“If something happens to you, who takes over coaching?”
“Whoever Chevy picks. Most likely the A.D. I get it, Jade.”
“He never denied he wants to coach, Max.” Jade dog-boned this conspiracy notion and wasn't letting go. “Once he's in the job, he can leverage for a permanent position.”
“I can't see how they'd fire me just for losing games. They've had twenty straight losses.”
“Just watch your back.” Jade leaned into him making sure her gaze locked with his.
He laughed. “Seems I got you pulling rear guard.”
“You know you do.” She tiptoed up to kiss him. “I'll see you at home.”
“I won't be home early. I'm going to call Hines and Haley back.” Max shrugged the weary weight from his shoulders. “We need a plan for Friday night.”
“You'll win anyway, Max. Don't let him get to you.”
“Win? I'll be happy if the score is less than fifty to nothing.” He tugged on her belt loop and drew her back for a kiss. “Is this what had you running across the field like a crazy woman?”
“Um, yeah. Just thought you needed to know. See you at home.”
Max watched her go. How he loved that woman. “Okay, Tucker, let's go. I might need you Friday night.”
She was pregnant. With a Texas baby. But she was at the critical ten weeks mark. Dr. Gelman seemed undaunted by Jade's medical historyâwhich Jade delivered in snatches as Dr. Gelman examined her between scheduled patients.
“It's still early, Jade, but everything looks good
.”
Dr. Gelman's voice resonated in her heart and sank deeper and deeper into Jade's soul.
Everything looks good
.
Everything certainly did.
Except for Bobby Molnar. She still hadn't recovered from her run-in on the field with him a couple of hours ago.
“Asa baby, come on. Let's go inside.” Jade shivered as a cold wind snapped the trees and pressed the twilight ribbon across the fading blue sky. “It's getting cold.”
Asa made his way up the steps, stretching to reach the rail. Dr. Gelman had reminded her today to let him do more on his own. “
He's going to be a big brother
.”
Big
brother. Jade loved hearing those words.
During her examination, Dr. Gelman seemed amused that Jade missed three periods without noticing. She laughed when Jade claimed she just thought her body was giving her a break for the summer. It'd happened to her a few years ago. Before she married Max.
Dr. Gelman had laughed. “Just the opposite. Your body's working hard.”
Pregnant. Jade was pregnant. She couldn't meditate on those words enough. Every molecule in her body was smiling.
After her last miscarriage, Jade shoved all hope of having a baby of her own to the side of her heart. Asa's presence had eased much of the pain and yearning of being barren. Then Max decided to chase a hip-pocket dream and move them across the country.
Jade spent the last two months distracted, managing stress, thinking of everyone and everything but herself. Pregnancy was the last thing on her mind.
Asa jumped from the last step to the porch with a big “Whoa.”
“Way to go, my little man.” Jade stroked her hand over his head, brushing his bangs aside as she unlocked the front door. But something tucked up beside the brick porch posts caught her eye. A large box.
“Go on inside, baby.” Jade helped Asa over the threshold before retrieving the package.
Southern Life
. The fall issue. Jade hurried inside, setting the mail and groceries on the counter. Then back out to the porch. What a lovely surprise.
She cut the box open and pulled out the courtesy issues
Southern Life
had sent. On the front cover, with the gold and white lights of the Blue Umbrella blurred in the background, stood Jade, Max, and Asa. Laughing.
Eric's capture was perfect. Real. A prophetic image of days to come. Joy swirled with tears. Jade ran her finger over the caption.
“The Blue Umbrella is anything but blue for vintage princess Jade Benson
.”
She flipped to the center spread and images of the shop and swelled with tears. Her Blue Umbrella. It made a piece of her heart beat.
She sobbed at the picture of Asa sitting on the floor running his car along the edge of the sunspot. Oh, the Wall of Calendars. Lillabeth, laughing with customers. Jade at the maxi-dress display talking vintage with Raven.
Jade cradled the magazine to her chest and let the tears run, feeling proud and homesick at once. She'd call Lillabeth and read it with her over the phone after she got dinner started. Chili tonight.
If she had a calendar, she'd circle today. Putting the magazine on the dining table, Jade put away the groceries, then grabbed the mail. It was usually junk, but she checked each piece just in case.
She froze at the very last envelope. It did not flow into the trash with all the others. The return address pricked her nerves. Jade's cold fingers fumbled with the envelope. She couldn't get a hold of the flap's edge. Finally, a piece tore and she was able to rip open the letter.
She slipped out the single piece of paper and spread it on the counter.
Taylor had written a note on a sticky.
Sorry this took so long. It took me forever to go through Rice's stuff. I started dating someone and he's way more interesting than going through documents.
Taylor
Jade scanned the lab report. Landon Harcourt. Twenty-six.
Interpretation: Based on the DNA Analysis, the alleged Father, LANDON HARCOURT, cannot be excluded as the biological Father of the Child, ASA MCCLURE, because they share the same genetic markers. The probability of the stated relationship is indicated below, as compared to an untested, unrelated person of the same ethnicity.
Combined Direct Index: 17,446
Probability Percentage: 99.9942%
Landon was Asa's biological father. Jade collapsed against the counter, all her bubbles of joy sinking. The light in the room paled.
Oh, Max .
. .
Jade folded the report and stuffed it back into the envelope. Aiden's advice haunted her. Of course.
Secrets come back to bite you
.
Lies leaked. Secrets spoke.
In the bedroom, Jade crammed the envelope under the jeans in the bottom dresser drawer and slammed it shut. Composing herself, she returned to the kitchen.
“Lord, help me. I have to tell him.”
