Hearts of Jade (A Hidden Hearts Novel Book 3)

by Mary Crawford

  I can hardly contain my anticipatory glee as I tiptoe past her. She’s taking a nap on the couch with Inkblot lying squarely on her shoulder. Although she’s been a little tired, the absolute miracle is that she no longer seems to be in constant pain. She got a headache the other day and about scared us to death. She was afraid everything was going to come back, even after all that she’d gone through. Fortunately, it turned out to be an average, everyday run-of-the-mill headache and she was able to knock it down with a couple of Motrin.

  After I successfully hang my new surprise in the bathroom, I cover Jade with a blanket, scoop Inkblot up into my arms and carry him into the office. Jade gave me my own corner for composing and songwriting, however lately I’ve been putting it to a slightly different use as well. When I worked with my family at the car lot, I started calling all of my customers after they purchased cars to see how well everything was going. My dad was so impressed by how well this technique works to encourage customers to come back to buy cars for their spouses or their children, he has instituted that program for all of his car sales. In essence, I am telecommuting and still working for Stone Auto Group. My mom is absolutely thrilled because having me involved in the business is taking some of the burden off of my dad’s shoulders. It’s working surprisingly well for me too. I never thought that I would be able to make peace with my family. I always assumed that we would be too different to work together. It feels remarkably good to be working toward the same family goal and still be able to write music.

  As I flip through my mail, I’m surprised to see a letter from Silent Beats Music. I am so shocked that I almost drop it. Immediately, I wonder if it’s some sort of scam. Why would Aidan O’Brien’s music label contact me? This isn’t any corporate music label — it’s one he started himself. Rumor has it that he handpicks every talent on his label. I open the small brown envelope with a great deal of skepticism and even more hope.

  Oddly, it just contains an oversized post-it-note with a few handwritten lines:

  With shaking hands, I put the Post-it note on the desk and pick up the phone to call Joe Summers. In a voice I barely recognize as my own, I ask, “Hey, I just heard from Aidan O’Brien — he says he’s heard my stuff. Do you know anything about that?”

  “Yeah, I just got signed by his label a couple months ago. I called the house to tell you, but you were at work, so your girlfriend answered. I asked her if she thought you would mind if I played a few of your demo tapes for Aidan. She told me that you would never push hard enough to give yourself that break because you’re always taking care of everyone else. I figured that was probably true since you pretty much just gave me one of the best written songs I’ve ever heard.”

  “You give me royalties off that song,” I argue.

  “Only because I basically force them on you, I’ve never had to work so hard to give somebody money in my whole life. Usually in this industry people are after you with their hands out. Anyway, I was telling Aidan about all of our co-writes and he’s definitely interested.”

  “Thank you man, I don’t know what to say.”

  “Don’t thank me, thank your girlfriend. She encouraged me to do it.”

  After I hang up the phone, I think to myself, I really am marrying a magical unicorn of a woman and my life will never be the same.

  “MARK, I’M SO SORRY THAT I’ve had to reschedule on you a couple of times. Who knew that my stupid headaches would cause such drama?”

  “It’s okay, everything about our meeting has been atypical. Why should this be any different?” Mark replies.

  There is something strangely intense about Mark Littleson. It’s not so much his size, Tristan and Declan are bigger. I don’t think it’s his looks either, although his Native American features are compellingly attractive. I think it’s something about the energy that he radiates. Somehow, he manages to be both incredibly exciting and peaceful at the same time.

  “Still, it’s not the way I like to do business,” I insist with a grimace.

  “Are you feeling better now?” he asks, his voice filled with concern.

  I guess that’s perhaps the one thing that I’ve had the hardest thing getting used to. All of this pity and concern reminds me of the looks that I used to get shortly after Onyx passed away. It’s very disconcerting to have to rebuild my personal wall every time someone tries to be nice. I know that it’s probably not a normal response to people being friendly, but it’s what I feel like I need to do.

  “My migraines are better — although my usual doctor read me the riot act. Apparently having the surgery is not the recommended treatment now. I don’t even know how to answer that because my headaches do feel better and nothing before the surgery worked,” I babble, not sure why I’m telling him all this superfluous background information.

  As I’m sizing the large back piece for Mark and transferring the outline to Mark’s back so that he can check the scale, I notice that I’m getting winded much easier than I have in the past.

  “Mark, I hate to tell you this but I may have to do this tattoo in more sessions than we’d planned My endurance is not what it was before I went in for surgery. This dream catcher is very intricate with lots of line work. I want to make sure that I’m strong enough to do it right for you. I’m sorry for any inconvenience,” I apologize.

  “Like I said before, sometimes the timing of life is out of our hands,” he offers philosophically.

  I smile wryly as I respond, “You’re preaching to the choir here. My life over the past few months has been a study in that approach.”

  A smile lights up Mark’s face as he glances at my ring. “If I were to venture a guess, I would say that you are much happier with your new approach, correct?”

