Chapter Eighteen #3
“Here, I’ll try one.” Isabel took a bite, chewed thoughtfully, then set the rest back on her napkin. “It’s all right. As Mason said, there’s nothing wrong with it, but I’m not craving another one.”
“Yeah, I was afraid of that. Okay, well, it’s time for me to wave the white flag, I think, because I don’t know what else to try. Unless I find Grammie’s original recipe, I’m not sure what else I can do.”
Isabel glanced at Mason. He gently squeezed her shoulder.
“What?” Jovi’s gaze bounced between them. “What’s going on?”
Isabel hesitated. “We received another offer. A highly competitive one. It’s tough to turn this kind of money down, Jovi.”
Jovi blew out a long breath. “I know. Mom sent me a text when I was on my way over here. It’s heartbreaking to think about somebody else taking over our company.”
“We get it,” Mason said, his eyes filled with empathy. “You have all worked so hard to build on your grandparents’ impressive foundation.”
“But we have to think about these precious babies,” Isabel said quietly, resting her palms over her rounded abdomen.
“As much as I’ve daydreamed about handing over the reins to one of our sons or daughters someday, we have to make hard choices.
What matters to us now is how we’re going to provide for these kids. ”
Jovi fidgeted with the tassels and strings on her hooded sweater. “But what are we going to do about Burke’s theory that his aunt may have developed some of the original recipes?”
“There are no purchase orders, receipts, minutes from meetings, or contracts stating Lois and Mac held even partial ownership in the company.”
“Recipes in his aunt’s handwriting don’t count?”
Isabel hesitated. “Mac and Lois lived here for years and never contested ownership. So unless he’s legitimately claiming partial ownership in the company now, I think he’s going to have to let this go.”
Let this go. Had Isabel spent more than five minutes with Burke? Because that wasn’t exactly how he approached life.
Jovi stood, forced a smile and reached for her jacket. “We tried, right? Sometimes that’s all we can do.”
Isabel watched as she struggled to put the used plastic wrap over the plate of salted caramel chews. “Are you upset?”
“Yeah, a little. I wish this had gone differently, but I realize we can’t just keep rolling out batches of mediocre treats hoping to change the world. We all need to get on with our lives.”
“Here, let me get you a container with a lid.” Mason gently took the ball of plastic wrap from her. “What are you going to do next?”
Jovi shrugged. “I—I don’t know.”
“You’re going to leave again, aren’t you?” Isabel asked quietly.
The disappointment in her sister’s voice made her wince. “If we’re selling, then you really don’t need me here.”
“Of course we do,” Mason said, bringing a plastic container and a bright blue lid to the table. “Somebody’s gotta help us change these diapers and hold these babies.”
“I’m going to take an assignment in California. Living close to the beach sounds like a dream.”
“No,” Isabel groaned. “Promise me you won’t live anywhere close to Michael.”
“Michael.” Mason frowned. “I thought he was old news?”
“According to a social media post from a friend of a friend, Michael is transferring to South Korea, so no worries there.” Jovi carefully packed the salted caramel chews into the container. “And he is most definitely old news.”
Isabel folded a napkin into tiny squares and pinned her with a long look. “Are you sure?”
Jovi hesitated. “About Michael? Or California?”
“California,” Isabel said. “I know you’re done with Michael.”
“It’s just for thirteen weeks. Then I can come back. You’re due in October, right?”
“The seventeenth,” Mason said.
“I’ll be back in plenty of time to hold those babies and change a gazillion diapers,” Jovi said.
Mason turned pale. “That’s a huge number.”
Jovi grinned. “A slight exaggeration. It will only feel like a gazillion at first.”
Mason feigned a glare. “Stop. It.”
Jovi’s laughter faded. “Wait. If you’re worried about me leaving, does that mean you’re staying?”
Mason glanced down at Isabel. “We are. Once I found out about the twins, I declined the job offer.”
Isabel tipped her chin up, and he gave her a lingering kiss.
Okay, then. Jovi turned away. “I need a change of scenery, new clinical experiences, a different patient population…” She glanced at the time on her phone. If she hurried, she could make a quick trip to Anchorage to see Grammie. “Because obviously candy-making isn’t my gift.”
“Aww, don’t sell yourself short,” Isabel said. “You’ve done an excellent job with everything since you’ve been here. Thank you for coming home on short notice.”
“Yes, thank you.” Mason walked her toward the door. “We haven’t done a great job of expressing our gratitude, but you have been a lifesaver.”
“Anytime.” She gave his shoulder a quick pat. “Thanks for the honest feedback. Talk to you soon.”
She left their house and walked to her car. Disappointment clung to her like a weighted blanket. This wasn’t how she expected her quest to end, but maybe it was for the best. Maybe somebody else could take candy-making to the next level. Because it certainly wasn’t going to be her.