Read Online Blood of the Rainbow by Shelia Chapman - Free Book Online
Authors: Shelia Chapman
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I’m not boring you with all of this?”
Sara was sincere. She wanted to know everything about him. “No, you’re not boring me!”
Jared took a breath, and then continued. “All right then. Tell me if I do start boring you.”
“I will – just continue – please !” Sara was anxious.
Jared smiled. “About three years ago, Gary and I, a friend of mine from the hospital where I worked, got to talking. I told Gary I still needed a place to live. He asked me how much I was willing to spend, and how quickly I hoped to move in. I told Gary I wasn’t. That was when he told me about Wisteria Hall, an old plantation on the other side of Cross Lake. Unfortunately, Gary said the house was tied up in some kind of inheritance squabble, and had been for a long time. The old lady who was living there didn’t want to sell, but she was sickly and very old. If I were willing to wait, perhaps until she passed, Gary felt for sure her son would put the house on the market - as is.”
“Why would he do that? People don’t normally give up their ancestral home without good reason,” Sara prompted.
“He already had a house in Pensacola, and he didn’t like making trips back and forth to take care of the house. It was a lot of work, and besides, he hated Louisiana – too humid, too many tornadoes, and too many thunderstorms. Gary and I drove out there one day, so I could have a look at it. Gary warned me the house was in an awful shape, and he wasn’t kidding. When I first saw the house, it was a disaster. I understood why her son didn’t want to bother with it. I almost backed out myself, but I had time on my side.”
Jared chuckled. “Back then, time was about all I had. I didn’t have a lot of cash, or assets that I could use as collateral for a loan. With no credit record, I wasn’t likely to secure a loan anyway. Gary said he would co-sign with me, but with the house being in that terrible state, I wasn’t about to expect him to sink in that deep. Not with something in as bad a shape as Wisteria Hall.”
Sara chuckled and sighed. “What did you do?”
Jared grinned. “What do you think I did? I worked my ass off, and I waited. Sure enough, Gary was right. Several months later, on her birthday, the old woman had a massive coronary and died. As it turned out, Gary knew the old woman’s son and had told him if he decided to sell, that Gary wanted first chance at the house. Apparently, his cousin, Donna Rigden, had been treating the old woman. Gary made a deal with her son, and I got the house for loose change. I was glad, because it cost me a fortune to restore and renovate the house. It needed a lot of work. I drew up the plans, modeling and fashioning it from the one in my dreams. Then I hired construction crews and builders and ....”
“Wait a minute,” Sara interjected. “You drew up the plans yourself, from your dreams ?” Her voice was full of cynicism.
“Yeah…” he chuckled. “The house plans have been in my head for a long time. Once the paper work was out of the way, I drew up the blueprints.” Sara drew in a breath, and opened her mouth, but before she could speak, Jared continued, obviously inspired to share the whole story with her.
“I started sketching when I was around ten, that’s one of the reasons I enjoyed visiting my grandparents so much. Using my pastels, I drew the landscapes. I’m sure Mom still has some of them, or even all of them.” Jared laughed. “I wouldn’t be surprised if she still had all of them. She was always eager, and proud to show off my art.” Jared hissed air through his teeth.
“Anyway, getting back to the house. It took almost a year for builders to finish the renovations. The pond was the worst. It had to be completely drained, cleaned out, and then refilled. I did some research on water plants, and insisted that the aquatic specialists put back, mostly indigenous ones. I wanted it to be as near to the house in my dream, as possible. They fought me
Sara was sincere. She wanted to know everything about him. “No, you’re not boring me!”
Jared took a breath, and then continued. “All right then. Tell me if I do start boring you.”
“I will – just continue – please !” Sara was anxious.
Jared smiled. “About three years ago, Gary and I, a friend of mine from the hospital where I worked, got to talking. I told Gary I still needed a place to live. He asked me how much I was willing to spend, and how quickly I hoped to move in. I told Gary I wasn’t. That was when he told me about Wisteria Hall, an old plantation on the other side of Cross Lake. Unfortunately, Gary said the house was tied up in some kind of inheritance squabble, and had been for a long time. The old lady who was living there didn’t want to sell, but she was sickly and very old. If I were willing to wait, perhaps until she passed, Gary felt for sure her son would put the house on the market - as is.”
“Why would he do that? People don’t normally give up their ancestral home without good reason,” Sara prompted.
“He already had a house in Pensacola, and he didn’t like making trips back and forth to take care of the house. It was a lot of work, and besides, he hated Louisiana – too humid, too many tornadoes, and too many thunderstorms. Gary and I drove out there one day, so I could have a look at it. Gary warned me the house was in an awful shape, and he wasn’t kidding. When I first saw the house, it was a disaster. I understood why her son didn’t want to bother with it. I almost backed out myself, but I had time on my side.”
Jared chuckled. “Back then, time was about all I had. I didn’t have a lot of cash, or assets that I could use as collateral for a loan. With no credit record, I wasn’t likely to secure a loan anyway. Gary said he would co-sign with me, but with the house being in that terrible state, I wasn’t about to expect him to sink in that deep. Not with something in as bad a shape as Wisteria Hall.”
Sara chuckled and sighed. “What did you do?”
Jared grinned. “What do you think I did? I worked my ass off, and I waited. Sure enough, Gary was right. Several months later, on her birthday, the old woman had a massive coronary and died. As it turned out, Gary knew the old woman’s son and had told him if he decided to sell, that Gary wanted first chance at the house. Apparently, his cousin, Donna Rigden, had been treating the old woman. Gary made a deal with her son, and I got the house for loose change. I was glad, because it cost me a fortune to restore and renovate the house. It needed a lot of work. I drew up the plans, modeling and fashioning it from the one in my dreams. Then I hired construction crews and builders and ....”
“Wait a minute,” Sara interjected. “You drew up the plans yourself, from your dreams ?” Her voice was full of cynicism.
“Yeah…” he chuckled. “The house plans have been in my head for a long time. Once the paper work was out of the way, I drew up the blueprints.” Sara drew in a breath, and opened her mouth, but before she could speak, Jared continued, obviously inspired to share the whole story with her.
“I started sketching when I was around ten, that’s one of the reasons I enjoyed visiting my grandparents so much. Using my pastels, I drew the landscapes. I’m sure Mom still has some of them, or even all of them.” Jared laughed. “I wouldn’t be surprised if she still had all of them. She was always eager, and proud to show off my art.” Jared hissed air through his teeth.
“Anyway, getting back to the house. It took almost a year for builders to finish the renovations. The pond was the worst. It had to be completely drained, cleaned out, and then refilled. I did some research on water plants, and insisted that the aquatic specialists put back, mostly indigenous ones. I wanted it to be as near to the house in my dream, as possible. They fought me
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