Chapter 35

Tuesday, February 19 - Friday, February 22, 2002

Tuesday was busy but not out of control for Emily and Dave, although Hazel came up with quite a few ads to be made up, and they had to add pages to the paper twice. It was clear this issue was going to be a collector's item, and Hazel sold that point up and down Main Street. They wrapped it up in pretty good shape, got the pages sent to the printer, and Dave was even able to pick up his kids before JoAnne made it home. It had turned out a heck of a lot better than Emily had ever dreamed after being confronted with the mess on Monday morning.

Things didn't go quite as well on Wednesday, since Emily had never had much to do with the mailing. Hazel had some idea of what was going on, and Dave was able to figure out the label printing program. With those under control and the papers at the post office, Emily figured maybe she'd better find the time to drive up to Borgess Medical Center to see Lloyd and show him the newest issue of his paper. Dave was a little proud of it himself, and offered to drive them up there in his Chevy. Emily was just as happy to let someone else do the driving.

Lloyd seemed weak and drawn, and Dave was sure it was more than the drugs he was on. This heart attack had given him a real scare, although he now seemed to be on the way to recovery. He gave her a big smile when she handed him the Courier. In huge type across the full page it said Local woman averts hijacking. There was a photo of Southern 111 sitting on the runway at Keesler, another photo of Jennlynn shaking hands with Colonel Hadley, and a smaller photo, her high school graduation photo. "Looks like a hell of a job I stuck you with, but you did real good," he smiled finally. "How'd you get those photos?"

"Dave called a friend who called a friend at WNN," Emily explained. "We got them free and clear."

"I'd say you did real good," he repeated. "Especially to have this dumped on you like this. Emily, I hate to ask this of you, but I don't see any other way. Can you keep on doing the paper?"

"I figured it would be a while before you'd be back," she said. "I can juggle the schedule around at the Spee-D-Mart for a while."

"Thanks, Emily," he said slowly. "I knew I could count on you. But that's not quite what I meant. I know you're not going to be at the Spee-D-Mart much longer. Betty has been bugging me for a while to slow down and take it easy. After this I'm not so sure she ain't right. Emily, my mind ain't made up all the way yet, but I'm talking about you taking over the paper. I'm not sure how we'd work it out; maybe you manage it for me; maybe you buy me out. This ain't the time to decide, anyway. But I'd like you to think about it. I'd much rather have someone who knows and likes Bradford take it over than someone from outside."

"Lloyd, short term, until you get better, no problem," she said. "Permanently, well, I'd have to think it over, talk it over with Kevin. This is a bad time, what with the knife shop getting going. A buyout might be beyond our reach."

"We ought to be able to work out something," he said. "I know there could be a better time for you, but it could be worse, too."

"But Lloyd," she protested. "I really am just a fill-in. I'm not a professional newspaper person. I never went to college; I've never even had a class in journalism."

"Neither have I," he smiled. "But you can handle it. This," he said, pointing at the newspaper lying on his lap, "Proves it. Emily, you have the basics, you're a solid writer, you're a good businesswoman; you know how small towns work; you know how local government works; and you especially know how Bradford works. I don't think there's anyone available who's better qualified."

{c}• • •

Things were pretty silent in Dave's Chevy until they were out on I-67 heading back to Bradford, but the thoughts were heavy. Finally, Dave broke the silence. "You have to admit it takes care of the what-am-I-going-to-do-when-the-Spee-D-Mart-closes problem."

"Yeah, it would," she sighed. "I suppose I might be able to make a go of it. I, well, I have the feeling Lloyd has sort of been letting things run on automatic the last few years, if you know what I mean. It's seemed to me a few things could be done better if he had more energy to put at them. But, I don't necessarily know what those things are."

"You can learn," Dave counseled. "Emily, I told you, I'm not a newspaperman, I'm a book editor. But I do know stuff in small towns gets done in its own way, and it's not always the way it's done at a big newspaper. People will know you're taking over under pressure and will cut you some slack. You're well known and well liked in the community. That counts for a lot."

"I suppose," she sighed. "The problem is we're already taking a big risk with the knife shop, and it's got us pretty extended financially. The plan was that I was going to stay with the Spee-D-Mart so there'd be at least one stable income, but now that's gone. I figured I'd get another job somewhere. If I do this, it's another big risk. With the knife shop just getting going, I don't know the bank would want to talk with me about another big loan."

"It's possible you could get Lloyd to carry the note," Dave suggested. "But I got the impression that Betty wants him free and clear. But I think the bank would back you if I guaranteed the loan."

"You? Dave, I can't ask you to take a risk like that! I mean, I think I can make a go of it, but I wouldn't want to leave you hanging in the breeze if I can't make it work."

