Jade flashed a glance over her shoulder. “I need to move my car before your neighbors see it. I was worried when I got here and didn’t even think to park down the street.”
His brows drew in slightly, his mouth tightened, and the pained expression that swept over his face nearly had her striding across the room. But she was nothing if not prideful . . . a default setting from her childhood.
“You were worried about me?” he asked, his tone low, almost surprised.
Jade held his gaze another second. “Hope your dad is okay.”
She fled the room, not caring if her steps mimicked that of a marathon runner. She grabbed her purse by the front door where she’d dropped it and walked out. Whatever she’d left in his kitchen could wait, or he could keep it.
Right now, Jade just wanted to get home, where she could crawl into her bed alone and evaluate just what the hell Cash meant to her. Because it was clear they weren’t on the same page anymore.
Chapter Eleven
Jade stood over Sophie Monroe’s desk in her real estate office and surveyed the rough-draft pamphlets for the airport. There were six samples for them to choose from, but she couldn’t pinpoint just one she thought was best. Jade liked portions of each and was calculating how they could be combined.
Of course, she could probably concentrate if she’d actually gotten a good night’s sleep and hadn’t spent the rest of the morning worrying about how she’d left things with Cash when she’d darted from his house.
How was his dad? Should she text and ask or just ignore and leave him alone now? He clearly didn’t want to discuss his father . . . at least not with her. If he wanted her to know the status, he’d tell her.
“Zach said four women would never come to an agreement on what the final design should be,” Sophie said as she took a seat at her desk.
Melanie sat in one of the armchairs opposite the desk and Livie sat in the other. They both leaned forward, inspecting the pamphlets.
“I’m sure we can come to some mutual agreement,” Jade stated. “Clearly, you’re the expert on this, Sophie.”
“I just had these made up and used what I thought you might want the public to know,” Sophie stated. She pointed to one of the samples. “This one is my favorite as far as the layout and colors go.”
Jade studied the classy white-and-black design before handing it back to Melanie and Livie. She grabbed another one with a navy-and-white design that she actually liked better.
“This one is still a timeless look,” she muttered as she examined all sides. “I think I like the coloring better.”
Sophie laughed. “That’s my second choice.”
“Well, hopefully we all don’t like a different one,” Livie stated as she reached for the one Jade held.
“Oh, no.”
Jade’s focus shifted to Melanie, who had dropped one of the samples and now clutched her rounded belly.
“What?” Livie demanded. “Don’t tell me the baby. Do not say it. We haven’t had your shower yet.”
Sophie laughed but came around to the side of Melanie’s chair and placed a hand on her shoulder. “Don’t listen to her. Are you in pain?”
Melanie’s eyes squeezed tight. “I didn’t know if I’d been feeling contractions or not. I mean, this is my first baby. What do I know? But I keep getting them . . . and I’m pretty sure my water just broke.”
Jade had zero experience when it came to babies and birth and labor, but she was positive breaking water was some warning to get straight to the hospital.
“Should I call an ambulance?” Jade asked.
“I can drive her,” Livie offered. “Why don’t you call Tanner and have him meet us at the hospital?”
Tanner. Yes, she could do that. Her hands shook as she shoved her hair behind her ears and tried to remain calm. She just needed to make a phone call; it wasn’t like she was the one having the baby.
“I’m so sorry, Sophie.” Melanie blew out a long, slow breath. “I really didn’t mean to have my water break here.”
Sophie leaned down and half-hugged Melanie as she patted her shoulder. “That’s not something you had control over. Don’t think a thing about it.”
Jade crossed the spacious office to her purse on the accent table on the far wall. She dug for her cell and saw that she’d missed four texts from Cash. Unfortunately, she couldn’t think about their rocky situation or reply to him right now.