Jade's Match, the Jewel Series Book 7

by Hallee Bridgeman

  “Disgusting. You’d think in the twenty-first century, people wouldn’t be so ignorant.”

  “You’d think. Or even, you know, so stupid. But it’s pretty stupid to think we ever came from monkeys in the first place, so what can you do?”

  She looked out the window and watched the houses roll by. “My mom’s dad was an American Indian. I know she had some issues growing up. A man physically attacked her one time because of her skin color.” She rubbed her own arm. “I get super dark by the end of summer.”

  “I remember.” He glanced over at her. “I watched the games.”

  She was quiet for a few minutes, then asked, “Where do you go to church when you’re at school?”

  “I just go to the chapel on campus and worship with Cru there. I don’t have a car.” He patted the steering wheel. “This baby is compliments of VelTech. Otherwise, we’d be walking everywhere.”

  Cora laughed. “I’d drive.”

  “Right. You have a car.” He turned left.

  “My cousin’s husband was a Cru minister when they met. He’s talked to me about joining it, but my training schedule inhibits a lot of social time.”

  He nodded. “Mine, too. So, I can’t do a lot of social things, but I can worship at least once a week.” He quickly glanced at her then back at the road. “Where do you go to church?”

  She thought of the sprawling church that took up an entire city block with all its buildings, schools, and pastoral housing. “Boston Bible is my home church. My dad is a deacon there, and my cousins are there almost every Sunday. My family is really invested in it. I love it. It’s been a part of my life from birth. I try to go home from Virginia at least once a month. Otherwise, I just attend a church near my townhouse if I’m not home. There are a couple I like, but none of them are the same as home.”

  “I obviously changed churches as often as I changed schools. I still like walking into a new church, not knowing anyone, looking at it from the outside. It really strengthens my walk.”

  Because of her height, she tended to stand out. It made walking into a new place a little intimidating. Some days, she longed for a petite frame and a height that didn’t have the word “six” in it.

  He glanced at her. “I have a bulletin from my first Sunday at every church I’ve ever gone to.”

  Astonished, her mouth dropped open. “That’s incredible. What a treasure!”

  “I thought the same thing!” He put his blinker on to turn into the church parking lot. “The box they’re in is one of my prized possessions.”

  “I bet!”

  They pulled into a parking space, and she reached for her door handle. He said, “Cora, I’m not really good at this sort of thing, but there’s something that needs to be said before anything else happens here. I don’t know how to put this gently. You know what? I’m just going to come right out and say it.” He met her eyes. “Take your hand off the door handle.”

  She laughed as Davis unbuckled and slid out of the driver’s seat. He grabbed his Bible and got out of the car, then walked around the car to open her door. He opened it and extended his hand to help her out of the passenger seat. She took his hand as he helped her out of the car.

  “Subtle enough?” Davis asked.

  “Oh, very subtle. You bet.”

  Before they went into the building, she held up her phone. “Ready?”

  “Oh. Sure.”

  He put an arm around her waist and pulled her close. She enjoyed the feel of him, enjoyed the smell of him, and forgot for a moment that they had a mission. As he lifted his phone to take a photo of the two of them, she remembered and smiled, tilting her head toward him just so, making surethe camera caught all her best angles.

  “Okay, my turn,” she said, pulling her phone out and accessing the camera. They took a quick, similar picture, then she accessed the app and typed out the caption:

  Headed in to church to worship with this hunka hunka hockey something. Love my church family #TeamUSA #goingforthegold

  After tagging Davis in the picture, she posted it and glanced at his screen to see what he typed.

  Best date ever last night, now worshiping God this morning at Jade’s church in Cape Cod. #goingforthegold has a new meaning. Join us if you’re close. #TeamUSA

  She laughed and slipped her phone into her purse. “We may be sending a lot of millennials to church this morning.”

  He smiled and held out his hand. As she slipped her hand into his and started walking toward the church, he remarked, “They’re probably not awake yet.”

  CHAPTER 4

  Cora folded the tank top and put it on top of the stack in the open suitcase. As she brought the elastic bands together to secure that section of the case, she mentally went over the list, double checking that she had both pairs of tennis shoes packed.

  Satisfied that she hadn’t forgotten anything, she closed the lid and fastened it shut, then set it outside her bedroom door. She walked through the bathroom, making sure she’d left nothing out or open. Closing that door behind her, she checked the bedroom, grabbing her phone charger and straightening the bedspread.

  At the doorway, she paused and looked around the room. It used to make her sad to do this final check and pause at her bedroom door. As she’d aged and spent more time here alone, though, that sad feeling went away. She knew she would return, very soon, and already started looking forward to the next time she’d come home to this little beach house. Confident that she’d left all in order, she shut that door behind her and picked up the suitcase to carry it downstairs.

  Setting it by the door, she did a walk-through of the rest of the house, including the basement workout room. As she glanced at the cozy and welcoming living room, she felt a pang of anticipation. She and Davis had an incredible week and spent every waking moment together, getting to know each other, growing in friendship. But, the seclusion of the Cape now ended, and it was time to enter the real world. What would that look like through the filter of this ruse of a romance?

