Once Upon a Misty Bluegrass Hill by Rebecca Bernadette Mance

cursed.  " Forget Travis.  Of course I do not have anyone living there of that caliber .  The house sits there empty. I didn't have the heart to take the place down and figured that someone who worked for me could live there someday. "
    Jolene felt emotions driving through her in a fast cantor.  " Can I grow a garden ..there…I mean when I am not working ? "
    " Of course , and maybe you ' ll want to share some w ith me . "
    " Yes, yes I will! "
    Michael took Mary Jane's hand.  "They have this wrapped up so let's go home so I can work on the cabinets for the kitchen."
    After they left, Patrick turned back to Jolene with a warm smile.
    " Then we have a deal do we Jolene?  How about if I pay you a wage and maybe you can go to school…maybe a private school somewhere for girls, where you can learn lots of things that are not in books as well as your regular studies? "
    Jolene was too excited about her new life to worry about college right now.  " What about my pups …my dogs? "
    " Of course they are coming with you.  I ' ll just drive you home now and we will get them and anything else you want to take with you . "
    " Oh that would be so splendid.  Let ' s go. "   She stopped and looked at him dead in the eye.  " But you promise no funny stuff like?  I mean, you won ' t be wanting anything from me will you?   I mean, at least you smell good…Travis smells awful. "
    He laughed softly , his eyes filled with regret for human beings, especially men and their need to take advantage of the young for their own selfish desires .  " Thank you, I think… Jolene . Little Red , I promise you that I won ' t be trying to touch you or hurt you.  Does that make ye r feel better? "
    " Just so that I work so I earn my keep.  That is what my mamma and daddy would say I should always do.   They would say you never take charity. "   She looked at him with ear nes t green eyes.   " I ain ' t tak ing nothing for free. "
    " You will have to work very hard Jolen e.  Y ou know nothing comes free on a big farm, everybody has to work very hard. "
    " I ' m ready. "   She smiled big showing pretty white teeth .  " And I always work hard. "
    " Red …I want to ask you something . "   Patrick stopped and looked at her with those amazing dark blue eyes.  " I need you to settle something for me.  W hy did you come to see Storm every day? "
    " Because Storm belonged to me, my parents owned the farm . "   She jotted away a tear before it could get too far down her face . " I saw all of them die together in the barn.  Dancer ' s Dream, all the horses and momma and daddy. "
    Patrick felt the pain hit his gut like a body blow .  " Oh my God Little Red . "
    Jolene dashed away more tears. 
    Didn ' t one ' s eyes ever dry up if they cried too much?  
    " That white house was our h ome and it was the only thing left after the storm...but I don ' t talk about it . I never ever want to talk about it.  S o let us not talk about it anymore. "
    Patrick shook the cries from his heart and swallowed the hard lump in his throat .  " Alright then Little Red , come on home then. "

Chapter 4
    Paris is home to Xalapa and Claiborne Farms, prominent thoroughbred race horse breeding operations. Triple Crown winner Secretariat retired to Claiborne Farm and is buried there, as is Buckpasser.
    Although the Mary Todd Lincoln House is located in nearby Lexington, Mary Todd was born in Paris and remained there until age 14. The Todd family moved to the more widely known Lexington house in 1832. In 1842, Mary became the wife of future U.S. President Abraham Lincoln, and upon his inauguration in 1861 she became the seventeenth First Lady of the United States.
     
    Jolene refused to look at Patrick as they drove up to Aunt Paula ' s battered, unkempt house in the early evening. 
    Equally battered and rusted c ars were already pulling up for the party that was gearing up.  Finnegan and Oliver watched the activities with their typical suspicion from under their