Read Online A Stranger in Wynnedower by Grace Greene - Free Book Online Page B

neglected vegetation had bloomed
in decades past.
    Eyes half-closed,
Rachel let the garden form in her mind. It came together in vivid colors and
charming scents of Jasmine and sweet roses. After a few minutes, she had a
pretty good idea of how this had looked once upon a time. Her fingers itched to
dig in the earth.
    Virtual earth? What did
she know about gardening? She’d never owned a square foot of ground.
    Okay, so she knew
nothing in practical terms, but she’d thumbed through enough landscaping and
horticultural books over the years to give herself a jumpstart.
    The smells changed. The
energy thickened. Her eyes popped open. She saw blonde hair and faded blue eyes
framed by crow’s feet.
    She stammered, “Who are
you? What are you doing here?”
    The man said, “I’m
sorry I disturbed your concentration? I wanted to speak with you about your
brother.”
    He had her attention.
“My brother?”
    “You’re Jeremy’s
sister, right?”
    “You know Jeremy?”
Curiosity warred with caution. Where had this man come from? He was older than
Jeremy. A little older than she. Maybe Jack’s age. Rachel glanced back at the
house and the dining room.
    “Don’t worry. He drove
away a while ago.”
    That was creepy. She
took a long look at his crisply ironed shirt and highly polished shoes, and was
reassured.
    “Did he? What do you
know about my brother?”
    “We were, are, friends.
Not close friends, but we spoke often. I haven’t seen him in a while. I was
concerned.”
    When she looked at this
odd man, she couldn’t see him as a friend of Jeremy’s. “I haven’t heard from
Jeremy. I’m worried.”
    “I was, too. I spoke to
one of his co-workers, away from the office, you know? Jeremy was seeing a
young lady. His co-worker suggested they might have eloped.”
    “What? A young…eloped?”
She shook her head. “That’s nonsense.”
    He placed one hand on
his chest. “An affair of the heart, you know? I was afraid his disappearance
might have been the result of a favor I’d asked him to do for me, so I was
relieved.”
    Annoyance wrapped
itself around her. “What did you ask him to do? Did you introduce him to the
girl?”
    His eyes opened wide and
he took a step back. “No, sorry, I wasn’t clear. I meant that I was worried
he’d gotten into hot water over a favor I asked of him. When dealing with Jack
Wynne, you never know what will touch off his temper.”
    Temper? Yes, Jack had a
hot one. Was this man suggesting it was a dangerous temper? “Go ahead.”
    “Have you ever been in
love? The heart and soul kind?” He stared down at the bricks. “Do I sound
corny?”
    “Yes.” Rachel frowned.
“What does that have to do with Jack? Or are you talking now about Jeremy and
what his co-worker said?”
    “No, this is about me
and a big mistake I made a long time ago.”
    His hair was disordered
from where he’d dragged his fingers through it. He did it again. Almost
engaging. Boyish and sympathetic, except for the crow’s feet.
    She crossed her arms.
“That’s how everyone sounds when they describe falling in love. Really, how
many different ways are there? Boy meets girl. Girl meets boy. And so on.”
    “You make love sound
optional. It wasn’t. It isn’t, even years later. I’m David Kilmer.”
    He extended his hand
and, after a pause, she accepted.
    “Rachel Sevier.”
    “I’m very pleased to
meet you.”
    He walked alongside as
they passed the old rose bushes and approached the wild arbor until he stopped
suddenly, moving in front of her and blocking the path. His voice sounded
hungry. His words were spoken in breathless rhythm.
    “Let me tell you how I
fell for the love of my life, Helene. Fell hard. I saw her on a street in
London. Early spring, damp and misty, and it suited her. Mermaid-like. As
delicate as the dew on a rose. As if the very tears of heaven couldn’t resist
touching her, sharing some space, or a moment of time with her.”
    Who was this guy? A
stranger baring his