Chapter Seventeen #3
“I don’t know.” Jovi heaved a sigh. “I got upset. He’s not real eager to hand over whatever he found.”
Isabel’s excitement morphed into disappointment. “He should at least give us the opportunity to look at them. Did he say why he hasn’t been more straightforward?”
“He said there’s a note that the dollhouse is for us, then he mentioned something about protecting his family’s legacy and all that.
But what about our legacy?” Jovi’s pulse sped as anger surged through her all over again.
“I’m angry with him for keeping those recipes from us because he said they’re labeled with Evergreen Candy Company and the little trees logo.
But he argued that based on what Walker told us, maybe the recipes originally belonged to Lois.
He also said something about we don’t know how their partnership dissolved. ”
Isabel’s eyes grew shiny, and she sniffed.
Uh-oh. “What did I say?”
“Nothing. I’m just really hormonal and emotional. It’s sweet that the dollhouse was meant for us. And I kind of hate that we’re a new generation of Phillipses and Wrights, but we’re evidently still fighting about the same old stuff.”
And falling in love with people we can’t have.
She clamped her lips shut. No way she’d share that. Besides, this wasn’t love. Real love didn’t include betrayal. Or sneaking around.
Her heart sank at Isabel’s words. The weight of their family history, the legacy passed down through the generations, felt heavier than ever. To be honest, she longed for a different kind of love and connection. Something that seemed just out of reach.
“I know what you mean,” Jovi finally admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. “Sometimes it feels like we’re all just trapped in this endless loop, destined to repeat the same mistakes over and over again.”
Isabel reached for her water. “I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately. What’s the point of these family secrets and rivalries? It’s like we’re all clinging to this legacy that’s slowly suffocating us.”
Jovi stared into the crackling fire. The hands on the vintage clock Isabel and Mason had inherited from Mason’s grandparents inched toward seven o’clock.
She had to get going soon. Sabrina had invited her over to eat takeout and watch a movie.
But she sensed there was something Isabel still wanted to say.
“I don’t want to keep perpetuating this cycle.” Determination laced Isabel’s words. “We have to find a way to move forward and create our own legacy—one that isn’t defined by secrets and bitterness.”
“But how?” Jovi shifted in her chair and faced her sister.
“Well, Grammie’s the only one still around, and she’s not in her right mind. So as much as I hate to say this, Burke could be right. It’s hard to untangle who owned what.”
Jovi’s stomach twisted. “No, see, that cannot be true. You honestly believe Grammie stole Lois’s recipes and then opened a candy company?”
Isabel shrugged. “I don’t know what happened, but in this case, Burke has a point.
We don’t know what happened or who the recipes belong to.
What I do know is we only have a few more weeks to turn things around financially.
Mom and Dad are not going to wait past the first of June.
I’m sure they’re about to receive an offer from the company in Germany.
There’s someone else in Switzerland who emails me once a week. ”
Groaning, Jovi squeezed her eyes shut.
“If there are two competing offers, there’s no way we’re going to be able to get Mom and Dad to decline them just because we think we might be able to find a missing recipe.”
Jovi opened her eyes and pushed to her feet. “Isabel, why do I feel like you’re slowly resigning yourself to the idea of selling?”
“I just…” Isabel sighed and drew a cozy blanket over her legs.
“I don’t want to sell the candy company, Jovi.
I know how much it means to you, to our family.
But this is exhausting. What if Burke is serious about his aunt’s role in creating the original recipes?
We can’t afford a long, protracted legal battle with Burke and his relatives. ”
Jovi winced, then walked to the window and stared out. Isabel had valid points. Night had fallen, and the tree branches in the yard danced in the wind. The forecast called for another sixteen inches of snow overnight.
“I know. I just thought…” She hadn’t told her sister about the kiss. “I thought things were changing between Burke and me.”
“Changing in what way?”
“So we had this intense, spontaneous moment.” Her cheeks grew warm just thinking about it. She turned and faced Isabel. “On Valentine’s Day.”
Isabel’s brows sailed up. “You never mentioned that.”
“I didn’t know what to make of it. I instantly felt like it shouldn’t have happened. And since then, we’ve just tried to be more like friends and neighbors. Darby Jane’s a hoot, and if she needs help, I try to help, and I invite her to do things, but—”
“Oh my, this is all getting very cozy.” Isabel’s smile looked genuine for the first time in weeks.
