“Umm, thanks?” Trey said as he looked back and forth between the sisters, completely confused about what was happening.
“I think I need to talk to my sister alone,” Callie said as she gently turned him around and started walking him toward the door.
“Of course.” Trey leaned down to gently kiss her on the cheek, “I’ll be at the main house.” He looked to Jade. “Are we good?”
She gave him two thumbs up, “We sure are, cowboy.”
“Okay,” he said doubtfully, drawing out the word like he didn’t exactly trust her words. “I’ll let my mom know you’ll be joining us for dinner.”
Jade nodded her head, “Okay, see you later.”
As soon as Trey left, Callie walked around the couch, letting herself flop onto the comfortable cushions. “I don’t want to sound like I’m not excited to see you, but seriously, what are you doing here?”
“Callie…I’m worried about you.”
Callie’s head dropped against the back of the couch. “Why?”
Jade’s mouth fell open, then she pointed from the bedroom to Callie, to the screen door where Trey had just left. “Oh, I don’t know. Do I need to recap for you? This boy could really hurt you.” She fell onto the couch next to her sister, letting her head fall back, copying Callie. They sat in silence, staring at the ceiling until Jade finally spoke again barely above a whisper, “What are you doing, Cal?”
“I don’t know, but I think I’m in love with him. Like…for the first time in my life, I truly care about someone.”
Jade picked up Callie’s hand, pulling it into her lap. “And it’s pretty obvious he cares about you. Does he know yet?”
“No.” Callie rested her head on her sister’s shoulder as tears rolled down her face. Jade patted her sister’s cheek like she used to do when Callie was little and not feeling well, laying her head on top of hers.
“Holy shit,” Jade groaned, taking a deep breath, “you’re going to ruin him.”
Callie snuggled into the comfort of her sister and let her heart break for all the secrets she’d been forced to keep. None of this was her fault, but she continued to selfishly hold onto Trey even when everything except her heart told her to let him go. She’d come here with the hopes of being the one to bring him peace and put the entire family back together. But it was becoming a real possibility that she might be the one to deliver the final blow for all of them.
“Oh, Cal,” Jade said sympathetically. “I wasn’t kidding when I said the two of you made a dramatically beautiful entrance, but I’m afraid it’s going to be a tragically explosive exit. And to be honest, I’m not sure either of you will make it out in one piece.”
Twenty-One
“Callie, relax. Let’s just have a nice dinner.” Jade said as she and Callie crossed the yard toward the main house. “But I do think some serious conversations need to happen between his family and us. They must understand how devastating this could be for both of you. They need to prepare for what might happen.”
“Or might not, maybe it’ll all work out. No one wants the truth out more than me. But Alex’s Star Day is this Friday and I promised her, and I won’t let her down.”
Jade stopped walking, “Seriously? The seven-year-old niece? You can’t let her down?”
“You’ll understand once you meet her.”
As if on cue, Trey came out onto the porch holding Alex’s hand. “There she is, Firefly.”
“Callie,” she squealed as she skipped down the stairs and launched herself at Callie. “Guess what? Last night at the lock-in…” she stopped mid-thought and tipped her head and turned toward Jade. “Those are some kick-butt pearls. Where did you get them?”
“Um…” Jade looked at Callie for a second and then back down to Alex. “Honestly, I bought them from a street vendor in New York City.”
“Rad. Are they stolen?”
Trey threw his head back and barked out a laugh, “Why in the world would you ask her that? What do you know about stolen jewelry.”
Alex rolled her eyes at Trey’s reaction, “It’s just a question. I watched a show on Netflix about New York and the mob’s underground activities. There’s some shady stuff going on in that town if you know what I mean.” She looked back at Jade with squinted eyes, “And by the looks of those pearls, I think you do.” She winked, her entire face lighting up with the famous O’Brien smile.
Trey turned toward the screen door and yelled, “Lauren! Are you letting my niece watch Netflix? Seriously? And now she knows about mob activity in New York? Am I the only one that understands she is only seven?”
“Alex, it’s time to eat…and Trey, you need to relax,” Lauren called from inside the kitchen.
“Be right there,” Alex responded as she started walking backward toward the steps. “You should totally tell people you bought them from the mob. Way cooler story.” She gave two thumbs up, then spun around and ran up the steps and disappeared into the house.
Jade’s mouth hung open slightly as she stared toward the house. A little breath escaped from her as she pointed to the empty porch, speechless. Callie nodded her head with a smirk on her face, watching as Jade absorbed all that was Alexandria O’Brien.
“I totally get it,” Jade said in understanding as she followed behind Callie. “I think I want to be that kid’s best friend.”
The formal dining room was set up with candles, cloth napkins, and formal settings. “I hope you didn’t go to all this fuss for me, Mrs. O’Brien,” Jade said as she followed Callie into the room.
“They did,” Alex chirped as she snagged a black olive from the relish tray.
“Hush, Alex,” Eve scolded as she waved a hand in her direction. “This is fun for me, so thank you for giving me a reason to fuss a little bit. And please, sweetheart, call me Eve.” She insisted and pulled Jade into a tight embrace. “So nice to meet you.”
