Carnations in January by Clare Revell Read Free Book Online Page A

find this remotely funny.”
    “I told you I have a brother who lives with me, right? Well, we’re identical twins. He and his son were sitting beside you.”
    “Oh.” Grace gazed into the sanctuary and the other Elliott was still there. She looked down, feeling like a chump. “I didn’t…”
    “I’m sorry.” Elliott raised her face gently to his. “I didn’t think to say. Come and meet him properly.”
    She shook her head, backing away. “I should go. I made a complete idiot of myself.”
    “Please, you’re here now. Besides the rain is really bad. I’m doing the kids talk, so I have to stay. Otherwise, I’d gladly take you in the car. Please, Grace, stay.”
    She sighed. As he said her name, her resolve shattered. Why did he affect her like this, even when she was mad at him? “OK.” She followed him back into the church.
    “Joel, this is Grace Chadwick from next door. Grace, this is my twin, Joel. It’s about time you two met properly instead of her thinking you’re me.”
    “Ah,” Joel said. “I had wondered why a total stranger kept waving at me.” He shook Grace’s hand firmly. “Nice to meet you. This munchkin here is Bradley. He stays over every other weekend, sometimes more.”
    “Hi.” Grace managed.
    “Hi,” Bradley said. “You’re pretty.”
    “You’re very kind.” Grace wasn’t sure how to react as she sat down, Elliott sitting beside her.
    The rain pounded on the windows and the wind howled.
    “Good job you fixed that roof tile. It might have blown away.”
    Elliott nodded, sliding his service sheet into his hymn book. “Just as well.”
    Bradley looked at her. “We’re having lunch at the carvery. Are you going to come as well?”
    “I ought to go home,” she began.
    Elliott looked at Bradley. “Sure she’ll come, too.” Then he turned to Grace. “Please, you have to eat. And who can turn down a cute grin like Bradley’s?”
    “OK, but I have to go home first and pick up my other bag. I don’t have my purse in this one.”
    “You won’t need money,” he said quietly as the pastor stood up in the pulpit. “But sure, we can pop home first.”
    She looked at him and raised an eyebrow, but couldn’t object to his paying now as the service began. It could wait until later. But she wasn’t about to have her lunch bought for her. Even if eating there would leave her short for the rest of the month, letting him pay a second time for her meal would make her feel beholden to him and that was something that she couldn’t let happen.
    ~*~
    The storm hadn’t diminished throughout the service, and the rain still pounded down as they reached the foot of Carnation Street, where a huge “road closed” sign and diversion arrows pointing the other way greeted them.
    Elliott stopped the car and opened the window as a police officer came over.
    “We live here, officer.”
    “Which number, sir?”
    “Forty-three and forty-five.”
    “One minute.” The police officer pulled back and spoke into his radio.
    Grace peered up the road. “Wonder what’s happened?”
    “I don’t know. Nothing good by the looks of it.”
    The police officer came back. “OK, you can go up and speak to the officer in charge. You’ll need to leave the car here.”
    “OK.” Elliott reversed and parked in the layby. “Good job I got the umbrella.”
    Grace shook her head as a myriad of thoughts, each worse than its predecessor, ran through her mind. She and Elliott walked up the hill towards the houses. Branches lay across the road. “Maybe part of that oak tree fell,” she said. “It has been creaking a lot.”
    A uniformed officer stopped them before they could go further. “This area is cordoned off. You’ll have to go back.”
    “The officer at the end of the road said we could come up. I’m Elliott Wallac from number forty-five. This is Grace Chadwick from forty-three.”
    Grace looked beyond the officer, her body going cold and numb. She blinked hard, trying to take in what she