Secondhand Sinners by Genevieve Lynne Read Free Book Online Page B

about his relationship with Sara. He certainly shouldn’t have kissed her. But he couldn’t help himself. He had loved Emily since junior high.
    “What do you want to do? Do you want to keep it? We could get married.”
    “I can’t keep it.”
    “Sure you can. Graduation will be here before you know it, and then we can do whatever we want. Can you hide it?”
    Emily lay back on the blanket with her arm folded over her eyes. “I can’t hide it from my mom. She keeps track of my time of the month. I didn’t say I didn’t want to keep it. I would love to have your baby. I said I can’t . There’s no way my mom or dad will let me keep it. If they even think I’ve been having sex, they’ll…”
    “What?”
    “Nothing. They’ll kill me is all. We’re terrible people, Miller.”
    He lay down next to her and propped himself up on his arm. Then he pulled her hand off her face. “Do you love me?”
    “Yes.”
    “Who do you love more? Me or Daniel?”
    “You.”
    “Then we’ll figure something out. If your parents find out, we’ll deal with it. If we talked to them, they might surprise you. I mean, they might be mad at first. Once they got used to the idea, they could be a big support for you. If Daniel finds out, we’ll tell him we didn’t mean for it to happen.”
    “I’ll tell Daniel. He’ll understand. My parents, my whole family, can never find out. Never. Promise me.”
    “I promise.” He put his hand on her stomach. “Are you sure about telling Daniel?”
    “He’ll be okay.”
    “I don’t know. He’s been acting really weird lately. What if he does something crazy?”
    Emily wiped away a tear. “He’ll be okay,” she insisted. “I’ll tell him when he comes over tonight. He’ll be okay. Trust me.”
    “Okay. If you’re sure. I’ll support you no matter what you decide. Don’t make any decisions without me, okay?”
    “Okay.”
     
    Except she had made decisions without him. She told Daniel, and Daniel put a bullet in his neck hours later. Then she was gone. It took a few years for Miller to understand why Emily insisted the baby was his and even told her grandfather as much. She may have wanted him to be the father, but she didn’t really know for sure because she had been having sex with Daniel. It’s possible she put a stop to it at some point. Not soon enough, though, because the baby Emily gave birth to, the baby her grandfather brought to him, the baby who grew up to be that magnificent creature upstairs, was Daniel's child. He had proof.
     
    ***
     
    Once the horses were saddled that afternoon, Abby took the lead, straight toward Levi’s place.
    Miller trotted his horse to catch up to her. “I know what you’re doing.”
    “You mean enjoying this beautiful day? Spending time with my father when most girls my age are either huddled around a teen magazine reading tips about how to tongue kiss or with a guy trying out those tips? I want to meet her. I feel sorry for her. First her boyfriend dies, then she runs off and marries a man who cheats on her, then her brother nearly kills her father. Not to mention she has an autistic son.”
    Miller made a mental note to check Abby’s magazines the next time he cleaned her room. “I don’t want to bother her. She’s got enough on her mind without—”
    “A visit from an old friend and his daughter? From what I’ve heard, she could use a visit from a good friend.”
    Abby was a pro at cornering him. She had a good argument for everything, and if he continued to protest, she’d grow suspicious. “Fine. When we get there, stay on your horse, and I’ll see if she feels like having visitors.”
    Fifteen minutes later, Levi’s apartment and old barn, which now had crime scene tape sealing off the front door, came into view. Emily and Jack were outside, walking through the tall grass and searching for something on the ground. Emily would bend over, disappear into the grass for a few seconds, and then stand up and offer