“How are you gonna tell me anything? As far as I’m concerned you and Jade can—”
“What? Say it,” Jade said as she walked back through his door.
“Now you listen to me, Jasper Donshay Booth, Jr. I did not come here to have you put your butt in my face. I came here for one thing and that only: to apologize. You were hurt, but your hurt was nothing compared to mine. I lost my last family and then you and your family. Had it not been for your dad, I would have felt like I was in the world all by myself. The day MiMi died, all you could think about was making sure all of her wishes were done. You left me to deal with the hurt all by myself, trying to play good lawyer boy. I know she was a big client, but what about me? She was gone, but you treated me like I should have been okay because she was sick. Well, I wasn’t. I was dying, too, and no one knew it or acted as though they cared. Now, after today, I will not apologize for leaving ever again. I made a decision for my life that you and no one else agreed with, but so what. I did what I needed to do for me. It was either that or die too. And the next time, you talk to me like you did earlier in this office, I will slap you so hard spit will fly in all types of directions.” She turned and slammed the door in the same manner that Kane had slammed it, not giving him a chance to say anything.
Two times in a row, someone he loved had slammed his door and Jasper was left feeling like he’d been wronged. He picked up his cell phone, put it in his pocket, called Mrs. Harris on the intercom and said, “I’m going home for the rest of the day.”
“Okay, Jasper, but before you go come by my desk please.”
“Yes ma’am, Mrs. Harris,” he said and pushed the button.
He packed up his briefcase, making sure to get all of the information he’d already supplied Jade with. He was certain that she hadn’t even taken the time to open the envelope because if she had, she would have had all sorts of questions.
Jasper hadn’t shed one tear since he got out of bed four years ago. He vowed no one would ever make him cry again, but today for the first time, tears slid from his eyes. As bad as he wanted to hold Jade in his arms, his anger just wouldn’t let him.
He still wanted to be upset. Still wanted to hold a grudge against her in hopes that she would somehow partially feel the pain that she put him in. But the reality was, Jade had already experienced enough pain to last her a lifetime.
He picked up his stuff and headed out of the office, almost forgetting to stop by Mrs. Harris’ desk.
“Jasper.”
“I’m sorry, Mrs. Harris. I almost forgot.”
“Take this and read it when you get in the car.”
“Thank you. I will see you tomorrow.”
“Have a good day, Jasper.”
“You too.”
Jasper put his briefcase and the files he had behind his seat. Then he got into the driver’s seat and opened the letter from Mrs. Harris and started to read.
Life can be so unpredictable, but one thing we must always understand, nothing happens except God allows. Jasper, His hands are in everything concerning you. Why? Because He loves you. I have never before in my life seen two young folks who fell in love and for four whole years, neither of them dates anyone else. Self-control is unheard of with people y’all’s age, but God sustained you both for one another. Don’t allow the enemy to trick you with feelings of anger. Be angry, but sin not. Mr. Harris and I are praying for you both because your love reminds us of ours.” Sincerely, Mrs. H.
Chapter Fourteen
There was one more place Jade needed to go and she was sure it would be just as hard as going to Jackson & Booth’s Law Offices. She turned on the radio and decided she needed to just sing a new song unto the Lord.
Jade opened her mouth and began to sing, “I’ve done wrong in my life, but I’m trying to make things right. I don’t even mind saying I’m sorry, or letting go of false pride. At some point, I realize I can’t do it by myself. At some point, I realize I can’t help but call on You. Because I know You can help me, through. Lord, I’m calling on You now, right now. Lord, I’m calling on You now, right now. I need Your help help help help help. Oh Lord, I’m calling on You, now—ow—ow. Jesus, I need You now. Oh, Jesus, I need You now.”
Jade tried to let the song go, but she couldn’t. She went into a mixed version of “I Need Thee,” and “I Need You Now.”
“I need thee, oh I need thee. I need thee, oh I need thee. I need thee, oh I need thee. Jesus, I need you now.”
