Page 38 of The Oath Operation
“That's different. Sauces are loaded with preservatives to extend their shelf life. I didn’t want to dilute our family’s recipes with unnecessary additives like they did with Winchester's barbecue sauce.”
"Wait." Jami perked up. "What's this about Winchester? Did Jed sell his family recipe?"
“Yeah, he did,” Jules said. “I don’t want them adding anything to my healthy baked goods. It would defeat the whole purpose.”
"So I heard Jed is back in town?" said Jami.
"Yeah, he opened up Jed's Grits and Grub," said Jacqui. "Jules, baked goods are different. They have a shorter shelf life, so they don’t need as many preservatives. Plus, there are natural ways to extend freshness without compromising on quality. You could find a way to keep your products true to your standards.”
"She's right, Jules; standards are a big deal. So have either of you eaten at Jed's Grits and Grub?" said Jami.
"Um, yeah," said Jacqui. "I had a chicken dish. It was very moist. He made a point of making it himself because of that review you gave him years ago. So what do you say, Jules? Are you going to give the distribution deal a shot?"
Jules sighed, still unsure. “I just don’t want to lose the essence of what makes my bakery special.”
Jacqui placed a hand on Jules’ shoulder. “You won’t. Do you think Fish would let them?"
At that, Jules chuckled. There was no way Fish would let anyone or anything stand in the way of her vision. Which was likely why he’d signed that contract. It probably hadn't occurred to him that anyone would dare do anything she didn't want them to. He'd just bulldoze them down if they tried.
"If you went through with the deal, you'd have enough money to pay for the rebuild with those funds," Jacqui was saying. "You could put your inheritance back in the bank."
"What are you saying?" asked Jules.
"I'm saying you wouldn't have to stay married to Fish."
Jules blinked a few times and then gave a waggle of her head. Jacqui's meaning still made no sense.
"You said yourself this was a marriage of convenience, not one of love."
Jules shook her head. That simply wasn't true. At least not anymore. "I do love him."
"He loves you, too. I think he has since his first day. I'm pretty sure that's why he took the job and the crap salary I pay him—because of you."
Jules felt her heart swell at Jacqui's words, the truth settling in her chest like a soufflé rising perfectly in the oven—delicate, warm, and just right. She had fallen for Fish—harder than she ever expected. The realization was as comforting as the smell of freshly baked bread. And now, the idea of staying married to Fish wasn't just a necessity for her inheritance or a way to rebuild her bakery—it was what she wanted.
"So you're saying Jed mentioned me?"
Both Jules and Jacqui turned to the tablet with raised eyebrows. Jami tried to feign innocence. But neither Jules nor Jacqui were buying it. They had suspected something had gone down with their sister and Jed. Here she was, all but confirming it.
ChapterTwenty-Nine
Fish sat at the bar nursing a beer, his hand clenched tightly around the cool glass. He stared into the amber liquid, but his thoughts were anything but clear. It felt like his mind was spinning, like someone had taken a whisk to his thoughts, leaving him disoriented and off balance.
Why was Jules upset with him?
He had thought he was doing the right thing, signing that contract to sell her bakery recipes to local grocery stores. It seemed like a perfect solution—financial security for her, a chance to rebuild the bakery without touching her inheritance, and the opportunity to spread her talent far and wide. But she had stormed out, her face flushed with anger, leaving him bewildered.
Fish took another sip of his beer. The bitterness coated his tongue and burned his throat. It did nothing to dampen the turmoil inside him.
A realization crept in, tightening his chest. If Jules took the deal, she wouldn’t need their marriage of convenience anymore. The thought twisted in his gut like a knife. He couldn’t lose her. Not now. Not when she'd admitted her feelings for him. He had everything he'd never dared to dream in his hand, and somehow it had slipped through his fingers.
Maybe he should go and rip the contract up. Then she would need him again. But no, that wasn't the answer. As much as he wanted to be the man to move obstacles out of her way, he wanted most to see her happy, and he knew that she smiled brightest when she won her battles on her own terms.
Fish rubbed a hand over his face, trying to gather his thoughts. He had been a soldier, trained to make quick decisions in the heat of battle. But this was different. This was the most important battle of his life, and he didn’t know how to fight it.
"Man, don't make decisions for a woman's business," Noah said, shaking his head. "You’ve got to let her take the lead."
Fish turned to his friend with a scowl. "Aren't you the man who rewired Jacqui's entire restaurant while also handling the plumbing without asking?"
