Read Online The Lake House Secret, A Romantic Suspense Novel (A Jenessa Jones Mystery) by Debra Burroughs - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Debra Burroughs
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twenties crowd from Hidden Valley back in the day. Not knowing when this woman died, it was hard to say what was going on. For all she knew it could have happened in the nineteen fifties, although, with the few shreds of clothing still attached, it likely wasn’t that long ago.
“Is there anything else you can tell me, Detective?” Jenessa asked.
“I think that’s about it for now.”
~*~
Jenessa swung the Roadster around and headed for home. She peeked over her shoulder at the Alexanders’ lake house as she cruised past it. She instantly wished she had kept her eyes straight ahead. Her pulse quickened and her throat tightened.
She couldn’t help but think of Logan—and that night. A light layer of perspiration formed on her skin at the thought, and tiny chill bumps covered her arms as the cold air from the air conditioner hit her.
Chapter 9
Once out on the main road, she laid her foot heavy on the pedal, trying to escape the painful memories of what began in that lake house that ill-fated night. She flew around the curves, leaning into the centrifugal force. At times, the tires squealed, trying to stay on the road. Rather than feeling free, now she felt bound, constricted, the sequence of events playing over in her rattled mind.
Six weeks after the passionate night at the lake house, Jenessa had discovered she was pregnant. Opposite of everything she had heard as a teenager, it truly did only take one time—that one night when she’d given herself to Logan. He was leaving for college in a few weeks and she had planned to return to high school for her senior year. But not after that night—everything changed—at least for her.
The first person she had told was her best friend Ramey. Sweet and tender-hearted, Ramey had cried with Jenessa and lamented over what would happen next, to her and to the baby.
Then Jenessa had told Logan. He had picked her up at her house that evening, and they were on their way to the movies. He pulled his car into a parking space and turned the engine off.
She put her hand on his arm as he reached for the door handle. “Wait, Logan.” He turned back and looked at her. “I have something I need to tell you.”
“What is it?” A slight frown furrowed his brow as he settled back into his seat.
She paused, searching for the right words to lessen the shock, but none would come, so she just said it. “I’m pregnant.”
“Pregnant? But how? We only did it that one time.”
“I know that, but yet I am.” She held her breath, searched his face, waiting for his response. Did he love her as much as she loved him?
He stared at her in silence for a long time, then finally spoke. “We can’t keep it.”
She shifted in her seat to face him straight on. “We’re not talking about a puppy, Logan.” Surely he didn’t mean abortion.
“Of course, I know that, but I’m leaving for the university in a few weeks, I have football practice starting. And you still have another year left of high school before you go off to college. We can’t get stuck raising a baby. You can’t think that—”
Tears filled her eyes as he spoke. Desperation shook her and she grasped his hand. “Maybe we could—”
He pulled away from her. “Oh, my God, you do.”
“Just listen to me, Logan. We could get married. I’ll get my GED and go to school with you. Colleges have housing for married students, we could stay there until the baby was old enough for daycare. Then I could start taking courses. It could work.”
“No, it couldn’t.” His features twisted in anguish for a brief moment, then he laid his head back against the headrest and expelled a rush of air. His expression softened a little as he leaned toward her and spoke. “We can’t get married—that’s out of the question—we’re just kids ourselves.” His lips were strained as he spoke. “Our whole lives are ahead of us, Jenessa. I think abortion is the best answer.”
There it was. That was exactly what he meant.
“Is there anything else you can tell me, Detective?” Jenessa asked.
“I think that’s about it for now.”
~*~
Jenessa swung the Roadster around and headed for home. She peeked over her shoulder at the Alexanders’ lake house as she cruised past it. She instantly wished she had kept her eyes straight ahead. Her pulse quickened and her throat tightened.
She couldn’t help but think of Logan—and that night. A light layer of perspiration formed on her skin at the thought, and tiny chill bumps covered her arms as the cold air from the air conditioner hit her.
Chapter 9
Once out on the main road, she laid her foot heavy on the pedal, trying to escape the painful memories of what began in that lake house that ill-fated night. She flew around the curves, leaning into the centrifugal force. At times, the tires squealed, trying to stay on the road. Rather than feeling free, now she felt bound, constricted, the sequence of events playing over in her rattled mind.
Six weeks after the passionate night at the lake house, Jenessa had discovered she was pregnant. Opposite of everything she had heard as a teenager, it truly did only take one time—that one night when she’d given herself to Logan. He was leaving for college in a few weeks and she had planned to return to high school for her senior year. But not after that night—everything changed—at least for her.
The first person she had told was her best friend Ramey. Sweet and tender-hearted, Ramey had cried with Jenessa and lamented over what would happen next, to her and to the baby.
Then Jenessa had told Logan. He had picked her up at her house that evening, and they were on their way to the movies. He pulled his car into a parking space and turned the engine off.
She put her hand on his arm as he reached for the door handle. “Wait, Logan.” He turned back and looked at her. “I have something I need to tell you.”
“What is it?” A slight frown furrowed his brow as he settled back into his seat.
She paused, searching for the right words to lessen the shock, but none would come, so she just said it. “I’m pregnant.”
“Pregnant? But how? We only did it that one time.”
“I know that, but yet I am.” She held her breath, searched his face, waiting for his response. Did he love her as much as she loved him?
He stared at her in silence for a long time, then finally spoke. “We can’t keep it.”
She shifted in her seat to face him straight on. “We’re not talking about a puppy, Logan.” Surely he didn’t mean abortion.
“Of course, I know that, but I’m leaving for the university in a few weeks, I have football practice starting. And you still have another year left of high school before you go off to college. We can’t get stuck raising a baby. You can’t think that—”
Tears filled her eyes as he spoke. Desperation shook her and she grasped his hand. “Maybe we could—”
He pulled away from her. “Oh, my God, you do.”
“Just listen to me, Logan. We could get married. I’ll get my GED and go to school with you. Colleges have housing for married students, we could stay there until the baby was old enough for daycare. Then I could start taking courses. It could work.”
“No, it couldn’t.” His features twisted in anguish for a brief moment, then he laid his head back against the headrest and expelled a rush of air. His expression softened a little as he leaned toward her and spoke. “We can’t get married—that’s out of the question—we’re just kids ourselves.” His lips were strained as he spoke. “Our whole lives are ahead of us, Jenessa. I think abortion is the best answer.”
There it was. That was exactly what he meant.
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