A Baby for Dry Creek and A Dry Creek Christmas: A Baby for Dry Creek. Janet Tronstad

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      If he hadn’t been distracted by Justin, Reno would have noticed right away that something was odd. As it was, it took a few minutes of the excited chatter over at the bulletin board before it dawned on him that Mrs. Hargrove’s posting for a housekeeper wouldn’t generate that much enthusiasm.

      Reno stood up and walked closer to the bulletin board that was on the west wall of the café. He couldn’t believe his eyes. There had to be a dozen notices scribbled on index cards and tacked to the board.

      “Here’s one that looks interesting,” Chrissy was saying. “Dancing instructor wanted for gentleman. Twenty dollars an hour.”

      Linda nodded. “Jacob put that up. He said he was thinking he’d like to be able to dance the next time someone has a wedding in that barn south of town.”

      “We did line dancing at that wedding,” Reno interrupted. “There’s nothing to learn. You just put your foot where the caller tells you to put it. In. Out. Whatever.”

      “Before you got there, we had waltzing,” Linda said.

      “I can waltz.” Chrissy was still running her fingers down the cards lined up on the board. “Here’s one that calls for someone to do some mending.”

      “Elmer swears he’s got a dozen shirts with no buttons on them,” Linda said. “He said he’s flexible on the timing of it, too. He’s lived without buttons for a while now. He just wears a sweater over everything. But with summer coming, he wanted some shirts to wear that don’t require a sweater.”

      Reno looked at the cards in astonishment. Had everyone in town listed a job on the board? It sure looked like it. What were they doing? Everyone knew there were no jobs in Dry Creek.

      “Ah, here’s one for a cook/housekeeper,” Chrissy said. “That sounds promising.”

      Reno relaxed. Finally she was looking at Mrs. Hargrove’s notice.

      “But where’s the Wilkerson place?”

      “Lester’s?” Reno’s voice came out so loud it made Justin start to fuss. Without thinking, Reno started to slightly rock the baby where he stood.

      “Now, now.” Chrissy turned and started to coo. “It’s all right.”

      Reno wasn’t sure if Chrissy was cooing at him or Justin. “Why’s Lester advertising for a cook?”

      “Well, he is alone out on his ranch all the time. He could probably use some help,” Linda said as she gave Reno a look that said he shouldn’t be making this so difficult.

      Reno grunted, but didn’t back down. “The man eats from cans. All he does is heat it up. Hash. Chili. Soup. It’s all the same. A cook would be wasted on him.”

      “I don’t know,” Chrissy said thoughtfully as she held out her arms for Justin. “He did seem to enjoy that pie at the big Thanksgiving dinner at the ranch last fall. I make a pretty good apple pie, and I think that’s his favorite.”

      Reno frowned as he handed Justin to her. He didn’t like the thought of Chrissy making pies for Lester. “If he wants pie, he can come to the café.”

      “We don’t serve pie,” Linda reminded him.

      “And it’s a live-in position,” Chrissy said as she cradled Justin upright against her breast. “That way I wouldn’t have to pay rent anywhere, and Justin will have a place to play.”

      “Justin can’t even walk yet. It’ll be a good six months before he needs a place to play,” Reno protested, and then thought a minute. “How long do you plan to work for Lester, anyway?”

      Chrissy leaned in to see the card better. “I don’t know. It doesn’t say what the salary is. All it gives is a number to call.”

      “I’ll call him,” Linda offered as she walked toward the kitchen. “You just keep looking.”

      “There’s got to be a better job there,” Reno said as he started to scan the notices to find Mrs. Hargrove’s. “Something closer to town.”

      “I don’t mind being out of town.”

      “You say that now. But the wind blows something fierce out there on the ranches. And the solitude. Some days you don’t see another soul. Just horses, with a few chickens thrown in for excitement.”

      “Well, I’d see Lester,” Chrissy reminded him as she rocked Justin against herself. “Three times a day at least for meals.”

      Reno ground his teeth. “Lester doesn’t talk much, though. You’d be bored in no time. He doesn’t have a television. He doesn’t get any magazines except for the Farm Journal.”

      Linda opened the door from the kitchen and came back into the room. “The job pays eighty-five dollars a week and room and board.”

      “That’s not enough,” Reno said firmly as he went up close to the board and scanned the notices. When he found the one he was looking for, he put his finger right next to it. “There. That’s the job for you. A housekeeper for Mrs. Hargrove. Room and board included.”

      Chrissy walked over to look up at the small, neatly penned notice that Mrs. Hargrove had tacked to the board. She Chrissy shifted Justin in her arms so she could read the announcement better. “But her job only pays seventy-five dollars a week plus room and board.”

      “I’ll pay the extra ten,” Reno said. Lester must have read Mrs. Hargrove’s notice and decided to outbid her. “That way you won’t lose money by working for Mrs. Hargrove.”

      Chrissy tipped her head up at him suspiciously. “Why would you do that?”

      “Yeah, why would you do that?” Linda asked along with Chrissy.

      “Ah.” Reno ran his hands over his hair. He was guessing Mrs. Hargrove hadn’t told Linda about their plan. “Because Mrs. Hargrove is an older lady and she needs the help more than Lester does.”

      Reno hoped Mrs. Hargrove never heard about this conversation. She didn’t think of herself as old, and she’d snap at anyone who implied she was not able to take care of herself.

      Chrissy was still looking at him funny.

      “And I know Mrs. Hargrove can’t afford to pay you any more herself because she’s on Social Security, so I want to help.” Reno smiled. “She’s been good to me, and I want to do something for her.”

      “I noticed the other day that her porch needs fixing,” Linda offered.

      “Thanks. I’ll go take a look at it.” Reno gritted his teeth. Whose side was Linda on? “I should have checked the porch myself before I headed down to Los Angeles. Those old boards usually have problems about now.”

      “She СКАЧАТЬ