Lord, please hear my prayer. I know I haven’t been as faithful to You as I should have been. I turned away from You two years ago when everything in my world came crashing down. I was angry at You for forsaking me. For allowing bad things to happen to the people I loved. For Sam’s death. For Marissa’s broken body and shattered dreams. But with time I’ve grown to realize that You have always been by my side. You led me here to Treasure Harbor. You led me straight toward Jade. My princess. My love. I don’t know how I’m going to find the words to make things right between us, because I’ve always locked my feelings deep inside of me. With Your help I know I can make this right.
**
Jade’s agony was acute. She’d had her heart broken once before, but this time it felt much worse. Perhaps because she was older and seemingly wiser. She’d hidden her heart away for such a long time. Roman had weaseled his way in, making his way past all of her defenses and burrowing deeply into her heart.
And now, in the clear light of day, she was beginning to realize that she hadn’t really known him at all. She had only known the version of him that he wanted her to see. She pressed her eyes closed to stop the rising tide of tears that threatened to engulf her. Roman Sant’Angelo wasn’t worth her tears!
Lord. Why does this keep happening to me? Why do I have such a foolish heart? I opened my heart up again to love because I thought that’s what You wanted me to do. Your command is to love one another. And so I allowed myself to love Roman. And now I’m right back where I started. Disillusioned. Hurting. Angry.
Jade drove back to her house and settled into her pajamas. She made herself a hot cup of orange tea and curled up in bed against her pillows. Right now all she wanted to do was eat chocolate and watch a sappy movie on television. Try as she might, thoughts of Roman were never far from her heart and mind.
Unbidden, tears slid down her face. These feelings of betrayal and loss were so familiar. Only this time it was far worse. Deep down inside where her dreams resided she had begun to think of him as her future husband, a man she could walk through life with by her side. Stupid, stupid fool. She chastised herself. Roman was simply another Kristoff. A liar. A fraud. He’d wormed his way into her heart only to use her. To get something he wanted and then cast her aside like trash. All for the almighty dollar.
Chapter Seven
The following morning Roman woke up to a world beyond his most nightmarish imagination. Jade was gone. She was out of his life. And it hurt worse than any pain he’d ever known. It felt as if someone had stabbed him in his gut and left him for dead. He had barely slept two hours last night, if that.
Roman had tried to drown his sorrows last night in a bottle of champagne, but after one glass he’d put the bottle away, knowing that no amount of bubbly would help him ease his shattered heart. Jade’s words kept going around and around in his head.
I don’t deal in lies or deception.
He didn’t have the heart to eat or do much more than lay in bed going over all the details of last night’s scene with Jade. He should have spoken up. He should have fought for their love. Because he did love her—much more than even he had realized.
That evening a knock sounded at his door. He stumbled to his feet, desperate to find out if Jade was on the other side of the door. Once he wrenched it open, he let out a defeated groan as he laid eyes on Ryan, Max and Victor. He turned around and slumped down on the bed. He didn’t even have the energy to tell them to leave.
“You look like someone died.” Max poked him in the side. He let out a grunt. His head was spinning and all he could think about was Jade walking out of his life.
“He’s got it bad.” Ryan’s voice chimed in.
“It’s called broken-hearted,” Victor added. “Maybe we should give him his space. I remember when Mallory and I were at a crossroads and it seemed as if all hope was lost. It was brutal.”
“He needs a kick in the pants,” Ryan said. “Get up, Roman. Walk if off.”
Roman opened one eye. “Could you please leave me alone so I can wallow in peace and quiet?”
Victor folded his arms over his chest. “No wallowing allowed.”
“Go to her. Lay it all out there. Don’t mess this thing up, Roman,” Ryan said, shaking his head. “You’re never going to find another woman like her.”
He suddenly sat up. “Don’t you think I know that?” he asked, his voice sounded agonized. “I love her. I am so in love with her I can’t see straight.” He threw his hands in the air. “But I messed up. Now she thinks I’m a fraud and a liar. I can’t say I blame her.”
