Southern Romance (16 page)

      "Only one, when can I see her?"

      "As soon as they have her good and settled, they will call you back."

      Jade shook his hand and thanked him for everything. 

He sat back down next to Emmy Jean and fell to pieces.  He hadn’t needed his Mom to hold him like that in a very long time.  Emmy and George held him. 

       “
It’s not your fault son.”  George tried his best to soothe him but he got no response from Jade.

      Nobody spoke for what seemed like forever.  Rick kept looking at his
watch checking the time.  Marie was pacing the floors with tears slowly rolling down her face.  She stopped and her body tensed.

       “
I can’t take this.  I know it’s only been 30 minutes I need to see my baby.”  Marie stood and went to the desk.  “I really need to see my daughter.  Please.”

      Shift change had taken place and the receptionist had only heard about what had happened. 

       “Ma’am calm down.  What is your daughter’s name?”

       “
What do you mean what is my daughter’s name.  Are you kidding me?  How dare you?  You know damn well who my daughter is.”

       “
Ma’am, I know who she is, but I wasn’t given her name.  If we are not involved in the care of the patient we aren’t supposed to know anything.  Ma’am I need her name to help you.”

       “
It’s Sara Steven’s.”

      Jade felt a lump and raised his head.  “
Um, I need to tell you all something.”

       “
Ma’am we don’t have a Sara Steven’s.”

       “
What that is impossible.  She just went through surgery.  You look in that nifty little computer of yours and find my daughter.”

      Jade stood and went to Marie.  “
You might wanna sit down for this.”  Marie was confused but did as he asked.

       “
Um, she can’t find Sara Stevens in the computer because there isn’t a Sara Stevens here. Sara Thomas is registered.”

      There was a sudden drop of silence.  You literally could have heard a pin hit the floor.

       “What do you mean?  Jade you better get to answering some questions for me son.”  Rick’s tone was mono.  Jade didn’t know how to take it.  The look said he was about to be in the bed next to Sara.

       “
Well, you see Sir, I love her.  She loves me.  I should have told you sooner.  We got married last night.”

       “
You what?”  Marie was stunned.  Nobody could say anything.  Rick started laughing.  Nobody knew how to take it.  He stood up, Jade stood as if to take his beating like a man, when Rick wrapped his arms around him and hugged him.  “Thank You and welcome to the family officially that is.  If nothing else came of this.  I just won myself a horse.”

      They all started laughing hysterically.  “
Someone wanna tell me why this is funny and what the hell it has to do with a horse.”

       “
You see son,”  George stood and came to his side placing one hand on his shoulder.  “Years ago, when you used to chase her around the yard with frogs, me and Rick made a bet.  Rick said one day you two would be married.  I thought that was a bet I was going to win to.  I never thought I would live to see the day.  The deal was, if you two got married, I had to give him a horse of his choice, leave it on the ranch, care for it, and feed it.  When he came to town, it was his to mend after and do with as he chose.  If you or Sara married someone else, then I won the bet which would of forced Rick to come stay thirty days on the ranch and do my job that he said wasn’t real.  I sure was hoping I was going to win to.  Damn the luck.  But I couldn’t be happier for you two under the circumstances anyways.”

      Jade stood there shaking his head. 
“You mean, why didn’t I know about this?”

       “
We decided we would let nature take its course and if it was meant to be then so be it.” 

      Jade sat down rubbing his fingers through his hair.  I don
’t believe it, was the look all over his face.  It didn’t take long for the laughter to go away.  The doctor came and lead them back to her room.  Her face was wrapped completely.  Tubes were coming out of her everywhere.  If they hadn’t known it was her, they wouldn’t have believed it.

      The next morn
ing, after Jade was able to see her, he told everyone he needed to go shower and clean up.  There was a look in his eyes his dad had never seen before.  The way George looked at him only made Rick question what was going on as well.

      Jade left and dr
ove as fast as he could back to the ranch.  Jade had told the police that the man that had done this was Davis but he got away.  Jade had full intentions of torturing him, just as he had done to Sara.  Eye for an Eye. 

      Jade saddled up Danger and wen
t after him.  When he arrived, Davis was awake.  “So the boyfriend has come to finish me off.  You better do it right you know.  I won’t stop until I am done and have what I want.”

      Jade never said a word.  He stoked up the fire real hot.  He picked u
p the same poker that Davis had threatened Sara with and held it up looking it over and then glanced down at Davis and placed it in the fire.  It was enough that Davis now knew exactly why Jade had come back to him.

      Jade pulled up the single chair an
d sat there watching Davis stutter out words of apology at first.  Trying to convince Jade he was a sick man.  Jade had no doubts he wasn’t sick.  It would take a sick man to do the acts he had done.  When Davis didn’t get a reaction from Jade as he was hoping, he started again.

       “
She asked for it you know.  She practically begged for it.  I don’t know what she told you, but she wanted it.  She wanted me.  It doesn’t matter what you do to me today, that bitch was mine first.  She will never forget me.”

      Jade stood abruptly and grabbed a hold of Davis and began hitting him over and over again.   Then he stood and went to the fireplace.  He reached for the poker and walked back to Davis.  Still Jade had not said a single word to him.

       “The way I see it, you did way more to her than I’m gonna do to you.  But you, you worthless piece of excuse of existence, you will never forget me.”

       “
Jade, put it down.”  George’s voice startled Jade.

       “
Stay out of it.  He deserves it.”

