Today's Reading
"Except she'd had a big falling-out with her family years prior." Tasha swatted away a mosquito. "Made their life miserable, from what I was told. Things got so tense when her father passed a few years back, her stepmother talked about putting a restraining order out against her."
"Whoa."
"And when her stepmom got sick last year, she tried to move in with her, like she owned the place. But she didn't, of course. And Anthony put a stop to that. He saw that she was just looking for a free place to stay. He says she's always been like that, the kind who takes advantage of others, which is why I'm nervous she'll try to do the same to me."
"She was mooching off of her dying stepmom?" I asked.
"Yep." Tasha released a sigh. "This place has quite the history, doesn't it?"
"Sounds like it."
"Anthony said he wanted to dump the house because there were so many hard memories here. I've never seen anyone so happy to be rid of a place."
"That's rough. Family drama can be so messy." Not that I'd experienced much myself. We Hadleys were a pretty amiable lot. Well, unless you counted the occasional squabbles between my two younger brothers. Gage and Dallas had a way of going at each other from time to time.
"She doesn't have a leg to stand on," Tasha said. "And she needs to get over it and leave me alone."
"Only, she's not leaving you alone, sounds like."
"Right. I'll tell you all about it when you get back." Tasha patted my door, as if to send me on my way.
"Okey dokey." I shifted the old truck into drive, just as my brother's Ford F250 pulled into the curved driveway alongside me. He flashed a smile, and I hollered a quick "Get that AC fixed before I get back, ya hear?" then headed down the driveway toward the street.
As I pulled away from the house, I gave the property a quick glance and tried to see it through the eyes of potential guests, not as the weathered hoard it had been a few weeks back, when we started the renovations. What a mess it was back then, still overloaded with the former owner's belongings.
The big two-story home now exuded charm and character, especially with the tranquil waters of Cedar Creek Lake shimmering off in the distance. Its exterior, freshly painted in pale buttery yellow with sage green shutters, gleamed in the late-afternoon sunlight, which created jagged ribbons of light. Windows, once boarded up or adorned with cracked panes, now glistened with fresh paint.
Weeks of work had gone into this project. The expansive front porch, adorned with intricately carved railings, offered the perfect point of entrance for guests. And that big porch swing promised cozy evenings spent sipping sweet tea and admiring the neighborhood.
All in all, I'd say this place was perfect, not just for would-be vacationers but for the community at large. It was a sure sight better than the rickety old house it had once been.
Yes, Tasha had nothing to worry about. Her home would be filled all summer long. Folks would come for the lake views and that amazing wraparound balcony, which offered sweeping views of the water on the west side, and the surrounding countryside from the other three angles.
The inside was quaint too—sort of a blend of nostalgia and charm. We'd swept every dusty corner clean and polished up the hardwood floors that had been worn smooth by previous generations.
As I reached the stop sign at the end of the road, I found my thoughts shifting back to Belinda Keller, the latest thorn in Tasha's flesh. She'd grown up on this lakefront property in Payne Springs. No doubt she had wonderful memories here. It must be weird, to be excluded from the family will. I wondered what she could have possibly done to cause that.
Determined to push her out of my mind, I took off down 198 toward the bridge and over Cedar Creek Lake, toward our family's property east of Mabank by just a few miles. I rolled the window back up, fully relishing in the cold air now pouring out of the vents.
My gaze shifted to the fields on either side of the highway. Summertime in this neck of the woods was always beautiful, but nature had really outdone herself this year. Flowers were in full bloom in every field, and fishing boats dotted the sparkling waters of the lake off in the distance. My relationship with Mason—the sweetest guy in Henderson County—was in full bloom too. I was so blessed to have him in my life. Our family's antique store—Trinkets and Treasures—was up and running, and all was right with the world.
The narrow road leading into Payne Springs meandered through this lovely, picturesque landscape, towering oak and pine trees framing it out on either side.
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