“Lillabeth.” Jade exited the Blue Umbrella’s office, scanning her iPad calendar. She couldn’t find the date the reporter and photographer were scheduled to come. “Do you remember when Southern Life is supposed to be here? I’m telling you, these electronic things do not work for me. I need sticky notes. Why fix what’s not broke?”
“I’ll buy you a case of them.”
Definitely not Lillabeth’s voice. Jade looked up, bobbling her iPad. “Max.” He stood in the golden circle of sun falling through the shop’s main window.
“Hey, Jade.”
“Y-you’re here.” His presence stole her breath. Forever handsome, Max stood before her lean and tan, poured into a pair of jeans. Leather boots replaced his leather loafers. The breadth of his chest filled the white oxford and tapered to his trim waist.
Locks of his silky dark hair curved down his neck, into his collar, and a light brown beard barely dusted his cheeks.
“You look good, Jade.” He dropped his duffel to the floor, the sound covering the timidity in his voice.
“So do you.” Jade cradled her iPad against her chest. “Did you just get here?
I didn’t realize—”
“I came straight from the airport.” Max motioned the bag by his foot. “I wanted to see you. If you’re busy, we can catch up later.” He bent for his duffel.
“No, no, I’m not busy. Just trying to remember when Southern Life will be here.”
“The sixteenth? Didn’t you mention it on our last call?”
“Right, I did. The sixteenth.” She scanned her iPad calendar. Sure enough.
“Right in front of me.”
“Max!” Lillabeth breezed in from the storeroom. “You’re back.” She embraced him freely, openly. The way Jade wanted to but couldn’t because her wounded heart refused to yield. “Great hair. You look like a real cowboy.”
Great hair, great face, gorgeous cowboy. But liar and betrayer. Don’t forget those, Lillabeth. Jade had trusted before. She’d believed Daddy when he said he’d be there for her.
“Jade, you called?” Lillabeth said.
“I—what? Oh yeah, right.” Her heart beat so fast. “I couldn’t find the date of the Southern Life shoot.” Why was the shop so hot? Perspiration sprinkled the back of Jade’s neck.
“July sixteenth?”
“Yep.” Jade held up her iPad. “Max remembered.”
Lillabeth slapped him a high five. “And he wasn’t even here when you set it up. Keep him around, Jade. Aaron never remembers dates or details.”
“Well, he is fighting a war.” Lillabeth’s husband flew F-18s and was deployed to the Middle East.
The bells on the shop door clanged as a customer entered. Lillabeth moved to assist. “Glad you’re back, Max. We missed you around here,” she said softly.
“She knows more about this place than I do,” Jade said, eyes on Lillabeth who spoke with two twentysomethings, instantly identifying, directing them to a display of ’70s tops.
Max angled toward Jade. “I really missed you.” His eyes searched hers.
“Max—” Jade hugged the iPad to her chest, trembling. She felt exposed and raw under his clarion gaze. He’d changed. Not just his hair or his form, but— could it be true?—his heart.
He stepped back. “I think we were less awkward on our first date.”
They met right here in this shop. The beginning of beginnings. In a way, they were there again. Starting over—with an honest marriage or an honest divorce.
“We didn’t know then what we know now,” she said.
“No, but this time the truth is on the table. No secrets. Right?” He dipped his head to see her face. “Is there anything you need to tell me? Any hometown, Prairie City, Iowa, lovers capture your heart?”
“No,” Jade said rapid and low. The customers passed behind her, barely skirting the edge of this private conversation.
“I guess we can talk later.”
Yes, later. About so many things. About truth and lies. Secrets. Forget her ex-husband in Iowa. Jade had wrestled two days over Taylor Branch and her news. If she told him, he’d be crushed. Would it send him tumbling back to his old ways of phantom back pains and pain pill addiction?
Secrets had all but destroyed their marriage. How could she keep this one to herself? She was sitting on a potential time bomb.
Jade had no proof to corroborate Taylor’s claim. She could be lying for some hideous, bizarre reason.
Either way, she wasn’t willing to blurt, “Asa’s not your son,” without some evidence. Without giving Max a chance to move home and consider a shave.
“Jade, are you okay?” Max curved his hand over her shoulder. “You sighed really heavy.”
“Did I?” She moved behind the sales counter, meeting his eyes for a fleeting second. “Just, you know, taking it all in.” She stacked the disheveled pile of sales flyers, then straightened the business cards. “So . . . here you are.”
“Yeah, here I am.” Max brushed his hair back so it layered like ripples on the surface of still waters. “How’s Asa?”
“Brilliant.” Finally—safe, common ground. “Yes, he’s brilliant.”
Max grinned. “You’ve been watching Hugh Grant movies again.”
Jade made a wry face. “About a Boy was on last night.”
“One of your favorites.”
He remembered. “I love all the imagery and symbolism. I love how Hugh Grant’s character changes.” Jade peered at Max until he started playing her heart with his hazel eyes. “But it’s just a movie.”
The strange route of their conversation, the bumpy reintroduction, actually calmed her. But they couldn’t stand in the middle of the Blue Umbrella forever— or until she could trust him. Love or not, sexy cowboy husband or not, the bridge of trust was blown to smithereens.
She couldn’t just let him waltz back into her heart and into her bed without some proof of change. Looking fabulous in those stupid Levi’s and speaking to her in tender tones merely skimmed the surface.
“Listen,” he said. “I came home under the radar so we could have some time together. No one knows I’m home but you and Lillabeth. And those two tourists over there.”
“Not even your mom?” Jade whispered.
“Especially not Mom, queen of parties and parades. I wanted time with you and Asa, if that’s all right with you. Uncomplicated and quiet. Dad and Mom and the rest of Whisper Hollow will see me soon enough. You and I need to talk.”
