by Laura Moore
“Good for you, Hayley. You were listening carefully to Mr. Newton. Victoria, I’m sure Deirdre’s mom will help you watch out for bees.”
Mrs. Cerra nodded bravely. “And Miss Radcliffe has the first-aid kit with her.”
“Which I would rather not have to use, so everyone please be careful,” Jade said. “So, are we all set to fill these bags with delicious apples?”
Jade listened to the chatter and exclamations on either side of her with a smile. Every York apple picked seemed to be bigger and shinier than the one before. The bags had grown super-heavy from all the gigantic apples they’d picked. Boasts of who had the heaviest bag were followed by loud groans and grunts and the rustle of paper as the bags were hefted then plunked onto the dried grass.
She’d give them five to ten more minutes. That would be enough time to fill the remaining bags and call a halt to the morning’s activity before the kids grew tired and restless. The orchard had a picnic area with a nice grassy spot where the kids could run around after they’d eaten lunch. Then it would be time for a bathroom stop at the welcome center before they boarded the bus to return to Warburg. And wouldn’t it be lovely if some of them fell asleep on the way back.
A bee buzzed near her hair. Waving it away, her eyes locked with Rob’s. She’d done a good job of not looking at him during the past forty minutes, but that didn’t mean she hadn’t been paying attention to his conversation with Hayley and the rest of his group. Her initial reluctance to have him on the apple-picking trip had stemmed from the conviction that his presence would distract her. She’d been wrong. Her focus was just fine. The real problem in having him at the orchard was that she was once again seeing a side of Rob she’d rather not have seen. He was a good guy. At least her instincts hadn’t steered her wrong in Norfolk. But now, seeing how great he could be and knowing how thrilling it was to have his mouth moving over hers and his clever hands caressing her, it made remembering that she should keep her distance that much more difficult.
Rob’s gaze continued to hold hers, as if he were relaying a message. An unaccustomed shyness swept over her, making her feel like a very different person from the one who had spent a stormy night wrapped in his arms.
Before she could berate herself for her ridiculous reaction, Lucy Richter ran up, eager to show her the best apple she’d picked yet.
“You’re right, Lucy. That’s a really beautiful apple, and the little green stripes on the bottom are super-cool. You have just enough time to pick a couple more—and maybe they’ll be as fine as this one—before we climb onto the wagon and ride back to the picnic area.”
“Okay.” Lucy spun around and raced back to where her apple bag was propped against the base of the tree.
Jade clapped her hands. “Five-minute warning, kids,” she called. But with all the chatter and activity, only half the group appeared to hear. Shaking her head, she opened her mouth to shout again, when a piercing whistle came from behind her. She and the children froze, and even the birds seemed to stop singing in order to pay attention.
She didn’t need to glance over her shoulder to verify who’d whistled. Didn’t it figure that Rob Cooper would be able to whistle loudly enough to hail a cab a city block away? She sighed with a mixture of frustration and admiration.
“All right, listen up, kids. The wagon’s going to be coming to collect us and bring us to the picnic area where we’ll be eating lunch, so you have five minutes to pick a few more apples and then you need to line up with your bags of apples. Everybody understand?”
A chorus of “Yes, Miss Radcliffe,” answered her.
The tempo to their movements changed. The kids now scurried like squirrels desperate to get their hoard of acorns in their burrows before winter’s onslaught.
Jade dropped a final few apples into her own bags. Picking them up, she carried them over to where she’d set the first-aid kit down earlier. As she passed Rob, she said, “That’s some whistle.”
“It comes in handy.”
“That it does.” She paused a beat. “Thanks.”
“You’re welcome.” His smile warmed her right down to her toes and caused her breathing to go a little funny. Two and a half hours in his company and Jade recognized the signs. She was in real danger of getting seriously hung up on Rob. Especially as, for the first time since discovering that Rob Cooper, aka RoboCop, and her mystery lover were one and the same, she was starting to imagine what it might be like to be with him, not just for sex but for—
Jade gave herself a mental shake. Here was proof of how dangerous a man like Rob could be. She didn’t do relationships.