Before she knew it, she was sitting in the Booth family’s driveway. She pulled the rearview mirror down so she could wash her face with the baby wipes she retrieved from her glove compartment. Jade reapplied her lipgloss, ran her fingers through her curls, and said, “Okay, Jesus, I need You now.”
She opened the door, got out of the car, and walked to the front door. Jade inhaled, and then pushed the doorbell.
“Who is it?”
“It’s Jade.”
“To what do we owe this visit?”
“Jessica, let the girl in before you start acting crazy,” Jasper said, coming up behind his wife and pulling Jade into his embrace.
“Hello, sweet Jade, how are you?”
“I’m making it, Mr. J.” She used the nickname she’d called him all of her life.
“God is good, isn’t He?”
“Yes, sir, He is. In spite of us, He’s still good, and He’s still God.”
“And again, what brought you here?” Jessica frowned.
“Mrs. Jessica, I know I’m not your favorite person, but I also know you love me and I love you. I needed to leave, Mrs. Jessica, because I would have been toxic for Jasper and myself.”
“Go on,” Jessica said, leading Jade into the family room.
“I could not find out, for the life of me, how to abandon the fear that just because J.J. loved me, he’d be the next to die.”
Jessica gasped.
“See, I was feeling like God took everyone I truly loved and what would make him any different.”
“I see.”
“I love Jasper still, more than my very own life and I was willing to abandon everything and everyone just so he could have a chance to live.”
“You love my baby that much. To leave and be all alone in a place you knew nothing about.”
“Yes, but I have since realized that God is in control of everything, and when a person’s work is done, it’s done. He doesn’t take them to hurt you, but instead to help them. And to be reunited with what is His own. I have no control over that. All I am responsible for doing is loving people enough that they will know they are never alone.”
“I see. Looks like you’ve grown quite a bit since you left us.”
“I would like to think I have, but it has cost me so much.”
“What do you mean?”
“Jasper is being so mean, and I know he has a right to be. I hurt him and I cannot expect things to automatically go back to normal. I can’t. But I don’t expect him to be so mean either.”
“Who’s being mean, Jade?”
“J.J. He’s being so mean to me. I could hardly believe it was him.”
“Well, I don’t care what you’ve done, he has no reason to be mean to you. I’m calling him now.”
“Please don’t, Mrs. Jessica. He’ll think I ran here to tell you so you could chastise him. He needs time and I, for one, understand that more than anyone. I just need to be able to handle him like he is.”
“Well, while we are laying all the cards on the table, I have a confession to make,” Jasper Sr. said.
“What are you talking about, Jasper?” Jessica asked.
“Jade came to me and only me. I’ve known where she went from day one. As a matter of fact, I sent her there.”
“You what?”
“Jessica, we have loved Jade as one of our children since she was small. I would never want Jasmine to leave home and have no one to turn to.”
“That’s right, Mom,” Jasmine said, entering the room and taking a seat o
n the arm of the chair next to her father. “Dad did what a good dad would do, and I’m proud of him for protecting Jade.”
“But why didn’t you tell me?” Jessica asked.
All three of them looked at one another and said in unison, “You would tell J.J.”
Jessica couldn’t help but burst into laughter. “You three really think you know me.”
“We know that J.J. is your sweet baby boy, and you would have spilled the beans so quick to get him out of that bed, Jade wouldn’t have even gone to the bathroom in Florida,” Jasmine said, ogling her mother.
“I guess I won’t argue with that. My baby was out of his mind, Jade. I know that boy loves you, and I think you just have to give him time.”
“I just need you to forgive me, Mrs. Jessica, and know that I love you. I never meant to hurt you all. I couldn’t see what God had blessed me with, for paying too much attention to what He took from me. But one day, I pray, Jasper will forgive me and love me again.”
