The Lake House Secret, A Romantic Suspense Novel (A Jenessa Jones Mystery) Read Online Free Page A

moist and red from crying.
    “Does anyone know what Dad wanted, in terms of a funeral or cremation?” Jenessa tore off a piece of marbled bagel and stuck it in her mouth.
    “We hadn’t talked about it,” Aunt Renee said. “I assume he wrote his last wishes down somewhere. Attorneys are like that, you know.”
    Jenessa swallowed and cleared her throat. “I’ll look through his office at the house.”
    “Are you staying there?” Sara asked.
    “That was the plan.”
    “I thought you might want to stay here,” Aunt Renee offered. “Are you sure you want to be in that big old house all alone?”
    “I think it’ll do me good to go through his things. I’ll see if I can find his Will and his burial instructions.”
    “How long can you stay, Jenessa?” Ramey asked.
    “As long as I need to.”
    “What about your job?” Sara asked. “Won’t they expect you back after a few days?”
    Jenessa hesitated. She hadn’t wanted to tell anyone, but now was as good a time as any. “Not really. I got laid off a few weeks back. I’ve been job hunting, but no luck yet.”
    “So the timing is perfect,” Aunt Renee said. “I hope you’ll stay in Hidden Valley for a long time, hon. We’ve missed you. Haven’t we girls?”
    Ramey quickly agreed. Sara shrugged.
    “And speaking of perfect timing,” Ramey leaned over and patted Jenessa’s knee, “just last week I heard that the Hidden Valley Herald is looking for a reporter. Maybe you should go down and apply.”
    She did need a job. Even though, career-wise, taking a position at a small-town paper would be a step backward from the Sacramento job, her mother always told her that beggars can’t be choosers.
    “Maybe I should wait a few days, until we work out the funeral arrangements and all.” Jenessa had hoped to settle in and get used to the small-town life again before going out and trying to find another job.
    “I wouldn’t put it off,” Aunt Renee countered. “The job could be gone by then. If you’re out of work, you need to strike while the iron’s hot.”
    Beggars can’t be choosers? Strike while the iron’s hot? Where did the older generation come up with all these sayings?
    Jenessa pulled another piece of bagel off and chewed on it. She really couldn’t afford to be choosy. Earlier that morning she had been willing to clean toilets for cash. How bad could a small-town newspaper be?
    It would put some money in her bank account, which was in dire need of an infusion, and maybe she could finally fix that bucket of bolts she drove. With her family home empty now, she had a place to live rent-free, at least for a while. This job, if they hired her, would give her time to think about what she might do with the rest of her life.
    With all eyes on her, eagerly awaiting her answer, she relented. “All right, I’ll go down and apply tomorrow.”
    “And you won’t have to worry about running into Logan again,” Ramey said. “He works at his father’s real estate office, not the newspaper.”
    Aunt Renee’s eyes lit up. “Run into Logan again?”
    “Tell us more,” Sara chimed in, sounding more surprised than interested. “When did you see Logan?”
    “It was nothing, really.” Jenessa didn’t want to discuss Logan with them, or with anyone for that matter. “He stopped by The Sweet Spot as Ramey was closing up and then he left.”
    “Just like that?” Sara sounded like she didn’t believe her sister.
    Ramey leaned forward. “It was more like Jenessa ran him off.”
    “Oh, dear girl,” Aunt Renee sighed. “You can’t stay in this town and not run into Logan Alexander. You’d better make peace with him or you’ll surely make yourself miserable.”
    Her aunt was right, but she didn’t want to talk about it. Her initial reaction to running into Logan was so visceral that it knocked her off balance, emotionally. She hadn’t meant to bite his head off. That wasn’t how their first meeting was supposed to go, at least not in the hundred