The Color of Jade (Jade Series Book 1) (7 page)

“Nothing,” Marge said, with an all-knowing smile.

My face burned bright red and I knew Marge caught my jaw drop.  I decided quickly, I needed to leave, to be outside where I could breathe again.  “Can you just put this on the books?”

“Of course, isn’t there anything you need today, sweetie?”

“Just something for Emery… But it can wait.”

“Yeah, Jade, things are far from back to normal around here but it’s a start,” she repeated, as she jumped back to our earlier conversation and I wondered why she couldn’t see how desperately I needed to get outside all of a sudden.

“Things will ever be back to the way they were, Marge.”

We’ve had great losses here and so much death, how could we ever get back to normal. I saw the hurt in her eyes and immediately wished I could’ve taken it back. I didn’t need to remind Marge how bad things were. She lost her husband, her daughter and a grandson and had no one but the people who visited her at the store.

“I am so sorry… I didn’t mean…”

“It’s okay,” Marge said. She smiled, but with tears in her eyes as she moved around the front of the counter. She hugged me tight and gave me a kiss on the head as I hugged her back. “Will I be seeing you again soon, Miss Jade, with the most beautiful green eyes?” She asked, as she brushed a stray strand of my hair off my face.

I blushed and wrinkled my nose at her. She just smiled. “Soon.”

“I will keep my eye out for something for Emery in the meantime.”

As if she conspired with him against me, Marge’s distraction set me up perfect for self-humiliation. As I turned to leave, I bumped right into him. He stood directly behind me and the collision threw me off balance. His chest felt firm under my hands as I reactively tried to block my fall. His strong but gentle grasp on my arms steadied me and kept me from an inevitable tumble as I stumbled over my own feet.  Spiked punch couldn’t have intoxicated me more than his musky scent, at that moment, swirling around me like bees on honey.

“Whoa there… You okay?”

Slowly my gaze moved from his chest to a pendant that hung around his neck. A sword hung from braided leather, made from a smooth, black stone sheathed in a swirling silver koru. I gasped and my breath stilled in my chest as I stood frozen. Unable to move, I stared at it closer. The same swirls I drew in my window all winter long. I wanted to touch it, trace it with my finger and it took all I had, not to. Beautiful, intoxicating just like him with a powerful hold on me and I had to shake myself from the trance. I forgot he spoke to me and quickly glanced up. Our eyes met, his a soft blue.

“Oh, uh… yeah, sorry,” I fumbled.

“That’s okay,” he said, a grin tugged at the corner of his lip with a warm smile that could melt chocolate and I felt my knees weaken. I removed my hands quickly as if scalded by intense heat when I realized they sat glued to his chest. Completely embarrassed I turned and headed for the door before he could ask me if I had two left feet.

“Oh, Jade wait! Kane’s list-,” Marge hollered, as she tried to catch me before I ran out.

“I’ll get whatever it is later!” I interrupted, and then practically crashed through the door to make my escape.

I couldn’t jump on Fire fast enough and I realized I forgot our packs. I wasn’t about to turn back now. My cheeks burned as I headed for the trail. It felt like one hundred and fifty degrees outside even though the thermometer outside of Marge's store said it was a nice balmy seventy-two.

Glad to be back under the umbrella of the trees again, I breathed in the fresh air. I sat by the river as it bubbled gently over the rocks so I could catch my breath while Fire grazed on the grass. The river ran calm now, but as the snow melted high in the mountains over the next few weeks, would be a raging torrent. If it continued to be so warm, the river would soon run over in the low spots. I looked down into the swirling water, still clear with a few fish swimming.

The new grass surrounded me as I fell back and the backdrop of blue sky peeked through the green trees. Occasionally, a squirrel called out or a chipmunk scurried by.

What was it about that guy that made him steal my mind anyways? Never before have I thought about someone as much as him. I’d always been too busy with everything that consumed my time. Now, I had nothing but time. Too much time to do nothing but think about him.