“Tell her you’re sorry. Scream it from the rooftops, man,” Victor told him in a firm voice.
“Maybe he doesn’t really love her,” Max said, sending Roman a challenge with his gaze.
Roman stood up and walked toward Max. “Don’t say that. Not ever. I love that woman more than I could ever put into words. She’s everything to me.”
“Then why wouldn’t you fight for her?” Max asked in a low voice.
Suddenly, reality crashed over Roman like a rogue wave. While he was sitting here in his room wallowing, Jade was going on with her life and probably thinking he didn’t care about her. The guys were right! He needed to fight for their love. If Jade had given up on them, he needed to fight twice as hard to make up the slack.
He reached out and hugged Max for all he was worth. Max struggled to get out of his bear hug. Once he let go, Roman raised his fist in the air. “I’m going to find Jade right now and pour my heart out to her. I’m going to lay it all on the line. I’m going to shout it from the roof tops.”
Max, Ryan and Victor began to cheer wildly. At this moment Roman desperately needed a cheering section. He was facing an uphill battle in getting his lady back. Again, he found himself calling on God to be part of his support system.
God, grant me the strength to be truthful and open with Jade. Don’t let me succumb to fear or doubts. Jade deserves love more than any woman I’ve ever known. I want to be the one to show her that true love never fails.
**
Just before closing time, Roman entered Gems jewelry shop. The bell tinkled to announce his arrival. Jade swung her gaze toward the door. Her smile froze when she spotted him. Her eyes hardened.
“I know I’m probably the last person you wanted to see, but I needed to say a few things to you. Important things. Things that you deserve to know.”
“You asked me why I took the assignment from Buddy Keaton. I couldn’t find the words to tell you the truth at the time.” He grimaced. “It’s always been difficult for me to speak my truths. To lay myself bare. But if you give me another chance, I’d like to tell you.”
Jade’s mouth twitched. “I don’t think it’s easy for any of us to lay ourselves bare. When I told you about Kristoff it was painful and humiliating…but I still did it.”
Roman nodded. He swallowed past the fear and dove right in. “Two years ago my whole world came crashing down around me during a dig in Tunisia. My younger sister, Marissa, was there that day. She’d been studying anthropology at grad school. My best friend Sam was there too. We’d been best friends since grade school. He worked with me on digs. A right hand man of sorts. Sam and Marissa had been seeing each other all that summer. They’d fallen in love. I have to admit, I wasn’t crazy about their relationship at first.” He quirked his mouth. “Sam was older, more experienced. But seeing them together and how much they loved one another made a believer out of me. Honestly, it made me want that type of love in my own life.”
Jade flinched when she heard those words. Otherwise, her expression remained solemn. Almost devoid of emotion. It crossed his mind that it really might be too late to win her back. Still—she deserved to hear the truth from his lips.
“On the last day of the dig there was a trench cave-in. When the accident happened, Sam jumped in to rescue Marissa, who was trapped underneath the rubble.” A low moan escaped his lips. The devastating scene flas
hed before his eyes. For a few moments it felt as if he’d been transported back in time to that fateful day. “Sam died saving my sister. I was lying a few feet away unable to move because my back was broken by the cave-in. I watched it all happen.” Roman swiped tears away with the back of his hand. “Love makes the impossible possible. I know that without a shadow of a doubt.”
“What happened to Marissa?” Jade asked, her eyes wide, face flushed.
“Her legs were crushed and she was bleeding badly. She was flown by medivac to the nearest hospital and she nearly died en route. She was in a medically induced coma for three months. We didn’t know if she would live or die. When she woke up and found out about Sam and realized that both of her legs had been amputated, she didn’t want to live.” Roman took a deep, steadying breath, then continued. “She’s been through the wringer. Setbacks. Surgeries. Infections. Depression. Prosthetic limbs. And now finally, there’s hope. But it comes at a high cost. That’s why I accepted Keaton’s offer. For Marissa. I need to do whatever I can to atone for my mistakes. I take full responsibility for what happened at the dig that day. I was in charge. It’s my fault.”
