The Secrets of Lake Road

“No.” Caroline shook her head. “I gotta go,” she said, and got on her bike.

Jo felt as though she had no other choice but to let her ride away. Her daughter no longer needed her as she once did. And Jo had no one to blame but herself. She turned toward the car. She wasn’t three steps away when Caroline called, “Mom.”

She turned back around. “Yes?” There was a hitch in her voice.

Caroline jumped off the bike and ran toward her. She fell into Jo’s outstretched arms, and Jo pulled her close, hugging her tight. She continued to hold her, wanting to hold her, for as long as her daughter would allow.

*

Jo slipped behind the wheel of the old Chevy and started the engine. She rolled the windows down and turned on the radio before backing out of the yard. She took her time driving down the dirt road, dodging the potholes that had been there since the beginning of time, although she could’ve avoided hitting the bigger ones with her eyes closed. Nothing ever changed at the lake. Almost nothing.

She drove out of the colony and onto Lake Road. She continued down the hill that led to the Pavilion, but instead of heading toward the festival where Caroline and her friends had gathered, she made a sharp left turn and parked on the other side of the lake, far away from the crowd. She cut the engine and stared at the mountains covered in lush green trees. The water glistened under the bright blue sky. The sight was so beautiful, it took her breath away. It was something Kevin had said about her at one time.

He had to be out of the state by now, traveling west across country in his rig. She wondered how much time he’d have before he’d have to turn back around. It could be weeks, months, if he were lucky. With Patricia burying her daughter, there was no telling when she’d be ready to talk with the sheriff or how well she’d hold up as a witness.

Jo believed she had some time and in that time, she hoped she could find a way to forgive him. After all, she had come to terms with a few things about herself in the last twenty-four hours. She realized she was just as responsible as Kevin for Billy’s death. She may not have been the one who had pushed him into the lake, but she had pushed him in her own way. She had manipulated him with her body, using her sex to control him.

She had been irresponsible and selfish, enjoying both boys’ attention too much, rendering her incapable of choosing between them. She had been young and foolish thinking she could break the rules of love without anyone getting hurt. In the end, she not only hurt Billy and Kevin, but she hurt herself, too.

And Kevin had known all this about her. He had known her better than she had known herself. And in spite of it all, he loved her anyway.

She reached for the cell phone because, after everything, he should’ve known this too. She typed: I still would’ve married you.

After hitting send, she sped away, the volume on the radio high, music blaring. She would drive as far as it would take to get her message through.



ABOUT THE AUTHOR


KAREN KATCHUR lives in eastern Pennsylvania with her husband and two daughters. The Secrets of Lake Road is her first novel. Connect with Karen online at www.karenkatchur.com or sign up for email updates here.