Seeds of Summer Read Online Free PDF Page B

assistance?”
    â€œA crystal ball would be good,” the girl called out, then disappeared inside the house.
    Having no clue what she meant, Jared followed her to the porch and waited outside the open door. The teen stood at the kitchen stove, scraping scorched potatoes from the bottom of a cast iron skillet. Dressed in a pair of cutoff shorts and a pink tank top, the girl swayed to a song on the radio while she cooked.
    Jared studied the broken hinge on the screen door. Instead of slamming shut, the door creaked back and forth with the shifting breeze. “What would you do with a crystal ball?”
    She sent him a scornful look. “Tell the future, duh.”
    â€œYes, well…” He noted the pile of dirty laundry near the entryway and the muddy footprints on the linoleum. “Do you have other brothers and sisters? Someone to take care of you?”
    â€œMy older sister’s in charge.” She shut the burner off and shovedthe skillet to the back of the stove. “It’s just the three of us—unless you count Tom—when you can find him.”
    â€œWho’s Tom?”
    â€œWhat’s with the questions?” Her voice grated.
    Jared braced one hand on the door frame. “I only wondered how you were getting along without your…” He pressed his lips together and shook his head at his lack of sensitivity. “I’m sorry. It’s none of my business.”
    â€œThat’s right, it’s not,” a crisp voice said from behind.
    Jared turned to see the sister he’d met before, this time with a ball cap on her head, her black hair pulled into a ponytail that swished over her shoulder. Light blue eyes glared at him, ever cynical. He countered with a smile and offered his hand. “We meet again…from the other day…at the river. Jared Logan.”
    She shook his hand, her grip firm and warm. “I remember—big city boy from the East.” Shoving the rickety screen door out of her way, the woman stepped through the kitchen maze to the refrigerator and pulled out a bottle of water.
    Jared splayed his fingers, ignoring the tingling sensation there. “Actually, I’m not a city boy at all. I grew up in the small town of Concordia, Kansas. My father served as a pastor there.”
    â€œThe son of a preacher man, huh?” She took a long drink, then wiped her mouth with the back of her fingers. “The preacher kids I knew in school got away with murder, right under their parents’ noses.”
    Jared offered an unsettled grin, having known a few kids like that as well. “I didn’t catch your name?”
    The woman’s thin brows arched higher.
    â€œShe’s Natalie Adams, and I’m Chelsey.” The girl at the stove answered for her. “Want to stay for supper?”
    Natalie’s gaze snapped to her sister, unable to believe Chelsey would ask such a thing. “I’m sure Mr. Logan has more important plans this evening than to share a meal with strangers.”
    The man loosened his tie and leaned against the door frame. “Actually, I’m free this evening. Nowhere to go, no one to see. I was a stranger and you invited me in.”
    She caught the glint of amusement in his eyes. Hers drifted to his dimpled grin and the dark shadow of a new beard against his pale skin. He looked to be some sort of businessman, dressed in navy pants and a short-sleeved dress shirt.
    â€œNo wife to go home to?” Her attention settled on his left hand, which boasted the absence of a ring, though that didn’t necessarily mean anything these days.
    He shook his head. “The only thing waiting for me at home is an empty refrigerator.”
    Her eyes narrowed. “Well, no sense standing there letting in flies.” She pulled out a chair and motioned for him to sit. “Where’s Dillon?” she asked Chelsey as she placed another plate on the table.
    â€œI thought he was doing