  Just as she stepped onto the front porch, she heard Davis’ car pull up into the driveway. Using the key fob, she popped the trunk of her own car open and set the suitcase inside.

  “All set?” he asked as he got out of his still running car.

  “Yes.” She looked behind her at the cottage with the gray siding and bright white trim. “I always hate leaving. I hope one day to just live here.” She smiled and looked at him. “Ready to head to the Big Apple?”

  “I guess. I’m not really a city boy, but it should be an adventure. Well, that and I’m not used to sitting in the stands.”

  She laughed and stopped at her car door. “Do you often have a special someone in the stands rooting for you?”

  His face grew serious for just a fraction of a second. If she hadn’t been watching him, she would have missed it. “Not yet.” He looked at his watch. “I think we need to get on the road. The morning’s about gone.”

  “I need to warn you that my mom won’t shake your hand. Please don’t think it’s rude. She’s not being rude.”

  He tilted his head as if looking at her from another angle might provide an explanation. When she didn’t say anything else, he simply nodded. “Understood. Thanks for letting me know.”

  “You have my parents’ address, right? In case we get separated.”

  “I do. I’ll see you there.”

  She paused before opening her car door, suddenly terrified to leave this sanctuary and return to the outside world. What would it look like now? “Davis….”

  He’d turned to walk away but paused and turned around near the rear of her car. She looked at the face that had become the face of a familiar friend. When she didn’t speak, he turned his body to fully face her and gave her all his attention. “Yes?”

  Leaving her keys on the top of the car, she walked toward him. “I just…” She leaned against the trunk of her car, propped her feet in front of her, and folded her arms over her chest. Where did this emotion come from? “I j
ust have enjoyed this week and the chance to get to know you. I feel like we’re about to leave this little sanctuary and everything will suddenly be different.”

  He put a hand on her shoulder. “It will be different, but that doesn’t mean it will be bad. You need to not worry about that. You have a tournament this week that’s going to require your full attention.” He started to step back, but changed course and stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her. It surprised her how easily her arms came around his waist. She lay her head on his chest while he hugged her. “I’m looking forward to some of the limelight,” he joked. She could feel his voice against her cheek.

  After squeezing him, she released her arms and looked up at him. “Thanks. I needed the hug.”

  He cupped her cheek with his hand, his eyes serious. “Cora, any time you need anything, I’m here.”

  Before she could reply, he stepped away and she pushed away from the car, straightening to her full height. “Okay, let’s go.”

  He backed out of the driveway and idled near the curb, letting her back out and take the lead. In no time, they sped along the highway headed toward Boston.

  While Cora drove, she thought about the last week. They’d chosen the Cape for the sole purpose of establishing their social media relationship in a safe place. Somehow in the week there, they’d grown rather close. Pondering what he’d said about being there if she ever needed anything, she wondered what he meant by that. Just how far did that go? She’d grown to really enjoy time with him and had started to consider him a friend. Could he possibly feel something more than that?

  Of course not. At the beginning of the week, she felt like he couldn’t stand her. He’d made that obvious. She’d pretty much felt the same way about him. Seven short days together wouldn’t change that.

  She had admitted to rashly judging him and apologized for it. She knew that changed the course of the friendship; put it on a positive note.

  They’d worked out together every day. Davis really impressed her with his knowledge in the gym. He reminded her of her father in that regard, too, and for some reason, she liked that. She had to teach him about specific workouts that helped her, and he taught her the workouts that helped him. Crying through lunges with a weighted barbell on her shoulders, they bonded in a way that they never could during the ice cream date the night before.

  Pulling into her parents’ neighborhood, she brought herself out of her head and checked the rearview mirror, making sure he still followed close behind her. She pulled into the driveway of the large blue house and popped the trunk of the car as she turned off the engine. As she collected her suitcase, she heard Davis pull in behind her. He opened his own trunk as he got out of the car and relieved her of her suitcase, putting it in the trunk of the rental car next to his. Just as he shut the trunk, the front door to the house opened and she saw her father, Barry Anderson, step onto the porch.

  He could easily pass for a man in his mid-fifties despite the fact that his seventieth birthday looked him in the eye. He stood six-nine, still worked out daily, and kept his once professional football body in perfect shape. A national men’s health magazine had recently put him on the cover of their magazine, shirtless, showing off his defined muscles and smooth skin.

  “Hi Daddy,” she greeted, smiling as he approached them. She took Davis’ hand in hers and walked toward her father. “I’d like you to meet Davis Elliot.”

  Barry looked Davis up and down with his light blue eyes, a stern look on his face, before he relaxed and smiled, holding out his hand. “Nice to meet you. Spent the last week watching your college matches.”

  She could see that surprised Davis because his eyes widened. “I, uh, don’t know what to say about that, sir.”

  Barry laughed and slapped Davis on the back of the shoulder. Hard. Davis stepped forward slightly in response. “Sometimes, no reply is required. Had nothing much better to do this week other than bugging this one’s mom. This semi-retirement lifestyle doesn’t much suit me.” He gestured at the house. “Come in. Welcome.” He looked at Cora. “Your mom made lunch. I told her you had mere minutes, but she insisted.”

