House Of Secrets Read Online Free

father . . . he . . . well. It’s hard to explain. He’s called a family meeting of sorts. I’m supposed to fly to Seattle tomorrow.”
    “Seattle?”
    For reasons beyond me, I found myself spilling out more information than I’d ever intended. “We . . . Dad has a summer house in Bremerton. We haven’t been back there—well, since I was twelve. Dad said he had something important to tell us.” I couldn’t imagine what it might be, but the very thought of it left me trembling. Was he sick? Getting married?
    “Are you all right?” Mark put his hand on my shoulder.
    “I’m fine,” I lied. “Just surprised, is all. My father isn’t really the type to pull these secret get-togethers. It has me somewhat concerned.”
    “Did he sound like something was wrong?”
    I shook my head. “No, in fact, he sounded . . . what can I say? Happy, excited?”
    Mark smiled. “Then don’t borrow trouble. Maybe it’s something really good.”
    I looked at him oddly, eyebrows raised. Something good? In the Cooper family? “I’m sorry, Mark, but I think you’d better go. I’ll need to pack, and I still have to finish this edit tonight. I’ll send it in before I go. If you have another project ready for me, please just email it. I promise to keep up with the work no matter what happens in Washington or how long I’m gone.”
    “Really, Bailee, are you sure you wouldn’t just like some time off?”
    “No!”
    He almost flinched at the sound of my harsh reply. His left brow lifted slightly, and he narrowed his gaze, question marks filling his expression.
    “I’m sorry, Mark. I’m just trying to sort everything out in my mind. There’s so much to do to get ready. I need to talk to my sisters too.”
    He seemed reluctant to let the topic drop, but I was grateful when he didn’t ask anything further. “I guess I’ll see myself out. You’re sure you can’t take an hour out for dinner? You have to eat—”
    “I’m sure,” I said, moving toward the door. “I’m sorry, Mark. I’ll talk to you soon.”
    He paused and studied me intently. “If you want to talk about this . . . I’ll be there for you.”
    “Thanks,” I replied, opening the door and practically pushing him through it. But I paused and our eyes locked for a long moment. “I’ll be in touch,” I said softly.
    I closed the door and rested my head against it, suddenly weary. I wanted to call Dad back and tell him that I wouldn’t be joining them. I wanted to tell him I could never go back to that place—to those memories. My therapist had been urging me to make just such a trip, but I hadn’t been able to convince myself. Now it seemed the decision had been taken out of my hands. Could I really refuse?
    I leaned hard against the door and slid to the floor. At last I was being drawn back to that house of secrets—to those hidden memories of loss and sorrow. For so long I had fooled myself into believing the past would never catch up with me. But now the moment of truth had come . . . and if there was a hell, I just knew that demons were dancing in delight.

Chapter 2

    Y esterday I was arguing with Mark in Boston, and now I was waiting in a rental car to pull onto the ferry for Bremerton. A misty rain fell, putting a chill in the air and sending me back to a time I’d hoped to forget.
    “Momma, does it always rain here?” I’d asked my mother. In my mind’s eye I was standing at the window in the ferry lounge. Water streaked the window and obscured my view.
    “I don’t know,” she told me. “Seems like every time we come here it rains. Maybe God is just as sad about it as I am.”
    I never knew why she was so sad about going to Bremerton. It seemed to me that the area, despite the rain, was beautiful and summers far nicer than some of the other places we’d lived. Momma didn’t like being what she called “displaced.” I never understood that either.
    “The ferry is docking,” Piper said as she opened the car