stop was to a few boutiques in town to see if I could find Percy some new clothes. I’d promised, and I wouldn’t break that promise, no matter how many sneers Easton threw my way. He didn’t agree with my proposal, and maybe I was overstepping, but the kid deserved some nice stuff after all he’d been dealing with his whole life. I had the means of helping out, so I would.
I parked in the center of town and decided to walk the strip and see what all Jasper had to offer. There was a small café and bakery, so I stopped in to grab a coffee and breakfast.
The teenager behind the counter did a double-take when I walked in, and I’d have bet she recognized my face from the newspaper the other day. She finished helping the man in front of me and turned her beaming smile in my direction when she was done. “Good morning. What can I get for you today?”
“Your biggest coffee, double espresso. Skim milk. Sweet’N Low.” I scanned the display of treats, hesitant about their quality.
“They’re all baked fresh daily. The scones are our bestsellers.”
I eyed the berry scones. “I’ll try a blueberry.”
“You won’t be disappointed. My aunt Nally wins first place for those scones at the fall fair every year.”
The girl packed one in a paper bag and passed it over the counter before turning to make my coffee.
“Are you the guy from Edmonton who’s looking to buy the Campbell Stables?”
My heart clenched. “No. I mean, yes, I’m from Edmonton, but I’m not trying to buy the stables.” Anymore.
“Good. I knew that article was a load of crap. Josiah likes stirring the pot. Can’t believe a word he says. He’s a chronic liar and thrives on pissing people off.” The girl glanced over her shoulder. “Does that mean you’re here because of East then? I saw the picture.”
I opened my mouth and shut it. Thinking. “I… We’re friends.” I didn’t know how he’d feel if I announced our tentative relationship. Was he private about those things? Did he care if the whole town knew? The picture was worth a thousand words. There was no denying the chemistry we shared.
“Friends? Sure.” Her grin grew. “That picture in the newspaper doesn’t lie. Easton’s a good guy. Honest and straightforward. I heard he got custody of that kid. It’s about time. Poor little guy’s had it rough.”
My brows hit my hairline. News traveled fast in this town. “He did.”
“Best thing for little Percy. Here’s your coffee.”
“Thanks.” I handed her my credit card, and she rang it through.
“Nice to meet you,” she said when she handed it back. “I hope you’re in town for a while. Easton deserves someone nice like you.”
No one had ever described me as nice before. I preened and couldn’t help standing a little taller. How sad was I? Practically flailing at a compliment. Is this what my father had done to me?
I wandered back into the street. For a minute, I stood in the center of Jasper and absorbed the small community. It wasn’t anything like the big city. Everyone here knew everyone else. It was laid back and calm. There was a strange sense of family that stretched from one end of the town to the other. I got the feeling, despite oddities and clashing personalities, the people in this town looked out for one another.
I found a bench and ate my scone. It was incredible. The best thing I’d had since coming to Jasper, and I made a note to return and buy more before I headed to Easton’s.
While I sat watching the mountains, the people going about their day, and the sun climbing the sky, heating the land, an older woman across the street caught my eye. She had a flowing multicolored skirt that reached her ankles, layers and layers of beads around her neck and dangling off her wrists, unusual blue-framed glasses, flashy makeup, and a beaded scarf tied around her frizzy white-blonde hair.
She stared at me directly. It was unnerving. She looked out of place in her strange attire. When she marched across the street toward me, her skirt flowing and beads jangling, I almost jumped off the bench and hustled away.
“I’m Lady Mallory. I knew you were coming.”
“Excuse me?”
“I read it in the cards. The stranger who would grace our town and bring change. He is you. You are him.”
I glanced around to see if anyone was witnessing this. No one seemed to take note of