  Davis looked at his watch. “We need to be through airport security in two hours.”

  “You should be okay to make a plate.” He led the way into the house through the front door. They walked past the small entryway and into the large main room. Dark leather furniture sat on polished maple floors. Colorful rugs scattered around the room, bright paintings done by her mother, Maxine, hung on the walls, and colorful pillows adorned the couches and chairs, giving the room warmth and life.

  On one wall, her mother had black and white photos framed in black frames. In one of them, her much younger father stood, intensely staring off into the distance, black streaks below his eyes, his shoulders wide with football padding. Maxine had colored in his eyes in an ice-blue that matched his eye color perfectly.

  She noticed her mother had replaced the prior photo of her and used one from one of the Olympic matches. In this one, she was at least a foot off the ground, a furious look on her face as her hand made contact with the volleyball. The only color in the photo were her jade eyes that popped against the gray background in an extreme way.

  Another photo captured her quarterback twin-brother, Chase, poised about to throw a football, bright lights of the field shining behind him. His eyes, the same color as their father’s, shone from the photo.

  An older photo showed her two foster sisters, arm in arm, on the stage at church, dressed as shepherdesses for the Christmas play. They’d turned eighteen right before her fourth birthday. They both lived in Texas now with their own families. She hadn’t seen them since her high school graduation, but her parents always spent a week during Easter to travel and visit them. Their caramel colored eyes lit up the otherwise gray and white photo.

  Her mom’s wall of pride, she thought with a smile on her face, turning as she heard footsteps on the wood floor. Maxine, dressed in a black sleeveless top and a long olive green skirt, had recently cut her straight black hair so that it brushed against her jaw. A wisp of bangs made her look like a thirty-year-old. She limped slightly as she came into the room. “Mama,” she said, rushing to her and hugging her.

  “Hello, Jade darling,” Maxine said, hugging her tight. She released her and turned to Davis. “And you must be Davis.” She kept her arm around Cora. “Very nice to meet you.”

  “The pleasure is all mine, ma’am. Your daughter has shared a great deal about you.”

  “Ma’am, even? Oh, I like you.” As she released Cora, she gestured toward the kitchen. “I know you have to rush. But take a sandwich with you. Save you from eating airport food.”

  Cora walked next to Davis and they entered the large kitchen and dining room combo together. A marble-topped island separated the two rooms, and on it, Maxine had lain out cold cuts, breads, vegetables, and condiments. Davis picked up a paper plate and started to fill it. Cora looked at her dad. “We should be good to stay and eat, right?”

  He gave a small shake of his head. “Better to get through security. You still have to drive through traffic to Logan and then return the rental, too.”

  She sighed, really wishing they could stay. She wanted to tell him about Davis’ workout plans and let the two men interact on mutual ground. “You’re right.”

  “We’ll be in New York Saturday, though.” Cora put roast beef and Swiss cheese on a homemade wheat bread slice and Barry slid into a bar stool. “I have court tomorrow and Friday, so we’ll miss the beginning of the tournament, but we’ll be there Saturday.”

  She smiled at him as she slathered brown mustard on her bread. “I didn’t know you were coming at all, so that’s cool.” She took a sandwich bag from her mom and looked at Davis, who sealed his own turkey and Muenster on rye. “Ready?”

  “I am.” He dusted crumbs off his fingertips and shook Barry’s hand. “It was a pleasure to meet you both, ma’am, sir. I’ve heard so much about you. Thank you for your hosp
itality.”

  “I could get used to that.” Maxine smiled and waved at them as they left the room. “See you Saturday.”

  Davis sat next to Cora in the first-class cabin. He’d never flown first class and if VelTech hadn’t footed the bill, he wouldn’t even now. It felt rather extravagant for a one-hour flight. He glanced at Cora’s profile as she looked out the window.

  After she apologized Sunday before church, he’d allowed himself to warm up to her. His initial excitement at the assignment to be her fake public boyfriend returned, and he found that with every minute they spent together, he grew more and more attracted to her. Spending most of the week working out with her, teaching her, letting her teach him, had released their earlier tension more than anything else probably could. He felt like they had become good friends in a short amount of time. He couldn’t wait to see what this next phase would bring.

  “What will it look like there?”

  She turned to him, her eyes clearing as she smiled. “Sorry. Was a million miles away.”

  “Oh?” He leaned his head toward her. “Anything I can help with?”

  She smiled. “I was trying to figure out how to incorporate my tournament with your upcoming games in social media.”

  “If I make the team, you mean.”

  “You’re going to make the team, Davis.” She reached out and squeezed his hand. “I was also thinking that next week, you’ll be training. It’s going to be interesting to figure out how to keep up with the online presence then.”

  “I won’t be present.” He had a good idea what the training looked like. He knew that he would practice ten to twelve hours a day, and downtime would be spent learning plays and studying the other teams. “I’ll be exhausted and uninterested. We’ll just have to take advantage of the holidays.”

  “Maybe I can come to Florida when you get down there.” She grinned in a way that made his heart pause then race. “I’m sure I could incorporate beach volleyball into a trip to Florida.”