"I think you can make it work. What's more, I watched you the past couple days, and that's what makes me think it," he grinned. "On top of that, it's not a risk I can't handle."

"But Dave," she protested. "How can it not be a risk for you?"

"Well, first off, I have no idea of what he'd be asking for the business, but it's not a very big business. For the sake of talking, let's say a hundred thousand."

"That's a lot of money to risk," she said.

"It is," he agreed. "But there's some real estate involved. I have no idea what it's worth; you'd know better than I would. It would cover some of the risk. Beyond that, well, there's something I don't think I've told you."

"What?"

He took a deep breath. "It's not quite real to me, either," he said. "As you know, Julie worked for a brokerage firm, Bellinger Gates, one of the better ones, and she was one of the better brokers. She had a private account she played around with. She had nearly a million bucks in it when she died. With some other things, including some smaller accounts, a block of company stock, her insurance, and a possible settlement, it all adds up to a windfall of several million dollars. I'm not sure how much. It is absolutely a hell of a way to get it and I'd trade it all in an instant to have Julie back."

"Dave," she shook her head. "I never knew any of that. I always knew you said money was the least of your worries, but I had no idea it was that much money."

"I didn't either, at least when Julie died," he said slowly. "Some of it, I didn't know until I was working with my accountant on my last trip to New York. Anyway, the point I was leading up to is my tax situation is such that I could easily eat a hundred thousand dollar business loss, and it wouldn't cost me a cent, probably save me some taxes. So, it's no risk to me. Now, you went to a lot of trouble and effort for me out of the goodness of your heart, and the only thing you've ever asked of me is to lend you a hand when you needed it, so I'm willing to take some of the risk off your shoulders. I mean, I'm willing to look at it as an investment. If I lose it, I've lost nothing. But, if I know you, the way I think I know you, I don't think I'll lose on it."

"Dave... " she said slowly. "I ... I don't know what to say."

"'Yes' would be a good word," he grinned.

"No," she said flatly. "Not like that, anyway. I don't expect you to just back me with no hope of reward. We set the knife shop up as a separate corporation, and we all own an equal part of it. The corporation is buying Jason's tooling and stock and such, it's a pretty big note, but he's carrying it. Vicky worked it out, with some help from a lawyer. If you want to share the risk, you can share the reward, if there is any."

"Those are details that can be worked out," he smiled. "I admit to not knowing much about the details, but maybe we'd better ask Vicky about it to get things rolling."

"Seems like it to me," she agreed, realizing her life had just changed into a direction she had never anticipated. "Does this mean you're going to be a part of the business, and not move back to New York?"

"I don't know," he said slowly. "That's still up in the air, and it's flopped back and forth a couple times in the last month. If I do, it won't be until school is out, but I have to have a decision made one way or another by August, since I don't want the boys to have to change schools in the middle of the year."

"I never had it happen to me, but I know it can be a pain in the butt," she conceded. "I know you felt at one time that you couldn't stay away from your job for much more than a year."

"That part is working out better than I expected," he said. "In fact, it's the big argument for staying in Bradford. I'm getting a lot more done in Bradford than I could in New York because I mostly keep my nose to the computer screen. In New York, I was forever having someone plop their butt on my desk to tell me the latest dirty joke, or I had to go to a meeting or business lunch or show some writer around while I should have been editing. My concern about coming here was I'd miss out on all of that, because some networking is important if you want to have a career in the business." He let out a sigh and shook his head. "I knew when I came here that not being able to network effectively could in time cost me my career, which is why I was reluctant."

"Yeah, I guess I see that," she said. "You're saying you're not sure you want to continue your career?"

"I don't know," he admitted. "It's an option I'm playing with. When I made the decision to come here, I didn't know the financial situation I'd be in. On top of all the money from Julie, I'm getting $90,000 a year from Dunlap and Fyre and banking much of it. If I were to stay here, I'm pretty sure I can do contract editing for them for quite a while at about that figure and still have half my working time to myself. I've always wanted to write fantasy. I'm using my free time now to work on a book, and while I don't want to judge it, it seems like it's going all right."

"When you put it like that, I don't know why you'd want to go back," she said. "I mean, I know you like New York, but Bradford isn't such a bad deal in that situation."

"Right, and in many other ways, not the least of which is I can be a much better father to the boys here," he said slowly. "But there's something happening that means I may have to go back."

"What's that, Dave?"

"Emily, this has to stay just between us two for a while," he said nervously. "I mean, you don't even tell Kevin, OK?"

"I may be known as a gossip but I can keep a secret if I have to," she smiled. "What is it?"

He took a deep breath and almost blurted it out: "Shae is pregnant."

Emily was incredulous for a moment. "Dave?" she said in a small voice.