Jade

by Davenport, Maryann

  “It’s perfect.” She picked up the large vase and turned it around in her hands. It had a palm-sized base and was about a foot tall. The vase looked like a swirling tornado except it looked like a cloud of pearl instead of black. “And this one will look gorgeous with our roses in it.”

  Sari seemed thrilled with her book about northwest gardens and plants and Cedric stood up and replaced his old belt with the new hand tooled leather belt Jade had given him.

  Christmas Day was a lazy day to Jade. They all got up later than usual and she and Sari helped Tilly prepare the dinner while they talked like girls in school. Everyone seemed content to go to bed early that night, after a nightcap of Irish coffee, leaving Jade and Matt to enjoy each other in bed. It seemed like the perfect holiday. She decided that whatever the new year brought, she could handle it without fear. She was in love and Christmas shipping was done. What could be better?

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  It was traditional, at Favorite Specialties, for the company to be closed between Christmas and New Year’s Day. Jade enjoyed Tilly and Sari most mornings while they discussed gardening, cooking, and herbs. After lunch, she and Matt took long walks and lingered in his shop while he showed her his latest results. After that, he went back to work in the shop and Jade read or polished her wood carving in her office until dinner. Her carving of Ebenezer had a deep, dark bay color like the old horse and had a place of honor next to the one she had purchased at the fair, on the fireplace mantle.

  She started a carving of Glory, her beloved gold colored collie. “Now’s the time, before she gets to be an old dog.” Jade stood four photos of Glory in acrylic stands where she could see each side of the happy dog while she began shaping the wood. She had felt impatient with herself while she worked on the carving of Ebenezer but this time she enjoyed each moment. It was different now. Carving felt like a natural extension of her life, something that had been missing and was now a vital part of her happiness. Each move she made was slow, gentle, deliberate. It might take her forever to do this carving but she was going to feel her way in the wood, literally.

  Matt surprised her by suggesting they go to the New Year’s Eve dance at the VFW hall in Mishap with her uncle and Tilly. Sari even agreed to go. “I’ve always heard about small towns but I’ve never been in one before. I’ll probably sit in the corner and watch but it sounds more interesting than watching TV.”

  Matt and Jade laughed at the old time flavor of the place. The Christmas decorations were still up and there was a sparkly multicolored ball twirling on the ceiling. “I feel like we’re in a sweet old comedy from the Fifties. People even brought their kids.”

  At one point they looked around to see Sari dancing with the plump little mayor and another time they saw a tall handsome man sweep her around the floor, the colored lights flashing off of his silver hair and mustache.

  When they decided to rest at a little table with their cups of punch, the mayor stopped to meet Matt. “I think we need an engineer around here and Juani says you’re an artist of some sort, too . We have a piano teacher and a doctor. Now all we need is a dentist. So how’s the company going, Jade? We sure appreciate your business here, you know.”

  “Thanks, Bob. Have a seat for a minute. I need to talk to you about that.”

  “Oh, don’t tell me you’re thinking of leaving.” His forehead creased while he settled in the chair across from her.

  “Not if you and I can reach an understanding. The old part of our building needs some serious repair and I know it’s what was left of the old house they started with, before they enlarged the nut packing house. Will you okay the repairs? I’ve looked around and I don’t see a better location for my people. I don’t want to get hung up by some local causey group. Do I have to take this to the county planning outfit?”

  Bob let out a heavy sigh. “I see where you’re going with this. Don’t worry. You put down that you need to do major repairs to a couple of walls and I’ll sign the thing. County planning only cares about builders and developers, for the most part. We don’t want Mamie to get wind of this and start her historic nonsense again.”

  Jade felt a weight lift off her shoulders. “I’m glad you feel the same way about this as I do. I’ll have the paperwork to you the day after tomorrow. I didn’t want to end up like St. Anthony’s.”

  He nodded, patted her hand, and hurried away to ask Sari for another dance.