Roman ducked his head down. He didn’t want to see the look on Jade’s face. He had no idea if she believed him or not. And he knew it would kill him if she rejected him at this tender moment. He wasn’t sure if he’d be able to pick himself up off the floor if she walked away from him again. Suddenly, she whispered his name.
“Roman.”
When he swung his gaze up toward her, the first thing he noticed were the tears streaming down her beautiful face. He let out a tortured groan.
“Baby, please don’t cry. The last thing I want is to be a source of your tears.”
Jade moved toward him, quickly swallowing up the distance between them. He reached out and swiped away her tears with his thumb. She was gazing up at him with such a wealth of emotion shimmering in her eyes. He prayed it was love he was seeing in the depths of her warm brown eyes. “I’m so sorry, Roman. What you’ve been through would break a much lesser man. Losing your best friend in that horrific way. And then dealing with Marissa’s injuries. You’ve placed all of the blame squarely on your own shoulders. It wasn’t your fault. It was an accident.”
“Marissa never should have been there that day. I let my heart rule my head. All digs come with risk. I should have known better.”
Jade smoothed her palm across his cheek. “You led with love. That’s never a mistake. It’s the very thing God wants us to do. Love one another. You loved Sam. And he willingly risked it all for Marissa. Such a beautiful act of love.”
Roman clenched his jaw. “One that cost him his life.” He choked out the words. Tears blurred his vision. “I miss him, Jade. He was my best friend. My partner in crime. I still haven’t gotten past losing him. And for such a long time I was angry at God for not sparing him and for all of Marissa’s injuries.”
“I understand now. I can see how that tragedy would have shaken you to your very core. And made you doubt God’s grace.”
“Being here has changed all that. I see things so much more clearly now. Before it was as if I was seeing my life through a haze. It reminds me of the Bible verse from Corinthians. For now we see through a glass darkly. But then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.”
“I don’t think you were ever as far away from God as you believed. Otherwise, your journey back to Him wouldn’t have been so seamless.”
“Jade, I’m not sure I deserve a second chance with you. I wasn’t totally honest with you when I arrived in Treasure Harbor. I didn’t tell you that I was working for Buddy. I deeply regret that.” He cupped her face between his hands and looked deeply into her eyes. “I love you, Jade. I’m deeply, fervently, passionately in love with you. I don’t feel very worthy of that love at this moment, but I promise you, if you give me the opportunity, I’ll prove it to you.”
“Oh, Roman. I’m so in love with you. And you are worthy of loving me and being loved by me. I wish you’d told me the real reason you were chasing the Star of Imara, but I understand about your agreement with Keaton. You signed a contract that forbade you from divulging that information. And your reasons for being here are altruistic. You want to help your sister with her recovery and healing.” She blinked away tears. “I can’t think of a more heroic gesture.”
Roman threw his head back and chuckled. “A hero? I’m not so sure about that. I just want to do right by my sister. She still has a way to go with her recovery, but according to her doctors, she’s right on track.”
“I can’t believe how happy I am right now. A few hours ago I felt like the most broken hearted person on the planet.” Jade stood on tippy toes and pulled Roman’s head down toward her. She pressed her lips against his in a celebratory kiss that cemented everything they felt for one another. Roman placed his hands around her waist and kissed her back with equal fervor. Her lips tasted of sunshine and cinnamon. The scent of her flowery perfume filled his nostrils. He breathed in the aroma. He would never be able to get enough of this woman. His woman. If he had any say, she would be his forever.
As the kiss ended, Roman placed his forehead against Jade’s forehead. For a moment they just stood there, drinking each other in. “I never thought I’d find you,” he said in a low voice. His heart was filled with endless gratitude.
“I hoped. I prayed. I even wished upon a shooting star once. And I am so grateful that God sent you my way.”
“I’m grateful God didn’t forget about me, even though I haven’t been very faithful to Him for the last few years.”
