medical attention, I wouldn’t hesitate to tell you,” Jacques said, convincing them in a matter of seconds that he wasn’t withholding crucial information. All three of them knew that he was an honorable man. He was motivated by his love for their grandmother and a deep sense of integrity. Caleb thought that his brothers, much like himself, couldn’t rid their minds of the image of Hattie passing out a couple months ago during a reception at the mayor’s mansion. It had been their first rude awakening about the unpredictability of her illness. Despite her putting on a good act, they all realized she was rapidly declining.
“I’m going to bring her some tea and try to get her to eat some scrambled eggs and toast,” Jacques said as he turned on his heel and headed straight toward the kitchen.
Once Jacques left the dining room, a hushed silence descended over them.
“I don’t know why I always forget what brought us here,” Caleb said, pushing his plate way from him. His appetite was gone, decimated by the news about Hattie.
“I know what you mean,” Landon said. “Obviously wecame due to the inheritance and Hattie’s situation, but it seems impossible that she won’t be around a year from now.”
Xavier frowned. “A year? It could be six months or less. We don’t know what the future holds with regard to her health. I think that’s what Jacques was getting at.” He ran a hand over his face and let out a deep breath. “It’s time we started having more discussions about Yukon Cider and where we see things going. We can’t wait until the year’s up to decide.”
“But what if we aren’t sure?” Landon asked. “This could change the entire course of our lives.”
“I think it already has,” Caleb said, thinking about Xavier’s engagement to True, their bond with their long-lost grandmother, and having their father back in their lives.
At the moment it felt as if things were moving quickly in Moose Falls. Their contract with Hattie stipulated that they must stay in Moose Falls for a period of one year and learn the ropes at Yukon Cider. More than five months had passed, leaving them with less than seven months to make an earth-shattering decision.
If he voted to stay and run the company, all of his Hollywood dreams would evaporate. He couldn’t pursue an acting career from Moose Falls. But he would be with his brothers, which was the best part of returning to Alaska. And there was Sophia. Sweet, gorgeous Sophia. She was a definite inducement for sticking around. On the other hand, selling Yukon Cider would provide financial independence and give him a pathway to a life in California.
Frankly, he was just as confused as he’d been on the first day he arrived in Alaska. And he still had no idea how he was going to come to a decision.
As Monday rolled around, Sophia couldn’t be more excited for her first test shoot for Yukon Cider’s new campaign. Lily was staying with her grandfather today, as she did twice a week, so after dropping her off with G-pop, Sophia headed straight to work, doing her best to decompress by absorbing the beautiful landscape that she drove past. She would never get used to the jaw-dropping sights Alaska provided. Sophia cranked up the radio and mellowed out to Adele ballads.
Just breathe in and out. Relax. Rid your mind of the yucky stuff. Today is going to be a wonderful day.She repeated these mantras over and over again until they sank in.
Today was going to be a wonderful day, and she was going to greet it with positivity and clarity. She was going to be spending time with Caleb, which was a win-win for her. She had never imagined that she would like this man so much after hating his guts on television. There was a disconnect between the man he’d been portrayed as and the man he was in actuality. She knew it with every fiber of her being. Caleb Stone was a good man. And she hoped with all her might that this campaign took off and Caleb got some of his good name back. If she could do anything to help him soar, she would do it in a heartbeat.
As she was discovering, Caleb was a special man, and she hadn’t had much special in a long time. If ever. Lily was the magic fairy dust in her life, but she yearned for something romantic, something real. It wouldn’t be enough for her to venture into a relationship that was purely physical. She’d done that in her younger years and come to deeply regret it. Her relationship with Donny had leaned on the physical as well, which had resulted in Lily. Although she hadn’t been planned and Donny hadn’t stuck around, Lily was the absolute love of her life.
Once she arrived at Yukon Cider, Sophia discovered that she had her own office on the second floor, complete with her name on the door and a fresh bouquet of flowers sitting on her desk. Her pulse raced as she read the card.Looking forward to working with you. Don’t forget to make me look good. Caleb.
At this point she couldn’t wait to make her way downstairs to the space they had set up as a studio for today’s test shoot. Although she was accustomed to working solo, she’d been surprised to be given a team to work with. Sophia had told Hattie she didn’t need a producer since that was a job she wanted to perform herself. Video production was in her skill set, and she was confident about her abilities. Having a team was an added bonus that she hadn’t been expecting.
When she walked in the studio, her eyes went straight to Caleb.Good golly, Miss Molly. He was looking like the sweetest Alaskan eye candy. He was wearing a nicely fitting pair of charcoal-colored slacks and an oatmeal-colored sweater that accentuated his rugged physique. Caleb was fine! No wonder he’d been the final man standing onLove Him or Leave Him. Could she really blame the twins for falling for him?
She immediately walked over to Caleb and greeted him. “Hey, Hollywood. Looks like you got your beauty rest last night. Thanks for the flowers,” she added. “It was a nice way to welcome me to Yukon Cider.”
“You’re very welcome. It’s a great place to work, and everyone is excited you’re coming on board. Hattie has been shouting it from the rooftops.”
Hearing that made Sophia feel good. Especially since she held Hattie in such high esteem. It was like getting the golden stamp of approval from the head honcho.
“So, are you ready to go viral?” Sophia asked. She hada gut feeling that Caleb would blow up as the spokesman for Yukon Cider. The product was gaining in popularity, and with Caleb’s looks and personality, he was destined to take the company to greater heights. And along the way, Caleb would find himself getting tons of publicity and shine.
Caleb crinkled his nose. “As long as it’s in a good way this time. I definitely don’t want to go viral for being in a love triangle. Been there, done that,” he said, rolling his eyes.