  Jade turned to look at Matt. He looked puzzled. “Mamie Hanson is the local honcho for the historic society. She raised a ruckus when the Catholics wanted to remodel their church. I guess it’s a hundred years old and she managed to find enough people for her petition to stop the work and the church has been sitting there for two years now, the rain coming through the roof and the floor rotting away. What a shame!”

  “So, do you know what you want done?”

  “Yes. I want you and Jack and Wolf to tear out the old walls in that corner of the building where the old kitchen used to be. I’d like to have steel rods instead of the old wood studs and I want that new cement fiber siding that resists fire. I love that big old pine next to the building but it could set the place on fire if it flamed up. I don’t know what we should use for the wall itself, though.”

  “Maybe Henry can help us out. You said he’s run a construction crew out there on Winks’ place.”

  “Good idea. I’ll call him tomorrow.”

  * * *

  As soon as Matt and Wolf delivered the siding, wallboard, and insulation to the company site the construction went into high gear. The four men had it finished by the middle of the month when Jack and Wolf took over the paint job.

  Two days later, Mamie Hanson showed up in Jade’s office. Her knock on the door sounded like that of a hungry woodpecker. She poked her tousled head around the half open door and gave Jade a prim scowl. “Young lady, it’s time we talked. I understand that you are changing things around here and I’ll have you know this nut packing plant has been here for generations and—.“

  “The Mishaps had it for twenty years and they remodeled this place after they bought it. Give it up, Mamie.” Jade felt a tiredness settle into her bones. She knew she was too young to be arthritic, at the age of thirty-two, so it must be the sight of Mamie’s face.

  “I am the guardian of venerable old places from pioneer days around here and I take it very seriously. This building started out as a house which belonged to Abigail Monroe, the first school teacher who retired from our historic little school.”

  “That’s nice but all of that was redone because the place was falling apart so there is no more house. This is a former nut plant and now it’s mine and if I tell people you’re driving this company out of Mishap because you’re threatening to take it away from me for making it a safe place to work, they’ll hang you.”

  “Well, we’ll just see about that!” The heavy woman stomped out the door and down the hall, making the hall echo with every step.

  For the first time, Jade thought long and hard about selling the company.

  When she got home she wandered about the yard, looking for something to make her smile. The rain streamed off of roofs and trees and her hood, as always. Finally, she spotted Tilly’s camellia tree blooming in the one sheltered spot next to the front door of her cottage. It was full of blossoms. She touched the petals very gently and drank in the sight of the deep lush reds. She was humming by the time she went into the kitchen.

  “Mmm, I smell chili and cornbread. You’re terrible for my figure, Tilly. Did you guys have that for lunch?”

  Tilly smiled at her and then sobered, shaking her head. “Just Cedric and me. That boy only remembers to eat when you’re home. I haven’t laid eyes on him since breakfast and that was early.”

  “Good. I’ll heat some up and drag him in here to join me. You don’t need to fix dinner for us.”

  “If Matt asks, his mother is helping Dr. Shipley at the clinic. So, I guess I’ll take Cedric up on his offer. He brought some silly old movi
es home and wants to watch one over popcorn and apples like a couple of kids. Silly man never did grow up. Still wants to have fun.” Tilly was smiling to herself when Jade cast a sideways glance at her housekeeper.

  Jade opened the back door to the shop slowly and slammed it so Matt would know she was behind him. He was embedding blue birdlike figures into a leaf green pot made of ceramic clay. It looked cold but she could feel heat coming from it. She was glad to see him wearing his heaviest gloves. She sat down across from him and looked up to see him smiling.

  “Hello, beautiful lady. How’s the painting going?”

  “Oh, fine. I think they’ll get the second coat on tomorrow and then I’ll have them tackle the sink. I understand you turned your nose up at Tilly’s cornbread and chili. That was not good, Matthew Dixon.”

  “When? I wouldn’t do that. I’ve never done anything but eat like a starving pigeon at her table.”

  Jade laughed and nodded. “True. You forgot lunch again. Why don’t you join me? I heated some up for us.”