“Yeah, well, nothing else will ever happen between us. Especially if he’s going to be concealing crucial information. And did I mention he’s included our family saga in his new book he’s writing?”
Isabel’s eyes widened. “I know it feels like he’s being deceptive, but maybe he’s just looking out for his family’s best interest. Maybe he’s figured out that those recipes, whoever created them, have value.
Burke strikes me as a very intelligent man who respects his family’s history here and appreciates Mac and Lois’s legacy. ”
“But I’m still hurt and disappointed. I thought… I thought things would be different between us.”
A car door slammed, and boots thumped on the porch, and a few minutes later, Mason stepped in. “Oh, hey, Jovi.”
“Hi, Mason.”
The energy in the room shifted. Mason and Isabel exchanged the kind of glances that made her feel like she needed to leave. “I’m going to head out. Thanks for listening.”
“You don’t have to go,” Isabel said.
Mason pinned her with a long look that clearly hinted at the opposite.
She chuckled and squeezed his arm. “Don’t worry. I’m leaving, buddy. Sabrina and I have plans.” She put her boots back on, as well as her coat, then layered on her scarf and gloves and stepped outside. The cold air nipped at her. She tucked her chin inside her scarf and strode toward her car.
After she’d climbed behind the wheel and turned the engine on, her phone hummed. She hesitated, then pulled it from her pocket.
A long text from Michael filled the screen.
Basically, he had to choose between South Korea, Alaska, and a military base in California. And he wanted to know her preference.
Her heart squeezed. She had four weeks left on her traveler’s contract.
If only she’d come up with a delicious salted caramel chew by now.
Then she could renew her contract to work for another thirteen weeks here.
But that didn’t seem realistic anymore, so maybe she’d head to Southern California next.
Since Isabel was about to give up on their quest to keep the company in the family, and Burke had turned out to be a loser, why did she have to stay here? Grammie didn’t know her anymore.
Before she could overthink it, her fingers flew over the screen and she responded to Michael’s text.
I know that you have a child, Michael. That’s not a secret you should’ve ever kept from me. I can’t overlook that kind of deception. Please don’t make any decisions about your future that include me.
In case he denied the truth, she attached screenshots of the woman’s DMs claiming Michael was her baby’s father.
Jovi’s heart hammered as she tapped the icon to send the message.
Then she opened her app and looked at available positions.
She could take a thirteen- or twenty-six-week assignment in Southern California starting right after Memorial Day.
Rent was probably ridiculous, but she had money saved—certainly enough for her first and last month’s rent and a deposit if she could find an available apartment.
Sighing, she rested her forehead on the steering wheel. She didn’t want to see Michael. Or live anywhere close to him. But she couldn’t stay in Evergreen either. And Burke’s deception about the recipes had really taken the wind out of her sails.
Would she ever meet a man that she could trust?
* * *
“Do you want to wait for your husband?” Daisy, the ultrasound technician, wheeled her cart closer. “Or I can check the waiting room one more time to see if he’s here.”
Isabel lay on the table, the paper underneath crinkling as she shifted her weight. “No, that’s okay. I know you have other people to see besides me. Go ahead. I’m sure he’ll be here soon.”
She’d left her phone in her purse hanging on the hook on the exam room wall. The lights were dim, and she stared at the ceiling, then wiped her slick palms on her leggings. Being here in this room brought back unfortunate memories of when she had had an ultrasound after her miscarriage.
Her mouth got dry, and her throat tightened.
She felt tears pressing against the back of her eyelids.
Oh, if only Mason were here, holding her hand, reassuring her.
Just his presence would ease so much of her anxiety.
What if something had happened to him? What if something was wrong with her baby?
What if they couldn’t hear the heartbeat?
Her pulse raced and she blinked rapidly.
“Mrs. Truitt, are you all right?” Daisy’s dark brows slanted. “Can I get you a sip of water?”
“No, my bladder’s already super full.” She forced a wobbly smile. “I’ll be okay.”
Daisy smiled, her eyes filling with compassion. “I have to be very thorough, but I’ll also go quickly.”
Isabel nodded, then drew a ragged breath and resisted the bizarre urge to grab Daisy’s arm and beg her to wait.
“Do you have any fun summer plans yet?”