A Trusting Heart Read Online Free PDF Page A

was the one thing she refused to budge on.
    But even with a huge down payment, she still had a monster of a mortgage. She’d thought at the time she could easily handle it considering the substantial salary she had been earning working for Dylan’s uncle at Royden, Powell, and Associates as the executive secretary. Sadly, she was laid off from that fine establishment right after she dumped Dylan. Surprise, surprise. She had since found that her love for houses had translated nicely into joining the real estate game.
    Reality had been sinking in one mortgage payment at a time. Now she knew for sure she couldn’t handle it, unless she actually started selling houses, of course. She’d only sold two during the past six months. She was still living off the last of her commission, but her mortgage, unfortunately, didn’t leave very much left over for food.
    Thinking of food had her wondering what in the world she was going to make for lunch. She had a choice between macaroni and cheese and Marjorie’s kibble. Boy, was she looking forward to using the gift certificate to The Roof. At the moment, thoughts of salmon and crème brulée were powerful enough to push the embarrassing memories of last night back into a corner. She found herself smiling as she walked to church.
* * *
    Three and a half hours later, as she sat alone at her small kitchen table and poked at her soggy macaroni, she didn’t feel like smiling anymore. She did have her limits. She reached for the phone. Maybe if her mother was in a good mood, she would invite Megan over for Sunday dinner. The thought of pot roast with potatoes and carrots had her mouth watering as she dialed the number quickly. She’d ignore whatever rude comments they wanted to say to her as long as she could have second helpings.
    “Hello?”
    “Hi, Mom. It’s me, Megan. How are you guys doing? I haven’t talked to you for a while.”
    “Oh, you know us, dear. We’re doing great. How’s the real estate market lately? I hope it’s picked up since last time we talked.”
    Megan blew the hair out of her eyes and wondered how to steer the conversation around to food.
    “Hmmm. Well, Jackie sold a house last week, and Dean has an earnest money agreement written up. So, yeah, I think things are looking good for us.”
    “You didn’t mention yourself, dear. Have you sold anything lately?”
    Megan pursed her lips in frustration. She did have the tendency to come away from conversations with her parents slightly depressed. Was the food really worth it? At the moment, she wasn’t sure.
    “Not yet, but I have high hopes for one family. They’ve come in twice, and I think I have them narrowed down to a wonderful home in American Fork. They have the cutest little girl; I just want to steal her and take her home with me.”
    “You could have had a cute little girl of your own by now, if things had been different. But it’s no use crying over spilt milk, right? Well, dear, I’ve got to be going. It’s been nice chatting with you, but your father is taking me and your sister out to lunch at Mulboon’s. You know how we all love those shrimp bowls. I’d invite you, of course, but since you’ve become so zealous about religion, I wouldn’t want to offend you.”
    Megan got up and placed her bowl of macaroni and cheese in the microwave after saying goodbye to her mother. She tried to no avail to think of anything besides large bowls of fresh shrimp and tangy cocktail sauce.
    She really shouldn’t complain. She had actually been invited over for Sunday dinner by Drew Jarvis, a kind man in his mid-forties and a widower. He was actually handsome, too, in an English sort of way, especially if you could get past the fact that he was still very much in love with his wife who had died two years ago from breast cancer. He taught American Heritage at the community college to support five very active children. He had been asking her to come for dinner for the last month and a half. She