Free The Color of Jade (Jade Series Book 1) by Mae Redding

through the back door. Kane stood on the front porch. His heated conversation filtered inside so I paused at the bottom of the stairs to listen.
    “Morrison isn’t a guy you want to piss off, why you haven’t been in.” I recognized the voice. The thought of Damian knowing where I lived sent a shudder through me.
    “I have a farm to run,” Kane said, his voice sharp with weakened tolerance. “I don’t answer to Morrison.”
    “Everyone needs to report in and everyone needs to do their share with the cleanup.”
    “I’ve done more than my fair share of the cleanup. I’m done so Morrison can stop sending you to check up on me. Whatever I do, I’ll do on my own. And that’s enough of sitting down the road watching my house.”
    “Where’s Jade?” To hear him say my name made my hair stand on end.
    “What do you want with her?”
    “I just want to talk to her.” I could almost hear his smirk filled grin, weaseling through the sound of his voice, content to know it bothered Kane when he asked about me.
    “You can’t.”
    “Don’t you think that should be up to her?”
    “No…Stay away from her, got it!”
    “Tell her I stopped by, I’ll be seeing her soon.”
    I heard a sudden scuffle on the porch and I ran to the doorway to see Kane through the screen door with Damian’s shirt balled in his clenched fists as he pinned him against the house. Kane’s forearm, pressed tightly against his jaw forced his cheek into the brick of the house. The harshness in my brother’s voice sent chills over my skin.
    “I don’t think you heard me. I’ll take that as a threat and you can take this as fair warning… if you come back here again, you and me… we’re going to have problems.”
    Kane jerked him away from the wall and released him from his grip, pushing him down the stairs. Damian stumbled for his footing and barely managed to regain it as he hit the lawn. He steadied himself and straightened his shirt, glancing into the doorway. A look of recognition lit it his eyes as he saw me through the screen door. A smirk curled his lips that sent an icy chill through me. He glanced back at Kane with a dagger-like stare, then eH walked slowly towards the grey ford and slithered into the seat.
    “For now, Kane. Your way for now.”
    ***
    I brushed a loose strand of hair off my forehead as I took a break from pulling weeds at the edge of the strawberry patch. My eyes closed as I looked up and let the sun soak into my cheeks. The events from the previous day filled my mind. I wouldn’t tell Kane I overheard his confrontation with Damian. I didn’t want it to damper my elevated mood after what happened at Marge’s.
    My cheeks flushed and I giggled inside. I hoped the guy didn’t notice but even Marge saw me gaping at him. He did well through the winter, I thought as I dropped a strawberry in my mouth, but I still didn’t know his name.
    I savored the juicy sweetness as the berry melted in my mouth and the scent of fruity sweetness tickled my nose. I picked another.
    The word cute just didn’t seem to do him justice. You would say cute as you describe a puppy. No, he was more than cute. Hot, downright gorgeous. A little bit taller than Trey with the most beautiful, sapphire eyes. His muscles curled under his sleeve and I remembered how I bumped into him so closely that I touched him. He felt muscled and…
    “Jade…Hello… Earth to Jade! Are you in there?”
    Emery hollered, snapping me out of my daydream. I hadn’t noticed her and Trey come over. The two of them stood over me and stared at me perplexed.
    “Are you okay, Jade?” Trey asked.
    “Fine, why?” I stammered.
    “Because you are off in LaLa land, that’s why,” Emery, with hands on her hips, remarked sarcastically.
    “Sorry… Did you say something, Em?”
    “Did you hear anything I said?” The tone of her voice far braver than if Trey wasn’t around. “She’s probably thinking about a boy.”
    My jaw dropped to the ground that she even