Raising Attabury: A Contemporary Christian Epic-Novel (The Grace Series Book 5) Read online

  The ceiling clearly needed reinforced. A beam or at least sistering the joists. The stairs would need to be replaced, cabinets for the kitchen, flooring, footings, foundation… With no real effort his mind headed that direction and in no time at all, he was parked in front of Attabury.

  He laughed softly as he watched Greg climb out of his own vehicle and head his direction. Apparently the man didn’t want to go into the creepy house alone, and Eric didn’t blame him.

  “Right on time,” Greg said as Eric put his vehicle in park and slid out, being sure to grab his jacket. He slipped it on and shook Greg’s hand.

  “Thanks for meeting me,” Eric said.

  “Sure thing,” the older man said. “You ready to do this?”

  “Lead on.”

  Dani’s mind hadn’t been on work most of the day. It kept flitting away from her to Ridgemount. She wanted to text Eric to see if he had made it, but something kept her from it. She did not have any desire to appear the nagging wife. That’s what had gotten her mother into so much trouble with her dad. At least that’s what he said.

  Taking a long breath as she headed home, she shook her head at the way life had turned out. In no time the divorce would be final. Probably her father would marry Celeste soon afterward. Probably her mother would remain bitter and cynical the rest of her life. Not that Dani blamed her. Her father’s adultery hadn’t done her belief in love and men any favors either.

  As she sat in traffic with a hundred-thousand other people trying to get home for the weekend, she thought about Eric. When had their life together taken such a bad road? She remembered early on in their marriage when they were living on love and not much else. Their dreams were all that kept them moving forward. The idea that someday they would have a house and a car that didn’t die in intersections. It was his car actually, and they hadn’t quite been married at the time. Still she remembered her own embarrassment as he calmly got out and told her to steer as he pushed the thing into the next driveway.

  By the next year they were married and he’d gotten the job with the state. She followed only a few months later with her own high-powered, high-paying job, and cars that died in intersections became a distant memory. Not long after they’d found out they were pregnant, and life from that moment had seemed all they had ever hoped and dreamed. Until somewhere along the way it had become day-after-day of barely seeing each other. The chase to the top somehow snagged holes in their union. She didn’t want to admit it, but if she was really honest, she could see them turning into her parents. Even now, there were days that throwing in the towel seemed preferable to this.

  Still, they had Jaden to think about, and on top of that, Dani would not give her mother the satisfaction of winning the argument they quietly had about men and their worth. No. Dani would stick this thing out if it killed her, and the way they were going, it just might.

  There was no such thing as working electricity in the old house, so Greg had brought flashlights and a floodlight. Good thing too because reading a tape measure in the dark wasn’t the easiest thing in the world.

  “This ceiling is going to be a real problem,” Greg said, stepping over from where he had turned the light on, making Eric’s flashlight unnecessary. It was interesting how the second the big light was on, the darkness ceased to exist as if it had never been there at all.

  Eric walked past the ripped up, dusty couch to the crumbling, peeling wall on the other side of the room. “Whoa.”

  “Whoa is right.” Greg folded his arms as his gaze traversed the room. He let out a long breath as worry slid through his eyes.

  Across the room Eric’s gaze was going up and down, to the corners and floors and all the way across the wall. “Look at the bow in this wall.”

  Carefully Greg came over to where he stood, still surveying all of it. He lifted his gaze to the ceiling above. “How in the world did this whole thing not collapse?”

  “I’m not sure it’s not about to.” Eric gulped down his fear. “Yeah, we’re going to have to get that tub out of there, or this whole thing could fall right down on top of us.”

  Arms still folded, Greg nodded. A second and his gaze went back across the room and out into the hallway. “Yeah, but those stairs are going to make doing that a challenge.” Going over through one of the large openings that led into the hall followed by Eric, he repositioned the light through the opening toward the stairs. The light playing with the shadows cast an eerie glow up the stairs.

  Together they met by the handrail which Greg took hold of and wiggled without much effort. “Not exactly sturdy.”

  “Rotten would be more like it, and the treads aren’t any better.” As his gaze slid up the steps, Eric put his hands on his hips. “What’s even holding this place up anyway?”

  “Good question.” Greg nodded at the wall that separated the living room from the hall and stairs. “If I was guessing, that wall and not much else.”

  Nodding, Eric thought through the issues facing them. “Well, I think the first thing we’re going to have to do is brace up that corner under the tub. Then we’ll have to get these stairs taken care of before we even think about removing the tub.” He was tilting on the overwhelm gushing through him. “And I think we’re going to have to get everything stable before we even get crews in here working and especially the cameras. I don’t want anyone hurt over this thing.”

  Greg nodded, serious to the point of troubled. “Do you want to look at the rest of downstairs tonight, and then maybe tomorrow we can work out a plan?”

  “Sounds good to me.”

  Instead of going the direction of the front door, they went back past the stairs to the formal dining room. The table and chairs in the center of it were broken and toppled, a painting hung high on the opposite wall though it was off-center, and the frame was broken. Worst of all, someone had spray-painted graffiti all over it.

  Eric scratched his head. “Wow, it’s going to take us a week just to clear everything out of here and get this cleaned up, not to even mention the actual demo.”