I stood slowly then lead Fire down the trail for home. I laughed at myself, replaying those five embarrassing minutes in my mind. What was wrong with me? And what was his name? There was something about him. Something familiar, like I’d met him before. If I could have made it past fumbling, I might have been able to have a conversation with him and find out his name, but
no
.

I reminded myself of those girls who used to get all excited over Kane. I remembered how stupid I thought they acted. I hoped I didn’t look as stupid as I felt. Well at least one thing came of it. A big smile grew on my cheeks. I knew he was alive.

Still flustered, I hoped I could bypass everyone at home as I quietly walked through the back door. Kane stood on the front porch. His heated conversation filtered inside so I paused at the bottom of the stairs to listen.

“Morrison isn’t a guy you want to piss off, why you haven’t been in.” I recognized the voice. The thought of Damian knowing where I lived sent a shudder through me.

“I have a farm to run,” Kane said, his voice sharp with weakened tolerance. “I don’t answer to Morrison.”

“Everyone needs to report in and everyone needs to do their share with the cleanup.”

“I’ve done more than my fair share of the cleanup. I’m done so Morrison can stop sending you to check up on me. Whatever I do, I’ll do on my own. And that’s enough of sitting down the road watching my house.”

“Where’s Jade?” To hear him say my name made my hair stand on end.

“What do you want with her?”

“I just want to talk to her.” I could almost hear his smirk filled grin, weaseling through the sound of his voice, content to know it bothered Kane when he asked about me.

“You can’t.”

“Don’t you think that should be up to her?”

“No…Stay away from her, got it!”

“Tell her I stopped by, I’ll be seeing her soon.”

I heard a sudden scuffle on the porch and I ran to the doorway to see Kane through the screen door with Damian’s shirt balled in his clenched fists as he pinned him against the house. Kane’s forearm, pressed tightly against his jaw forced his cheek into the brick of the house. The harshness in my brother’s voice sent chills over my skin.

“I don’t think you heard me. I’ll take that as a threat and you can take this as fair warning… if you come back here again, you and me… we’re going to have problems.”

Kane jerked him away from the wall and released him from his grip, pushing him down the stairs. Damian stumbled for his footing and barely managed to regain it as he hit the lawn. He steadied himself and straightened his shirt, glancing into the doorway. A look of recognition lit it his eyes as he saw me through the screen door. A smirk curled his lips that sent an icy chill through me. He glanced back at Kane with a dagger-like stare, then
eH
walked slowly towards the grey ford and slithered into the seat.

“For now, Kane. Your way for now.”

***

I brushed a loose strand of hair off my forehead as I took a break from pulling weeds at the edge of the strawberry patch. My eyes closed as I looked up and let the sun soak into my cheeks. The events from the previous day filled my mind. I wouldn’t tell Kane I overheard his confrontation with Damian. I didn’t want it to damper my elevated mood after what happened at Marge’s.

My cheeks flushed and I giggled inside. I hoped the guy didn’t notice but even Marge saw me gaping at him. He did well through the winter, I thought as I dropped a strawberry in my mouth, but I still didn’t know his name.

I savored the juicy sweetness as the berry melted in my mouth and the scent of fruity sweetness tickled my nose. I picked another.

The word cute just didn’t seem to do him justice. You would say cute as you describe a puppy. No, he was more than cute. Hot, downright gorgeous. A little bit taller than Trey with the most beautiful, sapphire eyes. His muscles curled under his sleeve and I remembered how I bumped into him so closely that I touched him. He
felt
muscled and…

“Jade…Hello… Earth to Jade! Are you in there?”

Emery hollered, snapping me out of my daydream. I hadn’t noticed her and Trey come over. The two of them stood over me and stared at me perplexed.

“Are you okay, Jade?” Trey asked.

“Fine, why?” I stammered.

“Because you are off in LaLa land, that’s why,” Emery, with hands on her hips, remarked sarcastically.

