Say You'll Never Love Me by Ann Everett Read Free Book Online

Beth, but that’s all you’re getting. So drop it.”
    Mom moved closer to the secretary, probably to establish a united front. Jared smiled. He knew her strategies, but she could kiss the girl-power crap goodbye. Chances were, he’d see Raynie once more. Even he wanted, she couldn’t be a love interest, living so far away with a business to run. He wondered what kind. Hair salon? She had enough going on in that department. Dress shop? Definitely into fashion.
    Mom didn’t give up. “I’ll drop it for now. But I’d love to meet her. Bring her one night for dinner. I’ll invite Jace, Maggie, and the girls, too.”
    He held up his hand. “You’re making too much of this.”
    “Okay, but the invitation stands. Your choice.”
    “Thanks, I’ll keep it in mind.” He turned to go, but she stopped him with another question.
    “Oh, did your dad mention hiring a part-time person?”
    “Yeah. It’s on my to-do list. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to get some work done.”
    Back at his desk, Jared got into the swing of things. He loved puzzles and designing was like that. Take ideas and fit them together so everything worked. He prided himself in combining both function and desire. And the thrill of furnishing 3D models, allowed customers to experience and embrace his concept before construction.
    He glanced out the window into the backyard. Bright red and yellow tulips swayed while the swift breeze caused draping boughs on the two globe willow trees to twist and turn like ribbons. Every time he saw them, they reminded him how much he loved the variety. Fast growers, and beautiful.
    He added them to the project list, saved the info, and closed the file. Out of his current five constructions, two remodels, and three commercial projects, odds were, one would want him to arrange landscaping. Business was good. If only he could say the same about his personal life.
    His new friend came to mind again. Two deaths at once. Must have been a car wreck. He placed his fingers back on the keyboard. What were their names? Celeste and something. Edward. Ethan. Evan. Yeah. He typed the query in the search bar, and a news article from almost three weeks ago appeared.
     
    A Lubbock husband and wife were killed in a crash involving an eighteen-wheeler Monday afternoon. DPS State Trooper said the truck driver, John Henderson, 58, of Alabama, veered into the adjoining lane where the back of the truck’s trailer struck the front of a 2012 Mazda Miata MX-5.
    The driver of the car, Evan Collins, 39, and his wife, Celestial Collins, 38, both Lubbock residents, were pronounced dead at the scene.
    Henderson was taken to the hospital with minor injuries.
    As standard procedure, DPS troopers are continuing to investigate the cause of the crash.
     
    A pang of sadness stabbed him. He didn’t know the couple and just met Raynie, but the grief she suffered resonated with him. He’d not lost a sibling, but when Jace had his accident, Jared remembered how accepting his brother would spend the rest of his life in a wheelchair had brought on guilt. Silly. Not Jared’s fault, but he felt terrible he could still walk, while Jace never would again.
    Given Raynie’s opinion of herself, she must wonder why her sister died, leaving a child, instead of Raynie. Death always left questions when someone so young passed. Everything he’d read said it helped to talk things out and he could do that for her. Not advise her because that’d be unethical. But, he had those two summers in high school where he’d served as counselor at Camp La Junta. He chuckled. Helping twelve-and-thirteen-year-old boys’ fish and zip-line didn’t improve his pastoral resume.
    First, he typed in Evan’s name. Got his address, then pulled up Google Maps. Within a few seconds, he had a picture of where Raynie was living. Good neighborhood. He figured as much because it was in walking distance of the church and café, and she’d insisted on walking back home, even though he