  “How about these floors?”

  Checking them over, Eric shrugged. “I don’t know. They’re not horrible, but I’m not sure they’ll be salvageable either. It could go either way. And graffiti or not this wallpaper has to go. Wow. Who thought this was a good idea?”

  At the other side of the room, they went through a small doorway and into the kitchen. The modern-if-you-could-call-them-that cabinets which were falling apart stood in only the far corner area. On the left wall was a hearth as big as the rest of the kitchen.

  “You thinking about keeping this?” Greg asked of the hearth as he examined it.

  “Depends how old-school Dani wants to go with it.” Eric folded his arms and scowled. “Then again on the other side of this thing is the dining room and then the stairs and then that hallway wall, so it’s not like we could even hope to get open concept even if we wanted to.”

  “Yeah, I think open concept may be asking a bit much.” On the far side of the room next to the cabinet, Greg came to a door that was closed. He tried the door, but it did not open. “Hm. Wonder what’s in here?”

  The beams from the flashlights cris-crossed through the dimming light from outside and the dancing dust particles inside.

  “No clue. That must be another way to the entry on the other side.”

  Greg nodded and went to the single door on the right side of the cabinets. This one opened. “Wonder what’s in here.” However, coming up short, Greg stopped and tilted his head. “Wow. Not much.”

  Eric went over to inspect the find. It was a simple room with a bed, a dresser and wash bin that stood on the other side by the door. Old stories he had thought were ghosts brushed past him. “I don’t know. Servants’ quarters maybe?”

  “Could be.” Stepping back out, Greg closed that door and pointed at the other one. “Let’s go see what’s on the other side of that door.”

  Following was easier because Eric could let himself survey as h
e went, not worried about stepping on anything. He shook his head. He owned this place? How was that possible, and what had they been thinking? Back out and around by the stairs they went and right to the door that Eric had presumed was a coat closet the first time they had been through the house. Greg turned the knob and pushed on the door which did not immediately open. In fact, it took another generous shove to get it to move.

  “Huh,” Greg said as he angled his flashlight into the space beyond.

  Eric tipped his head to get a better view. “What is it?”

  “Looks like… I don’t know. Maybe a bedroom?”

  That puzzled Eric. “A bedroom? Down here? By the front door?”

  By now Greg had pushed inside, and Eric followed, still making sure to look over and around himself in case the structure decided now was a good time to fail. Inside the dark room that had heavy, thick material over the boarded up windows that would be a bay window if it were uncovered, he trailed his flashlight this way and that. In the middle of the room which seemed to be one color—dust, hung a not-terribly-elaborate-but-still-beautiful chandelier. One side of the room had a small writing desk. In the corner stood an antique spindle that could easily be a couple hundred years old. Two simple chairs, one an old rocker, sat near the fireplace. The only pieces of furniture that seemed wholly out of place were an armoire, a smaller vanity, and a bed that had the blankets pulled back as if the person had just left them and was coming back to crawl in and go back to sleep.

  “Well, that’s odd,” Greg said, going all the way in to the center of the room even as Eric continued to peruse the other parts with his flashlight.

  “What’s that?” His flashlight zipped upward, revealing a ceiling made of timbers and wooden slats in an ornate, quilted pattern. No two sections of it were even the same size. It was a work of art to be honest or would be if it wasn’t so dusty.

  “Well, this is obviously the parlor.” Greg turned and his flashlight caught on the one bookshelf lined with a few books next to the fireplace behind the spindle. Eric wondered just how old those books might be. “Why in the world would a bed be in here?”

  Going to the far side, Eric tried the door that was clearly locked. He bent down to examine it with the flashlight, finally found the lock, and flipped it open. The door swung with nearly no effort at all to reveal a short expanse and then the kitchen beyond. “This goes back to the kitchen.”

  Greg came over and nodded. “Makes sense. It completes the house’s footprint.” He let his flashlight trail with Eric’s for a second. The light even from the kitchen was dimming around them quickly now, and Greg sighed. “I hate to say it, but we should probably get going. I’m not into ghost stories and haunted houses, but this place is kind of giving me the creeps.”

  Funny, for Eric the feeling was one of being intrigued, but the darkness was overtaking them rather quickly. “I think we’ve about done all we can do here tonight anyway.”

  Together they headed out from the room and back through the entry to the living room to get the floodlight.

  “So what’re you doing for supper tonight?” Greg asked as he coiled the cord and picked up the light.

  “Oh, I was just going to grab something in town.”

  “Why don’t you come out to our place? No use eating beans when Em’s got enchiladas ready.”

  The thought sounded great. Plus, getting to know his new partner in this venture might not be such a bad idea. “You sure that’s cool?”

  “Absolutely.”

  Dani picked up her cell phone for the twentieth time. He still hadn’t texted nor called. That wasn’t like him. Maybe she should send something. Would that really hurt anything? She did, after all, want to know how things went at the house. However, just before she did, the doorbell rang, and she headed to it. The pizza was here. After they ate, she would send him something if he hadn’t texted or called. However, shaking that he hadn’t was getting more and more difficult with each passing second.

