Chapter Nineteen
T he sun had finally broken through the thick clouds, casting its pale light over the cabin and his yard.
Burke had made short work of clearing the snow from last night’s storm out of the driveway.
Now he had to shovel out the steps in front of the cabin.
He was tired of snow, and he could almost taste the savory crunch of a bacon cheeseburger and salty fries from Trailside.
But as he worked, his mind was occupied with thoughts of Jovi.
He had to talk to her about the letter. Avoiding her wasn’t helping. They had to speak face-to-face.
He had been praying about timing and the best way to reach out.
But since he’d spoken with his mother and Shane last week and they’d expressed zero interest in the whole situation, his confidence about tackling hard conversations had waned.
Looking at pictures from his mother’s current tropical vacation only added to his frustration and jealousy.
The locals at the coffee shop and diner chattered about spring being just around the corner—they were six days into April already—but all he could see were piles of heavy white snow obscuring any signs of warmer weather.
Lately he’d dreamed of escaping to a tropical paradise, away from all these problems and responsibilities.
But with Darby Jane in school and doing so well with her play rehearsals and new friends, it didn’t seem fair to disrupt her life with an unplanned trip.
So for now, he would have to settle for imaginary beach vacations while shoveling snow in reality.
With a grunt, Burke hoisted his last shovelful of fresh snow and dumped it beside his cabin’s steps.
Cold air nipped at his cheeks and nose, but he barely noticed as he turned at the sound of a vehicle approaching.
Jovi drove toward his driveway, her car sending exhaust puffing into the air.
He leaned the shovel against the porch railing, mustered all his courage and then jogged down to the road to intercept her.
Jovi slowed to a stop and rolled down her window.
She glanced up, her mouth set in a firm line, both hands gripping the steering wheel. The late-morning sunlight filtering through the trees nearby cast dappled patterns on the ground, making it hard for him to see.
“Hey,” he said, squinting as he stopped a few feet away from her. “I need to speak with you.”
She pulled her phone from the console and glanced at the screen. “I’m headed to Anchorage to visit my grandmother, so I only have a few minutes. What’s up?”
“I’ll make this quick, then.” He offered a tentative smile. At least she hadn’t said no. “Have you ever considered that your grandfather may have tried to end the feud between his wife and Lois?”
A skeptical look twisted her features into a frown. “What?”
“Let me ask you this. Do you think that your grandfather knew that Lois and your grandmother had both been interested romantically in Mac?”
Jovi shrugged. “I—I don’t know. Probably? Why?”
“Well, I have reason to believe that your grandfather may have reached out to Lois and asked her for help.”
She didn’t even try to conceal her eye roll. “And how did you come to this conclusion?”
He held up a gloved hand in defense. “Please. Hear me out. It’s not a conclusion. More of a theory, really. I’m wondering if it’s possible that he sought her assistance in making candy. The reason I’m asking is that I found a letter he wrote to her years ago. One that she evidently never opened.”
Her eyebrows rose in disbelief. “Seriously?”
“I’d be glad to show it to you. It’s inside. He sounded like he wanted to end the long-standing feud between our families. Or maybe he recognized Lois’s talent for creating delectable recipes. Or both.”
Jovi looked down, then heaved a sigh. “I don’t know, Burke.
I suppose anything’s possible.” She dragged her gaze to meet his.
“I’m just so tired. Tired of trying to uphold my grandmother’s traditions and recipes.
Tired of wondering who really deserves credit for the company’s success.
” She paused. “Honestly, I don’t know if I even care anymore. ”
Burke stared at her, unable to speak. The pinched expression, dark circles under her eyes and the slope of her shoulders underscored her frank confession. That was not the answer he’d anticipated. “So what are you saying?”
“Like I told Isabel and Mason earlier today, I’m waving the white flag.
” She pulled her hand from her pocket and gave a half-hearted flourish.
“I don’t want to keep fighting with you.
I don’t want to think about why your aunt and my grandmother stopped being friends. We’ve come to the end of the road.”
That last part landed like a punch in his gut.
