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Would it be worth asking if there were any positions available? If they’d hire me, I’d have to find a place to live. A quick glance at an online rental site hadn’t yielded much in the way of temporary housing. However, if I got a job here, I could figure out where to live afterward. Endless supplies of cash were not overflowing my pocketbook, obviously, but I had enough for a deposit and first month’s rent.
Finally, I rolled onto my side facing Chloe and closed my eyes. There was nothing I could do tonight, so I may as well get some rest. Tomorrow I would ask about a job. It couldn’t hurt. Right?
The next morning, I stopped by the office right after breakfast. Like yesterday, Finley was at the front desk. She was on a footstool hanging garland but jumped down to greet us. “Good morning, you two. How’d you sleep?”
“Very well, thanks,” I said. “Chloe did too. The dinner we had last night was amazing.”
“Yes, Caspian’s very talented,” Finley said. “Do you need anything?”
My stomach fluttered with nerves. John’s voice echoed through my head. Dumb. Worthless. No skills. I pushed it aside and focused on Finley’s warm smile. “I was wondering if…well…I’m looking for work. Are there any openings here at the ranch?”
“I’m not sure,” Finley said, a flicker of surprise in her eyes. “What kind of position are you looking for?”
“I have waitressing experience. That’s all, though.”
Chloe had let go of my hand to stare at the pile of Christmas decorations on the counter. She wasn’t touching anything, but I felt the need to warn her anyway. “Honey, you may look but don’t touch.”
“Okay, Mama.”
Finley hurried behind the counter and tugged open a drawer in a cabinet, coming up with a small box of crayons and a coloring book. “Would you like to color a picture, Chloe?”
Chloe looked up at me to make sure it was all right. “Yes, you may color, but what do you say?”
“Thank you,” Chloe said. She couldn’t really say her th sound, so it sounded more like fank you.
“Thad just stepped out to take something over to one of the guests, but he’ll be back any minute if you’d like to ask him.”
“Are there apartments to rent around here?” I asked Finley. Places that didn’t require a background check or bank statements?
“Not many. I’m renting a room from a woman not far from here. She’s nice and doesn’t charge me much. But Elliot, our pastry chef, she stays at the motel in town. Frankly, it’s a little dodgy, but she said it’s all she could find. If there was anything else, she would have taken it by now.”
“That’s too bad.” My spirits plummeted. What good would a job be if we had no place to stay? Panic that lived just beneath the surface rose up, dampening my palms with perspiration.
The door to the office opened and Thad Moon walked in carrying a parcel wrapped in butcher paper. Scents of herbs and butter filled the room. “I brought you breakfast,” he said to Finley. “Caspian sent it over—it’s a new sandwich he wants everyone’s opinion on.”
“Lovely. I shall take my responsibilities very seriously.” Finley snatched the sandwich and put it behind the counter.
“Ms. Scott, is there something we can get you?” Thad asked. He had one of those faces that creased when he smiled or laughed, even though it was obvious he wasn’t much older than me. Looking into his warm hazel eyes, I couldn’t find my tongue.
“Um, yes.”
“She’s wondering if we have any job openings,” Finley said, rescuing me. “She has experience waitressing.”
Thad’s brows lifted; he rocked back on his heels. “A job? Here?”
“If there are any openings, I’d love to be considered,” I said in my best professional voice.
“We don’t usually have guests inquire about employment,” he said.
“Really?” I asked meekly, my thoughts tumbling and bouncing around my head. Did he think me strange asking for work? The cabins weren’t super expensive, but they also weren’t like the cheap rooms I’d been staying in. He probably thought anyone who stayed here would not need a job. There were too many holes in my story. How would I ever get a job here or anywhere?
“I’m not sure if Caspian has any spots at the restaurant, but it wouldn’t surprise me.” Thad’s brow furrowed as he studied me. “Are you planning on staying here for long? In Bluefern?”
“I don’t know. Depends on if I have a job or not. We’re kind of…starting fresh. Chloe and me.”
“Bluefern’s a great place to do that,” Thad said. “Tell you what, come into my office and we can talk some more about what you’re looking for. I’d offer you housekeeping, but tips would be much better over at the restaurant.”
Finley offered to keep an eye on Chloe, so I followed him into a small office. A desk and file cabinets took up most of the space. His desk was neat as a pin, other than an abandoned cup of coffee with a film of cream over the top and a stack of Christmas cards. Upon closer inspection, I saw that the cards featured a photograph of the ranch covered in snow.