  “This looks amazing,” Eric said as he sat with them over supper, and he wasn’t lying. They didn’t do home-cooked meals very often at home and even if they did, the meal certainly didn’t look like this.

  “Shall we say grace?” Greg asked, and Eric immediately straightened and bent his head. “Father, we thank You for all the great blessings of our lives. Please keep those we love safe, and let them always know they are loved. We ask You to bless this food that it may nourish our bodies, that we may become temples of Your glory. Amen.”

  “Amen.” Emily’s was solid, Eric’s was not.

  “So, Eric,” Emily said, “Dani couldn’t make it this time?”

  “Oh, no. Unfortunately not. She’s working crazy hours these days.” She was always working crazy hours, but they didn’t need to know that.

  “And she’s a…”

  “Lawyer,” he filled in. “Corporate. She works for Drake System out of Raleigh. They do energy exploration, research and development, and bringing energy systems online all over the world.”

  “How exciting,” Emily said, clearly impressed. “And she does what for them?”

  “Paperwork mostly, legal work to get projects up and running. She works with countries all over the world to smooth the way for Drake to go in and do the projects.”

  “Wow.” Emily shook her head. “That’s quite a job.”

  “It is that.”

  “And you’re an engineer?”

  “Yes, Ma’am, I am,” Eric said through the bites of piping hot enchiladas. They were the best thing he’d tasted since the lasagna at Rachel’s the day they had come to view the house with Derek and Caleb. “I do structural mostly—bridges and roads. We’re working in Greensboro right now, redoing the bridging system there. Four bridges that will take us most of this coming year to complete.”

  “I can’t even imagine.” She shook her head as she held her fork over her meal. “It’s always so amazing to me to think about life outside of these little walls.”

  “And what do you do?” Eric asked, sensing that he was dominating the conversation with his hosts.

  “Oh, you know, not a whole lot anymore. When the kids were little, I stayed home with them, but now that they’re all grown and gone, I mostly just volunteer at the church—do community garage sales and helping out with decorating here and there.”

  Eric saw but did not understand the look Greg gave his wife. “Well, you have a wonderful family,” Eric said. “Derek and Jaycee are the best, and Luke and Sage and the kids. They’re about the nicest people I’ve been around in a long time.”

  A sad smile crossed Emily’s lips, and Eric wondered what he had said to cause it. “That they are,” she said softly. “That they are.” A moment and her head jerked up. “Would you like some more?”

  “Oh.” He slammed into the change in her mood like hitting a brick wall going 70, and he looked down at his plate. “If you don’t mind. This is really so, so good.”

  “I’m so glad you like it. Dee gave me the recipe. I’m telling you, that woman is a one-person inspiration.”

  “Dee?” he said just before he got the name in the right slot in his brain.

  “Caleb’s mother,” Emily filled in for him as she passed him the dish of enchiladas. “She’s from Texas, you know.” She laughed. “I think it must be something about being from Texas. It’s like she can just do everything—sew, cook, decorate. I wish she lived a little closer, and she could give me some lessons.”

  Gentleness for her touched him. “Well, I think you’re doing just fine.” His gaze flitted around the not-overly-big-but-nice-enough kitchen. No, it wasn’t modern with granite counters and glass doors, but it was homey and warm. “You really have a lovely home.”

  “Oh.” Emily ducked. “It’s old.” She half-smiled at her husband. “About like us, I’m afraid.”

  However, Eric shook his head as he forked through his meal to cool it off. “Nothing wrong with a little age. My mom always says, ‘If you do it right, age brings you wi
sdom. If not, it just makes you old.’”

  Emily laughed. “Well, she’s right about that.” She glanced back at her husband. “Would you like some more?”

  “I’ve already had two helpings. I have any more, you’re going to have to tow me to bed.”

  She smiled at him and turned her attention back to Eric. “So where are you staying while you’re here? Surely you’re not driving all the way to Greely.”

  “Oh. No, Ma’am. Derek and Jaycee… well, they said we could use their house out at the farm for when we come.”

  “Oh.” She seemed surprised by that and instantly concerned. “So you’ve been out there?”

  “Uh, no. Not yet.” He scratched his ear. “In fact, I was kind of hoping one of you could tell me how to get out there. I was planning on going before the sun went down, but that didn’t happen.”

  Emily corkscrewed her face in concern. “Well, I’d hate for you to have to go out there tonight. Who knows how they left the place after Caleb’s family left. Why don’t you stay here tonight? We’ve got plenty of room, and at least our house is warm.” She smiled. “We’ve got food in the refrigerator and running water too.”

  That jerked Eric’s attention up. He hadn’t thought about asking about heat and water. “Oh, I would hate to put you out.”

  “Eh.” She waved him off. “We’d love to have you. It’s just one night, It’s not like you’re moving in.”

  The pizza box was in the trash, and Jaden was in bed. Dani took her laptop to her own bed and crawled in. Instead, she lifted the little phone and felt the absurd stab of pain knife into her heart. Nothing. With a shake of her head, she laid it on the little nightstand and turned the computer on. She might as well get something done because letting her feelings take over at that moment would have been a disastrously bad idea.