“You just need to show up at the Christmas In The Field looking like the princess you are, and I promise, my son will not want all those old classmates to be looking at his woman.” Jasper Sr. laughed and his wife joined in.
“I’ve never told you girls, but Sr. had the nerve to quit me one time. We had a Christmas dance and I was on the dance floor with a boy we called EW. Jasper hadn’t talked to me for weeks and even had the nerves to bring a date to the dance.”
“You what?” Jasmine looked at her dad and Jade gave him the eye.
“I wanted to make her jealous.”
“Uh-hum but turned out he was the one jealous, and I wasn’t even trying. I was dancing and EW put his hands on my hips, and Jasper came from out of nowhere and punched that poor boy in the mouth.”
“No, Dad.”
“I bet no other guy at B.T.W. ever wanted to dance with my Jessica again.” They all laughed, and Jasper Sr. came over and planted a kiss on her lips.
“Can we be excused?” Jasmine asked.
“Let me get this straight first,” Jessica said with her hands on her hips. “Jade, if you call me Mrs. Jessica again, we will fight. I’ve been Momma J most of your life and that is what you will call me.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Jade smiled as she and Jasmine left the room.
Chapter Fifteen
Jasper unlocked his door and slammed his briefcase against the wall. I should have kept my butt at home in the first place. The day just hadn’t gone the way he’d hoped it would. Sure, he was restless and didn’t get any sleep, but he never expected this to be the day Jade would come to his office. Neither did he expect to be so mean and angry with her. However, if he could have started the day over, he would have.
He sat on the sofa and stared into nothing.
What was he thinking? He’d never talked to Jade this way and why would he start now?
Jasper rolled off the couch and slid down on his knees.
“Father, please forgive me for all of my transgressions and sins that I have committed, especially today. Forgive me for not being forgiving towards Jade. Lord, I want to forgive her and show compassion towards her, but I need a clean heart and a clean spirit in order to do as You would have me to do. I understand that You are in control of our lives, and plans fail without You in them. So, how can I be mad at Jade for doing what You allowed her to do? Please create in me a clean heart and renew the right spirit within me. I never want to think or feel like I know more than You know and I never want to be so proud that I feel like You or Jade owe me anything. I’m grateful for the woman You have chosen for me, and I will never go against Your will for our lives. You have shown me that I can live without having a woman, but You have also shown me that I belong to Jade and Jade belongs to me. Father, strengthen my love for Jade. Let it be like the love I had for her when we were children. Pure. Honest. Without hostility. Free from regrets. I thank You and I honor You, but most of all, let Your will be done in our lives, in Jesus’ name. Amen.”
Jasper stood up from his knees, pulled off his jacket and walked down the hallway into his bedroom. He pulled off his pants, grabbed the hanger that was on his bed, hung the pants and jacket on it, and then hung it in his closet by the other suits that needed to go to the cleaners.
The housecleaner normally took all his suits to the cleaners once a week but she’d been off for two weeks and he had over nine suits that needed to be cleaned. He closed the closet door and threw his half-naked body on the bed.
Maybe, I just need to start over.
He got up, pulled back his covers and got back into bed. Then it hit him, he still hadn’t done what he promised his brother he would do. He got out the bed, went to his computer room, and sat at his desk.
It took him less than ten minutes to find Ms. Valerie Kimbrel’s phone number and a picture. He could definitely see where Veronica got her good looks. The Latino older woman was beautiful. He picked up the cordless phone in his office and dialed her number.
“Buenas tardes,” she answered, causing Jasper to pause because he wasn’t expecting her to answer in her native language.
“¿Cómo está?” he said but quickly added, “Do you speak English?”
“I most certainly do. I just thought when I saw the Louisiana 318, that it was mi querido la hija calling. My darling daughter.”
“I understand. This is her land…no the owner of the loft that she lives in. My name is Jasper. My brother Kane would like to send for you and your son to come here for Christmas. Do you think that would be possible?”
“Mi querido la hija doesn’t know?”
