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“Someone knows what he’s talking about,” Maria said with a smile. “I think that’s a better idea. So, we’ll need probably some chiffon or some cotton.”
“Linen, Maria,” Jade said. “I think linen curtains would be perfect for the weather we’re going to have. Maybe with a layer of cotton or two over them and the beaded curtains in another color to contrast. We want to get people interested, right?”
“That would look amazing!” Maria exclaimed, clapping her hands in growing excitement.
“Interest is a good thing at these things,” I pitched. “However, I don’t know how much success you’ll find trying to sell this absolutely gaudy jewelry in person. The pictures are so much better online.”
Maria audibly gasped as if I’d stabbed a cat.
Jade whipped around on her heels.
“Seriously? Are you even capable of having a single decent conversation where you don’t say something completely unkind?” When I didn’t answer, she continued. “Excuse you. No one asked for your opinion.”
She began to stomp away, but then she spun around and pointed to me.
“I don’t owe you an explanation for anything—not why I’m at the fundraiser, why I moved to Lantana, anything. But I tell you because I thought ‘hey, maybe he’ll be less of a jerk if he knowsa bit about me.’ Well, I’ll have you know that my grandmother taught me how to make beaded earrings and jewelry when I was young, and now that she’s passed on, this is how I keep her and my family’s culture close. The fact that it earns me money as well is just a bonus,” Jade said, though her voice cracked a little. “Do you even know what it feels like to lose someone that close to you, someone who taught you everything you know how to do? How dare you say that.”
Maria put an arm around Jade’s shoulders, glaring at me.
For once, I found myself speechless, and not because I didn’t want to have a conversation. I hadn’t realized she had had such a connection to someone through jewelry-making.
And honestly, I guess I had been pretty rude. But I didn’t know how to answer Jade, so I stayed silent.
My great-grandfather had started the ranch, and I could only imagine how I would have reacted had she said anything with similar tactlessness to me about the ranch and the time I spent there. It would not have ended well.
“Why don’t you go to the back room to calm down, Jade?” Maria finally said after realizing that there was nothing coming out of my mouth. “I want to talk to Mr. Delaney.”
Jade nodded, walking away from the two of us into the back room. Then, Maria turned to me.
“I cannot believe you just said that to her,” Maria said. “Jewelry’s not for everyone. She knows this. But all the people who have called it gaudy before have been haters of immigrants on social media, and not someone she was living with. Either get it together and apologize to her or get out of her life. She doesn’t need this hatred in her life. She’s dealt with enough of it already.”
With that, Maria followed Jade into the backroom.
I took a moment to look around the little store. If they were planning on making a booth, they had plenty of product to takewith them. There were little display racks of necklaces, bracelets, and more stands of earrings on the tables than I could count. Maria had managed to find a way to hang her purses up without having to worry about hiding any of them behind another.
There were even beaded curtains behind things, with tags. It was all carefully curated to appear as pleasing as possible.
I didn’t know what to do, so I sat on a stool in a corner and waited. I was Jade’s ride home, and I was supposed to be answering questions about the fundraiser. I figured I’d wait a while, and if they didn’t come out, then I’d just go home and let Jade get a ride with Maria.
Eventually, the two emerged from the back office.
“You’re still here?” Maria noted, dryly.
“Yep.”
Jade looked at me.
“I’m sorry I yelled,” she said.
I wanted to apologize, but how do you apologize for insulting someone like that? I didn’t know what to say, and the words seemed stuck in my throat, so I didn’t say anything. The two women stared at me, and then Jade eventually forced the conversation to move forwards.
“Now, that table we used at the fire station, I think it’s good but maybe a touch too small for a booth for a fundraiser – if we want to have two or three tables of products.”
I nodded slowly.
Keeping my mouth shut was probably my best bet now, so that is exactly what I did. Whatever Jade thought of me now, I did not blame her because that was a heck of a thing to find out.
Chapter fourteen
