“I really don’t like boats.” A fresh wave of nausea hit her as she stepped onto the deck of the ferry, and the whole thing heaved under her feet.
“It’s going to be great. I promise.”
Tucked against the warmth of Dan’s side, she could almost let herself believe it.
He led her past the rest of the group to a spot at the front of the ship. Taking his arm off her, he leaned over the railing, stretching his fingers toward the water, as if he could reach the waves, which were at least ten feet below.
“Are you kidding me?” Jade clutched at the railing as the boat dipped in the waves.
“Sorry.” Dan pulled himself upright. “My dad used to dare us to touch the water every time we rode the ferry.”
Jade softened. “You really miss him, don’t you?”
Dan’s smile shifted from playful to wistful. “Yeah, I do. But I’ll see him again someday.”
“In heaven.” Jade ran a hand over Dan’s smooth cheek. They’d had several conversations about God and life and death and heaven over the past couple weeks, and Jade had felt a joy she’d never known before as Dan told her that getting to heaven didn’t depend on what she’d done or not done. It was all about what Jesus had done for her. Part of her knew that was too good to be true. But the other part of her—the part she was coming to recognize more and more—held onto the hope that it was.
“In heaven,” Dan repeated, bending down to brush a light kiss onto her lips. “But for now, I think I’m going to enjoy my day on earth. With you.”
“Me too.” She popped onto her tiptoes to give him another kiss, but just then the ferry’s engine gave a loud roar, and the boat surged forward.
Knocked off balance, Jade toppled into Dan, whose arms went around her.
“Wow. I knocked you off your feet, huh?” Dan quipped.
But Jade could only nod, pressing her lips tight together. The boat’s movement had set her stomach churning.
“You okay?” Concern filled his voice.
She closed her eyes and leaned into him, trying to fight off the nausea.
But it was a losing battle.
“I need a bathroom,” she gasped.
Chapter 29
Dan stood with his forearm pressed to the outside of the bathroom door, waiting for the sound of Jade’s retching to pass. This was her third rush trip to the restroom since they’d gotten on the ferry, and he couldn’t have felt more awful if he were the one throwing up.
When she’d told him she didn’t like boats, he should have listened, instead of convincing her to come anyway. But he’d been so excited about the prospect of spending an entire day with her that he hadn’t been able to resist.
Inside the bathroom, he heard a toilet flush and then the sound of running water. He stepped back from the door to give Jade room to exit.
The moment she did, he gathered her into his arms. “Feel any better?”
Her head bobbed against his chest. “A little.” But her face was pale and drawn, and a cold sweat dampened the hair he brushed off her neck.
“Just hold on a little longer. We’re almost there.” He led her slowly toward the exterior deck again, bracing her against his side to minimize the impact of the ferry’s rolling motion.
At least the fresh air seemed to help. A little color returned to Jade’s cheeks as he steered her to a row of low benches. He passed her the water bottle Violet had brought her.
“I wish there was something I could do to make you feel better.” He hated being useless like this.
“Sitting with you makes me feel better.”
Dan looked over at her. Her head was tilted back, her eyes closed, but the slightest smile edged her lips.
Just then, the engine sounds changed as the ferry slowed. Dan watched the approaching island with relief. He had no idea how Jade was going to survive the trip back to the mainland this evening. But they had a whole day to enjoy together before they had to worry about that.
“We can get off this bucket in a few seconds,” he told her.
“That’s good.” She leaned into him, and he rested his chin on top of her head, taking a second to soak in the tropical scent of her hair. On second thought, maybe they should sit here like this all day.
At last, the engines cut off, and the ferry’s forward movement stilled.
“Ready to put your feet on dry land?” He held out a hand to help her up, anticipating the moment her fingers intertwined with his.
“Yes, please.” She offered him a weak smile and let him lead her onto the pier.
When they’d gathered everyone, the whole group wandered as one down the wide cobblestone street.
“Where to?” Violet asked. “Stores, beach, or food?”
“Beach and food.” Sophie veered to the right, where a short boardwalk led down to perfect white sands. “I have such a craving for some of those soft pretzels. Oh, and maybe a chili dog.”
Everyone laughed. Sophie had been eating nonstop since announcing her pregnancy, and the latest joke was that maybe she was carrying a best friend and a husband for Ariana’s baby, since twins ran in Spencer’s family.
The others followed, but Jade stopped with one foot on the boardwalk.
Dan stopped next to her. “Not in the mood for the beach?”
She shook her head. “Not really. Would you mind terribly if we did something else?”
“Jade, the only thing I need to make me happy today is to be with you,” he said honestly.
When she grabbed his hand, it was all he could do to keep from cheering out loud. It was the first time she’d been the one to take his hand instead of the other way around.
“How about a walk?” she asked.
He lifted her fingers to his lips and pressed a kiss onto her knuckles. “Lead the way.”
Jade had no idea where they were. They’d taken a left turn here and a right turn there, until she was hopelessly lost.
“Do you know the way back to the ferry landing?” she asked Dan.
“Nope.” He looked completely relaxed. “Does that worry you?”
