And the Greatest of These Is Love: A Contemporary Christian Romance Novel Read Online Free Page A

don’t mind.”
    She smiled, revealing two perfect rows of white. “No, of course not, come on in. Have you eaten?”
    The more seconds that ticked by, the more out-of-place Andrew felt. “Oh, yeah. I just thought I’d drop by and say hi to Greg — congratulate him on the game again.”
    “Oh, the game,” Bryan said as they went over and sat in the living room. “Thanks again for taking him.”
    Andrew sat, shifted, and nodded. “No problem. We really had a good time.”
    “Well, Greg certainly seemed to enjoy it,” Bryan said, settling down an oversized chair that could have doubled for a loveseat. “That’s all he could talk about tonight at dinner.”
    That brought up a questioning thought. “Where is Greg anyway?”
    “Upstairs getting ready for bed. He’s a handful. Way too much energy. Pam has a time getting him into the tub, so when he’s there, you don’t bother him.”
    “I see,” Andrew said, wishing he could say what his mind had been telling him since the day before. He should tell his brother what Greg had said about wanting him to be there, but how? Unfortunately, he couldn’t find the right words for that question, so he asked another. “So, how’s work?”
    “Ah. Same old, same old.” His brother leaned back and crossed his arms over the pinstripes on his pressed shirt. “How’s the news business?”
    “It’s business,” Andrew said, feeling the gap that was always there form between them once again. Bryan, the older brother. Confident. Poised. Out-spoken. Perpetually out-shining his younger, less assured brother.
    Worse, Andrew wasn’t sure when it had happened, but Bryan had changed since their years growing up in the same room together. And to be fair, so had Andrew. They were more casual acquaintances now than brothers — and not even very close acquaintances at that.
    “Drew!” a very wet, very clean Greg called, racing down the stairs.
    “Greg!” Andrew turned and then stood to accept the high-five and then the quick hug. “Hey, my-man. How’s it going?”
    His nephew’s eyes lit up like a mega-watt bulb. “Great!  Want to see my train set?”
    “Oh, Greg, Uncle Andrew doesn’t want to see your trains,” Bryan said with instant annoyance.
    “Well, actually,” Andrew said, finding just a bit of courage, “I think I’d love to see your trains.”
    Greg practically leaped in the air. “Really?”
    “Absolutely.”
    With that, he grabbed Andrew’s hand, and before long they were running the trains around the enormous track set up all across Greg’s room and having the time of their lives.
     
    The fourth application was finished, but the other six stared at her from the coffee table. There was no way she’d be able to start them all — even if she worked all night. It was hopeless, and there was nothing more she could do about it now. Besides, she was exhausted and depressed, and at the moment the only thing she could think of was going to bed, crawling under the covers, and hoping life would leave her alone.

Chapter 3
     
    Gabi pulled into the center’s parking lot well before the sun was up. Somehow overnight she had found renewed determination to make this thing work. She wasn’t going to give up — no matter how hopeless it looked.
    “Hey, Jerr,” she said, walking into his office and dumping the four finished applications on his desk without fanfare.
    “Four? You finished four?” he asked in utter amazement.
    She turned for the door. “Yeah, and I hope to have one more finished by the time I leave tonight.”
    “Good grief, Gabi, I thought I was the only hard-liner around here.”
    At the door, she turned, her eyes flashing. “They might take this place out, but it’s not going without a fight from me,” she said with fire in the words. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have another application to finish.”
                 
    When she was gone, Jerry smiled in spite of the doom hanging over him. He’d liked her the first time