If he talked, she’d have to talk. Recount how he hurt her and how she wanted to smash her fist into his face when she found out about Rice and the evil night in Vegas. But deep down she dreaded bringing it all up again, rehashing her hurt, his explanation, blah, blah, blah. She wasn’t in the mood to hear what he’d learned at the Outpost. She didn’t want to hear that she’d always be inadequate for him.
Oh, she just wanted to move on before the cement at her feet hardened and she’d never be free. Could she simply hang a For Sale sign on this past year?
“Asa’s at school.” Jade motioned toward the back of the shop, moving away from the intimate, uncomfortable tones of the conversation. “I have to pick him up in a few minutes.”
“Yeah, I guess we don’t have to deal with us right now. I didn’t mean to come in and disrupt your day.”
Or my heart? My mind? My strength? The longer he stood there, the more he consumed her.
“We knew this day was coming,” she said, moving away from the register for Lillabeth to ring up the customers’ sale. The twentysomethings chose tunics and bell-bottoms. One of the girls also had a pair of Candie’s platforms Jade loved. “You may be confident and together, Max, but—”
“Confident? Together? I’m a mess.” Max drew Jade back to her office, eased the door closed, then took her hand and pressed it over his heart. “It’s like wild mustangs in there. I can barely breathe. When I walked into the shop, I didn’t know if you were going to welcome me or shoot me.”
“Shooting might have been appropriate. But not my style.” She pulled her hand away, the vibration of his heart still tingling on her palm.
“I’d deserve it.” He dropped into the rickety metal chair she kept beside the desk. “I’m sorry, Jade.” He peered at her. “You are the last person in the world I’d ever want to hurt. In fact, I was trying not to hurt you. Instead, I caused the worst kind of damage.”
“It’s okay.” Jade ran her hands over her jeans. “Believe it or not, I do understand. For what it’s worth, I shouldn’t have run off like I did. I should’ve . . .” She paused to let her emotions clear. “I should’ve stayed. Given you a chance.” Her heart knew he was remorseful. Knew he’d been faithful to her since their wedding. But hiding the existence of Asa cut far deeper than the affair with Rice.
“Do you think Asa will remember me?”
“Sure, Max. I show him your picture—every night.”
“You show him my picture?” Max rose up, reaching for her, taking hold of her arm and palming the curve of her cheek. “Thank you for taking care of him. For loving him, Jade.”
“How could I resist? The little booger is all charm and sweetness.” Max’s touch ignited fiery shivers. “I . . . I’m in love with . . . him . . . already.” She couldn’t think. Only feel. If Max didn’t stop stroking his thumb across her cheek she’d collapse into a quivering puddle at any moment.
He’d told himself the whole flight home to go slow. Gentle his way back into Jade’s heart and mind. Not go all husband on her.
But alone with her in her office, all bets were off. He pulled her to him and her curvy soft body started a consuming blaze. He ached to kiss her, carry her upstairs to the shop’s loft, and make love.
He wanted to show her the old Max was dead. The new and improved Max stood before her, a solid and trustworthy man. Faithful as the rising sun. But he couldn’t tell her; he had to show her. Going for sex within thirty minutes of his homecoming wasn’t his best first move.
Besides, the loft? Too fraternity. And his hands all sweaty from nerves. So, he let go. One thing he’d learned at the ranch was to let go. He backed toward the door.
“I thought I’d bunk in Beryl’s old room until we work things out. We are going to work things out, aren’t we, Jade?”
She nodded. “We’d kick ourselves if we didn’t try.” She moved toward him and brushed her hand over his check, her mountain-flower fragrance filling his senses. “Cowboy stubble.”
“Should I shave?” Max cleared his throat. Nothing like stoking his passion fire just when he’d doused the flame. “Too Marlboro Man?”
“No, not at all.” She tipped her head to one side. Even the swing of her ponytail was sexy. “Max Benson, the Marlboro Man lawyer.”
“There you go.” He grinned. “See you at home?” He nearly bent to kiss her cheek, but backed up, opening the door.
“Sure. Asa will be happy to see you, Max. He will.” Jade led the way back into the shop, passing through the shower of sun drops falling through the back window. “I can order Mario’s. Didn’t you say you missed his pizza?”
“I did, yeah.” But was he hungry? He was starving. But not for Mario’s. Max hoisted his duffel bag to his shoulder. “See you soon.”
“Okay.” She exhaled, shyly digging her hands in her pockets. It was her go-to move and it endeared her to Max even more. If possible. “See you at . . . home.”
He wanted to kiss her, darn it. Lillabeth shuffled around the shop, passing between and around them. Forget it. Max dropped his duffel bag to the hardwood floor and crossed to Jade in a few quick strides, scooping her into his arms. “I’m going to kiss you, Jade.” His pulse thundered in his ears.
“Who’s stopping you?”
Max traced his fingertips along the base of her neck, slipping his hand into her hair. Gooseflesh rose on his skin as he whispered a kiss to her lips as if casually saying hello. Then he sank into her fragrance and taste, wrapping her tighter and losing himself in the moment. Jade yielded, molding into him. When she ran her hands over his back they were like hot coals.
As he released her, she pressed out of his arms, trembling, resting her fingers over her lips. “I’ll”—she inhaled—“see you at home.”
“Yeah, see you at home.” What happened? It was the perfect kiss until it ended. Her yes morphed to a no.
Retrieving his duffel, Max exited the Blue Umbrella, reminding himself again to be cool, go slow.
He dashed across Main Street, aiming toward Laurel Park and the side roads that led to Begonia Valley Lane.
Breaking into a light jog, Max cut through the fresh, cool air of the Hollow. The dewy texture was a welcomed contrast to the hot, arid air of Texas. Home. It was good to be home. And close to the arms of his wife again.