by Debra Kayn
"Oh, yeah?" Caiden got another piece of pizza out of the fridge. "I thought you'd almost finished the pieces."
"I did." She sipped from the cup. "I changed my mind."
He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "Does that happen often?"
"Never." She grinned.
He chuckled. "You're happy about the changes. I can see it on your face."
"I am." She shivered, raising her shoulders to her ears. "I can't wait to show you, but I'm going to finish everything first which means I'm going to be spending a lot of time in the workroom."
He kissed her. "Save some of that excitement for me tonight."
"Definitely." She set down her cup. "Though, I should go to the store and pick you up some food you'll actually eat. I don't want you to starve or have to eat two-day-old pizza."
"The pizza is still good." He looked at the clock on the stove. "I'm going to grab a shower and then head out. The plow has probably come up the road already and is working its way down by now."
"Okay, I'm going to get dressed and then go in the workroom. Kiss me before you head out," she said.
"Will do." He put his mug in the sink and walked to the bathroom.
Jolene inhaled deeply. More content than she'd felt in forever. Excited for today, next week, next month.
She finished her drink and went into the bedroom and dressed. The shower still ran when she walked into the workroom and turned on the light. Somehow this morning was different because Caiden was moving in with her.
Sitting down at the table, she dragged her sketchbook over and opened to the page she'd drawn on yesterday. Butterflies danced in her stomach at the sight of the first drawing. She picked out a piece of silver and grabbed the blow torch. This morning, she'd work on annealing the silver for a ring—the simplest piece she planned.
Before she even looked at the garnets she wanted to use, she set out the pliers, needle files, pickle and pot, calipers, mandrel, and ring clamp. Once she created the general shape, she'd solder the design, taking precious time and a careful hand to form the intricate design.
She rubbed her hands over the top of her thighs. This could really work, and if she managed to create what she saw in her head, she'd blow every single buyer away.
A soft knock came from behind her. "Busy?" said Caiden.
She swiveled in her chair and smiled at the way he looked fresh out of the shower. Dressed in a blue flannel shirt, jeans, and his hair wet and swept off his forehead, he looked almost as sexy as he did in bed this morning naked. She stood and approached him, wrapping her arms around his neck. He cupped her face and leaned down, kissing her.
"Mm." She moaned against him before pulling away and inhaling the clean scent of soap. "You smell good."
"Great," he muttered.
She laughed. "Don't worry, it's in a very manly way."
He grunted.
"With a hint of strawberries." She kissed him quick. "It works."
"As long as you like it." He looked over her head. "Working already?"
"I'm getting ready, so if you call me later and I don't answer, it's because I can't step away from the table." She fastened one more button on his shirt, leaving only three undone. "I'll be home all day, so you don't have to worry about me driving the road down the mountain."
He lifted her chin and gazed at her, his eyes softening. "See you tonight."
"See you tonight," she said, the spark of awareness of how their routine went from two individuals to one couple overnight. Or, maybe they'd always been a couple and were only now getting to live under the same roof and share a life. Sometimes it felt that way.
Caiden walked out of the room. She returned to the table. Wiggling her fingers, she picked up the piece of silver and set to working with imperfect materials to make perfect jewelry.
CHAPTER 34
We come to love not by finding a perfect person but by learning to see an imperfect person perfectly. — Sam Keen
Kurt bounced on his feet inside the ring. Caiden jabbed, barely making contact with Kurt's shoulder. His arms felt as if they weighed a ton.
"You miss a month of working out and turned into a puss." Kurt ducked and weaved.
Caiden lifted his chin. "I'm still two for your one."
Kurt connected with Caiden's jaw and landed flat on his feet, lifting his gloved hands. "I'm through."
Glad for the end call, Caiden dragged his ass to the side of the ring and leaned heavily on the rope, working his gloves off and dropping them to the platform. Sweat dripped off his bare chest. He felt good after taking time off to let his hand heal, moving in with Jolene, and keeping the station open. His reward came in the form of sparring a few rounds with Kurt.
Kurt tossed him a towel. He took off his headgear and mopped his face before draping the cloth around his neck.
"I've seen your truck go up the road a lot lately," said Kurt handing Caiden a bottle of water.
"I moved in with Jolene." Caiden drank deep from the bottle.
"Figured. I just wanted to hear you admit it." Kurt clicked his tongue. "I'm happy for you, man. You've wanted her for a lifetime."
"All those years I thought I lost her..." Caiden tapped his temple with his finger. "She was in here. Never gave up on what we had together."
Kurt nodded. "That's the way it should be. How does she feel about you coming here and sparring with me?"
"She's fine with it as long as I don't enter the events. I don't think she's figured out that I'm too damn old now it takes me a couple of days to recover from going around the ring with you." Caiden picked up his gloves. "My passion to win in the ring died a long time ago."
"The night you were arrested, we stopped the events. At the time, Sheriff Colby covered the club's ass when Chapman's brother informed him of the betting going on." Kurt looked Caiden in the eye. "But, there was nothing I could do to cover a death. Not when there was a body, and the cops were called."
"You don't need to explain," said Caiden.
