Close to Home by Lisa Jackson Read Free Book Online Page A

to the one bedroom that was livable on the main floor, only to later hunker down with her sister and mother in the living room, where the fire was giving off some warmth.
    That was yesterday.
    â€œToday’s a new opportunity,” she told herself as she sipped from her cup of black coffee, wishing she’d had the foresight to buy some creamer, and looked around the kitchen. A gray dawn was filtering in through the windows near the breakfast nook. She’d tackle cleaning up the kitchen later, she decided. For now she intended to give the house a quick look over, just to get an idea of the condition of every room, then once she had a general overview of the disrepair and assessed the priority of the projects, she’d go through each floor more thoroughly and make detailed notes about what needed to be cleaned, fixed, upgraded, or gutted, so she could report back to her siblings, her not-so-silent partners in the project.
    Jacob and Joseph, identical twins who were day and night in personality, were on board with the whole renovation thing. However, Dee Linn hadn’t been as eager to put up any money to repair the old place. “Walter will have a heart attack if I put one dime into it,” she’d said vehemently when Sarah had called her at the end of the summer. Walter was Dee Linn’s husband of nearly twenty years and definitely ruled the roost. “I . . . I just can’t.”
    â€œThen I’ll cover your share, but you’ll owe me,” Sarah had said.
    â€œI don’t see what good fixing that monstrosity is to me.”
    â€œIt’s an investment, okay? You own a quarter of it.” And that much was true. Franklin’s will had made it clear that the house and property were to go to his children upon his death, and though Arlene had been aghast at the idea, she hadn’t had a legal leg to stand on. Still, she’d resided in the house after her husband’s death. None of her children had wanted to force her to move until her health had declined to the point where she could no longer care for herself.
    Unfortunately, she’d been unable or unwilling, or both, to keep up the maintenance of the house.
    â€œI know, I know.” Dee Linn had said. “I’m not trying to be unreasonable, but, seriously, Walter will kill me if I give you any money.”
    â€œAll right, I’ll have you sign a note to me. For your quarter of the place.”
    She’d hesitated, the silence stretching thin on the connection until she’d finally acquiesced. “Okay, Sarah, but this is just between you and me, okay? Don’t tell the boys or anyone. If Walter found out . . .”
    â€œGot it.” Sarah had cut her off, sick of hearing about her controlling brother-in-law and hating the way Dee Linn seemed to be afraid of the man she purportedly “loved as much as life itself” or some such crap. Walter Bigelow, DDS, was as much a tyrant at home as he was at his dental practice. Everything was his way or the highway, and Sarah had hoped more than once that Dee Linn would find the highway and thus regain her smile and self-confidence. The woman was a registered nurse, for God’s sake!
    Then again, who was Sarah to judge? Her relationships with men had been far from stellar.
    Dee Linn had let out a long breath, as if she were incredibly relieved. “Then it’s settled. So, now, after you and the girls are all moved in, I want you to come over for a little get-together.”
    â€œOh, I don’t think I’ll have time—”
    â€œOf course you will,” Dee Linn had said, cutting in and taking control, now that the conversation was on comfortable and familiar ground. “You know, for the family, and maybe just a few friends.”
    â€œAll the family?”
    â€œOf course.”
    â€œWhat about Roger?”
    â€œWell, no. I don’t think even his parole officer knows where our dear brother is, but the twins