Read Online Love Finds You: A Helena's Grove Novella by Ivy Alexander - Free Book Online

weighed her emotions; she wasn’t sure how much of her personal life she wanted to share with this man. In all reality, she barely knew him. And yet, she felt comfortable sharing things with him. “My mom split when I was four, and my dad isn’t close to any of his siblings.”
    “I’m sorry.” Zack seemed genuine. “Did your dad ever remarry?”
    “Oh yes. ” Jen’s voice was laced with sarcasm and disdain. “Five times was I blessed with a new stepmother.”
    “Oh wow,” Zack said, “lucky you.”
    “Yeah,” Jen said sarcastically.
    “Grandparents?” Zack continued, breaking the awkwardness.
    “All deceased.” She thought a moment. “At least, I think so.”
    “You think so?” Zack was incredulous. “You don’t know for sure?”
    “I told you, my mom left. I don’t know her parents. My dad’s parents have passed away. Aunt Gabby is the only sibling my dad has ever talked about.”
    “You should check up on the grandparent situation,” Zack insisted through a mouthful of popcorn. “Everyone needs grandparents.”
    Jen smiled warily, “What you don’t know…” She shrugged.
    Zack nodded. “Family’s important, even if you don’t want to think so.”
    “What about you?” It was time for her to ask the questions.
    Zack took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “My dad died in a tractor accident when I was eleven. Annie was only seven so she doesn’t remember him as well. My mom passed away almost five years ago; breast cancer.”
    “I’m so sorry,” Jen said honestly. She couldn’t imagine losing both parents.
    “Thanks,” Zack smiled at her. “Aunt Gabby has been a great comfort. She was close to my mom. They were really good friends, like sisters, which is why we started calling her Aunt Gabby. After so many years, the name stuck.”
    “She’s a special person,” Jen said. “I’ve really enjoyed getting to know her. She’s treated me so well.”
    “So what made you just up and decide to visit her for the entire summer?”
    Jen thought she detected a hint of suspicion in his tone, but more than that, she wondered why he was asking such a question when Aunt Gabby needed people right now. Then the thought struck her – maybe he didn’t know Aunt Gabby was sick! Jen dismissed it the second she thought it. He would have to know. There is no way she could keep that from him. Maybe he didn’t say anything because she didn’t like people talking about it. After all, Aunt Gabby had never even mentioned it to her in the entire time she’d been there. Maybe Zack was testing her; seeing how much she knew. Jen looked at Zack and he returned her gaze, waiting for her answer.
    “Like you said, family’s important. And since Aunt Gabby was really the only family member my dad talked about I thought I would take the summer and really get to know her. My job is at a place that I was able to get away.” She shrugged. “It was the right time.”
    Zack listened intently, nodding at the appropriate times. He seemed truly interested. “So you just wanted to get to know her? No material reasons or trying to gain something from it?
    Jen’s eyebrows furrowed and she turned towards him. “What do you mean by that?” she asked defensively. Her heart began to beat a little faster.
    Zack shrugged, “I don’t know, I just think it’s really great of you to take time out of your busy life to spend your summer with your seventy-five year old half-aunt that you hardly know.”
    Jen couldn’t ignore it anymore. Zack was definitely fishing. She realized he was acting suspicious of her, but why? There was no way he could know that she was gaining a promotion and salary increase by coming out here. That conversation was between her and her dad only. No one at the office knew. No one. The complexity of Zack’s character was evident, and the more time Jen spent with him the more she realized that he was not ignorant; he was smart. And although he seemed to play the ‘flirty country boy’