Earnest Read Online Free PDF Page B

survive. She could not get out of her mind his whimper as she’d reached down, kissed his forehead, and told him she loved him and she would be back soon.
    What if he goes into shock? What if he dies? What if I never see him again? Waiting to hear from Dr. Nilsen was going to be wrenching. Anna needed the reassurance of Jeff ’s voice. If only he were here .
    She glanced at Dr. Nilsen’s aquarium, which divided the waiting room into dog and cat sections and was supposed to keep everyone calm. But the angelfish and kissing gouramis swimming languidly through aerator bubbles did not soothe her nerves, and the orange clown fish with their white wimple markings looked too cheerful. As Anna made her way outside, she turned on her phone. She was starved to talk with Jeff. More than anyone, he’d understand how hard it had been to see Earnest hurt and Grammy’s house burn. He’d know how catastrophic it would be if Anna lost her shop.
    Â 
    In her van, Anna clicked on “My Honey” again. This time she tried Jeff at his office. After three rings, for the second time she was losing hope of reaching him until Kimberly, his assistant, answered with a casual “hi.”
    â€œKim, I need to talk with Jeff.”
    â€œHe’s not here right now.”
    â€œWhere is he? It’s urgent.”
    â€œOh, he’s at city hall,” she drawled, as if “urgent” carried the significance of a dust mite’s antenna.
    â€œWhere? In Seattle?”
    â€œIn Gamble.”
    â€œHe’s here?! ”
    â€œAs far as I know.”
    â€œWhy?”
    â€œHe’s filing for permits for a commercial building he designed.”
    Jeff and I share everything. Why hasn’t he told me? “What building? Where?”
    â€œIt’s called Cedar Place. Downtown. On your main street. It’s going to replace some old Victorian house.”
    Like Earnest, Anna struggled to breathe.
    There was only one Victorian house on Gamble’s main street and only one in the whole town with enough land for a commercial building. Kim was talking about Grammy’s house.
    Anna clicked off the phone. She pressed her eyes closed and rested her forehead on Vincent’s steering wheel. Today can’t be happening. It just can’t. She sank into a mental swamp of brackish water.

C HAPTER 4
    A s Jeff walked out into the sunshine, he smelled smoke. He couldn’t see its source over the buildings on the street’s uphill side, but the smoke seemed to be coming from Mr. Webster’s direction. For years people had unsuccessfully lobbied the city for a law against burning trash in town. The Gamble city planners should write an ordinance for that instead of harassing architects about their projects, he thought.
    Jeff turned on his phone. On the wallpaper, Earnest and Anna appeared in a photo that always cheered him. They were cuddling on the sofa in a patchwork quilt, their faces close together, tilted up toward the camera. Anna’s smile and her gorgeous blue-gray eyes, which, in his opinion, could conquer nations, beamed light and love straight at him.
    She had an unshakable sincerity about her. It made her look vulnerable, and it made him want to protect her. Not that she needed it. Anna could be stubborn and strong, but he liked that. She was his equal. She could take care of herself.
    Jeff clicked on the e-mail icon to check for messages, but there was nothing that couldn’t wait, including one from his father, whom Jeff called Brad, now living in New Jersey, two thousand miles from his mother, in Arizona. An Olympic champion flake, Brad was surely asking to borrow money that he’d spend on Jim Beam whiskey and never repay—again. Jeff would get back to him later. Much later. After Jeff ’s innate sense of responsibility began to nag him.
    He called his voice mail. A client asked about an appointment next week, and Anna said her quick “call me.” Jeff would