She recognized enough of her mother’s character inside herself to know that she would screw one up royally.
But the thought persisted, teasing and oh-so-tempting.
Determined not to show how vulnerable the idea made her, how much a part of her longed to be in such a relationship with a man like Rob, she gave him her cockiest, most carefree smile.
“Care to give us a repeat performance so we can get these champion apple pickers lined up?” she asked.
“A repeat performance, huh? Nothing I’d like better.” Luckily for Jade, he didn’t push the suggestion deeper into inappropriate territory. Watching him insert his index finger and thumb in his mouth and sound a second blast wreaked quite enough havoc on her. Kooky but true, she was a sucker for seriously loud, even ear-piercing whistles.
If he were hers, she could get him to give her lessons in how to whistle like a pro. There would be things she could teach him too.
Only a pack of seven-year-olds rushing toward her with bulging bags of apples could have dislodged this last treacherous thought.
She smiled in gratitude at her small saviors. “Line up alphabetically, guys, so I can make sure you’re all here.”
There was a scramble and even a little jostling as they sorted themselves. The new line formed, Jade began calling out names as she patted sweaty heads. “Chris Alden, Rosie Baxter, Jay Blount, Deirdre Cerra, Hayley Cooper …” and down the line she went, all the way to Posey Hall. There she stopped.
“Eugene?” She looked about. “Where’s Eugene?”
Her worried gaze traveled the long row of trees before she spotted him. On tiptoe, he was attempting to grab an apple that was partially hidden by a cluster of leaves. “Eugene! You need to come and join the line right now!”
“There’s a really good apple here that I’m getting for my mommy.” He jumped, waving his hand for the apple just out of reach, and missed.
Jade frowned. “Time’s up, Eugene. There are lots of apples in your bag that will be perfect for her. Please come over here.”
“This one’s special. I need to get it.” He began jumping again, with both arms raised overhead. He gave a triumphant cry as his hands closed about the leafy mass. Then his cry became a startled shriek of pain.
Jade was already sprinting. She reached him by the second shriek, this one even more panic-stricken and agonized.
She grabbed his flailing form and spun around, using her body to shield him from the angry cloud of bees that had descended. She held his quaking body until she could no longer hear the angry buzzing around them.
Raising her head carefully, she said, “It’s okay, Eugene. The bees are gone.”
Wrapped in her protective embrace, Eugene continued to tremble in fear and pain. “Mommy! I want my mommy!” he wailed, his voice choked with tears.
A mere glance confirmed her fears. Angry red circles dotted the tender flesh of his hands and arms. The swelling was starting already.
“We’ll call your mom, I promise, Eugene. But right now you have to hold very still. I’ve got to get these stingers out. Then I’ll put an ointment that I’ve got in my first-aid kit on the bites. The ointment and cold compresses will help make the pain go away. There, see? I’ve already gotten one out. Hang on, tough guy, we’re going to get every last one of them. That’s the way, you’re being super-brave.…”
Christy Harrison wa
s waiting beside her Mercedes station wagon when the bus rolled in to the school parking lot. Arms crossed, her mouth a flat line beneath her oversize sunglasses, she radiated anger.
Jade couldn’t blame her. She’d be scared too if her child was stung by five bees. Jade had monitored Eugene closely, in case he displayed any signs of anaphylaxis. Fortunately, his breathing remained fine, and though there was a fair amount of swelling, it was no more than one might expect from that many stings. And as it was still possible for Eugene to develop an allergic reaction, Jade was actually happy to see Christy.
A visit to the pediatrician would reassure them all.
“Look, I see your mom,” she said, pointing out the bus’s window.
Seated beside Jade, Eugene craned his neck to catch a glimpse of his mother, and his face, pale from tears and pain, brightened. “Yeah.” Abruptly, his expression grew apprehensive. “Do you think she’s going to be mad at me?”
