Chapter Fifteen #4
A crevasse formed in Burke’s brow as his gaze bounced around the table. Walker paused midbite, his eyes narrowing in hesitation. “There was definitely some unrequited love involved. Your grandmother had been head over heels for Mac, but he picked Lois to be his bride.”
Jovi’s heart pinched. Oh, Grammie. She must’ve been crushed. And she’d never said a word. Maybe because Walker wasn’t telling the whole story?
“Daddy, this is boring.” Darby Jane slumped in the booth next to Burke, her small frame nearly swallowed by the oversize banquet seat. “Can we go?”
“In a few minutes.” Burke leaned in closer, his voice low and urgent. “Please finish your breakfast, sweetheart.”
Jovi couldn’t blame the girl for being antsy. She wanted to leave as well. Because she’d heard enough of Walker’s mysterious claims. She shifted uncomfortably in the worn booth and scanned the crowded diner for any excuse to escape. Or find a voice of reason to refute this ridiculous notion.
Trailside’s heavy door swung open with a creak, flooding the restaurant with a gust of wind and six new customers.
Jovi glanced at their faces. They weren’t people she recognized and they looked too young to have known her grandmother personally.
The clatter of dishes grew louder as the teenage girl bussed the only empty table.
How Walker had managed to secure his usual Saturday morning booth on race day was beyond her.
She had to give him credit for saving their seats.
They’d been able to order and receive their meals relatively quickly.
“Walker, were you at the dance at the community center the night Mac left with Lois? Or did you ever hear or see Lois and my grandmother arguing?”
Walker sighed, setting his fork down on his empty plate. “Jovi, I know it sounds far-fetched and you might not want to believe this story about your grandmother, but I promise you, everything I’ve told you is true,” he said, leaning back in his seat.
Jovi crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow skeptically. “You’re right. It is hard to believe because I know she loved my grandfather deeply.”
He wiped his mouth with a napkin, then grinned. His leathery skin crinkled around his eyes. “She did indeed. Dennis loved her as well. If you’re wanting some sort of proof, you’ll probably find that stashed somewhere. Like I told Burke, your grandmother saved everything.”
Then why hadn’t they discovered any evidence of the feud? Or located Grammie’s salted caramel chew recipe? Jovi’s skepticism grew with each passing second. “I don’t know, Walker. Grammie never said a word about Mac.”
Walker shrugged, unfazed. “Believe what you want, but I’ve got more to this story. You see, after Lois married Mac, your grandmother couldn’t bear the loss. So she started making candy and cookies from Lois’s recipes and selling the goods around town but took credit for herself.”
Jovi gasped. “That is not true.”
The older man’s blue eyes filled with empathy. “Well, facts are hard to accept sometimes, I suppose.”
He tucked his napkin under his plate, then pushed back from the table. “Thanks for breakfast. Hope you all have a real nice day.” He reached over and patted Darby Jane’s shoulder. “Be good, squirt.”
“I’m not a squirt,” Darby Jane grumbled.
Walker chuckled, his belly jiggling as he shrugged into his parka then moved toward the door.
As Walker left the diner, Jovi exchanged a bewildered glance with Burke. Her mind reeled from the outlandish tale. Grammie had always been so kind and loving. How could she have engaged in such deceitful behavior?
“Jovi, are you okay?” Burke’s concerned voice broke through her thoughts.
“I don’t know what to make of all this,” she said.
“Walker has always been known for exaggerating. Maybe he just got carried away this time. Or else he’s bitter.
His grandson just lost his job at the candy company, and it’s no secret that he didn’t like all the attention Mac received from his woodworking. ”
But deep down, she couldn’t shake off the nagging feeling that there might be some truth buried within the layers of Walker’s story.
Burke studied her, his eyes roaming her face.
A pleasant warmth unfurled in her chest. There was no denying his rugged handsomeness.
Or the unspoken tension lingering in the air.
Yeah, okay, so she shouldn’t be drawn to him, not when they stood on opposite sides of a messy conflict.
But as he stared at her, she found herself torn between logic and her growing attraction toward him.
“Jovi,” he said, his voice steady, “I know that was a bit of a wild tale, but what if Walker’s telling the truth? And what if this information he’s shared leads us to the rest of the story?”
She held his gaze and hesitated. Could she really trust him? Or would it only lead to more disappointment and heartache? They were both equally invested in uncovering the truth about their families. That had to count for something.
“You’re right. We owe it to our families to find out the truth.”
She’d start by searching through the rest of Grammie’s belongings and visiting her again. Because she needed answers.