  I take a moment to study my engagement ring and all that it symbolizes. I take a deep breath and try to shake off the stress as I remember that I actually have everything that I could ever need in my life right at this very moment.

  I return Mark’s grin as I confirm, “Yes, you are absolutely right. Declan has helped me find happiness in my life that I thought that I had lost a really long time ago.”

  “There you go; there’s something to be said for new approaches,” he quips.

  I am still working with Mark’s stencil when Rogue comes up to me and taps me on the shoulder. This is highly unusual for Rogue. Unlike Marcus, usually if I’m tattooing, she leaves me completely undisturbed.

  I look up at her and ask, “Need something?”

  Rogue is chewing on her bottom lip. “You’ve been doing this a lot longer than I have. Maybe I’m missing something or better yet, maybe I’m seeing something that’s not there. Anyway, I’d appreciate it if you could come look at Shelby’s back for me.”

  There is something about Rogue’s halting delivery that makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up. She has become a really confident tattoo artist, there isn’t much that she can’t handle — in some ways, she’s actually better than me.

  I lean over Mark’s shoulder and ask him, “Do you mind if we take a break? A colleague needs some assistance.”

  He shakes his head. “That’s okay, I’ve got some messages I need to listen to. We’ve got a case in settlement talks.”

  “I’ll be right back,” I assure him.

  Rogue and I walk over to her station. Shelby is lying face down on her adjustable bench.

  “Sorry to keep you waiting, I’d like Jade to take a look at your back if that’s all right with you,” Rogue explains. “This is Jade, my boss.”

  “Oh, I wasn’t really waiting all that long. I used to spend longer than this in tanning beds. It was nice to have a moment to myself. I’ve been so busy with graduation that I haven’t really had a chance to even stop and think about things. I’ve got so much to do before my trip to Louisiana, my head hurts even thinking about it.”

  “Shelby, do you mind if I look at your back?” I ask.

  “I don’t have a problem with that. Go ahead and do whatever it is you need to do,
” she replies.

  Rogue moves the towel, she placed over Shelby’s back and begins using her pen as a pointing device as she describes, “I noticed the area right above where her bra strap would be. That’s the most acute, but she’s got a few others with inconsistent texture. They don’t appear to be painful because I touched them with my stencil pen and she didn’t seem to react.”

  I change out my gloves to another set of neoprene gloves. I run the edge of my thumb over the area that Rogue was concerned about. Even through my glove, I can feel the sandpaper texture of Shelby’s skin.

  I glance up at Rogue and curtly nod as I clench my jaw to school my emotions. I have been down this road with other clients and it can be dicey.

  “What does that mean?” Shelby asks, alarmed. “It’s usually not this hard for me to get a tattoo. Is it because I chose a dream catcher? Is there some sort of religious prohibition against it?”

  “No, not that I know of,” Rogue answers clearing her throat lightly. “Shelby, based on our experience, we think you should see a doctor about your back. There seems to be something unusual going on.”

  “What do you mean ‘based on your experience’? What happened? I thought you hadn’t even started tattooing yet.”

  I shift uncomfortably on my feet before answering, but even then I hedge, “We see lots of skin every day and we’ve seen a lot of different stuff. We just think it might be a good idea to play it safe and have it checked out. Hopefully it’s nothing.”

  “Are you saying you can’t tattoo the dream catcher on my back?” Shelby repeats, sounding bewildered.

  “I think perhaps what she’s saying is right now the timing isn’t right,” Mark interjects.

  “You don’t even know me. What could you possibly know about my life?” Shelby asks.

  “I know nothing — except that you can’t change what will be.”

  THE END (for now)

  Mark and Shelby’s story continues in Love Is More Than Skin Deep, available September 7, 2016

  If you need immediate assistance, call 9-1-1

  National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-TALK (8255)

  TEXT 'Help' to 741741

  American Foundation for Suicide Prevention: (http://afsp.org) A comprehensive program that includes educational materials for people at risk of suicide, family members and people affected by suicide. They have outreach offices in all fifty states and include legislative reform to improve the health resources for people at risk for suicide. The website is an incredible resource.

  Yellow Ribbon Suicide Prevention Program: (http://yellowribbon.org ) An organization dedicated to the prevention of suicide through ensuring that information and resources are readily available and easily accessible to everyone.

  Migraine Research Foundation: (https://migraineresearchfoundation.org/) This organization raises funds to support research grants to find a cure for migraine headaches. The website also features several helpful tools to help manage migraines including several migraine diaries, ways to choose doctors and links to support groups.

  American Headache and Migraine Association: (https://ahma.memberclicks.net) This organization is focused on bringing patients and care providers together through patient empowerment. It focuses on improving patient and care provider communication and information sharing.

  As an author, one of the most common questions I’m asked is about which book I’ve written is my favorite. I will tell you straight off, that it is impossible for an author to tell you which book is their favorite. It is like choosing between your children. It is next to impossible. Having said that, I think without question this novel may be one of my most important to date. In many ways, it’s one of my more personal novels, even though it doesn’t deal directly with a character with a visible disability.