“Not in the least.” As long as she was with Dan, she could be lost in Siberia and she wouldn’t mind.
“I figure we’re on an island, so if we keep walking long enough, we should come to the water, and we can always follow the shoreline to where we started.”
“You have it all figured out, don’t you?” she joked.
But he appraised her with a searching look. “I think I’m starting to figure it out.”
The intensity of his gaze made her glance away. He’d looked at her like that so often, and yet it caught her off guard every time.
“Look.” She pointed to a sign half covered by the dense trees at the side of the road. “Mercy’s Bluff. I wonder what that is.”
“Only one way to find out.” Dan pointed to the faint remnant of a trail that had long since grown over. Six weeks ago, Jade would have wrinkled her nose and said he was crazy if he thought she was going in there.
“Let’s check it out,” she said.
They cut through the underbrush that had almost obscured the trail, a few times nearly losing it entirely. After a while, Jade picked up a low rumble.
She paused, holding up a hand like a stop sign. “What’s that? It’s not going to storm, is it?” She lifted her face, but the trees were so thick here that she couldn’t make out more than a speckle of sky.
Dan tilted his head to the side, as if straining to hear. “That sounds like . . .” He trailed off and strode forward again, grabbing her hand and pulling her along.
“Was there supposed to be an end to that sentence?” She fought to catch her breath as he pulled her faster.
Instead of answering, he came to a stop so quickly she nearly ran into him. The low rumbling had intensified and seemed to come from below them.
“Dan. What’s going on?”
He stepped aside, giving her a full view. She caught her breath.
They were at the edge of a ho
rseshoe-shaped cliff that dropped straight down to the lake. Below them, huge waves smashed against the rock face, sending spray high into the air.
“Wow.” The juxtaposition of the power of the waves and the immensity of the water that stretched until she couldn’t see it anymore touched on something deep in the middle of her chest.
“Welcome to Mercy’s Bluff.” Dan spread his arms wide, inviting her to take it in.
But she didn’t need an invitation. She strode a few feet closer to the edge of the bluff so she could look straight into the water below.
“I thought you were afraid of heights.” Dan’s voice was light, but he moved closer and wrapped an arm around her waist, as if to keep her from falling.
But she wasn’t scared. Not of this.
She was . . . in awe.
“I bet that rock at the bottom used to look like this.” Dan pointed to the jagged rock that jutted out closer to the top of the cliff. “But it’s been worn smooth over time.” He gestured to the lower part of the cliff, where the water had worn away all the bumps and rough patches.
Jade nodded. She knew how that rock felt. The same thing had been happening to her since she’d come back to Hope Springs.
Jade couldn’t stop smiling at herself in the bathroom mirror as she washed her hands. She and Dan had made their way back to the ferry landing—apparently, he’d known the way all along—just in time to eat dinner with the others. Now she only had to survive the ferry ride to the mainland. But somehow knowing Dan wouldn’t leave her side even if she was sick made the prospect of getting back on the boat easier to bear.
She ran her fingers through her hair, trying to bring some sense of order to it. But it was way too messy to go for anything but the windblown look.
Oh well.
She had a feeling she could stick a paper bag over her head, and Dan would still find her attractive.
That was one of the things that drew her to him most. Whenever he looked at her, it was as if he was seeing right past her outer appearance to her heart.
Once, that had scared her. It was why she hadn’t said goodbye to him in person all those years ago.
She’d been afraid he’d take one look at her and discover the ugly secret swelling inside her.
But now she didn’t have any secrets to keep from him. She wanted him to see her, faults and all.
Giving her hair one last tousle, she reached for the door just as it opened and Leah bowled into the room.
“Sorry. I didn’t see you.” Jade grabbed the door handle. The sooner she escaped Dan’s sister, the better. Leah was nice enough, but her feelings about Jade had been plenty clear in the way she’d kept watch over Jade and Dan at dinner.
“Actually.” Leah stood in her way. “I was hoping to find you in here. I wanted to talk for a minute.”
Jade swallowed. Why did she feel like she was sitting in Principal Jessup’s office all over again? “Sure. What did you want to talk about?”
Leah studied her. “First, I want to say I’m sorry.”
“Uh―” Jade reached for the door again. “Okay.” She had no idea what Leah had to be sorry for, but this conversation had been much easier than she’d anticipated.
She opened the door a crack, but Leah was still talking. “I should have been more welcoming. It’s just, I know how devastated Dan was when you left the first time, and I don’t want him to go through that again.”
Jade let go of the door and stepped farther into the room. “Neither do I.”
“But―” Leah stepped forward and grabbed Jade’s forearm. “Even I can see how good you two are together. So I wanted to tell you how happy I am for you.”
“Thank you?” Jade didn’t mean for it to come out as a question, so she tried again. “That means a lot.”
“You’re welcome.” Leah met her eyes. “But that’s not all I wanted to say.”
She inhaled audibly, clearly uncomfortable. “If you leave again, it’s going to break his heart. So unless you’re planning to move back to Hope Springs, it might be best to end things now, before this goes any further.” She said it without a trace of malice, and Jade could tell she truly only wanted what was best for her brother.
