A Light For My Love Read Online Free PDF

closed the door.
    “What's wrong?” she whispered.
    Aunt Gert clasped her hands together, lacing
and unlacing her fingers. “China, we have to let Jake stay, at
least for two months.”
    China shrugged irritably. “Why? Let him go to
a hotel—let him worry about it. We don't owe him a
thing.”
    “Yes we do. Nearly all the money he gave me
is gone. I paid our bill at Allen's Grocery. Mr. Allen was going to
cut off our credit.”
    China gaped at her aunt. This situation was
growing worse by the minute. She massaged her temples as she looked
at the rain snaking down the windows in thin rivulets. “But—but
Jake can't stay here. He just can't!”
    “I don't know what else we can do,” Aunt Gert
said. “Anyway, that little spat between you two happened years ago.
I'd think you'd have put it behind you by now.”
    It was all China could do to keep her voice
down. “Little spat? You know I never liked him. That nasty business
with Althea Lambert was a terrible scandal. And what about Quinn?
Am I supposed to forget that Jake coaxed him to desert the family?
Quinn wouldn't have left if Jake hadn't talked him into it, and we
wouldn't be in this fix.”
    “Your brother was a stubborn mule. Jake
couldn't have talked him into or out of anything. As for Althea, I
never believed her story for a minute. I don't think she was even
expecting. As soon as Jake was gone, so was the baby.”
    “Well, she had a miscarriage. Aunt Gert, why
on earth would a girl make up something like that? Her reputation
was ruined, and she had to move to Portland. All because of Jake
Chastaine.” China would never understand Gert's blind loyalty to
him.
    “Althea was jealous and determined to marry
him. When all her coquetry didn't work, she tried to trap him.
There are women like that, you know,” Aunt Gert replied.
    “I suppose Jake told you that?” China
demanded.
    “Yes, and I believed him. He was no angel,
but he was never a liar. Anyway, at least we know Jake. He paid in
advance, and we can use the money. The boy from Allen’s is going to
be here any minute with our order.” She opened the bread box and
looked inside. “I can't understand why our food doesn’t go
farther—sometimes it seems like we’re feeding an army instead of
four people. I could have sworn there were two loaves left after
dinner last night. This morning I only found one.” She closed the
box again.
    “I wish we could have discussed this first,”
China complained, sidestepping Gert’s remark about the bread. Her
aunt was right about one thing. There was nothing else they could
do now that most of Jake’s money had been spent. China would have
to let him stay, for a while anyhow. But she didn't have to make it
pleasant for him. And despite whatever saintly notions Gert might
have of him, China certainly wasn't going to put him in easy
proximity of her own bedroom. She wouldn't rest a minute.
    “All right, we'll rent a room to him,” China
huffed, lifting a key from a row of hooks next to the back door.
“But we’re going to put the rest of his money away and not spend
it. I want him out of here as soon as possible.”
    China walked back to the foyer where Jake
waited. At her approach he turned to face her. She swore he was
taller than when he'd left and he'd definitely filled out. He
blocked out most of the light coming through the front door window.
He was still slender, but his shoulders were bigger and there was
just more of him. Not much of the rowdy boy she'd known remained in
this man's muscular form. But in his eyes—those green eyes—she saw
a fleeting expression so familiar, she had to look away for an
instant.
    “This isn't a good idea, China,” he said, his
words cool. “I don't want to cause you any trouble, so I'll be on
my way.”
    “No, it isn't a good idea,” she
agreed. “The day before you left Astoria I told you not to come
back to this house again. But Aunt Gert acted in my stead, so I’ll
honor the agreement she made with you.