She was talking like somebody who was about to leave. He swallowed hard. “What does this mean for the company?”
“Who knows?” Jovi held both palms up. “But I’m done fighting, and I’m done making mediocre candy.
Isabel and my parents get to decide what to do next.
If you want to make some kind of legal claim on the candy company’s ownership, you might want to have your attorneys reach out to my parents.
I can text you their contact information if you don’t already have it. ”
His heart thundered in his chest. He clenched his fists inside his pockets to keep from reaching for her. “Jovi, are you all right?”
“Never better.” Her forced smile didn’t come close to lighting up her eyes. “I’ve done everything I can, and I don’t know how to resolve this.”
She checked the time. “I’ve got to go. Take care. Tell Darby Jane I said hello.”
Before he could press for more information, she rolled up the window. He stepped out of the way. She waved, then drove off.
No , he wanted to call after her. You can’t give up. Not on this, not on us.
He’d been so hopeful, so optimistic that she’d be thrilled that he might have found a different angle. Something they hadn’t already considered.
He’d become the optimistic, never-give-up person, and she’d become, well, like him. Cynical, irritated, unwilling to keep trying. He walked slowly back to his cabin.
They’d come so close to untangling the mess that had their families twisted in a complicated relational knot.
How could she quit? Their conversation weeks ago about what it meant to be a traveling health care worker resurfaced.
His breath caught. His steps faltered. She wouldn’t leave town without saying goodbye. Would she?
* * *
Her unexpected conversation with Burke had made Jovi’s limited time even more precious.
But when he’d run down his driveway toward her, waving, she’d been unable to ignore him.
He’d looked so handsome in his gray knit hat.
Those glorious prominent cheekbones flushed from exertion.
Even now, her stomach tightened at the visual image.
Then he’d floated his mostly ridiculous theory.
His words had hung in the air. Waiting for her to grab on and run with the idea.
As if she could just ignore everything that had happened.
But now that she’d put a hundred miles between them and spent nearly two hours replaying their conversation and picking apart every word, she had to admit that his notion held potential.
Part of her wanted to dismiss it as nonsense, but there was also a nagging feeling that Burke might be onto something.
Grandpa hadn’t grown up in Evergreen, but surely he eventually figured out that Mac had been the catalyst that severed his wife’s friendship with Lois.
Jovi drummed her thumb on the steering wheel.
Oh, she wasn’t ready to confront these conflicting thoughts, especially when she’d already set plans in motion to leave town.
Yet, despite her reservations, something about the way Burke framed the idea of her grandfather reaching out to Lois for help snagged her interest.
Grandpa was a good man. The kind of man who would’ve helped anyone. Was it possible he had been trying to mend Grammie and Lois’s fractured relationship? Or did he truly believe Lois had a special talent for creating delicious candy and wanted to partner with her to further his company’s success?
The questions swirled in her mind, leaving her torn between wanting to know the truth and fearing what it might reveal about her family’s past. She shook her head, desperate to push away these conflicting thoughts. She wasn’t ready to face the truth, whatever it may be.
And she really wasn’t ready to say goodbye to Grammie.
Jovi sat in the car in the parking lot outside Oasis Care, staring at the doors. She hadn’t enjoyed a single meaningful conversation with Grammie. The one thing she’d hoped for during her time here in Alaska. To chat like they always had.
Blinking back tears, she squeezed her eyes shut.
“Lord, please, if it’s possible, help me to know if I should say goodbye or just welcome the conversation with Grammie in whatever state I find her,” she quietly prayed.
Then she opened her eyes, turned off the ignition and stepped out of the car.
She squinted in the sunshine and stopped to admire the bright blue sky and the gorgeous snowcapped mountains that ringed Anchorage.
Moisture dripped from the roof of the building, and birds chirped from a tree nearby.
The storm that had blanketed Evergreen in another three feet of powder must not have had the same impact here.
Piles of dirt-tinged snow in the parking lot had been shoved off to the side, but she crossed bare pavement, and there were now puddles where she had once walked on ice.