Her Alaskan Cowboy. Belle Calhoune

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СКАЧАТЬ for the Ransom family, was standing a few feet away from them with a crying baby in her arms. “I tried my best to settle her down, but she won’t stop crying. I think she wants her daddy.”

      Winnie held out the child to Joshua. Honor’s heart stilled. The little girl wrapped in the pink blanket was Joshua’s daughter!

      * * *

      Joshua Ransom reached for Violet and held her against his chest. “Thanks, Winnie. I’ll take it from here.” He began to make rhythmic circles on Violet’s back. Almost immediately, she quieted down.

      “The baby whisperer strikes again,” he said in a low voice next to his daughter’s ear.

      He swung his gaze toward Honor. She was staring at him with wide eyes.

      “She’s yours?” she asked in a shocked tone.

      “Yes, she’s mine. This is Violet,” Joshua said, his voice filled with pride. “Violet Anne Ransom.”

      Honor’s gaze locked onto Violet. She couldn’t seem to look away from her. “She’s beautiful,” she said, darting a glance at his ring finger.

      Joshua didn’t hold it against her. It happened to him all the time. As a single father raising a little girl, he raised a lot of eyebrows. It was all right. Violet was his whole world.

      He nestled her closer against him. “I should get her inside. It’s pretty cold out here and her sweater is on the thin side.”

      “Go ahead. You don’t want her to get sick,” Honor said, her brow creased with concern.

      Joshua sucked in a deep, steadying breath as he turned toward the house. He felt as if he’d been sucker punched. Although he had known it was a possibility to run into her during his stay in Love, he hadn’t expected to see her at his family’s ranch. And he wasn’t quite sure what she was doing here. Her answer had been vague.

      She was just as beautiful as she’d always been. Time had only enhanced her good looks. Her hair hung in glossy chestnut waves. Her cheekbones were more pronounced in her heart-shaped face. Now she was more woman than girl, one who exuded a great deal of confidence. It hadn’t taken long for one of the locals to mention she was running a new wildlife center here in town. He felt a burst of pride knowing she had managed to achieve her goals.

      She was no longer the eighteen-year-old who had dreamed of protecting animals and earning a degree in wildlife biology. Honor had reached out and successfully grabbed the brass ring.

      It made him feel a little unsettled to know so much had changed since Honor had been his girl. In truth, it felt like another lifetime.

      What did he expect? Time hadn’t stood still. In many ways, Joshua felt thankful for the passage of time. It had given him the opportunity to change his life and circumstances. Over the past six years, he’d worked extremely hard to better himself. Redemption had been a huge motivating factor. He was no longer the selfish youth who had been impulsive and reckless. In his younger years, he had stolen a car to go joyriding, destroyed town property and been arrested for underage drinking and disorderly conduct. He had been a fixture at the sheriff’s office. It had been easy for the residents of Love to believe he had been responsible for setting fire to the town’s church and demolishing it. The townsfolk had already written him off well before the fire.

      Joshua had made something of himself through sheer determination and grit. He had adopted Violet, the biological child of his ex-wife who had passed away shortly after Violet’s birth. He had an impeccable professional reputation. His parents were extremely proud of the way he had pulled himself up by his bootstraps. And yet, he still yearned for the townsfolk of Love to think well of him. He still wanted their stamp of approval.

      It had always bothered him that Honor’s brothers had so thoroughly disapproved of him. He felt heat suffusing his neck as he remembered their vocal opposition to his relationship with Honor. Sheriff Boone Prescott had made it his mission in life to break them up and to catch his every misdeed. Joshua let out a sigh. To be fair, he’d enjoyed being a rebel. Until things had spiraled out of control and his whole life was in shreds.

      Being in love with the sheriff’s sister and the granddaughter of the town mayor, Jasper Prescott, had complicated matters. Law enforcement had not been on his side. Not that he’d made it easy on them. Joshua had been ornery and wild. He had deliberately pushed as many buttons as he could in his hometown and he’d never backed down from a fight. That had endeared him to very few people, particularly since Honor had been the town’s reigning princess.

      Despite the opposition to their relationship, Honor had always been his biggest cheerleader. She had believed in him until he’d been arrested for burning down the church. Still, after all this time, it gutted him to have caused her such heartache.

      Joshua shrugged off the feelings of guilt and recrimination. He had worked steadfastly over the years to redeem his character. He had painstakingly rebuilt his life, laying the foundation one brick at a time. God was a central part of his world now and he lived life with a purpose.

      Coming back to his hometown hadn’t been easy, but he owed it to his grandfather to pay him his last respects and to tidy up his affairs. He hadn’t realized things with the Diamond R would be so complicated.

      Joshua made his way to the room he was using as Violet’s nursery. Once he entered the bedroom, he stood by her crib and gently rocked her from side to side. When he felt her head droop against his chest, he slowly lowered her until she was resting on her back. Her eyelids were closed and she was peacefully asleep. He quietly made his way back downstairs.

      For Violet’s sake, he felt grateful that he could finally hold his head up high in Love. He had put the shameful events of his past in the rearview mirror. He felt proud of himself, if only because he knew so many people had given up on him. This town had viewed him as irredeemable and broken. They had been dead wrong.

      Joshua hadn’t expected to feel such a wealth of emotions upon his return to Love. As soon as he had spotted Kachemak Bay from his seat in the seaplane, he’d felt a tightening sensation in his chest. Despite everything, this town still lived and breathed in him, just like Honor Prescott. One look in her blue-gray eyes had shown him that the past was still a powerful force to be reckoned with.

      * * *

      As Joshua walked back toward the homestead and away from her with his baby girl, Honor’s shoulders sagged. Her cheeks felt flushed. Joshua had a child!

      She’d been composed during their encounter, even though seeing Joshua holding his daughter had shaken her to the core. Her limbs were trembling. Coming face-to-face with her ex-fiancé hadn’t been on her agenda for today. And it had been shocking to realize he was a father. She felt as if someone had just thrown an ice-cold bucket of water over her head. Joshua looked even more handsome than she remembered. Age had only enhanced his masculine appeal. At six feet or so, Joshua’s frame had filled out, giving him a more rugged appearance. His dark hair set off against his blue eyes made a striking combination. He was the type of man who drew stares when he walked down the street.

      Her mind veered toward Violet. It had hurt her to see the child nestled in Joshua’s arms. It served as a stark reminder of the child she had miscarried six years ago. Joshua’s child. She pushed the painful feelings away. She couldn’t allow herself to get consumed by the past. It might drag her under.

      As she exited the stable, Honor spotted Lee, who was quickly making his way toward her. With his salt-and-pepper-colored hair and sea СКАЧАТЬ