  For much of my career, I was a disability advocate. I will always maintain that invisible disabilities are much more challenging than visible disabilities. Mental illness and chronic depression are the most challenging of all because no one recognizes the struggle. Sometimes, no one sees your pain until it’s far too late.

  Such was the case in my life when I was attending law school. One of my fellow law students took her own life. Very few of us if any of us saw it coming. The ripple effects of Valencia’s death followed our whole class for years to come. I will never forget going to her funeral and hearing her parents comment that Valencia had disclosed to them that she thought she had no friends. Nothing could have been further from the truth. If she had only found strength to reach out, there would’ve been dozens of us willing to help. Such as the nature of the struggle—her vision was clouded by depression and mental illness and she was unable to see clearly. It has been nearly twenty years since her death, but I am still shaken by it today. I will forever wonder if there is something more I could have done.

  I wrote this book in her memory in hopes that someone, somewhere who is struggling may find the strength to reach out and find help. There is always someone in the world who cares.

  Fifteen percent of the net profits from the sale of this book will be donated to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. I invite you to check out the phenomenal work they are doing. The website is listed in the resource guide.

  To Kathern Watts and Lacie Redding: Thanks for caring so much about me; yet not caring when I email you at three o’clock in the morning with story ideas. Without you guys, I wouldn’t be able to make this engine go.

  To Sandy Whittington and Ada Frost: You guys sure know how to take some plain words and fancy them up. Your collaboration of art is stunning. I still stop and stare at the beauty of it. Thank you so much for sharing your talent with me.

  To all those who graciously added ideas and knowledge along the way: thank you for your time and effort. My book is better because of you.

  To Leonard Crawford: I love you more than words can say, but this is my twelfth book. You can stop telling people this is my hobby. I think I’m a bona fide author by now.

  I have been lucky enough to live my own version of a romance novel. I married the guy who kissed me at summer camp. He told me on the night we met that he was going to marry me and be the father of my children. Eventually I stopped giggling when he said it, and we just celebrated our 27th wedding anniversary. We have two children. The oldest is in medical school, where he recently found and married the love of his life, and the youngest will be tackling middle school.

  I write full time now. I have a dozen books under my belt and have several more underway. I volunteer my time to a variety of causes. I have worked as a Civil Rights Attorney and diversity advocate. I spent several years working for various social service agencies before becoming an attorney. In my spare time, I love to cook, decorate cakes and of course, I obsessively, compulsively read.

  If you have questions or comments, please E-mail me at Mary@MaryCrawfordAuthor.com or find me on the following social networks:

  Facebook: www.facebook.com/authormarycrawford

  Website: MaryCrawfordAuthor.com

  Twitter:www.twitter.com/MaryCrawfordAut

  If you enjoyed Jade and Declan’s love story, similar adventures continue in the upcoming releases in The Hidden Beauty Series titles:

  Until the Stars Fall from the Sky (A Hidden Beauty Novel #1) — Jeff and Kiera — June 3, 2014

  So the Heart Can Dance (A Hidden Beauty Novel #2) — Aidan and Tara — April 24, 2015

  Joy and Tiers (A Hidden Beauty Novel #3) — Heather and Ty—August 15, 2015

  Love Naturally (A Hidden Beauty Novel #4) — Madison and Trevor— December 24, 2015

  Love Seasoned (A Hidden Beauty Novel #5) — Denny and Gwendolyn—January 19, 2016

  Love Claimed (A Hidden Beauty Novel #6) — Donda and Jaxson — June 17, 2016

  Jude’s Song (A Hidden Beauty Novel #7) —Tasha and Jude— Coming Early Fall, 2016

  If You Knew Me (and other silent musings) — Elijah and Sadie (A Hidden Beauty Novella)— Coming Fall 2016

 
Love Against Code (A Hidden Beauty Novel #8) —Matt and Devon—Coming Winter 2016

  Paths Not Taken (A Hidden Beauty Novel #9) —Jordan and Chrstiano—Coming Early Spring 2017

  The Hidden Hearts Series:

  Identity of the Heart (A Hidden Hearts Novel #1) — Ivy and Marcus and Rogue and Tristan — September 21, 2015

  Sheltered Heart (A Hidden Hearts Novel #2) — Jessica and Mitch—March 28, 2016.

  Hearts of Jade (A Hidden Hearts Novel #3) — Jade and Declan—August 12, 2016

  Port in the Storm (A Hidden Hearts Novella) — Sam and Taylor—Passion in Portland 2016 —June 1, 2016

  Love Is More Than Skin Deep (A Hidden Hearts Novel #4)— Shelby and Mark — Coming September 7, 2016

  Arrest and Be Free (A Hidden Hearts Novel #5)— Stuart and Daria — Coming Late Spring 2017

  Other Books:

  Mothers Day Magic Anthology — March 1, 2016

  #AmWriting: A Collection of Letters to Benefit The Wayne Foundation — June 7, 2016

  This book is dedicated to Judy Noble Cloud.