During his sentence and after release, Caiden never asked Kurt about what went down at the clubhouse the night Chapman died in the ring. He understood Bantorus Motorcycle Club protected themselves and why at the trial, Kurt had stayed away while supplying support to Caiden through Ronacks Motorcycle Club who could help him more while in the penitentiary.
A man had died at his hands, and he took sole responsibility for Chapman's death. Unable to afford a lawyer, he'd been stuck with using a half-assed public defender who was more concerned about getting him the least amount of years rather than fight to prove it was an accident.
"There are things in life you can't control." Caiden stepped between the ropes and slapped Kurt on the shoulder. "But everyone should control what they can."
"Glad to hear you say that," said Kurt. "For a while, I wasn't sure you'd come around to understanding that your lot in life isn't what defines you. That having to carry the crime on your record doesn't reflect on the man you've become. You deserve what you've worked hard to achieve."
Caiden swallowed. Words of respect from a man he respected more than a father, a brother, a friend, meant a lot to him.
"Whatever made you start the events back up?" Caiden cleared his throat, needing to change the subject off himself.
"Sheriff Colby retired, and a new sheriff was hired who knew nothing about what happens within the club. Boxing and teaching kids the sport is something I love to do. Stepping into the ring kept me focused when I needed some direction on how to control all the anger I had built up inside me. In that way, we're a lot alike. I wanted to provide that same outlet to those within the club, and a few citizens on the outside who I found needed something to help them along in life...like you." Kurt tossed his water bottle in the trash. "About six months before you were released from prison, I started opening the doors back up on Friday nights again. Part of me knew you'd need a place where nobody was looking, judging, and prosecuting you all over again once you gained your freedom. We kept the events low-key this
time. That way it gives everyone within Bantorus some entertainment at home. If the men participating want to go further than a Friday night round at the clubhouse, they go over to Spokane and enter the legit channels."
"This place, you..." Caiden gazed around the basement at the ring, the lockers, the weights, the equipment. "Saved my life more than once."
Kurt clamped Caiden's shoulder. "That's what I like to hear. Now, you have a new direction. Jolene."
"Speaking of Jolene, I should get dressed and go home." Caiden took the towel from around his neck and rubbed his chest. "She's pretty much shut herself in her workroom all week working on her jewelry. I think it's time for her to take a little break."
"I think, I'll take your cue and go bother Risa up at the house." Kurt walked toward the door. "Don't be a stranger."
"I won't," said Caiden, stripping out of his shorts.
Once he dressed, he walked upstairs. The main room vacant of people, he left through the front door and took the long staircase down to the parking area.
Sawyer pulled up as Caiden reached his truck. He waited until Sawyer opened the door and said, "How's it going?"
"Good." Sawyer looked back at his car as Parker got out of the backseat. "I picked up Parker from school and hit the coffee shop, so she could have a hot chocolate fripfrap or some shit."
"Froth, dad. Lots of froth." Parker grinned at Caiden. "I'm going to work there when I turn sixteen."
"Oh, yeah?" Caiden grinned at the little girl. "That's good to hear because I like coffee and I bet it'd be extra tasty if you made it.
"With froth?" asked Parker.
"You might have to convince me of that when you get the job." Caiden glanced at Sawyer and grinned.
"All right, Parker. Get inside. Aunt Shari's cooking dinner tonight and she promised that you can help serve if you get your homework done in time." Sawyer held out his hand to Caiden.
He shook. "See you around, man."
He threw his bag inside the cab of the truck and headed home.
Home to the cabin. Home to Jolene.
The plowed road and the temperature hovering right above freezing, he made good time. In another month, he hoped to see some snow melt. He looked forward to experiencing the full effect of living in the cabin that he knew would come with the change of the season.
He parked, grabbed his duffel with his gloves and shorts and two bags of groceries he'd picked up before heading to the clubhouse, and scanned the house. The light from her workroom window was still on, and there was no smoke coming from the chimney. She hadn't stopped working. Once he walked inside, he'd entice her out with the frozen pizza he bought at the store.
He went through the unlocked door and put the groceries away, and Jolene still hadn't walked out to greet him. Grabbing a beer from the fridge, he walked into the hallway and stopped outside the workroom and found Jolene standing in front of the table with her back toward him.
She had her arms wrapped around her waist. He took in her stance and found nothing alarming. In fact, she looked peaceful. Beautiful. Content.
"Jolene?" He stepped into the room.
She remained facing the table. "Come here. I have to show you something."
He walked to her and put his arms around her, looking over her shoulder. She melted against him and laid her head back against his chest. In front of her, a tray covered in black velvet lay on the table, and an assortment of jewelry pieces was displayed.
The absolute beauty of the necklace caught his eye first. He squinted, taking in the details. A delicate silver circle dangled from an intricate silver chain, but it was the stone in the middle that drew his eye. She'd shown him the garnets for her work, and that wasn't the gemstone in the piece.
"The stone...what is it?" he asked.
"Garnet." She turned her head and smiled. "Rough, imperfect, rejected. It came to me last week when I finally set my life on course again that everyone expects perfection from others. I expected it from myself when it came to loving you, and if I could've known that it was okay to make mistakes, act out according to my emotions, and live life differently than what others expected of me, it would never have taken me twenty years to come back to you."
