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life. That’s the façade.”
    â€œI want to grow old in the Hollow, Max.” She stepped out of his light grip. “Walking in Laurel Park under the summer sunsets with you, talking about our grandchildren. I want to raise Asa here. I don’t want to live temporarily in Colby, Texas. It’s in the middle of nowhere. Asa’s finally settled after a tough year for such a little guy. Did you see him at the park? He’s all about routine. He’s only been with us for four months. Before that, it was just him and Rice. And technically, you can take him without me. I’m not his mom.”
    â€œYou are his mom and if you don’t want to do this, then we don’t.” Max surrendered, raising his hands, then letting them fall to his sides.
    â€œNo, Max, you can’t put this on me. I won’t have you resent me on top of everything else we’re going through. You can go without me, you know.”
    â€œNot an option, Jade. Not an option.” He’d anticipated resistance. After all, this idea came out of the blue for him too. Max had hoped to persuade Jade, but she remained as solid as the mountain ridge.
    â€œWe’re at a stalemate then. You want to go. I don’t.”
    â€œThen we pray. You pray, I’ll pray. Can you do that much for me? There’s a solution in here somewhere, Jade. But whatever we do, we do it together.”
    â€œAll right, I can agree to prayer.” Finally, she melted a little, softened her stance. “Max, why does it mean so much to you? Is it more than just a chance to live out your hip-pocket dream?”
    â€œI’ve asked myself the same thing a hundred times.” He returned to his rocker and eased against the ladder back, setting it into motion. “The firm, our clients, they don’t need me, Jade. They like me for what I can do for them, but there are plenty of lawyers to fill the bill. But those boys at Colby High have no one to believe in them. Since I can remember, people have believed in me, encouraged me. I want to give that back to boys who need it. Their fathers and grandfathers played for a winning program. If I don’t go, there might not be a football program this year. First time in a hundred years. Since the school was founded.”
    â€œNo one? Surely an assistant coach, a booster, the parents—”
    â€œChevy said he’d just as soon shut it down than to get the wrong coach again. There’s politics going on but he’s not forthcoming.”
    â€œThen you can’t go. Walk into a firestorm? It’s crazy.”
    â€œNot if God’s calling, Jade. Remember the girl who came to speak at church last fall? She was, what, twenty-one? Spent six months in Africa working with boys rescued from guerilla armies. One day she called her missions supervisors and said, ‘God’s telling me to speak to the leader of the boys’ army.’ They thought she was crazy at first, remember? But agreed it was God and let her go. She traveled all night on a bus alone and when she got there, the man agreed to speak with her. A little blond, blue-eyed girl. If she could step up, why can’t we? She won over that army lord. Why can’t I, we, win over forty high school boys?” The emotion in his voice surprised him. He batted the moisture from his eyes, then bent forward with his face in his hands, his heart churning.
    After a moment, Jade returned to her rocker. “I said I’d pray, Max. And I will.”
    So it wasn’t up to him anymore. It was up to the God of heaven and earth. Only He could change Jade’s heart.

Eight
    Liz Carlton, one of Jade’s regular consigners, popped her head into the Blue Umbrella. “Jade, sugar, you’ll want to see this.”
    â€œWhat? The coon dogs running?” July Days in Whisper Hollow meant anything goes. Yesterday afternoon, two rival bakers had celebrated Pie Fight Day. Main Street was littered with