Forgiving Patience Read Online Free Page B

always likes having the excuse to throw a big party. I
think she just loves the attention.”
    “You’re probably right. She’s always
struck me as a woman who loves to be the center of everything.” As if realizing
that he had just described how vain Em could sometimes be, he stopped. Anna
could see the sweat settling in the creases of his forehead. “I didn’t mean it
like that, it just came out. I just mean—”
    “It’s fine. I know how Em can come
across. Don’t worry about it. Don’t tell anyone, but I’ve thought the same
thing a time or two.”
    Garrett seemed to relax at Anna’s
admission. She was glad. There was no need for him to get all worked up over a
comment most people likely thought and maybe even said directly to Em’s face.
    “How’s your aunt?”
    “As crazy as ever. She definitely
keeps my life exciting.”
    He was tapping a pen on a notebook
pad, barely looking her in the eyes as he asked his array of questions.
Something wasn’t feeling right. It was more than him just being nervous. In all
the years she’d known Garrett, he’d never asked about her personal life. There
was no reason for him to find interest in it now.
    “What’s going on, Garrett?”
    Finally getting the courage to
approach the issue, he said, “I take it you’ve been by the house, otherwise you
wouldn’t be here on a Saturday afternoon when you have other places you have to
be.”
    “Yes, I’ve been there. I just had to
get away. Jake happened to be there, and I just needed to take a drive and…I
ended up here.” Wait—why was Jake at her house? And why was she just now asking
herself that question?
    “I’m really sorry, Anna. I was going
to tell you. I wasn’t expecting you this early.”
    The rosy-cheeked guy wore a sheepish
grin, pulling at his tie, looking as if he was about to be sick.
    “Tell me what? I wanted to come by
and tell you I was in town and get an update on the house. Plus, I wanted to
thank you for the updated paint job. It looks beautiful. Is there a problem?”
    He frowned. “I take it you didn’t
look around the rest of house…or even inside?”
    “Oh, I looked around it when I wanted
to beat Jake and his truck with a ball-buster.”
    Apparently confused and a little
worried, Garrett asked, “A what?”
    With a wave of her hand, she eased
the uneasy expression paralyzing his face. “It’s nothing. We were just getting
reacquainted. So what’s up?”
    “Well, I don’t know how to tell you
this, but remember I was thinking of you when I agreed.”
    “What is it, Garrett? You’re killing
me here. Just spit it out.”
    “Jake lives there.” Garrett released a
gush of air.
    “Excuse me? Please don’t tell me what
I just heard you say is right, because I think you just said the cocky, now
brooding Jake Lawrence is living in my house?”
    “He made an offer you couldn’t
refuse.”
    “I’ll be the judge of that. Garrett,
it’s my house, and I get to decide what’s best.” She put both elbows on the
desk, curious at this offer. “What was the offer?”
    “Please don’t be mad.”
    She wanted to reassure him she
wouldn’t, but that would’ve only been a lie. This could not be happening—what was
happening. Jake in her house?
    “What did Jake offer?” she demanded,
no longer concerned about how uncomfortable Garrett was looking.
    Garrett slowly. clearly dreading
every word coming out of his mouth, explained, “He said he would fix up the
house if I let him live there for one year. After his lease is up, he said he
would leave.”
    “Why would he want to do that?”
    “I’m not sure. After he was injured
and his mom died, he seemed restless and angry at the whole world. He started
drinking way too much, which then resulted in him getting into a lot of bar
fights. I don’t know why he wanted to stay at your place, but after he moved
in, he became a different person. A man who changed for the better.”
    “That’s what guys do sometimes to let
off steam,