She squeezed his shoulder, where he’d received no bites. “No. Absolutely not. Sometimes parents seem angry when they’re simply scared. Hearing that you got stung by bees would have definitely been scary for your mom. It’ll be a big relief to see you’re okay.”
“The stings still hurt.” He lifted his arms to inspect the red welts.
“They probably will for a while yet. But you’re a tough guy, aren’t you, Eugene?”
He gave a crooked smile. “Yeah.”
Seated two rows behind them, Rob smiled too. Jade had been terrific with the boy. She’d handled the emergency with speed and calm, keeping Eugene’s, as well as the other children’s, fear at bay. She’d even managed to calm down Helen Cerra—who’d immediately begun carrying on about paramedics and hospitals—by saying, “Mrs. Cerra, I don’t think an EMS team is necessary at this point, and it will only make the event scarier for Eugene if you keep talking about it. What would be helpful is if you and Officer Cooper could look after the kids in my group while I tend to Eugene and then call his mother.”
An excellent tactic to keep the woman busy and pull her back from the brink of hysteria.
Taking on half of Jade’s group posed no problem. The kids were tired from the morning’s activities, hungry for their lunches, and subdued from having witnessed Eugene’s encounter with the bees. They sank down on the grass and dove into their packed lunches. Rob was able to keep an eye on the group and also watch over Jade and Eugene, in case they needed him.
Because beneath her calm control he could see how distraught she was, her lower lip held tightly between her teeth as she applied the ointment to Eugene’s stings. Once finished, she wrapped two instant compresses against the swollen areas, rubbing her face with trembling hands. Then, drawing a deep breath, she’d pulled out her cellphone to call Eugene’s mother. But wherever Christy Harrison was, she wasn’t picking up. Forced to leave a message, Jade had to soothe the frightened and hurting boy all over again.
Taking in her tense form and pale face, Rob would have liked nothing better than to wrap his arms around her and offer her some comfort, but with nineteen witnesses, there’d been nothing he could do but sit and wish they were alone.
The bus driver cut the engine, and Jade stood and turned around to address the class. “Okay, kids, we’re going to head back to the classroom and get ready for art with Mrs. Natick. But first I’d like everyone to thank Mrs. Cerra and Officer Cooper for coming with us today.”
“Thank you”s mingled with the slap of sneakers on the floor of the bus as the kids filed out.
Rob was the last to step out of the bus, his gaze immediately seeking Jade and Eugene. The boy was at his mother’s side. Jade, carrying both her and Eugene’s bags of apples, stood a little off to the side. The children stood in a line in front of her, and Jade was checking that they were all accounted for when Tricia Creighton came out of the building and approached them.
“I have a free period now. Why don’t I take the class inside and get them ready for art class?” she suggested, and Rob decided that she must have heard about Eugene’s bee stings from Ted Guerra. After leaving a message with Christy, Jade had then called Ted to let him know what had happened.
The look of gratitude was plain on Jade’s face. “That’d be really great. I’d planned to have the kids put their apple bags along the wall beneath the chalkboard. Their names are on their bags.”
“Okay.” Tricia Creighton nodded. “I’ll see you in a few minutes.” Then, casting a quick sidelong glance at Christy Harrison, she mouthed, “Good luck,” to Jade before clapping and calling the class to attention.
Rob bent down and gave Hayley a kiss. “You be good, sweetheart. And help Grammy and Poppy tonight. I’ll see you in the morning.” He’d be on duty until nine o’clock that evening, so Hayley would be sleeping at his parents’, something she did whenever he had an evening shift.
“I will. Bye, Daddy.”
As Rob straightened to watch Hayley go, he heard Christy Harrison loudly tell Eugene to go and sit in the car. She was going to drive him to the hospital, but she had something to say to his teacher first.
“Is Eugene’s pediatrician unable to see him?” Jade asked.
