Judge Gracelyn’s words were still echoing in Kayla’s ears as she reached her daughter’s school later that afternoon. She pushed the unsettling subject aside and focused on the here and now. Pinal County Elementary. Next year Jazz would attend middle school. That idea made Kayla feel old.
She pulled alongside the schoolyard curb behind the dozens of other vehicles waiting for the final bell to ring. It felt impossible that Jazz was almost twelve. How could that much time have passed so quickly?
Kayla thought of those first few months after graduating from Athena, when her pregnancy could no longer be kept secret. It hadn’t been so easy then. Though her parents had accepted her situation more readily than Kayla would have guessed, there had been some amount of strain. And yet, each and every member of her generous family had pitched in, gone above and beyond to help. When Jazz had turned one, Kayla had known she couldn’t wait any longer to get on with her life. She’d gone to the police academy and had acquired a college degree in night school. And when she’d finished, Collin Masters had just been elected county sheriff and had invited her to join his department. It hadn’t hurt that he was a longtime friend of Kayla’s father.
She loved her job and hadn’t looked back.
Until now.
She couldn’t help wondering how life might have been different if things hadn’t happened as they had. What if she’d never met Mike Bridges? Never fallen for the cocky jerk?
She wouldn’t have Jazz.
Just then, Jasmine Ryan came bursting through the school doors.
A grin split across Kayla’s face as she watched Jazz hurry toward her through the sea of students. It didn’t matter what might have been. All that mattered was that she and Jazz had each other. No way would Kayla’s life have been complete without this little girl. No way.
“I hate boys!”
This announcement was made scarcely before Jazz plopped into the passenger seat.
Kayla smothered a laugh. “Really? Now, why is that?”
Her brow furrowed with concentration, Jazz buckled her seat belt. “Because they’re stupid.” Her task complete, she leaned back and folded her arms over her chest. “Why would I like a stupid boy?”
Kayla resisted the urge to encourage her daughter to keep that attitude. She pulled away from the curb and pointed the Jeep in the direction of home.
At age eleven, boys could seem awfully silly. By twelve or thirteen a girl’s outlook on the subject always changed. She glanced at her daughter. Nature had a way of working its magic. Poor kid. She had no idea. There wasn’t much parents could say to prepare their children for adolescence.
During the drive home the conversation shifted to Christmas. Friday was the last day of school, Jazz reminded her. Like Kayla could forget. That meant she had to get the last of her shopping done this week.
She parked in the short drive in front of their small bungalow.
“I’ll get the mail!” Jazz unbuckled herself and bounded out the door. She slowed only long enough to tug her backpack onto her shoulders. Since she’d gotten that pen pal from Croatia she couldn’t wait to check the mail every day.
Kayla eased out of the vehicle a bit more slowly. The aches and pains from this morning’s bust had settled into her muscles and joints. She’d hit the ground hard after Hadden made that lunge into the open. He’d left her no choice. Mentally swearing, mostly at him, she pushed his image aside. She wasn’t going to let him creep back into her thoughts any more than she would the ongoing investigation into Athena Academy. Her time with her daughter was far too precious. There would be plenty of time to mull over the day’s events after Jazz was tucked in for the night.
Kayla had just unlocked the front door and pushed it inward when her daughter raced up beside her.
“Yours.” Jazz thrust a handful of mail at her. “Mine.” Her face beaming, she held up one envelope for her mother to see the overseas address. “I gotta go do my homework.” She sprinted through the door like a gazelle.
Inside, Kayla flipped through the envelopes, tossing a couple in the trash and a couple more onto the stack where next month’s bills waited. The last one brought her up short. She scrutinized the elegantly embossed return address, her heart pounding.
Athena Academy.
Her fingers cold and shaking, she tore open the envelope. By the time she unfolded the enclosed letter her knees had given way, forcing her to seek a place to sit down.
It is with great pleasure that we extend this very special invitation….
Jasmine Michelle Ryan…
…seventh-grade class commencing in September of the upcoming year…
Attendance at Athena Academy was by invitation only. No amount of money…no amount of power and influence got a girl through those doors. Only the best…only the ones considered special were invited.
Kayla knew her daughter was exceptionally bright. Extremely athletic. Those qualities combined with her age made her the perfect candidate.
But…God…Kayla wasn’t ready for this. Not now.
Athena wanted Jazz.
Chapter 3
For a long moment Kayla watched her daughter sleep. It was 6:15 a.m. Fifteen minutes past the time she usually woke Jazz for school. Somehow she couldn’t seem to bring herself to move forward into this morning.
It wasn’t even light outside, wouldn’t be for another hour or so. Mornings like this Kayla wanted nothing more than to crawl back under the covers and snuggle with her sweet child. But there was life to contend with. Work for Kayla, school for Jazz. Even at the ripe old age of eleven there was still the occasional morning during summer vacation or winter break that the two of them enjoyed a few extra minutes together, giggling and cuddling.
How much longer would her little girl indulge her mother’s sentimental need to cherish those swiftly vanishing moments of childhood as the child became a woman?
Jazz was growing up so damned fast. Kayla’s heart squeezed painfully in her chest. Where had the time gone? It seemed just yesterday she was in diapers and squealing in delight the moment Kayla walked through the door to pick her up after work. Now they talked about boys and argued over what clothes were appropriate for a girl who had outgrown corduroy overalls and pigtails but who hadn’t quite made it to high heels and highlights just yet.
“I’m not a baby,” Jazz would argue. She wanted to dress like her favorite pop diva. A pretty scary idea to Kayla’s way of thinking.
But not nearly as scary as some things.
Kayla crossed the room and stared out the window, watched the dark split apart as the sun reached ever upward, sending forth fingers of light, banishing the final remnants of night. She’d spent that night, most of it anyway, tossing and turning, mulling over the past as well as the future.
She’d loved her time at Athena Academy. No question there. She’d formed bonds that would never be broken this side of the grave. Had learned and experienced far more than a student could hope to in public school. For years Kayla had secretly wondered if her daughter would receive an invitation as she had. She was one of the only two Cassandras who’d done the motherhood thing, and Darcy, the other mother, had a four-year-old son. Were the others wondering if Jazz would be invited to attend Athena? Had it even crossed anyone else’s mind?
Kayla would have to ponder the concept awhile herself before she went to her parents for input. They had once been faced with this same decision.
She needed to get used to the idea. To talk it over with Jazz, see how she felt. She’d shared stories about her time at the academy with her daughter. Especially the survival courses at Yuma. Jazz loved to hear about those. Kayla considered that