“No, ma’am. We thought we’d surprise her and just fly you both down here. We know she misses you both. So, if you agree, I will have Mrs. Harris, our secretary, to call you and book the flight information.”
“Mi hijo will be finishing his last semester before the Christmas break next week, so I don’t see anything preventing us from coming.”
“¡Eso es genial!” Jasper said, wanting to express to her in her native language that her agreeing to come was awesome.
“Gracias señor Jasper,” she responded.
“Usted es bienvenida Sra Kimbrel.” Jasper disconnected the call.
He was able to do one good deed for the day. He was sure Kane was just as mad at him as Jade was, but his handling this business would be all the thanks his brother needed. At least, he’d hoped.
Jasper laughed because he’d taken Spanish in college and had gotten a sixty which was considered in high school language a flat F. The second time around, he’d learned enough to walk away from the class with an eighty-three. It was to this day, the lowest grade on his transcripts.
However, speaking with Mrs. Kimbrel sparked a desire to learn more Spanish. As a matter of fact, Jade knew four different languages and who knows what else she’d learned in the last four years.
Chapter Sixteen
Jasper Sr. and Jessica sat at the kitchen table talking about what to do concerning J.J. and Jade. Whether the two of them ever got together or not, Jade was and would always be a part of their family.
“Jasper, doesn’t having the girls here feel like old times again?”
“Baby, you just read my mind. I was sitting here just thinking of how those two ran out of there when we started kissing just like they did when they were young. It’s amazing how children never want to see their parents being affectionate.”
“They are so silly.”
“I know, right. How in the world do they think they got here?”
“Well, come to think of it, I don’t want to even think of my parents creating me. So, I guess I know how they feel.”
“You are a silly girl, too, Jessica.”
“Hey, are you hungry?”
“Can you stay out of my brain?” Jasper replied because right after his mind left the girls, it landed on food.
“Fellow, we’ve been together for thirty-seven years now, so it’s too late. We have each other’s brain on speed dial.” They both laughed.
“Since the girls are here, why don’t we call Kane and J.J. and tell them to come home for dinner.”
“Honey, that’s a good idea. Maybe it will give J.J. and Jade a chance to talk.”
“Come to think of it, that’s my son and he’s stubborn just like his momma. He will come, but he’ll act like she’s just one of us instead of the woman he loves. So, why don’t we leave him put until after the event, but just call Kane.”
“Now, you are absolutely right. He’ll be upset that we had dinner and didn’t tell him though.”
“Good. Maybe that will encourage him to treat people better. I’m still disappointed with the argument he had with Kane.”
“What happened, Jasper?”
“Kane said he told him to get out of his office and mind his own business. Apparently, the entire office heard how he was talking to Jade, and Kane came in to tell him he was wrong. That boy can be bull-headed, just like someone else I know.”
“Are you referring to me?”
“No, sweet baby, I’m talking about that alter ego you have named Jessie Mae. Now, can’t nobody tell her nothing.”
“Oh, you’re so funny, husband. I still don’t want to leave my sweet baby boy out, but I understand. Let me call Kane and put a menu together.”
“Sounds like a plan to me.”
Ring. Ring.
“Law offices of Jackson & Booth, this is Mrs. Harris. How may I assist you.”
“Hello, Mrs. Harris. This is Mrs. Booth. May I speak to my oldest son?”
“Hello, Jessica. I’ll send you right in.”
“Hey, Mom. What’s going on?”
“So your dad told me how your brother flaked out today. Are you okay?”
“Mom, I’m fine. We all know how Jasper is. That boy can be as stubborn as an old bull who no longer wants to play with the heifers.”
“Why does every description the men in this family give deal with a bull or a cow? Y’all are too country for me.” They both laughed.
“I heard you say, ‘A countryman is the best man.’”
“I did and I wouldn’t have raised you boys to think anything less. I called to tell you to come to dinner tonight.”
Love Me Again Page 6