Chapter Seven
“A hidden recipe?” Isabel stared at her sister. Jovi always had some wild ideas, but this topped the charts.
Jovi set her disposable coffee cup on the counter.
“Hidden or missing. What other explanation is there? Grammie’s salted caramel chews were so good.
She made them in small batches and we always ate them way too fast.” Her lips twisted into a smile that fell away just as quickly.
“But I can’t for the life of me remember how she made them, and I scoured her kitchen. No salted caramel chew recipe.”
Isabel hesitated. “Why would Grammie hide a recipe?”
They didn’t need more complications at this point. They were barely hanging on.
Isabel took a flattened cardboard box from the giant stack against the wall. Irene, their longtime packing and shipping manager, came into the room carrying a six-pack of clear packing tape.
“Irene, do you remember our grandmother ever bringing you a salted caramel chew?” Isabel handed the unassembled box to Jovi. “You’ve probably worked here the longest.”
Smiling, Irene slid the carton onto the counter.
“Jerry on the production line has worked here a year longer than me. But thank you for the vote of confidence. I do remember the salted caramel chew. And Jovi’s right.
They weren’t for sale. Your grandmother brought them to share at staff meetings sometimes. ”
Irene’s oversize earrings bobbed against her slender neck as she used scissors to punch a hole in the plastic shrink wrap, then extracted a roll of tape for her empty dispenser.
“I think we should sell them.” Jovi pushed out the flaps for the bottom of the box. “But I don’t have Isabel convinced.”
The dispenser squealed as Isabel tugged the tape across the cardboard, sealing the bottom closed.
She really hated to dismiss Jovi’s suggestions.
Her sister had been willing to leave Kansas City and come home to help.
And saving the company from being sold to a global conglomerate was still a priority.
But without a recipe, how could they roll out a new product on a tight deadline?
“I know you did a quick run-through yesterday, but let’s go over how we receive an online order, pack it and prepare it for shipping again.
I want to make sure you’re feeling confident with the entire process.
” Isabel gestured toward the empty cardboard box.
They needed to stick to the task at hand before chasing down a missing recipe.
Jovi pulled a few sheets of tissue paper from the supply Irene had carried over to the counter. “I’m ready when you are.”
“Not much has changed over the years.” Irene slid the laptop closer. “Except we use laptops and more automation.”
“Remember when Grammie used to take orders by phone on that cute little notepad?” Sadness tinged Jovi’s smile.
Isabel wiggled the mouse on the computer, then clicked to open the program that tracked their inventory.
She didn’t have time for a jaunt down memory lane today.
As soon as she finished here, she had to get on a call with a customer in Cincinnati.
Then on to a quick meeting with the chamber of commerce to approve Evergreen’s digital summer ad campaign.
“Well, like Irene said, we’ve gotten a little more advanced.” Isabel nodded toward the computer screen. “This is a fairly simple order. The customer wants one box of twelve of our peanut butter chocolate eggs, which we almost always have in stock.”
Irene pointed to the box of candy already sitting on the counter.
“Next, we make sure every box has the signature ribbon with our logo on it.”
Isabel pointed to the forest green ribbon imprinted with Evergreen Candy Company’s logo wrapped snugly around the white box.
“Got it.” Jovi nestled the candy inside the tissue-paper-filled box they’d assembled.
“The next step involves directing the software to print a mailing label and an invoice.” Isabel completed those steps with two clicks of her mouse. “Any questions?”
Jovi shook her head. “How many people are responsible for packing and shipping?”
“Ideally, there are six of us working in here.” Irene crossed to the printer stationed on a stand in the corner to retrieve the label and invoice. “Lately we’ve had trouble retaining employees.”
Isabel winced. The truth stung. They offered competitive wages, good benefits and a clean facility. But staffing shortages had become the norm in recent months. And with their decline in sales, they hadn’t needed six staff members to fill orders.
Jovi layered more tissue paper into the box, added the invoice Irene brought her, then taped the box shut. “Is there a quality control process?”
Isabel nodded. “Double-check the mailing address on the box matches the one on the spreadsheet.”
“We put all outgoing packages in that giant plastic bin.” Irene gestured to the container beside the door. “When we’re finished filling today’s orders, we wheel that out to the lobby, and the receptionist orders a package pickup.”
