Angus hadn’t realized that was a big deal until he read Clem’s article, but then he figured it made sense. What would draw a woman to pledge her willingness to marry a man she barely knew? Fifteen minutes of fame on TV. All those frustrated would-be reality television stars were angry.
“They’ve made a demand. They get to choose the woman who comes on Base Camp, or they’ll continue to pester advertisers to boycott our show.”
“How are they going to choose?” Angus asked. Walker still hadn’t said a word, but he lowered his brows and didn’t look pleased.
“They drew names from a hat or something, I think,” Boone said. “Something fair, in other words. They’re very fixated on fairness.”
“They’ve already made their decision?”
Boone held out his phone. On it was a photo of an attractive—but very youthful looking—woman. She had curly blond hair and soft blue eyes. “This is Leslie Baker, one of the women whose profiles I gathered as backup brides along the way. She’s twenty-six. She’s a master gardener with lots of experience with farming. She knows all about Base Camp; she’s followed the show since the beginning, understands what’s required of her. In other words, she’s perfect.”
“Whoever draws the short straw doesn’t have to marry her, though, right? Just date her for thirty days?” Angus wasn’t sure why he bothered to ask. He didn’t want anyone but Win Lisle, the woman who’d walked away from him months ago, and she wasn’t available.
He would never forget the day she’d packed a suitcase and left. She’d told him her mother was ill, asked him to drive her to the airport. He’d assumed her absence would be temporary.
But when he dropped her off at the departures entrance to the Chance Creek airport, he’d realized he was wrong. She’d gotten out of the truck, waited until he handed down her suitcase from the back and kissed him. “I loved you, Angus. Don’t ever doubt it. This isn’t about you.” She’d handed him a letter to give to Savannah, who she’d known prior to coming to Base Camp, turned on her heel and marched into the building, leaving Angus staring after her, wondering if he’d gone back in time to the day his mother had said nearly the same thing. Fiona had shattered his whole world when she moved to Canada with one of his father’s teaching assistants barely a year after his family had emigrated from Scotland to the United States.
Now it had happened again.
He’d driven home in daze, unable to come to terms with any of it.
She’d loved him? Past tense? But not anymore?
What had changed her mind?
Angus had never given his heart to a woman like he’d done with Win. From nearly the first moment he’d seen her, he’d decided she was the one, and unlike his mother, he was loyal to the core. Months later, his love for Win was still steadfast—much good it was doing him.
Savannah let him borrow that letter. He’d never given it back. Instead he read it daily, reminding himself the truth was he hadn’t known Win at all during her time at Base Camp. With him she’d been passionate, tender, curious about his line of work, diligent in the greenhouses—happy—but that hadn’t been enough to secure her love or loyalty to him. Her letter made that all too clear.
Dear Savannah,
Don’t think of me too harshly as you read this. You’ll understand far better than anyone else why I’m doing this, since you know my background. You may have turned your back on your family, but I find that I can’t. Mom isn’t just ill. She’s got cancer—and she’s not going to recover. And her wish is that I take my place back at home where I belong. She’s backed up this threat with a big stick, just in case appealing to my daughterly guilt isn’t enough—
She’s threatened to write me out of her will. In fact, she’s already done so. I’m required to leave the show permanently and spend the rest of the year in California before she’ll think of reversing her decision. She wants me to miss the deadline to marry Angus so that he’ll have to marry someone else. She says it’s because he’s against everything my family stands for, but I know that’s not it: she thinks I’ll be unhappy with him.
I can picture your reaction—your confusion. You thought I’d already given all that up. That my love for Angus would overcome everything else.
You’re right; I love Angus. More than anyone I’ve ever loved before.
But not enough. It turns out it’s one thing to leave your money behind—and it’s another thing altogether to have it taken away irrevocably.
At the end of the day, I’m just as shallow and selfish as everyone ever thought I was. I can’t do it. I can’t be poor. I’m not clever like Angus or talented like you. Wealth is all I’ve had. It’s all I know.
I hope you won’t hate me too much. I hope you’ll realize what this is costing me. Please tell Angus—tell him I love him. I really love him. But he’s better off without me.
And please, please—marry Jericho with your heart high. Don’t worry about me. I’ve made my bed, and I’ll sleep in it. Be happy, Savannah. For my sake.
Love,
Win
He wondered what she was doing right now. He refused to search her name on the internet and had forbidden anyone else from telling him news about her. She’d never once gotten in touch to explain her actions directly. He wanted to believe there was some other explanation for her behavior, but the letter ruled that out. He’d been loyal to her—still was, in his heart—but she was loyal only to her family’s
