Read Online Haunted Fixer-Upper, The by Rose Pressey - Free Book Online
Authors: Rose Pressey
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I prayed for the latter. There was nothing in between.
After working on the place all day, we sat on the front porch steps of our new place. Reed leaned over and placed his mouth against mine. His lips were soft and warm. His kiss started slowly, then progressed with a sense of urgency. He pulled me close against his hard chest and his tongue moved along my lips. The evening air had turned to sizzling hot within a matter of seconds. My legs felt like cooked pasta—and with the way I overcooked my pasta that was saying a lot. It was a good thing I wasn’t standing because Reed would have to hold me up if he kept kissing me like that. I ran my hands through his hair and met his tongue with mine. Just when things had reached a scorching hot level, the sound of a car caught our attention.
Who would be visiting us here ? Reed stood, then stepped to the edge of the porch to see who was coming down the driveway. A cloud of dust from the gravel path stirred in the wake of a blue sedan as it came to a stop in front of the house. We watched as the woman behind the wheel climbed out and stomped over to where we sat. The woman was small, but she moved with determination and purpose. She had small, dark eyes that looked like nothing more than little beads in her long face. Her glare packed a powerful punch. I wanted to avoid her glassy stare as much as possible. The short, tight curls in her charcoal-gray hair looked almost as strict as her expression. A scowl was plastered on her face as she looked at us accusingly. Had we done something wrong?
“ I heard you just purchased this house,” she said in a harsh tone.
“ Yes?” Reed replied as more of a question than an answer.
He moved down the steps and met the woman midway on the stone path. I followed closely behind him in case he needed back up.
“ I’m Reed O’Hara and this is Alabama Hargrove. And you are?” He stuck out his hand.
She quirked one of her dark, slightly uneven, drawn-on eyebrows as she eyed him up and down, then looked at me. She didn’t shake his hand. How rude was she?
“ My name is Evelyn Arlington and I’m President of the Cobb County Historical Society,” she said in a clipped tone. She spoke a little odd, as if she had something in her mouth. “I came to tell you that we won’t tolerate any defacing of this property.” She pointed and looked over my shoulder at the house. “Or should I say, any more defacing of the property. That awful man has already ruined two houses in town and I want to see to it that no one further destroys any other homes.”
I stepped forward. “I’m very sorry f or what he did to the other homes, but I can assure you that we love historical properties and will do our best to keep everything the way that it should be.”
“Just see to it that you do. I’ll be around often, checking up on you. You can count on it.” She jabbed my shoulder with her bony index finger.
I jerked my shoulder away and glared at her. “With all due respect, why haven’t you fixed the house yet? If you want it done a certain way then I think you’d be the perfect candidate to restore it.”
Thank goodness it was too late for tha t. We already owned the place. If her poisonous look was any indication, she wanted me on the ground gasping for breath.
“I may look rich, but I can assure you that I’m not. I can’t restore every historic house in town.”
This meeting had not gotten off t o a great start. The woman didn’t like me before she’d met me because of what she thought I’d do to the house, and now I’d made it even worse.
“I promise we’ll take good care of the home. We’ve restored a home before and it turned out great.” Reed looked to me and nodded, then gave the woman a reassuring smile.
She wasn’t having any of it though. That same venomous look oozed from her eyes. “I’ve got my eyes on you.”
She whirled around and stomped back to her car.
Reed shook his head. “She’s passionate about what
After working on the place all day, we sat on the front porch steps of our new place. Reed leaned over and placed his mouth against mine. His lips were soft and warm. His kiss started slowly, then progressed with a sense of urgency. He pulled me close against his hard chest and his tongue moved along my lips. The evening air had turned to sizzling hot within a matter of seconds. My legs felt like cooked pasta—and with the way I overcooked my pasta that was saying a lot. It was a good thing I wasn’t standing because Reed would have to hold me up if he kept kissing me like that. I ran my hands through his hair and met his tongue with mine. Just when things had reached a scorching hot level, the sound of a car caught our attention.
Who would be visiting us here ? Reed stood, then stepped to the edge of the porch to see who was coming down the driveway. A cloud of dust from the gravel path stirred in the wake of a blue sedan as it came to a stop in front of the house. We watched as the woman behind the wheel climbed out and stomped over to where we sat. The woman was small, but she moved with determination and purpose. She had small, dark eyes that looked like nothing more than little beads in her long face. Her glare packed a powerful punch. I wanted to avoid her glassy stare as much as possible. The short, tight curls in her charcoal-gray hair looked almost as strict as her expression. A scowl was plastered on her face as she looked at us accusingly. Had we done something wrong?
“ I heard you just purchased this house,” she said in a harsh tone.
“ Yes?” Reed replied as more of a question than an answer.
He moved down the steps and met the woman midway on the stone path. I followed closely behind him in case he needed back up.
“ I’m Reed O’Hara and this is Alabama Hargrove. And you are?” He stuck out his hand.
She quirked one of her dark, slightly uneven, drawn-on eyebrows as she eyed him up and down, then looked at me. She didn’t shake his hand. How rude was she?
“ My name is Evelyn Arlington and I’m President of the Cobb County Historical Society,” she said in a clipped tone. She spoke a little odd, as if she had something in her mouth. “I came to tell you that we won’t tolerate any defacing of this property.” She pointed and looked over my shoulder at the house. “Or should I say, any more defacing of the property. That awful man has already ruined two houses in town and I want to see to it that no one further destroys any other homes.”
I stepped forward. “I’m very sorry f or what he did to the other homes, but I can assure you that we love historical properties and will do our best to keep everything the way that it should be.”
“Just see to it that you do. I’ll be around often, checking up on you. You can count on it.” She jabbed my shoulder with her bony index finger.
I jerked my shoulder away and glared at her. “With all due respect, why haven’t you fixed the house yet? If you want it done a certain way then I think you’d be the perfect candidate to restore it.”
Thank goodness it was too late for tha t. We already owned the place. If her poisonous look was any indication, she wanted me on the ground gasping for breath.
“I may look rich, but I can assure you that I’m not. I can’t restore every historic house in town.”
This meeting had not gotten off t o a great start. The woman didn’t like me before she’d met me because of what she thought I’d do to the house, and now I’d made it even worse.
“I promise we’ll take good care of the home. We’ve restored a home before and it turned out great.” Reed looked to me and nodded, then gave the woman a reassuring smile.
She wasn’t having any of it though. That same venomous look oozed from her eyes. “I’ve got my eyes on you.”
She whirled around and stomped back to her car.
Reed shook his head. “She’s passionate about what
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