The Scent of Rain Read Online Free PDF Page A

reservations.”
    â€œReservations? That means somewhere fancy. I don’t have time for that. Call the Spaghetti Warehouse and tell them we’ll be in around noon.”
    â€œJesse, can’t you at least pick a place with clean tablecloths? Think of it as practice for a date. It will serve two purposes.”
    â€œIt’s not serving any purpose.” Jesse opened his car door and tossed his laptop case onto the passenger seat. “Because I don’t have time to take the nose to lunch.”
    â€œDaphne,” Anne corrected him. “You know I wouldn’t say this if it wasn’t true: you need to take Daphne Sweeten to lunch, and you need to show her why Gibraltar and Dayton are perfect for her. Dave says that P&G will be chomping at the bit to get her. And Givaudan is opening offices in New Jersey soon.”
    Anne mothered the staff. She baked a cake whenever someone had a birthday. She bought baby gifts and passed around the cards to be signed; she made certain the coffee was always fresh. Anne’s own children were grown and gone, but her motherly instincts got plenty of use at the office.
    â€œThe Spaghetti Warehouse is fine, Anne. This girl—” He corrected himself. “Daphne. If her wedding didn’t come off for some reason, she won’t feel like going to a quiet restaurant that seems like a date any more than I would.”
    â€œMaybe you’re right.”
    He started up his car.
    â€œI’ll let the Spaghetti Warehouse know you’re coming. But, Jesse, since we’re talking about it . . . Daphne might not be ready to date, but it’s certainly time you started thinking about it.”
    â€œI don’t have time to do my job now, Anne. Sometimes Ben and I barely make it to church, so you’d better talk that suggestion over with your husband.”
    â€œI’ll pretend you didn’t say that.”
    â€œShoot. I forgot a file. I have to run back to the house. Stall Dave if he gets restless, will you?”
    â€œI always do. We’ll see you soon.”
    He appreciated Anne more than he could say. With her gentle spirit, she redirected his boss as if he were no more difficult than a toddler in her Sunday school class. And Dave certainly threw tantrums right up there with a few toddlers Jesse knew.
    When Jesse tried to reenter the house, he walked right into the door. Abby was downright paranoid when it came to security. He inserted his key into the lock and opened the door to find Abby and Ben on the living room floor with an enormous wooden track set up.
    â€œDid you do all that since I left? I was only gone for a second.”
    â€œBen’s a builder. Aren’t you, Ben?” Abby stood up. “By the way, I forgot to ask—are you coming home for lunch?”
    â€œNot today. It seems Dave has offered me up to show the no—I mean, Daphne around. You know how good I am at small talk.”
    â€œBring her home for lunch!” Abby said. “I’m dying to see what she’s like, and I can keep the conversation going. I’d love to talk about something more than Thomas and Friends .” Abby looked down at Ben and back to Jesse. “No, take her out. You don’t even know how to talk to people anymore. Remember how you used to make everyone feel important? I miss that Jesse. Now even when you’re sitting here, it’s like you’re somewhere else in your head.”
    He gave a half smile. He missed that Jesse too, but that Jesse was long gone, buried under the weight of huge responsibilities and a lack of time. He grabbed the folder he needed and listened to the sweet sounds Ben made for the trains.
    â€œI might be late tonight. I don’t know how it’s going to work with this new girl.”
    â€œAre you afraid to take her out because she’s all cultured and stuff? I mean, she’s been in Paris. We haven’t even been to Paris, Texas.”
    â€œI’m not