  “Right behind you. Just let me firm up this ridge right here. There.” He cleaned his hands with a squirt of sudsy liquid and wiped them off on a couple of paper towels.”

  After they settled at the kitchen table Matt closed his eyes while he savored his food. “Whoa! I’m hungrier than I realized. This stuff is terrific. Have you seen my mother?”

  “She’s helping Dr. Shipley again. I had a visit from the local battle ax today. Mamie Hanson said I couldn’t do anything to the old part of the building and I said there wasn’t any old part left. I guess I could have saved that old sink for her. It would’ve served her right.”

  Matt’s deep chuckle made her laugh. “That should’ve brightened your day.”

  “It should’ve but, I’m ashamed to say, I was as grumpy as ever after she left. I need a change of scene or something.”

  “I have just the thing. I need to meet with Lee and take delivery of some gems and metals so I can deliver them to my clients up here. Why don’t you go with me?”

  Jade felt a new energy surge into her. “All right. How long will we be gone and do I need any dress clothes?”

  “We can leave on Thursday afternoon, meet Lee on Friday, do our deliveries on Saturday and Sunday and head back here on Monday. That way you’ll only leave your people on their own for two work days. As far as how dressy you go, that’s up to you. We can meet Lee wherever you want and, if you want to do something special, just tell me. My savings account never looked so good. Speaking of money, here’s the rent for this month and next. I’m sorry I’m late. I bought the cashier’s check and then forgot it in my wallet.”

  “Isn’t it kind of expensive to buy cashier’s checks at your bank instead of having a checking account?

  “Not as long as I have that free savings account. Unfortunately, that offer expires at the end of February so I may as well open an account up here. I hate that stuff so I’ve been lazy about looking for the best deal in Eugene. I don’t suppose you’d want to handle my money for me.” He gave her an engaging smile.

  Jade tried to scowl at him and then laughed. “I shouldn’t, you know. You need to be able to do this yourself. I’ll tell you what. I’ll find the best deal and get you started and then I’ll show you how I handle mine.”

  “Great! I can use all the help I can get. Besides, if I can figure out when you’re ready, I plan to make this arrangement permanent.”

  Jade swallowed so hard it hurt her throat. “Permanent? Uh, I like the sound of it but I, I’m afraid I might, um—.”

  “Get bored with me. I was afraid of that.” Matt’s voice trailed off while he looked at his hands.

  “No! No, not at all! I’m afraid I’ll disappoint you.” Jade felt panic jump into her throat at the thought of hurting Matt but his eyes already showed deep pain.

  “How could you possibly do that? I love everything about you. Especially your body and your mind.” He took both of her hands in his, his food forgotten.

  “I love you very much but my business is even boring me and I have a lot of work to do before I would try to sell anything I carved. I love this little place but it’s just a piece of country with an old farmhouse, a pair of geese, a dog, and a cat. We can’t live off of it and I don’t want to make you support me.”

  “Why not? I live here. I eat here. I can make enough with my engineering and importing as long as you help me with the bookkeeping part. If I get something going with Omano, to build and keep his hot shop going, I think we’ll be fine. We don’t live high. And then there’s my ceramics. If they take off and I can sell them to Omano or on consignment, we can put that into a savings account.”

  Jade could feel cold chills and hot sparks travel up and down her arms and legs. She wasn’t sure whether this meant she was thrilled or terrified. She decided she was both. “I guess you’re right about the money but if I sell my company I’m going to need another career. I can’t picture me making much money on my carving. I want to enjoy it so I’m not going to put that kind of pressure on me.”

  “You’re going to sell your company? Why?”

  “Because I’m getting tired of it. It’s good steady work but it’s the same thing for the same people with the same companies year after year. That makes for a stable income but it’s beginning to bore me to death. Even though the profits are growing, the work stays pretty much the same.”

  “Do you have a buyer in mind?”