He tried to wrap his head around her comparing her love for him to an imperfect garnet. "You're not less than perfect for me."
"I know that now." She nodded and turned back to the jewelry. Slipping on a white glove, she gingerly picked up the necklace. "I was trying too hard with my original idea to create something so perfect with stones that were of the highest grade that I think I was hiding their actual beauty."
She turned around and held the necklace closer to him. He took in the way she'd cut part of the rough gravel-like texture away to only show hints of the spectacular smoothness of the deep red, almost black, garnet.
"For all purposes, these garnets would never be used in jewelry or even accepted by the merchant retailers because they're imperfect with their ununiformed cuts, the amphibolite still on, and only parts of the actual garnet that others recognize by the deep dark color showing. But, together with the silver, they create something the customers have never seen. The bigger circle of silver represents life. Whole and complete. You don't notice it at first, but the garnet is bezel set," she said.
"Bezel?"
"Yes." She lifted her hands higher for him to look closer. "I've used a bezel set, which if you look from the side and not directly down at the garnet, is the solid ring of silver cupping the gemstone that makes it appear to be freestanding within the circle."
On closer inspection, he could view the silver behind the stone. She'd made the support almost hidden, but when turned, the color of the silver reflected the light onto the garnet making the dark red stone lighter, and even more beautiful, if that was possible.
"The bezel set represents you, supporting me...the garnet." She looked up into his eyes and whispered, "Together, despite our hardships, our mistakes, our imperfections, make us perfect when put together."
His heart pounded.
He understood.
He understood more than her description how she was feeling at the moment because he had known what she wanted to express through her art from the beginning.
His hands shook as he wiped the tears from her cheeks. "I'm so proud of you."
She turned and put the necklace on the tray, then whirled around and plastered herself against his chest. Half laughing, half crying, she clung to him.
"I love you so much," she said.
"Love you back, Jolene." He held her close and walked her out of the room to the couch, where he held her on his lap. "You made all those pieces this week?"
She nodded against him. "I'm beat."
"I bet." He kissed the top of her head, relaxed now that he had her in his arms. "Have you shown anyone what you've created?"
"Not yet." She raised her head. "I finished this afternoon and called Casey and Lux to ask them to fly here, not drive. I want the brochures reprinted, and Casey needs to take new pictures."
"When will the Quintessential Line be presented?"
"In three weeks. I'm going to have to rush and get Casey here to pick them up." She bit her lip, then continued. "I never would've been happy with the original design...which was beautiful. When I had all those emotions going through my head about you and me, then I looked at your suncatcher, I knew what I had to do."
"I love to see you happy." He rubbed her cheek.
She gazed intently at him. "This is a once in a lifetime chance, Caiden."
"How so?"
She closed her eyes an extra beat and inhaled deeply. "To know I can nurture, create, and provide something beautiful to the world. To have success. To offer jewelry at a price that will benefit us for the rest of our lives is fulfilling."
He hadn't even thought of the money she'd earn. He could provide for both of them. "How much would the necklace sell for?"
She smiled, and he'd never seen such a beautiful sight. Not her jewelry. Not freedom.<
br />
"You'll probably think I'm crazy and believe I'm making a mistake, but I'm going to let the merchants bid on the pieces. Maybe they'll see them as imperfect and not want them." She swallowed. "Or, maybe they'll see the imperfections as the true beauty I see."
They'd see the worth of the garnets. He'd bet his life on it.
CHAPTER 35
Fear is a question. What are you afraid of and why? Our fears are a treasure house of self-knowledge if we explore them. — Marilyn French
Silence filled the workroom. Jolene reached behind her for Caiden's hand and twined her fingers with his. She hadn't been nervous about showing off the Quintessential Line until this morning.
"I've never seen you like this." Lux laid her arm around Jolene's shoulders. "It's bad enough that you took us to lunch in Federal at that quaint bar when we arrived, but you had us sit out in the living room for almost an hour until you finally allowed us into your workroom when all we wanted was to see this mysterious line you've kept secret."
"Not to hurry you, Jolene. But, we have to be at the airport in three hours, and it takes an hour to get there." Casey held up his camera. "If you want the pictures to turn out, I'll need time to play with the light. We've got two weeks until these babies will be shown to the buyers."
"The light is fine." Jolene squeezed Caiden's hand.
Lux groaned. "The wait is killing me. You've talked about nothing else than the garnets for the last two years. Then you break the news that you've changed the design. I can't stand secrets. Show us already."
"She certainly kept the big guy behind her a secret." Casey grinned. "Though I have to say, I like you, Caiden. Anyone who can pass out Rainier beer when company comes over and look cool drinking it can hang with me."
Caiden's chest rumbled in amusement. "I'll make sure I stock the fridge next time you come over."
Casey chuckled and cut his laughter short. "All right, Jolene. Let's get this done. Show us the jewelry."
Lux moved closer to the table. Jolene let go of Caiden, stepped forward and before she could change her mind and keep the jewelry her secret for the rest of her life, she removed the cloth covering the tray. She stepped out of their way without looking at her friends.