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Regardless, it was really none of his business. He kept reminding himself of that, but it still didn’t stop him from wondering.
Once he was behind the wheel of his truck, Blake put the address for his next destination into the GPS. He wasn’t thrilled about having to work for someone when his dream was to have his own business. Unfortunately, he wasn’t in a position to do that just yet.
There were only two mechanic garages in Serenity, so he hoped that at least one of them would have a job for him. Though he really wanted to work in the field he had training in and loved, Blake knew he might have to accept a different job if neither of those places would hire him.
He needed to do whatever was necessary to provide a stable life for Amelia.
As he pulled into the parking lot of the garage, Blake took a moment to look over the building. It was painted gray with red trim, and it appeared to be in good shape. There were actually flowers in cement planters along the front wall of the building.
There were three roll-up doors—one of which was already open—as well as a regular door that was next to a large picture window. He got out of the truck and headed for the door that he assumed led to the office.
If he wanted to be able to stay here in Serenity, he really needed a job, so he prayed that the conversation he was about to have would result in an offer of work.
A bell jangled over his head as he pushed open the door. There was a faint scent of cleaning supplies in the air, but there was no disguising the familiar scents of oil and rubber.
The room held a comfortable-looking couch, as well as three armchairs and a television on the opposite wall. A small desk with an office chair behind it faced the room, though it was currently empty. It was all clean and tidy, a welcoming space.
A middle-aged man appeared in the doorway with a smile on his face. He was a tall man who appeared to be fairly physically fit. His head was bald. Whether by choice or nature, Blake couldn’t tell.
“Blake Madden?” the man said, approaching him with his hand out.
Blake took his hand and gave it a firm shake. “Yes.”
“I’m Stan Wilson.” He released Blake’s hand. “Let’s go into my office.”
Blake followed him through the doorway into a small office. A desk and chair dominated the room, but there was still room for a filing cabinet and a couple of smaller chairs in front of the desk.
“Have a seat,” Stan said, gesturing to the chairs as he walked around the desk to his seat.
Once they were both seated, Stan gave him a smile. “Tell me a little about yourself.”
Blake took a moment to gather his thoughts. “Uh… I’ve just left the army, where I worked as a wheeled vehicle mechanic.”
“How long were you in the army?”
“Twelve years.”
Stan settled back in his chair, steepling his fingers in front of him. “You weren’t interested in making a career of it?”
“Initially, I was,” Blake told him. “However, my daughter’s mother recently passed away, and I didn’t think I’d be able to care for her properly while still being in the army, so I didn’t re-enlist.”
“What brought you to Serenity?”
“I have some family here,” he said. “And I was here before I enlisted and really loved it. I thought Serenity would be a good place to raise my daughter.”
“It is a great place to raise a family,” Stan agreed.
The conversation then turned to the practical side of things, with Stan asking him specifics about what qualified him to work in his garage. Blake felt more at ease discussing that part of his life. He was confident in his ability to fix vehicles, whether it was on a military base or in a civilian garage.
“It sounds like you could be a real asset to the garage,” Stan said. “And I’ve actually just had a guy hand in his notice because he’s decided to move out of Serenity, so I do have a position coming available.”
Hope bloomed in Blake. He’d been confident in his abilities, but if there was no opening for him, all his experience wouldn’t matter. When he’d phoned to see if there was a job available, Stan hadn’t said one way or another, but rather had invited him to come by the garage for a chat.
“The thing is, though, before I hire someone, I need them to understand a few things about me and how I run my business.” Stan leaned forward, bracing his arms on the desk. “First and foremost, I’m a Christian. For me, that means I run my business in a way that I believe honors God. I try to reflect that in how I relate to my employees and how I deal with my customers.”
Blake didn’t know for sure what that would look like, but if it meant Stan was honorable in his dealings, Blake was on board with that.
“We do the work that’s needed, without adding anything on. You’re responsible for the work, I’m responsible for the billing. There are times when we’ll do work for reduced costs or even for free. You’ll always get paid, regardless of what we bill a customer.”
