He didn’t want her to hate him. “It’s not that I don’t care. I just—”
“You just can’t. Is that it? I think it’s time for you to go. I need to close up the place.” A mutinous expression appeared on her face.
How could he explain his reluctance to be around her without confessing everything to her? She might be upset with him, but at least she wouldn’t despise him.
He walked to the doorway and turned back to face her. “I’ll be rooting for you. I know you probably won’t understand this, but I need to get my own life in order before I help anyone else.” Piper didn’t betray a single emotion upon hearing his words.
Braden walked out of the diner and into the cold Alaskan evening. He heard the click of Piper locking the door behind him, and it left him feeling empty inside. More than anything in the world he wanted to help her find a way to hold on to the diner. But he knew spending time in her presence was too dangerous. He was keeping secrets from her, and if they spent time together, he didn’t trust himself not to crack under the pressure.
Give me strength Lord, he prayed. I’m going to need it.
Braden couldn’t remember a time when Piper hadn’t been his best friend. She had nestled her way into his heart with her plucky attitude and willingness to be adventurous. Even as kids she’d always been the one to take up his dares and plunge headfirst into the abyss. Whether it was sled-dog racing or riding in a hot air balloon, she’d always been up for a challenge. He’d never imagined her not being a huge part of his life.
Everything had changed four years ago when her father was killed in a snowmobile accident. Braden tried not to remember that afternoon, but the memory of it kept crashing over him in unrelenting waves. He’d been hanging out with some former high school buddies—Tim Carroll, Andy Summers and Lou Warren—on a lazy Saturday afternoon when they’d decided to go snowmobile riding. Usually they raced each other through the trails and then back to the starting point. Braden was known in Owl Creek for his love of extreme sports and adventures. He was the most skilled rider among all of them, and he loved being up on the mountain with the arctic wind whipping through him as he zipped along the trails.
Braden had been surprised to see Jack Miller on the trail that afternoon. It wasn’t very often Piper’s father took time off from the diner for recreational activities. When Jack had pulled Braden aside and asked to speak to him in private, he’d been upbeat about it, thinking the older man wanted to discuss a surprise event for Piper’s upcoming birthday. Much to his surprise, Jack had been stern and full of censure.
Jack’s harsh expression had spoken volumes. “I’ve been hearing stories about you and your friends speeding down these trails, Braden. Considering what happened last year to Mac Crenshaw, I advise you to slow down and take the proper precautions. This town doesn’t need another tragedy and neither do your parents.”
Braden had bristled at Jack’s tone and his reference to Mac’s death, as well as his family’s tragic loss of his sister who was kidnapped as a baby. Mac had died overseas in the service and the entire town had mourned the death of the hometown war hero. Losing Mac had affected all of Owl Creek. He’d felt embarrassed that his friends had been within earshot of Jack’s comments. He hadn’t appreciated being spoken to as if he was an unruly child. Sometimes his family treated him the same way since he’d been the youngest member of the North family in Lily’s absence. “I’m always careful, Jack,” he’d said as anger coursed through him. “So are my friends. We know these trails like the back of our hands.”
“People here in town are talking about riders driving irresponsibly down these paths. It’s a safety issue!”
“So you’re just assuming it’s me who’s breaking the rules, right? I can ride these trails blindfolded. I’ve never been in a single accident.” His voice had been raised and full of unbridled anger.
Although Braden and Jack had always gotten along, the tension hanging in the air between them had been palpable. It was the first time they’d ever been at odds. Jack’s chin trembled as he responded. “Pride goeth before a fall, young man. You still have a lot of growing up to do.” With a shake of his head, Jack had walked away.
