The Sweet By and By by Sara Evans

“Are you at Aretha Frankenstein’s?”
    â€œHow’d you know?”
    â€œBecause I’m here too.” Jade stopped just shy of his table. His head was tipped toward a dark, feminine one, and his hand rested on a woman’s slender forearm.
    â€œWhere are you?” Max jumped up, whirling around, almost colliding with Jade.
    Rice McClure looked up at Jade, her eyes watery and red.
    â€œWhat’s going on?” Jade gazed between Max and Rice, who stared at a wadded napkin. The scene made Jade feel as if she were on the outside peering in, like the scorned girlfriend trying to win back her man.
    â€œNo-nothing’s going on. What are you doing here?” Max peered down at Rice.
    It started with a thought. What if he still loves her? The notion exploded in Jade’s mind, scattering fear fragments over the valleys of her heart. The light of her soul flickered.
    She’d been here before . . .
    Don’t . . . think . . . Sinking . . . No, no . . . Jade shifted her weight, taking a step backward. Her eyes darted about the small room. Alone, they want to be . . . alone. Where to . . . focus. Daphne said . . . the window . . . light . . . focus on the window.
    The clanking sounds of dishes faded to the background. Jade’s fingers gripped the praying hands medallion hanging around her neck.
    Don’t want . . . to go . . . crazy.
    â€œJade?” Confusion, no, impatience darkened Max’s expression.
    Rice rose from her chair, her eyes red, her brunette hair neatly tucked behind her ears. “Jade, are you okay?”
    â€œI’m fine . . . fine.” Jade pulled her arms tight against her torso and moved backward, bumping into the table behind her. Water and tea sloshed over the tops of the diners’ full drink glasses. A bully-faced man jumped away from the table, knocking over his chair.
    â€œBabe, babe.” Max lunged for her, apologizing to the Aretha Frankenstein’s patron. “Your lunch is on me.”
    Jade peered at the man. I’m sorry. So sorry.
    â€œJade, sweetheart, what’s going on?” Max grabbed her by the waist and steered her to a nook in the back of the restaurant.
    The walls gathered around, the ceiling hovered just over her head . . . Out . . . I want out . . . Need air . Jade broke free from Max and bolted between the tables and out the front door. The golden afternoon sun cut a bold light across her vision as she stumbled down the stone steps. His footsteps crunched behind her.
    Where did she park? Darkness slashed through her thoughts, raiding her sense of self. Her car. Where was her car? Jade wanted to go home, to the Hollow, to her safe boundaries.
    â€œJade, tell me, what’s going on?” Max handcuffed her wrist with his tight grip.
    â€œYou, Rice, your mom . . . I, I . . .” Jade shook her head gently, releasing her arm from Max’s hand, and teetered on the edge of reason.
    â€œMom? She’s here?”
    â€œWhat are you doing here with Rice?” Jade tore off her jacket, letting it slip down her arms and hang from her wrists. The cool air felt perfect against her hot skin.
    â€œShe wanted to talk.”
    â€œYou work at the same office, Max—on the other side of the river I might add. You had to come here to talk? You had to hold her hand?”
    â€œI wasn’t holding her hand. She’s upset about her boyfriend in D.C., and she asked if we could go to lunch.”
    With a deep inhale, Jade peered at Max. “Do you love her?”
    â€œNo.” Max propped his hands on his leather belt, eyes narrowed at her. “Is that what this show is about?”
    â€œShow?” He had to hate seeing his fiancée insecure and clinging. Jade stepped off the curb. “I need to go. An estate broker from Kentucky is meeting me at the shop.”
    â€œJade, is everything all right?” June asked, with Sean and Rice following.
    Max slipped his arm around Jade. “Mom,