“And I’ve heard you’ve already met my son, Trey. I apologize for that.”
“Hey,” Trey grumbled, a celery stick hanging from his mouth and one arm already draped over Callie’s shoulder. Alex and Callie giggled at him.
“And my granddaughter, Alex,” she nodded toward the girl, “who is really just a smaller version of her Uncle Trey.”
Trey and Alex exchanged grins and nodded their heads in agreement, giving each other a fist bump.
“This is her mama, Lauren, and her boyfriend, Andy. Andy manages the farm for us and has been one of Trey’s best friends since they were little.”
“I don’t even like him,” Trey said and punched Andy in the arm.
“Quit playing, Uncle Trey. We all know you and Andy are homies.”
“Whaa… homies?” Trey asked, a horrified expression on his face.
“It means friends,” she informed him as she walked around the table to her regular spot.
“I know what it –” Trey looked at his sister-in-law, “Lauren?”
“Alex, can you please stop picking on your uncle? Can’t you see you’ve got him all worked up?”
Alex giggled and pulled out the chair next to her. “Jade, you can sit by me if you want.
“I sure do,” she said excitedly as she rounded the table. “Thank you so much for having me, Eve. I know this was short notice, so I really appreciate the hospitality.”
Trey slid his hand to the small of Callie’s back, pulling out the chair across the table from Jade and whispering in her ear, “You’re going to sit next to me, beautiful.” He took the seat at the end of the table but continued to hold Callie’s hand as everyone took their seats.
“Not a problem at all, dear. Let’s eat, shall we?”
The conversation continued comfortably throughout the meal. Jade shared stories of Callie as a child, being careful not to mention her illness. Andy told stories of what it was like to grow up as a third wheel with the O’Brien boys.
Alex talked about Star Day and what would happen. She told everyone where they should sit and invited Jade to come too.
&n
bsp; Although Jade could totally see why her sister had fallen in love with this family, it didn’t change the fact this was a dangerous situation. She watched out of the corner of her eye as Callie and Trey held their own secret conversations. A touch here, a look there…smiles meant only for each other.
After dessert, Alex left the table to go watch cartoons and the mood in the room took a different turn.
Jade cleared her throat. “I want to thank you for such a lovely night, Eve, but I think it’s only fair that I bring up the elephant in the room.”
“Jade, please.” Callie pleaded as she set down her glass. Trey reached for Callie’s hand and held it tightly. A united front.
“Jade, I know you’re concerned, but I really think this is between Callie and me. I don’t understand why you’re so worried about your sister. She is a grown woman. Have I done something to make you think I’m an asshole or I’m going to hurt her?”
Jade turned toward Trey, her eyes first falling to their joined hands, and then back to Callie’s pleading eyes. “Trey, it’s not that I think you’re a bad person at all. In fact, you have as much to lose as my sister. I’m as concerned about you as I am her.” Jade addressed the whole room. “I know I’m not the only one here who can see that these two are falling hard for each other.”
Callie shook her head, tears threatening to fall as she looked at her sister. “I can’t do this, I won’t give him up,” she said with conviction as she pushed herself away from the table.
“Callie, what the hell are you talking about? Nobody is giving anyone up.” Trey’s voice was getting louder.
“Please, I’m not trying to upset any of you. I just want you…” she looked at each face around the table, “I want all of you to look at this through clearer eyes. I don’t know how much you all know about...” Jade paused, and her eyes shot to Callie, “my sister’s illness. But I can’t allow her to set herself up for something she may not be capable of recovering from.”
Jade stood, silently begging her sister, “He says no one is giving up anyone but I’ve almost lost you too many times to be okay with this.”
“Now, girls. Please sit. I’m sure we can work through this without anyone getting hurt or upset.”
“With all due respect, Eve, I don’t think you have my sister’s best interest in mind.”
“I love Callie. She has gotten me through some tough times,” Eve said gently.
“I know exactly what Callie has done for you and believe me, I know exactly what your family has done for Callie, and I do not have the words to thank you for that. But in all honesty, in this situation, all you can see is this,” Jade pointed at Trey standing, holding onto Callie with a confused look on his face. “All you know is right now, at this moment, he is here. He is part of your family again and you don’t want anything to jeopardize that.”
Eve’s eyes filled with tears before she covered her face with both hands.
“I, on the other hand, can see both sides of this. When she loses him, she also loses all of you plus that adorable little girl in the other room. Where does that leave her?”
Trey pounded his fist on the table, “Stop right there. Who said anything about me leaving Callie? Why are you so sure that’s going to happen?”
Jade pointed across the table at him, “You don’t understand what’s at risk here. I see her with you. I see her in a way I’ve never seen her before. She’s alive. Finally, she is fully alive.” She turned toward Andy and Lauren who was wiping tears from her eyes. “I see her like you see Trey. But we all know this is dangerous.”
“What the hell are you talking about? Callie, I’m sorry I called you crazy. Obviously, your sister has that title in your family.”
“I didn’t come here to stop this, I came here to offer support to my sister. I came here because when I talked to her yesterday, I could hear the struggle in her voice. She cares about you, Trey. Deeply. I don’t know about the rest of you, but I can feel it in the room right now. The two of you together are magnetic.”