Looking back, it had all happened so fast. One moment Jack had been standing beside him and the very next moment he’d sped off down the mountain trail on his snowmobile. Although Braden had been concerned about his jerky movements, he hadn’t followed behind him. About an hour later their paths had crossed when Braden spotted Jack riding the trail up ahead of him. He’d made a mental note to smooth things over between them later on. A short while later, he’d been the first person to come upon the crash scene, witnessing a mangled snowmobile smashed into a grove of trees. Braden had instantly recognized Jack’s bright red snowsuit. He’d jumped off his snowmobile and raced toward Jack, who had been ejected from the
vehicle. He’d performed CPR until help arrived, all the while praying for Jack. He hadn’t known until the next morning that Piper’s father hadn’t survived his injuries. His guilt had been overwhelming. He’d agitated Jack prior to the crash. If they hadn’t argued, perhaps he never would have crashed.
The worst part was that everyone had praised Braden for administering medical assistance to Jack and staying at the scene to help in any way he could. He’d kept quiet about his quarrel with Jack, not disclosing to a single soul how upset Piper’s father had been with him prior to the accident. For the past four years, he’d been stuffing down his feelings of guilt, unable to forgive himself or come clean about it. He’d never seriously considered telling Piper the truth.
There wasn’t a single doubt in his mind that if Piper knew he’d played a role in her father’s death she wouldn’t want anything to do with him. Not now or ever.
Chapter Two
Braden looked out the huge bay window of the North family home and admired the snowcapped mountains looming in the distance. They were majestic and beautiful. Although Owl Peak was much smaller than Mount Everest—the last mountain he’d climbed—this vista represented home to him. He took a big swig of his coffee and let out a beleaguered sigh.
Last night had been rough. He couldn’t quite get Piper’s face out of his mind. The expression of hurt and disappointment on her face gnawed at him. He hated letting her down so badly. They had never had such a huge strain between them in their entire lives.
He didn’t know why he’d even ventured over to the Snowy Owl Diner last night in the first place. It had been a colossal mistake.
No, that wasn’t true. He did know why he’d made the trip over there. He missed Piper. Not seeing her on a regular basis for the past three and a half years felt like torture. There wasn’t much he didn’t miss about her—the hearty laugh, her curly mane of hair and the corny jokes she always had at the ready. She was one of the best people he’d ever known.
He had traveled the world in pursuit of adventures, all the while trying to avoid talking to Piper or having to look her in the eye. But he hadn’t been able to snuff out the memory of her. It had been impossible not to miss their weekly movie dates or sharing chocolate cherry milkshakes with her at the diner. He didn’t have anyone to read comic books with or go ice-skating with on the town green. There was no one in the world who could replace Piper.
She was one of a kind and as unique as an individual snowflake.
How could he have said no to Piper in her time of need? She was in this predicament because she’d been given ownership of Jack’s business well before she’d been ready to run the place all on her own. Although she’d worked at the diner for many years as a waitress, she clearly hadn’t been made aware of any problems with the business. And the Snowy Owl hadn’t been financially stable when she’d assumed ownership. Although Piper was smart, she’d been placed in a situation over her head. He felt like a selfish jerk in turning her down, but he didn’t know any other way to handle the situation. Spending time around Piper while withholding the truth about his argument with Jack would be impossible.
But had his decision been the right one? He kept going back and forth, second-guessing himself. It hurt him to realize she was struggling with this issue all by herself since she hadn’t told her mother or brother.
Helping Piper was the right thing to do, especially since he carried the weight of her father’s death each and every day of his life. It was the reason he’d been running away from Owl Creek for such a long time. It was why he couldn’t bear to be in Piper’s presence for very long. How could he look into her doe brown eyes and not make a full confession?
He was a coward, plain and simple. Piper and her family deserved the truth, yet he couldn’t give it to them. Always in the back of his mind was his responsibility to his own family. His parents had been put through pure torment for twenty-five years after his sister, Sage, had been abducted as an infant from their home in Owl Creek. She had only recently been reunited with the family after decades of separation. A confession from him about being responsible for Jack Miller’s death would subject them to even more pain and scrutiny. The thought of telling Piper the truth rattled him. So far he’d convinced himself it wouldn’t be the right move. It was far better that she viewed him as being self-absorbed or disinterested rather than the person who had caused her father’s death.
“So, how’s it going?”
