揋ood advice.?Risa sighed. 揋ot any special tricks on how to do that??
揌ard work,?Haley answered. 揧ou抣l be cooking for the crew and then, when the bar opens, for the public. You抣l be earning wages, making your own decisions, and living the way you want to.?
揧ou were right.?Risa covered a yawn with her hand. 揟alking about all this has helped. I think I can sleep now.?
Haley pushed up out of the rocking chair and hugged Risa. 揋ood friends make good listeners, and you抳e helped me as much as I抳e helped you.?
揂nytime I can repay you for tonight, just let me know.?Risa gave Haley an extra hug.
揧ou already did. I don抰 have to worry about selling this house or trying to move furniture.?Haley paused by the door.
揊unny how twenty years changes things, isn抰 it? Hey, on a different note, do you think Jessica and Wade . . .?Risa wiggled her eyebrows.
揘ope.?Haley yawned. 揜emember when we thought she might have a crush on him in high school? She would never admit it. I believe that was their moment and it has passed, but it is strange how he showed up at the church parking lot at the same time we did that night.?
揂nd how he抯 offered to put up half the money for renovations and paychecks.?Risa started up the stairs. 揟hanks again for taking us in.?
揌ey, I feel better with y抋ll in the house, so this is a win-win situation,?Haley said.
Risa stepped on the squeaky step and stopped. 揥e抳e got to fix this step.?
揘o, we do not.?Haley giggled. 揟hat step is going to tell you when Daisy and Lily come home past curfew. You don抰 want to fix that thing until they are grown and gone.?
揋ood advice.?Risa抯 smile even reached her eyes that time.
Chapter Five
Jessica awoke to the sound of a vehicle抯 engine right outside her new RV. Figuring it was a fisherman using the church parking lot to get to what was now just a pathway leading down to the fishing dock on the Lampasas River, she turned over and shut her eyes. The sun was just coming up and sending a thread of light through the window blinds right into her eyes. Since she couldn抰 get back to sleep, she crawled out of the narrow space in the overhang above the cab of the RV, bumping her head on the way.
揇ammit!?she swore as she rubbed her forehead and slung the door open to see the tail end of a trailer carrying heavy equipment parked between the church and the barn. 揥ell, you got up at the crack of dawn,?she said and then heard the crunch of gravel signaling the approach of at least one more vehicle. Oscar waved as he passed in an old blue truck that looked pitiful, and yet the engine still purred like a baby kitten, and after that Risa抯 truck came to a stop in front of Jessica抯 RV.
Risa rolled down the window and said, 揋ood morning. The girls and I got up early and made a run up to Walmart for today抯 food supply. I need keys to the church so we can get inside and put on a pot of coffee.?
揃less your heart.?Jessica grabbed the keys from the hook beside the door and made a mental note to have extra keys made for all her . . . What were they? Friends? Family? Partners? She slipped her feet into a pair of flip-flops and headed out to the truck. 揟urn on the AC when you get inside. No sense in us working in heat when we don抰 have to, and thanks. I抣l be out there in a few. Risa, grab a piece of paper and write down your hours. You抮e on payroll when you go to the store, just like you are when you are at work.?
揟hanks, but are you sure you can afford that even before the bar opens??Risa asked.
揑 told you that Uncle Elijah left his entire estate to me,?Jessica said and Risa nodded. 揟here was a lot of money in addition to the church building. Mary Nell says she can take care of the business end of this, so she抣l be doing payroll every Friday at the close of business. So yes, ma抋m, I can afford to pay you. How about double what minimum wage is??
揌oly cow!?Risa gasped.
揌ey, the bunch of us couldn抰 go out to eat three times a day for what we抣l be paying you to cook for us. Just keep track of your hours and give them to Mary Nell on Friday evening,?Jessica said. 揑抣l see y抋ll soon as I get into some work clothes.?
揂nd run a brush through your hair??Daisy giggled.
揟hat too.?Jessica smiled and waved as Risa rolled up the window and drove across the lot to park in front of the church.
Jessica started back toward the RV, but heard another vehicle, so she waited. Mary Nell came to a stop, sending dust rolling up behind her. She rolled down the window and said, 揧ou look like crap. We could sure use a rain to cool things down around here. I see that Risa beat me, so I guess she抯 going to open up the church.?
Jessica leaned down to talk to Mary Nell through the open window. 揧ou didn抰 have to get up so early.?