“Cool. Thank you for the refresher,” Jovi said, shifting her attention to Isabel. “What do you think of my salted caramel chew suggestion?”
Not going there. Isabel blew out a slow breath. “Why don’t we go visit Grammie. She’s allowed to have visitors starting tomorrow. Maybe we’ll catch her in a moment of lucidity, and we can ask her about that recipe.”
Jovi’s face lit up. “Seriously?”
“It’s worth a try.” Although, those moments of clarity had become more and more rare in the past six months.
Isabel refreshed the computer’s screen to check for any new orders.
Jovi had been gone so long, she had no idea the version of Grammie they might encounter.
“We won’t know until we ask, right? We can stop at our specialty supplier and pick up a case of food coloring we’ll need for the Easter seasonal orders too.
I’ll have to hurry back, though. I promised Mason a date night. ”
“Deal.” Jovi reached for her coffee again. “Are there any more orders to fulfill?”
As they worked with Irene to pack and ship additional orders, Isabel’s thoughts wandered to Mason, and her pulse ramped up. He wanted to start a family. Now? His words still had her reeling. She didn’t feel equipped to be a mom yet. She wasn’t sure if she’d ever feel ready.
Her uncertainties, combined with Mason’s interest in a new job that possibly meant relocating, had robbed her of more than a little sleep the previous night. How could he ask her to not only leave her family, her community, and her work but toss in becoming a parent too?
She’d barely kept from having a meltdown.
He’d brought her breakfast in bed this morning, though, and sent her a sweet text inviting her to dinner at their favorite restaurant tomorrow.
She had to give him credit. He was at least trying to bridge the chasm between them.
So she’d meet him halfway. It was the least she could do for the man she loved.
* * *
This visit had seemed like such a great idea when her sister had offered it yesterday. But now, she couldn’t bring herself to go inside.
“Wait.” Jovi’s voice broke, and she clawed at Isabel’s coat sleeve. “I’m not ready.”
Isabel offered an empathetic smile. “Me either.”
They stood outside the memory care facility in Anchorage, their breaths leaving puffy white clouds of vapor in the wintry morning air.
“We have to see her, though.” Isabel tilted her chin up. “Grammie needs to know we haven’t forgotten her. And I need to know that she’s all right.”
Jovi swallowed against the tightness in her throat, then took tentative steps forward. “You’re right. At least we’re doing this together.”
Isabel blinked several times, then sniffed. “Right. Together.”
They trudged toward the entrance. The double doors parted, and they entered the building.
A familiar antiseptic smell, one she’d grown used to over the years working in health care, greeted her.
Soft instrumental music streamed from a speaker.
A woman wearing a fuzzy charcoal-gray sweater smiled from her place behind the wide faux wood reception desk.
“Good morning, ladies. Welcome to Oasis Care. How can I help you?”
Her berry lipstick, neat silver bob and kind hazel eyes propelled Jovi forward. “We’d like to see our grandmother, Carol Wright.”
“This will be our first visit,” Isabel added. “She just moved in two weeks ago.”
“Give me one minute, please.” The woman slid her reading glasses into place. Her manicured nails clacked over the keyboard on her computer. “Mrs. Wright finished breakfast recently, and she’s sitting over there by the windows.”
Jovi turned and scanned the lobby. A grand piano and comfy beige furniture filled the seating area, with a broad expanse of windows overlooking a beautiful snow-covered courtyard.
“I’m Gretchen, by the way. I’ll need to see your photo identification, please.”
Jovi and Isabel handed over their driver’s licenses. After Gretchen entered the data into her computer, she passed the cards back. “We recommend you keep visits short. Twenty to thirty minutes is ideal, and we have a client liaison on hand should you need additional support.”
Additional support? Jovi’s scalp prickled.
Was Grammie going to be combative? Prone to make a scene?
Guilt swept in. Wow. She’d missed out on a lot, being so far away.
Relying on Isabel, Mom and Dad to keep her up-to-date on Grammie’s health had seemed like the right thing to do, but clearly she had no idea how far Grammie had declined.
Because she couldn’t imagine her sweet, independent grandmother getting out of hand.
“Thank you for the pointers,” Isabel said. “It’s helpful to know what to expect.”
“Of course.” Gretchen clasped her hands on the desk. “Enjoy your visit.”