Read Online An Autumn to Remember: A Novel (Elmtown Series Book 1) by Joy Galloway - Free Book Online

letter off her mind. She wanted to know if they already had a place to live. Why did they miss their mortgage payments? Maybe his mother doesn’t have a job, she thought and wondered how Jamie was coping with all these things in his last year of college. She sensed there was something wrong the second day she saw him but couldn’t put her finger on what was off about his mood. She noticed sometimes he’d just be looking into space for no reason. So this was why he hadn’t had enough sleep?
       When they got to the hospital she couldn’t resist anymore, she decided to bring it up before they got out of the car.
       “Jamie why didn’t you tell me about the house?”
       “Huh? What house? What do you mean?” he asked curiously.
       “I saw the letter back at the house. The one that said you had to move out in ten days.”
       The next thing came as a surprise to Chelsea. Jamie was livid.
       “Do you just go around reading people’s letters? So you think you can just intrude into people’s privacy as you wish? I haven’t even read that letter. Why would you do that?” he asked then pulled the inside door handle.
       “No Jamie, it wasn’t like that, I was…”
    He was gone. He stormed into the hospital leaving her alone in the car, stunned. She had never seen him that angry before. I was only trying to help, she thought. It was as if what she said had just made him snap. Was it that bad that I read it? she wondered.
       She sat there for ten minutes unsure whether to follow him or just wait. She then picked up her phone to text him that she was sorry and would see him later. Halfway into typing up the text, the passenger’s door opened.
       “I’m so sorry...so sorry,” Jamie said as he settled back into the passenger’s seat. “It’s just been a really hard time for us and I’m trying to figure out what to do next. I’m really sorry.”
       “I’m sorry too. I shouldn’t have read it either.”
       “Yes but I shouldn’t have reacted like you committed murder.”
       She laughed, reached for his hand and said, “Hey its OK. We’re good.”
       “I’m glad we are.” He sighed and said, “Now I have less than ten days to find a place and move all our things out of there.”
       “I’m guessing there’s nothing lined up at the moment?” she asked with so much care in her voice.
       “Nothing at all. We were still hoping we could get around this somehow. I guess we should have been more realistic. It’s been a nightmare and you keep thinking you’re going to wake up, you’re going to wake up from this.”
    “Listen Jamie, our basement apartment is vacant. I could talk to my mom. Maybe you could stay there until you find a place? Dad turned it into an apartment before we left for England.”
       “I...I don’t know what to say. That’s...that’s too much,” he said but he knew he couldn’t refuse that type of offer. It wasn’t as if he had a better option or even any at all. He couldn’t bear the thought of his mother not having a place to live for even a second.
       “Just say yes ‘cause I’m not taking no for an answer. Mom would be delighted to help, we’ve had people live with us before.”
       “Wow...I can’t begin to express how grateful I am. You’re the kindest human being I’ve ever met,” he said as his eyes became moist. He couldn’t believe what she was saying. “I hope you don’t mind having a grown man cry like a baby in your car.” Tears were rolling down his face.
       “If only more men would cry when they felt like it, the world would be a better place,” she said and rested her head on his shoulder. He was still her best friend after all. She stayed with him and then dropped him off at home later in the evening.
       That night he thought about the awkwardness of possibly working in a few months with the guy Chelsea was dating. He knew Purple Jam Records was associated with some of the biggest music pop