Landon placed the order and waited a few minutes at the counter until they called his name. He returned to the table with their two coffees and a bowl of sourdough biscuits.
“I figured we could munch on these while we talk. I’ve become addicted to sourdough bread since I’ve been here.”
Bailey said, “Those are nice and hot from the oven.” She rubbed her hands together. “These are gonna be good!”
He watched as Bailey reached for a sourdough knot and immediately took a huge bite. “Ouch,” she said, fanning her mouth with her hand. “That’s what I get for rushing things.”
“Are you okay?” he asked.
“Oh, I’m fine,” she said. “Death by sourdough bread.” She let out a little giggle.
“It’s a pretty epic way to go,” he said, pausing to take a sip of his caramel frappé.
“So tell me what’s weighing on your mind. If it’s not too personal to share.”
A sigh slipped past his lips. He really was feeling stressed out, and he didn’t quite know how to put it all into words. “Well, for starters, Jacques asked me to help him come up with a way to stop Hattie from making this Vegas trip a reality. She’s asked him to take her tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow?” Bailey asked in a high-pitched voice. “To be honest, I thought she was kidding around about that. How in the world is Jacques going to make that happen? Is she even allowed to fly in her condition?”
“Jacques doesn’twantto make it happen, which might prove to be a problem. I think he’s used to taking care of Hattie and catering to all of her needs, so giving her a firm no is hard for him.”
“And we all know, with Hattie’s personality,noisn’t in her vocabulary,” Bailey said.
“Exactly,” Landon said. “I am legitimately worried that if she makes that trip, she might not make it back home. So it seems that my family is going to have a meeting to talk about ways to keep her here and divert her attention away from the idea of going to Vegas.”
“Whoa,” Bailey said, running her hand through her curls. “That’s a huge assignment. Nothing short of an avalanche or a total disaster at Yukon Cider would keep her here, and obviously no one wants that.”
“No,” Landon said. “Yukon Cider is her legacy. Anything bad happening there would break her heart.”
“It sounds like the Hattie situation is breaking yours. Am I wrong?”
“No, you’re not wrong. It’s just all so strange. I never expected to get this attached to her. My brothers and I knew from the get-go that Hattie had a terminal illness. To be honest, in the beginning all I was really thinking about was coming here and going back home so I could reclaim my good name.”
Bailey frowned. “What do you mean by that?”
It was time he told her about his past. He rarely shared it with most people, but Bailey wasn’t most people. She wasextraordinary and spectacular and one of a kind. “I was working as a scientist in California doing very important research at a reputable laboratory. I had made amazing strides and was finding a cure for diabetes. It affects millions of people around the world. When my employer found out that I didn’t want to extort patients by placing high fees on the medicine, they set me up and accused me of all kinds of malfeasance and stealing other scientists’ work. In reality, their whole plan was to take my life’s work and blackball me in the scientific community.”
He held up his hand. “I know it sounds unbelievable.”
“I believe you,” Bailey said. Her voice was full of certainty. She was leaning toward him across the table with an earnest expression etched on her face.
All the air whooshed out of his lungs.
“You have no idea how great that makes me feel,” he told her. “Most of my colleagues didn’t believe or support me.” He took a sip of his coffee as the memories crashed over him. “It brought me to my knees. I spent my whole life pursuing a career in scientific research, only to be fed to the wolves by the laboratory.”
Her lip was curled. “That’s disgusting. I’m so sorry they set you up and turned their backs on you.”
“It’s something that still hasn’t resolved itself. I still dream of going back to California and vindicating myself,” he admitted. “I’m not sure that I’ll be whole until I do. I do have a few colleagues who keep me in the loop about what’s going on at Abbott. We’ve banded together to fight back. Shining a spotlight on their corruption is important to us.”
“You’ve got to clear your name,” Bailey said, sounding insistent. “You can’t let the bad guys win.”
“Right?” Landon asked. “I would never forgive myself if I just let it go.” He sat up a little straighter in his chair just knowing Bailey supported his endeavors.
“There’s probably nothing I can do to help you out with that situation, but if you need me to help out with the Hattie Vegas situation, I’m more than happy to do so.”
“I might take you up on that,” he said, chewing the inside of his cheek. “You are one of Hattie’s favorite people. You have a lot of sway with her.”
“I think that might be the best compliment I’ve ever received, considering we’re talking about Moose Falls’ most legendary citizen.”
