of Jack McCord …
He’d been just another boy to her during elementary school, but she hadn’t shared the rest of the story with Jasmine. Things certainly changed in high school, when his dark, sun-streaked blond hair and tall, muscular physique reminded her of a Californian surfer and his reckless, defiant attitude promised trouble. His bad-boy allure had been undeniable.
But beneath that tough shell of his she’d glimpsed something else that had touched her heart. A flash of pain and loneliness in those mesmerizing blue eyes, coupled with an undercurrent of simmering anger that flashed fire if anyone mentioned the name of his former stepfather.
Mei had known from the first moment of girlish attraction that, though he was far beyond the reach of a shy nobody like her, they were far more alike than anyone could’ve ever guessed. Soul mates, she’d thought then, with the naïveté of a young girl.
She’d tried to hide her secret, painful crush on him. Then she’d been humiliated beyond measure when her cousin Vincent somehow ferreted out her feelings and broadcast them throughout the school with vicious glee.
The gentle sympathy in Jack’s eyes when they bumped into each other in the school library a few weeks later had made her humiliation a thousand times worse because then she’d known that he’d heard the gossip and felt sorry for her.
Her one saving grace had been that he’d gone off to college somewhere on the West Coast and had shaken the dust of Clayton, Colorado, off his feet long ago, while Mei had headed for college in the opposite direction the following year. She hadn’t expected to ever run into him again.
Yet her traitorous heart had picked up an extra beat at just seeing him again. She’d been sure that he would’ve forgotten her—it would be no surprise. She’d been nearly invisible back in school, just an inconsequential shadow in a sea of boisterous students who’d excluded her.
Though if Jack had looked her way, there wouldn’t have been any chance to date him.
She shuddered, remembering once again the vehement dislike between the two branches of the Clayton family tree. Maybe Jasmine and Cade’s generation would finally bring peace to the family, but that hadn’t been a glimmer of a possibility before.
Grandpa George’s side was filled with good-hearted, hardworking folks, whereas his brother Samuel’s side was filled with resentful ne’er-do-wells who seemed to cause endless trouble … or so her parents had always said.
That Jack had once been associated—even briefly—with the family from the other side of the tracks had made him completely off-limits.
It felt good to be older now. Mature. Beyond caring about high school cliques and the subtle social structure that existed even within her own family. In twelve more months she could leave and never look back.
A young doctor with curly auburn hair slipped into the room, and Mei shook off her thoughts.
Jasmine immediately sat up straight. “Dr. Kerber—is something wrong? Is Cade all right?”
“First you, young lady.” A flicker of a smile softened the woman’s stern expression. “Your CT scans, X-rays and labs show no indication of internal bleeding, no fractures. Everything seems to be normal … other than a mild wrist sprain and some minor lacerations, scrapes and bruises.”
“I’m free to go?”
“Yes, but I still want someone to be with you for the next forty-eight hours. You experienced quite a fall, and head injuries can still fool us no matter what the tests say.”
“She lives with my cousin Arabella Michaels,” Mei interjected. “Supervision won’t be any problem at all.”
“Good, good.” Dr. Kerber looked down at the clipboard she held in the crook of her left arm. “The nurse will be here in a bit to give you a tetanus shot, Jasmine, some going-home instructions regarding your sutures and warning signs of any head injury complications. I’d guess that you are going to be pretty stiff and sore for a few weeks, and you will probably experience headaches. Do you have any questions for me?” “Just—”
“About Cade. I know.” The doctor smiled. “He signed a permission form so I could share his information with you.” She shook her head in wonder. “Given the distance of the fall and the massive weight of the boulders that went down with the two of you, it could’ve been so much worse. All I can say is that God must have been with you both. You not only survived but missed serious head and spinal cord injuries—all too common in this kind of accident.”
“God was with us.” Jasmine closed her eyes briefly. “I’ve never prayed so hard in my life—especially afterward when Cade was bleeding so much.”
Dr. Kerber glanced again at her clipboard. “He wasn’t quite as lucky as you, I’m afraid. He has a severely sprained ankle and significant, deep bruising. It took ten sutures to close up that laceration on his head and another eight on his arm. He also has a severe concussion and some mild confusion, so I’m keeping him here for observation for a day or two.”
“A concussion?” Jasmine paled and grabbed for Mei’s hand. “That sounds bad.”
“I think he’ll be fine, but I just don’t want to take any chances. After he’s discharged, I’d strongly recommend that he stay away from contact sports, rodeos or any other activity that might place him at risk for a second head injury.”
A tear trickled down Jasmine’s cheek. “We were supposed to get married next month on Christmas Eve.”
The doctor smiled gently. “Don’t worry. Give him a few weeks to heal and you’ll never guess that he’d had such a close call.”
Mei freshened up in the ladies’ room at the hospital, then drove to her mother’s home on Bluebird Lane, at the northwest edge of town, and parked out in front. Lisette Clayton stepped onto the wide porch of the two-story brick house before Mei could reach the front door.
“Hi, Mom.”
Widowed for years now, she still wore her silver hair in a short, perfectly coiffed style, and always dressed elegantly. Today, her gold necklace and hoop earrings picked up the subtle tones of her champagne cashmere sweater set and matching slacks. As usual, her French manicure was flawless.
She hugged Mei briefly, then scooped up Albert, the fluffy white Maltese dog at her feet. “I was surprised to hear you’d decided to come now instead of waiting until Christmas.”
“Change of plans,” Mei said, choosing her words carefully.
“Well, do come on in. I can’t believe it’s this cold already, and it’s only the first of November.” A wry smile briefly touched Lisette’s mouth. “I thought you’d arrive much earlier, so I had your cousin cater our lunch today. She dropped it off before she left for Denver.”
“Arabella?” Mei felt her stomach rumble in anticipation. “The pies she brought to Grandpa’s funeral luncheon were incredible.”
“I’m glad she opened a business that matches her talents.
I had her bring pastries for our breakfast, too. I’m not much of a cook anymore.”
“It’s a lot of bother when you’re on your own.” Mei shouldered out