Christy’s voice dripped with scorn as she whipped off her glasses to stare contemptuously at Jade. “My son needs to go to the emergency room. He should have been taken there directly. This is yet another area where you have clearly been negligent. When I talk to Ted Guerra, I intend to see that he does something about it. This time it won’t be a question of removing Eugene from your class but of your being dismissed—”
“Just a second.” Rob wasn’t going to remain silent while Christy Harrison lashed out at Jade. “Jade was terrific when Eugene got stung and did everything that was required for the stings. Moreover, she stayed by his side throughout, right up until the bus pulled into the parking lot. If he’d shown the slightest indication that he was having a reaction, she’d have seen it. By the way, you’re probably unaware of this, but the reason Eugene was stung in the first place is because he disobeyed Jade. Instead of lining up with the rest of the class, he remained by one of the apple trees. You see, he’d spotted a special apple in one of its upper branches and wanted to pick it for you.”
As he’d offered his defense of Jade, Christy’s face paled. By the time he’d finished, it had gone bright red. If possible, her eyes narrowed further, to a knife’s edge, and when she replied, it was in a tone that was equally cutting.
“I must say I’m surprised to hear you of all people stand up for her. Especially considering what my mother-in-law told me about the night of your wife’s death. Is it true? Were you really arresting Jade at the Den while your wife lay dying?” Her cold, mean eyes flicked from him to Jade, and she smiled. “The ER doctors at the hospital will be very interested to hear about the so-called care my son received from you. So will my lawyer. You can tell Ted Guerra that he’ll be hearing from him.”
The silence was shattered by the slamming of Christy Harrison’s car door. The engine came to life with a roar and then the car was peeling out of the parking lot.
And still Rob could feel the fury pouring out of him. The meddlesome bitches, he thought, seething. Damn Nonie Harrison and her daughter-in–law for gossiping about Becky’s death.
“Is it true?”
He turned at Jade’s question, only belatedly realizing that, while Christy’s comment might have infuriated him, its effect on Jade would be as destructive as a bomb blast.
When he hesitated, she asked again, and this time her voice shook.
“Yes, it’s true.” If he’d ever wondered if Jade had somehow been aware of the circumstances surrounding Becky’s death, he had his answer in the anguished stammer of her reply.
“Oh God, I’m so sorry. I knew she’d died a while back, but … I had no idea.…” Her words faded away as their gazes met.
Jade stared into the pain-filled depth of Rob’s blue eyes and saw in them something she’d seen time and time again—each time she looked in a mirror. The hor
ror of what she’d just learned increased a hundredfold. “You blame me for her death,” she whispered.
“No—”
But Rob’s denial took a fraction of a second too long. And it took only that infinitesimal amount of time for Stygian darkness to invade her soul.
“Yes, you do. And all I can say is how sorry I am to have played any role in your and Hayley’s loss. But you know what? You’re just going to have to find someone else to blame. I’m full up with the guilt I’m already hauling around.”
There were days, particularly during October, when the anniversary of her parents’ deaths neared, when Jade was haunted by the memory of her dad lying critically injured in the hospital after the plane he’d been flying crashed, his body badly broken, inside and out.
Even though years had passed, Jade still wondered if her dad might have survived his injuries if only she’d been able to swallow her cry of pain and loss when she heard him whisper her mom’s name. It had been her cry that told him his wife had not survived the plane crash.
If not for her, Dad might be alive today. And she wouldn’t have to live with the thought that she had triggered the embolism that killed him.
It was no easier living with the knowledge that her mom had died thinking of her as a disappointment. No matter how much Jade tried to be a decent person, she’d never be able to change her mother’s opinion of her.
So, no, she couldn’t bear the impossibly heavy guilt of thinking that she was the reason why Hayley was without her mother’s love …
Or that, because of her, Rob had lost the woman he adored.
Oh God, she thought, shuddering, no longer able to contemplate the horrible role assigned to her. With lips that felt oddly frozen, she addressed him, careful not to meet his gaze. “I’ve got to go inside and talk with Ted Guerra.”
As she fled into the school building, she wondered how long it would take before she could handle this new pain.
She feared it might be forever.
