Free Love Lifted Me by Sara Evans Page A

Chandler, did you get it all down for your ‘Hollow Happenings’ column? Call me.”
    â€œJune, stop. You don’t want this on the Internet.” Jade powered the cart down the hill, made a U-turn at the light, and headed back up toward the country club. She hollered at Mae as she passed, “Get Rebel’s stuff.”
    What bothered Jade the most about June’s Main Street confessional was the truth embedded in her words. The woman spoke from experience and from her heart. Embarrassment aside, Jade believed everyone within hearing distance of June went home convicted about examining their hearts. Even if for a moment.
    You marry the man you love with bright, blinding stars in your eyes, believing true love has chosen you . . . Lies, cheating, lust; the destroyers of all dreams . . . There is no such thing as true love, or fidelity .
    Despite the cordial culture of Whisper Hollow and the full church pews on Sunday mornings, the Hollow harbored secrets. Infidelity. Backstabbing. Gossip. Lost love. Destroyed dreams.
    Standing at the sink peeling potatoes for dinner, Jade realized she’d already experienced a taste of the world June described, and it went down bitter.
    After dropping off June and her borrowed cart at the club, Jade had closed the Blue Umbrella and driven up to Eventide Ridge to think and pray. For June. For Max. For the secret she knew about Asa. For her own heart and weak trust. It took a good hour to exhaust herself at the foot of the cross.
    Then she came home and Googled a few things.
    A car door slammed. Jade looked up, out the kitchen window. Max rounded the corner of the garage hoisting Asa on his shoulders. Against the green backdrop of their wooded yard and the golden trails of afternoon sun lacing through the treetops, her husband and son created a serene picture.
    â€œMama.” Asa ran to her when Max set him down. “Look.” He held up a toy car.
    â€œDrugstore.” Max set a small bag on the counter.
    â€œVery nice, son.”
    â€œI thought we could watch a movie tonight so I picked up some snacks at Kidwell’s.” He held up a box of Milk Duds, rattling the contents. “But you have to eat your dinner first.”
    He could be so wonderfully goofy. “I’m fine with dinner first. You’re the junk food junkie.” Jade peeked into the bag. M&Ms, all varieties, chips, jelly beans, popcorn, and licorice. “Who else is watching this movie with us?”
    â€œNo one, but I wasn’t sure what we wanted.” Max kissed her forehead. “I heard some interesting whispers in Kidwell’s.”
    â€œI bet you did.” Jade quartered the potatoes and slipped them into the boiling water.
    â€œMom drove a golf cart down Main Street? Tossing out clothes, yelling things about Dad?”
    â€œIn rare June Benson form.”
    â€œDo you know why?” Max came around the island and leaned against the counter.
    â€œShe said she’s had enough. Your dad canceled counseling, but other than that I don’t know if anything happened between them.” Jade twisted open a can of green beans. “She also blabbed our business to the crowd. I pushed her in the cart and drove away.”
    â€œOur business?” Max said. “You mean, mine.”
    â€œI mean ours. Your affair, my abortion. Chandler Doolittle heard it all. Can you get me the small saucepan?” Jade pointed to the island cupboard.
    Max reached down and handed it to Jade. “If you didn’t see it with your own eyes, I’d never believe it.”
    â€œI couldn’t believe it, Max. Even though I chased her down Main Street. I thought she was drunk, or that something really bad happened that made her finally snap. But she seemed of sound mind. Sober.”
    He stared at the wall. Jade knew what he was thinking. How to avoid becoming like his parents. She’d been pondering the same thing all afternoon.
    â€œI think I’ll