“Sorry… Did you say something, Em?”

“Did you hear anything I said?” The tone of her voice far braver than if Trey wasn’t around. “She’s probably thinking about a boy.”

My jaw dropped to the ground that she even had the slightest idea what went through my mind and I saw a smirk appear on Trey’s face.

“What! I am not!”

“What boy?” Trey asked, with a full grin on his face, suddenly caught up.

“Emery! I am not thinking of a boy!” I tried not to smile. My face burned with embarrassment, thanks to Emery and she knew it.

She folded her arms across her chest and tilted her hip with just enough attitude, as the tone of her voice accentuated with each syllable. “You always get that look on your face when you zone out, I think it’s about a boy…”

With that, my feet launched underneath me and I chased her through the back yard. Emery squealed as she tried to get away. She turned the corner of the shed and hid behind Kane as I ran after her with Trey not far behind me. I stopped short when I saw Kane and Trey nearly knocked me over, running into the back of me.

“What’s going on?”

She screamed wildly and clung onto Kane as if her life depended on it, which it did.  I stood there for a second, I couldn’t possibly tell him. I really didn’t want to get into this right now with my brothers.

“They were racing to see who was fastest, it looks like Em won,” Trey laughed, nudging me in the back. He saved me from having to answer Kane and he knew it. What was worse? To lose to Emery in a race or tell Kane why I chased her? It shouldn’t have been a tough decision.

Kane glared at me. “Nothing! Nothing is going on!” I yelled. I stomped up the back stairs to the house. “And you better be quiet!” I pointed to Emery. “I know where you sleep at night!”

Her big round eyes just about popped out of her head and she hugged Kane even tighter.

I ran up the stairs into my room and slammed the door. What just happened? I don’t know what the big deal was, or how Emery even knew. I never said a word to her and now she thought she knew what went through my mind. The crazy thing about it, she was right. I popped down on my bed. My cheeks burned with embarrassment as I pressed my face into my pillow. I knew eventually I would have to come out of my room and I hoped Kane just left it alone.

An hour later, I heard a knock at my bedroom door.

“Go away!”

“Come on Jade, it’s just me,” Trey said, from behind the door. I didn’t answer but he walked in anyway. “What ya doing?”

“Nothing.”

He sat in my window seat and looked out the window into the late afternoon sky, veiled with a few thin scattered clouds. Trey turned and looked at me and then to my dusty soccer ball on the floor. “Hey, do you want to go outside and kick the ball around?”

I waited for the questions to start but they didn’t. Under his blank expression sat a veiled smirk. I knew he was trying hard not to give me a hard time.

“Come on, it’s nice outside. You don’t really want to sit in your room do you? Just one friendly game of soccer… You and me… Like we used to.”

It did sound fun. “You know there is no such thing as a
friendly
game of soccer,” I said. I sat up at the side of my bed. He stood, waiting for me to move.

“Yeah, I know, but I had to get you outside somehow.”

I rummaged through my closet and found my shin guards as Trey grabbed my soccer ball. He said a ‘
friendly game of soccer’
but I knew Trey's competitive side and I wanted to be prepared.

The back lawn, the perfect length for a game. We kicked the ball around and before long Kane and Emery joined in. Us against them. We laughed and goofed off and before long, I forgot about my anger with Emery. They were no match for Trey and I. We had played as a team for so long and always played well together.  Kane played well of course and Emery tried hard but she ran off after a while to find the kittens and left Kane to fend for himself.

“Jade! You’re not scoring again!” Kane grabbed me from behind in fun to deter my move. I kicked the ball to Trey at the last second and squealed as Kane spun me around and tackled me to the ground.

“This isn’t football, Kane!”  I laughed and screamed as I tried to get away while he sat over me, tickling my sides.

“Says who?”

“Kane!   Stop!  I can’t… Breathe!” I laughed, unable to move, my arms pinned to the ground as I endured the continuous torture.

“Kane.”

