Chapter Twenty
“G irls, we’re so impressed. You’ve pulled together and worked hard to keep the company afloat.” Mom’s voice wavered, and she blinked back tears as she reached for Dad’s hand across the table.
Uh-oh. Jovi pushed her unfinished broccoli around on her plate. She exchanged nervous glances with Isabel. “I feel like I’m not going to be thrilled with what you’re about to say.”
Isabel carefully laid her fork across the edge of her plate.
Dad cleared his throat, his Adam’s apple bobbing up and down as he fought for control of his emotions. He twined his fingers through Mom’s. “It’s been wonderful having our family together again.”
Mason scooted his chair closer to Isabel’s and draped his arm around her shoulders.
Jovi squirmed in her seat. Part of her wished Burke was beside her. How weird that she still craved the strength and stability his presence offered. Even when they didn’t have a future together.
“The discovery of the scrapbook has added some interesting backstory to our family history, hasn’t it? I’m thrilled that we can move forward, secure in the knowledge that our family built an incredible company from the ground up,” Dad said.
Jovi frowned. “You almost sound…proud. Aren’t you at all embarrassed by your mother’s behavior? Seems to me Lois had a hand in creating those recipes. Shouldn’t Burke’s family get some credit as well?”
Dad paused. “My mother’s ability to preserve photos and letters is quite impressive, but recipes aren’t copyrighted. So the Phillips relatives and Burke Solomon have no legal stake in the company, if that’s what you’re implying. Your mom and I still want to sell.”
No. Jovi’s fork clattered to her plate.
Isabel leaned her head on Mason’s shoulder. A tear slid down her cheek.
“Unbelievable.” Jovi shoved back her chair and stood. “After everything we’ve uncovered—not just the recipes but also the letter from Grandpa to Lois, hinting that there’s some kind of candy with a unique ingredient and incredible potential—you still want to give up?”
Mom’s brow furrowed. “Jovi, honey, no one’s giving up.
We truly appreciate your efforts. But that letter was written years ago.
How could we possibly figure out what he’s referring to?
Besides, you didn’t hold up your end of our agreement and you’re all set to leave town.
So why wait until June first if you’re not going to be here? ”
Fury roared through her like an avalanche descending on an unsuspecting skier. “Isabel asked me to stay and help find the scrapbook. Now that Burke shared the recipes and the letter, I just need a little more time. Please. I can—”
Dad’s expression softened. “I’m afraid there’s no reason to wait any longer.
We’ve attracted the attention of multiple buyers, due in part to your diligent efforts lately to boost sales.
And for that, we will always be grateful.
But the truth is your mom and I have been presented with an offer that we can’t refuse. ”
“What kind of offer?” Mason asked, his tone laced with suspicion.
Dad hesitated for a moment before he answered. “A Scandinavian chocolatier with an established, reputable global supply chain. They’re offering us a ridiculous amount of money that we could never hope to make if we continued running the business ourselves.”
“That’s still not a good enough reason to sell,” Isabel said through her tears. “This is our family legacy, something that’s been passed down through generations. We can’t just give it away for a quick buck.”
“I understand how you feel, sweetheart,” Mom said. “Except our personal circumstances haven’t changed. Your grandmother’s care at Oasis is incredibly expensive. We’re getting older, and we want to enjoy our retirement years. Selling the company will give us financial freedom to do that.”
“But what about what we want? What about the fact that we’re a family-owned business? That’s what sets us apart from the rest,” Jovi insisted, her voice thick with emotion.
“We’re selling to a reputable company that shares our values and will continue to uphold the legacy that we’ve built.” Mom’s voice was gentle, but it only added to Jovi’s frustration.
Jovi took a deep breath, trying to calm down.
It was hard to argue with her parents’ hopes and expectations for retirement, especially when she’d only been home for a few months and they’d devoted their adult lives to Evergreen Candy Company.
She certainly couldn’t afford to finance Grammie’s care.
But selling, even to a reputable company, still felt like a betrayal.
She couldn’t fathom putting their family’s business in someone else’s hands.
“I just don’t know if I can give up,” Jovi said, her voice breaking. “I know it’s the right decision financially, but it feels like you’re discrediting Grammie’s heartache. Worse, you’re giving up on everything we’ve worked for.”
