Page 48 of Fierce Hope (Hope Landing: New Recruits #3)
Almost twenty-four hours later, Jade stood quietly near her living room window, afternoon sunlight casting soft golden tones across her familiar belongings.
Despite the peaceful atmosphere, her heart felt strangely empty.
The silence pressed heavily without Deke’s comforting presence, without DJ’s laughter filling the rooms.
She exhaled slowly, fingers tightening around her mug of tea, warmth seeping into her chilled fingers, the fragrance of mint gently calming her nerves. Deke had insisted she stay with him and DJ last night, but today, she’d needed to come home, needed her own space to process everything.
Too much had changed too quickly. She needed time to think. To pray. To breathe.
Her thoughts drifted back to last night, to the passionate sincerity in Deke’s voice when he’d confessed his love outside the warehouse. Could he truly mean it, or had adrenaline and relief overwhelmed him?
What if it was the adrenaline—and the relief—talking? What if Deke rethought things in the cold light of day?
After so many years learning how people could be manipulated, she wasn’t used to taking people at their word.
The soft chime of her phone interrupted her thoughts.
DJ: You still coming to the party tonight? Dad says it’s ok if you need more time, but I hope you come.
Jade smiled at the boy’s thoughtfulness. She typed back quickly:
NO way I’m missing this.
She set the phone down and took another sip of tea, letting the warmth settle in her stomach. She shook herself lightly, determinedly brushing away insecurity. She had faith in Deke, faith in God, and now, she needed to have faith in herself.
Her gaze drifted to the thin manila folder on her coffee table—her arrest records from Texas. Sebastian Deveaux had sent them via overnight courier. “Thought you might want these,” he’d said simply. “They’re yours now. All copies. Digital records have … disappeared. Do whatever you want with them.”
She hadn’t opened the folder. Didn’t need to. She knew what was inside—the documentation of a part of her life she’d spent years running from. But something had shifted in her perspective.
She considered the recent crisis again, replaying how she’d tapped fully into her old con-artist skills to save DJ.
Those very skills had helped save them both.
The ability to read Sarah, to recognize her weaknesses, to improvise under pressure—all of it came from years of less-than-honest work. Maybe her past wasn’t purely shameful.
Maybe it had prepared her uniquely for moments exactly like this.
Perhaps the Lord had used every piece of her history—even the painful parts—to shape the woman she’d become.
With surprising clarity, her thoughts turned to her father, Ren Marlowe. Uncle Sebastian’s gentle words from earlier echoed softly in her mind: “ Forgiveness isn’t about excusing what happened, Jade. It’s about refusing to let it control your future. ”
On impulse, she picked up her phone. She hesitated briefly, thumb hovering over her father’s contact. She’d promised herself she’d call him soon after their brief text exchange weeks ago but hadn’t found the courage.
Texting wouldn’t be enough—too easy and impersonal. Gathering her courage, she dialed the number she’d sworn she’d never use again.
Her heart pounded against her ribs as she listened to it ring once, twice ... She almost hung up when Ren answered on the third ring, voice familiar and gruff and older .
“Hey, Dad?—”
“Jade? Is everything okay?”
“It’s good. I’m good,” she managed. “I just wanted to hear your voice.”
There was a moment of stunned silence before he responded. “Well, that’s ... that’s good. Really good.”
An awkward pause stretched between them, then he chuckled warmly. “Are you about to hit me up for ice cream money?”
She laughed softly. The joke was familiar territory. Safe ground. “Can’t I just call?”
He hesitated. She pictured him running a hand through his hair the way he always did when emotions got too real. “Sure, sweetheart. I’m glad you did.”
They shared a cautiously heartfelt exchange, keeping the tone light and humorous.
Jade told him about work, and her volunteer tutoring with the church, careful to leave out the recent drama with Sarah.
He filled her in on his life in Arizona—a steady job as a car mechanic, a condo of his own for the first time in years.
“Been sober two years,” he added, almost casually, though she could hear the pride beneath his nonchalance.
“That’s great, Dad,” she said sincerely. “Really great.”
Ren cleared his throat quietly. “I know I wasn’t father-of-the-year material, Jade, but you turned out amazing despite that. I’m proud of you. Always have been.”
Her throat tightened, her response tender but guarded. “Maybe someday, Dad, we can talk more about it. For now—take care of yourself.”
“You too, Jadie-girl.”
Hanging up, something inside her released.
She forgave him—but she wouldn’t erase boundaries. Healing didn’t require forgetting. It required moving forward.
She glanced at her watch, realizing she needed to get ready for the celebration at Knight Tactical. As she stood, a soft knock at her door interrupted her thoughts.
She opened it to find Deke. The sight instantly steadying her heart. He wore jeans and a deep blue sweater that set off his blue eyes. His hair was slightly tousled, as if he’d run his hands through it repeatedly.
“I thought I’d drive you to the party, if that’s okay.”
“Of course.” She stepped back to let him in. “I just need a few minutes to get ready.”
He cocked his head. “Something’s up.”
“Actually, I called my dad just now. First time in forever.”
“That’s incredible. How’d it go?”
“Good, I think. It’s a start.”
“Sebastian’s influence?”
“Partly,” she admitted. “But also ... everything that happened. Life’s too short to hold onto all that anger.”
“Forgiveness takes courage.”
She met his eyes tenderly, drawing strength from his certainty. “I had a good example to follow.”
He shoved his hands in the pockets of his jeans. “So, ready to celebrate?”
She took a moment to change, slipping into a simple emerald sweater and jeans. When she emerged from her bedroom, Deke was standing by her bookshelf, examining a small, framed photo of her college graduation—the only personal photo she displayed.
“You looked happy,” he observed.
“I was,” she confirmed, moving to stand beside him. “Fresh start. Clean slate.”
“And now?” he asked, turning to face her.
“Now I don’t need a clean slate,” she said with quiet confidence. “I just need to keep moving forward.”
Deke’s smile deepened, his eyes crinkling at the corners. “DJ’s bouncing off the walls. Fair warning, he’s told the story of your heroic table flip about fifty times already.”
“Great. I’ll never live that down, will I?”
“Probably not. The team’s pretty impressed, though.”
She was grabbing her coat when her phone buzzed with an incoming text.
Becca: Just heard about that girl Sarah from church. RU okay??? And what’s the latest with your hunky bodyguard??? DEETS PLEASE!
Deke raised an eyebrow. “What’s up?”
Cheeks burning, she angled the screen away from him. “Just friends checking in.”
She hesitated for a moment, thumbs hovering over the screen. What could she possibly say? That she’d nearly died? That somehow, in the midst of all the chaos, she’d found something she never expected?
Best to keep it simple.
Then, after thinking about it for a second, she added a second heart.
Details later.
She slipped the phone into her pocket and followed Deke outside.
Halfway across the landing, Deke turned back to her. “Fair warning: the team’s celebrations can get intense. Especially now that DJ is their hero.”
“Should I brace myself?”
“You might consider protective gear.”
“I survived Sarah Tannenger—I think I can handle your team.”
Deke raised an eyebrow, mock-serious. “Helmet optional, then?”
She laughed, slipping her hand comfortably into his. “Maybe I’ll risk it. This once.”
Together, they stepped out into the crisp evening air, hands intertwined. She gazed up at the winter stars just beginning to appear in the twilight sky. From con artist to accountant to ... whatever came next. Her path had never been straight, but somehow it led her exactly where she needed to be.