Dark Hollow Road (Taryn's Camera Book 3) by Rebecca Patrick-Howard Read Free Book Online

herself for a walk. The air was chilly and on its way to being downright cold so she made sure to bundle up. After slinging Miss Dixie around her neck, just in case, she stepped out into the bitter wind and began making her way around the property.
    There wasn’t much to see within close proximity to the house. She’d seen most of the yard already. The trees that formed the barricade against the rest of the world were leaning gently away from the wind, except for the evergreens standing proudly, boasting their greenness and showing off to the others. The gravel road was starkly white against the brittle, dry ground and looked freshly laid. The owners did a good job of keeping the place up, especially since they claimed not to use it often.
    After walking the perimeter and taking a few casual shots of the house, grounds, and sky she ducked into the thicket of trees. There were several paths in the woods, made by four-wheelers if she were to guess since the deep ruts were parallel to one another.
    Inside the trees the air was still and not as cold since the wind had trouble penetrating the thickness. Still, she huddled deeper inside her jacket. Taryn didn’t mind being by herself on a walk; indeed, she enjoyed it. There were few things she liked better than being alone with her thoughts, taking walks, and capturing pictures. With her ongoing dialogue with herself, sometimes aloud, she sometimes worked out her problems.
    Not that she really felt like she had any problems at the moment. Her bills were all paid, for once, and she even had a little extra spending money.
    But, like most women, Taryn was a brooder and a thinker and it was hard for her to be content; she was always worrying about something. Had she remembered to turn the stove off when she left? What would she do for money once THIS job ended? Where was her relationship with Matt going? She needed to get up to her Aunt Sarah’s house and see what needed to be done about the estate and that was weighing on her mind. Why did she continue getting these awful headaches and were her joints really hurting more than usual? Was her favorite character on her favorite television show really going to get killed off? Who all did she need to send Christmas cards to this year?
    She was so lost in her thoughts she didn’t realize how far she’d gone or how long she’d been out until she stopped and looked behind her and couldn’t see the entrance where she’d come in. The sky was growing gloomier overhead, it was getting darker faster these days, and her toes and fingers were growing numb. A glance at her watch showed her she’d been out for more than an hour. Matt might be back by now, or at least on his way home, and she was hungry.
    Taryn was just about ready to turn around and start back, when something up ahead caught her eye. The light was a little brighter there and the trees thinner, suggesting an opening. Thelma had told her there wasn’t another house or business for miles and she knew she hadn’t walked that far–maybe half a mile at most. Curious, she quickened her pace and continued on. Although she assumed it was probably just a field, Taryn was feeling a little adventurous and when Matt got home she wanted to be able to say she’d done something with her time while he was gone.
    Only it wasn’t just a field. When she reached the clearing, the land opened out in front of her and revealed a farmhouse.
    It wasn’t architecturally interesting by any means, and certainly hadn’t been lived in for many years, but Taryn was instantly drawn to it. An old, abandoned farmhouse? That was just her thing.
    Taryn walked closer, snapping pictures as she neared the structure. It was in remarkably good shape from the outside, despite the fact that the once white façade was now a dingy gray and the windows had almost all been broken out, leaving shards of glass on the ground that she had to tiptoe around.
    The roof was missing some pieces and there was a gaping hole