Mom stood, circled the end of the table and looped her arm around Jovi’s shoulders and pulled her closer.
“I know this is difficult to accept, sweetheart, but sometimes we have to make tough decisions for the greater good. And who knows? Maybe this is just the beginning of something even better for our family.”
Shaking her head, Jovi swiped at her tears. Mom’s efforts to tie this all up in a neat little bow fell woefully short. After poring over every page at least twice, there was something about the scrapbook that made her feel like they had overlooked a key detail.
She had spent countless hours searching for any clues that might point them toward an iconic recipe.
Read and re-read all the recipes that Burke had brought over.
Flipped through the scrapbook at least a dozen times.
Analyzed every single line of Grandpa’s letter to Lois.
Nothing led her to the salted caramel chew.
But what if she’d missed something?
After they cleaned up the kitchen, Isabel and Mason went home. Mom and Dad went for a walk, and Jovi retreated to her old bedroom. A cleaning service had already gone to Grammie’s place to prepare it for a new renter.
As she lay in bed that night, Jovi couldn’t shake the feeling that they were making a mistake.
She tossed and turned, trying to come up with something to convince her parents to change their minds.
They’d said they were meeting with the attorneys early the next afternoon to review the terms of the offer.
Finally, in the early hours of the morning, she sat up with a start. The last two pages of the scrapbook had been stuck together. In their excitement of the discovery, she and Burke and Isabel had agreed to let it be. But she couldn’t wait.
She had to know what was on those two pages.
* * *
Isabel wiped the crustiness from her sleep-deprived eyes, squinting against the sun sneaking past the drawn curtains.
Their bedroom was warm and inviting in the morning light, and she reached a hand over to Mason’s side of the bed.
The sheets were warm. He’d returned to dayshift and started work at seven but must not have left yet.
The sound of her phone vibrating on the nightstand made her groan. She reached for it and checked the caller ID. Jovi.
“Hello?” she mumbled.
“Are you up?”
“I am now. What’s going on? I thought you were leaving today?”
“I was, because I thought it would just be too hard to stay. But I couldn’t sleep, so I dragged out the scrapbook. Remember those two pages stuck together in the back?” Jovi’s voice hummed with enthusiasm through the phone.
“Yes. Why?” Isabel pushed herself up on one elbow, then gently eased into a sitting position and leaned against the headboard. It wasn’t even six o’clock yet. How could her sister sound so excited about anything at such an unfortunate hour?
“My friend Danielle talked me through how to separate them. I figured out what the pages say, and how they’re going to save the candy company. The salted caramel chew recipe was there, and a full-page story about how it came to be. Isabel, this is it.”
“That’s amazing.” Isabel smiled, shaking her head in disbelief. “Sadly, at this point, I’m not sure there’s much we can do with new information.”
“But this is the recipe we need. The one that will be an instant hit.”
Isabel hesitated. She really hated to pop the balloon of her sister’s excitement. But Mom and Dad had a meeting to sign papers and accept the offer in less than eight hours. “Jovi, we—”
“Don’t say it.” Jovi cut her off. “We’re not giving up. Please let me into the test kitchen. I need access to the proper equipment, and Mom and Dad can’t know what I’m up to.”
“Have you been up all night?”
“Um, not exactly. Why?”
“Because you’re not making any sense,” Isabel said, trying to sound firm but gentle.
“No, wait. Hear me out,” Jovi insisted. “This is the recipe with the ingredient Grandpa alluded to in his letter. The salted caramel chew I’ve been looking for.
It’s going to put Evergreen Candy Company on everyone’s radar.
There’s kind of a touching story about how Lois wanted a pony, but her dad brought Lois baby goats instead.
Except she was so upset because she couldn’t ride a goat, and she worried they’d eat everything.
Which they did, but Lois didn’t get mad because one day in a pinch she substituted the milk from her goat into her recipe and made the candy taste so good.
Imagine the possibilities, Izzy. What if we added a petting zoo with goats to the candy company?
People could take tours and see how the candy is made plus visit the animals. We’ll market it as an…an experience.”
Oh, brother. A petting zoo? That was a bridge too far.
Mason came into their bedroom, carrying a tray with a steaming cup of hot tea and a bowl of oatmeal. Bless him.