“That’s the beautiful thing about being loved by Him. He won’t ever forsake you, Roman,” Jade said in a firm voice. “He understands the pain and guilt you’ve endured. He knows all of the burdens you’ve been carrying on your shoulders. And little by little, He has been helping you ease them.”
Roman nodded. He reached out his hand and ran it down the side of her face. “You’ve given me hope, Jade. Hope for Marissa and her future. Hope that I can become a better brother and put aside all my doubts and fears.”
Tears pooled in Jade’s eyes. “Oh, you’ve been a fabulous brother, Roman. Everything you’ve done with regards to trying to locate the Star of Imara has been for her. And I can’t wait to meet Marissa.”
“At this point she might just think I made you up.” He grinned down at her. “I made you sound like an angel from heaven.”
Jade felt her cheeks blushing. “Now that must be love doing the talking. I’m far from being an angel.”
Roman’s expression turned serious. “Well, you’re my angel. You changed my whole life, Jade. I came to Treasure Harbor as a desperate man seeking a way to help my sister. I didn’t even pause to consider that I was selling my soul to do it. I’m done with looking for the treasure as Keaton’s hired hand. I’ve learned so much about myself in the past few weeks.” He shook his head and let out a fierce laugh. “Imagine. I came here looking for treasure, but in the end, I found the other half of my heart. And my soul.”
“Are you sure that you’re all right with giving up the hunt for the treasure? I can’t imagine Keaton won’t be furious. He’s a man who enjoys getting what he wants.”
He dipped his head down and placed a kiss on her forehead. “I can handle Keaton. I reached out to him earlier. Believe it or not, he was thrilled at the information I handed in about Drake Burton’s route and the area he frequented when he was in Treasure Harbor. He promised me a big, fat bonus and even though he yelled a bit about my ending the search, he congratulated me on finding the love of my life.”
Jade’s eyes widened. Her jaw dropped. She began to sputter. “Wow. I can’t believe it. Maybe he’s a hopeless romantic at heart.”
“I wouldn’t put it past him.” He winked at her. “And by the way, I never said I was going to stop looking for the Star of Imara. I’m just not going to locate it for a filthy rich billionaire who only wan
ts it for his own selfish purposes. That type of piece should be in a museum somewhere or being used for educational, historical purposes.”
Jade smiled. “I love the way you think. And I would be very interested in being your sidekick again. For a small fee of course.”
Roman reached out and circled his arms around her waist. He pulled her toward him so that she was pressed up against him. “A fee, huh? How about we work out some kind of deal.”
“Such as?” she asked with a pert expression.
“How about I pay you in kisses and moonlit walks on the beach and romantic dinners for two?”
Jade threw her head back. “Yes, Yes. That would be a perfectly wonderful agreement. I love you Roman Sant’Angelo. Thank you for coming to Treasure Harbor and changing my life forever.”
“Thank you, my love. For restoring my faith, not only in God, but in myself and my ability to love. Because I do love you, Jade, with every ounce of my soul.”
“I’ll never get tired of hearing you say that.”
EPILOGUE
It was a perfect November day for a sail across Treasure Harbor. There was barely a cloud in the cornflower blue sky as Roman steered the Mystic 57 across the ocean. It was great having generous friends, Jade thought. The boat belonged to the Burton family. Ryan had generously offered them the use of it whenever they wished to go sailing. They had shamelessly taken him up on his offer.
Although Roman had told her he wanted a relaxing day, something told her that he wouldn’t mind poking around a few caverns for treasure. It didn’t bother Jade at all that Roman still talked about the Star of Imara and discussed with her all the possible hiding places that Drake Burton might have stashed his pirate’s booty. She knew Roman’s heart like her own. He wasn’t seeking it for his own financial gain. As an archeologist, he was a riddle solver. A historian of artifacts. She knew instinctively that if Roman did find the treasure, he would work very hard to preserve it for the public good.
His Precious Jewel (Treasure Harbor Book 6) Page 7
