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Well my husband andI have been married for 41 years & together 43 years total. All marriages are different but for us it is communication & laughter. We enjoy each other’s company so we are together, a lot! We laugh every day. My hubby is a nut! He is the best husband, dad, Pawpaw, son in law, brother... - Diana Brenneman Liberty Center, Ohio
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“That’s nice,” Peytonsaid, sounding like she didn’t really care one way or the other if there were single men living alone here, there, or anywhere.
Charlene hadn’t gotten the full story of Peyton’s husband and marriage out of anyone yet. She held it pretty close to her chest, although Charlene could tell from her accent that Indiana probably wasn’t the state she grew up in, although it was the state she claimed to be from.
“I just wanted you to have all the facts,” Charlene said, trying to make it sound like she wasn’t setting her up. Even though that’s exactly what she was doing. However, there really was a need, and she was hoping to sell Peyton on it now.
“All right.” Peyton lifted her brows, as though asking if there was more or if she were excused.
“Since you haven’t seen the Shaker mansion, you don’t know how big it is, but after the Sweet Water ranch, it’s probably the biggest house in North Dakota. It might even be a little bigger than the Sweet Water ranch, although it’s probably not as grand.” Charlene had never thought to compare the two of them. It had been years since she’d been out to the Shaker mansion anyway. “I used to be very good friends with Bryce’s mother, who sadly passed away from lung cancer a few years ago.”
“That is sad,” Peyton said automatically, with the other ladies nodding in agreement.
“It was. Tragic, since Bryce and his brothers had lost their father in a farm accident years before. That’s what caused Mrs. Shaker to pack up and leave.”
“That was actually pretty good for Bryce, because he wouldn’t have been a great baseball player here.” Teresa added that little tidbit, and Charlene nodded. It was true. He had shown promise on the ice, but they had moved to South Carolina, where his mother had originally been from, and he finished his schooling there.
“I can understand leaving after her husband’s death. Things were probably hard for her,” Peyton murmured, which made Charlene curious again as to what her past was and why Owen was an only child with no father.
Maybe those facts would come out as a result of what she was about to say.
“There was a library in the Shaker mansion, huge, more than six thousand volumes. I don’t remember exactly how many there were when they closed the house up and Sheila left. Anyway, Bryce had gotten some work done on the mansion, and I spoke with one of the guys he had hired. The man mentioned that Bryce was looking for someone to organize his library, and of course, I immediately thought of you.”
For the first time since she’d sat down, Peyton’s eyes brightened, and she looked interested.
It took her a few minutes, then finally she let out a breath and shook her head.
“I owe you all an apology,” she said firmly. She slowly shook her head again. “I was certain you guys were sitting here thinking you were going to match me up with someone, and I was not going to have it. I am not interested in getting married again, so I was going to listen politely, but I was going to shut you down immediately.” She sighed, shaking her head yet again, like she just could not believe herself. “I’m sorry. I should have had more faith in you. I shouldn’t have jumped to conclusions but should have given you the benefit of the doubt.”
“Why thank you. I agree. So many times, we jump to conclusions when we haven’t heard the whole story and we don’t really know all the facts.” Charlene was very proud of how her voice sounded sympathetic, and slightly offended, but very forgiving as well.
Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Teresa swallowing her tongue, and she appreciated that. She just hoped she could keep it down for the duration of the meeting, because sometimes when Teresa’s tongue got unhinged, Teresa had a tendency to shout out the truth like she drank a truth potion for breakfast every morning.
Sometimes, it was okay to not say things that were true. A person didn’t have to utter every word that was in their head. There was a Bible verse about that somewhere, Charlene was sure. Maybe she’d dig it up later for Teresa.
“That’s exactly what I did.” Peyton spread her hands out in front of the table, glancing around at the four ladies with a sincere look of apology on her face. “Because you are exactly right. Six thousand books? Organize a library in a mansion? That sounds like something I would absolutely love to do.”
“And he’ll pay you.” Charlene lifted her brows, knowing from Peyton’s reaction she would have done it for free.
“No way!”
Charlie nodded smugly. “Yes way. He has zero desire to do it, although,” she was quick to add, “I do believe he likes reading. He just doesn’t like organizing things.” She didn’t want Peyton to think that Bryce did not like books or reading.
That would be a terrible strike against him for a bookshop owner.
Charlene actually had no idea whether or not Bryce read, but she figured it was probably a safe bet to say that he didn’t like organizing, because he was having someone else organize his library.
“He doesn’t have to pay me. I would do it for free!” Peyton said, her posture completely changed as she leaned forward on the table, her eyes bright as she looked at the ladies, obviously eager and very interested.
“I don’t know exactly how much it will pay, but I can find out.” Charlene actually knew very little about the job, although she had talked to Bryce briefly on the phone.
Peyton’s eyes fell. She looked around her shop. “Maybe I shouldn’t take it on. That’s a lot of books, and...I have to make this work. I need the income to pay my bills. Even if the job pays, I can’t just walk away from this. Because that job isn’t going to last forever, and this is what I’m depending on to support me.”
“We had an idea about that,” Vicki said, setting her coffee milk down and pouring the overflow that was in her saucer into her cup.
Charlene couldn’t watch the travesty that woman did to coffee.