       “
That may be, but that’s not who we are.  If you do that to him, then we are no better.”

      Rick walked over to Jade and placed his hand on his shoulder.  “
I know what you’re feeling right now.  I have dreamed of this very moment.  But this isn’t the way to do it.  We have to turn him over to the law.”

       “
The law, what kind of justice do you expect to get.  The kind that Sara got the first time.”

       “
He won’t get away with it again Son.”

      Jade stood there for a moment and threw the poker to t
he side.  “You will pay.  But your gonna do it in the very court room that let you off the first time.  In front of all your friends.  They will see what a low life you are.  And then, I’m sure when you reach whatever prison you are sure to spend the rest of your days in, I hope that you meet up with some of the men you put there.  Have a good life.”             

      With that Jade turned and walked away.  George and Rick stayed inside and waited for the police to arrive.  When they arrived, Jade half expected to be
taken in with Davis.  The police spoke with Rick and George.  An ambulance was called to tend to Davis.  When they were loading up Davis, he smiled back at Jade.  Jade went to go after him, but a police officer grabbed him.

       “
That’s not the way to handle it.  Let him smile.  But he’s in for a surprise.”

      Jade looked at the older officer that was talking to him.  The officer left Jade and walked to Davis.  “
Davis, you ok?”

       “
No, they brought me out here, told me they was going to kill me.”

      “Hm-mm, that’s odd you say that.  But you don’t have to worry about it now.  Your safe.”

      Davis again smiled at Jade.  This time the officer smiled as well at Jade.  And then Jade seen what the officer was doing.  He had reached to his back he w
as pulling out hand cuffs.

       “
Davis, you’re under arrest for the assault and attempted murder of Sara Stevens-Thomas, I suggest you use your right of silence.”  The officer cuffed him to the stretcher. 

      It took a few minutes for Jade to pull hi
mself together.  “Jade, come on it’s over.”

      The three of them went to the house, showered ate and went back to the hospital.

      Jade stayed with her day and night after that.  He left only long enough to shower and return.  He had no doubts that she was going to wake up anytime and he didn’t want her seeing him a hot mess looking like a homeless man more than the husband she loves and married.

       “
Jade go home.  Get some rest.  Ride Danger.  You have been here for nearly 4 weeks straight.  You can’t keep doing this.  We should probably just work out some kind of a schedule.”  Marie was beginning to worry about him to.  He wasn’t eating right at all.  He hardly slept.  She was pleased and grateful he had maintained his hygiene.

       “
I’m not leaving.  You can say what you want, but I’m not.”  Jade’s seriousness was enough to let Marie know real quick he wasn’t going anywhere and there was no use in trying.

       “
Jade.  I need to talk to you.  Do you wanna talk in private or shall we talk here?”  Dr. Hillsborough had a very serious look on his face. 

       “
You can try to walk out of this room.  But Jade Thomas, I will still whoop your little cute ass if you keep something about my daughter from me.  She may be your wife, but she is my baby. Understand me?”

       “
Yes Ma’am.  Better get on with it doc, we aren’t going nowhere.”

       “
Jade you might wanna sit down.  Or stand either way, I’m not sure how to go about telling you this.  You see, Sara has been here for almost four weeks.  One of the nurses got to questioning when her last period was and why she hadn’t had one yet.  So we ran a few tests.”

      Marie started crying, wrapped her arms around Jade and was completely full of joy.

       “Ok, I need English.  I guess she knows what the hell you’re talking about, but I haven’t got a clue.

       “
Ma’am you wanna do the honors or shall I.”

       “
Oh by all means, I’m gonna do it.  Jade you’re gonna be a daddy.”  Marie belted out.  It wasn’t long when she was grabbing his hands and helping him sit down.  The color left his face all together.  He couldn’t have been any whiter than he was in that moment. 

       “
How could this have happened?”

       “
Well you see son, when two people love each other they well have sss.”

       “
Wow, slow down there.  I know how it happens but we used proteeeccction.”  And then Jade stuttered again.  Just as Sara had done when she was drunk.

       “
The night we got married, let’s just say we were a little, or maybe a lot of alcohol later feeling no pain.  We didn’t use any protection that night.  How could I have been so stupid?”

       “
Jade Thomas I am so disappointed in you right now.  You wanna act like a man and then when you have to be a man you get scared and now what?”

       “
No, No, you got it all wrong.  I couldn’t be happier.  But you see, I don’t know what Sara will think when she wakes up and we have to tell her.  What if she doesn’t want any kids?  What is she wants to get rid of him or her?”

       “
Now, now, I don’t wanna hear no such thing.  Sara has always wanted a family.  I do believe she wanted a boy first, to name after the father and then a girl second.  But she never made a decision on a girl’s name.  Guess you to might have to come up with one together.”

      In that very
moment, Jade had never felt more happiness and joy in his life other than the night he married Sara.  Jade leaned down and kissed the now exposed cheek of Sara’s.  The wounds were healing and the dressings were beginning to get smaller and smaller.  They would have been completely off by now, but infection had sat in and they had to do more surgery to debride her wounds.

      He sat down by the bed and began talking to Sara.  Marie quietly excused herself so she could hurry outside and call everyone and te
ll em the good news.  Jade continued to caress Sara’s fingers and talk with her as if she could hear everything he was saying.  Jade felt her hand move slightly.  He stood up, ran outside and was yelling for the nurse.  Every nurse and doctor available was in there within seconds.  Marie was crying as they watched the doctors examine Sara.