Page 7 of The Payback Adventure
Elisabeth appreciated Cynthia for trying to help, but Henry wasn’t what she needed. “No. I’m paying my foreman while he’s away. I can’t afford to pay another worker.”
“I’ll cover his expenses and his salary, say minimum wage?”
Elisabeth managed to keep her jaw from dropping open. Henry would work on her farm, and it wouldn’t cost her a penny? It sounded too good to be true. Things like this didn’t happen to her. To anyone. “That’s generous of you, but why don’t you give him the money yourself?”
“Henry is a proud man who won’t accept charity from his friends.”
“I respect that.” And understood it, too. She’d felt the same way since her parents’ deaths.
“This would be the perfect way for my fiancé and me to help Henry. And you would get the help you need.”
True. Still, this whole situation felt…off. How could she back out gracefully? “But—”
“Henry doesn’t have a place to live,” Cynthia interrupted.
Elisabeth had never seen such a well-dressed, well-groomed homeless person in her entire life. Of course, her entire life had been spent in Oregon and most of it in Berry Patch.
“He’ll need a place to stay,” Cynthia continued.
Opening her home to a stranger didn’t appeal to Elisabeth. Neither did the assumption that Henry would be hired. No, this would not work out, regardless of how much work awaited Elisabeth at home. “I’m sorry, but I don’t have an extra bedroom. I’m sure you’ll find him another job—”
“What about a barn?” Cynthia asked.
“I wouldn’t ask anyone to sleep in a dirty, old barn.”
The elegant woman frowned. “I suppose not. Oh well. This would have been so good for Henry. He’s such a fine man trying to find his way back.” Cynthia’s eyes glistened with tears. “I so wanted to help him.”
Maybe Cynthia only wanted to do a good deed.
Maybe Henry was a good man. Maybe someone else would walk into the café and offer to work for free.
Elisabeth had doubts. Too many doubts. Something was definitely off with this whole situation. She shouldn’t hire Henry. Cynthia Sterling wasn’t a beautiful fairy godmother who made wishes come true like inCinderella.No, she was nothing more than a well-dressed woman. A customer, a stranger. “I’m sorry, but I know nothing about you or Henry. I have my brother and two sisters to think about.”
“I’ll give you references to call.”
If Manny were here, he would do the hiring. If Manny were here, Elisabeth wouldn’t be in this bind. “I’ll contact them, but I can’t guarantee I’ll hire Henry.”
“What if I pay you?” Cynthia asked. “Say twenty-five thousand.”
Elisabeth gulped. “Dollars?”
“No, lira.” Cynthia held out her cell phone and showed an app to send money. “Of course, it’s dollars. I’ll refund your expenses and Henry’s salary later.”
For that much money, Elisabeth would sleep in the barn and give Henry her bedroom.
Stay calm. Think this through.
She had to have help winterizing her farm. She couldn’t take time off from her serving job to do it herself. She couldn’t afford to lose any of the equipment or crops. Not if she wanted to hold on to the farm. And twenty-five thousand dollars was a huge amount of money. That would make such a difference in their lives. It would change everything.
Besides, this guy wouldn’t stick around. Nobody stuck around here for long, but that guy looked as if he’d be gone quicker than most. “What if Henry quits?”
“If Henry quits, you keep the money. Deal?”
Instinct told Elisabeth to take the deal and take a chance on Henry. But Elisabeth didn’t like taking chances on anyone. She didn’t like opening herself and her family up to more disappointment. They’d all been hurt enough. Henry could cause trouble on all sorts of levels. She already knew he was a flirt.
But there was the money to consider. And the kids. And the farm. “I need the references.”
Cynthia typed in the amount, and Elisabeth stared at all the zeros. Twenty-five thousand dollars.With that money… Her pulse quickened.
