Scraps of Love Read Online Free

that make,
two or three pots? And he was no closer to an answer. The question pressed upon
him again. What was he going to do with Jenny?
         He raked a trembling hand
through his disheveled hair. She’d never run away before. Adam drained the last
drop of coffee from the cup and wished his father were still around to talk
with about Jenny.
         He set the empty cup and
coffeepot in the sink. “Lord, I should have come to you first. Father, what am I
going to do about Jenny? She is stubborn, willful, and my baby sister. I just
don’t know what to do.”
         Peace settled over him as he
released his concerns to his heavenly Father. The thought that he should just
love her first and foremost and the rest would be taken care of came to mind.
“If only it were that easy, Lord.”
         Adam looked up at the clock.
Time to go pick up Jenny. He changed into jeans and a warm sweater before stepping
into the chilly autumn morning.
         He decided to stop by the post
office before confronting Jenny at Colleen’s. Saturdays off were rare for a
postman his age, even in a small town like Silverton where everything was
within walking distance.
         Adam felt a pang of guilt. He
knew Sly Mason was working for him today. No one knew Sly’s real age, but he
was old. Sly had been the one to make the arrangements for him to be off on
Saturdays after Adam and Jenny’s parents had been killed. The old man had
reasoned that Adam would need the time off to keep an eye on his young sister.
For that, Adam was grateful.
         “Morning, Sly,” he called as
he pushed the door open.
         Sly Mason looked over the rim
of his glasses. “What are you doing here this morning, Adam?” The older man’s
gaze moved to the calendar. “Son, this is your day off.”
         Leave it to Sly to point out
the obvious. Adam shut the door against the brisk morning air. “I just thought I’d
come by and see if there was anything pressing you need delivered.” The words
sounded phony in his ears.
         The old man studied him for
several long minutes, causing Adam to squirm. Sly laughed.
         Adam realized he must look as
guilty as he felt. Why had he come here? Did he really dread the conflict with
Jenny so much, or could it be that he dreaded seeing Colleen even more? After
all, she probably thought they were the most dysfunctional family she’d ever
had the misfortune of befriending.
         “Well, since you’re here,
would you mind throwing this big trunk in the back of your Blazer and
delivering it to Grammy’s Bakery this morning?” Sly grunted as he pushed a
large box in Adam’s direction.
         Adam looked at the item in
question. The chest was huge and black. “Hold on, Sly. I’ll need to go get the
SUV.”
         The old man stood and placed
both hands on his hips. It’s a mite heavy. Think you can lift it by yourself?”
he asked. His bones popped as he pushed the small of his back.
         Adam laughed. “I’ll see what I
can do. Give me a few minutes to get the Blazer.”
         After he collected the trunk
from the post office, it didn’t take Adam long to drive over to Grammy’s
Bakery. He drove slowly, telling himself it was in the interest of the old
chest not to drive too fast.
         The closer he got to the
bakery the more his stomach knotted. What must Colleen think of them? Last
night she had sounded concerned. He wondered how much Jenny had told her.
         He pulled up in front of the
bakery and hopped out of the Blazer. He moved to the back of it and pulled the
heavy trunk toward him. Its weight tugged on his shoulders and back.
         Adam carried it to the porch
and set it down. The scent of fresh bread filled the frosty air. His stomach
growled. He took a deep breath and knocked.
         Colleen opened the door. The
dark circles under her puffy, red eyes told him what kind of night she’d had.
Something deep down told him it was his