Relieved, I looked to the side to see Joel come towards us as the torturing stopped. “Looks like you’re saved
this
time.” Kane tickled me one last painful time causing a squeal to burst from my lungs then he jumped off and left me on the ground to recover.

“What’s up, Joel?” Kane asked.

“Mike wants to talk,” he replied, discontent in his voice. They talked in hushed tones as they walked towards the house eventually out of hearing range.

Trey stood over me and offered a hand up then we celebrated our win with a weak high five. He wrapped my neck in the crook of his elbow and directed me towards the barn to feed the animals. My frustrations, surrendered to the therapeutic nature of the game.

***

“Can I come in?” Emery asked, as she opened up the door.

“Sure.”

“I’m sorry, Jade,” Emery said. She walked over and sat next to me on the bed where I flipped through my photo albums. She rested her head on my shoulder and slipped her small arms around my waist for a hug. I hugged her back. I could never stay too mad at her for long. There was no point in holding a grudge. We had much bigger problems in our lives and an argument over a boy seemed pointless.

“It’s okay, Em... Don’t worry about it,” I said, and smiled to let her know I forgave her.

“Did you talk to him?”

“Who?”

She rolled her eyes. “Let me see if I remember right,” she said, overly sarcastic. “Last summer… you had to be outside… at a certain time, as a certain guy…”

“Okay, fine!” I said, as I cut her off, not wanting her to finish. I scowled at her and wondered how she knew so much. Her eyes lit with interest. She caught me and she knew it. “I saw him at Marge’s, he said hi to me, and I said hi back. That was it.”

“You like him don’t you?” Emery said, with a grin.

“No, I don’t
like
him, Emery, I don’t even know him. I was just curious about what happened to him, that’s all. Now get it out of your head that I like him.”

“I don’t know why you are being so stubborn in admitting it. I think you do,” she said, as she scooted back on the bed to lean against the wall.

“Emery, stop it!”

“You don’t like him?”

“No, I don’t like him. Now stop bugging me.”

“Well, then I guess you don’t care that he’s downstairs in our kitchen with Kane then,
do you?
” She said, with a smirk on her face.

“
What! He’s downstairs? Why?”

“So you do like him? You can’t fool me, Jade.”

“Did you tell Kane why I was chasing you?” I probed her for an answer while I avoided her question.

“Uhh... not the whole reason… Sorry.”  She pulled my pillow up to hide her face. Her big eyes pleaded as she peered over the top. They screamed
‘don’t be mad at me’
. How could I? She was right. I liked him. There was something about him. He looked amazing and strong, and he seemed nice.

“What are they doing?”

“I don’t know, talking about something. We could go sit at the top of the stairs and find out,” Emery said, with a grin.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“You know you want to,” she taunted.

We snuck quietly down the hall and Emery crept to the edge of the stairs. I sat behind the wall and heard Kane as he went through a round of introductions.

“Trey… Joel…”

I needed to do more than just listen but was afraid Kane would see me. In spite of what he might do, I peered around the corner through the railing and watched as the introductions continued.

“Mike, who called this meeting… Darby…”

I couldn’t believe it!  There he sat. His gorgeous self, right in my kitchen at the table I ate at every day. Finally, I would learn his name. I waited impatiently for Kane to introduce him. He sat just on the other side of Kane next to Trey. I smiled inwardly as I watched him. He leaned back, his chair propped against the wall on two legs.

“Grant… Raύl… and you all know me.”

I turned to Emery with inquisitive eyes. “Did you hear his name?” I whispered.

“Shh, Jade, quiet… Kane will hear us,” she scolded, as she whispered back while she gave me a stern look. I had to smile. She took eavesdropping very seriously.

My eyes drifted to our familiar canvas saddle packs he held in his hands and I watched him set them on the floor against the wall behind him. “Oh my… he brought them back from Marge’s?” I questioned to myself. My cheeks flushed at the thought of yesterday. What was he doing here?