Chapter 5

"That's right Jack," Bill said smiling into his cell phone as he waited in his idling truck. "I have already found a bookkeeper and secretary."

It was just after 7:30 the next morning and Bill was waiting for his diesel to warm up. Unlike gas engines or the little diesel engines in little cars, big powerful diesels designed with high torque for pulling required warm up time in cold climates. It wasn't that cold in early morning Show Low Arizona. It was probably about 45 or 50 degrees outside but Bill still made it a habit of warming his diesel before driving it. It helped ensure he would get a long life from the big engine.

Bill had traded in his old truck the year before with over 300,000 miles on the engine. Maintenance and care in how he used it was the only money he had put into the truck and it had served him well for seven years. It was still going strong when he sold it but he had needed something stronger to pull heavy loads. He had just bought his 40 foot 5^th wheel house and office combo and there were always the 5th wheel construction trailers that he often took to job sites. Now he could pull one fully loaded.

"How the hell did you do that?" Bill's brother asked. "You've only been in town one full day!"

"Well, let's just say that we ran into each other and one thing led to another and I offered her the job," Bill said with a smile as he remembered the day before.

"Uh, Bill, You aren't thinking with your little head instead of your big head are you?" Jack asked hesitantly.

"I don't think so," Bill replied immediately. "I haven't checked references or anything yet but I had her work with me to fill out the license and permit packet. She at least is competent on the computer and using the applications we use."

"I thought you already had the packet finished," Jack stated with the implied question in his tone.

"Well, I lost it when I ran into Susan yesterday," Bill said after a moment's hesitation. He didn't want to tell his brother how he had lost the papers or that he was attracted to the woman. Besides, he felt good about the hire. He thought he had done the right thing for the project and for himself.

"OK," Jack said slowly. "Uh, what's she like?"

"She's a little thing but she is a fighter," Bill said immediately then paused as he examined what he just said. "She is kind of clumsy," Bill concluded after a moment.

"Clumsy," Jack barked with a laugh. "You hire a bookkeeper the first day in town and your best description of her is that she is little, a fighter, and is clumsy." Jack hooted with laughter at his brother.

"Are you through," Bill asked sarcastically after his brother started gasping as he tried to catch his breath?

"Ah Bill," Jack said as he tried, with very little success, to get himself under control. "I'm really not worried about, 'gasp', you bringing in the project, 'chuckle', on time and on budget," Jack choked out. He coughed a couple of times as he got himself more composed. "I know you would because you wouldn't allow anything else to happen, even if you had to do the whole job yourself. You have to admit that this is funny though."

"What do you mean by 'funny'?" Bill asked angrily.

"Don't get mad Bro," Jack said defensively. Jack paused for a moment to compose his thoughts then said, "Think about it. You went up this early to get everything set up. One of the first things you always do is set up the office staff so when the paperwork load hits you can stay ahead of it. Your best time yet is a week for that task alone. Every other project has taken two to three weeks for the office set up. This time you do it in one day, your best description is that she is little, a fighter, and is clumsy. And you tell me with complete seriousness that you are thinking with your big head and not your little head." Jack chuckled again but didn't lose control. "I'm sorry big bro but I don't really believe that. Like I said, I'm not worried about the project but I don't think you have a clear view of which head you are thinking with."

Bill sat quietly for moment thinking about what his little brother had said. "Maybe he is right," Bill thought to himself.

"Anyway, let me know if I can help from down here," Jack continued. "Linda said hi and that we might need to come up to 'inspect' the job if it gets too hot this summer. The kids wanted me to remind you to bring them a souvenir. I think you have spoiled them."

"That's my job," Bill said, glad they were on a different subject. "I'm the uncle. I'm supposed to spoil them to make your life miserable."

"Thanks," Jack said sarcastically. "I've got to go. Talk to you later."

"Tell everyone hi for me. I'll call tonight to give you and update," Bill responded before hanging up.

"I wonder why I did hire her," Bill muttered to himself as he put the big truck in gear. He sat for a moment looking through the scraggly hedge between his space and Susan's. He sighed as he backed out of the driveway and muttered, "What the hell did I get myself into?"

"Mom, you're wearing makeup," Mandy exclaimed. The teen leaned forward and sniffed before hooting, "And perfume!"

Beth said curiously, "You hardly ever wear makeup and never wear perfume."

"What's up mom?" Mandy demanded sternly. "You're just going to the courthouse."

Susan's blush was a bright scarlet as she looked away from her daughters. "I just want to make a good first impression on my first day on the job," she said defensively.

"I think you already made a first impression," Beth commented with a grin as she lay back on her mom's bed to watch her finish dressing. The girls were ready for school and were just waiting for Jimmy to pick them up and give them a ride.

"That's for sure," Mandy laughed. "Let me see," the girl mused with mock seriousness. "This would be job search tactic number fourteen. Tackle the prospective employer in front of the courthouse. Wrestle him to the ground and destroy six hours of work that he has already completed. I will write it up for my school to work class and probably get extra points when I can prove that it works," she concluded grinning.

Susan rolled her eyes. "It wasn't like that at all," she said in frustration. She was trying to match a scarf to her blouse but couldn't get the look she wanted.

"That's OK mom," Mandy said smiling. "You can get dressed up for Bill. He's a hunk."

"Nope," Beth said with all the authority of a fourteen year old. "He is big enough to be two hunks."

Susan found the scarf she was looking for in the wrong drawer and started tying it as she looked at her daughters in the mirror.

"Do you girls know what happened at the court house yesterday?" Susan asked in all seriousness.

"Do you mean besides tackling a new boy friend?" Mandy asked grinning.

Susan was still serious when she said, "That summons I had was for an eviction. I haven't had enough to pay the rent for the last two months and the court hearing was about evicting us."

Both girls grew silent as they looked at their mom. After a moment Mandy quietly asked, "Well, what happened?"

Susan took a deep breath and let it out slowly before answering. "We were evicted. We have seven days from yesterday to move out."

"Where are we going to move to?" Beth asked fearfully

"Are we going to stay in Show Low?" Mandy asked. She was thinking about needing to move away from Jimmy.

"This job could mean that we won't have to move," Susan said trying to reassure the two girls. "We are supposed to work out my pay after today and I will try to get an advance. If Mr. Bramble lets us make the payment instead of moving then we could stay here."

Susan looked down at herself. She was wearing a loose grey skirt with a light green blouse. She didn't want to overdo it but she did want to look nice. She took another deep breath before continuing, "I want to create a new first impression. I really need this job. We really need this job."

Mandy looked at her mom with a different perspective. She looked at the way she was dressed with makeup and perfume. She noticed the top button of the blouse unbuttoned and a sudden thought startled her.

"Mom, ah, you aren't going to, ah. What are you going to do to get, ah," Mandy stammered hesitantly. She didn't know how to ask what she was thinking.