Read Online Past Due by Elizabeth Seckman - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Elizabeth Seckman
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Just didn’t give herself time to grow up and get a little smarts about her.”
“Jenna’s sister died?”
Russ nodded. “Yep. Died a month or two before Jake and Jenna got hitched.”
“I can’t believe it.”
“Oh, everyone was shocked. Especially Jenna’s dad. Pastor Privett was fit to be tied when he learned Jake was the last to see Angel alive. And then to beat all? Within a month of Angel’s death…Jake was dating Jenna. The only child Sam Privett had left. That sent the poor man over the edge. Heard tale he told Maureen to keep her son away or he’d take care of him himself. And he did too. Jake kept going up there, so Sam shot him. Damn near killed the boy.” Russ shook his head at the memory. “It was a bad time. Sam got himself sent to jail. Jenna moved in with Maureen. Now, Jenna... I come to learn she’s the right opposite of her sister. Quiet, hardworking , easy to get along with. But, unfortunately, she wasn’t enough for Jake. He was gone within a month of the nuptials.” He paused long enough to take a drink and piece together his recollections of his wife’s gossip before continuing, “The marriage caused quite a stir what with the blow out with her dad, the immediate wedding, and then Jake’s disappearance. The wife says he never got over the sister. Some say he just married Jenna to get even with Sam. Some say he married Jenna to save her from Sam’s wrath. Everybody has a theory. All I can tell you, honestly, is that he wasn’t much of a husband. But I s’pose that’s none of my business. Jenna never seemed to pay any mind to her husband’s absence and rumors of philanderin’. She seemed content to raise the kid.”
“They have a son, right?”
“Yeah, Tanner. Plays football. They say he’ll start varsity this year, though he’s just a freshman.”
Tres rubbed his chin. “I guess I’m glad she’s been happy.”
Russ grunted, exhaling the smoke from his cigarette through his nose like a dragon. “It ain’t been a walk in the park for that girl. She raised the boy on her own. Jake didn’t slow down or help out ‘til he came home dying. For three years, Jenna took care of him. Hardly ever left his side.” He pointed out the blackened window with his cigarette. “She would stroll him out on the pier over yonder almost every evening. And of course you know she won’t date, but I can’t say I know what she saw in him or why she put up with his antics. I just know she did. Like I said, she’s an artist.” Russell lit another cigarette.
“You said Angel died of a drug overdose?”
Russ nodded and Tres’s heart broke for Jenna and the pain she suffered, and selfishly, he admitted the sting of jealousy drove clear through him. She hadn’t turned to him. She’d run to Jake. Confusion and whiskey made his head ring.
Russell took a deep breath and shook his head, the air leaving his lungs hard, “Jenna grew up hard that summer, son. She lost her sister and watched her father break down. Maybe Jake being a bit troubled just made them a perfect match. Hell if I know.”
Tres nodded, though he’d never truly understand how he could have been so wrong about Jenna’s love for him, he at least realized now he was wrong.
Russell took another drink of his beer before he asked, “So, now what’re ya’ going to do?”
Tres shrugged. If he’d lost one of his brothers, he would have wanted Jenna for comfort. She wanted Jake. That explained it all. Feeling the mystery solved, Tres scooted his chair away from the table and answered, “I’m going home, Russ. I appreciate you filling me in. I’ve loved someone for years and it’s all been a lie. I get it now. I used to think I was missing something. I thought if I could just get to the bottom of it then we’d laugh at the misunderstanding. But hell, the misunderstanding was she never loved me.”
Tres swallowed the last of his drink, gave Russell a firm pat on his shoulder, “Well, I’m headed off to bed. It was
“Jenna’s sister died?”
Russ nodded. “Yep. Died a month or two before Jake and Jenna got hitched.”
“I can’t believe it.”
“Oh, everyone was shocked. Especially Jenna’s dad. Pastor Privett was fit to be tied when he learned Jake was the last to see Angel alive. And then to beat all? Within a month of Angel’s death…Jake was dating Jenna. The only child Sam Privett had left. That sent the poor man over the edge. Heard tale he told Maureen to keep her son away or he’d take care of him himself. And he did too. Jake kept going up there, so Sam shot him. Damn near killed the boy.” Russ shook his head at the memory. “It was a bad time. Sam got himself sent to jail. Jenna moved in with Maureen. Now, Jenna... I come to learn she’s the right opposite of her sister. Quiet, hardworking , easy to get along with. But, unfortunately, she wasn’t enough for Jake. He was gone within a month of the nuptials.” He paused long enough to take a drink and piece together his recollections of his wife’s gossip before continuing, “The marriage caused quite a stir what with the blow out with her dad, the immediate wedding, and then Jake’s disappearance. The wife says he never got over the sister. Some say he just married Jenna to get even with Sam. Some say he married Jenna to save her from Sam’s wrath. Everybody has a theory. All I can tell you, honestly, is that he wasn’t much of a husband. But I s’pose that’s none of my business. Jenna never seemed to pay any mind to her husband’s absence and rumors of philanderin’. She seemed content to raise the kid.”
“They have a son, right?”
“Yeah, Tanner. Plays football. They say he’ll start varsity this year, though he’s just a freshman.”
Tres rubbed his chin. “I guess I’m glad she’s been happy.”
Russ grunted, exhaling the smoke from his cigarette through his nose like a dragon. “It ain’t been a walk in the park for that girl. She raised the boy on her own. Jake didn’t slow down or help out ‘til he came home dying. For three years, Jenna took care of him. Hardly ever left his side.” He pointed out the blackened window with his cigarette. “She would stroll him out on the pier over yonder almost every evening. And of course you know she won’t date, but I can’t say I know what she saw in him or why she put up with his antics. I just know she did. Like I said, she’s an artist.” Russell lit another cigarette.
“You said Angel died of a drug overdose?”
Russ nodded and Tres’s heart broke for Jenna and the pain she suffered, and selfishly, he admitted the sting of jealousy drove clear through him. She hadn’t turned to him. She’d run to Jake. Confusion and whiskey made his head ring.
Russell took a deep breath and shook his head, the air leaving his lungs hard, “Jenna grew up hard that summer, son. She lost her sister and watched her father break down. Maybe Jake being a bit troubled just made them a perfect match. Hell if I know.”
Tres nodded, though he’d never truly understand how he could have been so wrong about Jenna’s love for him, he at least realized now he was wrong.
Russell took another drink of his beer before he asked, “So, now what’re ya’ going to do?”
Tres shrugged. If he’d lost one of his brothers, he would have wanted Jenna for comfort. She wanted Jake. That explained it all. Feeling the mystery solved, Tres scooted his chair away from the table and answered, “I’m going home, Russ. I appreciate you filling me in. I’ve loved someone for years and it’s all been a lie. I get it now. I used to think I was missing something. I thought if I could just get to the bottom of it then we’d laugh at the misunderstanding. But hell, the misunderstanding was she never loved me.”
Tres swallowed the last of his drink, gave Russell a firm pat on his shoulder, “Well, I’m headed off to bed. It was
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