  She nodded. “I’ve been thinking about this, off and on, for the past two months. I think I can help Wolf, Betty, Jack, and Velma set up a partnership and buy it from me for reasonable monthly payments.”

  “You think they’re interested?”

  “I asked the men some casual questions about it and I can tell they like the idea. We’ll see about the women.”

  “Wow, you surprise me every time I think I’ve got you figured out. Well, what do you say about our travel plans?”

  “I’m making my list right now and Thursday afternoon we fly out of here. I’m looking forward to it.”

  Betty, Wolf, Jack, Matt, and Jade did all the packing on Thursday morning so they could ship a day early. Wolf and Velma promised to keep track of orders and deliveries while she and Matt were gone.

  By four o’clock they were seated in their plane and waiting for take-off. Jade glanced at Matt to see if he might still be thinking about his marriage plans but he seemed far away. It made her feel terribly lonely. For two and a half months they had been together every day and he had seemed so accessible. This new distance frightened her. She wondered if he were having second thoughts. He hadn’t seemed as warm to her for the last two nights.

  “Matt?”

  He turned to look at her after sighing as if he couldn’t decide whether to acknowledge her or not. “Yes?”

  “I want you to know I’m thrilled that we’ve talked about getting married and I’m just feeling afraid I’m not good enough at this stuff. I can’t stand the thought that I’ve hurt you.” She wondered if he could tell how she felt. She was used to hiding her feelings.

  He sighed again. “I’m wondering the same thing about me. I want us to be partners, to be together for the rest of our lives, but maybe I’m not making enough money to give you the security you want. My income does go up and down.”

  “That’s not the problem at all, for me. Whether I sell the company or keep it, I’ll have a reliable income each month. Wolf and Jack are men of their word and very hard workers. I’m only afraid I’ll be a drag on you. Heck, I’ll be a drag on me if I can’t figure out what I want to do next. Look, once I figure that out I’ll be ready to marry you, if you still want me.”

  “I’ll always want you.” His kiss was followed by a couple of tears which splashed onto her face. “Sorry about that.”

  “Don’t be. I feel like the luckiest woman in the world that you want me. Maybe my being with you and Lee, this weekend, will give me some time to look around and see what I want to do.”

  Neither
one seemed to have much appetite for dinner so they grabbed a couple of items at the local delicatessen and made it an early night at the hotel. Jade was relieved when Matt seemed as passionate in his lovemaking as he had the first time they got together. They decided on a simple breakfast of muffins and fruit at the hotel so they could enjoy a Cantonese lunch with Lee.

  Jade was shocked to see Lee without his usual cocky grin, when they got to Kan’s, a favorite old restaurant north of their little hotel. “Let me guess. Your girlfriend of the moment took off.”

  “Be nice, girl. It’s already been a tough day. If I weren’t already in the mood for Cantonese I wouldn’t have let you talk me into this place. It’s always too noisy. Sit down and tell me you have good news for me.”

  “I have the final checks for all four orders. Does that help?”

  “Aw, thank you, Matt. I knew I could count on you.” Lee put the checks into his wallet without looking at them.

  Matt took three boxes the size of cell phones and slipped them into three pockets in a black vest he was wearing under his jacket. His movements were so smooth and automatic that Jade doubted if anyone noticed him. She was impressed as well as relieved because she knew that one box held rubies and semiprecious stones while the other two held emeralds and fine pearls. He held up one hand when his cell phone rang. “Yes. Yes, Bonnie. Great. Yes, I’ll be there on those dates. Thank you.” He looked at the other two and smiled. “The metals are on their way north.”

  “Now that our business is concluded, let’s enjoy ourselves.” Lee dove into his food as if it were to be his last meal for a while. “By the way, have you two decided whether to join Omano’s staff or not?”

  “We’re not going to. I’m ready to be his hot shop man but I don’t plan any more glass blowing myself. I’m working on a new process and I’m really enjoying it.”

  “Have you explained this new process? He may want you anyway. He loves to be first with a new idea in art.”

  “No. I want to work on it my way, no pressure from him.”