So David lifted his hand again and called out, "Scott!"
The man saw us and headed over, so we turned to meet him. David quickly made introductions, and I offered Scott my hand. The man shook with a solid grip, and smiled at me like he was incredibly hopeful.
"David said you might be able to help me out," I told him. "You're in need of a job?"
"I am, sir," Scott assured me. "I got laid off about five months ago, and I've run through my savings. I've maxed out my credit, and right about now I'd pretty much take anything if you have a paying job. I'm not too proud, sir, and if I don't know how to do it, then I promise you that I'll learn."
"Are you looking for a temporary gig just to get back on your feet, or a long-term thing?" I asked. "And before you answer that, you should know that I'm with Southwind. I also have a boyfriend, and the job would be on the property, which means that you would see me kissing him."
That got me a confused look, then Scott looked at David as if to make sure he'd heard me right. Then he looked back and shook his head. "The way I see it, so long as you don't expect me to kiss him, then we don't have a problem. My wife might not approve of that, you see."
I just laughed. "I promise that kissing is not part of the job description. You see, we have these cabins that we're renovating for a teen rehabilitation center. I don't know if you've lived in this area for a while, but Vera Dawson ran a facility that did a lot of good in the world. When she got sick, everything fell into disrepair, and we're trying to put it back together. What we need is someone willing to paint, repair drywall, and do a lot of handyman sort of construction. It would be a full-time job, and the organization offers the normal benefits like health insurance and paid vacation. Is that something you might be interested in?"
Scott's head was already nodding so fast that I thought it might snap off. "Yes, sir," he assured me. "To me, that actually sounds like a dream job. I still have a lot of my contacts, so I can even get your supplies in bulk or at discounted rates. I'd be thrilled to have a good job like that, and one in town? It would save me a hell of a lot of money, since I don't know if I'll be able to keep my car -" He shut his mouth quickly.
"I may have explained that you're in a tight financial situation," David admitted.
"How much time do you have before they start foreclosing on your house?" I asked.
"They want me to make a payment by the end of the week," Scott admitted. "I'm hoping that if I can explain that I got a job, then they might give me a bit of an extension."
"How about you get me a resume instead?" I offered. "David's word means a lot to me, so I'm willing to hire you on a trial basis, if nothing else. I still need a resume to have on file, and I will have to run it past the Board of Directors, but they're actually all in town right now. That means if you can bring a resume up to Southwind tomorrow, we can get you started and show you what needs to be done. If you agree to take the job, I have no problem with giving you an advance against your wages so that you can make sure you keep your house, car, and anything else that's about to go into default. Just give me a list of how much money you think you need."
Scott's mouth was hanging open. "You're going to give me the money up front?" he asked. "Sir, I don't think you understand. Just to catch back up, it could be like fifty thousand dollars. I would never expect you to do that."
I just patted the man's arm. "Scott, I would be giving you the loan, not Southwind. I also don't see a problem with it. See, that's the thing about this business we're trying to build. It's not a company based on profits. It's a company based on doing the right thing. Now, do you know where Southwind is?"
He nodded again. "I'm pretty sure everyone in Cats Peak knows where Southwind is."
"Well, stop by tomorrow sometime after noon. I'm not really a morning person, you see. Bring your resume, an idea of how much money you're going to need to get back on your feet, and I'll have someone show you around and see if this will work out. Unfortunately, a lot of it is going to be boring work. You are going to paint so many walls that you're going to get sick of it." Then I offered him my hand. "The offer's there. If you're not interested, just don't show up. If you are, we'll find a way to help you out."
The man took my hand and pumped it a few times. "God bless you, sir. You have no idea what this means to me. I think you just saved my life."
"I'm honestly glad I could help," I assured him.
Then, after thanking David for helping me find exactly what I needed, I headed back to find my family. They were no longer in the pews, but I had a feeling that meant they were out front. There was a little extra bounce in my step, because that felt good. I actually liked helping people, I just hadn't met very many people who were worth helping before. This way, I was not only helping that man, but I was also helping Southwind.
I just hoped that we wouldn't have to put a halt to all of this at the end of the year. If the city voted no, then I had no idea how we could keep employing these people - but I would make sure I found a way. It felt like the right thing to do.
Chapter Fifty-One
On Monday, a man named Scott Reynolds showed up to talk to Ash about a job. I got dragged into the "interview" to make sure that this man would be a good fit, and adored him. When Scott heard what it was we were planning to do at Southwind, he admitted that he had ended up working in construction because of a little mailbox baseball as a teenager. Once he had a criminal record, he didn't have a lot of other options - which was why he was having trouble finding work now.
So we hired him. The approval process with the Board of Directors was easy. We just called everyone into Ash's office to meet him. A background check was ordered, with his future duties to be adjusted based on the results. Then, as soon as the paperwork was signed, Ash gave the man a loan, and everything was official, Scott wanted to get straight to work. He said that if nothing else, he needed to get the measurements so he could calculate how much paint and other supplies he was going to need. Luke was more than happy to take him down and show off the cabins.
That afternoon, the equipment Ash had ordered for the kids showed up. Billy and Darnell had talked Luke into letting them start clearing out the hay shed so they could use a space in there for the kids to learn self-defense. Then, when the kids got home from school, the four of them headed out behind the barn to do their thing. Evidently, that was going to be the new afterschool activity - which gave Billy and Darnell incentive to clean out that building for me.
Everything was going great, and things were starting to fall in line. I had contracts worked out with three more vendors, new appliances had been ordered for the mess hall, and Southwind was in the final stages. On Wednesday, I actually ran the ad for teachers. I had no idea what kind of applicants we were going to get, and this was honestly the part that made me the most nervous.
I had no idea how to pick a qualified teacher. What if I chose wrong? How bad would it be for the students to have their main instructor replaced in the middle of the first semester? Worse, what would happen if no one at all applied for the job?
That night, I fell asleep telling Luke about my concerns. We were naked, our legs tangled together, and his arms wrapped protectively around my back. One of my arms was curled against his side. The other was wrapped around his chest, and his shoulder had become my pillow. The feel of his fingers slowly gliding through my hair, over and over, made my concerns feel almost silly.
I woke up later with a start. Sissy was barking. There was a siren in the distance. The room was still dark. I had no idea what was going on, but something had startled me out of sleep. Beside me, Luke was sitting up, clearly just as confused as I was. We shared a look, which was when I realized that the siren I was hearing was coming from our yard. No, that was a car alarm.
And then Faith's voice sounded in the hall. "There are men in the yard!" she screamed.
Luke and I moved in opposite directions, aiming for the edge of the bed. He grabbed his jeans from the floor and yanked them on without worrying about what he wore under them. I aimed for the closest dresser, opening the drawer to grab a nightgown. I heard the door to Billy's room jerk open, but I was still in the process of pulling my clothes over my head. That was when Luke yanked open our door.
