6
To my relief, Sierra took a hard look at the money situation for the shop and proclaimed that we could afford to hire an assistant manager. She also insisted that she learn the ice cream recipes and the day-to-day operations of running Crave.
I took her insistence to mean that she was sincere about staying in town for a few weeks.
It also sharpened my concern for her. Sierra liked living in cities. She liked the hustle and the anonymity of living among a large population. Then there was the food situation. Sierra kept crazy hours and preferred to order in most nights. Living in the city meant she could find just about any kind of food she wanted any time of night.
Here in Farley, she'd be lucky to order pizza and that's if she remembered to order before the restaurant closed. There was also a little Chinese restaurant in town, but they only delivered on the weekends.
"We should put a want ad in the local paper and online," Sierra suggested.
I bit back a laugh and said, "Give me five minutes."
Then I picked up the phone and dialed Natalie Phelps' number. When I heard her quavering voice answer the phone, I grinned at Sierra.
"Hi, Mrs. Phelps. It's Cameron McClane. How are you today?"
The weak quality disappeared immediately. "Oh, Cam. How lovely of you to call. I'm doing better today than I have in a while. The heat seems to help my joints, even if it ruins my hair. How are you? Is your friend still visiting?"
"I'm so glad you're doing well. I'm okay and yes, Sierra is still visiting, but I wanted to ask you for some advice if that's okay."
"Of course you can, darlin'. Any time."
"Well, Sierra is not just my friend, she's also my business partner. We were going over the budget today and realized we really need to hire an assistant manager. I was wondering if you knew anyone reliable who was looking for a job. It will probably be part-time at first but eventually it'll become full-time."
Natalie was silent for a moment. And though she was in her mid-eighties, I knew her mind was sharp. "Hmmmm. Your best bet would be Lyria Prescott."
I frowned. I knew the Prescott family but I didn't know anyone named Lyria. "Is she related to the Prescotts?"
Natalie laughed. "Of course she is, darlin'. She's the youngest and the only girl."
"You meanLee?" The name evoked the image of a little girl with pigtails. "Isn't she still away at college?"
She laughed even harder, verging on a cackle. "No. She's in graduate school. Online or some such. Gosh, the child must be nearly twenty-five now."
I gaped and blinked. "Twenty-five? Are you sure?" That meant we'd gone to high school together but I couldn't picture her even after I wracked my brain.
"Honey, she's only a few years younger than you."
She'd seemed so much younger the last time I saw her. Then again that had probably been close to a decade ago. When had I gotten so old? "I had no idea."
"Anyway, if you need a new employee, I would definitely recommend her. She's a hard worker, trustworthy, and smart as a whip."
"Thank you so much, Mrs. Phelps. I appreciate your help."
"As I said, any time, Cameron. Good luck finding a new employee!"
We rang off and I glanced at Sierra. "Apparently, the girl...er, woman that Mrs. Phelps recommended is someone I knew when I was younger. I thought she was a lot younger than me but it seems I was wrong. She's nearly twenty-five."
"What do you remember about her?" Sierra asked.
I thought hard, back to the last time I'd actually spoken to Lee Prescott. "She's quiet and sweet. The youngest of five kids and the only girl. The best I can recall, she never got into trouble. I didn't even know she was back in town."
"Then we should definitely call her. If she isn't fodder for gossip then she must still be quiet and sweet."
"I'll call my mom this afternoon and get her number." I paused. "Do you want to put an ad out online, just in case? I mean, what if she turns out to be a closet psycho?"
"Then she'll fit right in with us," Sierra deadpanned.
