Read Online Drop Dead Gorgeous by Heather Graham - Free Book Online

him.
    “I’d have it all out of my system,” he said.
    “Really? How could I ever be sure?”
    “I’m getting older. Tired.”
    She stared at him skeptically.
    “Honest.”
    She groaned.
    He smiled. “Honestly honest. I wouldn’t take vows again without meaning to be faithful. Think about it.”
    “Wait a minute. Are you trying to bribe me?” she said indignantly. “Marriage isn’t something decided because of a bribe.”
    “Think about it,” he insisted.
    * * *
    T rue to his word, Brad followed Jan home.
    “Think about it!” he whispered one more time, nuzzling her earlobe on the front porch.
    “I’ve thought!” she protested.
    “Naw … I’ve sown the seeds. I know it.”
    “Good night, Brad.”
    She let herself in, reset the alarm, and checked on Tina, who was sleeping soundly.
    In her own room she turned on the television, thinking she’d watch a movie until she fell asleep, and that would get her mind off Brad’s absurd proposal. But the channel was on CNN, and the news came blaring out at her again.
    She did forget about Brad.
    A serious, attractive young blond woman was talking about the awful thing that had happened to Ellie.
    And all she could think about was murder.

 
     
     
     
    5
     
     
    A t first Lori hadn’t been able to sleep. All the wine in the world wouldn’t have helped.
    Then Lori dozed.
    When she slept, she dreamed, reliving the past, knowing that she was reliving the past, unable to stop the frames of memory that played before her eyes.
    She was seventeen that day at the rock pit. Her mother had told her that she was at the prime of life, with everything in the world going her way. She was young and literally a beauty queen, having just been elected to the title of Miss Orange Blossom for their end-of-the-year dance and parade.
    And her heart was breaking.
    Over Sean.
    In the endless days to come, she knew that any small twist of behavior on anyone’s part might have changed destiny, might have changed what happened, destroying so many young lives. But all she knew as the day began was that she was dying… over him.
    Naturally, no one knew. She was Lori Kelly, and—partially because of Gramps and his wisdom!—she could pride herself on being kind and decent, but then, admittedly, she was a teenage girl, and she did have her ego and her pride. And though things might have been her own fault, she wa s crushed by what had hap pened between her and Sean.
    Supposedly, she was in love with Brad Jackson. And they were the perfect couple. He was an honor student all the way, Key Club , quarterback, blue-eyed, blond- haired, could-trace-his-ancestors- back-to-the-Mayflower great. But beneath his polished veneer—just every once in a while—he wasn’t quite so nice. Her folks never saw it. They saw his all-American parents, officers in the yacht club, civic duty to a T. And Brad was okay. She knew him well enough, liked him— but knew what not to like as well.
    Sean dated Mandy Olin. She was his age, voluptuous, a little wild, mad about him—and the child of rich folks as well. They didn’t approve of Sean. That might have been half the reason Mandy dated him. Except that he was great. Everybody liked Sean. He never backed down in a fight, but he never started one, either.
    Lori had always been in love with Sean.
    Secretly, of course. She had her pride, and as long as he was with Mandy, she’d never let him know. Even those few times when they’d met on some different level, she’d been flippant, keeping her true feelings quiet.
    And now Sean was leaving. They were all going in different directions, of course, but since Sean would be taking summer courses at col lege, he’d be leaving soon. They were just kids— that’s what Lori’s mother told her all the time. Just kids. They shouldn’t take things too seriously. Lori was too young to really be in love with anyone. After all, her whole life stretched in front of her. Naturally, if she continued a relationship with