Chapter 21
Chapter Twenty-One
NATALIE
Numbers blurred into an indecipherable mess as I stared at the screen. I had been poring over the orchard's financial records for hours, trying to make sense of what I was seeing. It just didn't add up.
To make matters worse, my mind kept drifting. It was still curled up with Jasper in the orchard under the stars. The taste of his lips, the way he looked at me like I was the only thing in the world that mattered.
It was everything I'd been missing, everything I'd been starving for.
But now, in the harsh light of day, doubt was creeping in. What if it had been just a moment of weakness, a temporary lapse in judgment brought on by grief and nostalgia? What if he woke up that morning and regretted it?
I closed my eyes and attempted to banish the insidious whispers. No, what had happened between us was real. The connection, that depth of feeling, you couldn't fake that .
We had something. Something worth taking a chance on. I just had to trust in us.
I dragged my focus back to the task at hand. These books weren't going to balance themselves, and I owed it to Dad—and to the Evertons—to get to the bottom of this.
As I dug deeper into the numbers, a horrible realization dawned on me. The discrepancies lined up perfectly with Dad's diagnosis. A picture slowly emerged. Small mistakes at first, easily overlooked. A transposed number here, a missed decimal there. But as the months went on and Dad's health declined, the errors became more frequent and more glaring.
My heart clenched as I imagined him hunched over those same spreadsheets, his once razor-sharp mind dulled by pain and medication. He was losing his grip, and no one noticed. No one stepped in to help carry the load.
I didn't step in.
Tears blurred my vision, but I swiped them away. I couldn't afford to fall apart. I had to be strong, had to fix this. For him, for Mom, for Jasper and his family.
By the time I'd combed through every line, every entry, I was certain. There was no foul play here. Just a brilliant man succumbing to the ravages of illness. And a family legacy suffering the consequences.
The Evertons were hemorrhaging money. And they likely had no idea. The losses were hidden in the tangle of Dad's declining work.
What could I do?
How could I break this to the Evertons? The orchard was their life. To find out it was in jeopardy, that they could lose everything...
I couldn't be the one to shatter their world, not when things were so fragile and new between Jasper and me. He'd be devastated. He might even blame me for not catching it sooner. For not being there when Dad started struggling.
My breath came short and sharp as panic clawed at my throat. Easy, Natalie. Think. You're a problem solver, a fixer. So fix it.
I examined the spreadsheet, my mind racing. It wouldn't be easy. It would take time, finesse, and more than a little luck. But it was doable. It had to be.
I wouldn't let Dad's reputation be tarnished. I wouldn't let the Evertons lose their birthright. I'd pour everything I had into righting this ship and keeping it afloat.
Even if it meant keeping Jasper in the dark for now and shouldering the burden alone. He had enough on his plate, helping run the orchard day-to-day. The last thing he needed to worry about was the threat of financial ruin.
I'd tell him eventually. When I had a plan. When I could present solutions instead of just problems. He'd understand.
I was doing this for him, for us. To protect what we were building, this fragile new beginning. I wouldn't jeopardize it. Not for anything.
Mind made up, I closed out the spreadsheets and gathered my things. I'd start fresh tomorrow, armed with purpose and a plan. Tonight I had a dinner to attend. A family to reconnect with, a man to stand beside.
And I'd do it with my head high and a smile on my face, even with this secret sitting heavy in my stomach. For him, for us... I could carry it. As long as it took.
I locked up the office and stepped out into the warm summer evening. The sun was dipping below the horizon and Main Street was quiet. The shops were closed and the sidewalks nearly empty.
But there, leaning against the lamppost on the corner, was a familiar figure. Tall and broad, dark hair tousled by the breeze, hands shoved in the pockets of his faded jeans.
Jasper straightened when he saw me, a slow smile spreading across his face. That smile. It still made my heart stutter and my breath catch. He pushed off the post and sauntered toward me with a loose, easy gait.
"Hey there, city girl," he drawled, his voice dripping with warm affection and sex . "Fancy meeting you here."
I grinned, the stress of the day magically melting away. "Well hey yourself, country boy. To what do I owe the pleasure?"
He reached out and snagged my hand, twining our fingers together. "What, I can't pick my girl up for dinner? Walk her over to my place, show her off to the family?"
My heart did a giddy little flip. His girl. He called me his girl. I ducked my head, feeling suddenly shy under the intensity of his gaze. "I suppose that's allowed. Very chivalrous of you."
"I'm a regular Prince Charming." He tugged me closer until our bodies were aligned, hips and chests brushing. "Though I don't recall Cinderella carrying a backpack. Kinda ruins the whole fairy tale vibe, don't you think? "
"Hey!" I protested with a laugh, swatting at his chest. "I'll have you know this backpack is very important. It carries all my hopes and dreams and... spreadsheets."
"Spreadsheets?" Jasper raised an amused eyebrow. "Sexy. Nothing gets me going like a good spreadsheet."
I groaned, tipping my forehead against his shoulder. "You're impossible. Why do I put up with you again?"
"Because I'm charming, ruggedly handsome, and fantastic in bed?" His tone was light, but there was an undercurrent of heat beneath the words. Memories of last night flashed through my mind. I pressed closer instinctively.
"Hmm, that must be it." I tilted my head back to meet his gaze. His eyes had gone molten, dark with promise. "Though I think I might need a refresher on that last one. You know, just to be sure."
He made a low, choked sound in the back of his throat, his hand tightening on mine. "Don't tempt me, woman. We'll never make it to dinner at this rate."
"And that would be a tragedy," I agreed solemnly, even as I rose up on my toes to kiss the underside of his jaw. "Imagine the scandal if we skipped out on family dinner to go fool around like a couple of horny teenagers."
"Oh they'd never let us live it down. We'd be the talk of the town for weeks."
"Months," I corrected, grinning up at him. "At least."
"Well then, we'd better get a move on." He kept our hands linked as he started down the sidewalk. "Can't keep the fam waiting."
We walked close together, shoulders brushing with every stride. It felt good to be with him like this. Easy in a way nothing else in my life had been for years.
I knew I should tell him about the orchard. He deserved to know the full extent of the financial mess they were in. But I couldn't put that weight on his shoulders. Not tonight.
I wanted to bask in this. In him, in us. In the simple joy of walking hand-in-hand, ready to face whatever came our way.
The rest could wait. Just a little longer.