She muttered prayers as she mixed up the chili, then stared absently at the directions for a box cake.
She prayed as she fed Asa. While she bathed him. As she tucked him in bed.
When he was asleep, she wandered out to the porch, tugging on one of
Max's Duke sweatshirts. The air was scented with fall leaves and Indian summer grass.
Oh, Jesus
. Squeezing her eyes shut, Jade listened to the night wind and the song of the redbird. Did he sing a dirge for her? Or a melody for joy?
I don't want to do this
.
The wind tangled her loose hair over her shoulders and the questions in her heart melted into the burnt amber hue of panic.
Max is going to lose all faith in you when you tell him how long you've suspected he wasn't Asa's father. You blew it, Jade
.
She jumped up, stepping into the yard. The warm grass caressed her cold toes.
No. No fear
. She pressed her fingers to her temples.
Nothing, nothing,
nothing
was ever stable in her life. This was a disaster.
Never mind the news about Asaâthe stress of the football program was going to push Max back to his old ways, his phantom back pains. Which would lead to meds. Always did.
With his charm and smarts, he could doctor-shop for Percocet within a week. Who wouldn't want to help the new football coach?
And this baby? Jade pressed her hand over her womb. It would die like all of her babies. Jade wasn't favored enough to give birth. Only to raise the son of her husband's former lover.
A slow oozing sensation hit her head and slid down her scalp. Panic, a monster of fear, rose up in her soul. Jade paced, fingers digging into her palm.
No. She could not run. She could not leave Asa. She could not give in.
Jesus, Jesus, Jesus. Peace. Perfect love . . . no fear
.
She pictured the words in her Bible.
Perfect love casts out all fear. Jesus, Your love is perfect toward me
.
Pacing, she battled. Fear had had its day. Time for love to rule the night.
Throwing back her head, she flung wide her arms. “Peace! I say peace!”
Silence. In her heart. In her mind. Even the breeze settled at her feet. Peace.
Jade breathed in. Then out.
Peace
. She waited. She listened, her heart a symphony of expectation.
The leaves over her head rustled and the first tweet of a bird was soft and low. Like a tentative invitation. The leaves rustled again and a second tweet came stronger. A redbird emerged.
He broke into a chorus, a guttural song of intricate twitters and tweets of harmony chasing melody.
“Hello, friend.” Jade broke with a laugh, tears swimming in her eyes. “Life. You sing the song of life. That's what you were telling me that night in Iowa when you scolded me with your song. Choose life. Choose life.”
Life was truth. She would tell Max tonight about Landon Harcourt.
With a shiver down to her toes, Jade ran inside. She checked on Asa, then made a cup of hot chocolate.
Truth wins. Truth wins. Max, I need to tell you something. Two somethings, really
.
But which did she tell first? Baby or paternity? Before she could decide and take her first hot sip, headlights bounced down the driveway, shining through the front window.
In a jolt of nerves, she ran to the master bath, splashed water on her face, and ran a brush through her hair. She really needed to find a stylistâshe'd resorted to the ponytail look. Then smoothed a bit of color on her lips.
When she went to the door, the yard was full of voices. A car door slammed. Then another. Oh Max, did you bring the coaches home? She'd been prepared for Tucker, but not Hines and Haley.
“Hey, babe,” she said, swinging wide the door.
“Hey, look who I found?” Max jumped the steps and kissed her. “The McClures.” He stood aside for Jade to see their surprise guests. She gripped the doorknob as all the air left her lungs. “They brought a friend.” Max leaned forward to see the man standing behind Gus. “I'm sorry, what did you say your name was again?”
“Landon.” The man peered directly at Jade. “Landon Harcourt.”
What was the matter with Jade? Max invited the McClures and Landon into the house, listening as they told about their delayed flight and hassle with the rental car company.
“I'll tell you,” Gus said, standing, surveying the living quarters. “Customer service is a thing of the past. With this stinking bad economy, I can't imagine any business treating their customers as if they don't care. I'll never fly on that airline again.”
“Yeah, I hear you.” Max shot a look at Jade. She hovered just inside the living room entrance, twisting her fingers in her hand. “Listen, let me get out of these clothes and we can visit. What made you decide to come out today? You should've calledâJade might have been able to keep Asa awake. Is that chili I smell? Y'all hungry?”
“Landon is why we came out on a whim, Max.” Gus motioned to the man in designer slacks and starched button-down. Max recognized the outfit. He saw a bit of himself in the man's expression and postureâa twentysomething with big dreams and the fuel to make them come true.
“Babe.” Jade's voice burst into the room. “Can I see you? In our room?” She whirled away.
“Sure.” He backed toward her. “Y'all excuse us.” Max closed the bedroom door behind him. Jade cowered against the far wall. Trembling. “What's going on?”
“I can't believe it. I was going to tell you tonight. I just found . . . the proof. Max.” Her eyes were wild. “I needed the proof.”
“What proof? What are you talking about? By the way, I took Tucker home tonight. Seems Mariah isn't too keen on you being a surrogate mom. Tucker said she's jealous. You might want to give her a call, invite her to coffee or dinner, let her know you're notâ”
“Max, please, be quiet.” Jade pressed her fist against her forehead.
Max glared at her. “What's up?” He was tired. Hungry. And frankly, thought a good ol' chat with folks from back home sounded like a good way to unwind from his day. Hines and Haley had helped him plan this weekend's game, but it was going to take every Warrior on the roster. And all the prayers of the saints. “It's the McClures, isn't it? Landon?”
“Yes.” Jade stared at the floor.
“I'm all ears, Jade. If this has anything to do with Asa, you'd better tell me. I don't want to get blindsided by those two.”