Page 62 of The Love Audit
Derek looked at me like I had two heads.
“I mean, it just tasted more like an apple than any apple I’ve ever had.” Derek shook his head at me while slowly moving my wineglass out of my reach. “I know I’m probably articulating this badly.”
“No, not at all, babe,” Derek quipped. “Apple-flavored apples. Makes perfect sense.” I was too flustered and annoyed to acknowledge that he’d called me “babe” for the first time. David and Eleanor were wearing bemused smiles, and I wondered if there was more to them than my babbling and Derek’s teasing.
“Eleanor, please help me,” I pleaded with a laugh. “You know what I mean, right?”
Instead of responding, she gave her husband a questioning look. He shrugged before nodding, which added to my confusion even more.
“Actually, Jasmine”—Eleanor beamed a smile—“you’re right.”
“See?” I slapped Derek on the bicep. “I’m right. What am I right about, exactly?”
“The Pike berry was John William Pike’s pride and joy, but his real triumph is all around us,” she said. Derek and I looked at each other, still confused. “The secret is the soil.”
“My great-grandfather didn’t just choose this place on a whim. In what everyone else saw as cheap swampland, he saw infinite possibilities. Using the farming technology he developed, along with soil and climate, he was able to produce the most nutrient-dense foods in the world,” David said.
“And he did it in a way that doesn’t deplete the soil with every harvest.”
I looked over to see Derek staring at David with his mouth agape. His expression matched my inner feelings.
“B-but,” I stammered, “how?”
“Hmm,” David scoffed and chuckled. “You and every corporate cutthroat would love to know. That’s why we can never lose this land. It’s all about the soil.”
I let out a dry chuckle, but I’d suddenly lost my appetite. Derek squeezed my hand under the table, and I knew he was feeling the exact same thing I was. The discovery of a new superfood like Pike berries could be worth millions to the company. Derek’s idea of a Miller’s Cove resort could be worth hundreds of millions. But William Pike’s supersoil could net MasonCorp billions of dollars.
A month ago, I would’ve killed for this information. I would’ve hopped on the next thing smoking to New York and shouted my victory from my corner office. Now, all I wanted to do was forget I’d ever heard this and build a fortress around Miller’s Cove and everyone in it.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Derek
Eleanor and David’s revelation solidified my decision not to move forward with my presentation and to do everything I could to stop MasonCorp from sinking its teeth into Miller’s Cove. But more than that, it made one thing painfully clear: I couldn’t make this fight with Jasmine by my side unless we both came clean, no more secrets, no more half-truths.
“So, that was… wow.” Jasmine flopped onto the living room couch, her hair a mess of curls, her cheeks flushed from the emotional roller coaster we’d just endured. She looked as exhausted as I felt but still stunning. I slid onto the cushion beside her and pulled her into my arms, letting her head rest against my chest.
“Yeah,” I said, nodding. “It was definitely something.”
“Derek,” she began, her voice tentative, “I need to tell you something. I’m not sure how to say it, and I’m afraid it might ruin everything between us, but it has to be said.”
My chest tightened, and I searched her face for clues about whatshe was about to say. “Okay,” I said cautiously, bracing myself. “What is it?”
“You don’t want MasonCorp involved with Miller’s Cove,” she blurted out, her voice rising slightly, as if the words had been fighting to escape.
I blinked at her, caught off guard by her bluntness. “Yes,” I said slowly, “I mean… no. I don’t.” I leaned back, trying to gauge her reaction. She stared into my eyes for a long moment, her lips trembling slightly before she spoke again.
“I don’t want it, either,” she whispered.
A heavy silence stretched between us. The only sound was Tora’s soft snores from his spot near the couch.
“I know I can’t tell you how to live your life,” she continued, her words spilling out in a rush. “And I know what I’m saying could cost me my career—not just at MasonCorp but in this entire industry. But, Derek, this isn’t about a job anymore. It feels bigger than that. Itisbigger than that.” She reached for my hand, her grip firm but her fingers trembling.
I nodded, letting her know I understood.
“If you want to go through with your presentation, that’s your choice,” she said, her voice cracking slightly. “But I can’t be with you if you do. I’m not saying this as a threat—I’d never do that. But it would hurt too much to watch you—” She broke off, her breath hitching.
“Jasmine,” I interrupted gently, squeezing her hand. “I made up my mind to back out of the Miller’s Cove project two days ago.”