She swallowed past the dryness in her throat. “The last thing I want to do is hurt Dan.”
“I’m glad.” Leah squeezed her arm, then moved to the sink.
Jade pushed the door open slowly, savoring a deep breath of the damp night air. She didn’t want to hurt Dan. Ever.
Which meant she knew what she had to do.
Chapter 30
“For you.” Dan held out the small paper bag he’d gotten from one of the shops, fighting to keep from grinning at Jade.
Her eyes met his for a second, then dropped to the bag. “You shouldn’t have gotten―” She opened the bag, looked inside, and laughed. “It’s Dramamine. Thanks.” She took out the box and dropped a tablet into her hand.
He held out the bottle of water he’d also grabbed for her.
“You thought of everything.” She swallowed the medicine, then fell into step with him as they boarded the ferry. This time she was the one to lead the way to the front railing.
“So,” she said as the ferry’s engine churned. “I ran into your sister in the restroom.”
Dan braced himself. What had Leah done now? “Whatever she said, don’t listen to her. She can’t help meddling in my life, but she’s harmless. Mostly.”
Jade studied him, and he wondered what she was searching for. “She said you were devastated when I left last time.”
Dan gazed far out over the water, where he could just pick out the pinpricks of light on the mainland. Simply remembering when she’d left made his chest ache. “I was.”
“Dan, I’m sorry. I owe you an explanation.”
But he lifted a finger to her lips. “You don’t owe me anything, Jade. I forgave you a long time ago, remember?”
She opened her mouth to say something, but he leaned down to give her a long kiss. That should quell any lingering doubts she had.
When he pulled away, Jade kept her eyes closed for a second.
“She also said,” she continued once she had opened them.
Dan dropped his head. “Are we still talking about my sister?” That was not exactly his idea of a romantic topic of conversation.
“Yes.” Jade shoved him lightly. “We are. She also said that if I’m leaving again, maybe we should end this now, before it goes any further, so I don’t hurt you again.”
Dan’s shoulders tensed. He was going to throttle Leah the next time he saw her. Forget next time. He was going to find her right now.
Just because she didn’t like his choice of girlfriend didn’t give her the right to ruin things for him. It was his life.
“Look, Jade, Leah’s an idiot. I’m crazy about you. I know the stakes. I know it’s going to be like tearing my heart out when you leave again. But I don’t care.” He grabbed her hands and brought them to his chest. “I don’t care. This is too good to give up on. We are too good to give up on.”
He let his eyes rest on hers, praying she wouldn’t say there was no “we.”
“I agree.” Jade’s voice was barely above a whisper, and he leaned closer to make sure he’d heard right. “That’s why I was wondering how you’d feel if I moved back to Hope Springs. Permanently.”
It took him a moment to process the words, but the instant he did, he wrapped his arms around her and lifted her off her feet. “You’re serious?”
His heart was beating a tap dance all around his chest, and he was smiling so big that the muscles in his cheeks hurt.
“Put me down.” But even as she said it, she tightened her arms around his shoulders. “And, yes, I’m serious.”
Dan set her back on the boat deck. “Remind me to thank my sister later.”
But first, news this good called for a kiss.
Chapter 31
How had she been so happy only yesterday?
Jade pulled the cap l
ow over her forehead as she reached for the package on the drugstore shelf. She watched her hand land on the box and pick it up. But it was as if it was someone else’s hand. Someone else’s life.
This couldn’t be happening to her.
Not again.
She fought the tears that had threatened all morning. She was wrong. She was sure of it. She was only buying the test to confirm it.
She ventured a quick glance around the store before making her way to the counter. Fortunately, everyone else was at church right now.
When she’d woken feeling nauseous, she’d begged off church again, assuring Vi it was just residual effects of yesterday’s ferry ride.
But as she’d lain in bed, her mind had flashed over the past couple weeks. She’d been feeling nauseous most mornings. She’d ordered that bizarre ice cream at the Chocolate Chicken. And her emotions were all over the place. Any one of those things by itself, she could have explained away. But the combination of all three had her worried.
Really worried.
So she’d done some quick calculations.
She’d always kept track of her period rather religiously. But she hadn’t thought about it once since she’d come to Hope Springs. Six weeks ago. If she remembered correctly, she’d last had her period a couple weeks before that.
“Just this?” The cashier was a cheerful girl who looked to be about a high school senior. The same age Jade had been the last time she’d bought one of these.
She kept her head down and passed the girl some money, her eyes too blurred to tell if it was the right amount. Then she snatched the bag off the counter and ran to the front door, ignoring the girl’s cries that she’d forgotten her change.
By the time she got to Vi’s, her breath was coming in ragged gasps, even though it was only a few blocks.
Inside the apartment, she made a beeline for the bathroom but drew up short outside it.
She couldn’t go in there. Couldn’t do this. That little plus sign had exploded her world last time, just as she’d thought she’d finally found happiness.
She couldn’t let that happen again.
Not Until Us (Hope Springs Book 4) Page 16