“And why is that a bad thing?”
Jade paused. “Because…it is,” she said, her voice full of empathy.
“Damn it! Will someone please tell me what the hell is going on?” He looked from person to person, each of them struggling with what to say. “I’ve finally just started living again, and you’re going to waltz in here and tell me that’s wrong? I haven’t wanted to feel anything since my brother died, and Callie is the first real thing in my life. She’s funny and beautiful and perfect for me. So, will someone please explain to me why us being together is such a horrible idea.”
Jade kept her eyes on Callie, waiting for the truth to come out. Promise to Alex or not, Trey deserved to know. And even if this wasn’t the plan for tonight, after watching the two of them together, it was so clear to Jade that this couldn’t go on any longer.
Trey slammed his fist on the table again, this time hard enough to make the water slosh around in the glasses. Callie jumped as tears streamed down her face, “Someone tell me what is going on!”
Callie opened her mouth and Jade held her breath. “I tried to kill myself,” she blurted.
The room went silent.
“Callie, no…” Jade whispered, and she let her body fall back into her chair.
The words came out in a rush. “Right before my…surgery. I was so sick and weak, and I felt like such a burden on Jade and my parents. I convinced myself they would be better off without me. I couldn’t take it anymore, so I tried to kill myself.”
Jade covered her mouth with one hand and looked away from the table. She couldn’t watch this anymore.
“My sister is afraid if things don’t work out between the two of us, I won’t be able to recover and I might try again.”
Eve stood, rushed around the table and wrapped her arms around Callie, “Oh honey, you will never lose us like that. Yes, it’s true that any relationship is a risk. But it’s worth it, don’t you think?”
She reached up and smoothed one side of Callie’s hair. “You are fortunate you have a sister who cares so much about you, that she would come all the way here to make sure you’re okay.”
“I already know about the suicide attempt,” Trey confessed.
“What?” Eve’s eyes widened as she looked at her son. “How could you possibly know that?”
“Callie knows this but, I’ve had Sheriff Deal looking into her background.”
“Trey, honey. You didn’t.” Eve pulled out a chair from the table and Callie helped her sit down.
“Mama, she shows up here out of the blue and suddenly everything changes. I didn’t know a thing about her and I wasn’t sure if you did either.”
“But having the Sheriff poking around in her background?”
“I know, it was stupid, but that’s how I found out her last name. He also knew she had a chronic illness of some type and that she had attempted suicide. That’s when it all fell into place.”
“What did?” Lauren asked. “What fell into place?”
“Mom had told me about a group she found online where you could share your feelings with other people who had been sick or lost loved ones. She had mentioned that she had met some amazing people who were helping her get through her grief. I asked Callie about it and she said yes, that’s where they met.”
The room was silent as Trey’s gaze circled the table and stopped on Callie, who was standing next to him. He reached for her hands. “Callie, do you have any idea what you’ve done in the short time you’ve been here?”
Callie’s tears streamed down her face.
“You’ve got my mom planting flowers, hosting events, having BBQ’s. Do you know how big that is? Because of you, I’m in the process of accepting the fact that this big dummy right here might actually be able to take care of Lauren and Firefly.”
“And…” he placed his hand over his chest, “I feel this beating again. Really beating, not only to keep me alive but because I want to have a life. That’s what you’ve don
e for me, you’ve given me my life back.”
He wrapped his arm around Callie’s waist and she leaned into him. “We’re leaving. Mom, could you please fix one of the bedrooms up for Jade tonight?”
“Of course.”
Trey looked down at Jade. “We can talk more about this tomorrow but right now, I need to take Callie home. I hope you understand.”
Jade didn’t look at him, she just nodded her head a couple times and whispered, “Home,” her eyes dropping to her lap.
After Callie and Trey left, Jade looked up to find Andy comforting Lauren.
“Well, that didn’t go exactly as planned, did it?”
“Jade, I’m so sorry I had you come all this way and got you involved in this.” Eve apologized, “I just can’t figure a way out of this. I knew the feelings they had for each other were strong, but this? I fear I’ve made more mistakes than can be counted.”
“I can’t believe she would use her suicide attempt as an aversion to the real story. She must be terrified of losing him.” Jade tried to swallow past the lump in her throat. “I don’t see this ending in any other way but heartache.”
Jade looked at the couple sitting across the table. “And I’m pretty sure this train wreck is going to end with us losing them both.”
Twenty-Two
It had been several days and no one had spoken about the disaster of a dinner that had happened the first night Jade arrived. She’d come to the conclusion they were great people and great at loving each other, but also great at avoiding the situation in front of them.
“Are you sure you want to go out tonight? I mean, seriously, who goes out for drinks on a Thursday night?” Jade asked her sister as she pulled off her gardening gloves and threw them onto the island. “You’ve been with him every night since I got here.”
“Is baby Jade pouting?” Callie teased in a child-like voice, tilting her head to the side. She laughed as Jade stuck out her bottom lip and dramatically stomped her foot, faking a tantrum.
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