Chapter 10

Jasper arrives at the A-frame to a burned-cookie disaster and smoke-filled kitchen, finding Eloise on the deck, tear-streaked and withdrawn after a week of avoiding him since her brothers’ confrontation. They trade light banter over cookies, but Eloise’s sadness surfaces, revealing her failed attempts to contribute to family dinners with baking and sangria.

Jasper admits he trained and sparred with Foster that morning; Foster is furious and hurt by Jasper’s secrecy, landing blows that split Jasper’s lip, but Jasper still withholds the truth about the sham marriage. Restless, Jasper hiked Sable Peak afterward, yet the emotional disquiet remained.

Back inside, Eloise’s bad sangria and lack of appetite highlight her discouragement. Jasper proposes practical “marriage” duties—he’ll cook, she’ll do laundry—to remove pressure and help them function. He notices Eloise isn’t inviting him to her parents’ dinner and silently processes his irritation and the Edens’ treatment of her.

To support Eloise, Jasper bakes oatmeal raisin cookies so she won’t arrive empty-handed, and the act softens the mood. Tipsy, Eloise asks Jasper to smile and admits she doesn’t want to sleep on the couch anymore.

They move to the bathroom, where Jasper insists Eloise watch herself climax, affirming her worth beyond domestic skills, then they have sex in the shower and again in bed. The encounter dispels Jasper’s restlessness, and they fall asleep together, agreeing that Eloise will return to the bed.